“Stay With Us”

The Catholic Church has always recognized that Family Life is the core of Faith and the first experience of the love of Jesus that children experience.   This catechetical year, the theme: “Stay With Us,” is a wonderful opportunity for ALL families to come together and spend special time “being with each other,” praying. That wonderful presence of “togetherness” with God is irreplaceable.

There are many heartfelt prayers that can be said; as well as simple prayers of The Church that can be learned over time. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, (USCCB – based out of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.,), in support of this effort has offered many resources for families, married couples, people of Faith, persons learning about the Faith, et.al.

Below is a link for your convenience to search out these materials for your benefit.

United States Catholic Conference of Bishops – www.usccb.org

1st - 8th grade Syllabi

Grades 1-5 LIVE Syllabi
Grades 1-5 ONLINE Syllabi
Grades 6-8 LIVE & ONLINE Syllabi

Kindergarten through 8th grade Curriculum Overview

(What your children learn about God & the Catholic Faith…)

Our program uses a spiral curriculum that presents the Catholic Faith in developmentally appropriate ways, incorporating the four pillars of the catechism (Creed, Morality, Prayer and Sacraments), as they are to be lived and interwoven in the fullness of Christian life.

Scripture: Interwoven in every lesson, the children will be exposed to the Bible. Scripture stories and the teachings of Jesus are the basis of each one.

Prayers: Traditional prayers of the church are taught and reinforced throughout the elementary and middle school years: Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, the Confiteor, Act of Contrition, the Rosary, Memorare, Morning & Evening prayer, Grace before meals, and Apostle’s Creed.

Precepts: The following are generally introduced in the elementary grades and developed in more detail at varying grades: Creed, Ten Commandments, Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy, Stations of the Cross, Beatitudes, Mysteries of the Rosary, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Precepts of the Church.

Liturgical Year & Saints: The feasts and seasons of the church year, particularly Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, Ordinary Time, and Holy Days of Obligation are covered throughout all grade levels. Saints are introduced in Kindergarten and lives of saints selected for each grade level. The Blessed Mother is treated by all grades in the context of Marian feasts and the Holy Family.

Kindergarten ….. Stories of God’s Love

• Emphasis: Wonders of God’s Creation
• Features: God made all things: light, water, land, animals, people. God gives us our senses, families and friends. God give us all these things because of His great love and He wants us to return that love to each other and to Him. God chooses Mary and gives us Jesus. Jesus teaches us to pray and to care for others.

First Grade ….. God Loves Us

• Emphasis: The Holy Trinity
• Features: God is our loving Father and Creator. Jesus is God’s Son. He taught us about God and about love. Jesus had many followers. Jesus sends us his Holy Spirit to help us as a church to grow closer to God. The Holy Spirit continues to be our helper and guide. We belong to a parish community. We remember Jesus at Mass in Holy Eucharist.

Second Grade ….. Jesus Shares God’s Life

• Emphasis: Sacraments of Initiation & Healing
• Features: Jesus welcomes us into the church through Baptism and seals us with this Holy Spirit at Confirmation. Jesus gives us the gift of Himself in the Eucharist.

We explore the two parts of the Mass: Liturgy of the Word & Liturgy of the Eucharist. God gives us laws (commandments) to remind us how important it is to love Him and to love others. Jesus wants us to follow God’s laws but assures us of His forgiveness if we sin. (Sacrament of Penance)

Third Grade ….. We are the Church

• Emphasis: Jesus, Holy Spirit & Church
• Features: As promised, after Jesus’ death, He does not leave us alone. He sends His Spirit and this Holy Spirit guides Jesus’ followers in forming the Church. The Church has four distinct marks: one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The Church prays and worships together at Mass. The Church celebrates seven Sacraments, which help us to experience God’s presence. The Church continues the work of Jesus.

Fourth Grade ….. God’s Law Guides Us

• Emphasis: Morality
• Features: Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He leads us to real happiness. (Beatitudes) Sin is in our world but our conscience is our guide. Each of the Ten Commandments is explored in detail and applied to our everyday lives. We are called to be disciples of Jesus; because He is our model of holiness. The Church helps to live up to our responsibilities as members of God’s family.

Fifth Grade …..We Meet Jesus in the Sacraments

• Emphasis: Sacraments
• Features: Through Jesus’ life and ministry we come to understand how He gives us these seven special signs of His presence.

Jesus welcomed-the Sacraments of Initiation, Jesus healed- the Sacraments of Healing, Jesus loved- The Sacraments of Service. Jesus calls each of us to live as His disciples.

Sixth Grade ….. We are God’s People

• Emphasis: Old Testament
• Features: God reveals Himself through creation. God chooses a people to be His own and forms a Covenant. We meet the patriarchs and journey through slavery, freedom, the building of a nation, a divided nation, one in exile; then the prophets and predictions of the Incarnation.

Seventh Grade ….. We Live Our Faith as Disciples of Jesus

• Emphasis: Jesus’ life and His teachings
• Features: An examination of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the Sacraments He instituted. Presentation of Jesus’ call to each person to become His disciples and the ways in which His teachings, His sacraments, and His Church nourish people for discipleship.

Eighth Grade ….. We Live Our Faith as Members of the Church

• Emphasis: A mature review of the Faith focusing on the Life in the Church, Morality, and the Sacraments, in particular Confirmation; and becoming an active disciple for Christ.
• Features: Full membership and participation in the Parish Faith Community and ancillary resource of Decision Point as part of the process.