Grade 7Fully Alive, Theme One
Family Letter
Dear Family,
We are ready to begin the first theme of Fully Alive, our Family Life program. Because the partnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to letyou know what we talk about in class and to offer some ideas for your involvement. Formore information, please go to .
About Theme One
The first theme of Fully Alive, called “Created and Loved by God,” is like the foundationof a house. Everything else depends on it. In this theme we explore the Christian beliefthat we are made in God’s image and that God knows and loves each one of us. We are avery special creation. Because of this, we respect and value ourselves and others.
In Theme One we will:
• explore what it means to be a person who is made in God’s image.
• examine self-concept, personality traits, and human emotions.
• learn more about the influence of heredity and environment on individuals.
• explore some of the strengths and limitations that are part of each person anddiscuss the importance of self-honesty and self-discipline.
Working together at school and at home
• We will be exploring the question — Who am I? — and the meaning of selfconcept,what we know about ourselves. You might ask your child about thisdiscussion. As children enter adolescence, the question of identity, who they areand who they will be in the future, becomes very important to them.
• You might ask about three dimensions of personality that were discussed inclass:
1) introvert/extravert; 2) emotionally reactive/calm; 3) conscientious/impulsive. What did your child think about these dimensions, and how do theyapply to him or her?
• Learning how to handle emotions is a life-long task. Because young adolescentstend to be very self-aware, they often have difficulty dealing with their feelings, asituation that was discussed in class. You may have noticed this emotionalunevenness at home. Young adolescence is a life stage that demands a lot ofpatience from families.
• In class we will examine the influence of heredity, and the students learnedabout a small number of traits that are the result of just two genes, one from eachparent. Ask your child about these traits, and how they apply to your family.
• We will also examine the influence of the environment, and especially threeaspects of the social environment (family, friends, media). Many parents worryabout the influence of media, and with good reason. It does take a lot of effort tomonitor and restrict what young people are watching, listening to, and doingonline, but it is worth it. It is normal for young adolescents to believe that theycan monitor themselves, but, in fact, they lack the life experience and maturity todo this without guidance from their families.
Teacher: ______Date______
Grade 7Fully Alive, Theme Two
Family Letter
Dear Family,
It’s time for the second theme of Fully Alive, our Family Life program. Because thepartnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to let youknow what we talk about in class, and to offer some ideas for your involvement. Formore information, please go to .
About Theme Two
Theme Two of Fully Alive is called “Living in Relationship.” God created us to live inrelationship with others and to respond to each other with love. Living in relationshipbegins in the family, the setting in which people first learn about love. As children growup, friendship becomes more and more important to them. In this theme we will beexploring both important relationships — family and friends.
In Theme Two we will:
• explore three aspects of relationships: intimacy, choice, and quality.
• discuss the importance of communication in our relationships with familymembers and friends.
• examine the experience of living in a family from the perspective of familystructure, the birth order of children, and challenges that are part of being a family
• explore the relationship of friendship, including what we learn from it, thequalities of healthy relationships, and the challenges that are part of allrelationships.
Working together at school and at home
• In class, we will be considering three guidelines for good communication:listening to each other, avoiding unnecessary conflict, and saying what we meanin a tactful and respectful way. Ask your child about these guidelines and howthey could be used in your family.
• We will be examining family structure as one of the characteristics that makeseach person’s experience of growing up in a family unique. The family structuresconsidered are extended families (one including relatives other than parents andtheir children); nuclear families (parents and children); single-parent families(most often a woman with one or more children); blended families (one thatincludes children from a previous marriage from one or both of the parents); andfoster families (one in which a person or married couple provides care for one ofmore children whose own family is unable to look after them). You may want todiscuss this topic with your child.
• We will be exploring some everyday family challenges, especially two that arerelated to the changes in children as they grow up. Being moody and wantingmore privacy are normal occurrences during early adolescence. It takes patiencefrom both young people and parents to handle this challenge. Ask your childabout what he or she learned about dealing with moods and the need for moreprivacy.
• We will also be discussing some more serious challenges for families:unemployment, the experience of immigrant families, and the impact of divorceand remarriage. Please talk to your child about these challenges, especially if oneof them has had an impact on your family.
• As most parents discover, friendship becomes very important during earlyadolescence. We will be learning about the qualities of healthy friendshiprelationships (respect, loyalty, personal interest), and the harm caused byexploitive friendships.
