For all RE Parents (Parents, please go over all of this with your children!)

Resurrection Faith Formation Policies and Procedures

Attendance/Make-up Work: The children will gather for 24 sessions or 36 hours out of the year. Every session is vital to a well-rounded formation in the faith. Therefore, regular attendance is expected of all of our faith formation learners. Please do not schedule appointments or other events during your child’s class time. In the event that a child must miss class due to illness or extreme circumstance, the parent or guardian is to inform us by calling the Religious Education Office prior to class at 412.835.6996, or may email us at ddecapria@resurrectionpgh.org or jorourke@resurrectionpgh.org. If you do not notify us, we will call or email you to verify the absence. Absent learners will be required to make up any missed work and assignments. Catechists will assign the makeup assignment to absent learners.

Class Arrivals: Please be sure your child arrives on time each week as classes will begin promptly at their designated times (9:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings; 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings). Faith Formation learners will be admitted to the building no more than 15 minutes prior to class. Entrance and exit to the building will only be through the main school entrance at St. Thomas More. Late arrivals disrupt the class and are disrespectful to the catechists and students. Please make every effort that your children arrive for class on time so that the lessons are not disrupted.

Tardiness: If a child arrives late for class, he/she will need to sign in tardy before going to class. Please arrive at least five minutes before the start of class. 9:15 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. are when classes start, not the times that students are to be dropped off for class.

Early Dismissals: These are strongly discouraged as children miss important parts of their lessons. When a child must leave class early, he or she must bring in an Early Dismissal Form signed by the parent or guardian. These forms are available at the Religious Education Office and online. A note from the parent or guardian will also suffice, but it must indicate the day and time of the early dismissal and the person picking the child up with a signature by the parent/guardian. The individual picking up the child for an early dismissal must come to the main school entrance at St. Thomas More or to Capistran Hall at St. John Capistran and sign the child out before the child may leave. A child will not be released to anyone other than the parent or guardian without written permission of the parent or guardian.

Early Dismissal Form

Final Dismissals: Classes will be dismissed as follows: Sundays at 10:45 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. at St. Thomas More, beginning with the third floor, followed by the second floor and then the first floor. Safety in the parking lot is a prime concern for all of us. Parents/guardians of young children are encouraged to escort their children to their cars. Please be careful and patient when arriving and departing from the parking lot.

Class Cancellation: In the event of inclement weather, religious education classes will be cancelled if Upper St. Clair and/or Bethel Park Schools are closed on Wednesday for our Wednesday sessions. Announcements will be made on the local news networks (WPXI). A class cancellation notice will also be sent out by text via Flocknote for any Religious Education cancellations.
Click here to register your mobile phone to our Flocknote.

Discipline: Every child and catechist in our program deserves respect and the opportunity to grow in their faith in a safe and cooperative atmosphere. Please impress upon your children the importance of respectful behavior towards their fellow classmates and the dedicated volunteer catechists. Each catechist will specify rules and expectations for his or her class that the learners will be expected to comply with. If difficulties with behavior arise, the catechist will give the child a warning. If necessary, the child will be removed from the classroom and sent to the office where he or she will complete his or her class work. If the disruptive behavior continues, the child will be removed from class and a conference with the child, parent and DRE will be scheduled. In the event the disruptive behavior continues, the child will be placed in the home study program.

Home Enrichment: Catechists may give home work as enrichment for the learners in his or her class. Please support our efforts by reviewing and discussing homework assignments and activities with your child.

Student Needs: It is important that families communicate to us any particular medical, learning, or dietary needs your child/children may have. Snacks will not be given in the faith formation sessions unless it is a treat to be taken home at the end of class.

Syllabus: A catechetical program such as the one we have here at Resurrection Parish, works best when faith education takes place at home as well as in our classrooms. We rely on you to partner with us in developing the foundation of faith that has begun within the family. Parents, we invite you to actively participate in our catechetical program. We are making you aware of what your children are learning each week by providing a syllabus for grades 1-8 on our parish website under the Religious Education tab. Catechists are encouraged to communicate with the parents of the children in their class on a regular basis (weekly or monthly) to keep you abreast of the things your children are learning and discussing in our classrooms.

You can participate more fully in your children’s faith formation not only by being aware of what your children are learning, but also by praying together as a family and by celebrating the sacraments together.

Diocesan Safety Curriculum: “Teaching Safety: Empowering God’s Children”:
This safety program is designed to help prevent child sexual abuse by giving children and youth the tools they need to help keep them safe by educating them regarding boundaries, safe and unsafe behaviors, and healthy relationships. 

Each family has received a brochure in their family packet that gives an overview of the Teaching Safety—Empowering God’s Children Program.  There are age appropriate lesson plans for 4 specific age groups:
Grades K-2nd
Grades 3rd – 5th
Grades 6th – 8th
Grades 9th – 12th
Each year, children and youth will receive one safety lesson per year. This year’s safety lesson is entitled, “Physical Boundaries: Safe and Unsafe Touching Rules,” and is scheduled to be taught on January 15th and 18th. Before that lesson, parents will be notified in advanced by the Religious Ed. Office and each catechist will notify their families of the upcoming safety lesson. Parents have the option to opt-out their child, for which they will be provided a form to do so, which is included in your family packet. A parent also has the option to teach the lesson at home, for which we will provide the lesson for them.
Empowering God’s Children™: Teaching Boundaries and Safety Reference Guide

COVID Policy

• When mandated by the diocese, masks are required inside all buildings for all volunteers and learners who are 2 years of age or older, unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit their use.  This includes all vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.  In the event masks are required, exemptions for the face mask requirement will be granted to those who provide documentation from the individual’s physician (PCP or Specialist), indicating the individual is under the physician’s care and cannot wear a face mask due to a specified medical condition. The diocesan Medical Exemption Form will need to be completed.
• If a child has an elevated temperature or feels ill, do not send them to class.  If they fall ill while at class, the child will be isolated and the parent will be called to take the child home.

• Those who contract COVID-19 or become exposed to someone with COVID-19 will need to isolate or quarantine as per current CDC guidelines.  Current guidelines state that people who test positive should stay home for at least five days and wear a mask around others for ten days, unless they became very sick from COVID-19 or were hospitalized, in which case, they should stay home for at least ten days.  If after five days the person is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and symptoms are improving, or the person never had symptoms, the isolation may end after day five, but wear a high-quality mask through day 10 and avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
• If exposed to COVID-19, wear a high-quality mask for ten days and get tested on day 5. Regardless of vaccination status, isolate from others when you have COVID-19.  Also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19, but do not yet have test results.

Secure Building
Our doors will be secure while your children are with us. You must use the front school lobby doors in order to get access into the building at all times.