Faith Development Kindergarten Religion Overlaps with Social Studies, Language Arts, and Science Beginning with ourselves, family, friends, and school God made us, He loves us How special and unique we are Sharing and respecting - WWJD Exploring and discussing God's world (includes a unit on our five senses, and culminates with a field trip to the Children's Museum) Helping others showing love and making good choices Being with God and being like God Praising God God's storybook - learning about Jesus when he was a child Prayer buddy activities Masses and prayer services First Grade Religion The first graders learn that God made us special and loves each of us. We use a workbook to help lead our discussions. Religion class is a very oral class with lots of prayer readings, parable discussions and acting out of various Bible stories. Students are orally tested on The Lord's Prayer, The Hail Mary, and The Glory Be. Students attend Mass twice a month, once for an all-school Mass and once for a kindergarten through second grade Mass.

Our Curriculums Faith Development Primary    Kindergarten    First Grade    Second Grade Intermediate    Third Grade    Fourth Grade    Fifth Grade Middle School Specialists' Curriculum    Spanish    Music    Physical Education    Elementary Science    Computer Technology

Areas of study include the following:

• God made us and loves us
• God's world is a gift to us, God gave us each special gifts
• Caring for God's creation, using our gifts
• The Holy Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Family is Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
• Jesus told stories or parables to teach about God's love
• The Bible is God's written word
• The Great Commandment is one of God's Laws, you are to love God above all else and love others as you love yourself
• Prayer is talking and listening to God, Jesus taught us the Lord's Prayer
• Mary said yes to God, we can say yes to God
• The Holy Spirit helps us
• Saints are friends of God who can show us how to live
• Jesus' words and actions teach us how to love and serve God
• The Ten Commandments are God's laws to help people make good choices
• God always forgives those who are truly sorry and want to do better
• Jesus died and rose to new life
• Baptism is your welcome into the Church family
• At Mass the Church family celebrates God's love
• Heaven is being happy with God forever
• Justice, peace, and love are signs of God's Kingdom

Second Grade Religion

Students are encouraged to share and ask questions during daily discussions. There are activity sheets as well as an assessment with each weekly chapter. We plan and attend K-2 Masses, All-School Masses, Prayer Services, and Monthly Prayer Buddy activities.

Children in grade two, and older, are invited to participate in preparation for First Eucharist. Because sacraments are prepared for, and celebrated, within the faith community, sacramental preparation is done as a parish activity. Classroom teachers support the parish program, but do not do the actual instruction. School and faith formation children, and their parents, participate in group preparation sessions and a retreat for families. The purpose of these sessions is to help participants attain a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Eucharist in their lives. In addition, a preparation book is provided for families to complete at home. For more information, please check out the Parish Faith Formation page.

Third Grade Religion

Our religion class is developed around our textbook, which is deeply rooted in scripture and church teaching. We implement the teachings of Jesus throughout the entire day. The children reflect on the lessons individually in their religion journals.

Religion Values Emphasized:

• Revelation
• Trinity
• Jesus Christ
• Morality
• Sacraments
• Kingdom of God

Fourth Grade Religion

In fourth grade, students learn to develop an understanding of God's gifts to our world. They learn that Jesus came to teach us about God and share himself with us. Students begin to understand how the decisions they make each day can be guided by scripture and the teachings of the church. Opportunities are given for students and families to help others in their community. We feel it is important to expose students to different prayer experiences. Finally, our hope is to teach understanding and appreciation of the sacraments as well as seasons in the church year.

Areas of Study:

• Creation
• Commandments
• Beatitudes
• Corporal Works of Mercy
• Sacraments
• Scripture
• Vocations
• Saints
• Holy Days, and Seasons in the Church
• Prayer, the Rosary
• Family Life Program

Children in grade four, and older, are invited to participate in preparation for First Reconciliation. Because sacraments are prepared for, and celebrated, within the faith community, sacramental preparation is done as a parish activity. Classroom teachers support the parish program, but do not do the actual instruction. School and faith formation children, and their parents, participate in group preparation sessions and a retreat for families. The purpose of these sessions is to help participants attain a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the importance of healing relationships. In addition, a preparation book is provided for families to complete at home. For more information, please check out the Parish Faith Formation page.

Fifth Grade Religion

Our Religion Curriculum focuses on Church Tradition. Scripture, Church Doctrine, Saints, and cultural customs are intertwined in each lesson. Students participate in one grade-level mass, as well as one all-school mass each month. Students are given a "Prayer Buddy" each year to sit with at Mass and celebrate other activities with. Fifth Graders are paired with younger children for buddies. St. Pascal's School also is involved with community service projects. Our Social Justice committee meets to decide where our efforts are most needed. Neighborhood leaf raking, mitten collections, and food drives are a few of our most recent school-wide projects.

Middle School Religion

The Religion curriculum at St. Pascal Baylon Catholic School is based on the Scriptures, teachings, and documents of the Catholic Church. Sixth Grade Religion focuses on the Old Testament, especially the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. Major topics include the following: Creation and the Fall of Humankind; the stories of Abraham and the other Patriarchs; Moses and the Exodus, with particular attention paid to the Ten Commandments and their continuing role as God's law for His people; and the Prophets and their role in God's saving plan. Seventh Grade Religion focuses on the person of Jesus and the images of him which are presented in the Gospels. Each of the four Gospels is studied and compared with the other three. The writings of Paul and the other leaders of the early Church are also studied. In eighth grade, the focus is on Church History and the Sacraments. Students will learn about the important people and events in the history of the Catholic Church, with a special focus on the development of the Sacraments through the Church's history.