Important: This year, there will be no mandatory in-person parent meeting. However, it is essential that you read this page carefully and in full. Registration will only be accepted once all steps outlined below have been completed. Failure to properly register your child may result in the loss of eligibility for tuition-free access to our program.

A Word About Our Fifth Grade Religious Education Program...

In our fifth grade Religious Education program, your child will continue to grow in Christian faith, religious curiosity, and spiritual discovery. Using the Alive in Christ textbook, students will focus on the seven sacraments as they explore foundational lessons on God’s Revelation, the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, the Church, Morality, the Sacraments, and the Kingdom of God. Each lesson is designed to nurture both understanding and a personal connection to our Catholic faith. (PLEASE NOTE: Grades 5 and 6 are combined into a single class group. Students explore both curricula thoroughly. This approach ensures mastery of foundational concepts before progressing to grade seven, fostering a seamless and enriched learning experience.)

Your child will be guided throughout the year by our experienced and dedicated fifth grade catechists, Amy Gundrum (amygundrum5@gmail.com) and Mary Arredondo (tinywicks3@yahoo.com), who are committed to creating a warm, engaging, and fun learning environment. Through interactive activities, thoughtful discussion, and hands-on experiences, Mrs. Gundrum and Mrs. Arredondo will help your child grow in knowledge, faith, and love for God and the Church.

By the end of the year, students will have not only gained a strong foundation in Catholic teaching but, even more importantly, they will have begun to develop a personal relationship with Christ that will continue to grow for a lifetime.

NOTE: We warmly ask that parents/guardians accompany their children to their classrooms on the first evening of classes on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 6:15 pm. Please enter our building through door #13. This will be a wonderful opportunity for parents/guardians to meet their children’s catechists.

Register Your Child For Our Fifth Grade Religious Education Program Today!

[View our 2025-2026 Religious Education calendar here].

Registration for our program requires completion of the following steps...

A. Familiarization With Our Circle of Grace Curriculum, An Archdiocesan Safe Environment Program

At St. John the Evangelist Parish, the safety and well-being of our community is a top priority. For this reason, we follow the guidance of our Archdiocesan leaders in implementing Circle of Grace, the Archdiocesan Safe Environment program. While parents/guardians do have the option to opt their children/youth out of Circle of Grace, we encourage every family to make this choice with an informed conscience. We kindly ask that you take time to review and become familiar with our Safe Environment program before finalizing your decision. To help you learn more about Circle of Grace, please explore the following resources:

• Archbishop Listecki’s Letter of Adoption – In April 2020, Archbishop Jerome Listecki, then Archbishop of Milwaukee, formally approved the Circle of Grace curriculum for use in all Catholic schools and religious education programs across the Archdiocese. The program has been successfully implemented since that time. [Read Archbishop Listecki's letter here.]
• Circle of Grace Program Brochure
• Introductory Parent Letter*
• Fifth Grade Circle of Grace Curriculum Guide*
  • NOTE: *The Intoductory Parent Letter and the Fifth Grade Circle of Grace Curriculum Guide will be sent to you by email after the start of the 2025–2026 Religious Education program.

If you have any questions about our Circle of Grace curriculum or the Archdiocesan Safe Environment program, please contact our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at (414) 321-8922 or jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org. (Email contact is preferred.)

A.1 Announcing Your Decision To Opt Out Of The Circle of Grace Curriculum

We recognize that every family makes prayerful decisions about their child’s formation. If you decide that you would like your child/youth to opt out of the Circle of Grace program, we simply ask that you let us know in writing. To do so, please send an email to our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org, by Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Choosing to opt out of the program will not affect your family’s eligibility to access our Religious Education program tuition-free.

• NOTE: When you announce your decision to opt out of the program, kindly use the subject line: "Opting Out of the Circle of Grace Curriculum – [Child’s Full Name]."

Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and for your ongoing commitment to your child’s faith journey.

B. Registering For Our Fifth Grade Religious Education Program

To register your child for our fifth grade Religious Education program, we ask that you complete the following steps.

• First, please complete and sign the following forms. Once finished, scan them—or take a clear photo with your smartphone—and email them to our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org, and to our fifth grade catechists, Amy Gundrum (amygundrum5@gmail.com) and Mary Arredondo (tinywicks3@yahoo.com). When sending the forms, please use the following subject line: “Emergency Contact and Media Release Forms for __________ [child’s full name].” Kindly send a single email to all three recipients with both forms attached.
  • Emergency Information/Contact Form
  • General Consent Form for Child Photo, Video, and Audio Use
    • To highlight and celebrate our Religious Education program, we may occasionally share photos or videos of our students in parish publications such as our bulletin, on parish social media platforms (such as Facebook), or in parish communications like our Flocknote newsletters. By completing and signing this form, you grant us permission to use images or videos of your child for these purposes.

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• Second, please complete the following registration form. (You will submit this form online.) [NOTE: Remember to download, save, and print our 2025-2026 Religious Education calendars for easy reference.]

• Third, please confirm your enrollment in our Religious Education Flocknote system. This digital newsletter is the primary way we communicate important program updates and share family faith formation resources. Flocknotes will be sent to the parent/guardian email address provided on the registration form above. If you would like additional family members to receive these newsletters, please complete the form below to have them added as well.

Thank you for reading this page carefully and completing all required steps. Our tuition-free Religious Education program will begin on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 6:15 PM. On the first evening of classes, we ask that parents/guardians accompany their children to their classrooms. This will afford parents/guardians a wonderful opportunity to meet their children’s catechists.

Questions? Comments? Prayer requests?

Please contact our Director of Lifelong Faith Formation, John Paul Shimek, by email at jpshimek@stjohns-grfd.org or by phone at (414) 321-8922 or simply reach out to your child's catechists, Amy Gundrum (amygundrum5@gmail.com) and Mary Arredondo (tinywicks3@yahoo.com).