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 seeing the Gospel accounts come alive by watching "The Chosen" together.

What's new this month? February

In February we are delving deep into the Gospel of St. John. This week we finished John 12 by studying the raising of Lazarus from the dead and Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. Our 6th, 7th , and 8th graders are engaged in a mixture of group work and discussion as we answer the question, "Is Jesus a liar, lunatic, or Lord?" We are also continuing watching the Chosen, 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. At this time, most of the 8th grade class has chosen to study a particular Saint and are working on various projects associated with their Saint.

What I'm Reading

Thomas Merton's "New Seeds of Contemplation" is a challenging but rewarding read. This monk who lived and wrote during the 1960's and 1970's has much to say to us living in 2026! You can purchase it here: Amazon.com

What I'm Listening To

J.S. Bach wrote many sacred cantatas. A cantata is a piece written for soloists or choirs and accompanied with instruments. This recording is an older one but sung by the great German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. 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.

Participation: Much of our academic work is done in class. Students will participate in class discussions, fill out worksheets or question sheets, write journal entries, and will engage with reading the Bible and relevant materials from our great faith tradition. Students are graded on their participation in these activities.

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 participation. 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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