Currently, St. Philip does not offer a formal preschool formation program. However, there are many simple and life-giving practices families can participate in as The Domestic Church, to help form preschool age children in the Catholic faith. We are here to support you! 

1. If you don't already do so, pray daily with your child. Here are some suggestions...

• Teach your child how to make the Sign of the Cross
• Pray before meals
• Pray at bedtime
• Pray for others in your circle of family and friends
• Begin learning some of the traditional Catholic prayers: The Our Father, The Hail Mary and The Glory Be; Teach them how to pray The Rosary

During the fall semester, please go to the Home Study K-6th tab for more information.  Or you may choose to use the suggestions for Preschool children as they will also work well for K-1st graders.

A second grader who has been baptized in the Catholic Church and is seven or older will prepare for First Penance/First Communion. Please click on First Communion to read about this preparation process and to enroll your child. 

Please note: if your 2nd grader is your only child, the only formation classes you’ll attend for the year are the sacramental preparation classes found on the First Communion page. 

This program has been adjusted to virtual for the fall semester. Enrollment opens September 22, 2020.
Children in 3rd-6th grades will meet monthly through Zoom on either Sunday afternoons from 1-1:45PM or Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:15PM. 

Topics third through sixth graders will explore include Angels and Saints, Sacraments, The Holy Family, The Holy Trinity, The Bible, Prayers, The Liturgical Year and so much more! Through community with other children, they will dive deeper in learning Faith topics.

Dates for Zoom Classes:

Sundays 1-1:45PM
Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 21, (no March class), April 18, May 16

If your family would like to enroll in Home Study/Online Formation for the 2020-2021 school year, email Kim at kimc@stphilipcc.org. Read about the various online options we support this year. 

For K-6th families who would like their children to receive Formation exclusively at home during the 2020-2021 school year, we have various options to consider. For families who enjoy workbook learning, consider a Workbook Curriculum. For families who like online learning, Online Programs may be a good option for you. For families who enjoy reading and sharing, consider doing a Book Study (or even a few!) by reading good spiritual books throughout the course of the school year. Options for each of these learning styles are listed below. If you have any questions regarding these recommendations, please reach out to Kim Carr for help and support.

[Workbook Curriculum] 

• Family of Faith is one of the curriculums we incorporated in our Family Sessions during the 2019-2020 school year. Families interested in using this curriculum in 2020-2021, will receive new themed workbooks for the year including one Parent Guide and Student Workbooks for each child. Workbooks can be used as desired since they incorporate activities for all ages. Parents are responsible for purchasing the books after enrollment. This option applies to 3rd-6th graders. Website: https://families.sophiainstitute.com/

• Be My Disciples was a curriculum used in previous years with our Elementary Formation program and it shares the Christian story using reflection on Scripture and doctrine, plus a prayer celebration in every class and during all the major seasons of the Church year. Parents will receive one Teacher's manual and a grade level student workbook for grades K-6th grades. Parents are responsible for purchasing the books after enrollment.
  Website: https://rclbenziger.com/be-my-disciples-parish-products

[Online Programs] 

• My Catholic Faith Delivered is reasonably priced and offers a multitude of various topics and courses for grades 1-12. Each lesson includes an introduction, a video, and short quiz to help students retain what they've learned. Click on Course Library, and then click on Faith and Life Series. Choose the elementary grade level your child is currently in. Once you've purchase the course and logged in, click on your name in the upper right corner and click Redeem Code and enter: SPA-LTX (click submit) then click Redeem Code one final time (click submit). By clicking Learn in the top menu, you'll access your grade level course. You may stop the course at any time or take a break. To continue, go back to the website, login, and click on Continue Last Lesson from the Dashboard.Their website is www.mycatholicfaithdelivered.com 

• Formed.org is free! St. Philip's pays for parishioners to have access to this wonderful resource. Our parish code is 1dd331 and you set up your own account when you login for the first time.  For K-1 ages, the programs we recommend watching on Formed are: Brother Francis, The Saints and Heroes Collection and The Eucharist for Little Children.  For grades 3rd-6th consider these titles: Catholic Heroes of the Faith, The Witness Trilogy, Mother Teresa: Seeing the Face of Jesus, and The Animated Bible Series. We suggest parents preview these titles first, or watch them with your child. You may see a short summary of each program by hovering over the title you are interested in viewing.

• All ages K-6th:Cathechism of the Seven Sacraments by Kevin and Mary O'Neill, Dear Pope Francis by Pope Francis; The King of the Golden City by Mother Mary Loyola, Pope Francis Says, by Pope Francis, Leo's Gift by Susan Blackaby,  TOMIE DEPAOLA’S BIBLE STORIES and his series of books highlighting Saints, PIcture Book of Saints, Illustrated Lives of the Saints for the Young and Old by Father Lovasik
• Holyheroes.com has a wealth of books for all grade levels with subjects such as: Adoration, The Eucharist, Catholic 101, and many more.

• K-1st Book Recommendations:  The Virtue of Listening by Alex Cabrera and Vinyet Montaner, Book of Saints by Amy Welborn, Book of Heroes by Amy Welborn, Read Aloud Book of Bible Stories, Seek and Find Bible

• 3rd-4th Book Recommendations: A Picture of God, 3 in 1 by Joanne Marxhausen, My Path to Heaven by Geoffrey Bliss, Shadow in the Dark by Antony Barone Kolene, Shh...God is in the Silence by Fiona Basile

• 5th-6th Book Recommendations: Saints and Feast Days, A Resource and Activity Book by The Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardo, Ohio, My Path to Heaven by Geoffrey Bliss