Friday, August 28, 2009

Introductory Letter To Parents



It is a great idea to take the opportunity to introduce yourself by welcoming the child and the parents in a letter the first day of CCD/Sunday School. It provides the parents with information of what is expected in the classroom and what the children will be doing during the year. It can also inform parents of the expectations and rules of the class that will help in making the classroom productive, creative, and enjoyable year for all (this can be a separate page that parents must sign and return to you). Teachers can also ask if parents are interested in volunteering and for any information that can help aid them in better understanding their child and their needs.


Here is my letter to parents:



Dear Parents,

Welcome to 1st Grade CCD! I am pleased to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and to welcome your child to my class. This is my 16th year teaching first grade CCD at __________ and it is going to be a fun filled and educational year that your child will enjoy and want to participate in.

During the year, your child will study the parts of the Mass. They will learn the roles of the priest, the other liturgical ministers, and the community as well as the responses of all the other rituals and actions that take place during the liturgy. They will also learn some of the items used at Mass and how to behave properly during Mass.

Each week your child will study various Bible stories from Creation to Pentecost. The program also consists of the Catholic beliefs, sacred tradition, and most importantly, your child’s faith and how it relates to their life. Every Sunday your child will be given a Take Home Sheet for you to go over with them to help reinforce what they have just learned. Please help your child fill this out and bring back to class the following week. Students that complete their homework and bring it back to class will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Homeworkopoly is a board game and it is a fun way to encourage students to do their homework and turn it in on time. If the student does not have their homework finished, they do not get their chance to roll the dice and move for the day. Throughout the year, week by week we keep the game going. By starting at the beginning of the year everyone gets into it and by the end of the year everyone is doing their homework regularly. Your child will also make mini story books and/or story wheels in class. Please have your child read to you (or you read to them) the mini book and/or story wheel for homework.

First grade students will be given 5 prayers (Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals, Glory Be, Hail Mary, and Our Father) to do by May 2014. Each prayer the student completes, they will be able to pick a prize from the prize bag. We will also have 4 take home tests during the year. Parents will need to help their child study, fill out the test, and return it to class. Students that bring back their completed test will be able to play Homeworkopoly. Attendance in class is needed to fully understand and do well on all tests.

Throughout the year, we will be doing crafts, games, and activities to emphasize Bible stories and the Catholic Church. These activities make the Bible stories and aspects of the Catholic Church more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun.

Again welcome! Please feel free to contact me about any questions or concerns you may have. Any information that you can provide that can help aid me in better understanding your child and their needs is greatly appreciated. My classroom door is always open or you can leave a message with the DRE to which I will respond to as soon as possible.

*Feel free to come and join our classroom at any time. We love to have visitors and help of any kind.


Sincerely,

Name
Phone Number
E-mail



9 comments:

Rach said...

Thank you so much for this blog! I am a stay at-home mom and a former teacher. I am teaching 3rd grade CCD for the first time this year, and your blog is a huge help! I'm looking forward to following.

Amazing Grace said...

Rach-
Thank you for your kind words about my blog. I try to post things that others would find useful.

Why don't you post what you will be doing with your students on your blog. We would love to see what you do in your classroom. :)

Rach said...

Thank you for your encouragement Amazing Grace! I have thought about writing a blog as I navigate my first year teaching CCD, so if I start, I'll be sure to send the info.

I keep returning to your blog. I love it! I appreciate the time you've taken to provide other teachers with helpful and wonderful resources. I can tell that we are very similar in how we like to run our classrooms, so that is why I love this!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Amazing Grace said...

Rach-
I know you will do well teaching CCD. I am constantly learning and making mistakes. This past week we made the Sign of the Cross necklaces in class, but it did not go off well. I doubt if I will try this again. LOL!

Kim, USA said...

Though we started three weeks ago for our Religious Education class, I still do like to send a letter to the parents to let them know who I am and what I expect/help them to do for their kids. I am teaching 3rd graders at our parish. Thanks for letting us download the activities for the kids. I just downloaded the game about Holy Spirit. Thank you and of course will be back soon! Happy weekend and God bless!

Kim,USA

MI TUITIONS said...

hai iam a catechism teacher in india kerala as malaylam as my medium so my english is not well.
but your blog and ideas are amazing
i have 7 years of experiance in teaching and i am also a tutor.

thanks for your blog

Amazing_Grace said...

sunny Thomas ct- Thank you! I am so glad that the activities help your students!!! :)

Catholic Doctrines said...

Thank you for this great info.
I have got an idea of what to do.

Unknown said...

Thank you for your blog. This is my first year teaching PREP school. I am learning from your tools.