BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH
152 W. 71 STREET; NEW YORK, NY 10023
212-877-3111

MAY 16, 2019
Dear Parents,             
We had a great year of Sunday Religious Education classes thanks to you, your 240 children and our very generous volunteers: 20 classroom Catechists, 8 Youth Assistants, 3 door/hall monitors, and several Substitute Catechists.  
 
Sunday Religious Education Classes will begin again on September 8.  Registration deadline is August 1!  We will have to put late registrations on a waiting list.  SO….PLEASE REGISTER NOW!! 
LATE REGISTRATIONS AND INCOMPLETE FORMS DELAY THE UPDATE OF THE DATABASE, THE CLASS LISTS, SENDING CLASS PLACEMENT NOTICES, AND ADDING ADDITIONAL CLASSES AND CATECHISTS IF NEEDED. 
 
The Sunday Religious Education Fee is $150 per family. Please mail or drop off at the rectory the completed registration forms and a check (payable to Blessed Sacrament Church).  DO NOT EMAIL THE COMPLETED FORMS BACK TO ME.  You will receive an email before the start of classes with your child’s class, name of Catechist, and additional instructions. No other acknowledgement or receipt of registration will be sent.
Children attend, with their parents, the Family Mass at 10:00 a.m.Class instruction is held in the school immediately after Mass. Please note our dismissal times as the Archdiocese requires us to have 90 minutes of class time for Grades 1-8: Pre-K dismissal is at 12:10; dismissal for Kindergarten is at 12:20 p.m., 12:30 for Basic A through Intermediate 3 classes. Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation classes dismiss at 12:35. Children must be picked up promptly at dismissal.  A child not picked up promptly will require his/her parent to remain at the school during class time for subsequent weeks. NO STUDENT WILL BE DISMISSED EARLY WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE FROM A PARENT AND THE STUDENT MUST BE PICKED UP FROM THE CLASSROOM BY A PARENT. This is for the safety of your child.
  
PLEASE NOTE:
·      REGISTER YOUR CHILD NOW WHILE THE FORM IS IN YOUR HANDS!
Most classes were filled this past year (or overfilled).  While I will make every effort to accommodate everyone (perhaps by adding a second class), I can do that only if you register on time. Registration will take place until August 1.  Late registrations will be placed on a waiting list and accepted only until August 19. Registration will be totally closed August 20-September 8 and will reopen on Monday September 9 for unfilled classes. No registration forms will be accepted between August 20 and September 9.
 
·      YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. 
·      YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN CLASS ON THE FIRST DAY IF S/HE IS NOT REGISTERED.
·      NEW REGISTRATIONS MUST INCLUDE A COPY OF YOUR CHILD’S BAPTISM CERTIFICATE. RETURNING REGISTRATIONS MUST HAVE THE CERTIFICATE ON FILE IN THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE. 
Please COMPLETELY AND LEGIBILY fill out the registration forms. INCOMPLETE AND HARD TO READ FORMS HOLD UP YOUR CHILD’S REGISTRATION AND IMPEED THE COMPLETION OF CLASS LISTS.  If you are registering your child for the first time, also fill out the media release form. The emergency contact person should NOT BE THE CHILD’S PARENT. In the event of an emergency, this is the person we will call if the child’s parents cannot be reached.
 
THE ARCHDIOCESE HAS PROVIDED US WITH A PARENT HANDBOOK WHICH IS ATTACHED.
IF YOU WISH YOUR CHILD TO TAKE PART IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION YOU MUST READ IT AND AGREE TO ITS PROVISIONS BY SIGNING THE FORM AND RETURNING IT WITH THE REGISTRATION.
Also note the following: 
-Registration in our Sunday School program is a commitment to a program of study and a process of faith formation. Students are expected to attend class and complete class assignments. If a student must miss class, please speak with the Catechist to make arrangements for the missed class. Students must satisfactorily complete a grade level before moving on to the next grade level.
-Class Parent Meeting: On September 22, there will be a parent meeting after the Family Mass in your child’s classroom with the Catechist. At this time you will have an opportunity to get an overview of the curriculum and Sacrament requirements for Reconciliation, Communion and Confirmation.  It is important that you attend this meeting.
- Sacrament Parent Meetingfor the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation will take place on October 17 at 6:30pm in the Church. Please see the calendar for additional Sacrament meeting dates 
-It takes many volunteers to run a successful Religious Education Program.
  We need your help in the following ways:
- Catechists
-Substitute Catechists for each class
- Team members (at school door and in the building) If we have several more people for this ministry we would be able to dismiss some classes by the west stairwell. Pease consider this!
All our Catechists and Assistants are volunteers with family and professional obligations. They generously give their time each week to teach and supervise your children. With our growing number of students, we need your help. All who work with children follow a simple screening process according to the Archdiocesan guidelines and attend a training session here at our Parish. Please contact me if you can volunteer. 
 
This program could not continue to be a success without the many people who give their time and energy to provide instruction for your children and assistance in the program organization.  I am thankful for the dedication of our Catechists and Assistants in carrying out this important work. 
You are the first educators of your child. Our hope is, that thought our partnership, we can assist you in the Religious Education of your child.
 
 MANY BLESSINGS,
Tina Silvestro
Director of Religious Education