Dear Religious Education Families,

Welcome to the start of an exciting new school year! I am so thrilled to have your children back joining us for Religious Education this school year. The teachers and I are so excited to embark on another year of learning, growth, and community. In this newsletter, you’ll find important updates, introductions to new staff, celebrations of student success stories, and information to support your child's spiritual growth at home. You will see our theme for this year is aligning with so many educational entities, "Growing in God's Love". We also will share information on community building activities available for our students, their families, and all parishioners of Saints Cosmas and Damian Catholic Church.

We hope you find this newsletter helpful as we kick off the year. Together, let us grow in God's love.

Welcome back to another exciting school year at SSCD's Religious Ed Program. We hope you had a restful summer and are ready for a fantastic year ahead. Here are some important dates and updates to keep in mind:

• First Day of Class: September 8th - Open Registration at 9:00 followed by a brief parent meeting at 9:15 including breakfast with your child. Parents will be dismissed by 9:45 and may return to pick up their children at 10:45.
• World Day of Prayer for Peace: September 9th - Celebrate this opportunity to pray for peace in our community and for families who need our prayers the most as a family at home. Take a moment to pray together before dinner and reflect on ways we can be peaceful influences on those around us.
• September 15th - Class
• Catechetical Sunday: September 15th - Join us for the 11:00 Mass to celebrate all the volunteer Catechists donating their time and love of faith with our children.
• September 22nd - Class
• Feast of St. Cosmas and Damian - September 26th - Patron saints of Veterinarians, Physicians, Surgeons, Dentists, and even identical twins! Check out some information on our very own Parish's saints. These twins shared their passion for caring for the sick without ever accepting money.
• Feast of St. Vincent De Paul - September 27th - To celebrate his dedication to charity work, consider talking with your child about the benefits of charitable work and donating to our own St. Vincent De Paul food pantry during this week. (I have hyperlinked some interesting information about him if you're looking to share this with your kiddos)
• September 29th - NO CLASS

I will continue to share out any additional information and helpful resources through our Facebook Group and Remind App as I come across them.

We are thrilled to introduce several new faces joining our team this year:

• Lindsay Kendra, Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher: Lindsay has been teaching Religious Education class for many years. We are so thankful for the experience she brings to the team!
• Ann Koppenhaver, Second Grade Teacher: As a 4th and 5th grade teacher for SSCD School, Ann continues to give back to our church by teaching our Reconciliation students in second grade this year! These families will have an incredible experience as they make their journey to First Reconciliation with Mrs. Koppenhaver.
• Carol Bernat, Third Grade Teacher: Carole has been teaching and sharing her wealth of knowledge to children in our parish since I was at SSCD! It is an absolute honor to have her continuing to teach our students. After attending the Eucharistic Conference, your children will be well prepared for their first communion come spring.
• Debbie Rougeaux, Fourth Grade Teacher: Debbie comes to us with an incredible education background, a depth of passion for our faith, and a leader in our very own Catholic Daughters of America organization. I am so pleased to have her returning to share her experience, (and worldly travels!) with your children.
• Lynda Stiffler, Fifth Grade Teacher: Lynda is new to our Religious Education staff this year and is very excited to work with our students prior to entering the Edge program for 6th grade. Lynda has a background in education and cannot wait to jump back in with these kids! She will be team teaching with 4th and 5th grade and will pull 5th grade into small group work frequently throughout the year. Alternatively, 5th grade will work with Ms. Rougeaux whenever not working with Mrs. Stiffler.
• Paul Freas, Whitney Bargerstock and Julie Yenzi, Edge Program Teachers: Over the past two years the diocese has transition the curriculum over to a more meaningful and discussion-based program for our middle school students. Understanding that we are not just teaching faith, but also marketing the ideas of faith and formation to our teenagers, Edge provides engaging activities and discussions that help students apply their faith to real life situations and guide them through difficult decision making that comes with the journey to adulthood.
• Sue Dahrouge, Arlene Stuart, Paul Jekielek and Whitney Bargerstock, Confirmation Teachers: Confirmation will continue to be run by Sue, Paul and Arlene, but I will also be participating in these sessions as much as possible during the school year. SSCD has the honor of hosting Confirmation this year, and I cannot wait to get started planning the celebrations for our students!

These talented individuals are excited to contribute to our community and support our students’ growth. Let’s give them a warm welcome!

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we want to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Here are the diocese expectations for working with students:

• Volunteering for Parties: Parents are welcome to attend and participate in holiday parties if they would like. We simply must have volunteer Criminal Background and Child Abuse clearances on file prior to attending the party.
• Guest Speakers: Throughout the school year I have scheduled several speakers and opportunities for our students to learn more about their faith and the organizations that support our local parish. You are welcome to attend any of these sessions, but clearances must be on file.
• Field Trips: Our goal is to provide a day trip fieldtrip to all of our students in Religious Education programs this spring. In order to attend and chaperone clearances must be provided.
• Community Activities: To participate in any activities sponsored AFTER class times on the weekends, no clearances are required. Only class-related activities require Volunteer Clearances, as part of the diocese Child Protection initiatives.
  
  

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school safe and healthy!

I have added an incredibly helpful resource Carol shared with me last year as I was beginning my Catechist journey, and hopefully you will find some value in it as well. The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz is such an engaging speaker. I cannot wait to hear about Carol's experience at the Eucharistic Congress hearing him in person! Enjoy your final days of summer everyone!

Sincerely,
Whitney Bargerstock
Religious Education Director
Saints Cosmas and Damian Catholic Church