• Many young people have some difficulties with friendship during earlyadolescence. The most worrying of these are bullying and peer pressure. Try tofind an opportunity to talk to your child about these issues, especially if yoususpect that he or she is having some serious difficulties with friends.
• This year, each theme ends with a reflection on one of the virtues. For ThemeTwo the virtue is kindness. Ask your child to tell you about this virtue. At schoolwe discussed kindness as the virtue that reveals an attitude of care and concern forothers, both those we do not know and those whom we do, because we recognizethat we are all people whom God created and loves.
Teacher: ______Date: ______
Grade 7 Fully Alive, Theme Three
Family Letter
Dear Family,
We are ready to begin Theme Three of Fully Alive, our family life program. Because thepartnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to let youknow what we talk about in class, and to offer some ideas for your involvement. Formore information, please go to .
About Theme Three
Theme Three of Fully Alive is called “Created Sexual: Male and Female.” God made usmale and female, and all of God’s creation is good. In earlier grades, this theme waspresented through a continuing story, which emphasized God’s plan for new life as theresult of the love of mothers and fathers. In later grades, the message is unchanged, butthe approach is more direct. As students enter puberty, they need to know about thechanges they will experience, and about the responsibilities of being created male andfemale and following God’s plan for them.
In Theme Three we will:
• examine some aspects of sexuality, including sexual characteristics, sexualidentity and sexual roles.
• review the changes of puberty and the development of male and female fertility.
• explore the responsibility of caring for our health, including sexual health, andof developing a realistic body image during adolescence.
• discuss the experience of sexual attraction and feelings, and examine the needfor self-discipline and patience to reach the goal of becoming fully mature malesand females.
• learn about the virtue of chastity and the attitudes and behaviours that reflect thisvirtue and show respect for the gift of sexuality.
Looking Ahead
New terms introduced in Theme Three at this grade level are: primary sexualcharacteristic, secondary sexual characteristic, sexual role, femininity, masculinity,sexually transmitted infection (STI), homosexuality, masturbation, pornography
This theme introduces the experience of sexual attraction and sexual feelings,which begin after puberty, and stresses the need for self-discipline to manage thesefeelings. Sexual orientation is briefly discussed as part of a discussion of passingattractions young people may have toward people of the same sex. The virtue of chastityis highlighted in this theme, and the serious moral, physical, and emotional risks ofintimate sexual relationships between unmarried people are carefully explored. Thestudents are encouraged to recognize the value of the goal of becoming fully maturemales and females who follow God’s plan for them.
In Grade 8 the students will learn more about sexual orientation, natural familyplanning, and artificial contraception from the perspective of Catholic moral teaching.
Working together at school and at home
• You may find your child less open to talking about sexuality at this stage of life.Unlike younger children, young adolescents consider the topic very personal, andoften prefer not to talk about it. Look for natural openings — a television programyou watched together, an incident involving a friend that your child tells youabout, or an item in the news — and try to take advantage of them.
• Young adolescents tend not to pay enough attention to nutrition, exercise, andrest. These areas of physical health are especially important when people aregrowing rapidly. Many young people spend too much time in sedentary pursuits(television, electronic games, surfing the net). Families can make a difference byparticipating in a variety of physical activities, and including friends of theirchildren. The presence of friends makes a big difference to children of this age.
• Preoccupation with appearance and weight is normal for this age group,especially for girls. It is important to be patient with young people’s worries ordissatisfaction about their bodies, and reassure them that everyone is sensitiveduring this stage of life, that these feelings do ease as they get older. At school thestudents discussed the influence of media on young people’s body images. Youmight ask your child about this discussion.
• As part of the discussion of sexual attraction, the topic of pornography wasbriefly discussed. The internet has made access to pornography widely available.When young people have access to the internet in their bedrooms, there is alwaysa risk that they will get involved in chat rooms that are inappropriate for people oftheir age or watch pornography. This is a topic that parents do need to talk about.At school the students discussed the harmful nature of pornography, particularlyfor young people who should be directing their energies toward greater maturity and self-discipline, not to a distorted version of sexuality.
• This year, each theme ends with a reflection on one of the virtues. For ThemeThree the virtue is modesty. Ask your child to tell you about this virtue. In schoolwe discussed modesty as the virtue that protects our dignity as persons, especially which is private and intimate, and guides the way we present ourselves andbehave.
