St. Joseph Church - Mendham, NJ: Religious Education

Religious Education

GRADES K-10 REGISTER FOR 2010-2011
Registration was held in May. All forms for Grades K-10 should be mailed to the Parish House by July 30. (Registering late cannot guarantee a spot in the program since we may not have enough Catechists)
Click Here for the registration form.

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ATTENTION INCOMING 1st GRADERS: Orientation

A letter will be mailed to your home in August with your class assignment in either the Faith, Hope or Love group.

New this year: Instead of a general parent meeting we are asking ALL FIRST GRADERS and their parents to attend an Orientation in the Church immediately following the 12 noon Mass (1pm). Siblings may join us too! The 45 minute orientation will include refreshments and a tour of the church in the form of a “Scavenger Hunt” to help our new 1^st graders become familiar with CCD. Please look for your letter in the mail with more details.

Faith Group 1^st Grade Orientation on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 1pm
Hope & Love Group 1^st Grade Orientation on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 1pm

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Parent Meeting - No Parent meeting. There is an ORIENTATION for Grade 1 children and their parents.

Registration -

Your prompt registration is very important (DEADLINE: JULY 30), as it will help us to address class size, day preference, teacher recruitment, discounts for textbooks, etc. You will be notified of your child’s class placement and schedule at the end of the summer. All classes are scheduled to begin in September.

Fees - The Religious Education program at St. Joe's is self-supporting. We do not use money from weekly collections to fund the program, rather those who use the program / pay for the program. All operating costs (the use of the school, supplies, Catechist training materials, workshops, special activites, salary for DRE & staff) are covered by the Family Fee.

Annual Family Fee of $200 per family plus:

$30 per child in CCD or TLC

$40 per child in 9^th Grade (Year 1 Confirmation)

$50 per child in 10^th Grade (Year 2 Confirmation)

Discount:

Catechist teaching alone = $200 OFF (FAMILY FEE WAIVED)

Catechist teaching w/ a partner = $100 OFF (1/2 FAMILY FEE WAIVED)

(Catechists still pay the $30 / $40 / or $50 fee per child as per chart above)

Class Cancellations - Whenever inclement weather forces closings for Mendham Borough schools, the Parish Religious Education classes will also be cancelled. In the case of weather or other emergencies that occur toward the end of the school day, we will notify the Catechists to announce our cancellation.

Sunday morning class cancellations - Parents may check for announcements by 8:00 am regarding cancellations by listening to a recorded message on the Religious Education phone answering machines (973-543-5950 x 19 or x 14 or x 13)

Religious Education Program Overview

IN-HOUSE REGISTRATION was held in May.

Religious Education Program for Grades Kindergarten – Grade 10
Re-registration is required each year (Registration is held annually in the spring). The family must be registered with the parish prior to enrolling in the program. New students / transfer students are required to submit baptismal certification.

Sacramental Program - 1st Reconciliation / 1st Eucharist
Formal Religioius Education starts in First Grade. Children are required to be enrolled for two years (Grade 1 & 2) in preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.

Kindergarten
Optional - meets Sunday morning during the Faith or Hope Group Schedule

CCD: Grade 1-6
Three options are available: Faith Group / Hope Group / Love Group

Faith Group    Sunday 8:45 – 10:15 AM
Hope Group    Sunday 8:45 – 10:15 AM
Love Group     Monday 4:00 – 5:15 PM **

** (Please note beginning time of Monday class. If dismissal from school and timely arrival at CCD is going to be a problem, please sign up for Sunday classes. Thank you.)
FIRST GRADE ORIENTATION for Parent & Child (Sept 12 at 1pm or Sept 19 at 1pm)

TLC “Together Learning Christ” – Grade 7 & 8
Monday evenings for 16 weeks from September to March.
Grade 7 theme: Morality / Grade 8 Theme: The Church
PARENT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 13 AT 7PM

Confirmation Preparation – Year I and Year II

Teens in Grade 9 and Grade 10 in public, private and Catholic Schools participate. Sessions are on Sunday evening.
For information, call the Director of Religious Education:
Annette Tracy, 973-543-5950 ext. 13.

Religious Ed Schedule 2010-2011
Religious Education Parent Handbook

Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation

The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a sign to the community of a person's willingness to embrace more fully the beliefs and mission of the Christian community and is a sign of the person's commitment toward continued growth and service in one's spiritual journey. It is also a sign to the person of the community's desire to support and encourage the individual in that journey.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE IN THE CHURCH OF SAINT JOSEPH’S CONFIRMATION PROGRAM

Continuous and sequential attendance in a Religious Education program in grades 1-8.

All candidates who have not attended Religious Education sessions continuously will be required to participate in a remedial program.

Full participation in Confirmation Process.

Candidates accepted in the Confirmation Process will not automatically receive the Sacrament of Confirmation unless they are fully prepared.

YEAR I

Participation in weekly Liturgy

Journal reflections on weekly Liturgy

Participation in Confirmation small group classes

Confirmation Candidate Interview

Reconciliation Service

Rite of Enrollment Liturgy

YEAR II

Participation in weekly Liturgy

Journal reflections on weekly Liturgy

Participation in Confirmation small group classes

Selection & Interaction with Sponsor

Written Letter to the Pastor

Participation in Service Projects

Retreat Day Attendance

Confirmation Candidate Interview

Reconciliation Service

Rite of Covenant Liturgy

Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation

Download the Schedule for 2010-2011

TLC Schedule 2010-2011
Course Schedule 2010-2011 in PDF format

Forms 2010-2011

Here you will find:

Religious Education Registration Form
- 2010-2011 school year: we will be using a "Universal Form" for registration
- Only one form per family is needed
- All programs are listed on the form (CCD, TLC and Confirmation)
Religious Education Parent Guide
- General information regarding our program
Confirmation Booklet
- Details the Confirmation program for Year I and Year II
Confirmation Service Hours Record Form
- Year I and Year II Candidates, please use this form to record Individual Service Projects and Group Service Projects

Confirmation Forms

The following are forms necessary for the Confirmation Program at St. Joseph's Church. You may download and print each one by clicking on the link.

Sponsor's Certificate
Confirmation Name