CCD Homeschool

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VickiQ

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Hi
I am new to this site. I may not be in the right topic section, but I have a question on CCD Homeschool. I hope there is someone that can answer a question. I live in CT and I have two daughters currently attending CCD in our parish. A 6th grader and a 9th grader. Yes, the 9th grader is almost finished, she will make her Confirmation Oct. 2016. I was wondering if anyone knows the first steps to CCD homeschooling. Any information would be very obliged. 🙂

Thank you
 
You can check with your parish - our parish provides curriculum for parents who wish to homeschool for CCD as well as social opportunities. I know we are considering that route.
 
It probably depends on the rules in your diocese. Some are more strict than others. I know that several families in our parish teach catechism at home rather than attend CCD and they communicate with the parish director of religious ed. I think they have to turn in a workbook at the end of the year, a log of service hours, and do an interview of some kind with father before receiving sacraments. However, you might be able to use another curriculum, if you want. I don’t think canon law requires a formal class at all, though your diocese might have that rule. I would start with talking to the parish pastor or DRE.
 
We’re regular full time homeschoolers and our children received the sacraments using a Catholic curriculum through Seton Home Study which includes all they need to know for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. We HIGHLY recommend the Baltimore Catechism to explain the faith concisely and clearly.

Confirmation Prep: setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-14

Confirmation Study guide: setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-16

Grade 6: Baltimore Catechism setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-12

Grade 9 setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL09-11

For Confirmation, our daughter participated in the retreat and some meetings, as well as community/church/family service hours.

Remember, you are the best teacher for your children! Explain that to your pastor and hopefully he will be receptive to that idea. It can and has been done.

Peace.

+JMJ+
 
jmj777 said:
We’re regular full time homeschoolers and our children received the sacraments using a Catholic curriculum through Seton Home Study which includes all they need to know for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. We HIGHLY recommend the Baltimore Catechism to explain the faith concisely and clearly.

Confirmation Prep: setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-14

Confirmation Study guide: setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-16

Grade 6: Baltimore Catechism setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL07-12

Grade 9 setonbooks.com/viewone.php?ToView=P-RL09-11

For Confirmation, our daughter participated in the retreat and some meetings, as well as community/church/family service hours.

Remember, you are the best teacher for your children! Explain that to your pastor and hopefully he will be receptive to that idea. It can and has been done.

Peace.

+JMJ+
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Yup! 👍 Seton is both amazing for homeschooling and for religious ed. It is one of the most comprehensive i have seen. We use it. We love it. We used it for our most recent child who received first communion. Should a certain parish wish to challenge the curriculum used at home. They will most certainly be satisfied.
 
pensmama87 said:
You can check with your parish - our parish provides curriculum for parents who wish to homeschool for CCD as well as social opportunities. I know we are considering that route.
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yup. It has to be approved and run through your parish.
They should either provide you with suitable materials or offer to order them for you.
Speaking as a DRE, I require the people who homeschool for Faith Formation (we don’t call it CCD) to have the children meet with me at least twice a year to see where they’re at, and if they are retaining what is taught.
Good luck!
just curious. why are you pulling them out of class? Time conflicts?
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
Yup! 👍 Seton is both amazing for homeschooling and for religious ed. It is one of the most comprehensive i have seen. We use it. We love it. We used it for our most recent child who received first communion. Should a certain parish wish to challenge the curriculum used at home. They will most certainly be satisfied.
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If you can remember, how much is the Seton religious ed program? I’m just curious because I have no earthy interest in wasting time with our parish program. It’s a complete joke with the exception of the 8th grade retreat and a couple of service and social activities, which all the children in the parish are expected to attend whether they are in PSR, homeschool, or day school. We have the option to do the same curriculum at home, but if the Seton curriculum is a lot better, we’d be interested in that instead.
 
