Religion classes in school - Megathread

James Alvarez2 said:Do you guys actually go to church?
Does she attend Mass?

First Communion matters way more than just confession itself.
Actually, I'm wondering... do you react to all those Fs the same way you did to this one from Sunday school?

I go, though not to my local parish. My mother-in-law used to, but she's too old now. My husband doesn't go. So far, there aren't any other bad grades besides the B in English. I think... regarding the other subjects, my husband and I can help him out if he starts hitting roadblocks.

Sorry if I misread you, but your post makes it sound like a 4 means the kid is struggling and needs extra help—basically, anything less than an A isn't good enough. 🤔

Robert Rodriguez9 said:Sorry if I misread you, but your post makes it sound like a 4 means the kid is struggling and needs extra help—basically, anything less than an A isn't good enough. 🤔

Just my two cents: sometimes the grading scale feels a bit fuzzy. When it’s something tangible like reading levels, math scores, or how they handle their gear in shop class, everyone gets it. But there are certain subjects where the grades just don't seem to mean much at all.

Well, obviously he messed something up. He slipped up somewhere and ended up with a C. 🤷 I definitely wouldn't consider pulling my kid out of religion class just because of a C. What’s his take on the grade?
Keep in mind they're only freshmen; they're still finding their footing. My son had this habit where he'd refuse to solve a problem the way the test actually asked for it, insisting on doing it his own way instead. Naturally, he tanked his score because of it. 🤣

jadetinker85 said:Just my two cents: sometimes the grading scale feels a bit fuzzy. When it’s something tangible like reading levels, math scores, or how they handle their gear in shop class, everyone gets it. But there are certain subjects where the grades just don't seem to mean much at all.

Honestly, the school website really should host clear grading rubrics for everything, whether it's Math or Social Studies.

If my memory serves me right regarding the lower grades—and I don't have the handbook handy to double-check—the main difference between a B and an A is that an A student shows initiative and can explain or apply concepts independently.
(A 'B' usually means they know the material or can perform the calculations, but maybe lacks that extra spark.)

Please feel free to correct me if I'm off base, teachers!😬

On the flip side, the online gradebook should really include a note alongside every grade, just so you can actually see the reasoning behind it.

Wait, doesn't it actually say where he got the 4 from?

So, I just logged into the student portal for the first time, and it’s a total ghost town. Literally nothing. No grades, no teacher comments, no course list... just blank space.

Did you log in using your own credentials or his?
Use your own. When you use yours, there's a delay before the grades show up, but if you use his, they pop up instantly. If he got a 4 yesterday, it probably just hasn't updated in the system yet.

rowdypanther12 said:Did you log in using your own credentials or his?
Use your own. When you use yours, there's a delay before the grades show up, but if you use his, they pop up instantly. If he got a 4 yesterday, it probably just hasn't updated in the system yet.

Using his. But my husband mentioned we only got that result because of absences. Who knows how things work at their school district. 😁

It’s just like everything else 😁 grades have to be entered. Does anyone know if it takes a long time for them to show up after someone submits them? They're supposed to be done by the deadline, but I know things can get delayed sometimes.

jadetinker85 said:My kid just got a B in religion class for his first grade report card. What exactly are they expecting from a six-year-old? Honestly, I might just pull him from the program after his First Communion and let them hand out Bs to whoever they want. Or maybe he just misunderstood the assignment...

Back in my day, we used to see Cs and Ds for religion class grades—so what?

It’s just another elective, plain and simple. Grades go from 1 to 5—or an F to an A here—and that doesn't mean you're guaranteed an A every single time, even if a kid shows up, sits there, doesn't participate, or has absolutely no clue what's going on in class.....

In our local school district, it's pure nonsense that religion class is scheduled right in the middle of the day for the younger kids—the ones who don't take it end up stuck in the library. But the real headache is that the library isn't open every morning, so those kids are forced to wander the hallways because we don't have any extra classrooms to put them in. My kids actually have straight As in religion class, but let's be real—they earn them because we have a fantastic teacher. BUT, if this same subject were scheduled as the very first or very last period of the day, I would pull them out immediately—they'd just be teaching useless trivia that half the class wouldn't grasp anyway.

Personally, I thought religion class was a wonderful subject, even though I didn't grow up in one of those families that heads to church every single Sunday (it was usually just my grandparents, and even then, only occasionally). We learned through play—everything from basic prayers to the core concepts of the Old and New Testaments—but it all felt organic and lovely through engaging storytelling. We were constantly making crafts for the school, the church, or the local monastery. We even made cards for kids in nursing homes and shelters etc....

Sam Kim12 said:Back in my day, we used to see Cs and Ds for religion class grades—so what?

It’s just another elective, plain and simple. Grades go from 1 to 5—or an F to an A here—and that doesn't mean you're guaranteed an A every single time, even if a kid shows up, sits there, doesn't participate, or has absolutely no clue what's going on in class.....

