Cathechism Church School
Curriculum & Teachers
 

CURRICULUM

Pre -K  (3 & 4 year olds)  -  Reaching for Jesus
A pictorial introduction to Christ, with large drawings for coloring and easy text that reinforces prayer, the observance of feast days, and the love of Jesus.

Kindergarten  -  Happy With God 
God’s love is the source of JOY, the main theme of this program.  Aspects of worship and stories from scripture highlight specific examples of and reasons for joy centered on Christ.  What We See and Do in Church - Introduces Kindergarteners to basic Church teachings, events in the liturgical calendar, Bible stories, and hymns.  Each lesson has a brief text and an illustration for coloring.

First Grade  -  Me and My World 
The focus of this program is on creation as God’s gift.  In discovering the world, the student understands that family, friends, and all things come from God.  Through depictions of the daily experiences of God’s world, students come to realize that God is real, loving, and caring.  Faith is awakened and is expressed through prayer, worship, services to others, and thanksgiving.

Second Grade  -  Loving God
This program concentrates on the theme of loving God.  Through the example of men and women of the Bible, and of the Saints, students begin to understand the concepts of right, wrong, and forgiveness in the light of God’s love.  They also learn the importance not only of loving God unconditionally, but also of respecting other people, of taking care of God’s environment, and doing good in His Name.

Third Grade  -  Sharing God’s World 
As the student grows in understanding, the emphasis shifts to sharing, based on the life of the Church.  In this program, students learn about sharing through the examples of Jesus.  They will be inspired and encouraged to observe these same examples in the Divine Liturgy, the Sacraments, and other Services of the Church.

Fourth Grade  -  Growing With God 
This program is devoted to helping students learn to use and appreciate the Bible.  It also introduces examples of living the sacramental life.  The Creed is also studied in this grade.

Fifth & Sixth Grades  -  Elements of Faith, Introducing the Orthodox Church, Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, Parables of Our Lord, Lives of the Saints, and Come Receive the Light
Students are given lessons about the specific parts of the Divine Liturgy and what they mean, the various parts of the priest’s garments and what they represent, the different sacraments the Orthodox Christians follow, the feast days and their meaning, as well as issues confronting young teens.  There is no one text book given to students but they have a loose-leaf binder for information given to them. 

Seventh & Eighth Grades  -  Sacraments of the Orthodox Church
Baptism, Christmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Holy Unction, Marriage, and Ordination, the Seven Sacraments of our Church are described and explained, bringing into focus their importance and impact on our lives.  Students learn that the Sacraments are not simply ceremonies, but truly holy experiences that transform us and lead us to a spiritual and fulfilling daily life. 
                 Teenage Ten Commandments - Brief review of the Old Testament.  Then each chapter is devoted to one of the Ten Commandments and their relevance for our times.

Ninth through Twelfth Grades  -  History of the Orthodox Church
A review of Church History from Pentecost to the present, to give students a good base of knowledge about the Church.  Students will then be prepared to understand and explain the meaning of the Liturgy and other services of our Church to people not raised in the Orthodox faith.

Altar Boys
Boys will learn about the meaning of the Divine Liturgy and other services of the church by a combination of participation and instruction.  Instruction about the Sacraments, the Saints, the gospel readings and other events related to the services of the church will be provided as appropriate.