Announcing the Good News
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Dear Parents,
During this difficult time, I understand that your family's well being (physically, spiritually and emotionally) is your utmost concern. Only you can make the difficult decisions about what is the best way to help your children grow in their faith. Our job is to be here to support you with whatever you need at this time.
If you have any questions, concerns or prayer requests please feel free to reach out to me through my email:
Religioused @annunciationgardner.org or phone 978-632-0253.
I look forward to working with your family this yearas we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
May you and your loved ones be safe & healthy.
Peace,
Mrs. Marua Sweeney
"Do not fear what may happen tomorrow: The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and will every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings." ~ St. Francis de Sales
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This Fall due to concerns about Covid- 19 we plan to offer both in person and home study options for our Religious Education Program. Families may feel free to choose the option that works best for their family. Students participating in both programs will have access to the same great learning materials, which will offer additional online resources for all grades. God forbid, if schools are closed again due to a surge, this will also allow us to continue with formal faith formation throughout the year.
Safety for In Person Classes
Please note that in person classes will only be an option so long as the Gardner Public schools have resumed meeting in person. Classes will not begin until Gardner Public Schools begin meeting in person. If schools are closed after we begin due to another surge we will ask families to home school with an option to check in regularly via Zoom and return to classrooms as soon as it is safe to do so .
Those gathering in person will need to follow the same safety protocols that they would in their public school including wearing masks while in the building, maintaining social distance, etc. It will become more important than ever this year for parents to keep their children home if they appear to be sick.
Students in grades 1-8 will meet weekly on the Holy Rosary campus between Masses on Sunday morning. Our first session will be a walk through for parents of students in grades 1-8.
Students in grades 9 & 10 will meet on the Holy Rosary campus between 11:30 and 1 roughly 12 times during the year.
While the exact details remain to be worked out, we anticipate using 2 entrances at the school to eliminate some of the crowding during pick up after class and we may need to stagger the pickup and release times for students. Rather than gathering for prayer in the church at the beginning of class, this year students will enter by the entrance they will be picked up from and go directly to their classrooms when they arrive.
Home Study
Students in Grades 1-6 will be using the exact same materials as their peers meeting in classrooms. There will be no set specific time for students to do their work during the week. You can feel free to do an activityor page a day or push through and do a whole lesson (which should take 30-45 min). The series we use includes a review online at the end of each session which students can complete and parents can email to me. This helps provide accountability and your child will grow in confidence as they realize they are growing in understanding. There will also be an online game available for all students in Grades 1-6 which can be accessed by families whether they are homeschooling or attending in person.
Students in grades 7 & 8 will also be using the same book as their classroom peers and there will be videos, activities and discussions included in the online resources. Their sessions are longer but fewer. We will "meet" monthly online using Zoom to review and discuss what they have learned.
Students in High School will be given materials to review before class then meet in small groups with a Catechist via Zoom to review what they have learned. Materials could include video clips, articles and reflection questions. They can expect their online session to be about 45 min. long.
Sacramental Preparation
Because preparation for the sacraments works best in person, we will not begin preparing for students until after the beginning of the new year when we hope it will be safer to gather together.
Cost
Once again we are asking that parents do their best to make a donation of $35 per student, however we know that many families are struggling financially at this time and no one will be turned away if they cannot make a donation towards their child's religious education! Please do not hesitate to register your child even if you are unable to make a donation this year.
Volunteers
We will need additional volunteers to make the in class lessons work. Not only do we have a few teachers who will not be able to return this year, we will need extra help in managing the flow of students through the building. If you can help please contact Mrs. Sweeney so we can get the training process started.
Looking for More Info?
We will be holding two Parent meeting via Zoom in Late September when we hope to have a better sense of what is happening with the public schools. They will be held on Sunday September 27th and Tuesday September 29th @ 6:30. Please contact Mrs. Sweeney to make sure you get an invite.
How Do I Register?
Follow the Registration link here and it will take you to the online registration form. You may also download a hard copy from that page if you prefer or contact the religious ed office to have a copy mailed to you.
P.S. Bringing Faith Home
We will be offering an online weekly newsletter including resources for Sunday prayer and ideas for living faith at home which will be available to anyone. Please feel free to sign up to receive it using the registrtion form.