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The Religious Education program of Christ The King Parish exists for the
purpose of spreading the Good News of Christ to its students and to their
families. Recognizing the belief that "the task of imparting education belongs
primarily to the family, and that it is in the Christian family...that children
should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor," the
catechists of Christ The King's Religious Education Program are young disciples
in the faith. Aware of the fact that our role is auxiliary to the parents, we
strive to support the faith life of our families, knowing that it is in the
domestic church of the home that faith blossoms and is nourished. At age
appropriate times during their religious education, students will be introduced
to the truths of our faith woven into the Creed; to the sacramental life of the
Church; to life in Christ; to prayer. Since we believe that faith is more
"caught" than "taught," family involvement in our program is viewed as essential
to the accomplishment of our goals. Dear Parents and Guardians, As I hope you are well aware the Diocese of Camden is involved in an exciting chapter of our diocesan history as we plan for our future and pool all our gifts and talents by a process that we have named, “Gathering God’s Gifts.” Our “Vision for the Future of Our Church,” states, “We the Catholic Church of South Jersey, envision growing ever more into a dynamic community of faith, hope and love wherein we reveal the mind and heart of Jesus through our actions and our worship.” Our Parish Office of Religious Education, under the able direction of Sr.Dianna Higgins and her army of dedicated catechists seeks to work with you as parents to pass on the depth and richness of our Catholic faith in this time of great change. Our Religious Education team seeks to work with you in a collaborative effort to “reveal the mind and heart of Jesus,” through our religious instruction, sacramental preparation and spiritual formation programs offered to your children. Your cooperation is essential to the success of this mission, since you are the primary teachers in the practice of the faith for your children. At your child’s baptism you promised to bring up this child in the practice of the faith. We are more than willing to help you achieve this, but your good example in attending Mass with your child and making sure they are present for classes is absolutely fundamental. Your child’s religious education and training must take precedence over all over extracurricular activities that your busy children find themselves involved with these days. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and inspire us always. Your families’ membership and participation in the life of our parish is a blessing, so let us work together to ensure that the faith handed down to us in unbroken succession from the hands of the holy apostles will be handed to and lived out by your children and one day all reach the promise of life eternal! Fr. Wallace "Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people, and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life." (John Paul II, Catechesi Tradendae) The Religious Education Program of Christ the King Parish exists for the purpose of spreading the Good News of Christ to its students and to their families. Recognizing the fact that "the task of imparting education belongs primarily to the family,"1 and that "it is in the Christian family…that children should be taught to know and worship God and to love their neighbor,"2 the catechists of Christ the King Religious Education Program are committed to assisting families in the beautiful task of molding young disciples in the faith. Aware of the fact that our role is auxiliary to the parents, we strive to support the faith life of each of our families, knowing that it is in the domestic church of the home that faith blossoms and is nourished. At age-appropriate times during
their religious education, students will be introduced to the truths of our
faith woven into the Creed; to the sacramental life of the Church, to life in
Christ; to prayer. Since we believe that faith is more "caught" than
"taught", family involvement in our program is viewed as essential to
the accomplishment of our goals. Religious Education Office:
Grade K- 6 …………Monday
afternoon - 3:30 P.M. - 4:45 P.M. 4 to 7 year olds……..Sunday Morning Liturgy of the Word during 9:00 A.M. Mass. Grade 7 and 8……………..Junior
Youth Program - Monday evenings 7:00-8:30pm. KYW News Radio Number 1256 If inclement weather closes the
area schools, Religious Education Classes will also be canceled. Please listen
to KYW radio for our official closing number - 1256. If the weather becomes
dangerous during the day, we will make every attempt to contact the area public
schools to cancel classes. Children whose families are registered in Christ the King Parish are accepted into the Religious Education Program. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or national origin. Children from outside the parish are accepted into the program provided they present a letter of permission from the Director of Religious Education from the home parish of the child. Children must be re-registered each year. Children who have successfully completed a year of Religious Education will be promoted to the next grade. They may be re-registered by completing and returning the forms and the tuition envelope as promptly as possible after receiving them in the mail in late spring. A separate form FOR NEW STUDENTS ONLY will be provided in the registration package. This form can be ignored unless a child is coming NEW into the program. Parents are expected to sign the statement enclosed with the handbook that acknowledges that they have read, understand and accept the terms specified in this handbook. They are asked to share the content of this handbook with their children. Students in grade 4 and above are asked to sign the statement also. Please be advised that the
CRE, program coordinators, and catechists are required by law (N.J.S.A.
