Religious Education Registration

Please Read Letter Below First

Dear Parent/Guardian,

In his letter to Families, Pope John Paul II reached out to families: He wrote: “Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children.” The church views the role of parents in the religious formation of children as both a privilege and an obligation. We are happy to assist you as the primary educators of your children in the faith and offer many opportunities for your children’s religious education. Thank you for your interest in our Religious Education Programs at Holy Spirit Parish. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY and COMPLETELY the following information about registering your child(ren) in our programs

Times Offered

We offer Religious Education classes for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade on:
Wednesdays:
3:00 to 4:15 PM (K-5th grade)
5:30 to 6:45 PM (K-8th grade)
7:00 to 8:15 PM (6th – 12th grade)
Sundays:
9:30 to 10:45 AM (K-8th grade)

PRESCHOOL CLASSES will be offered for 3 year olds and 4-5 year olds on Sundays during the 9:00 AM MASS in the preschool rooms of Holy Spirit School.

Holy Spirit Religious Ed. Webpage will contain important information so parents can stay informed of RE activities. Go to our Holy Spirit Parish Website and click on Religious Education.

We offer a program of Religious Education as an option for families with children in Preschool through 5th Grade called “Family Faith Formation.” An information page describing this program is included in this packet, as well as a separate REGISTRATION form. The monthly meetings for this program will be on WEDNESDAY evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 PM. Please come and investigate this and all of our Programs on “Come and See” night on August 25th, 2010 @ 6:30 PM.

We will continue to offer Children’s Liturgy of the Word for children Kindergarten through 4th grade age at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass. Children need not be registered to participate. ALL children (Kindergarten-4th grade) are invited to come.

Children’s Choir practice will be from 6:35 to 7:05 PM on Wednesdays in the Choir Room of the Church. 5:30 Rel. Ed. Students in Choir, will be allowed to leave class at 6:35 to go to choir.

REGISTRATION PROCEDURES: In this packet you will find all the information and materials necessary to sign up everyone involved in religious education. When your forms are completed, please turn them in on Sundays to a special collection box in the Hospitality Area or to the Parish office during the week. ALL REGISTRATION FORMS DUE AUGUST 31st. Registrations will not be taken by phone! We appreciate your cooperation with our registration procedures.

PLEASE NOTE:
• All students from Preschool through Grade 5 sign up on the green form, Middle School and High School students sign up on the blue form. Confirmation students sign up on the yellow form.

• Registration Fees are $40.00 per student for K – 12 students. Preschool fees are $25.00 per student. There is a non-member (not members of Holy Spirit Parish) fee of $65. All Registration fees are due with the Registration forms! If you need financial assistance to help with RE registration fees, please go to the parish website and print off a RE Tuition Assistance form or pick one up in the parish office. Please include this form with registration forms. BE SURE ALL INFORMATION is COMPLETE, including information about SACRAMENTS.

For Baptismal Dates, the month and year will be sufficient. We celebrate “Baptism Birthdays” in our elementary gathering times so this date is VERY IMPORTANT to include!

We are requiring ALL parents to volunteer in some capacity in our RE programs. Parent involvement in our programs will allow our parents to actively participate in their child’s Religious Education, as well as keep our costs down. There are many options to choose from listed on the back of each Registration form. Volunteering your time and talents as a Teacher or Catechist is a great way to grow in knowledge of our faith and the blessings are many! With the help of the Diocesan Office of Education, we offer special training for our Teachers of Religion called the Institute of Religious Studies. It is adult education aimed at helping our teachers to be well grounded in their faith, so they can better pass it on to our young people. The trainings will take place during the year. The other choices of involvement offer parents ways to participate that can fit into busy schedules. Please indicate your choice(s) on the back of the Registration Form.

• The PARENT HANDBOOK outlines procedures and other information about Holy Spirit’s Religious Education Program.

• A Parent Meeting for ALL parents involved in our WEDNESDAY Religious Education Programs will be held during the FIRST CLASS meeting times on September 15 at 3:00, 5:30 and 7:00 PM class, in the Worship Area of Holy Spirit Church. The meetings will include introduction of our teachers and an open house in the classrooms. Parents will accompany their child/ren to their classrooms and meet the teachers and then return to the Worship Area for an informational meeting and an opportunity to ask questions. When class time is finished, parents may then pick up their child/ren from their classrooms. If you are unable to attend the Parent Meeting at your child’s class time—please attend one of the others: 3:00 Parents can attend the 5:30 meeting for the parent information. It is important for you to attend the Parent Meeting!

The Parent Meeting for the SUNDAY CLASSES will be on Sept. 19 at 9:30 AM & will meet in the gym. There will be an introduction of the teachers and open house in the classrooms so parents can meet the teachers. Parents will then return to the gym for PARENT MEETING while the students remain in the classrooms to get acquainted with their teachers and classmates.

PRESCHOOL parents will meet their child’s teacher as they come to the first class on September 19 and receive the information they need at that time. They do NOT need to attend the parent meeting in the gym that date.

A NOTE to those families considering the Sunday Class time: Please remember the importance of Sunday Mass! Mass must be attended each Sunday and attended in its entirety. We also insist that classes on Sunday be attended from beginning to end. For these reasons, if you are choosing Sunday classes, please attend a Mass other that the 9:00 am Sunday Mass for your family to attend.

• FINALLY—-The registration fee is $40.00 per student before August 31, after that date, the fee is $50.00. Classes will be closed when they are full: If a certain time is important to you, please get your registrations in as soon as you can; classes are filled on a first come, first served basis. Assume your child/ren are in the class you have signed them up for. You will hear from us ONLY if there is a problem. Forms may be turned in on Sundays to a special collection box in the Hospitality Area or to the Parish Office during the week. Remember, registrations will not be taken by phone!

There will be a Come and See Meeting on August 25 @ 6:30 pm for parents who want to investigate our programs. This is especially helpful for parents new to our programs.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read through all of this information! Please call us, 605-371-1478
if you have any questions! May God Bless You and Your Families!

The Holy Spirit Religious Ed. Staff:
Valerie Whitney, Preschool-Grade 5 and Family Faith Formation
Amy Nightingale, Gr. 6,7,8, High School and Confirmation