It has been a whirlwind five months. So many questions that are unanswered: how are we educating our children? Are hybrid classes the best choice? Are our children safe in the classroom? Is my child able to learn online? There is much uncertainty in children’s education that most do not know the correct choice for Religious Education either. Parish Giving is here to support whatever decision you have made and would like to share what some parishes have come up with.

In Class

Some RE programs are being conducted in the classroom. They feel confident that limiting the number of students by only allowing 10 – 20 of them in the class at once will be a safe environment. Because of the amount of time spent in the classroom is varied, it is hopeful to work in some programs.

Online and Monthly Meeting

This seems to keep many motivated in incorporating at home study and meeting once a month. You are able to interact with other families once a month and allow your child to move at their own speed with their lessons. This is also a great method because it allows the parent to pick the day of the week, or days, to complete the lesson. It allows a bit more freedom, but has structure built in as well.

100% Online

Perhaps this once seemed like the future of learning, but it is our current state of educating for many. Like the hybrid learning (class and at home), you can complete your lessons on a day that fits your schedule rather than having to fit your schedule around theirs. Also, many are benefiting from online learning because there are no caps on class sizes. That means no having to wait in long lines to drop off the sign-up form and check just to learn that the class is full.

Zoom Meetings

A lot of families are enjoying Zoom meetings with other families. This can be incorporated with Religious Education and classes! You can incorporate online learning with Zoom meetings once a week, or once a month, and discuss what you are learning and how you are learning. It can be a great way to help others stay on track and to stay engaged in learning! This can be something you do outside of RE or with your class.

Homework Assignments

Sometimes the old fashion book and pencil work the best. We see some RE programs giving homework assignments to families and having them complete the lessons that way. You can then hand in the assignments at the end of the month, or when the course is complete.

If you are interested in online registration for Religious Education this year, please let us know! We are here to help you with all of your RE needs! Perhaps you and your parish have other ideas for Religious Education this school year. We would love to know so we can encourage other parishes to use it!