Holy Trinity Orthodox Church                                                                        

October 2009

 

 

Dear Parents,

 

Thank you for entrusting your children to our care on Sunday mornings. We are excited to begin a new year of Sunday School at Holy Trinity!  This year we will be introducing a new curriculum, as well as a new approach to teaching your children. We understand that your child has a busy schedule with school work and various extra-curricular activities.   Our goal is to keep the curriculum simple, so that the students will truly learn and retain the information being taught.  We would also like to shorten the length of classes to approximately 30-40 minutes, in order keep the class engaging for the students.

 

The classes and curriculum will be divided as follows:

 

Curriculum will consist of: 

-                           Story time, including stories of the saints, bible stories, and other orthodox books written for children

-                           “Veggie Tales”, which are short animated movies that teach lessons about bible stories and promote Christian values

-                           Crafts and Activities

 

Curriculum will consist of:

-        Study of the Gospels

This will solidify the life of Christ in the students’ minds.  We will use the “Children’s Illustrated Bible,” read each chapter aloud, and discuss.  *Bibles will be provided

 

            -           Supplemental Activities

Each student will receive a folder with a reading about a saint of the church, an Orthodox prayer, or another relevant reading. Also, the children will also receive short worksheets to reinforce what is being taught.  Your child will receive new materials in his/her folder every week.  They may take their folder home for the week, but please make sure that they bring them back so that they can receive their new reading.

 

** IMPORTANT: Please read through the folder materials with your child during the week, and discuss it with them.  These readings will be fairly short and will not take much time **

 

Curriculum will consist of:

-          Study of the Gospel of Mark

Students will read the Gospel of Mark aloud and then refer to commentary written by the church fathers.

-     Supplemental Activities

each student will receive a folder with a reading about a saint of the church, an Orthodox prayer, or another relevant reading.  Your child will receive new materials in his/her folder every week.  They may take their folder home for the week, but please make sure that they bring them back so that they can receive their new reading.

** IMPORTANT: Please read through the folder materials with your child during the week, and discuss it with them.  These readings will be fairly short and will not take much time **

 

First Confession Class will be held on Sunday mornings  at 8:30-9:15am and will cover the life of Jesus, as well as the basic tenants of the faith in order to prepare the children for the mystery of holy confession. 

 

With the exception of First Confession Class, all other classes are held after church, for approximately 30 minutes during coffee hour.  During this time, students may get a snack and a drink and take it to their designated Sunday school classroom.  Please ensure that your child arrives to class as soon as possible.

A Note about the Role of Parents

Parents are the most important people in a child’s life, and learning about God starts in the home. Teaching children about God is a seven-day-a-week effort, not something that is done just an hour or two on Sunday morning. We will do our best to support you in your child’s Christian education, and stand ready to help you at any time.

Here are a couple of ways that you can support the best Sunday School experience for your child:

Encourage Regular Attendance

Sunday school starts each week after coffee hour. Please help your child to be on time and attend as often as possible. Consistency and continuity are extremely important for your child during these years.

Pray

Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted, an undisturbed refuge, a cause of tranquility, the root of a multitude of blessings and their source.    ~ St. John Chrysostom

Prayer is an essential part of our Orthodox faith and helps us to develop a relationship with God. We encourage you and your child to develop the habit of a daily quite time with God, which will help provide a firm foundation for his/her future life.

Finally, we hope to host activities such as movie nights and other social opportunities for your children during the year.  We can always use extra help with these activities and also with Sunday school.  If you are interested in helping with just one event, offering your time as a substitute teacher, or even as a regular teacher, please see Fr. Jason or Matushka Jennifer. 

Thank you for your prayers and support!

 

Fr. Jason & the Holy Trinity teaching team