Religious Formation K-5 Registration Form

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Religious Formation K-5
Trish Pabis, Coordinator of RF K-5
​Relformation@stmva.org

Vision for Religious Formation K-5:  ​

For the 2020/2021 academic year, the Religious Formation K-5 Program at St. Thomas More Catholic Church will be using a Family Catechetical Model vs the traditional individual grade-level class room format.

The Family Catechetical Model will include monthly in-person gatherings on Sundays from 3 pm until 4:15/4:30 pm.  For those families who prefer to participate from their homes, there will be a "ZOOM-like" component to these once a month gatherings.

The tentative start date will be Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm in More Hall.  A calendar of events will be posted by the end of August once it is finalized.

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Parents have the primary role in educating their children about the Catholic faith.  Catechists provide a supporting role to parents to assist in the children’s religious formation.   At St. Thomas More Catholic Church, the Catechists follow the Catechetical Curriculum set forth by the Richmond Diocese to help supplement the parents’ teachings at home.  It is the Religious Formation’s vision to explore the 6 Key Concepts at an age-appropriate level for each student in a nurturing, faith-filled environment.  The Key Concepts are:
1.    Knowledge of Faith
2.   Liturgical Education
3.   Moral Education
4.   Teaching to pray
5.   Education for Community Life
6.   Missionary Initiation

Registration / Fees for Religious Formation K-5

Registration for Religious Formation K-5 Family Catechetical Model will occur on-line for the 2020/2021 academic year.  Please click on the link at the top of the page to have access to a "fillable PDF" file.  Please fill out the form, save it, and send the file to Trish Pabis, Coordinator of RF K-5, at Relformation@stmva.org.  The fee for the Religious Formation K-5 Family Catechetical Model is $60 per family unit, with a $10 activity fee per participating youth; $100 maximum per family.  No child / youth will be denied Religious Formation based on inability to pay the registration fee.  Scholarships are available.  Please contact Trish Pabis to discuss your situation in confidentiality. Religious Formation Catechists who have children enrolled in the program will have the registration fees waived.  “Adult Helpers” in the classrooms with have the registration fees reduced by 50%.

Ways to volunteer with the Religious Formation K-5 Program

There are several ways to be involved with the RF K-5 Program at St. Thomas More Catholic Church (STM).  You do not need to have children enrolled in the program to volunteer. Please keep in mind, in order to work with children, you will need to have had VIRTUS training as well as a background check.  It is the policy of the Diocese of Richmond that any adult over the age of 18 years who is interested in volunteering and interacting directly with children is required to attend the Protecting God’s Children (PGC) course to become VIRTUS certified.  PGC is a 3 hour course that involves watching a video and having participant discussion.  VIRTUS training is provided in various locations throughout the Diocese of Richmond including STM.  STM has two certified VIRTUS instructors who regularly schedule classes throughout the year at STM.  Please refer to the Diocesan website (www.Richmonddiocese.org) for training dates and locations, or contact Trish Pabis to inquire more about this requirement. A background check must be completed every 5 years.  You will be notified by Coordinator of Religious Formation K-5 whenever your background check has expired and needs to be renewed. STM will cover the costs associated with the background checks.
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Volunteer Opportunities for VIRTUS trained adults

Volunteer Opportunities for Non-VIRTUS trained adults:   ​

This year as we utilize a Family Catechetical Model for RF K-5, the role of a Catechist will include any of the following:

• Being a coach/mentor to another family at STM
• Assisting with creating and organizing content for the family gatherings
• Creating content for the "Take-Home" Packets
• Being familiar with the monthly lesson/presentation to assist as needed
• Presenting materials during the monthly meetings
• "Roaming Catechist" - available to coach parents during family sharing moments or assist with any questions regarding the activities

Adult Helpers are also part of the "Catechetical Team" and can take on roles such as:

• Assisting with prepping the materials (gathering materials, organizing, placing materials into pre-packaged containers) 
• Creating slide shows for the ZOOM presentations
• Assisting with set-up  / clean-up prior to and after the gatherings
• Greeting families as part of the "welcome crew" as families arrive to the event

There is also a need for adults to participate on the First Reconciliation / Eucharist Retreat team by:

• Helping with the Welcoming Table
• Assisting with set-up and/or clean-up 
• Being a craft helper 
• Sharing acting skills for a skit
• Presenting a lesson / topic 

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Craft Assistant:  Work with the Catechist to prep crafts / activities prior to class.  This position is an at home position where you do not have direct contact with any youth.
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