Parish Religious Education Program

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Parish Religious Education Program

Parent Handbook – 2013-2014

Table of Contents

Contact Information……………………………………………………………………..….page 3

Mission Statement…………………………………………………………………...... 4

1. Philosophy……………………………………………………………………………..………4

2. Religious Education Program Catechetical Ministries……………………………………..….4

Children’s Liturgy of the Word…………………………...... 5

PREP (Levels 1-6)………………………………………………………………………..5

PREP Levels Comparison to Elem.School Grades……………………………………...5

Alternative Programs for Sacramental Preparation………………………………………5

VacationBibleSchool………………………………………………………………...... 5

Youth Ministry Program (Genesis- Levels 7-9)………………… ……………………5-6

(GYM-Levels 9-12)…………………………………………..6

3. Registration………………………………………………………………………………...... 6

4. Tuition………...…………………………………………………………………………...... 6

5. Class Times……...……………………………………………………………………...……...6

6. Arrival/Parking Procedure………………………………….………………………….………7

7. Dismissal/Departure Procedure……………………………….…………………...... 7

8. St. Cyril PREP Traffic Flow Map……………………………………………………………..8

9. Student Early Dismissal……………………………………………………………………….9

10. PREP Closing……..……………………………………………………………………...... 9

11. Attendance………………………………………………………………………………….9-10

12. Absence Policy…………………...…………………………………………………………..10

13. Non-Custodial Parents…………………………………………………………………….10-11

15. Student Assignments & Progress Reports………………………………………..….………11

16. Family Role…………………………………………………………………………………..11

17. Discipline…………………………………………………………………………………11-12

18. Prohibitive Behaviors ………………………………………………………………………..12

19. Communication…………………………………………………………………………...... 13

20. Sacramental Preparation Information………………………………………………………...14

21. Program Admittance Policy……………………………………………………………..……14

PREP Curriculum……………………………………………………………………………...... 15

Essential Topics and Prayers …………………………………………………...... 15

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Welcome to St. Cyril of Jerusalem Parish Religious Education Program. Be assured that we are here to support you in your role as parent and your God given responsibility of educating your children in the Catholic faith. We have an extremely competent team of faith-filled catechists, assistants and support personnel who are dedicated to your children and committed to teaching all aspects of our faith that will prepare them for their life long journey as followers of Jesus Christ. We always strive to have open communication with you and most certainly welcome your ideas, concerns and suggestions.

+May God bless you and your family,

Deacon Joe

Deacon Joseph T. Owen, MA

Director of Religious Education

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Robert Powell 215-343-1288

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Michael Filippello 215-343-1288

Director Religious Education: Deacon Joseph T. Owen 215-343-3139

Director Youth Ministry: Daniel Rackers 215 - 896-6649

PREP Administrative Assistant: Carol Anghelone 215-343-1288

Elementary Program Administrator: Linda Kingsbury 215-343-1288

Coordinators for Initial Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance)/Holy Eucharist:

Cathy Milnik

Debbie Heaney

Coordinator for Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW):

Suzanne Curran

Parish Address:

St. Cyril of JerusalemR.C.Church

PREP Office

1410 Almshouse Rd.

Jamison PA 18929

Office hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Phone: 215-343-1288

Parish Website:

MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Roman Catholic Church is to provide religious education that will enable all people to develop a personal relationship with God and live as disciples of Jesus Christ. This ministry will speak to the heart of each person; comfort, inspire and develop enthusiasm for the Word of God through the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Spirit.

PHILOSOPHY

St. Cyril’s PREP exists to serve those parishioners who make an alternative choice for their children’s religious education. The focus of the program is to lead the student to a relationship with God and our parish family community. We strive to increase thestudent’s awareness of the importance of sharing his/her talents, resources, and struggles with the family, parish and community.

A pattern of daily prayer is built on the awareness that God is personally involved in each person’s life. The student is encouraged to know God as a friend. Daily prayer, both spontaneous and formal, becomes a means of strengthening and keeping that friendship alive. Our curriculum encourages family prayer, especially at meals and at bed time. We believe this family prayer experience will facilitate a routine of daily prayer for children.

In collaboration with the family, we hope to create through the transmission of Gospel values a vibrant faith life for each child. To achieve this end, we urge parents tofully support our program and be positive role models through regular participation at Holy Mass on Sundays and holydays, frequent reception of Holy Eucharist and regular reception of the Sacrament of Penance.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM*

St. Cyril’s PREP is committed to educating our youth in the Catholic Tradition to form them according to the Gospel values and developing them to become full and active members our Catholic community.

A program expectationis that parishioners will commit to the religious education and spiritual formation of adults and children to bring them to a deeper understanding of Church doctrine, to a deepening conversion to Christ; and to openly expressa personal witness to the faith.

To provide an excellent education and formation program the following are to be considered:

Provide an effective program of religious education and formation for all children and youth.
Provide programs for sacrament preparation for candidates, sponsors, and parents of candidates.
Employ an individual committed to the Catholic Church with the appropriate education and experience to effectively perform the duties of Director of Religious Education.
Develop/deliver continuing education programs as needed for Catechists in compliance with Archdiocesan Guidelines.
Recruit, train, assign catechists, assistants and support personnel in sufficient numbers to meet the programs goals.
Appoint a Youth Minister with the appropriate education and experience to coordinate programs for middle school and high school students.

