Early Childhood Faith Formation serves families with children in PK3 to Kindergarten.  Using a classroom setting, volunteers teach our youngest parishioners the basic fundamentals of our faith, assisting families in their mission to guide our children as images of God.
 

Do we have your correct email address? Please let us know about any changes to your email address so that we can make certain you receive all the key information about Faith Formation.

 
  Contact:  Jennifer Hardee (Coordinator for PK3, PK4, Kindergarten)

• Pre-Registration: Opens April 23-May 6 - Registration dates for children of adults who sign-up to volunteer as catechists.
• Registration: Opens May 7-May 31 - Registration dates for OLA parishioner families who were enrolled in 2016-2017 classes.
• Open Registration: Begins June 1-August 1 - Registrations open to all parishioners and non-parishioners.
• Please register by August 1 in order to give staff and volunteers adequate time to prepare.  By honoring this date, your considerateness of our time and efficiency is greatly appreciated.
• A minimum of 5 students is necessary to make a class.
• For every class, 2 adult catechists are needed.  All students will be put on a waiting list in the order in which their registration forms were received.  For every 2 cleared adults who commit to teach, the students registered for that day and grade will come off the waiting list.
• Please provide 3 choices.  Every effort will be made to place families together on their first choice.
• Day changes can be made, but there is no guarantee of space since the program fills quickly.

This year all classes begin the week of Sunday, September 10.
 
Class Days and Times
Sunday                             9:30 – 10:30 am
Sunday                           11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Monday                           4:00 – 5:00 pm
Monday                           6:00 – 7:00 pm
 
All classes will be 1 hour. The grades and classes available will be dependent upon two cleared adult volunteers per class and a minimum of 5 students.
 
Our calendar considers the liturgical calendar as well as the school calendars for Allen, Frisco and Plano ISDs.  If two or more school districts have a holiday, classes will be suspended for the week. You can find a copy of the calendar below and on our web site.
 
Grades
Pre K 3                                         Student must turn 3 before September 1, 2017 and be toilet trained
Pre K 4                                         Student must turn 4 before September 1, 2017
Kindergarten – 5^th grades     Student should attend the corresponding grade level in school

Catechist
Catechists are people of faith, sharing their faith with the children of our parish.  There is a team of two people for each class. Some have children in the program; some do not. Some have experience teaching; most do not.  All you need is a willing heart, a desire to pass on our faith and a sense of ministry.  Also needed is a willingness to come for training and meetings, to prepare well, and to nurture the future of the church.  This ministry offers a chance to grow in your own faith and strengthen your sense of belonging to our parish community. We provide clearly written text material with on-going support.  All supplies, including crafts, music, materials, videos, etc. are also provided.  Training includes an introductory workshop and opportunities to attend diocesan workshops with an exciting variety of topics.
 
Substitute Catechist
Catechists are sometimes unavailable to attend due to illness or other obligations.  Every classroom must always have 2 cleared adults.  Substitutes are necessary to avoid class cancellations.  We need at least ten substitutes for each class session.
 
Teen Classroom Aide
An excellent opportunity for teens to become involved in Children’s Faith Formation as invaluable assistants to our catechists.  Our aides assist the catechist with classroom activities by reading stories, helping with projects, etc.   There is a form on our web site for teen volunteers.
 
Nursery
Provide on-site child care for catechists’ children under the age of three during Children’s Faith Formation sessions.
 
Hallway Monitor
Hallway volunteers monitor various locations throughout the building for the safety of our children during our sessions. These volunteers choose their time; parents often help while their child is in class. Whether you are able to volunteer once a month or every week, bring your coffee, newspaper or even your laptop! We welcome your help with this important position.
 
Material Assembly Volunteers
Bi-weekly sessions or a few hours during the day or during your child’s class time as needed. Volunteers help gather and assemble lesson materials for each class.  This is an important part of our ministry and each grade needs a few volunteers. 
 
Vacation Bible School Volunteer
Planning for VBS is a year-long process!  We are always looking for new leaders to help plan the fun materials for each day of VBS.  It is great fellowship and fun whether you are here for just the week of VBS or keep in touch throughout the year.

Our curriculum for Kindergarten through 5^th grade is Christ Our Life which utilizes a spiral curriculum that allows for continuous growth of faith in the students both in scope and depth. With a focus on Scripture, the content blends core beliefs: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer.  Each chapter includes opportunities for prayer, family features to encourage parental involvement, classical and multicultural artwork, Catholic social teaching applications, and activities.  Our Preschool curriculum is Stories of God’s Love and uses songs, games and activities to introduce our youngest to our faith.  
This Catholic religion readiness program is designed to engage children both in the stories of our faith and in real life as it presents the Bible as the source for learning about God and God’s son, Jesus.