St. Angela Merici School strives to provide an atmosphere in which our students grow in their Roman Catholic faith and in which students learn and grow in an environment infused with lived Gospel values and Catholic social principles. Since the primary faith educators of children are the child’s parents, St. Angela Merici School acts as an extension of the Catholic home in supporting the parents’ instruction of Catholic values and love for the Eucharist.
Religious Instruction
Catholic ideals and Gospel values permeate instruction throughout the school day and are not limited to the students’ religion classes. Our students receive religious instruction for a daily minimum of 30 minutes in our Lower School (K - 4) and a daily minimum of 40 minutes in our Upper School (5 – 8). In addition, our pastor, associate pastor and deacon visit classrooms regularly to enrich religious instruction. Religion instruction, including a Catholic understanding of human sexuality, follows the Diocese of Cleveland’s Religion Curriculum.
Sacramental Preparation Programs
The religion program offers the opportunity to prepare for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in the second grade and Confirmation in the eighth grade.Our second graders, in preparation for their First Eucharist, participate in our Jesus Day retreat just prior to their First Eucharist and the eighth graders celebrate Spirit Day, with the assistance of our high school youth group, in preparing for their Confirmation. For more information regarding our sacramental preparation, please see the Sacramental Life pages - Eucharist or Confirmation.
Liturgical and Prayer Experience
St. Angela Merici School provides liturgical and other worship opportunities for the school community. Liturgical, sacramental, and prayer opportunities include morning prayer, daily prayer routines, All School Masses, Class Masses, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Devotions, Living Stations and Stations of the Cross, May Crowning, and seasonal prayer services. In addition, our students are active in the preparation and planning of School Masses. They serve as lectors, ushers, and present the gifts. Parents and families are most welcome to join us in these celebrations. Students are also encouraged to serve Christ and live their devotion to the Eucharist as an Altar Server (grades 6-7-8) and in the Children’s Choir (grades 1-6).
Service for Others Program
Our school provides students of all grade levels with Catholic service opportunities through the school year. Through these opportunities, students are given an opportunity to live the message of Catholic social justice and compassion. Our Service for Others Program includes service opportunities such as:
West Side Catholic Center projects
Fairview Hunger Center
Outreach Projects
Fairview Senior Center
Catholic Charities
Providence House
O'Neill Health and Rehab Center
Homeless Stand Down
Positive Power Crew (PPC)
Positive Power Crew (PPC) is a student driven group that helps set a positive school climate at SAM. This group plans St. Angela’s faith family activities and pep rallies along with decorating the school to welcome students and staff back in the fall. Monthly character words are chosen by the group and are then the focus of our PPC bulletin board. PPC members are a driving force behind our school’s Christian character building and school spirit.
Retreats and Faith Families
In addition to classroom instruction, several programs further the children’s faith formation.
Faith Families: Our prayer partner program pairs students in grades 1-8 with a partner student of a different grade. Our goal for this program is to foster and create a sense of community through developing multi-age friendships. In addition to praying for one another, Faith Families come together in activities such as Prayer Services, Class Mass and planning, service activities, and community-building activities.
Retreats: Our faith formation experiences extend outside of the classroom walls. St. Angela Merici students participate in different retreat and leadership opportunities throughout the year. Our sixth graders travel off-site to Camp Christopher for leadership building experiences. Also, all students participate in a Holy Thursday Retreat at the end of Lent in celebration of the Institution of the Eucharist.
