RE Policies
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Attendance
Regular class attendance is essential to your child's faith journey and their understanding of our beautiful Catholic doctrine. Please select the class session that best suits your family's weekend schedule without conflict. Attendance is taken at every class, and the Director of Religious Ed will reach out to any parent whose child has missed more than two consecutive weeks. In Sacrament years such as First Communion or Confirmation, repeated absences will require a meeting with the Pastor to determine if the student is prepared for the Sacrament.
If your child must miss class, please- contact their Catechist directly at the email address or phone number they've provided to report the absence and
- refer to their syllabus to see what topic the student missed to ensure that the material is covered before the next class.
Baptism
We expect that all children who register for class are baptized Catholics. Please do not hesitate to ask us about preparation for Baptism or entrance into the Catholic Church for your family if this is not the case! If your child was baptized in a church other than St. Michael Parish, please submit a copy of their baptismal certificate to the Religious Ed office for our files. This should be done prior to October 1.
Communications
Communication between the program and parents is extremely important. We correspond with our families via email, and inform our community of events, updates and enrichments through the parish bulletin and our website. Please ensure that we have your most current email address on file, that you add our email address to your "Contacts" (so we don't end up in your junk mail folder), pick a bulletin up after Mass, and visit this website often to stay informed. Please also read all information your child brings home carefully.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Please drop your children off and arrive to pick them up on time out of respect for our Catechists.
Parents of students in Grades K through 3, please walk your child directly to and pick them up from their classroom each week. Wait until their Catechist reports to the class before leaving. We do not want our littlest students to be left unattended before class begins!
Early Dismissal
If your child must leave early on a particular occasion, please write a note to the catechist and pick them up directly from the classroom.
Masses
The Mass is the source and summit of our Catholic faith, and is offered several times each weekend: the 4 PM Vigil on Saturdays and the 7:30 AM and 10 AM Masses on Sundays. Please set aside time each weekend to attend with your children.
Specific Grade-level Masses will be scheduled throughout the year during which the students will participate as readers, gift bearers, in the choir, etc. You will receive a letter via email a week or two ahead of time to notify you of this upcoming Mass.
Medical Attention
If a child is injured, a catechist or staff member will immediately attend to the student, administering First Aid as needed, and the parents will be notified. If the injury or condition of the student appears even remotely serious, 911 will be called and the parents will be notified.
Snacks
Please ensure that your child has a hearty breakfast prior to reporting to class. In order to maintain a safe environment for all of our students, snacks are not allowed in the classroom.
Student Behavior
Students are expected to be respectful and courteous in class at all times. If a child is disruptive, he or she will receive one warning from the catechist. If the behavior continues, the catechist will notify the Director of Religious Ed and both the parents and the Pastor will then be made aware of the situation and will discuss how to proceed.
Class Cancellations
If a class must be canceled for any reason (weather, catechist illness, etc.) you will be notified via email. Please be in the habit of checking your email in advance of dropping your child off at the Parish Hall.
Photography
At special events, pictures of the activity and students may be taken, which we often like to include on our website. We do not include children's names. If you DO NOT want your child's image to be used on any St. Michael Parish-related page, please notify the Religious Ed Office.
Registration Period
The Registration period begins in March and runs through May. The fee is $175/student with a cap of $425/family. Please contact the Director of Religious Ed if you need Financial Aid. No student will be turned away from our program for an inability to pay.
If you are a new family to the area or St. Michael Parish and would like to enroll your child, please email the Director of Religious Ed.