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Padre Pio Learning Center c/o St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

120 West Main Street Front Royal, Virginia 22630

Email: padrepiolearning@gmail.com Website: padrepiolearning.com

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PostPostPostPost----Sacrament Receptions Sacrament Receptions Sacrament Receptions Sacrament Receptions As part of the parish CCD program, our second grade chil-dren will be making their First Holy Communion with our parish CCD classes. After the First Holy Communion a reception is usually planned for the children and their families. In order to provide the reception for children receiving sacraments, parents will be asked to help host these receptions. Hosting is voluntary but important. A fuller explanation will be provided at the required First Holy Communion parent’s meeting.

Photos and Press Releases Photos and Press Releases Photos and Press Releases Photos and Press Releases From time to time, photos or videos may be taken of special events which may include your child. These pictures, which will include the First Holy Communion pictures, the Confirmation pictures, and the May Crowning pictures, will be made available to our parishioners and their families for a nominal fee. They may also be used by the church on our website, on flyers, or to accompany possible newspaper articles. Please notify the Coordinator of Reli-gious Education at the beginning of each school year if this is not ac-ceptable to you and we will comply with your request.

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Fair Share HoursFair Share HoursFair Share HoursFair Share Hours We cannot function without the assistance of our PPLC fami-lies. Each family will be asked to sign up for fair share hours each semester to help keep our costs down. Parents and grandparents will be asked to staff the front desk, assist in the classrooms or during re-cess, help with clean-up, and babysit for other mothers who are help-ing, among other tasks. A sign-up sheet will be available at the open-ing parent meeting. Everyone is expected to help out, so please ar-range for babysitting if you have young children. Volunteers will also be needed to assist with special events throughout the year, field trips, picnics and Padre Pio Feast Day Cele-bration. Please be generous enough to help when asked.

Religious Education Bulletin Column Religious Education Bulletin Column Religious Education Bulletin Column Religious Education Bulletin Column Please remember that PPLC offers another section of CCD, so your children are also part of the parish CCD program. The Religious Education Bulletin Column is the main source of information for our religious education program. In order to stay informed about religious education events, required parent meetings, and sacrament preparation practice dates, please read the Religious Education Bulletin Column on a weekly basis. It also includes contact information for the Coordi-nator of Religious Education, the Youth Minister and Parish Office. This bulletin is also available online at www.sjtb.org.

Sacramental PreparationSacramental PreparationSacramental PreparationSacramental Preparation First Holy Communion preparation is a two year program. Students prepare for their First Penance and First Holy Communion in the first and second grades and receive the sacraments at the end of the second grade. A student must be enrolled in the first grade if they ex-pect to enroll in the second grade. Tests may be given in both years to prove each student’s knowledge. All First Holy Communion students must be seven years old by the time they make their First Holy Communion. Exceptions must be approved by the Pastor and are rarely given. A full explanation of our program will be given during the required parents meeting at the beginning of the year. Check the reli-gious education column of the Church bulletin for the exact day and time of this meeting. Our Advanced Sixth Grade class will be covering seventh grade Religion and will function as first year Confirmation preparation.

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Handbook Contents Handbook Contents Handbook Contents Handbook Contents

Mission Statement.…………….….…………… About Padre Pio Learning Center..…………….. Our Board of Directors………….…..……….…. PPLC Location…………………..…..…....…. Admission……………….. ………....….……. Books and Supplies………………...…………….. Parent Responsibilities……...……….…………... Student Responsibilities………………….………. PPLC Calendar……...…..……....…………... Required Books . . . . . ....………….…………. Absence/Tardiness.………………….………... Arrival/Dismissal……………….…..….....…... Dress Code……….……………………..…….. Class Cancellations……………………..…..... Fair Share Hours……………………………... Bulletin Column…...………………..………. Sacramental Preparation………………………. Post-Sacrament Receptions……………….……... Photos & Press Releases……………..………... Important Websites……...…………..……..... Contact Information................................................

