Catechesis of the Good Shepherd 2020-2021

Nativity of Our Lord Parish is excited to again offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children ages 3-5 for the 2020-21 school year. Our official schedule will be released later in the summer as we navigate through the pandemic. 

This year we are excited to welcome Teresa Naughton as our new Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Coordinator for Nativity of Our Lord Parish. Teresa begins July 1, 2020. We have been blessed with the great guidance of Nancy and Paul Barrett who worked tirelessly to establish our Atrium. We are forever grateful! 
 
What is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
CGS is a Montessori based Catholic faith formation program where children can grow in their relationship with God through a deep engagement in Scripture and liturgy.
 
God and the Child
CGS is based on the belief that God and the child are already in relationship. Our work as adults is to provide a place for the child and God to come together and grow.
 
The Atrium and Materials
The atrium is a specially prepared room where children can come to know Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The atrium is prepared with materials that children work with as a way of meditating upon the essentials of our faith found in Scripture and in liturgy. Examples of materials found in the atrium include small wooden figures of Jesus and the disciples used to meditate on the Last Supper; detailed interactive maps of the Land of Israel and the City of Jerusalem to help situate Jesus as a real person in time; Jerusalem Mustard Seeds and beautiful pearls to help ponder the Parables of the Kingdom of God; and a small Baptismal font and Paschal candle used to explore the significance of Baptism.

Classes will meet once a week, please see below for our session offerings. Students in ages 3, 4, and 5 will be mixed in our classes to allow for a variety of class dynamics:

• Tuesday's from 8:15am to 9:45am
• Wednesday's from 8:15am to 9:45am
• Thursday's from 8:15am to 9:45am

Tuition for 2020-2021 will be $120 per child with a $20 discount if registered by June 30th. Payments are accepted via credit card and/or check written to Nativity of Our Lord with a memo of CGS Registration.  Financial Assistance is available - we want Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to be available to any child that is interested! 

Several people have asked about refunds if the pandemic continues and we are not able to hold class. Because we will start to create our supplies over the summer months, $50 of the registration fee is non-refundable. The rest will be refunded in full, or prorated if we need to adapt to unexpected changes. Thank you for your understanding as we all navigate these new norms.