IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

     As the pandemic has dragged on much longer than anyone had hoped it would, I've been involved in discussions with the staff as well as diocesan personnel about how to handle religious education this year. As protocols and guidelines have developed to ensure the safety of children and volunteers, we find ourselves in a difficult spot. The primary (and insurmountable) difficulty is that our classrooms are simply not large enough to allow for adequate social distancing of 36 square feet per child (6 feet in every direction).

     Therefore, after careful consideration and consultation, I have determined that we will have to go to a "homeschool" model for religious education, at least for the first half of this religious education year. Of particular concern are children in Sacramental preparation years (first and second grade for First Holy Communion; and seventh and eighth grades for Confirmation). Parents of children in those grades should be sure to register their child beginning next weekend (August 8/9).

      After the registration process is complete, curriculum materials will be ordered and provided to each family. When Religious Education begins on September 13, children in 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 8th grades will receive a weekly assignment to be completed prior to the next weekend. The following Sunday, children will turn that assignment in and receive a new one. We will continue in that fashion until the December break. This picking up and turning in of assignments will take place in-person in St. Bernadette Hall at the appropriate classroom on Sundays following Mass.

     This will at least allow us to have some face-to-face contact with parents and students, as well as providing an opportunity for questions, clarifications, etc. We will also be maintaining appropriate social distance during that process each week. Children in grades other than those which are for Sacramental preparation will not be required to complete weekly assignments. Instead, I simply urge parents to go over religious education materials and lessons with their child or children each week. Parents may follow their own program for this, or, if they prefer, they may register their child with the parish so that grade-appropriate materials may be ordered for parents to use.

     I know that this will be an adjustment, but look on the bright side: no one has to deal with the pick-up line!

Fr. Tebalt