Seventh Grade George Lund of class when we play a game to review the material from that day or a previous week. More than this, though, the consistent enthusiasm and energy the students bring help them respond to almost all the classes positively and fruitfully.” They are often surprised by the depth of the questions the students raise in the course of our discussions. “For example, last week we talked about prayer and the different ways we pray, both in the liturgy and personally. One of the students asked how God is able to hear the prayers of all the people on earth, and how He can respond to all of them. The other students built on this question and soon we were going into God’s omnipotence and omniscience and the divine attributes. This curiosity and eagerness of the students to learn is truly exciting to see. We’re looking forward to continuing to learn about God and the Sacraments He has given us!” This is Stephen & Marilyn’s first year in the Religious Education Program at Christ the King. Stephen is a seminarian in the Old College program at the University of Notre Dame. Marilyn is a Freshman at the University of Notre Dame. We asked Stephen and Marilyn what their students were like this year. “The fifth grade group is very energetic and positive. They are consistently eager to learn and happy to be in class. They have enthusiasm in spades and their high spirits help make a great atmosphere for learning and talking.” The Fifth Grade curriculum focuses on the Sacraments and their role in the Christian life. “Over the year, we hope to move through the seven Sacraments and gain a solid familiarity with each one. We’ve covered Baptism and the Eucharist already and look forward to learning more about the other five.” Stephen says “the students are always delighted at the end Fifth Grade Steven Jakubowski & Marilyn Murphy Sixth Grade Katie Hegenrother This is Katie’s first year in the religious education program. She is a student at the University of Notre Dame and heard about the program through Notre Dame’s Campus Ministry program. Katie states “I decided to join the program because I thought it would be a great way to share my faith with students and hopefully teach them that learning about Christ can be fun. I am also inspired by how the students are eager to learn and ask questions about what we believe as Catholics, which encourages me to grow in my faith along with the students.” The 6 th grade class is a very inviting group. Everyone is very respectful to one another and feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and insights on the material we cover each week. The students also feel comfortable enough to challenge their peers’ thoughts to promote deeper thinking. The students are currently covering the unit on the Trinity. Katie says the students seem to really enjoy the more interactive activities that she plan for them. “We have played Jeopardy! style review games, made prayer boxes, and done trust exercises that demonstrated how we grow to build a relationship with the Lord, all of which were received well by the students. The 6 th grade class is always ready to try a new activity and draw connections between the lesson and the activity.” In the very first week of class, the students talked about creation, how God created all of creation, and how each and every thing has its own purpose in this world. They discussed what roles different people and creatures play in their lives and what would be different if this creature did not exist. Katie was amazed to hear how the students could see the beauty in each of God’s creations. “They were all able to find a purpose and a new appreciation for many different things, which was really inspiring for me to witness on the first week of class.” The next unit will focus on Jesus Christ. Katie hopes to continue incorporating games into the classes that complement the material and provide a more understandable way to grasp the overarching concepts. George has been teaching for 23 years in the religious education program at Christ the King. He began helping Bob Hammond with a 7/8th grade class when his son, George, entered the kindergarten program. “Since my son was in the program I figured I could help out.” George enjoys his current class and says they come to class ready to learn and willing to participate. A few weeks ago the 7th grade students shopped for the non- perishable items for the Thanksgiving Food Baskets. On the Feast of Christ the King the students help prepare the baskets for delivery. Each week George incorporates the use of the Visions magazine for PAGE 4 that week. Each magazine focuses on the Gospel reading for that week as it relates to the world and to students their age. George states “the magazine has generated some lively discussions.” The students will watch the movie The Fourth Wiseman on December 20th, the last class before Christmas break. It is a movie that stars Martin Sheen as Artaban, the fourth Magi, who spends his life searching for Jesus. George is awaiting the birth of his first grand child! SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: A Great Responsibility: Being the Model of Faith By Teresa Oross As we begin another Advent season, we are posed with the question, “How can I make this Advent a meaningful, spiritual preparation time for Christmas?” Many Catholics devote more time to prayer during Advent. We see many opportunities in our parish community to help others in need during this time. It is a challenge to take what little extra time we have and make the most of it in order to deepen our spiritual lives and faith. It is important that we take on this challenge, not only for ourselves, but for our children. Our children need to witness your faith life in action. They are already witnessing it in your commitment to bringing them to religious education classes and going to Mass. They witness it in your generosity to others and to contributions given to charitable organizations. They witness it when you pray together or they see you praying. Another way in which you can witness your call to faith is to show your children that your own, Bad Weather Policy We all know living in this area can be a challenge in the winter months. Hoping to make your life just a lile easier, our policy for bad weather cancellaons has been simplified. In order to ensure that you are nofied of cancelled classes due to extreme winter weather or related issues, you will receive a phone call and an e-mail as soon as our pastor, Fr. Steve LaCroix, CSC makes the decision. This will keep you from wondering whether or not we will be holding classes (no pun intended). INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Kindergarten Cheryl & Katelyn Pope Page 2 First Grade Laurie Kirkman & Laurelle Case Page 2 Third Grade Kerri Dhoore Page 3 Fourth Grade Mary Radde Page 3 Fifth Grade Stephen Jakubowski & Marilyn Murphy Page 4 Seventh Grade George Lund Page 4 Sixth Grade Katie Hegenrother Page 4 Christ the King Religious Education Program NOVEMBER 2015 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 Please pray for our Second Grade students as they prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliaon on December 9th. personal faith development is important to you. We are blessed to have a specific ministry devoted to adult faith formation at Christ the King. During Advent and throughout the new year, there will be special guest speakers to help adults enrich their understanding of the Catholic faith. At our children’s baptisms, we promised to raise them, to the best of our ability, in the Catholic faith. We need to have a deep understanding of the teachings of the faith in order to pass it on to our children and to witness it in our own lives. It is a tremendous responsibility that we agree to carry out. However, it doesn’t have to feel so daunting. Consider giving yourself an early Christmas present (or a late Christmas present) and attend one of the Sunday faith formation series on the Year of Mercy. Learning about our faith is truly a gift that will last for years to come, for yourself, and for your children. Stained glass project for the Feast of Christ the King.