Religious Education

 

Welcome to St. Joan of Arc Religious Education!  Our mission is to help parents share the Catholic faith with their children.  We hope to bring these young people to a deeper relationship with God from the teachings and love of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

General Program Resources

St. Joan of Arc Family Survey – St. Joan of Arc is taking part in a national project designed to help parishes learn how to serve and support parents as they raise their children in the Catholic faith. The input of parents is crucial to our ability to shape our programs so that they meet the needs of modern families. We ask that you complete this brief survey, which will be of great assistance to us for this purpose.

Family Handbook – Click this link for our handbook for 2024-2025. This handbook covers topics such as options offered this year, attendance policies, arrival and dismissal, etc.

Calendar for 2024-2025: Please click here to access.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures for 2024-2025: Please click here for details of our procedures.

Approved Adult Pick-Up Form for 1st through 3rd graders: If you have a child in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade and want to designate another adult as an approved person to pick up your child, please fill out this form. Any new names should be added to the pick-up list for your child by 4 pm on the class day.

Absences: Children in weekly class should have no more than 3 absences for the year, and all absences must be reported to the office (856-983-7575 or rem@stjoans.org). If your child is absent, you can also see our teaching guides below so he or she can make up some of the content for the next week.

Tuition Payment: If your child is registered in our program for this year, and you still need to submit tuition, you can do so at this link. After payment is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from info@parishgiving.org. If you are unsure if you paid yet, please be sure to check for that email, or contact us at rem@stjoans.org. *Please do not submit payment unless your child is registered with us and you have received confirmation of registration in some form from our office.*

Teaching Guides, 2024-2025: Please refer to these if your child misses class and needs to make up content before the next class. For grades 1st through 6th, the chapter review should be completed and brought to the next class. For 7th and 8th grades, the catechist should be consulted regarding make-up work.

– 1st Grade Guide
– 2nd Grade Guide
– 3rd Grade Guide
– 4th Grade Guide
– 5th Grade Guide
– 6th Grade Guide
– 7th Grade Guide
– 8th grade Guide

Religious Education Options, 2024-2025
(Scroll down for tuition information)

For families who wish to transfer into our Religious Education Program: All families with children in our program must be registered parishioners of St. Joan of Arc; the parish registration form can be found here. Families who are new to our program this year should read through the options below, and contact our Office (856-983-7575 or rem@stjoans.org) to begin the registration process. Please note the following:

  • If your child is in 2nd grade or above and you are transferring from another, we will need religious education records from any prior parish programs attended before moving forward with registration. Registrations for children transferring into our program will only be processed once we have received these records.

Registration for returning families: If your child completed his or her Religious Education year for 2024-2025 with St. Joan of Arc, you can register at this link (late registration link). *This link is only for returning families; if your child did not attend our program in 2024-2025, please see the instructions above. Families whose children have attended our program in the past but did not attend in 2024-2025 are considered new families, and must contact the office prior to registration as well.

Tuition Payment **Do not pay tuition until you have registered your child**: For returning families who have already registered their child/ren but not yet submitted tuition, you can find the link here.

Summer Program – Grades 1st through 8th: 

Our Summer Program ran from June 24-June 28 and July 8-July 12. Dates for the 2025-2026 Summer Program will be communicated to current St. Joan of Arc Religious Education families later in the year.

Fall Program Options

Weekly/Traditional Program – Grades 1st through 8th:

Mondays, 5:15 pm – 6:30 pm, Grades 1st – 8th

Tuesdays, 5:15 pm – 6:30 pm, Grades 1st – 8th

Details: Children attend classes on Mondays or Tuesdays; you can indicate which day you prefer at the time of registration. We do our best to fulfill the family’s first choice of class days.

Family Program for 1st Grade:

Four Sundays during the course of the year, between October and April (schedule TBD), 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Details: 1st graders and at least one parent will meet in Pedata Hall on designated Sundays from 11:30-12:30 for a presentation on one of the units in the text, and a related craft/activity. Children/parents attending the Family Program are also required to participate in four parish events** during the year, and are given multiple options to choose from. This is in line with Diocesan requirements.

Special Disciples – For children with special needs (registration requires approval from the RE Office):

Approximately two Sundays per month, between October and April; classes are from 9:00 am –  10:00 am. 

Details: Special Disciples is for children with special needs in grades 1st through 8th. Children in Sacramental years in Special Disciples receive Sacramental prep as well. *Parents who wish to register a new student for Special Disciples should contact the Religious Education Office before registering (if you have a returning student for Special Disciples, you do not need to contact the office).

Homestudy – Grades 3rd-6th grades only (we do not offer homestudy for 1st, 2nd, 7th or 8th grades):

Details: Parents and children work together at home through the text according to a syllabus provided by the RE Office. Children in the Home study option are also required to participate in four parish events** during the year, and are given multiple options to choose from. This is in line with Diocesan requirements.

OCIA Tweens/Teens – For children who have missed significant prior Religious Education (registration requires approval from the RE Office):

Classes are weekly, typically on Monday evening at 7 pm for Tweens, and for Teens, on alternate Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm, and alternate Sundays, time to be determined according to the Mass schedule.

Details:  These classes are for children who have missed multiple years of Religious Education, and require foundational catechesis as well as Sacramental preparation.  OCIA Tweens is for children in grades 3rd-6th, OCIA Teens is for children in grades 7th-8th and early high school. Due to the intensive nature of this option, children must attend each class during the year and complete all requirements.

**Parish Events – Examples of parish events include Stations of the Cross, the Christmas Carol Festival at St. Joan’s, monthly movie nights, KidsLit during Masses, etc. Options are posted on our website and added to during the year. (Most events are one and a half hours or less.)

Tuition Information for 2024-2025

*Note regarding Sacramental years –  There is a $25 fee, in addition to regular tuition, for 2nd and 8th grade students to help offset additional costs related to Sacramental preparation/celebration. These include costs for Sacrament retreats, Confirmation gowns for Confirmandi, etc.

For weekly/traditional/home study/family program/Special Disciples/OCIA Tweens and Teens:

$125 per child, $150 for two children, $175 for three children

For summer program:

$150 per child flat rate (i.e., no discounts) to cover regular costs of the program, as well as stipends for each catechist.  We will also need to stipend a nurse to be in the school, again due to the length of the day and the number of children we anticipate in the program. In addition, we stipend a music teacher to work with the children each morning.

Homestudy Guides for Grades 3rd through 6th – Coming Soon

Family Life Worksheets

Each worksheet for grades 1st through 8th can be found at this link.

Online Resources for Parents

Ascension Presents YouTube Channel – a catalog of videos explain very common or difficult questions about the faith

Word on Fire with Bishop Barron – Bishop Barron explains various teachings of the Church, especially as they relate to modern questions

BustedHalo.com – Busted Halo “ is a unique media resource that utilizes a relevant and accessible voice to help people understand the Catholic faith, put it into practice in their everyday lives, and share it with others.”  Very practical and explains Catholic teaching in a down-to-earth way.

CatholicsComeHome.org – Great resource for anyone who has been away from the Church and is coming back or considering returning.