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Free Catholic Coloring Pages

Important WebsitesImportant WebsitesImportant WebsitesImportant Websites For those with internet access, please check out our Padre Pio Learning Center Website at http://www.padrepiolearning.com. This website contains valuable information including the school calendar and center closings due to inclement weather. Remember that our Padre Pio students are also part of the St. John’s Religious Education program. Please visit the Religious Educa-tion page of the church website at http://www.sjtb.org. Throughout the year, valuable information and announcements will be post-ed. The website includes fun and informational resources. • Religious Education calendar • Free printable St. John’s Catholic coloring pages

• The current Announcements from the R. E. Department • Printable R.E. Registration forms and various hand- books and booklets

Please note that the

bulletin column is the main source of information

for the parish Religious Education Program and should

be read weekly. It is also available online at

sjtb.org

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WE ARE NOT on Warren County Scheduleon Warren County Scheduleon Warren County Scheduleon Warren County Schedule

Dress CodeDress CodeDress CodeDress Code Our teachers work to instill in their students a love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Religious Edu-cation classes will make frequent visits to the church. Stu-dents must dress in attire appropriate for a visit to the church. Boys are encouraged to wear slacks and girls are encouraged to wear skirts or slacks. Our efforts to teach reverence for God and each other include guiding students in how to best present themselves modestly and respectfully. Please refrain from tight-fitting clothing, short shorts or skirts, halter tops, tank tops, midriff shirts, or spaghetti straps. Pants should be worn at the waist. In order to cut down on distractions and to keep each child focused on their work, we request that stu-dents not wear shirts displaying graphic designs or wording. Please keep in mind that recess will take place out-side weather permitting. Make sure children are wear-ing shoes appropriate for outdoor play. For safety reasons, please, no flip-flops or open-toed shoes.

Ice and snow, Ice and snow, Ice and snow, Ice and snow,

bless the Lord!bless the Lord!bless the Lord!bless the Lord!

Please note that we do not follow the Warren County Public School schedule. There are days that the County school children have off, i.e., teacher workdays, when we will be holding classes. We do follow Warren County for school closures due to in-clement weather.

1. If public school classes in Warren County are cancelled or dismissed early due to inclement weather, there will be no Padre Pio classes that day. 2. Class cancellations are listed on the PPLC website. You will also re-ceive an email from PPLC about class cancellations.

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Mission Statement

As we minister to the families of St. John

the Baptist Catholic Church, it is the mission of Padre Pio Learning Center to

support and assist homeschooling parents in the Catholic education of their

children under the patronage of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. We will supplement, in a classroom setting, the education that parents are providing at home, thus

making a high quality, low cost, Catholic education available to those

parish families who wish to have extra help with home schooling.

In accord with the mission statement of

the St. John’s Religious Education Department, we strive to instill in each

child an abiding love of God and neighbor, using our Blessed Mother Mary as our

model and guide. We strive to impart to each child the doctrines of our faith in its fullness, as both knowledge to be learned

and a life to be lived.

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About Padre Pio Learning CenterAbout Padre Pio Learning CenterAbout Padre Pio Learning CenterAbout Padre Pio Learning Center Padre Pio Learning Center is a cooperative-style supple-ment for the homeschooling families of St. John the Baptist Cath-olic Church in Front Royal, VA. Under the patronage of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, our program is designed to help those families who might benefit from such assistance. Meeting three mornings a week during the academic year each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30—1:30, we pro-vide a basic framework to keep homeschooling students on track in a low pressure classroom setting. We offer Language Arts, and Math each day with the third session rotating once a week between History, Science, and Religion. Students may arrive at the center after morning Mass, usually about 9:10 am. A session of Music will be offered until the official start of our day, ending with a brief assembly of all students for opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. We do not promise certified teachers, yet many of our teachers do have advanced degrees. We do promise that subjects will be taught by a loving and caring faculty, composed mostly of parents and grandparents, who have a talent for teaching.