9:6-8:10) and the "New Jersey Catholic Conference Policy Concerning
Incidents of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect" to report suspected or
actual child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. If your family is not already worshipping regularly with your parish family, we invite you most sincerely to join us each week in the celebration of the Mass. Because we are Catholics, we can never really understand nor live our faith apart from the Mass, and the faith community of the parish. Religion lessons are prepared with the presumption that the students are familiar with liturgy through regular participation in the Mass. Catholic religious education is like a bow without an arrow for children who do not know the Mass. To be eligible to enter a parish sacramental preparation program, a child must attend Mass regularly. All tuition should be paid at the time of registration or re-registration. An activity fee, to cover the costs of some of the extras provided, is added to the tuition and should be paid at the same time as the tuition. Families who are unable to pay tuition at this time are asked to call or write the Director of Religious Education for tuition deferral. Our Religious Education Program schedule will be distributed at the beginning of the year. Each class will last for 1 hour and 15 minutes. A schedule of the meeting dates will be provided for the parents of children in all grades. Parents will be notified as to the time of the class. Since the teachers are giving of their time for the benefit of the students, parents are asked to cooperate with the class schedule. Religious Education News will be printed throughout the year in the form of letters, memos, or bulletins to parents or guardians of students. Communication will be sent home regularly through students attending classes. Please check with your child for this information. EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT It is extremely important that each family has an Emergency Medical Information Form on record in our office. These forms give parental permission for emergency medical treatment. We must have these forms on file FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CHILD. It is important that records be kept up to date. Therefore, the Religious Education Office must be notified immediately of any change of address or telephone number. The Religious Education Program will supply a mid-term and final progress report to shared-custody and non-custodial parents upon receiving a written request. Because Religious Education Classes meet only once a week, good attendance is essential for a child to maintain interest, achievement, and a sense of belonging. We count on parents to expect their children to have excellent records. Attendance records are especially
significant for children entering a sacramental program, since these records are
useful in helping to determine whether a child is ready to begin preparation. If
a student should have 3 or more UNEXCUSED absences, it will be understood that a
problem exists. The child's entrance into, or continued preparation in the
Grade Two, Grade Seven or Grade Eight, sacramental-preparation classes, will
have to be evaluated by the parents with the Director of Religious Education. All students are to report directly to their assigned areas. All car riders are to be dropped off in the schoolyard at the Hopkins Ave. parking lot. Parents should proceed with extreme caution when entering and exiting the school grounds. Lateness Children who arrive late are always at a disadvantage, and they cause disruptions for everyone else. Please do your best to have your children arrive on time. A student who arrives 5 to 15 minutes after classes begin will be considered late. Five latenesses will be considered one absence. A student who is more that 15 minutes late for class will be marked absent. Request for Early Dismissal All emergency early dismissal requests are granted, if a note is sent to the teacher, during the actual session the child attends. All early dismissals will be recorded. Parents, or those designated in the written request, should report to the cafeteria to pick up a child for early dismissal. Attendance Procedures IT IS PARISH POLICY THAT ABSENCES MAY BE EXCUSED ONLY BY A PHONE CALL OR NOTE FROM A PARENT. Please request absences to be excused only for serious matters. Parental involvement is a necessary part of religious education. It is the parents' responsibility to make sure their children complete the work assigned by their religion teacher. Please make it a part of your weekly routine to share this time with your child, reviewing his/her religion lesson for the week. Parents are asked to help their children learn their prayers and accompany them when they attend religious education functions. It is important that children take care of their religion books, use them respectfully, and bring them to class every week. Books that are defaced or abused may have to be replaced at the parents' expense. Please help us avoid this by noting, from time to time, how your children are caring for their books. School property, books, desks, may not be defaced. Students and/or parents will be held responsible for the cost of the repair or replacement. Books Parental assistance is needed to ensure that students come weekly with books and materials needed for class as well as with complete assignments. Students will not be permitted to participate in class without their books, therefore lost books must be replaced at the student's expense as soon as possible. Bibles Sacred Scripture is an integral
part of your child's education, particularly in Junior High. Consequently,
students are required to purchase a Bible, through the program, for use in
class. Each person is worthy of being treated with care and respect as one made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, genuine Christian care, mutual respect, and honesty should characterize classroom behavior.
Substance Abuse Policy Substance abuse is defined as the possession of, use of, selling or distributing of any unauthorized, illegal drug, chemical, alcohol, or tobacco-like substance, which can be introduced into the body through ingestion, inhalation, or injection. Any student found in possession of an illegal or unauthorized substance on parish property will be immediately suspended from the program. A conference with the parent(s)/guardian, student, and DRE is mandatory for readmittance to the program. Any student selling or distributing illegal substances will be formally withdrawn from the program and the matter will be turned over to local authorities. Our new program brings total catechesis to life by teaching the pillars of the Catechism- Creed, Sacraments, Morality and Prayer- every year in every grade level. Each year is built upon and reinforced with what children have previously learned. This program includes unique Scripture lessons on every level that develop a solid understanding of the Bible . Liturgical year lessons help connect children to Sunday Mass. PRE-K God made each child to experience belonging to warm, welcoming and caring communities of family and church. The child continues to discover the wonders of his/her world as gifts from a loving God. Each child learns how to talk to God, the Father. The child listens to stories of Jesus and the saints. Mary is Jesus' Mother and Our Mother. (This program is currently being taught during the Liturgy of the Word at the 9:00 A.M. Mass.) GRADE K The World is a Gift from God:
I am a Child of God. God Gives me Five Sense.
