Realizing that faith formation is an ongoing process that begins at birth and lasts throughout life, St. John's Parish is dedicated to providing catechesis for parishioners of all ages.

To that end, we offer a formal religious education program for students from pre-school through grade twelve. In addition, we offer programs to assist parents in preparing their children for celebrating the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Confirmation.

This handbook is intended to provide under one cover most of the information you may need regarding our religious education programs. We hope that you find it helpful.

May God Bless You All,

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St. John's Religious Education Committee

Carol Davis Mary Levinski

Ruthann Hansen Cheryl Ortquist

Andy Levinski Mary Amborn

Pre-School Coordinator Donna Hughes 275-3554

Religious Ed Coordinators Gloria Kotila 275-4893

Teresa Lahr 275-3050

Shelly Mendiola 275-5204

PHONE NUMBERS YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW

St. John's: 275-2915 (rings in parish house)

St. John's 693-6878 (rings in parish house and church kitchen)

St. John's Ed Center: 286-2800

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MISSION STATEMENT

It shall be the mission of the Religious Education Committee to share the faith of the Church by identifying, developing, and providing religious education programs and experiences. Our goal is to encourage spiritual growth and development with the support of the members of St. John's Parish.

St. John's 2003 - 2004
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM

REGISTRATION

Every student who will be attending religious education must register every fall. Registration will be held on Oct. 1, 2003, which is the 1^st night of class this year. At this time you may pay your child's book fee and fill out a registration form.

BOOK FEES

We feel that we, as a parish, are all responsible for the religious formation of our Catholic young people. Each year we ask for a small book fee to help offset the cost for materials. This does not cover the complete cost per student, but certainly helps to defray these costs. The fee this year will be $35 per child with a maximum of $75 per family. If this creates an unusual hardship, please speak with your coordinator or Father to receive an exemption. The book fee can be paid at registration time or on the first night of class. Non-members of St. John’s wishing to join our program will be charged $100.00 per student – no cap. Parents who teach will receive a discount on the book fee of $5 per session taught. A $25 book fee for First Eucharist and a $15 book fee for Reconciliation will be collected at the time of the Sacrament. Parents, you are responsible for making sure your child brings his or her book each Wednesday night. If a book is lost, you will be charged for a new book. Please do not take a new book from the office unless it is paid for.

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SUNDAY SCHOOL

This is held on Sunday mornings & will begin @ 10:45a.m. each Sunday for children who will be 3 or 4 years old or in Kindergarten by September 1, 2003. There will be a $10 fee for preschool children this year.

Sunday School begins on September 28, 2003 & will be every Sunday unless otherwise announced.

ELEMENTARY-GRADES 1-11

Our young people gather on Wednesday evenings from October through the end of April at St. John's Catholic Education Center on Highway 12 between Dassel and Cokato. The classes are held from 7:00 until 8:15 P.M. The first session of religious education runs from October through January and the second session runs from January through April.

RETREATS

We at St. John's consider retreats a very important element of our religious program. During these special times young people have an opportunity to do more community building, crafts, games, and different group activities than our Wednesday night class times allow for. Junior and Senior high retreats are also offered throughout the year; the youth are expected to participate.

YOUTH EVENTS

Throughout the year, our seventh through eleventh graders are offered a variety of opportunities to deepen their relationships with God and each other. These may include ski trips, bowling, roller-blading, camping, Christian music festivals, and various fundraisers. All youth in junior and senior high are welcomed and encouraged to attend. The New Ulm Diocese offers a Senior High Youth Rally in April and a Junior High Youth Festival in October. These events include a speaker, concert, dance and opportunities to mingle with other youth from all over the Diocese. Our youth events are a wonderful way to get to know each other better!!!!!

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YOUTH AND STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD

We have a group of adults who meet monthly during the school year with a group of junior and senior high youth. Their job is to plan the youth events for the year. We are always looking for young people to help in choosing and planning youth events. Anyone interested in joining should contact Shelly Mendiola or Teresa Lahr. Our current Youth Advisor team includes:

Don and Dana Smieja

Paul and Teresa Lahr

Jim and Donna Hughes

John and Kris Haffley

Keith and Joyce Evenski

Randy and Peggy Holm

Audrey Webster

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

This is a weeklong program for youth from preschool through 4th grade. We hold this program together with Gethsemane Lutheran Church. The preschoolers through fourth graders meet in the evenings for song, bible verses, crafts, snacks and learning about the love of Jesus in their lives.

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SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION PROGRAMS

Here at St. John’s we prepare for and celebrate sacraments in the following grade levels:

FIRST RECONCILIATION – Second Grade

FIRST EUCHARIST – Second Grade

CONFIRMATION – Tenth and Eleventh Grade

We realize that for various reasons, e.g. families relocating, different parish requirements, some children may not have received a sacrament. If this is the case please contact Father John or talk to your Coordinator. We can arrange to prepare your child for the sacrament they have not received.

Parents are a very important part of our preparation for the sacraments. They are, by example, passing on their Catholic faith. Parents will be asked to participate in various activities and meetings relating to their child’s sacramental preparation.

