If your child is showing symptoms of illness, please keep them at home.  We can send work to you for your child to complete when he or she is feeling up to it.  Please send an email requesting work directly to your child’s catechist.  Your online class calendar will also indicate what lessons were missed.  

Homeschooling student “attendance” of religious instruction in the home is demonstrated through sample work submitted in the following ways: 

Grades 1-8:  Directions for assignment submission and a direct link to your child’s online textbook activities can be found by visiting the Religious Education website and following the link to Online Classroom Pages: https://sites.google.com/view/olvre/home Follow your class link and you will find schedules, directions for submission, prayers to learn, and more.  You may also submit sample copies of workbook activities mailed or delivered to the parish office at the end of October, January, and May.  Please submit work samples by scanning samples of question responses and/or activities from your Student Activity Book through the Religious Education website or by emailing them directly to Anne Bord the DRE (directorccd@ourladyofvictory.com).

High school students must attend all mandatory events for Confirmation preparation.  These events can be found on our calendar: K-10 Calendar 2024-2025 and on the High School Religious Education page:  High School Religious Education, 

For weather closures and other emergencies, cancellation of CCD will be sent through Flocknote as well as posted on our website, re.ourladyofvictory.com and ourladyofvictory.com. Cancellation of CCD will be posted by 9:30AM.  If the weather is inclement or bad weather is forecasted to move into the area, then please check.  If nothing is posted then we will have CCD.  Please use your best judgment when weather is a concern.  Assignments can be sent home to absent students.  It’s better to be safe!

PreK & Kindergarten students will be learning about our faith with a hands-on Montessori method found in the curricular series: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd by Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi.

Grades 1, 3, 4 & 5 will be using the Word of Life Series by Augustine Institute.  This is a consumable book with online resources available for home use.

2nd Grade students are preparing to receive the Sacraments: First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.  The entire year is dedicated to preparation to receive these sacraments.  As such, their texts are devoted to sacramental prep.  They will use materials from Ascension Press: Renewed & Received.  They will also be given the St. Joseph New American Catechism, Going to Confession & Receiving Holy Communion, all by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik to review at home.

6th, 7th & 8th Grades will use Faith & Life from Ignatius Press. Each grade level will also have a shorter supplemental program:

• 6th: Encounter  - A bible study by Ascension Press

• 7th: Envision - Theology of the Body for Middle School by Ascension Press

• 8th: Discussion of C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity

Ninth & Tenth Grade will utilize Theology of the Body: YOU by Brian Butler, Jason Evert, and Crystalina Evert.  published by Ascension Press.  More can be found about this text on the High School Religious Education website. 

Catechists will assign homework to help students retain information over the course of time.  It is almost impossible to do if they are exposed to it only one time a week.  Please go over your child's work with them throughout the week for long-term retention and growth in their faith.  Students who miss class should catch up with their teachers when they return or email them to see what they can do at home before the next class.

Kindergarten – The Sign of Cross and Guardian Angel

First – Hail Mary, Our Father (Lord’s Prayer) & Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Second – Act of Contrition and The Ten Commandments

Third – Prayers Before and After Meals and Glory Be

Fourth – The Nicene Creed

Fifth – How to pray the Rosary

~Sixth grade and up should know all the above prayers.~

These prayers can be found here: https://re.ourladyofvictory.com/prayers-to-know

Our Lady of Victory Religious Education adheres to the Altoona-Johnstown Diocesan policy to have parental permission to use student pictures to use for bulletins boards and parish media (i.e. bulletins, sacramental display boards, etc.). If we do not receive the authorization from you on your registration form, we will not use your child's photo in parish media or bulletin boards.  Use of photos is extremely rare in any case.  Please email the DRE to check or change the status of your permission. 

Children meet their catechist in the gym and return to the gym after class.  No one is allowed to go directly to his or her classroom before 10:30am.  Kindergarten through 8th grades classes will meet in the gym by the sign with the catechist name, grade & Room Number.  The catechist will come to the gym to pick up the class at 10:30am. 

