2012-2013 Religious Education Registration Form
2013 Jan - May RE Calendar
Vacation Bible Camp Youth and Child Participant Registration (VBC dates: June 17-21, 2013)
Payment Plan Financial Aid Scholarship Request Form - Printable version
Payment Plan Financial Aid Scholarship Request Form - Online version

Inclement Weather Policy

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Vision for Religious Education
The greatest gift a parent can give their children is to introduce them to a living relationship with God in Jesus Christ. At St. Joseph Catholic Community, we envision Religious Education as a partnership between the parish and the parents whose children we strive to serve.

Religious Education Options
There are four different options for religious education: Classroom Religious Education, Family Religious Education, Lectionary-Based Catechesis @ Home, and Home Study Religious Education.

Classroom Religious Education
Religious Education classes are offered on various days and times to accommodate busy family schedules. Children receive catechesis through Catholic doctrine, sharing weekly scripture, prayer, etc. All classes are in session for 80 minutes

The First Eucharist/First Reconciliation Registration Form and the Youth Ministry/Confirmation Registration Form can be completed on Page 3 of the RE Registration Form. Page 4 of the RE Registration form lists the mandatory dates for participation and preparation for First Reconciliation and Eucharist. 

On-Campus Program Schedules: Curriculum: Discovering God's Word (PK); Call to Faith (K-5th); Call to Discipleship & MLC (6th-8th)

Your child's On Campus PK-5th grade class assignment and room number will be given to you at the PK-5th grade Parent Meeting on:
Sunday, September 9, 2012, 1:45 pm - 3:00 pm or Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 5:45 - 7:00pm
You will receive a number of handouts and a Parent/Student handbook. Parents will gather in the GYM.

The Home Study Parent Orientation will be held on Thursday, September 20, and Friday, September 21, 2012 from 6:45- 8:00 pm, parents will gather in the Gym.
One parent is required to attend one of the above meetings.

A Religious Education PK-5th Volunteer Orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 29 or Thursday, August 30, 2012 from 7:00-8:30pm in the Gym.

Contact: Religious Education Office 443-920-9102 or 443-920-9103
or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Lectionary–Based Catechesis @ Home (LBC@H)
Lectionary-based catechesis offers scripture-based catechesis that covers the entire Bible in a three year cycle using Sunday lectionary readings. The Living the Good News lectionary-based program offers seven age levels, each published for 3 quarters of the Church year. There are currently 4 LBC@H groups established. Parents take turns teaching groups of children in their home 2-3 times per month. The Director of Religious Education is available to offer information about lectionary-based catechesis.

Contact: Religious Education Office 443-920-9102 or 443-920-9103
or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Family Religious Education (FRE)
Families participate in family based catechesis. There are currently two (2) Family Religious Education groups, ranging from 4-12 families per group. The groups meet on different days of the week, once or twice per month. The Director of Religious Education is available to offer information about intergenerational catechesis.

Contact: Religious Education Office 443-920-9102 or 443-920-9103
or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Home Study Religious Education
Parents may choose to provide catechesis on a one-to-one basis with their child. The current curriculum being offered for home study families is Faith First.
The Pastoral Associate for Religious Education is available to offer addition information about home study.

Home Study parents will be required to attend one parent meeting. The dates are listed above.

Contact: Religious Education Office 443-920-9102 or 443-920-9103
or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)
An alternate Liturgy of the Word, geared to a child’s level of understanding, is offered from the end of September through the beginning of May at the 8:30am and 10:15am Sunday Liturgy. Several teams of catechists and aides plan and carry out this activity on a rotating basis. The children leave the assembly before the first scripture reading and return to the assembly after the Presentation of the Gifts. Children ages 4 to 11 years old are invited to attend.

Contact: Suzanne Olden 443-536-1509
or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Vacation Bible Camp (VBC)
Vacation Bible Camp is an annual week-long event held at the end of June. Children from PK4 years old through 6th grade participate in faith sharing, crafts, games, music, and outdoor activities focused on Jesus’ love for all of us.

2013 Vacation Bible Camp Participant Registration

2013 Youth Helper Registration
Contact: Julie Hild 410-952-1355 or hildjulie@gmail.com
 

                                      Contact: Religious Education Office 443-920-9102 or 443-920-9103

or e-mail: Religious Education Office

Guidelines for placement of children

There are a multiplicity of factors and criteria that influence the placement of children in our program, which we need to consider since we have limited volunteers, rooms, and parking options.  These include the following:

Families provide three preferences for the time slots their child/children will be assigned in Religious Education.  All three choices are viable options.

The child/children of a parent who volunteers for a particular session in the program for grades K-8 has priority for placement over all non-volunteering parents’ children until all volunteer positions are filled.

Class assignments are not locked until all volunteers are placed in their time slots.  For instance, if a class has a need for a parent volunteer late in the summer with a child/children to be placed in the same session, and a session class is full, the last assigned child and siblings of a non-volunteer parent will be placed in their next available requested choice to accommodate the volunteer’s children.  In other words, parent volunteers have first choice on class assignments.

If the non-volunteer’s child to be moved has siblings who cannot move to the next available choice because those other classes are full, the next child up on the list of the original full class is evaluated for the next available choice until a child can be moved to accommodate the child of a volunteer.

When a family has completed only one session choice on the registration form, the registration is considered an incomplete registration.  We will attempt to contact the family; however, placement of their children is delayed until additional choice options are provided placing the child further down the list which can affect placement later in the summer.  Offering the same session choice, three times is also an incomplete registration. If no additional request is selected, Home Study is encouraged as an option.

The Sunday morning sessions follow all of the above criteria, but these sessions are also limited on the total number of children who can participate in the sessions because sessions run at the same time as Sunday liturgies, and so parking spaces are at a premium.  Therefore, the session census has a maximum capacity for the safety of all. This places a limit on the number of classes assigned for Sunday mornings.

If a family identified as having been flexible is consistently receiving their second or third choice for several years, rather than a Sunday morning option, we attempt to rotate the family into their first request. This happens when it is possible, after volunteer placements. This can occur even in a late registration, over those who currently are in their first request on a Sunday morning and who have been in that session consistently.  

Inclement Weather Policy *** Always Check the Closing Information Page before calling the phone line
On School Days  - if CCPS closes then the Parish closes and all activities are canceled. If Carroll County Public Schools close early on a school day for inclement weather then all parish events are also closed and canceled for that day. On weekdays the main SJCC phone will have a recorded message 443-920-9191.

Religious Education classes, A Level I closing for day or evening  meetings are canceled and the Religious Education Office is closed if Carroll County Public Schools are closed, dismissed early, and for Sunday's; if the Snow Emergency Plan for Carroll County is in effect.  Listen to any of the official stations for Carroll County Public Schools or for Carroll County Road Conditions for the above announcements. 

On Sundays or on non-school days when Religious Education activities are scheduled, please access the Closing Information  located at the top of our web pages to review the Level II update to view whether we have canceled a session due to inclement weather conditions. During a Level II closing a phone message will be placed on the Religious Education Office at 443-920-9102. Level II cancelations will be posted by 7:50am on Sunday mornings and by 2:00pm on Monday and Tuesday afternoon. A phone announcement will be recorded shortly thereafter at 443-920-9102. Please be sure to check the phone message if there is no Level II announcement and the weather is questionable. There is always the possibility that under certain inclement weather conditions the internet is not accessible by the DRE. You will not receive a phone call regarding the weather cancelations.