Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Families are welcome to drop in between 9 and noon on Saturday, September 16th to check out our Atrium  

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a faith formation program for children ages 3 through Kindergarten. It introduces children to the Love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, basic Gospel stories and the Sacramental Life of the church using the montessori menthod which is hands on and allows each child to learn at his or her own pace. 

We will be meeting mid September through through early April taking time off for holidays   

What will children be doing?
Sessions will typically include time to "work" with materials, scripture stories music and prayer.  The time children spend working with materials is essential to helping them take the lessons of Jesus' love for them to heart.

Where will we gather. 
Children will gather for their sessions in a room called an Atrium which will include child sized furniture, as well as artwork and materials they can work with on their own. Almost everything in the Atrium is something which children touch, explore and use creatively. 
Our Parish's Atrium is located in the Parish Center on the Holy Rosary Campus

How long will sessions be? 
At the beginning fo the year sessions will be 30 to 45 minutes based on children's attention span. As their skills expand and they are able to engage with more of the materials sessions may last longer but will never last more than an hour and a half .
 
When will Classes Begin? 
Classes will begin on Wednesday,  September 20th at 10 a.m. and Thursday, September 21st at 3 p.m.  Please note that our Wednesday morning session is already full and we have limited space in our Thursday class. If you need a morning session and Thursdays do not work for your family you may wish to contact Kim Brown at St. Denis Parish in Ashburnham. 
 
What is the role of parents?
A Parent or caregiver is  expected to wait on site during class. We will do a regular newsletter to keep parents up to date on what children are learning. Ocassionally during the year there will be liturgical celebrations which parents/caregivers and older siblings will be welcomed to join us for.
 
Health Concerns
We do our best to cleaning the atrium after every session. We ask that parents use common sense and keep their children home if they are sick.

How may children will be in each class?
Generally there will be no more than 6 students in each class. 

Is there a cost to attend?
We ask families to  make a donation of $50 per child (no more than $125 per family including older children in religious education.) No family will ever be turned away because they are unable to make a donation and we do not question families who register but do not make a donation at that time. 

How can I volunteer to help? 
We would be delighted to have the help of any practicing catholic in high school or older. If they have not already done so, volunteers will need to take a CORI and do Safe Environment Training. Then Mrs. Sweeney will meet with them to go over the basic "rules" of the atrium and tasks they may be asked to help with. 
Additionally we need occasional help with things like painting figurines, cutting out shapes children will use to make collages, simple wood working and finishing etc. 
Contact Mrs. Sweeney at 9786320253 or religioused@annunciationgardner to learn more about how you can help. 

What about other family members? 
Many of the children in our program have siblings. We have a room set aside for older siblings who wish to bring school work or quiet games etc. to occupy themselves. Younger siblings are welcome to stay with parents, though it is their responsiblity to supervise them. On occasion children other than those partcipating in this program are welcome to join in seasonal Celebrations but for the most part we try to focus on our students age 3- K to allow them the space to discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus.