The week's lesson will be posted on Thursday - since I was not able to record Monday's session in the church, I've had to recreate it via video.. Thank you for your patience and understanding..
Students in Virtual faith formation will receive a video link on Wednesday with an edited copy of this week's lesson.
An edited video of the lesson will be available Wednesday afternoon for virtual students to view at your family's convenience.
We are meeting tonight at 6:15 pm starting in the church. We'll move over to the Sr. Carol Center for a short project. Students will need to check-in. *Masks are required for the entire time the children are at St. Joan of Arc. Please note that masks with a plastic vent are not considered COVID safe and therefore not acceptable. Please sign up for virtual if your student is experiencing any symptoms of illness or has been in close contact with someone with COVID.
If you are signed up for in-person Faith Formation but need to go virtual this week - please read the information below and use the form.
Because of the Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception - our meeting tonight will take place entirely in the Sr. Carol Center Emmaus Fellowship Hall. I look forward to welcoming your students at 6:15. Students will need to be signed out at pick-up, so you'll need to come in to get your child. Due to mass, you may have to park closer to the school or across Overlake.
If you are signed up for in-person Faith Formation but need to go virtual this week - please read the information below and use the form.
After much deliberation, we've decided it best for our students in this age group not to attempt to do live and virtual Faith Formation simultaneously on Monday nights. In part due to resources, in part due to technical challenges, but mostly because we think it will be more meaningful for the online students to have sessions designed just for that platform.
I am proposing two dates this month for this age group to meet online for Faith Formation.
Tuesday, Dec. 8 from 6:30-7:30 and Wednesday, Dec 9 at 4 pm. Below is a sign-up. You'll receive an email with the Zoom link after completing the form.
For students who were originally signed up for Virtual - you may pick up your child's Bible and Bag beginning today in the vestibule of the Parish Center. There will be a bag with their name on it.
If your student was not originally signed up virtual but needs to participate that way this week - their bag with their Bible will be available for pickup after 12 noon Tuesday.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Kristine Hass
Director - Faith and Family Formation.
khass@sjascs.org
Let me start by answering a popular question I've received throughout the day ...
We are ready to welcome our first group of students into the church and Sr. Carol Center. We will do our absolute best to maintain COVID safety as outlined by the Archdiocese of Detroit and CDC, including social distancing, separate and designated materials for your child, and the use of masks*.
*Masks are required for the entire time the children are at St. Joan of Arc. Please note that masks with a plastic vent are not considered COVID safe and therefore not acceptable.
Since Faith Formation is not being presented at SJA in the same manner students have experienced it in the past, and for some, it is entirely brand new, it would be useful to have an added adult presence. (And ... If you are interested in being a regular helper - please let me know at khass@sjascs.org.)
Each student will receive a bag with their name and a beautiful St. Mary's Press Children's Bible that they will continue to use until middle school as they journey through Faith Formation at St. Joan of Arc. Your child will need their bag and Bible at each Faith Formation Session. Please find a safe spot for it in your home.
It is my hope you will explore this Bible with your child on your own. It's a very inviting way to encounter God's Word.
If your family is quarantined, if a member has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID or showing COVID symptoms, or someone in your household shows any signs of illness (cough, fever, sore throat), please let me know by 1 pm. I will send you the Zoom link and set aside your child's materials for pickup between 3-5 pm.
Finally, I ask in advance that you please bear with us through this inaugural session presenting simultaneously in-person and virtually. We are hoping this offers families the flexibility they need during this unique time.
We're eager to have our first live-streaming experience for 1-3rd grade students.
A bag with materials for this first session, including a beautiful St. Mary's Press Children's Bible (that your child will use for Faith Formation at SJA until middle school), is available for pick up at a few different times.
Monday from 9 am-5pm at the Parish Center in the vestibule from 9 am-5 pm.
Your child will watch live the presentation given to the students who are attending in-person. They will be asked to follow along and find the pages in the Bible as we explore our story. Younger children will need your help. There will be catechists on the Zoom (link below) to help guide as much as possible.
When you log into the Zoom meeting - please type your child's name into the chat area for attendance. (Please note that the zoom sessions will be recorded for our own purposes and attendance tracking. They will not be shared or broadcast.)
In their Faith Formation bag, they'll have the materials needed for this week's Advent project (the King's Kindness Cradle) and an Advent calendar (file also attached hed below). We will begin to do the project during our session, but it will be something you can finish afterward.
Because of this group's participants' age, I encourage you to be present with or near your child during the session.
We’ll learn in person in three grade/age groups of 1st-3rd, 4th-6th, and 7th-8th. Students will meet once approximately every 4 weeks. (Once monthly.) Parents are welcomed and invited to stay. There will be some weekly at-home work/activities, which will vary with each group.
Grades – 1-3 Water |
Grades 4-6 Light |
Grades 7-8 Fire |
Nov. 16 (Mass, intro, and distribute materials) |
Nov. 16 (Mass, intro, and distribute materials) |
Nov. 16 (Mass, intro, and distribute materials) |
Family Mass Weekends Nov. 21/22 (Sacrament Commitment Weekend - postponed due to increase in COVID cases and concerns))Jan 9/10 Family Mass Weekend Mar 27/28 Family Mass Weekend May 8/9 |
Place
Our Faith Formation grade groups will meet in the church and the Sr. Carol Center, instead of the school. This approach allows us plenty of room for social distancing as well as a sanitized environment. We will also safely break into small groups in those environments.
Family Weekends (new!)
We’ll have four special family mass/events scheduled on weekends throughout the year. More info to come on that.
Sacrament Preparation
There will be parent-supported, catechist-mentored live, and online (via Zoom) plans in place for sacramental readiness for our students and their families. Stay tuned for more information. (This will be coordinated with the monthly gatherings and supported with some additional time.)
Tuition and Fees
This year we have a flat $100 fee per family and a $35 materials fee per student. (For example, 1 student $135, 2 $170, 3 $205)
There are additional materials fees for Sacramental preparation
2nd Grade Reconciliation and First Eucharist - $40
8th Grade Confirmation - $40 (this includes a COVID-friendly retreat-ish type event TBD)
Kristine Hass | Director - Faith and Family Formation
khass@sjascs.org | 586-772-1282