Sunday School
St. Mark Orthodox Church School
“Nothing so furthers teaching as this: loving and being loved.”
~ St. John Chrysostom
Teaching Staff 2009-2010
Eileen Waian-Ellis, Director
Preschool: Eileen Waian-Ellis
Kindergarten: Susan Mitri and Sophia Whitacre
1st & 2nd Grades: Donna Laffoon and Tammy Qutami
3rd & 4th Grades: Charlotte Hanna and Sara Fortuna
5th & 6th Grades: Vera Sidorenko and Helen Mashi
7th & 8th Grades: Mark Ellis and Samira Atallah
High School: Nicholas Mamey, George Khoury, Juliana Turk.
St. Mark Church School is making an annual pledge to…
SAMP (Support A Mission Priest)
This program of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center offers monthly financial assistance to indigenous priests in extremely poor areas around the world. Through SAMP donations the priest is able to apply himself fully to the needs of the parish and hierarchs are able to ordain more clergy to meet the growing number of parishes in their diocese.
Our Recipient is Fr. Deacon Marcel Dayang from Chad.
We are asking all the children for a minimum donation of twenty-five cents per week for this worthy cause.
This program offers an opportunity for our children to:
• Help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church to people hungry for hope
• Connect with Orthodox brothers and sisters throughout the world.
• Develop a habit of Christian stewardship by their regular giving.
“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:10
Discuss with your children the necessity and joy of giving their time, talent and resources to the work of the Lord.
Church School Calendar for 2009 – 2010
September 13 - Church School Registration
September 14 - Elevation of the Cross
September 20 - 1st Sunday of Church School
September 27 - Church School
October 4 - Church School
October 11 - Church School
October 18 - (Annual Parish Meeting) - Church School
October 25 - Church School
November 1 - Church School
November 8 - Church School
November 15 - (Nativity Fast Begins) Christmas Program Rehearsal/Church School
November 21 - Entry into the Temple of the Theotokos
November 22 - Christmas Program Rehearsal / Church School
November 26 - Thanksgiving
November 29 - Christmas Program Rehearsal / Church School
December 6 - (St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra) Church School
December 13 - Christmas Program Rehearsal / Church School
December 20 - Christmas Program Rehearsal Only
December 25 - The Nativity of Our Lord
December 27 - Church School Christmas Program
January 3 - Church School
January 6 - Theophany
January 10 - Church School
January 17 - Church School
January 24 - (Publican and Pharisee) Church School
January 31 - (God Parent Sunday) Church School
February 2 -Presentation of Our Lord
February 7 - (Meatfare) - Church School
February 14 - (Cheesefare) - Church School
February 15 - Great Lent Begins
February 21 - (Orthodoxy Sunday, Procession) Church School
February 28 - Church School
March 7 - (Sunday of the Cross, Procession) Church School
March 14 - Church School
March 21 - Church School
March 25 - The Annunciation
March 28 - (Palm Sunday) - No Church School
April 4 - (Holy Pascha) - No Church School
April 11 - Church School
April 18 - Church School
April 25 - (The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark) - Church School
May 2 - Church School
May 9 - (Mother’s Day) - Church School
May 13 - Ascension
May 16 - (SAMP Day) - Church School
May 23 - (Pentecost) - Church School
May 30 - Church School
June 6 - Church School
June 13 - Church School Awards
HOLY COMMUNION
We are encouraging all of the Church School students to receive frequent Communion. Therefore, it will be necessary to prepare the children appropriately. As our children reach an appropriate age (usually 7yrs) parents need to help them begin to abstain from eating or drinking before coming to church. Also, encourage them to follow the rules of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. This is the ancient practice of the Orthodox faith.
ATTENDANCE
Regular Church School attendance is important because of the few opportunities our children have for catechetical instruction. Excessive absences and tardiness are not in the students’ best interest. Parents, please cooperate so that our efforts will not be in vain. Also, parents whose children attend Catholic, Protestant, or non-denominational schools need to be ever-vigilant of the religious curriculum that their children are exposed to. It is important that they receive catechetical instruction in our Church School so that they can learn to discern the theological differences between Orthodoxy and other Christian faiths.
DISCIPLINE
The primary task of Religious Education is to teach interested students the basic tenets of their Orthodox faith, to instill in them the Christian way of life, and to effectuate spiritual growth in them. Appropriate student attitude and behavior is expected and will be enforced. Disruptive and disrespectful behaviors will not be tolerated because of the negative effect that they have on the educative process. It is imperative that parents, students, and teachers work together to ensure a successful program.
DRESS CODE
Students are encouraged to make appropriate choices regarding their dress when attending church. Tube tops, spaghetti straps, bare mid-riff,
mini skirts and other revealing garments are inappropriate and should be avoided. Pants should be worn at waist level, sagging or oversized are not appropriate. Undergarments should not be visible. With the emphasis on these fashion trends today, parents need to educate their children on the importance of proper church attire and modesty.