“The family’s catechetical activity has a special character, which is in a sense irreplaceable.”
– Pope John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae
Introduction The St. Patrick home-schooling Faith Formation program is for students who also do home-schooling as their regular academic education instead of attending a public or private traditional school. Home-schooling offers families a great alternative to traditional school that fits the needs of their family best. When home-schooling on subjects like math and reading, parents must ensure that their children are meeting the same standards that they would have to meet in a traditional classroom. Similarly, when home-schooling Faith Formation class, it is also necessary to ensure that the students are learning the same information that they would if they were attending the Wednesday or Sunday in-person Faith Formation classes that take place at St. Patrick. As is the case for the parents of in-person students, it is equally true for home-schooling parents that parents have the responsibility of growing and encouraging the faith of their children. Therefore, in addition to ensuring that children are learning the course material, it is also important for parents to encourage a lifetime of faith in their children by
role-modeling such behaviors as a family like attending Mass together, praying together at home and participating in the events of the Liturgical Calendar like Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.
Home-schooling is a choice that families make when it is the best fit for the needs of their family. Thus, Faith Formation home-schooling is not more expensive, more difficult, or more inconvenient than the in-person Faith Formation classes so that families do not feel discouraged or penalized for having home-schooled children. The student textbook and activity book for home-schooling Faith Formation students is the exact same as that for in-person students, so the cost of the books and the content of the learning material is the same.
Communication Parents of home-schooling Faith Formation students will receive the same emails as parents of in-person Faith Formation students, with of course the exception of the emails that are reminders about in-person class dates. Otherwise, home-schooling parents will
receive all the same communication regarding reminders about Sacraments and anything else important that they need to know. As is the case for the parents of in-person students, home-schooling parents also are encouraged to not hesitate to reach out to the Faith Formation
Director with any additional questions that they may have throughout the year.
Readings and Assignments Following the same curriculum as the in-person Faith Formation classes, the home-schooling classes will involve the student receiving the corresponding textbook and activity book for their grade level. The books are from the Faith and Life Series by Ignatius Press and Catholics United for Faith. Home-schooling parents will receive, and are to follow, the curriculum for the school year. This curriculum details which chapter of the books will be covered in class each week. In place of the Catechist, the parent will ensure that the
students have read their required chapter in the textbook each week and that the parent is teaching and discussing the material with the student. Parents will also ensure that the students have completed the activities in the activity book that correspond with that week’s
chapter in the textbook. These activities include things such as, for example, questions to answer based on the reading or a crossword puzzle to solve that uses vocabulary words from the reading. In addition to using the student textbook and activity book to check student
learning progress, there are also 7 unit tests for each grade level. Paper copies of these unit tests will be given to parents at the same time they pick up the textbook and activity book. As a measure of student progress, parents will turn in each unit test to the Faith Formation Director
either through bringing it in to the Parish Office, or if more convenient, photographing or scanning the test and sending it by email to the Faith Formation Director. These unit tests are found in the Catechist Manual, but copies will be provided to parents. This is because the
Catechist Manual costs more than the regular textbook and it is an expense that in-person students do not have, so in the interest of fairness, the home-schooling parents will not have to pay more than other parents do to receive these tests. In place of the Catechist checking
progress in in-person class with the unit tests, the home-schooling parents will instead administer the unit tests and the Faith Formation Director will verify that the tests are being done and that the answers indicate progress in student learning.
Sacramental Preparation For the preparation for Sacraments, home-schooling students will use the same textbooks that in-person students use and will complete the same homework assignments. 2 nd grade students will have the book Signs of Grace: You Are Forgiven for their First Reconciliation preparation. 3 rd grade students will have the book Signs of Grace: You Are Loved for their First Holy Communion preparation. 8 th grade students will have the book Decision Point for their Confirmation preparation. For Sacramental Preparation, certain in-person events will need to be attended. 2 nd grade students will need to attend the two Reconciliation Formation events, as well as the First Reconciliation Sacrament. 3 rd grade students will need to attend the two Communion Formation events, as well as the First Holy
Communion Sacrament. 8 th grade students will need to attend the Confirmation Retreat, as well as the Confirmation Sacrament.