Living a moral life that reflects the values and teachings of Jesus Christ
Participating in the Parish Mass each Sunday
Receiving the Sacrament of Penance at least once a year
Following the teachings, laws, and norms of the Catholic Church
Attending the weekly Religious Education Sessions
Arriving on time each week for the Religious Education Session
Being well-prepared for each Religious Education session by having all assigned home projects completed satisfactorily
Memorizing all required prayers
Participating in class discussions and activities
Being attentive and respectful during sessions
Performing satisfactorily on assessments of the material taught in the sessions
Practicing appropriate dress
The use of cell phones and other electronic devices by the child is not permitted during the Religious Education session unless this is directed by the Catechist as part of the educational process. Cell phones brought into the classroom should be turned off. At the discretion of the teacher cell phones may be collected and put in a basket at the beginning of class or placed on the teacher’s desk.
Children in need of contacting a parent must ask the Catechist’s permission to go to the Religious Education Office to place the call.
Our Catechists are volunteers and should not be expected to spend class time as disciplinarians. However, when necessary a catechist may use behavior management (or “discipline”) appropriate to an educational environment as a necessary means for the Religious Education Program to accomplish its goals. The purpose of behavior management is to help the children develop self-control, self-respect, respect for others, and reverence for the Word of God which is being explained to them in these sessions. Several infractions of rules of conduct will result in a call by the Director to the child’s parent in which the Director will describe the situation and work out a solution with the parent. If the infractions continue, the Director will organize a conference with the parent, the Catechist, and if needed the Pastor. The Religious Education Program reserves to the Director, under the authority of the Pastor, the right to remove a child from the group session, either temporarily or permanently: - if the child’s behavior is seriously inhibiting the learning of others in the group; - if the child’s behavior is seriously inhibiting the safety or well-being of others in the group; - temporary removal is used as a disciplinary measure for serious and persistent disruptive behavior.
Bullying includes but is not limited to: threatening physical harm, verbal abuse, intimidation, cyberbullying. The Archdiocesan policy against bullying is followed. This policy states: A safe and civil environment is necessary for children to learn and achieve Christian value. Harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyber-bullying (using technology to bully such as but not limited to: posting an inappropriate picture of a child on the Internet) and other violent behaviors will not be tolerated in a Religious Education Program environment. Any child who engages in this behavior may be asked to leave the religious education environment if this is seen to be in the best interest of the rest of the religious education community.
Vandalism
Children in this program share desks with others. Touching or removing someone else’s property will be considered vandalism. Vandalism or willfully damaging or destroying property, will not be tolerated. Vandalism must be paid for by the parent of the child who did it. Accidental damage should be immediately reported to the Director.
Unacceptable Behavior
The following types of behavior are not allowed during the Religious Education Program. Infractions which call for discipline by the Catechist are:
acting in a disrespectful manner toward the Catechist, other adults or children in the program
cheating
speaking and interacting with other children inappropriately during the session
abusive or vulgar language
leaving a session without permission
using a cell phone during the session when not authorized by the Catechist
doing something other than the work of the session
violating the dress code
eating in the Religious Education session
possession of and /or trafficking in alcohol or other drugs
leaving the Religious Education premises when a child is supposed to be attending the session
willful defiance of authority
recording or photographing a catechist or student without permission
possession of weapons, such as knives, guns, or look-alikes
physical assault/fighting, threatening bodily harm
harassment and intimidation of other children
vandalism, arson
theft
defacing or damaging of parish property
bullying/cyber-bullying.
photographing or filming teachers or students
1. Excessive absence: after 3 absences the parent will receive an official notification of the child’s absences and a request for a parent conference
2. Poor performance: if the child consistently does poorly when assessed on the content of the textbook and the Archdiocesan Guidelines for Catechesis, remedial work will may be required and organized by the Director. If the remedial work is not sufficient to enable the child to grasp the content, repetition of the grade level may be the best solution.
3. Excessive lateness: after 3 occurrences of late arrival, the parent will receive a notification. If the late arrivals continue beyond 6 occurrences, this is grounds for repetition of grade level.
The child’s regular attendance at the Religious Education sessions is especially important to his/her whole life. These 30 sessions should take priority over all other after-school or weekend programs and activities. - Three absences will necessitate a conference between the Director and the parent. - Four absences will result in the child having to make up the sessions. The number of make-up sessions will be determined by the Director and will be based on the number necessary for the child to be adequately taught the content of the textbook and the Archdiocesan Guidelines for his/her grade level. - Five absences may result in the repetition of the grade level. - In the case of a long-term illness confirmed by a doctor’s report, the Director and parent should make arrangements for religious education at home.