To the families of St. Mary religious education students:

Welcome to the new school year! We are excited to get going with this year’s program and to work with you to share the Catholic faith with your children. Please note that although our pastors are now shared with Abbotsford and Dorchester, we will continue to have separate programs at this time for the two parish communities. We have outlined below what the religious education program will look like this year. 

Program Information:

• The first night of classes will be September 24. A bus will be available from Colby Elementary for students attending the early program. Please let your child’s school know if you intend for them to ride the bus to St. Mary on Wednesdays. Meeting times and locations are as follows:
  • 3:45 - 5 p.m.
    • Grades K-1 – Will meet in the Parish Office to work with Jessica Haas in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium. She will meet students getting off the bus the first night to show them where to go.
    • Grade 2 - Will meet in the 2nd grade classroom of the school to work with Jenni Ploeckelman on First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation. Ms. Ploeckelman will meet the students by the school office on the first night of classes to show students to their classroom.
    • Grade 3-5 - Will meet in the St. Mary middle school to work with Sue DuBois.
  • 6:30 - 8 p.m.
    • Middle School (Grades 6-8) - These classes will meet in the St. Mary middle school classrooms to work with John Baird
    • Confirmation Preparation (Grades 9-11) - Will meet in the St. Mary middle school classrooms and in the church at times. Parents are welcome (and encouraged) to come and listen in on any classes, including any speakers. Students must complete all requirements of the program prior to being Confirmed. Students missing requirements will be delayed Confirmation.
• All families participating in the Religious Education Program at St. Mary Help of Christians must be active, registered members of our parish family. An active member attends Mass regularly, supports the financial needs of the parish, and participates in ministries of the parish. If you are not registered with our parish and would like to, contact the parish office at 715-223-3048.
• Registration: Please complete and return the attached registration form for all children intending to participate in St. Mary Religious Education by September 5. It is important that we have current information for families participating. Families who do not have current registration forms on file will be removed from our contacts and classlists as withdrawn from our program.
• Cost: $50/student or capped at $125/family. Remember that you can use the Scrip program to bank credits toward your religious education tuition. Please see the above Scrip handout for more information on using this program. If you have scrip credits, you will receive a separate email regarding the amount currently available.
• Safe Environment: All students and parents are required to be trained in the Safe Environment program. Instructions for how to complete this training (both parents and students) are found on the Safe Environment Handout included in your registration packet. If you have any troubles accessing this information, please contact Jenessa. If you choose to decline training for your child, please contact the Parish Office for the declination form. We are required by the Diocese of La Crosse to have completed training documents or the declination form on file for all families participating in the program.
• Flocknotes: We will use this program to send out all updates about religious education, using the indicated information on your registration forms. This includes changes in class schedules and reminders of upcoming events. You also can reply to any Flocknote to reach the Coordinator of Religious Education.