The Catechists are registered members of St. Barnabas Parish who have volunteered their time and talents to help in the religious education of the children of the parish. They are enthusiastic and dedicated to the work of the Church. (New teachers and workers are always needed. Should you wish to be a teacher, aide, etc., please call the office). 

CATECHIST REQUIREMENTS:

• All our catechists are faith-filled volunteers who combine a love of the Church, God and children and a desire to serve in order to witness God's love to the world.
• Our teachers (catechists) and all volunteers who work with children, are required to obtain a Criminal Background check including fingerprinting and have it on record in the office of the pastor.
• Our teachers (catechists) and all volunteers must attend a Virtus Child Abuse awareness session and register on Virtus.org.
• A Catechist must be 18 years old (16 with adult supervision)
• Catechist training and Diocesan Certification will be offered both through the Diocese and online learning.

GENERAL POLICIES

ST. BARNABAS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

  The mission of every Religious Education Program is to build a relationship with our families and help them form their children into full active participating members of the Catholic Church. We strive to work with our families to create a program that is accessible, with staff and volunteers who are approachable and supportive. To that end we have developed general policies, in order to help our program run smoothly, and advise our families what we offer, and what we ask of them.

    We appreciate the awesome trust you show us, sharing your children with us. We are grateful for the relationships we share with our families. Always remember that, if any family situation arises that impacts your participation in the program, we are here to listen, dialogue, and do the best we can to accommodate your needs.

REGISTRATION

   Our classes are scheduled approximately twice a month, with sessions available Monday through Thursday, 5:30-7:pm. Classes begin in October and end in May. As we have a flexible schedule of sessions, we require that you register every year, Grades 1-6, with in person registrations throughout the month of July. A parent or legal guardian must register their child or send a representative with written permission to do so.

  Along with a written registration we must have a copy of your child’s baptismal certificate, no matter where the child was baptized. There is information we need from the certificate that is not available to us even if the child was baptized here.

 In order to register a child and add them to the roster within our computer system the family and all members must be in our system as a registered parishioner. You can check on, register, or update your registration at stbarnabasbayville.com. Click on the Welcome dropdown to the link to parish registration. We also have paper registration forms available.

   We do charge a registration fee, in order to support the program  (purchasing books, paper etc) and keep the fee as low as we possibly can, as we are parents and realize the reality of family budgets. We ask that you pay at the time of registration, but if that isn’t practical, please register anyway, and we will make an arrangement that meets your family’s needs. No child will be refused registration due to financial concerns.

  Students are required to attend continuously grades 1-6, and class placement and assessing readiness for sacraments depend on this. Again, if your child misses a year, or begins the program after grade 1, we will treat your situation individually, privately, through our office.

   If your child is unbaptized, please register them as soon as possible. In order to baptize an older child we must show that they have attended class for 2-3 years before baptism, as the Church considers them old enough to make their own profession of faith. Again, how this is done is handled individually according to the family situation.

  If your child is coming from another parish or Catholic school we need a transfer form or letter, sacramental certificate, or a copy of the most recent report card showing a religion grade.

ATTENDANCE

   We try to be as flexible as possible in scheduling classes, retreats, sacraments, etc., and really depend on your cooperation and support to deliver a worthwhile experience for your child. That being said, we need to set guidelines in order to inform you how best to help us.

   First and foremost,… COME! We need as consistent attendance as possible, both for your scheduled class and at mass. We need your child here in order to teach them, and we need them to participate at mass to help them to understand and remember what we teach them. At registration you are given a calendar, please post it prominently, and if lost, ask us for another.

   Be punctual! We have only 90 minutes per class, so please try to get your child here a few minutes early. So attendance will not eat into valuable prayer or instruction time. If you will be more than 20 minutes late, or need to take your child out more than 15 minutes early, please call us for an excused absence, rather than cause a disruption of the class.

   If your child, or you, are ill. Or a circumstance comes up that will keep them from class, please call the office ( 732-269-2208 ext 132) and tell us. We are accountable to the Diocese to show that candidates for sacraments are attending class, and unless you inform us so that we may excuse the absence, we may be forced to consider holding a child back or delaying reception of a sacrament for excessive absences. No child will be excused unless the office is informed by the parent or guardian. We do not want to make decisions about any student without knowing the circumstances.

  Students of grades 1-4 must be walked in to the classroom, and then picked up at the classroom door at the end of class.For Grades 5 and 6 we ask that you wait by the annex door, in the hall, or in the circle to avoid children in the parking lot.

   If your child needs to leave before dismissal, you must come to the office first to sign the student out. During the scheduled class time we are responsible for your child’s safety, and need to know where they are, and with whom.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

  Our Catechists (teachers) are all volunteer. Some are or have been classroom teachers, many have not. They receive training on what is expected of them in the classroom, how to use the Catechist book to plan a lesson, and submit to a criminal background check and safety training, as per the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They volunteer because they realize the importance of sharing their faith, to help us impart that importance to your children.  We ask that all our parents, guardians, family members and friends consider volunteering. We are always in need of substitutes, classroom aides and importantly, Hall Monitors.

   We want being here to be a positive experience for everyone, so we have several policies regarding the classroom

1. No child will be forced to read aloud, or speak in front of everyone.

2.  Teasing and bullying or disrespect towards our volunteers or students will not be tolerated. If a student is disruptive, or acts in an unchristian manner, they will be redirected twice. After that, they will be sent to the office to speak to the director. The director will decide if this is an issue that can be settled easily, or if parents need to be brought in.

3. We ask that, unless there is a medical need, no cellphones be brought in the building. If a child needs to contact a parent, or vice versa, we ask that this be done via the office. We have found that the temptation of being distracted by the phone is much greater than the benefit.