Catholic Community of Windsor Locks - St. Mary & St. Robert Bellarmine Churches at 42 Spring Street, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 US - General Information

General Information

ALTAR SERVERS: Students in Grades 5 and up are invited to participate in a program each fall to prepare them for the privilege of serving at the altar. Deacon Don Norton offers information about St. Mary's altar servers program to eligible students in religious education classes early in the fall and provides training to all interested students.

BAPTISM FOR OLDER CHILDREN: In order to make First Communion and first confession a child must be baptized. St Mary provides an opportunity through the Religious Education program for school age children to prepare for Baptism. Contact the rectory or the Religious Education office for more information. BOOKS: Classes begin in early September and end the week before April vacation. The exception is Grade 2, which continues until First Communion in May. All students are invited to take their book home at the end of the CCD year (except Grade 8, since the same textbook will be used in Grade 9). During the school year all books are kept in a classroom or in the library at the Parish Center.

CLASS LISTS AND ROOM LOCATIONS are posted in the Parish Center lobby during the first two weeks of classes. Room assignments will NOT be sent out in the mail.

DISMISSAL PROCEDURES: These are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our students. Please be aware of the following: Grade 2 parents are invited to go to the classroom and pick up their child. Grades 1, 3, 4, & 5 students are dismissed down the ramp into the parking lot behind the church. Parents are asked to get out of their car and meet their children at the ramp. Children are NOT allowed to run hrough the parking lot to meet their parents! Grades 6, 7, 8, & 9 may leave the building by way of the lobby doors. If your child needs to leave early plea notify the office and report there before picking them up. Teachers will not release children from class early without prior notice. Please be on time to pick up your child from class. The building closes when classes end.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT: Parents are encouraged to: ~ volunteer to teach or help out in other ways with St. Mary's Religious Education program ~ remind, encourage cooperation, good manners, and good behavior from their children in class ~ set a good example for your child through prayers, attendance at Mass, and living the best you can each day ~ teaching your child the Sign of the Cross, prayers, genuflection before the tabernacle, and acceptable church behavior.

PREPARATION FOR SACRAMENTS:
 
FIRST COMMUNION & RECONCILIATION: Proof of baptism is required before a student may receive the Eucharist for the first time. Please contact the rectory at 623-2524 to arrange for Baptism for your child if necessary. Contact Mrs. Stratton if you have questions or concerns concerning your child's Baptismal status. If your child has been baptized at some parish other than St. Mary or in a Protestant church, please bring in your child's baptismal certificate so that we can make a copy. Students must attend two Sunday classes per month and regular attendance at Mass is encouraged. Parents are expected to attend parent class in Room 14 every time the child has class. There is no make-up class for parents. Lesson plans will be provided to the parents for use on Sundays when no classes are held, allowing parents to take an active role in the preparation of their child for the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist. All communications about the First Communion program and schedule changes are through the Sunday parent's class, the parish bulletin, and the lesson plans that go home with the parents after each class. If you do not attend Mass at St. Mary or attend the parent's class you may miss out on important information about your child's First Communion. Any child who misses a Sunday class for any reason is expected to make up that class on the following Wednesday at 4:15. Please see CCD Calendar for make-up dates. No make-up is scheduled on some Wednesdays due to early realease from school. Only children who have missed Sunday class due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances are eligible to attend make-up classes. Sports and cheerleading are not acceptable reasons to miss Sunday classes, and children who have a firm commitment to a sports program on Sunday mornings are invited to wait until Grade 3 to recieve the sacraments. No child may go through the Grade 2 program on a make-up basis! If a child has missed too many Sunday classes they will have to be tutored by Sister Joan before they can receive the sacraments. Such families will be notified by Sister Joan. First confession (reconciliation) is held on a Tuesday or Wednesday in early December along with a special prayer service. First Communion is held each year on the day before Mothers' Day.

CONFIRMATION: The sacrament of Confirmation is held in the fall each year for students who have completed Grade 8 & 9 Religious Education classes and have passed a test on their Catholic faith. Before being confirmed students must attend a day of retreat (usually held at the Parish Center a week before Confirmation) and complete an interview with one of the parish priests. Other requirements include completion of five hours of approved community service.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Parents are encouraged to volunteer for St. Mary's Religious Education program. There are a number of opprtunities available for parents and guardians who wish to help out. Remember, tuition is waived for families that volunteer on a regular basis. We are always in need of:

TEACHERS for all class levels: You do not have to be a theologian or professional educator to teach a CCD class. All you need is to be a practicing Catholic with a commitment to training our youth in the fundamentals of our Faith. Teacher guides are available for all grade levels and we have a large collection of vidoes available to supplement lessons in the textbooks. Team teaching a class with a friend is a great idea if you are nervous about going it alone and Mrs. Stratton is always available for guidance, background information, and help with disciplinary problems.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS: We use "permanent" and "occasional" subs for the program. Permanent subs should be available (on call) most weeks during the class period for which they have volunteered. They will be called first when a teacher is unable to be here. Tuition is waived for permanent subs. Occasional subs are people who cannot be available on a regular basis to fill in for absent teachers but who are willing and able to take over a class occasionally when no permanent subs are available.

OFFICE AIDS: Volunteers are needed to help out in the office during class time. Duties range from monitoring students sent out of class to helping with parish mailings. Each year a schedule is set up for office volunteers, who are expected to be available 10-12 times during the CCD year in exchange for free tuition. In an emergency office helpers may be called upon to sub.

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