SEAS Faith Formation

April 1, 2024

A Note from Driskill's Desk

Alleluia! He Has Risen!

Spring is in the air, and we celebrate the joyous news of Jesus' resurrection! Alleluia, He lives! Happy Easter and Happy April!

We hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday. A huge thank you to our dedicated staff and volunteers who continue to help your children grow closer to God.

Easter Special: Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids

As we embark on the Easter season, we'd like to share a fantastic resource for your children: a cartoon called "Easter Special- Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids" available on FORMED (a free subscription service). Instructions to subscribe are included below.

Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Archdiocese pastoral ministry emphasizes:

Awareness of child abuse in our communities.
Education on identifying and reporting warning signs.
Communication with children about grooming and uncomfortable situations.

We pray for the protection and care of all vulnerable children, their caregivers, and those affected by abuse.

Resources:

Learn more about Child Abuse Prevention and resources from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops here
Child Abuse Prevention Bulletin Insert
Novena for Protection and Healing From Abuse (English)

Safe Environment Training in Faith Formation

During the week of April 21-25, each Faith Formation classroom will participate in a short video on abuse prevention and discuss safe environment and boundary topics with the students. This program is mandated by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

If you'd like to learn more about resources offered by the Archdiocese or access age-specific videos, please visit our website here.

Children's Liturgy Participation

Does your child want to participate in the children's liturgy by reading or bringing up the gifts? Sign up using our Genius link here.

For children interested in practicing the songs at home or singing at the microphone, the April Children's Church songs are available here.

Thank You and Stay Connected!

Thank you again for your continued support of our SEAS faith formation program.

Stay up-to-date on our programs:

Subscribe to Flocknote
View announcements on TVs in the building
Visit our website
Follow our social media (links at the bottom of this newsletter)

As always, we continue to pray for you as you pray for us.

God Bless,

Mrs. Driskill

Children's Choir

If your child is interested in singing at the 10:00am Sunday Children's Mass, please email Mrs. Driskill for more information at loraine@seaschurch.com.

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FORMED

Check out the latest on FORMED.ORG

Discover all the best Catholic content in one place. Entertaining movies, enlightening programs, inspiring talks, and a great selection of popular eBooks. Enjoy a FREE SUBSCRIPTION. Sign up is easy!

Go to formed.org
Sign up as a parishioner
New account page- enter our zip code: 78255
Click on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
Enter your name and email address

Enjoy all the Catholic content in English or Spanish!

Below are a few suggestions from Faith Formation-

Lent with Brother Francis

https://watch.formed.org/lent-with-brother-francis

Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross

https://watch.formed.org/videos/brother-francis-the-stations-of-the-cross

The Catholic Parent

https://watch.formed.org/the-catholic-parent

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Elementary Faith Formation

After a long Lent, we are finally entering the Easter season! There are so many ways to celebrate as a family. Below are a few ideas on ways to commemorate this holy time of year in your home.

Look to Him and Be Radiant- 50 Ways to Celebrate the 50 Days

Simply Catholic- Celebrating Easter with Kids

Catholic Icing- Celebrating the Entire Easter Season

Hallow- About Easter

Loyola Press- Easter Activities

Archdiocese Safe Environment Protocols

The Archdiocese of San Antonio provides several resources and videos to parishes in an effort to help programs talk to students and parents about safety measures.

In the month of November, our Faith Formation programs will be going over some safe environment and boundary topics with our students. Each program coordinator will provide you with more information on specifics.

If you would like to learn more about what the Archdiocese offers or to watch videos for specific age levels, check out the following links:

Archdiocese of San Antonio Child Protection Office-

https://archsa.org/child-protection/child-protection-letter/

Teaching Boundaries and Safety Guide-

https://www.virtusonline.org/educators/Teaching-Boundaries-and-Safety-Guide-English.pdf

Empowering God's Children (Grades K-5)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/As5weSqt9Jw

Empowering God's Children (Grades 6-8)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/P3RoYAYkDQ4

Empowering God's Children (High School)-

https://www.youtube.com/embed/eY_oua646oc

Safety Procedures

The safety of our students, families, volunteers, and staff is a top priority for our Faith Formation Ministry. It is important to us that parents feel comfortable and confident while their children attend classes at SEAS. We take several steps to ensure we are providing a safe environment for all.

Each of our volunteers and all of the staff are required to take Safe Environment Trainings. Our Good Shepherd and Elementary students must be picked up from their classroom to guarantee that they leave with a trusted adult. You will also notice that we have a police officer on site during each class session.

To help with safety measures, we ask that parents read the below handbook provided by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Parent Handbook- Protecting God's Children

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sOtPCQW3Fpn3QC6es6QwddSZOWX0groB/view?usp=sharing

Please let us know if you ever have a safety concern.