| PSR General Information |
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Administration:Sister Jane Reisinger, SND is our Director of Religious Education. Sister can be reached at the Parish Office or by calling 235-2808. Wendy Henzey, the Religious Education Office secretary, can also be of assistance. Each of our PSR level divisions is lead by a coordinator: Kathy Maxwell Pre-school Mary Hechko Levels 1-3 Maryann Wolanin Levels 4-6 Caren Dean Levels 7-8 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday: 9:00AM- 12:00 PM and 1:00 -3:00 Tuesday and Thursday: 9:00AM- 12:00PM Friday: PSR Office is close
Communication: Communication with the parents is accomplished mainly through the use of the parish bulletin, parent meetings, and reminder notices. It is beyond our responsibility to make individual calls. We ask parents to obtain a church bulletin each week for updates.
Times and locations:
Pre-School: (Ages 3-5) Sunday during the 10:00 AM Mass at St. Mary of the Falls School Levels 1-3 Wednesday, 6:45-8:00 PM at St. Mary of the Falls School Levels 4-6 Wednesday, 7:00-8:15 PM Olmsted Falls High School Levels 7-8 Monday, 7:00-8:15 PM at St. Mary of the Falls School High School High School faith formation is in conjunction with our Youth Ministry program. Please watch Parish Bulletin for announcements..
Yearly Calendar for 2007-2008
Textbooks: Levels 1-6 use the newly revised 2006 Silver Burdett Ginn Religion series Blessed Are We Faith & Word Edition Levels 7-8 uses the Silver Burdett Ginn Connect series that provides us with a mini-course format. Besides information, this series helps with the formation of each follower of Christ The Preschool uses a series of magazines called "Seed " and "Promise" published by Pflaum Gospel Weekly. Crafts and music supplement the program.
Class size: Because of the volunteer status of our catechists, we try to limit class size to 17 students. If a catechist has more experience or the availability of an assistant, we will go as high as 20 students per room. No class will exceed this limit. Students will be placed on a waiting list with parents "home schooling" until a catechist and room can be attained.
PSR Fees: For the coming year 2007-2008, our fee is $45.00 per child. This includes the cost of textbooks, class materials, teacher resources, administration cost, mailings, etc. There is also a $20.00 sacramental fee for students in Level 2. Information sheet, emergency form, plus fee, paid in full, constitute registration. A late fee of $10.00 per student is charged after the deadline date of August 15th. If parents need assistance with fees, please contact Sister Jane at the time of registration or re-registration. No assistance is given to those who register late.
Re-registration procedures: All students, currently in the program, must be registered before the end of the current PSR year. A $10.00 "Thank You" discount will be given per child for those who comply with this policy. Re-registrations forms will be send home with each student in March. Forms and fees may be returned through your child's teacher, the collection basket, dropped off at the Religious Education or Parish Offices, or sent US mail to the office. A student will be enrolled when registration, emergency form, and fees are submitted. Please clearly mark the envelope "PSR Registration."
New Registrations: Parish registration is a criterion for being a part of our Parish School of Religion (PSR) program. Registration and Emergency form(s) are available in the PSR Office during office hours. (See hours listed above) The parents of any student who have had no previous instruction, have not been consistent in the PSR program, or have not received the sacrament of Baptism must speak with the Director of Religious Education prior to registering. A baptismal certificate must accompany the registration form unless the child was baptized at St. Mary of the Falls Church. Fees should be paid in full. Parents who register their child (children) before the end of the current PSR year also receive the "Thank You" discount. Please call the Religious Education Office at 440-235-2808 to arrange for registration. If answering machine is on, please leave your name, phone number very slowly, and your message. We will call you back.
Sacraments: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated in December of the Level 2 year. First Communion is received normally on the first or second Saturday in May. Any student receiving these sacraments must be baptized, have a one year period of suitable preparation, and complete the process required. Parents must attend one meeting prior to each sacrament. The dates of these meetings are determined each year. All students must attend Level One before being allowed to enter Level Two. This may mean being with a different group than in their regular school. Students in the eighth grade are invited to begin the completion of their initiation process with the Sacrament of Confirmation. Communication will be sent to each PSR and day school student scheduling the times for the Discernment Meeting and Orientation Meeting. Candidates then work either with their parents/sponsor or in small base Christian communities for one year. At the beginning of May, notification is sent to the Director of Religious Education requesting a date for an interview with one member of the Parish Staff. Prior to the date of Confirmation, there are four required preparation sessions. Confirmation is normally celebrated in January of their sophomore year.
Sports Program: Students, who parents are registered in the Parish and are registered for PSR classes that current year, may join our Parish CYO program. Students may not have more than four absences to be eligible. Registration for PSR must precede CYO sign-ups especially for fall sports. Do not put the coaches in the position of having to remind you to be attentive to PSR registrations. Eligibility is the responsibility of the parents and players.