All subjects are taught from a Catholic Perspective. PPLC uses Seton Home Study materials and, while not required, families are encouraged to enroll with Seton Home Study. Seton offers many advantages to our Padre Pio students: grading services, standardized testing and scoring, and available counseling services. They issue report cards and certificates for grades completed, maintain student records and send official tran-scripts and school records at your request. Plus, the enrollment price will include all the books your child will need for their grade level. Seton Home Study School is recognized by the Bishop of Arlington as a Catholic school in the Diocese of Arlington, Vir-ginia, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and by AdvancED. In addition, Seton holds a certificate to operate as a private school by the State of Virginia. To learn more about Seton Home Study, please go to their website at: http://www.setonhome.org.

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If you go through the drive-through, each family will be assigned a number and will be given a card with that number on it to be placed in their car windshield. Cars will enter the parking lot via the alleyway between the rectory and Maddox Funeral Home, not the driveway between Padre Pio and the Rectory. Driving around the parking lot counterclockwise, the first car will wait by the back porch of Padre Pio. Teachers will escort your children down the stairs to the car in the pick-up spot. Parents picking up children from other families must have both cards in their windshield. Please be careful leaving the parking lot, as cars entering and cars leaving must cross each other. Remember that cars leaving our parking lot must turn left. Children who have written permission to walk home, will be dismissed through the front door.

Fr. Ruehl Hall Dismissal ProceduresFr. Ruehl Hall Dismissal ProceduresFr. Ruehl Hall Dismissal ProceduresFr. Ruehl Hall Dismissal Procedures

Children who have their classes in Fr. Ruehl Hall will be dismissed up the back stairwell leading to the Luray Avenue turn-about in front of the church. If you have children in both build-ings, please pick up the children in Padre Pio first as they will be dismissed five minutes early.

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Absence/Tardiness KAbsence/Tardiness KAbsence/Tardiness KAbsence/Tardiness K————6666 Students are expected to attend classes each school day and to arrive for class on time. If your child must be absent due to illness, please email us or send a written note on the next class day explaining the situation and your child will be given an excused absence. Please do not send a sick child to class. Please keep your child home if they have a fever. Children should be fever free for 24 hours prior to returning to class. If your child has had vomiting or di-arrhea due to illness in the last 48 hours please do not send them to class. Students in the second grade First Holy Communion class are expected to have no more than five unexcused absences per academic year. Fr. Fasano will require an interview with any student having ex-cessive absences in sacrament years prior to receiving the sacraments. Excessive absences are not fair to your child who will be be-hind in class, and it is not fair to our dedicated teachers who put so much time and love into preparing and teaching your child’s class. It is also not fair to the other children in the class who must sit through duplicate lessons as material must be repeated for those who have missed class. Please try to keep absences and tardiness a minimum.

Padre Pio Hall Dismissal ProceduresPadre Pio Hall Dismissal ProceduresPadre Pio Hall Dismissal ProceduresPadre Pio Hall Dismissal Procedures A parent must escort each child into the building each day. Please make sure a teacher is present before leaving your child in the building. There are two ways you may pick up your child after clas-ses. You may come in the front door and sign your child out at the front desk or you may go through the drive through pick-up in the back parking lot of Padre Pio Hall. See the diagram on page 15. If another adult or older child has your permission to pick up your child, please note that on the registration form in the space provided. Other requests for this may also be made in writing to the assistant at the front desk. Please pick up your child on time. We will begin the dismissal for Padre Pio Hall at 1:25. This means that if you have children in both building, you may pick up the Padre Pio children first. You may give your child permission to walk home by not-ing this on your registration form or in a written note.

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Center LocationCenter LocationCenter LocationCenter Location With grateful appreciation for the support from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, all classes will be held either in Padre Pio Hall at 131 West Main Street, the brick building across West Main Street from the Church and two doors down from Maddox Funeral Home or in Fr. Ruehl Hall, the basement of the Church.