*Excerpts from the “Characteristics Found in Vital Parishes” Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 2003

Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW): Offered for children in kindergarten through the fourth grade. The Children’s Liturgy of the Word is offered in the chapel every Sunday during the 10:00 a.m. celebration of Holy Mass. Through this ministry adult volunteers share the experience of the Holy Mass and the Sunday scripture readings with the children on the child’s level. This will enable the children to better understand and become familiar with the gospel readings. The goal is to have the children actively participate in the Holy Mass, feel a sense of belonging to the church community, develop a desire to attend Holy Mass and better understand the message of Jesus Christ.

Parish Religious Education Program (PREP): Developed for students in grades 1 through 6 sixwho attend non- Catholic Schools. Each program level has a specific core curriculum developed in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office of Catechetical Formation. Preparation for the initial reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist occurs in Level 2.

PREP Levels comparison to Elementary School Grades:

When registering your children for PREP classes you need to be aware that there is no correlation between the elementary school grade system and the PREP levels. The elementary school system is a grade format based on the intellectual learning ages of children and their ability to grasp numerous subjects at a particular age.

The PREP “Level” system is not an age based system nor on the child’s ability to grasp a variety of subjects. It is focused on the child’s progression in their religious education. For example, a child may be in the second grade in an elementary school but has not participated in any religious education classes…this child would be assigned to Level 1 in the PREP program.

Alternative Programs for Sacrament Preparation:

Alternative programs are designed for children who have been baptized but have not participated in a religious education program or sacrament preparation for Reconciliation, Eucharist or Confirmation.

Level 3 and higher – For children in Level 3and above who have not received the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Penance) and/or Holy Eucharist

Level 7 and higher – For children in level 7 and above who have not received one of the following Sacraments: Reconciliation (Penance) Holy Eucharist, and/or Confirmation

Children are accepted into these programs on an as needed basis depending on individual and family circumstances. Please contact the PREP office at 215-343-3139 to discuss your child’s situation and the development of a specific individual program.

VacationBibleSchool (VBS): Children entering Kindergarten or grades 1 through 4 are eligible to attend. VacationBibleSchool is a Catholic faith based program conducted on the grounds of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Parish. The five half-day, Monday thru Fridayprogram offers numerous activities including song, prayer, arts and crafts, etc, and is staffed by adults, teens and pre-teens.

Youth Ministry Program:

GENESIS: A Catholic faith based program for 7th, 8th and 9th grade youth. The program is open to all youths regardless of religious affiliation. St. Cyril parish membership is not required. Genesis is a program focusing on three aspects of youth ministry; faith formation, service projects and peer socialization.

GYM (God’s Youth Ministry) - is a high school youth ministry aimed at engendering and nurturing knowledge and a love of God in our young men and women and guide them in becomingdynamic disciples of Our Lord. The program’s objectives are to: 1) teach our youth, giving them knowledge of Our

Lord and fostering in them a burning love for Him; 2) empower our youth to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today; 3)encourage our young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community and 4)foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

REGISTRATION:

PREP registration is conducted annually in mid-March thru the end of April and is offered on-line. You will be able to register, make a 1st & 2nd choice for the class day/time, pay tuition and volunteer to teach, all from the convenience of your home or office. Registering after April will limit your choice of the class day/time for your children and incur an increased tuition amount.Families who do not have access to a computer should call Carol Anghelone at 215-343-3139 to arrange for an alternative method of registration.

TUITION*

Tuition rates are reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary to meet program expenses. Parents will receive tuition information in the spring of the year.

Tuition covers the cost of facilities, student’s text books, folders, supplies, audiovisuals, resource materials, etc. as well as the administrative expenses of the program. In the event of books being lost or damaged a replacement fee of $18.00 will be charged.

*No child will ever be denied participation in PREP due to financial hardship. Should you be experiencing a difficult time, please contact Deacon Joe Owen at 215-343-3139 to discuss how we may help you.

CLASS TIMES

Classes are conducted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons…4:45 p.m.-6:00 p.m.and on Monday evening…6:30-7:45p.m.

NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CHANGE IN TH THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PROCEDURE…

Termination of valet system... over the past several years the effectiveness of the valet parking system significantly diminished due to the inadequate number of parent volunteers. During this past year the program was terminated for the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon sessions and a mandatory parental “drop-off /pick-up “system was implemented. This system was successful and increased the security and safety of the children due to direct parental involvement.

As such, the Valet Systems is being eliminatedfor all PREP sessions and it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian or designated driver to park their vehicle and escort the children to their class and retrieve them from the classroom at closing.

PARKING PROCEDURE:

ARRIVAL - Enter from Almshouse Road –

Turn right and proceed to the lane that will allow parking as close as possible to the building where your child (ren) class is located. NOTE: Parents/Guardians authorized to transport several children to PREP are responsible to insure the safety of these children and to escort each child to the building where there class is located.