Along with the parents, the faith community of St. John’s will be encouraging and supporting you and your children throughout their lives and their preparation.

DISCIPLINE

Generally, our children are respectful and well behaved, but we do have a discipline policy that we follow. Please discuss with your child the importance of respect regarding our parish environment, classroom space, our catechists and each other. We do ask that you also instill a respect for the materials by making sure that the books are maintained and brought to class each week.

POLICY REGARDING CLASS DISCIPLINE

1^ST. INCIDENT: The teacher verbally reminds the student in private about our discipline policy and clearly indicates that this is the first warning. Teacher will inform the coordinator about this.

2^ND INCIDENT: The student is removed from class for that evening. The teacher contacts the coordinator at the time of the 2^nd incident. Before the student attends the next class time, the coordinator contacts the parent(s) and visits them about the matter, informing them that an improvement in behavior is necessary if the student is to remain in class.

3^RD INCIDENT: The student will be immediately removed from the classroom and parents will be called that evening. Student will not be allowed back into classes until a parent attends a full class period with the student.

NOTE: An incident is inappropriate and unacceptable classroom behavior that is distracting to the class.

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ATTENDANCE/ABSENCES

We ask that you be prompt in bringing your child to class and in picking them up following class time. It would also be advisable to contact your child's teacher if she/he will be absent from class. If we realize that a student has more than two unexcused absences, you will be contacted by one of our education staff.

COMMUNICATION/SPECIAL NEEDS

To better meet the needs of the children it would be helpful to be aware of family situations which might be affecting your child's emotional health. Throughout the year we know that there will be times of difficulty in some of our families lives. We as a parish family wish to share in your trying times as well as rejoice with you in those times of celebration. Please let us know if at anytime you have any special needs. Contact your Coordinator or Father Pat if we can be of assistance.

We also ask that you inform a Coordinator if your child has any learning disabilities or special needs that we should be informed of.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER

Please contact the Parish Office or your Coordinator in the event that you move or your telephone number is changed. This will keep our records up to date.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Stay tuned to your local radio stations KKJR 107.1FM OR KDUZ 1260 AM for canceled classes due to inclement weather. We will, if possible, contact the schools on Wednesday afternoons to inform the students. You can expect if school has been cancelled due to the weather that our religious education classes scheduled that evening will also be cancelled. However, when in doubt, feel free to contact our Coordinator, a catechist or the Parish Office. We always leave the final decision to not attend due to the weather up to the parents. If you are not comfortable with the driving conditions and religious education has not been cancelled, please do not feel obligated to attend that evening.

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"OPERATION SAFE KID PARENT LIST"

" Operation Safe Kid Parent" will be going strong again this year. These are volunteer parents who will patrol the Education Center grounds and building to help maintain safety and order before and after classes held Wednesday evenings. This year, we will ask people to patrol the parking lot and maintain order in the main hall before classes. A list of "Operation Safe Kid Parents" is included below. Any student found walking on Hwy 12 will be taken to the office and parents will be called immediately. Parents please advise your young people of the danger of being on the highway.

OPERATION SAFE KIDS SCHEDULE

October 1 Kevin/Nicole Carlen * Ron/Betty Rauschendorfer

October 8 Mitch/Diana Elke * Jim/Donna Hughes

October 15 No Religious Ed - MEA

October 22 Nancy/Jim French * Paul/Mary Filzen

October 29 Carol/Loring Davis * Jerome/Dawn Lindquist

November 5 Myron/Patty Polzin * Paul/Betty Opsahl

November 12 Howard/Linda Nordberg * John/Ruthann Hansen

November 19 Joe/Gail Schulte * Kelly/Tim Gustafson

November 26 No Religious Education-Thanksgiving

December 3 Dave Urban * Brian/Veronica Mattson

December 10 Jeff/Carol Neutzling * Randy/Peggy Holm

December 17 Kurt/Rita Holmgren * John/Amy Kaiser

December 24 No Religious Education-Christmas

December 31 No Religious Education-Happy New Year

January 7 Doug/Denise Bollman * Deb Danielson

January 14 Teachers Workshop-No class

January 21 Gale/Helena Posusta * John Nelson

January 28 Tim/Sue Steuck * Bob/Audrey Webster

February 4 Allen/Wendy Neu * Jim & Carrie Stang

February 11 Skip/Melinda Weber * Joann/Matt Trelstad

February 18 Paul Lahr * Paul/Pam Beckermann

February 25 Andy/Kim Levinski * Jim/Carrie Stang

March 3 Ash Wednesday

March 10 Janet Hugo * John/Kathy Distel

March 17 Rich/Kathy Reinke * Bruce/Colleen Bonniwell

March 24 No Religious Ed Classes-Spring Break

March 31 Kevin/Clare Bjork * Myron/Patty Polzin

April 4 John/Kathy Nowak * Jan Maher

April 7 Tim/Sandy Benoit * Jim/Rose Juncewski

April 14 Kevin/Traci McDonough * Todd/Lisa Smith

April 21 Kathy/Rollie Salmela * John/Kim Riewer

April 28 Jim/Donna Hughes * Ron & Betty Rauschendorfer

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ST. JOHN'S PARISH COMMUNITY

Religious Education Subject Matter and Prayers to Learn
2003-2004

OUR CLASS TIME ONLY AFFORDS US TO COVER OUR TEXTS, THEREFORE, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC PRAYERS AND ITEMS LISTED AS “THINGS TO LEARN” ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS AND IS TAUGHT FOR EACH PERSPECTIVE YEAR IN THE HOME.

