Faith Formation

The mission of the St. Therese School Community, in the spirit of the little way of St. Therese, strives to instill in its students the depth of knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the Catholic faith, the integration of Catholic values, and a sense of responsibility and accountability that leads to service, leadership, and the courage to make a difference in our ever-changing world. The school’s reason for existence is to promote Gospel values and the development of Catholic beliefs and principles is the fundamental building block upon which every other facet of the program rests.

The message of Jesus Christ, as taught and practiced in the school, is rooted in worship, fidelity, and social justice. The Catholic Social Teaching of the Church is integrated into religious education classes as well as in other classes across the curriculum. These teachings emphasize the meaning of Jesus Christ’s mission to be a caring and loving presence to the needy and our call to follow his example.

The Religion Program

The St. Therese catechetical program integrates the proclamation of Christ’s Gospel message, the nurturing of community, opportunities for worship and prayer, and the motivation for service. 

The four core elements of the program are Message, Morality, Community, and Worship. These are addressed within the context of Religion classes. Specific objectives are reinforced through direct instruction.

Pflaum’s Promise magazine is used in preschool religion classes, Sadlier’s We Believe series is used in kindergarten through grade 8. The second and eighth grades also use their sacramental preparation books.

Sacramental Preparation

Preparation for the reception of the sacraments is an integral part of the ongoing process of faith formation and religious instruction at St. Therese School. Preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist takes place in the second grade and preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation takes place in the eighth grade. Students in these programs participate in classroom instruction, parish retreat days, prayer services, and service projects.

Liturgical Celebrations

Students attend Mass as a school community on holy days and special event days during the school year.  In addition, each grade attends Mass once each month with one other grade.  Students participate in the liturgy as readers, singers, altar servers, and gift bearers.  Religion teachers prepare a prayer service each month for their respective religion classes.  Students have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent each year. 

Prayer

Our religious beliefs are expressed in and strengthened by daily communal prayer. Students develop an understanding and a love for the Church's daily worship. School prayer includes a prayer service each morning with prayer before and after lunch and at the end of the day. Faith experiences are an integral part of catechetics. Opportunities for Eucharistic Liturgies, Reconciliation, Stations of the Cross, Rosary, classroom prayer, and service to others are included. Community is at the heart of Catholic education, not simply as a concept to be learned, but as a reality to be lived. 

Service Learning

We strive to be responsive to the needs of others by giving of our time, talent and money. We pray for the strength to be a light to each other and to help those in need. We know that service to others is a hallmark of Christian living and we remember the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "It is in giving that we receive."  

Students at St. Therese have many opportunities throughout the school year for service learning, a method of teaching, learning, and reflecting that combines academic classroom curriculum with meaningful service.

Visions and Values

St. Therese School participates in the Vision and Values Program involving the implementation of a Catholic value-oriented curriculum. It clarifies and expands the vision of integrating Gospel values within the total school. Activities focus on experiences and values of the faculty, future changes and need, realities of student life, the purpose of Catholic schooling, and the implications for living as Catholic Christians. Each year the faculty chooses one value on which to focus for the school year. Our value for the 2010-2011 school year is service.

Altar Servers

Students are invited to become altar servers in their respective parishes and are expected to be on time and to perform their duties faithfully and prayerfully. Students who would like to become an altar server may contact their parish office.

Living Stations

Our eighth graders present the Living Stations of the Cross every year during Holy Week.

The Catholic Social Teaching of the Church

The faculty of St. Therese School, beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, will build on what already exists in our curriculum in the teaching of the seven themes of the Catholic Social Teaching of the Church. There will be a renewed effort to bring the social mission of the Church into the heart of Catholic education at St. Therese School. We plan to do this by systematically and intentionally integrating the teachings into the curriculum and by planning lessons and activities in each subject area that develop in students a knowledge and understanding of a just and peaceful society. Our students will be challenged to be disciples of Christ focused on improving the world by putting their knowledge and understanding of the social teachings into practice.

The Seven Themes of the Catholic Social Teaching of the Church

1. We believe each person is sacred.
2. We participate in family and community.
3. We respect the dignity of work and workers’ rights.
4. We protect human rights and act responsibly.
5. We care for the poor and vulnerable.
6. We care for God’s creation.
7. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

Assessment–ACRE

The National Catholic Education ACRE (Assessment of Catechesis Religious Education) test is given to students in grades 5 and 8. The purpose of the test is to see how students understand their Catholic faith and how they live Catholic values in their everyday life. The test is divided into content and attitudinal values. This format indicates that the teaching of religion to young people is a team process with school and home.

The ACRE tests are scored by a Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation which provides the school and the diocese with result summaries for the total group. The report includes strengths under four domains and what areas need to be worked on. The four domains are: Profession of Faith (Creed), The Celebraion of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy and Sacraments), Life in Christ (Morality), and Christian Prayer (Prayer). Students at St. Therese School consistently score higher than the national norm in all four domains.