Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Highways
Welcome to the Faith Formation Program at Our Lady of the Highways. As each of your children was baptized, you agreed to be your child’s first and best teacher in the faith. We thank you for letting us have the opportunity to support you in fulfilling your commitment to God, the Church, and especially to your child. Throughout the year we will have special family activities, which we hope you will attend together as a family to help strengthen your bonds to each other and to God. We are very fortunate to have the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, so your young children can begin building a wonderful personal relationship with God. As your children get older they will be in classes, which are more traditional with regular textbooks. All classes are bi-lingual. Periodically your child will be bringing home their books, and homework, so please do these activities together to help you be more connected to the program. Each week your child will need to bring their books, Bible, paper and pencils so they can participate more fully in the learning process. If a book is lost, you will need to pay $25.00 for a replacement book to be ordered. Please try your best not to lose the books. If at any time you have questions, suggestions, or concerns please feel free to contact me.
May God bless your family as together we continue to strengthen our families and our faith.
Kathy Laskis - Coordinator of Faith Formation
Attendance Policy
Children are expected to participate in Faith Formation classes at their home parish if they are in grades Kindergarten through Confirmation (8th grade or above) if they attend public school. If a child goes to Catholic School, they will receive Religious instruction daily at school but will make all sacraments at their home parish and will need to participate in the final preparation classes at their parish.
All children and adults are encouraged and welcome to participate in our programs regardless of physical or mental disability, parochial school attendance, or limited finances.
All Faith Formation students are expected to complete 30 hours of instruction each year. If a child is preparing for First Communion or Confirmation, they must atttend classes the year before the sacrament and the year of the sacrament. Students must not miss more than 4 classes per year for the year to count toward the required 2 years of preparation.
When you arrive for class, take your child to their classroom so the teacher knows they are here and accepts responsibility for them. Please do not leave a child or teen unattended in a classroom, building, or on the property. If you arrive before your child's teacher, please wait with your child for the teacher to arrive. When the class is over, please come into the building and pick your child up from their classroom. The teacher will wait in the room for your child to be picked up for 10 minutes after the class ends and if you have not come to pickup the child, the teacher will take them to Mass to meet you when you arrive, so please go to the church to pick them up at Mass.
Rules and Discipline Policy
1. There will be no eating, drinking, or gum permitted in the classrooms.
2. Students should be on time for class to allow classes to begin and end on time.
3. Teachers, aids, substitutes, and any other adults will be addressed as “Mr., Mrs., Miss, Father, etc.” “Ma’am” and “Sir” will be used appropriately.
4. There will be no foul language, hitting, teasing, fighting, wrestling, etc. allowed. Anyone who, by their actions, consistently keeps other students from learning will be removed from the group.
5. No cell phones, I-pods, gameboys, books other than textbooks for class, etc. will be allowed during class.
If disciplinary action is needed to maintain a good learning environment, the process will be:
1. The teacher will speak to the student
2. The teacher will speak to the parents
3. The parents will be asked to sit in on the class with their child or tech them at home until they are ready to return to the group situation.