Prepare for Opening Day
This podcast is loaded with important information about what you and your child can expect this year, and what’s expected of them.
Here's what you need to know as we approach opening day.
Hello and welcome to the Faith Formation program at Our Lady of the Snows Parish! Thank you for registering your child in our program. It's going to be a fantastic year, and I wanted to bring you up to speed on where we are and where we're going as we get closer to opening day.
Opening Day
Opening day is September 20th. We'll begin with Mass at 9:30, and afterward, we'll proceed down to BCH Hall for a brief orientation. I'll be available to take questions after that orientation.
Email/Text
please ensure that these emails make it to your inbox and not a spam folder. If you found this in your spam folder, or if you're a Gmail user and it wound up in the promotions tab, please move it to your inbox so that future emails pass through without a hitch. I also send out text messages whenever I send an email, so that you're sure to be alerted to it.Please do not opt out of the text messages (Don't reply "Stop") Becausethe text message system is a critical part of how my office keeps in contact with you and keeps you informed. We will never share your information or use it for any frivolous purposes.
When you respond to those texts or emails, they get sent to the office's email (not to a phone), so please be patient as we may not see your response right away.
Payment
The program is $85. You'll receive an invoice in your inbox next week and can make payment by check at that time. You can bring it to the orientation on the 20th, or drop it off at the Parish office. Checks should be made payable to Our Lady of the Snows, with your child's name, and "Faith Formation" or "FF" in the memo field.
Weekly Coursework
Students will do their weekly coursework on a smartphone, tablet, or computer/laptop. There is no set day or time for when they do their chapter work. They can do their work on a day/time that works for your family's schedule. Instructions for where to log in, as well as username/password will be sent in another email next week.
We will be issuing books this year, in addition to the online digital copies. This could be helpful particularly for students in the lower grades. The chapter activities and quizzes will be completed on the website.
Monthly Meetings
As part of our hybrid program, we schedule in-person sessions once a month here at OLS. The calendar will be sent to you soon, I'm just waiting to finalize a few things. The meetings follow the 9:30 mass, and run for about an hour
Parent Meetings
Occasionally, there will be meetings scheduled with parents, especially if you have children who will be receiving a sacrament this year. Those meetings are conducted over Zoom, and you won't have to come into the parish to attend. If you aren't able to make a scheduled parent meeting, they will be recorded and available for playback, but I obviously won't be available for questions if you're watching the on-demand playback. Do try to make those meetings when they are scheduled.
Following the Church's call to find new and effective ways to evangelize and educate both children and—where possible—Catholic families, we have worked very hard to modernize the Faith Formation program and to make it easier on families while still providing a substantial, high level of education for the students. We'll be doing some new and exciting things this year (some of them, a first in the Diocese!) that you will be an important part of as the parents of these young disciples you have registered for our program
Next week, I'll send out another email or two with a short welcome podcast that will fill you in on some more detail, as well as the calendar and an invoice. I'm looking forward to working with you and your family.
God bless and be with your families!
In Christ
Tim Haines
Coordinator of Faith Formation