Child Formation
_JPG.jpg)
Parish School of Religion (PSR)
PSR Coordinator: Julian Hunter jhunter@stjohnpaulii.org
Lead for Catechist Development: Jen Moore jmoore@stjohnpaulii.org
Director of Faith Formation: Chris Stier cstier@stjohnpaulii.org
BLS Principal: Becky Kondritz bkondritz@bishopleibold.org
Purpose
Our Parish School of Religion (PSR) is a classroom-centered approach to faith formation for children in PreK-6th Grade who attend non-parochial schools. It is a collaboration with and an extension of our Catholic elementary school, Bishop Leibold. Featuring a curriculum that is rooted in Sacred Scripture and the Catechism, students meet once per week to study, talk, sing, pray, serve, craft, act, and celebrate all that is great about being Catholic kids!
​
Location
St. Henry Bishop Leibold School (SH BLS) is the “center of excellence” for child faith formation in the St. John Paul II Parish family. SH BLS offers:
-
Full-size classrooms where each child has ample personal space
-
Capacity for our parish families in a single location
-
Collaboration between school teachers and volunteer catechists
-
Opportunity for adult fellowship during class times
​
Schedule
Families choose one of the following options during registration for the entire academic year (note that PreK only meets on Sunday mornings):
Sunday, 9:00 - 10:15 AM (PreK - 6th Grade)
Tuesday, 6:15 - 7:30 PM (K - 6th Grade)
Goals
Our fundamental mission as a Church is to lead people - including children - to encounter Jesus in such a way that they are changed. A transformative relationship with Christ rests on four pillars, as recorded in the Book of Acts: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42
Sharing the apostles' teaching in a classroom setting is straightforward. To support parents in consistently representing the other aspects of this four-fold rule of life, our PSR includes extracurricular content that:
(1) involves group activities for the kids;
(2) explores the Mass;
(3) facilitates children of different ages to discuss the same faith topics concurrently within their family.
​
Non-goals
Our PSR is intended to reinforce and expand upon the faith messaging children receive from their parents - it is NOT a substitute.
Parent Commitment
Our PSR is a partnership with parents in helping form children in the Catholic faith. Out of respect for the dozens of volunteers who give their time preparing and conducting lessons each week, your participation implies you agree to prioritize:
-
Attending weekly Mass as a family
-
Attending weekly PSR classes over other extracurriculars
-
Reinforcing content at home through family discussion
-
Regular communication with your child’s catechist
-
Engagement in parent activities to help grow your own faith
Steps to Register
Please note: All three steps below must be completed in order for your child to be registered in our PSR.
-
Complete one registration form PER CHILD
-
Pay that child’s registration fee*
-
Order your child’s student book(s)
*When you submit each child’s registration form, you will be presented with a confirmation message that contains a link to pay that child’s registration fee. If you missed it, go to our payment page.
Ordering Student Books
Parents order student resources directly from the publisher. PreK and 2nd grade use specialized curriculum. For all but 2nd Grade, please note the parish discount code for use at checkout.
-
PreK (age 4 or 5):
-
Enter our 30% discount code at checkout: CIU30-25
-
2nd Grade - Order BOTH of the following student books from Communication Center:
-
All Other Grades - Order the grade level student book from Sadlier:
-
Enter our 30% discount code at checkout: CIU30-25