Parents are the primary religious educators of their children. With their assistance, catechists and children in Our Lady of Good Counsel Religious Education Program are involved in a very special process of relating their experience of daily living to our Catholic Christian traditions. Faith cannot be taught in the usual sense of the word. Rather, it must be experienced and lived. Therefore, our program attempts to provide experiences which create an atmosphere where students will develop their own faith. This life-centered approach, to teach as Jesus taught, provides the foundation of our Catholic faith formation. Opportunities of prayer, scripture, doctrine, retreats and celebration, appropriate to one's learning level, will foster the faith passed on to the students by their parents. May our combined efforts and example affect the children so that their hearts be filled with God's love.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish Religious Education Program is dedicated to the teaching ministry of the Roman Catholic Church. It is committed to programs which foster the spiritual growth of the children and their families to best serve the needs of the church community.

Prep Calendar

Goals and Objectives

• To teach the Catholic faith as it flows through every area of life.

• To be an example of gospel values in developing respect for individual differences.
  

• To promote moral and religious traditions in order to teach values through doctrine.
  

• To develop Christian love and respect for all people.
  

• To provide opportunities for community prayer and encourage individual prayer.
  

• To involve parents, catechists, and the parish community in the Catholic religious formation of our children.
  

Parents and the PREP Program

Catechists supplement, in a more formal way, the education in faith that occurs informally in the home. It is important for parents and catechists to support and encourage each other. It is asked that parents of children and youth in our program be supportive of our religious education program in the following ways:

• Attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, receive the Sacraments and read the Bible, frequently. Your example speaks louder than words.
  

• Teach your child to pray in their own words as well as to learn the traditional prayers of our faith.
  

• Show an interest in what is happening in class each week and check the PREP folder with your child.
  

• Help your child be conscientious about any assignments given to them.
  

• Join your child in participating in service opportunities offered in his/her grade.

Throughout the various PREP levels, parents are asked to help their child learn:

Preschool and Kindergarten
Sign of the Cross
Story of Creation

Level 1
Sign of the Cross
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Grace Before and After Meals

Level 2
Simple Morning Offering
Act of Contrition
Lord Have Mercy (Mass)
Other Basic Mass Responses

Level 3
Morning Offering
Apostles Creed

Levels 4 through 6
Angelus
Queen of Heaven
Prayers at Mass
Rosary
Hail Holy Queen
Acts of Faith, Hope and Love
Come Holy Spirit

Levels 7 through 8
Review all of the above.
In addition to Level 7: Memorare
In addition to Level 8: Magnificat

General Policies and Procedures

Attendance

Regular class attendance is expected of each student in the Religious Education Program. One of the biggest problems we have to contend with is absenteeism. It is recommended that parents schedule all extra curricular activities at times not conflicting with religion class. We only meet for a limited time each week and have so much to share with your children. After each absence, the student is required to bring a note from his/her parent, stating why they were absent.

Class attendance is particularly important for students preparing for the reception of a Sacrament. Three or more unexcused absences and/or excessive number of excused absences is considered a justifiable reason to delay a child's reception of the Sacrament.

No matter what the reason for an absence, all classroom work and any homework must be completed for the following class. It is the parent and student's reponsibility to contact the catechist for this information.

Tardiness

Every student is expected to arrive for class at least 5 minutes before the bell rings. At this time, the teacher should be able to start the lesson he/she has planned for the day. If you know your child will be late, please call the office so the catechist can be notified. However, if tardiness is persistent you will be called to come and pick your child up, with the understanding that all work must be made up. (Please Note: One Prayers begin, all activity in the hallways must stop. Everyone is encouraged to pray together as a PREP community.)

Cancellations

In the event of severly inclement weather or large snowfall, if Our Lady of Good Counsel School cancels classes (Closing Number 765), PREP classes for that day will also be cancelled. Due to inclement weather later in the day, catechists will notify students in their class. In addition, parents also may call the Parish at 215-356-1300, extension 153 to hear a message concerning cancellation.

Texts and Supplies

It is the student's responsibility to bring to every class the following:

• Textbook, Pencils, Writing Paper, Bible (depending on grade level)
  

• There is no valid excuse for students coming to class unprepared. Parents will be notified if the situation persists.
  

• All students are issued a textbook. Those who lose their texts will be responsible for purchasing the replacement.
  

Students and the PREP Program

Proper conduct and respect is expected of students at all times. Parents are urged to explain to their children that the time they spend in PREP classes is just as important to the process of maturation and development as the time they spend in their other classes at school. Thus, rules that apply in school, apply in PREP (for example, disrespect, disobedience, gum chewing, smoking, fighting, failure to do homework, ignoring school safety regulations, etc.)

Since PREP classes are held in the same rooms as Our Lady of Good Counsel elementary school classes, PREP students as well as students in the day school need to respect the property of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. No PREP student is, therefore, permitted to use or remove anything from the classrooms, desks or hallways in the school. Any vandalism of defacing of property will be treated accordingly.

The Religious Education Program is one of Christian formation. Therefore, it is expected that all students will be properly dressed. Keeping in mind that visits to Church are at regular intervals, their attire should reflect this.

In order to get the most out of class time, it is necessary for the catechists to have the students' cooperation and respect. Students who persist in disturbing the learning environment and process will be dealt with accordingly. There are times when a teacher is faced with a situation that is getting out of control. Each teacher, at his/her discretion, may choose to follow the procedure outlined below:

• At the first occurrence of a situation in which a student is disruptive to the point that he/she must be removed from the classroom, the child will be sent to the Office, and the teacher will notify the parent of the situation before the next class.
  

• At the second occurrence of the situation described above, parents of the student will be notified of the situation and asked to pick up their child. The student and parent will meet with the coordinator before being re-admitted to class. At this time, a discussion will occur concerning the need for a parent to attend classes with their child until the behavior problem has been resolved.
  

• If there is a third occurrence in which the student is disruptive to the point that he/she must be removed from the classroom (i.e., without a parent attending with them), parents of the student will be called to pick up their child. The student and parents must meet with one of the parish priests before being re-admitted to class.
  

• At the fourth occurrence, parents of the student will be called to pick up their child. The student will then be dropped from the program, unless a parent is willing to attend each class session with their child.