Sunday, July 4, 2021
St Andrew of Crete
Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings in the Name of the Lord.
In two months, we plan to resume Church School. We will begin the Fall semester on Sunday, September 12, and it will run through Sunday, December 5; we will begin the Spring Semester on Sunday, January 9, and it will run through, Sunday, May 15.
However, because we now have so many children, we no longer have enough space for everyone to meet at the same time. That means that we will divide each of the three Levels of Church School (Level I, ages 3-6; Level II, ages 6-9; Level III, ages 9-12) in two; one group will meet on the first and third Sundays of the month, from 8:15am through 9:30am; one group will meet on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, from 8:15am through 9:30am. The youth will meet on the first and third Sundays of the month, for an hour following the Divine Liturgy.
You will find the assignments for these groups at the conclusion of this letter. Every child who has been registered has been assigned to a classroom; in the first three level classrooms, we have been able to keep all families together on the same Sunday. Please check to make sure that the names of each of your children name appear on the list of assignments. If you registered your child for Church School and, for some reason, that child’s name does not appear on the list, please let us know as soon as possible. If you would prefer that your child be in a different classroom, we will do our best to accommodate that request, but please understand that the schedule can only be modified up to a certain point.
As we prepare for the fall, there are certain things we need to ask of all parents:
Please pray that the renovations to the parish house will be completed in time. Please be prepared to help move furniture and equipment around when that time arrives.
Please commit to bringing your children to Church School each Sunday during the fall. We’re only talking about a total of seven Sundays, but attendance often falls off dramatically as the weeks go by. If your child has music lessons or is on a soccer team this fall, you will most likely make sure they attend all of those activities, so please make Church School a similar priority. Your children need time with their peers in the presence of the Most Holy Trinity; please make sure they get as much of that time as they can.
On the Sundays when your children are in Church School, instead of returning home or visiting with other parents at the picnic tables or looking at your phone in your car, please participate in Orthros. You need time without children in the presence of the Most Holy Trinity; please make sure that you get as much of that time as you can.
Remember that each teacher will set the policy for masks in their classroom. The teachers will announce those policies in an email to parents no later than August 15. We ask that you respect the decisions of your child’s teacher and follow their directions in regards to masks.
I will be teaching each Sunday throughout the Fall and Spring, so I will be involved in all this in a very personal way. I am thankful and excited that we have so many children and that we are able to, once again, provide them with the best possible Church School program. If you have questions or suggestions or concerns about our plans, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
an unworthy priest
aidan