3yrs - Kindergarten:

GOALS: SEEDS! A Lectionary based program-following weekly Gospel.

THINGS TO LEARN: Sign of the Cross, Before & After Meal Prayers, Genuflecting

1st Grade:

GOALS: Learning about the Holy Trinity

THINGS TO LEARN: Hail Mary, Our Father, and Glory Be

2nd Grade:

GOALS: Reviewing Baptism, Preparing for First Eucharist

THINGS TO LEARN: Prayers of the Mass

SACRAMENT: Eucharist

Reconciliation

3rd Grade:

GOALS: Focusing on Church, Traditional Marks and Beliefs

THINGS TO LEARN: Prayer of Sorrow

SACRAMENT: Reconciliation

4th Grade:

GOALS: Studying Morality, Preparing for First Reconciliation

THINGS TO LEARN: Ten Commandments (Prayer of Sorrow)

SACRAMENT: Reconciliation

5th Grade:

GOALS: Learning the Seven Sacraments

THINGS TO LEARN: Books of New Testament, Sacraments

6th Grade:

GOALS: Learning the New Testament, Hebrew Scriptures, God the Creator

THINGS TO LEARN: Fruits of the Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit

7th Grade:

TEXTBOOK: First Session: Meeting Jesus

Second Session: Exploring the Bible

8th Grade:

TEXTBOOK: First Session: Exploring the Bible

Second Session: Seeking Justice

9th Grade:

TEXTBOOK: Youth Renew

10th Grade:

TEXTBOOK: Confirmed In A Faithful Community

SACRAMENT: Confirmation

11th Grade:

TEXTBOOK: Confirmed In A Faithful Community

SACRAMENT: Confirmation

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SCHEDULE

2003-2004

September

Wednesday, September 24 Teacher’s Workshop, 7pm @ Ed Center

Sunday, September 28 Catechetical Sunday

Bug Mania, Confirmants & Sponsors

October

Wednesday, October 1 Religious Ed Classes Begin

Sunday, October 5 Confirmation NET Retreat @ Darwin

Noon- 6:00 pm

Wednesday, October 8 Religious Ed Class/Blessing of Animals

Wednesday, October 15 No Religious Ed – MEA

Wednesday, October 22 Religious Ed Class

1^st Reconciliation Parent Meeting

Sunday, October 26 Jr. High Youth Rally, Cottonwood 1-7 pm

Wednesday, October 29 Religious Ed Class

November

Wednesday, November 5 Religious Ed Class /No Class for 7^th & 8^th

Graders

Wednesday, November 12 Religious Ed Classes/ NCYC leaves

Wednesday, November 19 Religious Ed Class

Sat./ Sun., November 22^nd & 23^rd 1^st Reconciliation Parent/Child Centers

@ Darwin

Wednesday, November 26 No Religious Ed – Thanksgiving

December

Wednesday, December 3 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, December 10 Religious Ed Class

1^st Reconciliation Celebration @ Darwin

Wednesday, December 17 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, December 24 No Religious Ed – Christmas break!!!!

Wednesday, December 31 No Religious Ed – Happy New Year!!!!

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January

Saturday, January 3 Fr. Pat’s Birthday!

Wednesday, January 7 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, January 14 Teacher Workshop @ 7:00 pm @ Ed Center

Wednesday, January 21 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, January 28 Religious Ed Class

February

Wednesday, February 4 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, February 11 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, February 18 Religious Ed Class/1^st Eucharist Parent Meeting

Wednesday, February 25 Religious Ed Class/Ash Wednesday

March

Wednesday, March 3 Religious Ed Class

Wednesday, March 10 Religious Ed Class/Penitential Service

Wednesday, March 17 Religious Ed Class

Thursday, March 18 1^st Eucharist Retreat @ Ed Center 4-6 pm

Wednesday, March 24 No Religious Ed Classes – Spring Break

Wednesday, March 31 Religious Ed Class

April

Sunday, April 4 Senior High Youth Rally

Wednesday, April 7 Religious Ed Class

Sunday, April 11 Easter Sunday

Wednesday, April 14 Religious Ed Class/ No Confirmation Class

Wednesday, April 21 Religious Ed Class

Saturday, April 24 First Eucharist Practice 9 am @ Darwin

Sunday, April 25 First Eucharist @ 10:45 Mass – Darwin

Wednesday, April 28 Last Class

May

Wednesday, May 12 Mystagogia @ Ed Center 6:30 pm

For First Eucharist Recipients

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Parents, please be aware that we have an "Open Door Policy" on Wednesday evenings. You are always welcome to visit your child's classroom during religious education nights. Please come early to participate in our "Prayer Circle" before classes start.