Kids' Kingdom

“Let the children come to me…” Matt 19:14

The format for St. Michael's Kids' Kingdom follows the example of the Mass: Gather, Proclaim, Break, and Send. The children GATHER with an opening prayer and songs of praise. They break into small groups: (PreKK 3 year olds; PreK - 4 year olds, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2/3 where a teacher PROCLAIM the Sunday readings. This is followed by the BREAK, which integrates and explores the Word through story telling, music, plays and art activities. Each lesson ends as the children are SENT forth with songs and prayers of thanksgiving, sharing what they have learned with friends and family members.

Program Schedule

• Parents begin by signing in their children in Room B and attaching their name tag. Toddler Town children are signed-in in the Nursery. Sign-in opens before Sunday mass at 8:40 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.
• Class begins at 8:50 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. with worship singing and prayer.
• At the start of mass the children are brought upstairs to follow the Processional (toddlers remain in their class). They receive a blessing by the priest before returning to their individual breakout classrooms.
• In class they are taught the liturgy, which is accompanied by activities.
• Children are again brought to the Sanctuary prior to Communion (toddlers again remain in their class).
• Children then return to Room B for singing and closure.
• Parents are to pick up their children from Room B within 5 minutes of the conclusion of mass. Toddler Town children are picked up in the Nursery

Other Program Notes

• Guests are welcome to join our program. An adult is required to give the person at the registration / sign-in desk basic information including the child’s name, responsible party, and any allergies or special concerns. A temporary name tag will be created for the child.
• Children must be toilet-trained to participate in the program. Please take your children to the washroom before our celebration begins.
• PreKK3 and PreK4 children must be 3 (or 4) years old by September 1, 2009.
• Parents must ensure that their child’s name tag has their age or grade on it, along with a description of any allergies, if applicable.
• Out of respect for our volunteers, parents are asked to pick up and sign out their children from Room B promptly after the conclusion of mass.

Safety Notes

The safety of your children is paramount to our volunteers. Here are a few things you can do to help:
• Complete a registration form before bringing your children to Kids’ Kingdom. Besides serving an administrative function, it includes vital contact information and highlights medical or health concerns.
• Please make sure children are properly signed in and out. Teachers use the sheets to take attendance each time their group exits or returns to the classroom (for example, after they return from the Procession and Communion). In the event of an evacuation, these sheets will help ensure that all the children are accounted for.
• Please do not sign your children in early as we cannot guarantee adequate supervision until all of our staff arrives.
• Please remain in the building while your children are celebrating with us!
• Encourage your children to return downstairs with the group each time they leave the Sanctuary – this allows us to keep track of them more effectively.
• In the unlikely event of an EMERGENCY EVACUATION please follow the Church’s evacuation procedure. DO NOT PICK UP YOUR CHILDREN FROM DOWNSTAIRS. Teachers will evacuate the children and muster with them approximately 50 meters west of the main church entrance, in front of the rectory.

Kids’ Kingdom administration suggests that you bring inside shoes for your children to wear, especially during winter – in an emergency it would be impossible for the children to retrieve boots or jackets from the coat rack area.

Volunteer Requirement

There is a volunteer requirement for each family… some form of participation in the program is expected. A list of specific needs is communicated during the registration process – let God lead you to the one(s) that fit your gifts. Parents are asked to try to sign up in three areas to ensure we have sufficient volunteer coverage. The volunteer list will be updated throughout the year as the needs of program change. Volunteers can participate as teachers, class assistants, or substitute teachers. They can help set-up and take-down, put together activities, provide needed materials, participate in organized prayer for our children and teachers, create artwork for the bulletin board, clean-up and organize for the nursery, be data keepers, and whatever else God has led you to do. Please remember that we must have teachers and class assistants for this program to function. Without them, we have no program.

For more information please contact Kusum Di Marco at kdimarco@sntmichael.com or through (403) 249-0423 ext. 125.