Anne Vail –Coordinator; Virginia Aitken – Administrative Asst.

“Faith grows and is nourished on a daily basis”, is stated in the New England Bishops Pastoral Letter on Catechetics. You are the primary educator of your child, and recognized as such by the vows you agreed upon at your child’s Baptism. Religious Education Programs are only supplemental to the principal training parents’ provide. Our role is to aid parents by providing formal religious education classes and Sacramental instruction. By the Baptismal vows you assume the right and responsibility of the spiritual role model. Your duties include moral and spiritual teaching, regular family attendance at Liturgy and frequent reception of the Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. Working in partnership we can nurture the Christian development of the children of St. Thomas More Parish as they continue their journey of faith.

Our Religious Education Program follows the Religion Curriculum Guidelines of the Archdiocese of Boston, the General Directory for Catechesis, the standards set by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and our textbooks conform to the teachings of the
Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Saint Thomas More Parish appreciates the dedicated volunteers that live out our Mission Statement by giving unselfishly of their time and talent each year. Openings for teachers, aides, tutors, musicians, liturgy planners, office assistants, special programs, and special project workers are usually available. Support and in-house teacher training, is provided throughout the school year. Catechists are also encouraged to take advantage of Braintree Cluster and Archdiocesan sponsored programs, lectures, and courses. Please contact the office for further information regarding volunteer opportunities.

We are committed to provide quality education, by competent Catechists in a safe environment, therefore all Staff and volunteers must pass a yearly CORI check, complete mandated Archdiocesan programs and provide references, prior, to teaching, or contact with children or the elderly. Classes are scheduled to begin in October and conclude in May, however classes will not start until enough catechists have completed the training program, the volunteers’ CORI processed, and references checked!

Students must be registered each year by their parents through the Religious Education office! Children new to the program must provide a Baptismal Certificate and proof of attendance from another church if applicable. Parents by returning the Registration form you acknowledge that the Discipline Policy was discussed with your children.

The students are assigned to classes by registration return date. In fairness, registrations returned in June will be processed and student assignments made before those received in August or September. Special requests for teachers, day, place or time will be honored when possible, to those registered on time!

The Sacramental Readiness Program for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist begins in 1st grade and continues through 2nd grade. Parents are required, to attend educational and informational meetings. Parochial school students must attend second grade only.
Classes meet in the Catechists’ homes. Elementary and middle school classes meet for one hour each week. Middle school teachers with previous experience may opt to hold a two hour class every other week. A few classes meet in the church hall, and occasionally an entire grade will meet in the Church or hall for a special lesson.
We use the Sadlier texts for Grades Kindergarten -Six: “We Believe” and “We Live Our Faith” for Grades seven and eight. This series is well suited to small student classes. By using these small faith sharing settings we make ‘faith is caught not taught’ a reality.

DISCIPLINE POLICY
In order to provide a quality education and promote a sense of order in our classes, the following guidelines must be met and the policies discussed with each student/family before registering for the upcoming religious education year.

Pupils are expected to arrrive on time, prepared with text, homework, etc. to work cooperatively and to act in an appropriate and respectful manner toward their instructors as well as other students. For the first offense, misconduct will be brought to the attention of the Religious Education Coordinator by the teacher. If a second problem arises, a meeting between student, teacher, parent and administrator will be held. Any further offenses will result in removal of the student from the program with the parents taking responsibility for the education for the remainder of the year.

Possession or use of alcoholic beverages, controlled substances, weapons or facsimiles will not be tolerated. The student will immediately be removed from the program and when deemed necessary, proper authorities will be notified. Electronic games should not be brought to class. Beepers and cell phones must be checked with teacher prior to class start.

Due to the rise of severe food allergies, food and beverages should not be brought to class unless requested or approved by the teachers.

We trust that it will not be necessary to deal with any of the more serious offenses. Your child's education in a safe environment is our top concern. We appreciate your cooperation and welcome any suggestions that you may have in making the upcoming year an enriching experience for your children.