A place where children learn, see, and become the face of Christ.
The Corpus Christi Preschool and Elementary Education Program is inspired by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Our program invites children to the materials of the atrium that resonate with the child about who Jesus is and the relationship he desires with them. We built our 1st atrium and began the program in the fall of 2010 and have seen great success with the young children of Corpus Christi. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd began in Rome in 1954. It has a foundation in Montessori methodology and is based on the work of Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi.
This year we are returning to more frequent sessions while maintaining small class sizes. There will be five groups - A, B, C, D and E. The class sizes will be 12 children per room for Preschool-K, 12 per room for 1st-3rd Grades, and 15 per room for 4th-5th Grades.
As the primary educators, parents are asked to attend the parent session during their children's sessions to receive the overview of the presentations for continuity of formation between the atrium and the home.
As expected, there is new material for all! There will be a summary sheet emailed each month as we will have more time for matieral use in the atrium. We also have the opportunity to add some adult formation this year!
Sacrament prep for families intending to have their child receive 1st Reconciliation and 1st Communion will have an additional track of meetings with 2 retreats to offer the essential lessons of the sacraments. The three session options available are Tuesday A (5:30-7:30pm), Tuesday B (5:30-7:30pm), or Saturday, (9:00-11:00am). Each session will meet four times in addition to the 2 mandatory retreats. Please see the calendar along the left navigation plan for the specific dates.
Level 1 Atrium: Preschool-Kindergarten (Age 3-Kindergarden)
Our 3-6 year olds come to experience Christ in their lives and fall deeper in love with Jesus, by learning the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church in a safe, quiet, and loving environment.
Level II Atrium: (Grades 1-3)
The children of this age are captured by the image of the True Vine – “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. “They come to a better relationship with God, family, friends and the larger community. The Moral Parables fulfill the child’s need for guidelines. The parables of the Found Sheep, Found Coin, and Forgiving Father help the child prepare for Sacramental Reconciliation since the proclamation and meditation stress God’s love, which is constantly forgiving. These children see the parts of the Mass – Liturgy of the Word, Preparation of the Gifts, the Eucharistic Prayer, and Communion – as one unity. The History of Salvation is studied by using a timeline beginning with Creation, moving through Redemption, and ending with Parousia (when all things will be in all). The children focus on the many gifts of creation, ending in God’s gift of His own divine life in the person of Jesus Christ, a gift which will pervade the whole universe at the completion of history.
Level III Atrium: (Grades 4-5)
This year's Level III presentations will revolve around four main areas:
- The Plan of God: In Level III, the Plan of God strip focuses on a portion of this overall history - the part related to human beings. Although Plan of God works are rich and complex, with many messages and avenues of exploration, there are two strong messages that are repeated throughout Plan of God presentations. We will be focusing on God’s plan to join all people together. The child focuses on God’s generosity and the responsibilities that accompany His gifts. They are posed the question, ”What is my place in the Kingdom of God?”
- Moral parables: Level III children (ages 9 to 12) exhibit a strong sense of social justice and fairness. They are ready to move from a black-and-white view of morality to seeing shades of grey. And they are ready to turn the moral parables on themselves - How does this message affect me? How does this parable impact the way I live my life?
- Structure of the Mass: In Level III, children learn that the Mass is one prayer composed of many prayers - 49 prayers, to be exact. In previous levels, children have been exposed to gestures (movements with meaning) and articles (items such as the chalice and paten) of the mass. Now, they will see this earlier information come together with spoken prayers through a specific order and structure which comprises our Mass.
- Abraham typology: the children begin to work deeply with the Old Testament. Earlier levels focus on the New Testament, with the only Old Testament touch points being the prophesies related to Jesus (and some Psalms). Level III works with the Old Testament through a concept called typology, which essentially looks for recurring concepts throughout God's history.
Keep in mind that each CGS level is designed as a three-year cycle. A child receives the fully-intended richness if the child attends all three years of a level. Also, each higher level builds upon or deepens work from previous levels. Nonetheless, all presentations and materials are rich in and of themselves. So, a child (and parents) can enter in at any moment. After all, even as adults we are constantly learning (hopefully!).
Faith Formation Documents including calendars can be found on the left navigation pane.
Group A-Wednesday (5:30-6:45pm):
9-15, 9-29, 10-13, 10-27, 11-10, 12-1, 1-12, 1-26, 2-9, 2-23, 3-16, 3-30
Group B-Sunday (9:30-10:45am):
9-19, 10-3, 10-17, 11-7, 11-21, 12-12, 1-9, 1-23, 2-6, 2-27, 3-20, 4-3
Group C-Monday (5:30-6:45pm):
9-20, 10-4, 10-18, 11-8, 11-22, 12-13, 1-10, 1-24, 2-7, 2-28, 3-21, 4-4
Group D-Wednesday (5:30-6:45pm):
9-22, 10-6, 10-20, 11-3, 11-17, 12-15, 1-19, 2-2, 2-16, 3-9, 3-23, 4-6
Group E-Sunday (9:30-10:45am):
9-26, 10-10, 10-31, 11-14, 12-5, 12-19, 1-16, 1-30, 2-13, 3-6, 3-27, 4-10
REGISTRATION:
August 8th-21st (registered members)
August 22nd-29th (non-registered members)
Registration has closed for the 2021-22 year.
If you would like to get your Preschool-5th Grade child into Faith Formation, please contact Melanie Konieczka directly at 701-255-4600.
