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ST. MARY'S CCD

(973)627-8276   Mrs. PJ Miller, Director

The parish elementary CCD program endeavors to assist parents as the primary religious educators of their children. The program staffed by over fifty teachers and 12 aides provides for the formal religious education of children from Pre-K - 4 year olds through students in grade 8. Classes take place during the summer, on Sundays and Mondays during three time sessions and
 Sunday nights.

  • Pre-K and Kindergarten - Sundays, 8:30-9:45 (K only)...........10:00-11:15am(Pre-K only)
  • Elementary - Sundays, 8:30-9:45am; 10:00-11:15am; Mondays, 3:45-5:00pm
  • Grades 4-8 - 2 Week Summer Session.....9:00am-!2noon
  • High School & Grade 8 - 6:45-9:00 pm (See Horizons program for confirmation class details)

         CCD is never a substitute for attending Mass. Parents should arrange the family schedule so that regular mass attendance does not interfere with class time. The school cafeteria is available for parents to wait during class time. Classes begin the second Sunday/Monday at the end of September/October and continue through the end of April.  Please refer to the Calendar for details and specific dates.

Children  on the elementary level are prepared to receive the sacraments of First Holy Communion and First Reconciliation.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION - All second graders who attended grade 1 regularly are prepared to receive First Communion. Preparation takes place during the regular Sunday/Monday class session. The entire year’s program is devoted to this preparation. A one hour tour of our church is part of the curriculum. Two parent meetings are held in January and  March. Parents will be notified of dates.  Rehearsals will take place as assigned. There will be Three First Communion Masses the first  Weekend in May: Saturday at 10:00am and 12:00pm and Sunday at 11:30am  First Communicants are expected to participate in the May Crowing, May 15, 2008-details to follow.

FIRST RECONCILIATION - prior to receiving First Communion the children in Gr 2 are prepared for Reconciliation which is made with their family. Preparation takes place during six regular Sunday/Monday sessions beginning in October.  One additional preparation/rehearsal class will be held in conjunction with the Church - date to be announced. One parent meeting will be held in October.  Details to follow.

CONFIRMATION - All students who have completed eight years of formal religious instruction and have passed the grade 8 test on Catholic Doctrine are admitted into the High School Confirmation preparation program. Details on the confirmation program may be found on the Horizons program page on this site.

GENERAL CCD CURRICULUM    

PRE-K 4 YEAR OLDS

This program is designed to help very young children know themselves as special people. Songs, stories, puppets, finger-plays, spontaneous prayers and sensorial activities are used to encourage the child's developing sense of his/her own uniqueness as a person. Through a heightened awareness of their importance in God's creation, their sense of God's love for them can begin to bloom.

ELEMENTARY

The elementary program seeks to assist parents in their task of instructing children in the Catholic faith - our beliefs, values and practices. It also strives to assist parents in teaching the children what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

The program of instruction for children in kindergarten through grade 8 presents the concepts of God, the Commandments, the Sacraments, Works of Mercy, Mary, Saints and Church in a manner appropriate to the children's level of understanding. The " We Believe"  series of the Sadlier Publishing Company is used with children in Kindergarten through grade 6. Brown-Roa "Crossroads" program is used with grade 7 students. Grade 8 students review the previous 7 years of course work as part of their preparation to pass the test on Catholic doctrine before entering the High School Confirmation program.

Our program encourages full participation in the prayer life of the parish. All children will learn the various prayers, experience different ways of praying, and will study the Mass, the greatest form of prayer and worship. A Young People's Mass is celebrated at 10:00am every first Sunday of the month. All children and teenagers are encouraged to attend this Mass.

Two Penance services are conducted during Advent and Lent on Monday,  December 3, 2007 and in Lent, on Monday, March 3, 2008, both at 4:00pm in the church. Parental and family support and attendance is crucial and encouraged. 

The program also encourages service to the Christian community. Children are invited to participate in the monthly parish food drive for the needy and in the Lenten collection for the poor.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Our Special Education program makes provisions for achieving the above-mentioned goals for children with special needs. If possible, the child is mainstreamed into a regular class. Where it is in the best interests of the child to receive individualized instruction, arrangements are so made and special materials appropriate to the child's ability are provided.

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    LINK TO HORIZONS PAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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