Allegra said:
If you can remember, how much is the Seton religious ed program? I’m just curious because I have no earthy interest in wasting time with our parish program. It’s a complete joke with the exception of the 8th grade retreat and a couple of service and social activities, which all the children in the parish are expected to attend whether they are in PSR, homeschool, or day school. We have the option to do the same curriculum at home, but if the Seton curriculum is a lot better, we’d be interested in that instead.
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It’s expensive, but you get what you pay for. It’s pretty comprehensive.
 
Allegra said:
Our parish’s PSR program is $200 per year. Is it much more than that?
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A single course of Religious Ed is $115.
Our parish only charges $70 for Children’s Faith Formation, $75 for EDGE and $100 for LifeTeen. No Sacramental fees. A discount for families with 3 or more kids. Anyone who says they can’t pay, their kids go for free, no big deal.
So that’s why it seems high to me.
I was thinking more along the lines of their entire curriculum, as in full-time schooling, as well.
 
We homeschool everything. Our priest knows us very well and never even questioned our curriculum. Father knew that my kids would be bored silly in ccd class. But we also have Father over for dinner fairly often, so he knows my kids and that their knowledge and faith are there.

Seton is awesome. We have also used Image of God.
 
Allegra said:
If you can remember, how much is the Seton religious ed program? I’m just curious because I have no earthy interest in wasting time with our parish program. It’s a complete joke with the exception of the 8th grade retreat and a couple of service and social activities, which all the children in the parish are expected to attend whether they are in PSR, homeschool, or day school. We have the option to do the same curriculum at home, but if the Seton curriculum is a lot better, we’d be interested in that instead.
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Seton is on the top end of curriculum costs. In my experience it is why some families don’t use it.
setonhome.org/

I don’t know off hand how much the curriculum is for just the religious ed is. We use a full curriculum from Seton and it is included in that package.

In my experience you do get what you pay for with Seton. It is expensive but comprehensive.
 
pianistclare said:
yup. It has to be approved and run through your parish.
They should either provide you with suitable materials or offer to order them for you.
Speaking as a DRE, I require the people who homeschool for Faith Formation (we don’t call it CCD) to have the children meet with me at least twice a year to see where they’re at, and if they are retaining what is taught.
Good luck!
just curious. why are you pulling them out of class? Time conflicts?
Click to expand...
Some parishes probably have a layperson in charge of approval of this but in others it can just be done by a conversation with Father… Depending on the parish and how it is set up and delegated.

No offense to you personally because you know how fond I am of you on this site but I would not bow to the authority of a DRE “checking up” on me twice a year. I just would not do it. 🤷 Nothing against the position of DRE, I just would not relinquish control over my children to a DRE. Not in my parish, not in my domestic Church. Understand that I am involved in the religious ed at our parish and have been a youth minister for years.

But I think you and I would welcome it if parents had the same standards as you do. It would be a great day if twice a year parents met with the DRE and held them to some standard as well. “I noticed little johnny has been struggling in saying the confetior… Can we have our money back please” :eek::D:p
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
“I noticed little johnny has been struggling in saying the confetior… Can we have our money back please” :eek::D:p
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In my parish, it would be more like, “I noticed that the only lesson my kid has had for the past three years was memorizing the Our Father and the rest of the lesson ends to be spent on the playground…” Seriously, apart from some fun activities like service days and los pasados, there is nothing going on in PSR. I even heard the 6th grade teacher being intentionally misleading regarding church teachings because he thought the real teachings were “mean”. The kids learn nothing about the liturgy, scripture, church history, or church teachings. I realize that it’s only an hour and a half a week, but seriously! They could be doing something other than letting the kids trash the classrooms!
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
Some parishes probably have a layperson in charge of approval of this but in others it can just be done by a conversation with Father… Depending on the parish and how it is set up and delegated.

No offense to you personally because you know how fond I am of you on this site but I would not bow to the authority of a DRE “checking up” on me twice a year. I just would not do it. 🤷 Nothing against the position of DRE, I just would not relinquish control over my children to a DRE. Not in my parish, not in my domestic Church. Understand that I am involved in the religious ed at our parish and have been a youth minister for years.

