CGS at St. Thomas More School
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has three levels which correspond to the developmental needs of the children.
Each child will have two CGS sessions per month during regular school hours. Each session is 1 1/2 hours long and is limited to 10-12 children.
If a child is new to the school in Kindergarten or higher grades, they will be welcomed into the CGS Atrium and introduced to presentations they may have missed. The special room for CGS, called the Atrium, is located to the left of the stairs on the second floor of the school. It is known as “The Mother of the Good Shepherd” Atrium.
- Level 1 is for children between ages 3-6. Preschool through Kindergarten are in Level 1.
- Level 2 is for children ages 6-9. At this time, Level 2 is offered to 1st thru 3rd Grade.
- Level 3 is for children ages 9-12 and is available for 4th Grade.
Each child will have two CGS sessions per month during regular school hours. Each session is 1 1/2 hours long and is limited to 10-12 children.
If a child is new to the school in Kindergarten or higher grades, they will be welcomed into the CGS Atrium and introduced to presentations they may have missed. The special room for CGS, called the Atrium, is located to the left of the stairs on the second floor of the school. It is known as “The Mother of the Good Shepherd” Atrium.
Sometimes you may hear your child talk about their time in the Atrium but many times you may not. One of the crucial aspects of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is that, although an adult gives the children a presentation, the Holy Spirit is actually the Teacher. We allow the Holy Spirit to work at His pace to help the child understand the theological lesson of each presentation. Since we don't know when the child will understand the concept of the presentation, asking them what they learned in the Atrium may not bear fruit. The best questions would be "What did you work with in the Atrium?" “What songs did you sing?” “Did you pray today?”
One way the children express their interior life is through artwork. We will keep their artwork in a special folder in the Atrium and send it home with the child twice a year; before Christmas break and at the end of the year. When you get it, be sure to ask them about the work in their folders. Of course, very young children may have less developed work than older children and some prefer working with materials and may not have much paperwork in their folders.
You may also come and observe one of your child’s CGS session during the school year. Please contact the CGS coordinator, Kathy Pflug, as soon as possible, at least one week before if you are interested in observing a session. She will schedule a time and provide guidelines for observing in the Atrium before you arrive. We will only schedule one observer per session. Because the first few sessions will be spent helping the children learn about life in the Atrium, we do not schedule observations during these initial sessions.
As CGS continues to flourish, we will likely have a need for additional catechists and assistants. If you are interested in helping in the Atrium, contact the CGS coordinator to find out more.