AdmissionAdmissionAdmissionAdmission Registration forms are available in the parish office and online on our website (see page 18.) Admissions are on a first-come-first-served basis and space is limited. Please register early. Priori-ty will be given to the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Parishioners of other Catholic Churches are welcome if space is available. Students who are accepted into the program will receive an acceptance letter and payment coupons. Parents are ex-pected to make all payments on time. We regret that at this time we can only offer limited financial assistance. For the safety and protection of your children, the front desk in the reception area of Padre Pio Hall will be staffed by parent volunteers. Doors will be kept locked during class sessions, but parents are always wel-come to knock and drop by for a visit. Our day will begin with Mass (optional) and students may come to the

Our Board of DirectorsOur Board of DirectorsOur Board of DirectorsOur Board of Directors Padre Pio Learning Center is organized as a non-profit, char-itable organization with a five person Board of Directors. Our cur-rent Board consists of: Susan Adams Julie Luckey—President Karen Pondo—Secretary Patty Sonak—Treasurer Naomi Zepeda Any one of our Board members would be happy to chat with you and answer any questions you might have.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Patron of Students

Center after Mass. Please make sure that your child takes care of all bathroom needs prior to arrival at Padre Pio Hall.

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Books and SuppliesBooks and SuppliesBooks and SuppliesBooks and Supplies At the beginning of the year, parents will be asked to bring in some general supplies for the use of our Learning Center. This year we are asking each family to bring in the following supplies on the first day of classes. 1. large box of pop-up tissues. 2. large roll of toilet paper 3. container of 7th Generation wipes pop-up wipes 4. 20 count box of white 13 gal drawstring garbage bags 5. large roll paper towels 6. 12 pack of number 2 Ticonderoga Pencils A list of required books and personal supplies, i.e. notebooks, personal pencils, fold-ers, will be given for each student prior to the start of class.

Parent ResponsibilitiesParent ResponsibilitiesParent ResponsibilitiesParent Responsibilities Parents are the primary educators of their children. Padre Pio Learning Center intends to work in partnership with parents in order to assist them in living their vocations as educators of their children. Our program is intended to complement, not replace, the education your children should receive in the home. Several of the subjects are not scheduled to be taught during our class time, and some of the subjects that will be covered during class time cannot be covered completely. Seton’s program is a five day a week program. Because of this, students will be given regular homework in the subjects we are covering. The full Seton curriculum for Science and History will only be covered it there is time and will primarily be taught by student teachers from Christendom College. Pray daily with your child. Morning and night time prayers, grace before and after meals, and family rosary are suggested. Please review and reinforce your child’s lessons and make sure any assigned homework is completed. Your interest and assistance is vital. Please remember that we are partners in this endeavor. You are welcome to visit your child’s class at any time and you are encour-aged to get to know your child’s teacher.

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Student ResponsibilitiesStudent ResponsibilitiesStudent ResponsibilitiesStudent Responsibilities Students are expected to attend classes faithfully and to com-plete all homework assignments. Homework will be assigned and is designed to reinforce material taught in class. Teachers are here to support and assist parents and are not expected to do the whole job themselves. Making sure your child completes homework assign-ments is one way you can help your child’s teacher maximize valua-ble class time and. more importantly, it is an opportunity to share your faith with your child. Students are expected to treat teachers, adults, peers and Church property with respect and Christian charity. Our goals of teaching the Faith and inspiring love of God and neighbor call eve-ryone to practice what is being taught. As teachers work to instruct your child, please note that if discipline becomes a problem. your child’s teacher may ask a parent to attend class with the child. We have small classrooms and our time frame does not permit us to han-dle persistent discipline issues. Please review church rules with your child, making sure they understand that they should refrain from skateboarding, roller-skating, or bicycling on church property. Children are not permitted to climb on the railings or trees, run through the mulched areas, or smoke on church property. Drinks (other than bottled water) and gum are not permitted in the classrooms. Under no circumstances should a student leave the church property prior to dismissal without a note from a parent and without first reporting to the front desk in the reception area. Make sure your child understands dismissal pro-cedures and always uses the crosswalk when crossing the street.

Absolutely no guns, knives, fireworks or weapons of any kind are permitted on Church property. No alcohol or illegal drugs will be tolerable. Such offenses will result in suspension or expul-sion.

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