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Enrollment
Religious Education classes are held after school hours for those children not attending Saint James School. The classes are held at the Saint James School facility. Families who are registered members of the Parish may contact the Religious Education Office for an application. Families with children currently enrolled in the Religious Education program receive applications automatically. If enrolling in our program for the first time, please have a copy of your child(ren)'s Baptismal Certificate available to include with the application.
2009-2010 Registration Form: CCD_registration_10-11.pdf
Fees
The book and supply fee is $105.00 per child. For grades 2 and 8 the book, supply and sacramental fee is $135.00. Please submit payment with application form. Check payable to: St. James School of Religion. Requests will be filled in order of registrations received and paid on time. If you are a new family, we cannot process your application form until we have the Baptismal certificate. Note: There is no charge for families where a parent is a St. James School of Religion teacher.
Religious Education Class Information
Religious Education classes follow this weekly schedule:
| Day | Time | Grade |
| Tuesday | 4:00 - 5:15pm | K - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 |
| Tuesday | 7:00 - 8:15pm | 6 & 8 |
| Wednesday | 4:00 - 5:15pm | K - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 |
| Wednesday | 7:00 - 8:15pm | 5 & 7 |
| Thursday | 6:00 - 7:15pm | 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 (limited) |
Religious Education Teachers
Our Religious Education teachers are volunteers from the parish who make a personal commitment to being a catechist for your children. As such, we keep them informed about the Diocese of Metuchen training and workshop sessions available to them. As time allows, we offer the opportunity for them to participate in meetings and workshops here at Saint James.
Our catechists are an integral part of the Saint James Religious Education program. Because our program enrolls more than 1200 students each year, we are indebted to these catechists for taking on the responsibility of helping parents with their faith formation responsibilities. Because of this, we ask parents:
- Who are not serving as a catechist be prepared to volunteer time as needed in other areas of our program,
- Instruct children to treat these volunteers respectfully,
- To assist catechists as needed with class responsibilities.
Parents
Parents of our religious education students are crucial to our program for a number of reasons. First and foremost, faith formation occurs at home. Our job in the religious education program is to assist in that endeavor. As the major example of faith at work, parents should be encouraging regular attendance at Mass by attending themselves and taking children with them.
Secondly, we need and encourage all parents to volunteer in one way or another in our program. Areas to help out include teaching as catechists in the religious education classrooms, assisting catechists, helping with classrooms on an occasional basis, assisting in the parking lot at dismissal, and with other tasks, as needed.
Third, we rely upon our parents of religious education students to make sure that children are reminded of appropriate and respectful behavior when present at religious education classes.
Sacramental Preparation
First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation preparation is taught in regular Religious Education classes. Preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion occurs in grades 1 and grades 2, and preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation occurs in grades 7 and 8. Class attendance is mandatory for the two-year preparation cycle in order to receive the Sacraments at Saint James.
Classroom Assignments
Student class assignments are made from the Religious Education office. We do our very best to take into consideration any particular needs or wants confronting registering families and their children. However, with our enrollment at more than 1200 students, we also try to keep class size as manageable as possible for our volunteer catechists. Changes in class assignment are made in consultation with the Religious Education office.
Students with Special Needs
The Saint James Religious Education program is inclusive of students with special needs. If we are unable to accommodate the needs of students within our program or in special arrangement with parents, the Office of Religious Education of the Diocese of Metuchen offers alternative options.
Class Attendance
In accordance with the Diocese of Metuchen's policy on classroom attendance, "More than 3 unexcused absences [may] be cause for repetition of the current level of education….examples of excused absences might be death in the family, illness, etc. Sports or extracurricular activities do not fall into the category of excused absences."
If a child will be absent from a religious education class, please call our office to let us know. We will alert the teacher regarding the absence.
Behavior
Students attending religious education classes are expected to behave appropriately and respectfully toward catechists and toward school property. For safety purposes, we require no running in hallways, classrooms or stairs; no rough behavior, any gum chewing or abuse of school property. Regarding classroom behavior, we will call home immediately if students are behaving disrespectfully or inappropriately. Regarding disciplinary action, we usually follow this procedure: first incident - teacher will speak with the child; second incident - student is sent to the religious education office if another incident occurs; third incident - we will call you and request your presence in class upon the next incident.
Materials
Students receive textbooks, folders and supplemental materials for their classes. We use the Silver Burdett Ginn curriculum series, "Blessed Are We" program, which builds upon Creed, Sacraments, Commandments and Prayer for each grade level.
Communication
Please contact the religious education office if you have any questions regarding your child's class.
Arrival & Dismissal
We use a specific arrival and dismissal process for our religious education students to keep the large number of children entering and exiting the school parking lot as safe as possible. Please help us with this by following our procedure:
Arrival
Please choose from the following options to facilitate traffic flow:
- Park in the church lot and walk to school via the sidewalk. Enter through the centrally located glass doors.
- Drive into the school lot via Collyer Lane. Please note that traffic entering the lot from the right hand lane has the right of way.
- Please do not park in the upper lot - the one closest to the school entrance - this lot is for dropping off children at the double doors. If you wish to escort your children into the building, please park in the church lot and walk via the sidewalk to the school's double doors.
Dismissal
All children will exit the building into an orange - coned area of the parking lot - the area is on the church side of the parking. Please note that due to the large number of students exiting at one time, we have asked our teachers and volunteers to escort the children from the classrooms to this coned area. Please understand that these volunteers, along with some parents who have volunteered to act as parking lot monitors, will be outside with your children. These volunteers are doing all of us a tremendous favor - please help them out by assuring that you pick up your children in an organized and timely fashion. Also, please impress upon your children that it is their responsibility to stay within the coned areas until they are picked up by you or the person whom you have designated.
Cars entering the parking lot should enter the school lot only from Collyer Lane. The driveway between the church and school parking lots will be closed to car traffic during CCD arrival and dismissal. Cars entering the school lot should form a single line into the parking lot along the side of the coned area, pick up children and exit the lot onto Collyer Lane.
You may park in the church parking lot and walk in for your children, or meet them in the orange-coned area.
Again, please do not park in the upper level parking lot closest to the school. That parking lot is for use by teachers, aides, volunteers who will be arriving early and leaving late, or for designated use of handicapped spaces.
CCD Class Cancellations & Notification
Please note that our schedule follows the schedule of Bernards Township Schools regarding weather-related class closings. We do not have a phone chain for weather related closings. In the event of poor weather, follow the Bernards Twp. School schedule or call our office- 908-766-1227- for our status regarding weather-related closings. If Bernards Township closes or dismisses early due to weather, CCD classes will be cancelled. CCD will be held if Bernards Twp. has a delayed opening.
Additionally, we post any cancellations online at www.cancellations.com under the title of Saint James School of Religion.