Each session meets once per week. When registering, please choose only one day per child.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a full year program that runs September through May. Class fees are $100 per student for families without a weekly volunteer, and $50 per student for families with a weekly volunteer. Our catechists are unpaid (but highly trained) volunteers and their children attend for free! If you would like to become a catechist, contact Clare at clarekoz@gmail.com.

Christ the King Catholic Church never wants finances to hold anyone back from participation in faith formation programs. Financial aid is available. Contact sperrier@ctkcc.net before registering to receive a discount code.

Nursery Helper Guidelines for Atrium Support

Volunteers care for children who are either younger than 3 or older than 9—outside of the usual Atrium age range. These children need to be supervised at all times, so please be attentive and proactive throughout the session.

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Arrival Time

• Please plan to arrive at the Atrium 10 minutes early every week.
  This gives the catechists and room moms time to set up, and ensures you’re ready to care for their children before the session begins.

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Playtime & Toys

• There are toys in the closet in Room 2. You’re welcome to use them—just be sure to put everything away at the end of the session.
• You may allow snacks, but please clean up afterward. You might choose to avoid crumbly options like graham crackers to make cleanup easier.
• If you allow use of chalkboards or dry-erase boards, you’re responsible for making sure they’re cleaned afterward. Older children can help under supervision.

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Behavior Expectations

We want the nursery and surrounding rooms to be calm and safe. Please help enforce the following from day one:

• No running
• No yelling
• No climbing on furniture
• No playing or walking behind the partition (this area is off-limits)

Take confident leadership in the space. Help the children understand and follow these expectations consistently.

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Handling Time-Outs

If a child is sent from the Atrium for behavior issues:

• This time should not be treated as playtime.
• You are responsible for ensuring the child stays in time-out until either a catechist comes to retrieve them or the session ends.
• Feel free to use a designated time-out chair in a quiet, distraction-free area of the room.

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Cleanup Responsibilities

You are responsible for ensuring the following are completed before leaving (room moms or catechists may help, but final responsibility is yours):

• Clean the floors in the nursery, Rooms 1 & 2, and Rooms 3 & 4 (if used). Use either the sweeper or vacuum, depending on the mess.
• Take out trash from all three rooms and both bathrooms.
• Check toilets in both bathrooms to ensure they’ve been flushed.

The role of Classroom Aide for CGSis essential in supporting both the catechist and the children. Below are your responsibilities, broken down to help you feel confident and prepared each week.

Before Each Session

• Arrive 10 minutes early every week. This allows the catechist and room moms time to prepare and ensures you’re ready to help.
• Speak softly—just above a whisper. The Atrium is a sacred space of prayer and quiet work.
• No food or drinks are allowed in the Atrium. Absolutely no nuts, due to allergies.
• Please minimize socializing during the session. Save casual conversation and non-essential questions for before or after class.

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How You Can Assist

During Presentations & Prayer

• Quietly help gather a group of children for a presentation or prayer time.
• Encourage children to sit appropriately and listen respectfully.
• Redirect any misbehavior gently:
  • Sit next to the child.
  • Quietly say: “How do we sit quietly during circle time?”
  • Move the child away from distractions if needed.
  • For continued disruption, you may:
    • Take the child into the hallway for a short time-out: “You’re not ready to be in the Atrium right now.”
    • If needed, bring them to the nursery for the rest of the session.

During Work Time

• Help guide children to choose a meaningful work—especially those who seem aimless.
• Gently remind children to only use materials that have been presented to them:
  • “Have you had this work presented yet?”
• Reinforce that most works are for one child at a time:
  • “This work is just for one person. Let’s find something else for you while you wait your turn.”
• If the catechist is giving a presentation, help ensure the rest of the children stay focused on their own work.
• Offer to read with children using Scripture booklets or parables if they ask for help.
• Assist with altar work by:
  • Lighting candles when requested and staying nearby while they are lit
  • Asking guiding questions like: “Can you find the chalice?”—only if the child is not deeply engaged already.

General Support

• Be available to run quick errands for the catechist (candle, lighter, glue stick, etc.).
  Familiarize yourself with the supply closet in Room 1.
• Accompany children to the bathroom as needed—wait outside with the door propped open.
• If you’ve seen a material presented and a child is ready, you may present it yourself, using the same method the catechist modeled.

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End-of-Session Responsibilities

• Straighten the shelves and tidy up the materials.
  • Refill, repair, or replace anything you can.
  • Note any broken or missing items on the clipboard in the Room 1 closet.
• Disinfect commonly used surfaces using Clorox wipes:
  • Tables, tops of shelves, doorknobs
  • Altar, ambo, gesture items, and sink area (start with paper towels if needed)

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Spiritual Role

• Observe the children with care and reverence.
• Pray silently for each one as they work.
• You are welcome to take notes on what you observe. These insights are deeply appreciated by the catechist and can be shared after the session.

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Your calm presence, attentiveness, and quiet leadership will help create a sacred, peaceful space where children can encounter God.

We ask that children entering the Level I atrium be three years old by Sept. 1. This is the new state cut off date, so parents will be familiar with it in other school contexts. Parents are frequently eager to get their almost three year old started in the atrium, and that is great! However, after years of experience, we have found that children do better to wait before enrolling in Level 1. Children who are not yet three years old by September 1 are welcome to register for the Toddler Atrium. 

We understand that this can be a struggle! We ask that incoming three year-olds be able to be potty-independent for the span of two hours (their time in the atrium), OR that a parent is available on-site to help the child. Part of our ‘Safe Children’/ VIRTUS training is that no adult can be alone in private with a child. It is our policy to make sure children get to and from the bathroom safely. The main door to the bathroom is propped open, but we do not enter a stall. We can verbally help children from outside the stall, remind them to wash hands etc. We can even help them button once they are outside, but we can’t be responsible for more personal help than that, including diaper changes. You know your child’s readiness best 🙂