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Pre-K through Grade 5

Faith Formation Classes
Recognizing that parents are the first and best educators of their children in matters of faith, OLOS works in partnership with families to form the faith of our young parishioners. Our Pre-K through Grade 5 program is meant to strengthen and build upon the faith formation that occurs within families.

The public health situation permitting, PreK through Grade 5 Faith Formation classes will take place in person at the Cottage Street Elementary School during the 2022-23 Faith Formation year. As always, we will follow CDC and Archdiocesan guidelines regarding social distancing, masking, and other best practices.
- The PreK through Grade 5 program will consist of
  - Two to three class sessions per month, with students grouped by grade; and
  - Additional program components (including two-hour mini-retreats in January and March) for second graders preparing to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist. At least one parent must attend the mini-retreats with their second grader.
The PreK and Kindergarten classes use the "Stories of God" curriculum by publisher RCL Benziger, while Grades 1-5 utilize Benziger's Blest Are We curriculum. All sessions are taught by teams of trained and dedicated catechists.

Please note that students must be 4 years old by September 1 to register for the PreK-Kindergarten class.

Classes take place from 9:45-10:45 am on Sunday mornings at the Cottage Street Elementary School. Classes are scheduled between the 8:45 am and 11 am Sunday morning Masses so that children and their families can attend Mass. In forming our children in the faith, it is essential that they experience weekly Mass. The transforming power of the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present, cannot be taught in any classroom but must be experienced by each individual as they grow in faith. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, your family is encouraged to view the Mass on television or through the OLOS website if in-person Mass is not being offered or if you determine that attending Mass in person is not safe for your family. Please click here for a link to the most recently recorded OLOS Mass.

Volunteers are always needed! If you are available to serve as a catechist or assistant catechist, please contact Monica LaFond.

Click here to register!

Questions or concerns can be directed to Monica LaFond at 781-784-2265.

If you determine that our plans for PreK through Grade 5 Faith Formation will not work well for your family, we would be happy to support you in homeschooling your child(ren). Teresa Coda will conduct monthly support meetings via Zoom (on the last Sunday of the month from 8-9 p.m.) for interested parents and can provide resource recommendations as well. If you would like to register for these homeschooling support meetings, discuss your homeschooling plans, or receive resource recommendations, please contact Teresa Coda.
Calendar for the 2022-23 PreK-Grade 5 Program Year
The program year will run from late September through mid-May with classes on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:45 am.

Orientation for families with students in grades PreK-5: An orientation for parents with students in PreK-5 will be held in the Cottage Street Elementary School cafeteria from 9:45-10:45 am on Sunday, October 2.

Class Schedule: Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:45 am in the Cottage Street Elementary School. For in-person classes at the Cottage Street School, children should be dropped off in the cafeteria and picked up from their classrooms.
Class Dates for the 2022-23 Faith Formation Year:
- October 2
- October 16
- October 23 - Safety Sunday
- October 30
- November 6
- November 13
- November 20 - Advent Workshop for families in O'Connell Hall
- December 4
- December 11
- December 18
- January 8
- January 22
- January 29
- February 5
- February 12
- March 5
- March 12
- March 19
- April 2
- April 23
- April 30
Additional programming for second grade only:
- Sunday, November 6 - First Reconciliation Parent Meeting, 9:45-10:45 am in the CSS Cafeteria
- Saturday, January 7 - First Reconciliation Mini-Retreat, 2-4 pm in O’Connell Hall (child and at least one parent must attend), followed by Mass in the Church at 4:30 pm
- Saturday, January 21 - First Reconciliation Mini-Retreat Snow Day
- Saturday, January 28 - First Reconciliation Service, 1:30 pm in the Church
- Sunday, February 5 - First Eucharist Parent Meeting, 9:45-10:45 am in the CSS cafeteria
- Saturday, March 25 - First Eucharist Mini-Retreat, 2-4 pm in O’Connell Hall (child and at least one parent must attend), followed by Mass in the Church at 4:30 pm
- Tuesday, May 2 - First Eucharist Rehearsals, 6:30-8:30 pm in the Church
- Weekends of May 6-7 and May 13-14 - First Communions (exact times to be determined)
Safe Environment Program for Children
As the Office of Faith Formation at Our Lady of Sorrows continues to serve your family’s faith formation needs, one of our goals is to ensure the safety of all in the parish. In order to do this, we facilitate a personal safety and abuse prevention program for students in PreK through 5th grade sponsored by the Archdiocesan Offices of Child Advocacy, Implementation and Oversight. The date of this year's Safety Sunday program is Sunday, October 23, 2022.

The Virtus Teaching Safety curriculum for students in Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade, adopted by the Archdiocese of Boston, covers topics including:
- Nurturing children’s self-esteem;
- Building children’s confidence;
- Enabling children to be assertive;
- Helping children to identify and express their feelings; and
- Helping children to distinguish between safe and unsafe situations and telling a parent or trusted adult about them
Children and young people are more likely to follow safety guidelines when they have multiple opportunities to practice and talk about safety with their parents and family. Please take time to discuss safety at home as well, such as what you do in your family to “stay safe.”

As a parent, you have the choice to opt your child out of the safety program. Please email Monica LaFond if you choose not to have your child attend the class.
First Reconciliation and First Eucharist

Preparation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist typically takes place during a child's second grade year. Students should enroll in the PreK-Grade 5 Faith Formation program where they will work with at least one parent and their catechists during their class sessions to prepare for each sacrament.

Click here to learn more about First Reconciliation and First Eucharist at Our Lady of Sorrows.

Parents of children who are older than second grade and who have not yet received this sacrament but would like to should contact Monica LaFond for details on how to complete their preparation. Other questions about the program should be directed to Monica LaFond as well.