God Gives Us the Earth. God Gives Us Animals and Plants. God Creates All People.
The Bible Tells Us About God's Love. GRADE 1 We Believe:
God Loves us. God is our Father and our
Creator. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus shows God's love. The
Holy Spirit is our helper. Jesus gave us the Church. GRADE 2 We Believe:
We trust and love God. We believe in the Holy
Trinity, God is our Father. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is Our
Saviour. The Holy Spirit helps us to live. The people of God. GRADE 3 We Believe:
God speaks to us. The beauty of God's creation.
Mary trusted in God. Jesus, the son of God. The death and
resurrection of Jesus. We are the Church. The Communion of Saints. GRADE 4 We Believe:
I will be your God. God's word to us. Our Father, in
Heaven. Jesus, the son of God. The Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Receive the Holy Spirit. The people of God. GRADE 5 We Believe:
Speak, Lord. The word of God. The mystery of
the Holy Trinity. Great is the Lord, Our God. Jesus, son of God. The
death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Different gifts, the same
Spirit. Thy Kingdom Come! 3 GRADE 6 We Believe:
The gift of faith. God's own word to us. The
mystery of God. Jesus Christ, the son of God. The Church: the age of the
Spirit. The people of God. Mary, Mother of Christ, mother of the Church. 
A. The child must successfully complete his or her first year of religious education either in a Religious Education Program or in a parochial school to be eligible to enter sacramental preparation. B. The child must participate in a year and a half program of preparation before the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. C. The child must take part in a two-year program before the reception of the Sacrament of First Eucharist. D. The child must
memorize the following prayers and be able to say them without prompting: E. The child must attend Mass every weekend and have some familiarity with the liturgy. F. The parents must be willing to attend the Required Parents' Meeting. Confirmation preparation is a two-year process, which begins in Grade 5 and culminates with reception of the sacrament in the Fall of Grade 7. A. The child must have successfully completed the sixth year of religious education either in a Religious Education Program or in a parochial school. B. The Child must be attending Mass every weekend. C. The child must be willing to undertake all aspects of the Confirmation Program and promise to do his or her best to cooperate in Confirmation preparation. This would include all written assignments, yearly retreat in Grade 7, and performance of approved acts of service. D. The parents must be willing to attend the Required Parents' Meetings. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY OF THE DIOCESE OF CAMDEN, MEETINGS ARE HELD WHICH ARE REQUIRED FOR PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN GRADES 2, and 7. Because the children in these grades are in a sacramental-preparation class, parents are required to attend meetings especially designed to help them update their own understandings of the sacraments while being made thoroughly familiar with the preparation their children are receiving. YOUR CHILD CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE HIS OR HER SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION WITHOUT YOUR OBTAINING THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION THAT ARE GIVEN AT THE REQUIRED PARENTS' MEETINGS! The dates for the Parents' Meetings are given on your Religious Education Calendar. PLEASE MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR OWN APPOINTMENT CALENDAR. For your convenience, the meetings are scheduled on two different Saturdays. 
SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAM At this point, our program is not set up to handle children with severe special needs. Parents of children with special needs, who feel their child will benefit from our program, are asked to make known the special needs of their child at the time of registration. Mainstreaming the child within the regular class will be done if this is educationally appropriate for the child. Parents of children with special needs may be asked to be aides in the class if this seems to be an educationally and psychologically sound decision. YOUTH MINISTRY PROGRAM GRADES 7 - 12 The program brings together our parish youth for faith-sharing and outreach to the community in social enrichment. This program is administered by the Youth Ministry Coordinator of Christ the King Parish and can be contacted at 429-1600. OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY At various times throughout the year, the children participate in several outreach programs to the less fortunate. Christ the King Catechists are adult members of our community, often parents of students, who volunteer to serve as witnesses of Jesus Christ and His Church in the process of instructing their students. All participate in on-going catechist training and formation sessions, even those who are professional teachers, because they recognize that religion is not just another subject to be taught. They are committed to the development of their own faith community, and share prayer and community-building experiences to strengthen their own faith. Our Catechists participate in course training, Catechetical Sunday ceremonies, sacrament preparation, and workshops in the diocese. Catechists are offered a nominal stipend.
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