The students participate in daily religion lessons, as well as faith experiences throughout the day and a full hour of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd each week.

The program provides an opportunity for a child to:

1. Develop an awareness of his/her place in God’s world.
2. Develop a sense of wonder and appreciation for the gifts of Creation.
3. Come to know himself/herself as a child of God lovingly made in His image.
4. Listen to the parables of the Kingdom of God and begin to wonder at their meaning:

Parable of the Mustard Seed Mark 4:30-32
Parable of the Pearl of Great Price  Matthew 13:45-46

5. Come to an awareness that Jesus is God and He knows each by name as proclaimed in the Holy Bible
6. Understand that the Holy Bible is God’s word to us.
7. Know that Mary is the Mother of Jesus.
8. Be introduced to Jesus as a historical figure born in the Land of Israel.

Additionally, the child will begin to celebrate the Christian Mystery 
1. Be introduced to the liturgical seasons and colors.
2. Participate in the seasons of Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time, Christmas, and Easter.
3. Discover that he/she is a member of God’s family, called by name through the gifts received in the Sacrament of Baptism.
4. Be introduced to the Baptismal gifts of the water, word, light, white garment.
5. Be introduced to the sacred articles used at Mass: altar, altar cloth, chalice, paten, crucifix, and candles.
6. Be introduced to the Eucharist as the gift of Himself that Jesus shared at the Last Supper.
7. Experience the Liturgy as a celebration of God’s family where Jesus calls us to be with Him.

And, the child will 

1. Demonstrate a Christian response to others through daily opportunities to share, listen, show gratitude, apologize, forgive, cooperate, and be responsible for his/her work.
2. Become aware of personal boundaries according to the diocesan “Called to Protect” program.

And participate in Christian Prayer:

1. Understand that prayer is talking to God.
2. Participate in a variety of prayer forms: spontaneous prayer, silent prayer, songs and sign language, and dance.
3. Be introduced to the following prayers and gestures: Sign of the Cross, genuflection, Hail Mary, Psalm 23:1.

KEY SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd
Isaiah 9:1 Prophecy of Light
Isaiah 9:5-6 Prophecy of the Names
Luke 1:26-38 Annunciation
Luke 2:1-20 Birth of Christ and Adoration of the Shepherd
Matt 12:31-32 The Kingdom and the Mustard Seed
Matt 13:45-46 The Kingdom and the Pearl of Great Price
John 10:3-5, 10b-11, 14-16 The Good Shepherd
Mark 14:12-17, 22-24, 27 The Last Supper
Pentecost 2:1-11 Pentecost

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, also known as Atrium, is a religious formation program that originated in Rome in 1954. It is inspired by Montessori principles of education, and is based on the conviction that God and the child have a unique relationship with one another, particularly before the age of six.

Atrium provides children their own place to foster the growth of that relationship. The growth of the relationship is assisted by catechists, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child. The catechists role is to prepare the environment, to make presentations, and pose questions that evoke a response from the children, rather than giving information and providing answers.

The themes presented in the Atrium are taken from the Holy Bible and the liturgy. They focus on the life of Christ, His teachings, the sacraments, and the signs symbols, gestures and prayers of the Mass. In the Atrium, a theme is presented to the child. The child is then given time and space to reflect on the Word and the mysteries of our faith, using Montessori principles of self discovery. The child is free to choose an activity with age appropriate materials that help lead the child to a point of reflection where their work actually becomes prayer.

Our class is responsible for putting everything away after Atrium each week. Parents can help us to put things away between 1:30 and 2:00 each Wednesday. If you can assist on a weekly basis we would be grateful.