Where a child can fall in love with God
Glossary
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: The Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd (CGS) is an approach to religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the
Church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori.
Atrium: Children gather in an
“atrium,” a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful
materials they use to help absorb the most essential proclamations of the
Christian faith. The Atrium was the name
used for the entry to ancient Christian basilicas, the space where catechumens
were prepared for baptism. The plural is
“Atria.”
Materials: The interactive objects in the
Atrium which children use in their spiritual growth.
Class Levels
The classes are divided into multi-age levels as follows:
Level 1: 3 to 6 year-olds
Level 2: 6 to 9 year-olds
Level 3: 9 to 12 year-olds
Class Sessions
In our Atria we strive to have a child/teacher ratio of 6 to 1. Our classrooms ideally hold about 12 students
and 2 catechists. Extra class sessions
may be added throughout the year as needed.
Currently classes are offered at the following times:
Sunday mornings 9am to 10:45am
All 3 Levels meet at this time period
Monday afternoons 3pm to 5pm
Levels 1 & 2 are offered.
Wednesday mornings 9:30am to 11:30am
Level 1 is offered.
Class schedules
Sunday classes: In general,
Sunday sessions do not meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month, when the
Knights of Columbus hold their Pancake breakfast. Families are encouraged to attend the
breakfast instead. Sunday sessions also
do not meet between Christmas and New Year’s or on Easter Sunday.
Monday classes: Monday classes
follow the Juneau School District schedule and will not meet when there is a
school district holiday. Monday classes
will also not meet on the Monday following Easter.
Wednesday classes: Wednesday
classes follow the Juneau School District schedule and will not meet when there
is a school district holiday.
Dropping your child off & Picking them up
As much as possible, we like the children to know that this is their
space and to minimize adult conversations.
Please drop your child off at the door to their Atrium. A catechist will greet them and help them to
settle in. If your child is nervous
about being in the Atrium, we welcome you to come in with them. Please find a place to sit. If your child would like to sit on your lap
or by you and observe until they feel comfortable, that’s fine. The catechists will also invite your child to
join in with the Atrium activity when your child is ready. We are always happy to have adults in the
hallway to act as hall monitors as well.
If your child would feel better by knowing that you are close by, please
let Katy or Rhiannon know and we will set you up with a chair in the hallway.
Sacramental Preparation
Please let us know if
your child needs to prepare for Baptism, 1st Communion and or 1st
Reconciliation at the beginning of the school year. Sacramental preparation can take place in the
Atrium, with extra class sessions as needed.
What you can do to help
We welcome parent involvement as catechists, aides, hall monitors, and
with assistance in special events. We
can also use help with our materials—cutting out collage pieces, wood-working,
sewing and/or painting. Let us know what
your talents are!
We believe that
catechesis should be available to all children.
We do not charge tuition. Our
program is made possible through the generous donations of parishioners as well
as parents. Please consider making a
donation to our program if you are able.
Checks can be made out to “The Cathedral” with CGS written in the memo
space. They can be placed in the Sunday
collection or dropped off at the main Cathedral office or the religious
education office. We also accept
donations of non-perishable snack items.
Parent Resources
This year we have
started a parent lending library in the hallway outside the classrooms. Included are books on parenting, marriage and
the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
has a Facebook page for parents and family members. Please let Katy or Rhiannon know if you would
like to join this group.
This year we are also
starting a blog for our program http://viewfromtheatrium.blogspot.com. On it you can find
information about the program and updates on what is happening in our
Atria.
Contact Us
Katy & Rhiannon
are always happy to assist you! You can
contact us at: cathedraldre@acsalaska.net, (907) 586-1713
or Katy’s cell (907) 209-1713.
Thank you for entrusting your child to us! We are privileged to be a part of your
family’s spiritual journey.
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