Doors to the school building will be locked during class times (10:30-11:20 AM).  Parents who wish to stay on the campus during classes are asked to use the Social Hall of the Activity Center.  You are cordially invited to join the Adult Education Group in the Activity Center Assembly Room, 10:35-11:15am to learn more about our Catholic faith!  If you come to the gym and your child’s class has already left, please take your child to his/her classroom.  Children in grades 6 through 10 may walk to class alone if they are late.  

We will station volunteers to allow parents and children into the building for late drop off or early pickup.  Exceptions to this policy will be announced.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this.  

Children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade cannot be dropped off at the door. Parents or an older sibling must walk these children into the gym and stay with them until their teachers arrive. Children who are waiting with parents must be closely supervised.  No school property, including physical education equipment, is to be played with, stepped on or touched in any way.  We want to do everything we can to protect all children who enter the OLVCS building.  Please have ongoing conversations with your children about respecting school property before they attend CCD.      

Children will return to the gym at 11:20am for dismissal. PreK & K students must be picked up by a parent at the preschool.  Children in First through 3rd grade must be picked up by parents or a sibling in the school auditorium.  Children in fourth through tenth grade may leave the building on their own after walking to the gym with their catechist if parents agree to this arrangement.  Please remind your children that many drivers will be pulling in and out of the parking areas for the 11:30 Mass.  If someone other than a family member is picking up your children, please tell the Director of Religious Education.

1. Participate as much as you can each week. :)  Only one person may talk at a time using positive comments and curious questions.

2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.  

3. Be respectful of the belongings in the desk where you sit as they do not belong to you.  Please do not touch items in the classroom without permission, including items in and on the desk where you sit during class.  Do not write on any classroom desk.  Any child breaking any of these rules will be sent directly to the DRE's office.

4. Stay in your seat, do not lean back on chairs, and sit properly.

5. You may not touch classroom Promethean Boards.  Only the teachers may do this.

6. No eating, drinking or chewing gum.

7.  Any student who continually disrupts and/or swears in class will immediately be removed from the classroom by the DRE.  Their parent(s) will be called to pick them up and finish the lesson at home with our home education materials.  Should this happen three times, the child will finish the school year at home with their parents using our home education option.  The short time we have is precious.  This kind of behavior will not be tolerated.

8. Be respectful of school property, yourself, your catechist and your peers.  Remember, we are all made in God's image and likeness.

~CATECHISTS MAY HAVE THEIR OWN CLASS RULES STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW.~

Students are expected to remove hats and hoods during class time. Clothing must not interfere with the educational process or the rights of others. Items of clothing that advertise or promote values that are not in line with Catholic teaching should not be worn to Religious Education.   If a student is dressed inappropriately he/she will be sent to the religious education office.  

A healthy curiosity and respectful requests for more information regarding Church teachings are encouraged.  If a student argues against accepted Catholic moral teaching in Religious Education classes or boasts to classmates of doing something the Church considers seriously sinful, that student may be asked to leave the classroom and report to the Religious Education office during class.   The students’ parent(s) may be called, and a meeting with the DRE and/or pastor may be necessary.  Following this meeting, the student may be reinserted into his/her class or be home-schooled (if in the child’s best interest).  If the student returns to his/her class and the behavior is repeated, then the parents will be asked to home school their child for the remainder of the school year.

Cell phones must be turned off when students arrive for class.  If cell phones are found to be in use during class, without catechist permission, the phone will be taken by the catechist and returned to the student at the end of class.  Phones and other electronics must be turned off when class begins unless directed by the catechists to use them for instructional purposes. Emergency use of the phones is acceptable, but if the situation allows time for requesting phone use, permission from the catechist should be asked.

If a student breaks the above rules after one warning on the day of class, the catechist will call his/her parents.  

If a student continually disobeys the Code of Conduct the Director of Religious Education will request a meeting with the parents and child.

If a student commits an act of vandalism on school, parish, catechist or others property, the child’s parent will be notified for a conference with the Director of Religious Education.  Clean up or restitution can then be established.

Loving and merciful Father, who instituted the family as in instrument of your fruitful love, and raised it to be a sacrament of the love of your Son for his Church, send forth your Holy Spirit to forgive us for our sinful failures, to heal the personal and social wounds that afflict us, to bring consolation to the vulnerable among us, and to enable us to reach out in compassionate care to all those families in need.  

Make possible within us, and for us, what only you can do.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.