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Sr. Christine Nantaba, IHMRcnantabaarchchicago.orgReligious Education Administrator
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Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish Religious Education Program Goes Virtual for the Year 2020-2021
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish will hold a virtual Religious Education Program for the year 2020/2021 due to the prevalent COVID-19 Pandemic. Students of grades 1 – 8 will receive Religious Education instruction virtually.
NO In-class instruction will take place this year, except in a few special cases concerning Sacramental preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
How do I register for the Religious Education Virtual Program? To participate in our virtual RE Program you must register no later than September 15, 2020 for the new RE year. The RE Registration Forms can be downloaded below. A $35 deposit is required at the time of registration. Completed forms, with the Registration Fee, should be mailed to the Business Office of Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish at address: 2550 Mayfair Avenue, Westchester, IL 60154.(Attention: Religious Education Program).
What will the RE Curriculum look like?
We have adopted the Sadlier Religion Program which supports the E-Learning option. Students will have a Religion Text Book at home. Catechists will teach Religion lessons On-line twice a month for each Grade level. On-line platforms to be utilized are ZOOM as well as You Tube live streaming. Parents, students and Catechists will each have secure On-line accounts through the Sadlier Company. Catechists will assign and Grade Homework virtually, Students will access this information through their On-line Accounts to complete their assignments, Assessments and tests. The RE Administrator and the parents will be able to monitor student progress remotely.
Catechists will hold Religion Classes on ZOOM twice a month for each Grade level.
Grade Levels will be grouped in 2 Tracks:
a) Track 1 includes Grades 1 – 4 (Grades 1 – 4) will meet every other week or twice a month.
b) Track 2 includes Grades 5 – 8 and will alternate and meet twice a month also.
c) The By-week where there are no scheduled classes for a Grade Level, students will be expected to use that time to complete their Homework Assignments and their Family Activities.
What is the cost to attend the Virtual RE Program? The cost to attend the virtual RE Program is $250 for 1 Child, $350 for 2 Children and $450 for 3 or more Children. The Sacramental Fees are $50 for First Communion and $80 for Confirmation. The Tuition and Fees are needed to support the E-Learning Resources more than ever before; as many new Technology and On-line resources will be invested into to support the E-Learning environment needed to support our On-line initiatives.
What materials will the students need? A Sadlier Textbook for Grades 1 – 6 and the Living Our Faith Book for Grade 7. Grade 8 will use the Confirmed in Spirit, a Confirmation prep. Text Book form Loyola Press. First Communicants will use the Sacramental Prep. Resource for First Reconciliation and First Communion from the Pflaum Publishing Company. A set date for Text Book pick-up will be arranged before Classes begin.
When is the First Day of RE Classes for the year 2020/2021? The first day of RE Classes is Monday, October 5, 2020 from 6:00PM – 7:00PM, and the last day will be May 10, 2021. A detailed Calendar will be posted on our Parish website soon.
Catechist/Teacher Responsibilities:- The Administration will create a bi-weekly schedule for each Grade Level.
- Catechists will prepare Lesson Plans and post Homework Assignments at www.sadlier.com
- Catechists will teach Religion Lessons twice a month for their specific Grade Levels.
- Catechists will assess students’ work and give On-line Assessment and verbal tests.
- Students must attend On-line RE Classes every time their Grade Level is scheduled to meet.
- Parents must check-off their children for attendance after each session, using a Google Form link sent to them via Email.
- Failure to attend On-line Lessons or to check in will count as an absence.
- Students must check their online Accounts at www.sadlier.com each week for Homework Assignments, Lesson and Unit Assessment Tests, and some other class activities and announcements concerning the RE Program. They should go to www.sadlier.com and sign onto their individual accounts to access this information.
- Students should have all of their supplies ready before the beginning of each On-line class; for example, the Religion Textbooks for their Grade Level, pens, pencils, crayons and any other additional resource that the teacher would have provided to the students/families beforehand.
- Parents are asked to help in creating a clear environment for their Children as they attend the RE Lessons On-line.
- Students of Grades 1 – 4 should be helped by their parents on our behalf to get to the ZOOM Platform and to stay focused during the Lessons. Students of grades 5 – 8 should take initiative for their learning.
- Create a learning space for your child that has minimal distraction. Make sure it has good lighting, a comfortable place to sit and a place for them to spread out their learning material. Things like food, snacks, drinks, toys, pets and even younger siblings should be kept in check during the RE On-line Lessons.
- All students need supplies (Religion Textbook, pencils, pens, paper, device with charger, etc.).
- Do not schedule anything for your child during the time they are to be attending On-line Lessons, unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Notify the Administrator of Religious Education about your child’s absence.
- Keep a list of logins and passwords for each child. Keep your parent login information handy just in case.
Conclusion:
I am very grateful to our Catechists, Aides and Office Staff for their dedicated service to our Program. We welcome back our Returning Families and warmly welcome our New Families to the Program. We pray that God continues to bless us with a good, safe and faith-filled year!
Sr. Christine Nantaba, IHMR
Religious Education Administrator