Religious Education
at
St. James Church
OUR TEXTBOOKS:
Grades 1 - 7
We Believe, Sadlier Publishers
This program is:
- Rooted in Scripture
- Faithful to the Tradition of the Catholic Church
- Spirited by the General and National Directories for Catechesis
- Christocentric, centering on the Person of Jesus Christ
- Trinitarian, inviting relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
- Ecclesial, supporting faith that is lived in the domestic church and the universal Church
Grades 2 – 7
Family Life, RCL Benziger Publications
This program helps to foster personal growth, Catholic moral development, and respect for life.
Centering on five themes of God’s gifts – family, self, life, love and community – the program at
each grade level helps families to see, internalize and act upon values for Catholic family living.
This enrichment component of our overall program satisfies the diocesan requirement for Child
Safety education.
Sacramental Preparation
First Penance and First Eucharist:
Weekly classes
Joy, Joy the Mass, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc
This book is used as a supplement to the Sadlier textbook and offers a simple, activity-oriented
presentation of the basic ideas of the Mass.
Family Program
Making Things Right, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
This text is designed to help children prepare for their first experience of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation with a positive approach to the preparation and celebration of the Sacrament, weaving
God’s constant and forgiving love throughout.
Called to His Supper, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
This text is designed to help children prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of First Eucharist and helps
children learn about the Eucharist and their call to be the Body of Christ.
Confirmation:
Confirmed in the Spirit, Loyola Press
This program serves as an immediate preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and guides
candidates to embrace the lifelong Catholic practices of worship, prayer, stewardship, service,
pursuit of wisdom, and moral decision-making as they prepare for Confirmation and the next phase of
their lives as Catholics.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Location
Our office is located in the Family Center, which is to the right when entering the church.
Contact Information
Our office can be reached by phone or email:
609-737-2717
stjamesedu@gmail.com
Office Hours
September through April
Monday and Thursday: 9:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday and Wednesday: 9:30am – 8:30pm
Summer hours: 9:30am – 4:30pm; Monday through Thursday
Registration
Registration in the parish is preferred but, with written permission from your parish and agreement
with us, a child may attend our program from another parish.
Registration forms can be found on our website at www.stjames-nj.org
Click onto “Education” then “Religious Education for children”
Scroll down the page for the link to the registration forms.
Fall/Spring Session
We ask that you make every effort to register your child for the fall/spring session of coming year by
June 30th. A late fee is charged for all registrations received after June 30th. Placement in your first
choice day/time is not guaranteed if registration is received after June 30th. Registration forms are
available online beginning April 1st.
Registration forms and the fee for our fall/spring session can be dropped off or mailed to our office.
Summer Session
Registration for our Summer Session is available in the beginning of March on our website.
Registrations cannot be dropped off for this session and must be mailed in. See details and
requirements for acceptance in our Summer Session in this handbook.
If financial circumstances are such that it is difficult for you to make payment with your registration,
please contact us to talk about payment options. Inability to pay the fee should never become a
hindrance to your child’s religious education.
New students to our program
Please submit a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate for our records (unless baptized in our
parish.) If your child is not baptized Catholic or has not yet been baptized, please contact our office.
If transferring from another parish, please provide a letter from your former parish of religious
education classes completed by your child.
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Catholic School Students
If your child is attending a Catholic School and is preparing to receive a sacrament in our parish your
child needs to be registered in our RE program so that he/she can be included in the special events
throughout the year for parents and students preparing for the sacrament.
- First Penance/First Eucharist: We ask that parents attend the parent informational meeting in
the fall. Parents and child attend both the First Penance Retreat and First Eucharist Retreats.
Rehearsals are involved for the child, if participating in our large group First Eucharist Mass.
- Confirmation: Students must register for both 7th and 8th grade years. Parents and students are
asked to attend beginning of the year informational meetings to learn about the requirements
in preparation for the sacrament. Confirmation Retreat, Penance service, CRASH Night and
rehearsals are a requirement for preparation for Confirmation.
Home Study (Grades 3 – 5 only)
This option is designed to help parents juggle the tight schedules that family life presents. It can be a
joyful experience to journey with your child and you both grow in faith together. A parent guide is
provided along with the student textbook for this option.
Home Study students must register and pay the fee for this option. All Chapter and Unit Tests must
be completed and submitted to our office by May 30th in order to enroll for the next year.
“Skipped” years of religious education
If your child has not been enrolled in religious education classes consistently between the ages of six
and thirteen in a parish program, please contact our office before registering your child.
Sacramental Preparation
If you desire for your child to complete his/her sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Eucharist, and
Confirmation) and your child has not consistently been enrolled in a religious education program,
please contact our office to discuss options for your child.
First Penance and First Eucharist
Preparation for these sacraments is a two year program, traditionally beginning with first
grade and continuing through second grade.
