5th GRADE

In grades 1-4 our children have grown in love and knowledge of Christ principally through the love and guidance of parents supported by our Faith Formation program. In grade 5 we shift to a peer oriented and Catechist led teaching model. While the family remains always first and foremost, learners at this age begin to want and need more discussion with peers and are ready to ask and deserve good answers to the classic hard questions of the faith.

The disciples are at a crossroads between childhood and teen years. It is a great time in their lives to explore the fabulous stories about the lives of the saints, as many children this age are beginning to ask, "who do I want to be like?" This is also a crucial year to review and solidify the basics that were covered in grades 1-4 so they will be ready to build upon this understanding with the more sophisticated topics covered in grades 6 & 7.

Our objectives include:

• Discovering the exciting and inspiring stories of some of our most beloved saints.
• Understanding what a sacrament does and specifically how each sacrament helps us to become saints.
• Understanding the hierarchy of the Church and the importance of family.
• Knowing the Precepts of the Faith
• Understanding the gift of the Rosary and the importance of prayer.

6th GRADE

6th graders study Salvation History. The teens really enjoy reading Biblical stories from which they come to understand that from the beginning of Genesis and throughout the Old Testament the Lord built up his people through a series of covenants. These covenants are made complete and fulfilled in Jesus Christ who is the new and everlasting covenant.

Our objectives include

• coming to greater understanding that God, our creator, loves us, keeps his promises to us and has revealed this to us in scripture
• become proficient at finding verses in the Bible and develop greater understanding of its many books and genres
• understand that our faith is biblically based
• understand that the Bible is God's word and is always available to us to help us grow closer to God
• are actively engaged in learning about their faith and encouraged to see faith formation as a lifelong journey.

Along with teacher developed lessons and direct reading of Old Testament Biblical stories we use this excellent video series from Ascension Press.

7th Grade

Family Faith Formation in Grades 1-4 created a firm foundation upon which the 5th and 6th grade years were able to build. Now the teens are ready to explore who it is that God has created them to be and how God might be calling them to be active members of the Catholic Church. This is vital for every Catholic to discern and continue to reflect upon throughout life. It is not a task that one can accomplish without God's assistance and this assistance will be given in greater abundance at Confirmation which will be received this year in Grade 7.

The following foundational topics are addressed:

• Faith in Action (Service commitment)
• Holy Spirit (gifts and fruits received during Confirmation)
• Development of a Personal Spiritual Life
• Development of Moral Thinking and Decision Making
• Social Justice
• Role of Confirmed Catholics in the Church