But I think you and I would welcome it if parents had the same standards as you do. It would be a great day if twice a year parents met with the DRE and held them to some standard as well. “I noticed little johnny has been struggling in saying the confetior… Can we have our money back please” :eek::D:p
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You would be free to “just not do it” but the pastors here defer to the DRE because they simply don’t know everyone, and don’t want to play favorites. Simply knowing Father doesn’t get you a pass from HIS obligation to educate the kids. I have to have records so that when these people move away, the Pastor can write a letter to his brother Pastor verifying that the children have been educated, what curriculum they used, and that he feels that they are adequately prepared for whatever they are asking for, whether it be permission to enter Confirmation prep, or enrollment in special programs.
The bucks stops with the DRE in many places.

I am Lay Ecclesial Minister as well as the DRE and Youth Minister. I am the one who is held accountable. Most people happily comply. They like that someone cares enough to ensure that the children, whether not previously catechized, or special needs, or without a lot of language skills cares. I also have to vet and keep up with all the RCIA people. Who needs what Sacraments, who needs sponsors, and who needs annulments. The church keeps meticulous records. At least ours does. You call us? We know you, and we have plenty of data on you for any priest who comes knockin’.
You’re not relinquishing anything. That’s just an over-reaction. You “relinquish control” to lots of entities who issue certifications. It’s compliance, Not control.

I am qualified to check. Really. 😉
 
pianistclare said:
You would be free to “just not do it” but the pastors here defer to the DRE because they simply don’t know everyone, and don’t want to play favorites. Simply knowing Father doesn’t get you a pass from HIS obligation to educate the kids. I have to have records so that when these people move away, the Pastor can write a letter to his brother Pastor verifying that the children have been educated, what curriculum they used, and that he feels that they are adequately prepared for whatever they are asking for, whether it be permission to enter Confirmation prep, or enrollment in special programs.
The bucks stops with the DRE in many places.

I am Lay Ecclesial Minister as well as the DRE and Youth Minister. I am the one who is held accountable. Most people happily comply. They like that someone cares enough to ensure that the children, whether not previously catechized, or special needs, or without a lot of language skills cares. I also have to vet and keep up with all the RCIA people. Who needs what Sacraments, who needs sponsors, and who needs annulments. The church keeps meticulous records. At least ours does. You call us? We know you, and we have plenty of data on you for any priest who comes knockin’.
You’re not relinquishing anything. That’s just an over-reaction. You “relinquish control” to lots of entities who issue certifications. It’s compliance, Not control.

I am qualified to check. Really. 😉
Click to expand...
I wish you were our DRE. Our last one was…let’s just say entire files were missing. She also had all the first communicants on the alter holding hands during Our Father:eek:
I could go on and on, but needless to say, this woman’s stamp of approval meant absolutely nothing.
Our new DRE, while seriously lacking organizational skills, knows and loves the faith, which is a huge improvement.
 
Regina7 said:
I wish you were our DRE. Our last one was…let’s just say entire files were missing. She also had all the first communicants on the alter holding hands during Our Father:eek:
I could go on and on, but needless to say, this woman’s stamp of approval meant absolutely nothing.
Our new DRE, while seriously lacking organizational skills, knows and loves the faith, which is a huge improvement.
Click to expand...
A DRE without organizational skills…Isn’t that 80% of the job?
 
VickiQ said:
Hi
I am new to this site. I may not be in the right topic section, but I have a question on CCD Homeschool. I hope there is someone that can answer a question. I live in CT and I have two daughters currently attending CCD in our parish. A 6th grader and a 9th grader. Yes, the 9th grader is almost finished, she will make her Confirmation Oct. 2016. I was wondering if anyone knows the first steps to CCD homeschooling. Any information would be very obliged. 🙂

Thank you
Click to expand...
Hello! My siblings and I are all homeschooled through a Catholic program (Seton), but my little siblings attend CCD (I teach 5th grade) as an opportunity to make friends, and receive the sacraments. Once they are out of CCD (8th grade), they will continue with Seton as it is has intense high school religion courses.
 
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