Grades 1 to 5 Curriculum

The Faith First program uses a scope and sequence of curriculum which dovetails with Seven Standards for Religious Education developed by the Diocese of Madison for all Catholic schools and parish religious education programs:

*Scripture: Scripture is one of the foundations of religious education. Through scripture, children begin to see that the teachings of our church are rooted in God’s covenant of love with His people. They learn how this covenant is fulfilled in Jesus’ life and death.

*Doctrine: Understanding the basic teachings of the Catholic Church and how those teachings apply to our lives is paramount in Religious Education. Knowing and understanding what the Church teaches helps us form our identity as Roman Catholic Christians.

*Sacraments: As youngsters progress through Religious Education and deepen their understanding of the Sacraments, they become aware that Sacraments convey God’s grace, which unites us with Him. Children learn that when we receive the Sacraments, especially Eucharist, we deepen our love for Christ and we are better able to live a Christian life.

*Community: As young Catholics, we begin to understand and appreciate our membership in the parish family as well as the international church community. Baptism initiates each of us into the life of the Catholic Church. In community, students grow as disciples, or followers, of Christ. Gradually, they learn the rich tradition and history of our Church, and realize that both benefits and responsibilities come with membership in the Body of Christ.

*Service: Our Catholic faith moves us to develop compassion and concern for others. Our elementary students participate in service projects for both Advent and Lent. The Advent Angles and Rice Bowl programs encourage a growing awareness of Christian responsibility to those less fortunate than we are.

*Prayer: Children learn that we develop our relationship with God through prayer. Youngsters learn that prayer is talking to God. Prayer may be oral or meditative. It may be memorized or conversational, conducted privately, or in our Catholic community. We deepen our understanding that prayer is necessary for us to know God personally and that God listens to our prayers.

*Spirituality: Religious growth and development is a lifetime endeavour. Students recognize that each of us is on a spiritual journey that begins when we are very young and continues throughout our lives. We grow and develop in our faith through prayer and meditation, participation in the Mass and other liturgical events, receiving the Sacraments, reading and understanding scripture, learning about saints, using sacramentals and many other rich traditions of our Holy Church.