Weather Emergencies: If Olmsted Falls Schools are closed on the day of our scheduled classes due to weather conditions, PSR classes are cancelled regardless of how the weather may be in the evening. In the event that a storm comes later in the day, please listen to Channels 3,5 and 8 after 4:00 P.M. Radio Station WTAM (1100) will also carry the announcement. These stations will specifically say that PSR is cancelled or St. Mary of the Falls Evening Classes are cancelled. Cancellation is based on the conditions of our roads and parking lot. Personal decisions must be made if you feel driving would endanger lives. The cancellation will also be put on the PSR answering machine. Please do not call the Parish Office or School phone to check.
Dress Code: Students should be dressed appropriately for class. Religion classes are more formal in nature. Attire should be modest and safe (Flip flops can be dangerous.) How a student dresses does influence their behavior. Students coming to class in inappropriate attire will be sent to the office. No hats may be worn during class nor may athletic shoes with "wheels" be worn.
Pick-up and Drop-off Procedures: Preschool: Students come with their parents into the building. Parents take children to their classrooms and follow the teacher's directions. After Mass, parents return to check students out. Levels 1-3: Drivers enter the parking lot off of Bagley Road. Cars are to pull up as far to the end of the school building as possible. Students exit their car to the safety zone. Those exiting on the passenger side must walk in front of the car. All students are to walk into the building. Drivers may exit either onto Taylor Rd. or Columbia Rd. No one should pull out and form a second lane. ALL DRIVERS, ON THEIR RETURN, ARE TO PARK AND COME INTO THE PARISH HALL TO PICK STUDENTS UP. Level 4-6: Drivers enter the oval in front of Olmsted Falls High School on the curve-side. Student exit the car and walk on the sidewalk. All students exiting on the driver's side must walk in front of the car. Students are to walk, not run, into the building. Please do not form a second lane with children walking between cars. After class, please park and come into the building by the gym. Stand against the wall. Do not crowd by the doors. (Students will walk down the center until parents meet them.) We may not use any exit door to the high school. Please be courteous and hold the door for each other. No driver may sit in their car and tell students to just come out. Level 7-8: Since there are fewer cars and older students, we do not designate a safety zone. The Driver pulls in off Bagley Road. Students exit car quickly and safely. Please try not to inconvenience cars on Bagley Road or pulling into the parking lot. All Drivers are to come into the Parish Hall to pick up students.
Attendance: Class attendance is of the up-most importance. Students should only miss class due to illness or death in the family. When a student is absent, a parent should write a "note of excuse" to the teacher the week they return. Please include date and reason for absence. No prior phone call needs to be made to the office. If a child misses two weeks in a row, please call the Religious Education Office at 235-2808 to report the name of student and cause of absence.
Tardiness: Tardiness does add up. Students are to be in their classroom at the starting time. Students of Levels 4-8 must stop in the PSR office to pick-up a tardy slip before going to class. Preschool and Levels 1-3 students should be accompanied to the room or office by the driver. Students coming late to class disrupt the teaching process and takes away from "God time."
Discipline Code: St. Mary of the Falls PSR program follows the discipline policies of the State of Ohio, the respective school building rules, and the values of the Gospel and our Catholic Faith. Students are expected to be courteous and respectful to authority, school property, and other students. Students' safety and protection are important to us. For concerns, please follow the "chain of command." Speak to the teacher first, then coordinators, and Director of Religious Education for serious reasons.
Evaluation: The content of our religious education is taken very seriously. Therefore, catechists do both formal and informal evaluations of students work. Test are given in the appropriate levels. The ACRE ASSESSMENT, a national evaluation survey put out by NCEA, is given in levels five and eight. Report cards for Levels 1-6 are distributed in January and at the end of the PSR year. Levels 7-8 are distributed at the end of each mini-course. Since report cards go home with the students, we ask parents to sign and return to the religion teacher via the student. Sunday Preschool does not have a formal evaluation form, but parents should feel free to ask the catechist about the progress of their child.
Parent PSR Handbook Each family is given a handbook that should be kept from year to year until revised. Any dated material, changes, or additions will be addressed in the "beginning of the year" letter sent to your home. Many questions can be answered by reading this material. Thank you for placing your child in our religious education program. By doing this, you are fulfilling your promise made at your child's Baptism to "raise them in the faith." However, no catechetical program can be successful if faith is not taught and caught in the home. Weekly Mass attendance is a must! |
St. Mary of the Falls wishes to offer the best possible religious education for the spiritual formation of each child in our program. With the help of generous parishioners as volunteer catechists, we attempt to educate each child in the Catholic-Christian tradition through areas of scripture, liturgy, morality, sacraments and creed. The PSR program is a supplement to faith formation in the home and weekly Mass attendance ...