Sacred Heart offers catechesis for children from Preschool (ages 3-5) through 8th grade. Our catechists and students share and grow in faith as they journey together.Our primary text for grades 1-8 is Faith First, from RCL. Our focus is to help our children grow each year in the four areas of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: We Believe (Creed) We Worship (Liturgy & Sacraments) How We Live (Morality) We Pray (Prayer) The Religious Education Offices are located in the Michigan Avenue school building. For more information on any program please submit an Information Request, or call : (313) 565-1020 x120. Teaching Staff We have a dedicated teaching staff at Sacred Heart School and volunteers for our evening & week end programs who are trained as catechists and who help lead our children in learning and experiencing the Catholic faith. Their involvement and commitment to Religious Education is truly an inspiration. We welcome the involvement of parents in all of our programs. Pre-School In the Preschool Program, the basic concepts of our relationships with God and the world are explored. Through Scripture, stories, videos, songs, and crafts, catechists introduce our youngest Catholics to an experience of their faith. These sessions are held weekly on Sunday mornings during the 10:30 Mass. Liturgy of the Word Each Sunday during the 10:30 mass children in grades 1 through 5 are offered the opportunity to hear the Liturgy of the Word at their level. Children come to Mass with their families, and are invited to join an adult Catechist after the opening prayer in the parish hall for the Children's Liturgy of the Word. Children return at the Preparation of the Gifts to complete celebratio of the Mass with their families. No registration is required. Elementary School Beginning with Grade 1 through 5th grade, the children experience God on a deeper level. We use texts that approach religious education from a spiraling format. At each grade level, children will engage in lessons relating to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church-Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer-thereby allowing them to build on their beliefs from year to year. These sessions are held weekly on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Vacation Bible School Each July we sponsor a Catholic Vacation Bible School program for 1 week with daily sessions from 9:00 am to Noon. This i sopen to both preschool children (3-5 years) as well as 1st - 5th graders. MIddle school students are important participants also, as helpers in various areas. The program includes Bible stories, craft activities, music, games and dining. Parental involvement is always welcome! Summer Religious Education Program We recognize that schedule issues sometimes make participation in our weekly Religious Education Programs difficult. For those who prefer, we offer a daytime summer religious education program. Classes are held from 8:45am to 12:15pm. Monday through Friday during the last two weeks of June. Families participating in this program also make a commitment to four ongoing faith formation activities, such as our Generations of Faith Programs, during the school year. Contact the Religious Education Office for information on this program. Middle School Students Our Middle School Program (grades 6-8) allows the students to experience and engage in their faith through a Youth Ministry-based model including group learning and sharing, various prayer experiences, discipleship and service opportunities, social justice experiences, retreats, and hands-on creative projects relating to their lessons. These sessions are on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We also offer additional activities for this age group. Check out the J.A.M.S. (Jesus and Middle School Students) Program. Family Ministry/Generations of Faith In addition to regular class sessions, we also sponsor Family Ministry " Generations of Faith" sessions throughout the year focusing on specific aspects of the Catholic faith, such as Prayer, All Saints, Angels, Advent and Lent, Holy Trinity to name a few. The sessions provide an opportunity for parent and child (along with other family members/friends of all ages) to learn together, and may include a meal, story, music, video and crafts.