Exit your vehicle and escort your child (ren) to the entrance to the building.

Please exercise extreme caution as you would in any public parking area e.g. shopping centers, malls, and stadiums

Return to your vehicle and exit the parking lot proceeding to the Almshouse Road exit.

There is no entrance or exit from Meetinghouse Road

Refer to the map on the next page -- “ST. CYRIL’S PREP – TRAFFIC FLOW”

DEPARTURE – (Dismissal)

Parents are requested to parked their vehicle and enter the appropriate building to pick up their children and escort them through the parking lot to their vehicle. We realize this may be inconvenient for some but it is mandated to ensure the safety of the children.

Children must never walk without being escorted by an adult…regardless of PREP level.

It is permitted for a family with several children attending PREP to pick up all of their children at a single location. In this situation, parents must provide a note to each child’s catechist authorizing the release of their child to a specified location. The older child must go to the location of the youngest child. The form to be completed for approval is available on the website.

CRY ROOM – pick up must occur in the cry room and not in the church’s narthex.

RECTORY – pick up in the rectory basement must occur in the common area between the two classrooms, but only after both classes have been dismissed.

PARISH HALL – pick up in the hall will be from each classroom/main hall. Parents are requested to wait in the entrance lobby area until the classroom doors are opened. Parents are asked not to wait in front of the classroom doors as this is a distraction for the class being conducted in the main hall. When dismissal occurs, the classroom doors will be opened and parents should proceed to the classroom/hall to pick up their children.

PORTABLE – pick up will be at the front door of the portable classrooms.

FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN…DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE UP TO A BUILDING AND HAVING YOUR CHILDREN COME OUT TO YOUR VEHICLE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

STUDENT EARLY DISMISSAL

We know unexpected situations arise which require a child to leave a class early. For the safety of the children the following procedure must be adhered to in these instances:

The parent MUST report to the PREP office to request a student release form, complete it, sign it and have it approved by the representative of the PREP staff. The parent will then take the approved form to their child’s classroom and give it to the Catechist. The form will then be forwarded to the PREP office to be filed in the student’s folder.

If an individual other than the parent or guardian will be picking up your child, you must write a note indicating the individuals name, relationship to the child, provide a contact number for you and sign the note. The individual must submit the note to the PREP office who will prepare an authorization for early dismissal to be given to your child’s Catechist.

Common sense, PREP policy and Archdiocesan policy prohibit a child leaving the building unescorted. A parent/guardian must report to the PREP office to obtain authorization for their child’s early dismissal.

Extracurricular activities such as, sports practices/games, dance, karate, CYO events, or similar activities do not constitute a valid reason for early dismissal and will not be granted. PREP is more than an academic exercise and should be seriously considered a priority in your child’s faith development.

PREP EMERGENCY OR INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSING

The PREP schedule is created in consideration of the CentralBucksSchool District academic schedule but does not follow all of the holidays observed by the Central Bucks District. Should the district announce a closing does not necessarily mean PREP will also be closed.

For those rare occurrences of inclement weather that may jeopardize the safety of the children and other family members, the Director of Religious Education will render a decision to cancel the PREP classes.

A closing announcement will be made on KYW radio-1060 A.M. and will be posted on the KYW website at Our closing number is 762. KYW News Radio School Closing may be contacted at 215-925-1060 for closing information. Subscriptions for telephone and text alerts are available.

A PREP closing announcement will also be posted on our parish website

ATTENDANCE

The faith formation provided in our programs is delivered in a spiral format, which means each year’s subject matter is built upon the subject matter learned in the previous year. Therefore, it is imperative that children remain enrolled in the program consistently from year-to-year.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has established a forty (40) hour minimum standard for in-the-seat learning time for each year of PREP. The PREP year begins in September and typically ends in May.

Consistent and prompt attendance is required for our children to fully benefit from the religious education they receive.
Unauthorized early dismissal will be counted as an absence.
All children are expected to be fully prepared for each weekly class including completed homework assignments and materials required by the teacher, e.g. books, folders, etc.

Students preparing for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation are required to bring to class all confirmation materials e.g. “Confirmed in the Spirit”, a bible, their service journal, FAQ Booklet, and the confirmation packet.
Attendance is taken by the Catechist Assistants at the beginning of each class. The attendance records are picked up ten minutes after the beginning of the session. Any child reporting 10 minutes late or more may be marked absent.

ABSENCE POLICY

A thirty (30) hour program of religious instruction is mandated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Office of Catechetical Formation. To ensure the compliance of the St. Cyril’s PREP this policy has been developed and will be strictly enforced. Provisions of the policy are as follows:

1)Children are expected to attend all classes including the times when the class goes to the church for special services such as Forty Hour Devotion, Holy Mass, Reconciliation (Penance), etc.

2)Parents are not required to submit a note or call if your child is to be absent unless it is known that the absence with be for two weeks or longer.

3)Should a long-term absence (3 weeks or longer) be necessary due to an illness or a family situation, the parent must contact the Director of Religious Education to discuss the situation and to arrange for a suitable plan to complete the grade level requirements.