Each home room teacher is their class’ religion teacher. Star religion teachers use archdiocesan-approved religion textbooks to teach the religion curriculum of the Seattle Archdiocese. Students have access to Bibles and frequently refer to Scripture as part of their daily religious instruction. Teachers supplement instruction with a variety of resources, such as Maryknoll magazines and DVDs, other religious DVDs, art projects, and stories of the saints. The seventh and eighth graders take place in the March for Life each year at the State Capital in Olympia.
Students may always attend the 8:00 AM daily Mass. All students and staff attend Mass each Friday and on holy days at 9:00 AM. Grades three through eight rotate responsibility for the readings, intercessions, and bringing up the gifts. Boys from fourth through eighth grade are altar servers. Members of the fifth grade and junior high choirs sing at the Masses and are cantors. Girls in the eighth grade are trained to be sacristans. They can also participate in Star Lites, the all-parish girls’ choir.
Daily prayer is an important part of the school routine. Junior high students give announcements and lead prayer at our daily Morning Assembly. They also lead the students in praying the Angelus before lunch. Students end the day with prayer in their classrooms. All classrooms have implemented Children’s Daily Prayer. Some teachers also take their students to church for Eucharistic Adoration.
Sacramental preparation (grade 2) is provided by the parish and reinforced in the second grade classroom.
Father Lappe, our pastor, meets with each class biweekly, and more often if asked. Deacon Hamlin also visits classrooms when asked.