In our local school district, it's pure nonsense that religion class is scheduled right in the middle of the day for the younger kids—the ones who don't take it end up stuck in the library. But the real headache is that the library isn't open every morning, so those kids are forced to wander the hallways because we don't have any extra classrooms to put them in. My kids actually have straight As in religion class, but let's be real—they earn them because we have a fantastic teacher. BUT, if this same subject were scheduled as the very first or very last period of the day, I would pull them out immediately—they'd just be teaching useless trivia that half the class wouldn't grasp anyway.

Personally, I thought religion class was a wonderful subject, even though I didn't grow up in one of those families that heads to church every single Sunday (it was usually just my grandparents, and even then, only occasionally). We learned through play—everything from basic prayers to the core concepts of the Old and New Testaments—but it all felt organic and lovely through engaging storytelling. We were constantly making crafts for the school, the church, or the local monastery. We even made cards for kids in nursing homes and shelters etc....

Are you saying the subject is too demanding? Personally, I think kids in the upper grades are just overloaded. Just look at the exam schedules—once finals hit, it feels like there's a test every three days. Even electives and social studies classes have become way more intense than they used to be.

Why would they be any harder now? The kids have their exams scheduled way in advance! Seriously, they're planned out! Plus, they don't even have two on the same day 😂
Back home, we’d probably have to beg and plead just to get a third one rescheduled.
The textbooks are full of pictures, illustrations, and all sorts of fluff—not to mention they're about a quarter as thick as our old ones.
The whole teaching style is actually pretty cool; the kids are more involved in class and have access to tons of info and videos to help them study.

I’m looking back at middle school again, and I don't recall being stuck in class for six hours every single day during 7th and 8th grade. Between core classes and electives, we were easily hitting seven or eight periods a day... right?
Also, I have zero memory of ever being tested in music class back in elementary school. I'm not sure what their curriculum looks like, but all we ever did was sing. As for art, we never had those sessions where you write an essay one hour and paint the next, though I've heard some schools out there do that.

I actually had my art grade reports and all those little art tests.
Well, starting from fifth grade, though even my little sister doesn't have her report cards in second grade anymore.
I went to school through seventh grade, although I had classes on Saturdays too—just for sixth and seventh grade before they eventually phased them out.

jadetinker85 said:Are you saying the subject is too demanding? Personally, I think kids in the upper grades are just overloaded. Just look at the exam schedules—once finals hit, it feels like there's a test every three days. Even electives and social studies classes have become way more intense than they used to be.

Well, if you feel like the schedule is packed and the curriculum is too much, why enroll in those extra classes in the first place? 😕

So, what does it mean that social studies and electives are harder now? Do you honestly think the Religious Education program used to be easier? I wouldn't say so.
Everything we study is classic, like the Bible (😬), and the content doesn't change just because a new administration takes office. The only thing that really shifts is whether you happen to get a professor who is more laid back or one who is more rigorous—which, let's face it, happens with any subject.
It also comes down to how interested the student is.
(Specifically regarding Religious Education, you have students whose parents live their faith and talk about the lessons at home, mixed in with parents who don't know much about it or simply don't discuss it with their kids. So, you end up with a classroom full of kids with totally different levels of background knowledge and interest 🤷)

Susan James said:Well, if you feel like the schedule is packed and the curriculum is too much, why enroll in those extra classes in the first place? 😕

So, what does it mean that social studies and electives are harder now? Do you honestly think the Religious Education program used to be easier? I wouldn't say so.
Everything we study is classic, like the Bible (😬), and the content doesn't change just because a new administration takes office. The only thing that really shifts is whether you happen to get a professor who is more laid back or one who is more rigorous—which, let's face it, happens with any subject.
It also comes down to how interested the student is.
(Specifically regarding Religious Education, you have students whose parents live their faith and talk about the lessons at home, mixed in with parents who don't know much about it or simply don't discuss it with their kids. So, you end up with a classroom full of kids with totally different levels of background knowledge and interest 🤷)

Back when I was in school, Religious Education happened at church. In Art, we just drew; in Music, we just sang. Honestly, I think things were easier for us than they are for kids today.
The only thing missing to complete the trifecta of misery is having to take written tests and oral exams in Physical Education. 🙄

jadetinker85 said:Back when I was in school, Religious Education happened at church. In Art, we just drew; in Music, we just sang. Honestly, I think things were easier for us than they are for kids today.
The only thing missing to complete the trifecta of misery is having to take written tests and oral exams in Physical Education. 🙄

In my experience, attending Religious Education at the church involved a ton of memorization.
We didn't get formal grades, but that definitely doesn't mean they weren't testing our knowledge!

Like I mentioned before, if you feel like studying Religious Education is too much work and you don't want them being quizzed on it, then just don't enroll them.
(Personally, I wouldn't sign my kid up for it, nor would I have them take a second language in school. 🤷)

We really had to grind through music theory class. There were plenty of oral exams, fewer written tests, and then finally that massive 8th-grade cumulative exam covering everything from the last five years. That should give you an idea of how tough it was. ☕