Dear Parent(s)
Now
that we have made it through the holidays, it is time to get more serious with
our church school classes. The upcoming
weeks are always the most intense in our program for both classes, but most
particularly for the children who will be making their First Confessions this
Spring. We have reached the time when
even excused absences may start accumulating to the point where a child will
not be permitted to make a First Confession this year. Please be aware of this now and make sure
that any absences are ones that are absolutely necessary.
-Pani Barbara
THANK YOU!
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful Saint Nicholas celebration!
ATTENDANCE
As always, but even more so now, weekly
attendance is mandatory. It is impossible
to have a coherent program when students miss weeks in a row of class
instruction.
An unexcused absence is one where no
notification to the church or the teacher has been made, and there is no effort
made to obtain the missed class work. Please keep in mind that unexcused
absences will not be tolerated in the First Confession class.
Please call 216-226-5506 as soon as you know
that your child will not be able to attend class. This policy holds for both
classes.
CLASS SCHEDULE
There have been no
changes made in class arrangement. There are still two classes, each meeting EVERY Sunday after
Communion. The only change is that the following children are eligible to make
their First Confessions this year and will be preparing for that event as long
as they attend every scheduled class:
Kerrie Cooney, Manal Hanna, Susan Hanna, Robyn Morin
and Vladimir Swerchowsky.
Eric Anderson and
Ramez Hanna will remain in this class for the time being and will receive age
appropriate assignments to coincide with the Ten Commandments instruction.
FOLDERS
Please remember
that children who have received hard binders ARE NOT to write on them or
deface them in any way! These binders must be returned, clean, at the end
of the year for use again.
Although this newsletter is being included in
the parish bulletin, please continue to check folders after every class for
notices and updates, as well as homework assignments.
SNACKS
We always welcome and appreciate the donation of snacks and treats for
the children. We have a refrigerator in
the house, so we can hold things easily from week to week. Please remember that
we have 14 children in the program.
CHURCH BEHAVIOR
Many weeks have been devoted to teaching the
children about proper church behavior. We even sat together as a group for
several Sundays so that they could better understand expectations. Now it is up to you to monitor your
child(ren). Here are some of the items to reinforce:
_
There is no running in the church or
in the hall.
_
No one should have to leave church more than one time. Go to the bathroom
before church and leave only for an emergency once services have
started. NEVER leave or
enter the church when Father is incensing, preaching or giving a blessing. Wait
for a more appropriate time.
_
When entering the church, approach
and kiss the icon, then light candles, if desired.
_
Children over the age of 4 should not
need to be distracted by toys or food while in church and these items shouldn’t
be brought into a pew. Instead, leave them in the car, or downstairs in the
hall.
_
People are in church to pray. Children are in church to pray (not play),
too.
_
Singing is one way to pray. If
possible, follow the service in the pew book and sing along. Not only are we praying, but singing helps
to pass the time, too!
_
If asked to hold a candle in church,
it should be considered an honor and done with respect. We need to make sure we
stay in church and pay attention so we know when to go forward. We
should not run or lean on the front pew at any time. We should not play with
the candle, either.
_
We should bow or cross ourselves
whenever Fr. Dennis incenses or gives a blessing.
_
We should be careful when we go to
Communion. Our hands should be folded over our chests and we should walk
patiently to the chalice.
_
On Sundays when classes are not
meeting, it is important for the children to stay in church. They need to know
that the service is not over after Communion, but rather when Father gives the
final blessing. (This is the one drawback to holding our classes when we do.)
_
On Sundays when we approach Father at
the end to kiss the cross, he will say, “Christ is in our midst.” The answer
is, “He is and shall be.”
_
Remember, we are in God’s House and
He looks for us every Sunday!
QUESTIONS?
I enjoy hearing from you any time; so if you
have any questions, comments or ideas, please contact Pani Barbara at
216-226-5506. This is also the number
you should use to report absences.
