July 25, 2020

Dear PREP Families,
I know how trying these times are for you.  You are all in my prayers.  My goal is to make PREP as easy as it can be for you and your children. Thank you for your patience and help as we navigate these uncharted waters.
 
Below is the  Fall 2020-2021 REVISED PREP Schedule:

• 2020-2021 Monday Prep Grades 1,3,4,5, will be virtual instruction. Monday PREP will be able to be viewed each week via a virtual site, assignments will be due through e assessments. 
• Monday PREP for grades 2 and 6 will meet every other week on Mondays from 4:55 pm to 6:20 pm in the St. Jude church. Second graders will meet on the first and third Mondays, and Sixth graders will meet on the second and fourth Mondays.  Instruction on the days you are not in the church will be virtual.  Assignments will be due.
• Sunday Family Faith program classes will be virtual instruction for the one Sunday scheduled class. The other lessons will be taught by parents as usual.  E-assessments will be due each week and sent to your catechists.   Parents only will meet in the St. Jude school cafeteria following the 10:00 Mass once a month on the scheduled dates. The meeting will conclude at 12:20 pm.  Children will NOT attend the Family Faith Sunday sessions.  Some parent meetings may be virtual.
• Books and folders will be available for pick up at the church on Wednesday, September 9th from 10:00 am until 6:30 pm.
• Monday classes will begin on September 14th.
• Sunday Family Faith will begin on October 4th.
• E-assessment instructions will be forwarded.
• Our publisher, Our Sunday Visitor (OSV), is creating amazing resources for us to use so that our online instruction is as easy as possible.  When they are available I will send them to you via the OSV website.
• First Holy Communion is Saturday, Sept 19th, practice is September 16th 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
• Confirmation is Wednesday, October 21st, 5:00 pm, practice is Monday October 19th 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

I will continue to email you with important information.   All information regarding classes and sacraments is also posted on www.stjudechalfont.org, under PREP or Sacraments. 
 
If you have not yet done so, please submit your registration and payment as soon as possible.  I have attached it below.  Please contact me if I can be of any assistance.
 
Many blessings to you and your families, 
Mrs. Lori Rawski

Handy Faith Resources:

• There are many ways you can pray and there are many sites you can utilize.  The rosary is my go-to prayer.  The PREP children, catechists, and I pray one decade of the rosary every time we have PREP.  You can find rosary apps in your phone’s app store. I use Laudate, an Apple app that has many prayers and traditions, such as the daily readings, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, examinations of conscience, the Bible, links to EWTN, and many other amazing options.

• For those of you with young children at home, these can be very trying times. “Look to Him and Be Radiant” (https://www.looktohimandberadiant.com/) is a website full of awesome ideas of activities to do with children, as well as links to videos and music. In my humble opinion, if you can keep your children away from the news, I believe they will feel much more secure and less filled with anxiety during this time.

• FORMED.ORG, the online website that is sometimes referred to as Netflix for Catholics, is full of wonderful movies and stories for all ages.  To access simply go to our website, stjudechalftont.org, and scroll down to the FORMED button on the front page.  It is free to everyone, and paid for by the parish.  I love “Brother Francis” videos for children, and the Forgiven series is exceptional.  The movies about the saints are fabulous and are for middle schooler to adult. 

• Catholicphilly.com has many great articles and ideas from our local priests, bishops, and laity.

• Bishop Robert Barron offers daily Mass from his chapel in Los Angeles.  He is a terrific homilist. They are found at Word on Fire (https://www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass/).

• PrayMoreNovenas.com is a wonderful online resource for prayer and novenas, and you can receive email reminders, if you want. Sign up on their website or by contacting johnpaul@praymorenovenas.com.