Confirmation
Preparation for this sacrament is a three year program, traditionally beginning with sixth
grade and continuing into eighth grade.
Special Needs Children
If your child has special needs and is unable to learn in a traditional classroom environment, please
contact our office. We are committed to making every effort to accommodate your child along their
faith journey.
PROGRAM POLICIES
Attendance (fall/spring session)
Grade 1 meets twice per month on either Sunday, 9:45 – 11am or Wednesday, 4:30-5:45pm
Grade 2 – 7 classes meet once per week on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Class times are either
4:30 – 5:45pm OR 7 – 8:15pm.
Grade 8 meets once per week on Tuesday, 7 – 8:15pm
Summer Session meets the middle two weeks in August from 9 – noon; Monday – Friday.
We ask that you, as parents, make religious education a priority – giving it, at the very least, the same
importance as a sports commitment. Your attitude about commitment to your child’s religious
education will become your child’s. There are approximately 28 classes per year for our fall/spring
session. Each class is 75 minutes long.
Out of respect and consideration for the catechist (teacher) and the students, please bring your child
to class ON TIME and do not make a habit of picking your child up before class ends.
Absence (fall/spring session)
If your child must miss a class, please notify our office AND the catechist (teacher). Your child will
be required to do the missed chapter at home and complete the chapter/unit test and hand it in the
following week.
If your child is going to have an extended absence for unusual circumstances, please contact our
office to make arrangements for missed work.
Discipline (fall/spring)
We believe a positive and affirming environment must be maintained if the sharing of thoughts,
prayers, and doctrine is to be effective. Inappropriate and/or disrespectful behavior toward the
catechist (teacher) or students will not be tolerated in the classroom and the student will be asked to
sit with the director in the RE office to complete the classwork. The parents will be called while the
student is there. If, in the future, the student continues to cause a disruption in class the parents will
be asked to come take their child home. At that point, a discussion between parents and the director
will determine if the child is to remain in the program or change to home study for the rest of the
year.
Cell Phones
No student may use or display a cell phone or any other electronic device during class unless used for
a classroom lesson and permitted by the catechist (teacher.) All electronic devices must be silenced
during class time and will be taken from the student if displayed or heard. Parents will be asked to
retrieve the items from the RE office.
Sacramental Preparation
All students including Catholic School students are required to attend all functions related to
preparation for the sacrament. This may include penance services, retreats and informational
meetings. These events are not options and families must be prepared to make accommodations to
attend all related events during sacramental preparation.
SUMMER PROGRAM POLICIES
The Summer Session is meant as a convenience for our families who have very tight schedules
during the school year. It is assumed that these families actively participate in Sunday liturgy as well
as seasonal parish activities. Summer Session is offered for grades 4 – 8 only.
Registration:
Criteria for acceptance in the summer program in order of importance
1. Family is ACTIVE in the life of the parish and attends MASS regularly, supporting the
parish with your time, your talents and your monetary giving; as you are able.
2. Child has not "skipped" any years of RE
3. Child has minimal absences for each year of RE
4. Home study chapter tests have been completed and handed in for all Home Study years
5. Date registration is received (first come, first served after the considerations above)
(REGISTRATION AND FEE MUST BE MAILED AND CANNOT BE DROPPED OFF TO
OUR OFFICE!)
Notification of acceptance: Please be reminded that we take the criteria for acceptance very
seriously and aim to make the process as fair as possible.
- It is a "rolling admission" process, in other words, once we see you have met ALL the
requirements we will place your child.
- If there is a question about meeting the requirements or you have not met ALL requirements,
you will be placed on a "wait list"
- You will be notified either way once we process your registration.
- Those on the "wait list" will have to wait until May 1st, when we should have all registrations
processed. Then you will be notified if your child has been placed in a class.
- Priority is given to those meeting ALL the requirements.
- Home Study students should have all chapter & unit tests completed and handed in to our
office no later than May 30th to be eligible for the Summer Session. We will place you if you
meet all other requirements, but you will lose your spot if tests are not completed and returned
by May 30th.
Session details and requirements
- Attendance is required for each class unless an emergency situation arises. If an emergency
arises and a student must miss a day that student will be asked to make the time up during our
fall/spring session. One day equals two regular session classes.
- If a student is absent one day for any reason other than an emergency, that student will be
asked to withdraw and register for the regular session classes beginning in the fall.
- Students must arrive promptly, on time each day.
- Students are not allowed to be dismissed early.
- If, for any reason, a student becomes a discipline problem that disrupts the class that child
will be asked to withdraw and re-enroll in our regular classes in the fall.
- NO SNACK will be provided. Please do not send your child to class on an empty stomach!
Students may bring a reusable water bottle to class.
- Do not send your child to class with any food unless there is a medical issue involved. In
those cases, please provide us with a note prior to the first class explaining the issue.
- Mastery of the prayers and practices for the student’s grade level is the responsibility of
the parent and child. A list of prayers is provided for each family.