Religion

Religion at NCA

I am so thankful to be able to teach both music and religion at NCA this year. Already, our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders have recieved the invitation to grow deeper in their faith and learn more about what makes us Catholic. We are beginning our time together with the basics- answering the questions; "How do we know God exists?" "Who is God?" "What is the Bible?" "Can the Bible be trusted?" "What is the Catholic Church?" and many more. In addition to answering these fundamental questions, we are diving into a series called "Alpha for Teens". You can learn more about Alpha at the bottom of this page.

What's new this month?

This month we started going through the Gospel of John together. We identified some key information about the Gospel- what sets it apart from the others, some key terms, and other historical information about the book. Now we are slowly moving through the Gospel together, learning the different accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. We also finished the Alpha series and started watching episodes of the Chosen each week. If you haven't seen the Chosen, it is an excellent series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. It is free on Amazon Prime.

8th Graders: I gave the 8th graders access to a website that lists the Saints by vocations. I have asked the 8th graders to begin praying about their Saint as we move toward confirmation season.

What I'm Reading

G.K. Chesterton's "Everlasting Man" is a challenging and rewarding read. Written by one of the great Catholic minds of the 20th century, Chesterton walks us from cavemen to the "infant" in the cave in Bethlehem in order to show the truth of Christianity. You can purchase it here: Amazon.com

What I'm Listening To

Gabriel Faure's Requiem Mass is an amazing composition. Faure uses some of the traditional chants from the Latin Mass and transforms them into larger works in this 20th century masterpiece. Enjoy!

Gift Idea for Christmas

Carrie Wallace's "Stories of the Saints" is an amazing book I recommend for all ages. Nick Thornborrow's illustrations are unique and relevant. Each story helps students learn more about the lives, trials, and holiness of each of theses witnesses to the faith! Buy it here: Amazon.com

What can you expect in religion this year?

This is an excellent question.

I believe religion class should be an invitation. To our Catholic students- this invitation allows them to grow deeper in their faith. For our non-Catholic students, the invitation is to learn more about the Catholic faith through sacred scripture, our sacraments, traditions, and rich history.

Communication: I have created Google Classrooms for each grade. In the first week of school, students signed in to those classrooms. I will be putting lecture notes, powerpoints, and study guides for quizzes on Google Classroom. If there is any need to communicate with parents I will do so through our internal email system.

Citizenship: Students receive a daily grade for their conduct and participation in class. Everyone who walks in the door receives an A for the day!

Homework: Except for the occasional homework assignment or project, most of our work together will be completed in class.

Quizzes/Tests: Around once/month I will give the students a quiz or test to gauge their knowledge about the subject material. Quizzes and tests are weighted heavier than homework or citizenship. Students will be given review sessions in class and will have study guides available for upcoming quizzes- which will be posted in Google Classroom.

Confirmation: Many of our 8th graders are planning to be confirmed this year. In addition to our core lessons, the 8th graders will be learning a great deal about the Saints- especially as it comes time for them to discover and choose their special Saint name for confirmation.

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