Teacher: ______Date: ______
Grade 7Fully Alive, Theme Four
Family Letter
Dear Family,
We have come to the fourth theme of Fully Alive, our Family Life program. Because thepartnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to let youknow what we talk about in class and to offer some ideas for your involvement. For moreinformation, please go to www. acbo.on.ca.
About Theme Four
Theme Four of Fully Alive is called “Growing in Commitment.” Each one of us ischallenged to grow in commitment to God and to each other. This is part of what it meansto be fully human. Growth toward maturity is never a straight path. As children learn to make more decisions about their lives, they need to know that freedom is best understoodas a freedom for, rather than a freedom from. Commitment is really the free gift ofourselves to being the best people we can be at each stage of our life.
In Theme Four we will
• discuss some of the feelings the students have about growing up and examinethe relationship between freedom and responsibility.
• analyze and practise the process of making decisions.
• explore the connection between commitments and responsibilities and reflect onwhat it means to be authentic people and to create balance in their lives.
Working together at home and at school
• Growing up and becoming an adult is hard work, and young people need familysupport. You can show this support by encouraging your child to make moredecisions and by being patient when things don’t work out as expected. Learningfrom small mistakes is part of growing up. Young people also need the safety oflimitations in areas in which they do not have the experience or maturity to makeindependent decisions.
• The virtue highlighted in Theme Four is perseverance. In class we will discussperseverance as the virtue that allows us to overcome obstacles and patiently meetthe challenges in our lives. Children need encouragement to persevere, not onlybecause it is an important habit for the rest of their lives, but also to experiencethe pleasure of overcoming difficulties and to develop the confidence that comesfrom success.
• At school the students will be learning that there are no short cuts to maturityand that trying to grow up too quickly deprives young people of the experiencesand time they need to become fully mature. Our society puts a lot of pressure onchildren as young as 8 or 9 to assume the styles and behaviours of much olderteens. It can be difficult for parents to resist this trend, but there are good reasonsfor doing so. It can result in preteens and young teenagers being exposed tosituations that they do not have the maturity to handle.
• As children grow up they tend to be more private and share less of their day-todaylives with their parents. There are times when they have problems that worrythem, but are often hesitant to talk to an adult about their worries. This isparticularly true if they have been involved in something they know their parentswould disapprove of. It’s important for young people to know that their parentsare always ready to listen, and that even when they get upset or angry, their lovefor their children is not in question.
• The students will discuss a variety of responsibilities related to theircommitment to being a family member. One of these responsibilities is an effortto understand the viewpoint of other family members. This is especially importantfor parents and young people, who often find themselves frustrated by argumentsthat seem to go nowhere. You might ask your child about this responsibility andhow it applies to your family.
Teacher: ______Date______
Grade 7Fully Alive, Theme Five
Family Letter
Dear Family,
We are ready to begin the last theme of Fully Alive, our Family Life program. Because thepartnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to let you knowwhat we talk about in class and to offer some ideas for your involvement. For more information,please go to www. acbo.on.ca.
About Theme Five
Theme Five of Fully Alive is called “Living in the World.” We are not simply individuals whohave relationships with family members and friends. We are also members of human society,brothers and sisters within the whole human family, and caretakers of the earth.
As the students get older, they are encouraged to recognize that they have a unique contributionto make to the world, one that cannot be made by anyone else. Their participation in creating aworld that reflects the goodness of God is needed.
In Theme Five we will:
• examine the social nature of persons, which motivates us to join together in groups,both small and large.
• explore four significant reasons for gathering with others: to celebrate; to support eachother in times of difficulty; to create needed changes in our society; and to work togethercooperatively to accomplish goals.
• learn about our responsibilities as members of groups, including the creation of a senseof community that respects and appreciates the uniqueness of each person.
Working together at school and at home
• The experience of family celebrations is immensely important to children. Whether it’sa big occasion, like Christmas, or a special meal to mark a family member’s birthday —these are events that are remembered many years later. In school we will discuss theimportance of celebrations as a way of reminding ourselves just how important our bondswith other people are. You might ask your child about this discussion.
• Another reason people gather together is to assist each other. We will be learning aboutthe purpose of support groups, and the help they can provide when people are facingserious difficulties. You might ask you child about support groups and what he or shelearned about them.