Examples of parent letters

[Admin]

Here is an example from one of our 5th grade teachers:

Dear 5th grade Parents,
Praised be Jesus Christ! I will be doing some lessons coming up about the dignity of the human person created in God’s image and the importance of respecting both the human body and soul.
The diocesan education office is encouraging us to teach, beginning at the 5th grade level, on the dangers of pornography and what to do when they encounter it. This is a reality, and more and more children, at younger ages, are being exposed, most of the time accidentally, to pornography.

Most of what I’ll be teaching will be about love as a gift. I’ll also touch base on the following, taken from the Office of Religious Education curriculum:

• Pornography, or “porn,” is pictures or videos of people with little or no clothes on. It is different from paintings or other forms of art because it sees people as objects to be used instead of persons to be loved.  It does not respect the dignity of human persons or their bodies.
• Pornography is harmful to your brain and can actually become an addiction.  
• Our brains are very complex.  A good way to look at our brains is to consider it as having two main parts. Our "thinking brain” (i.e., prefrontal cortex) helps us make good decisions. Our "feeling brain” (i.e., limbic system) is responsible for our instincts and feelings of pleasure or pain.  
• When we see pornography our “feeling brain” releases a chemical causing it to overreact. When this occurs it's hard for the “thinking brain” to work well and realize how bad something is.
• To prevent addiction it is very important to use your "thinking" brain right away if you see or hear something inappropriate. This helps you to make healthy decisions.
• If you unintentionally come across pornography, whether it is on the internet, a phone or other device, it's not your fault, and you haven't broken a commandment.  Know that you are loved by our Lord and He is sorry that this happened to you.
• If this happens you should do the following:  
o Call it what it is. Say, "That is pornography" or "That is a bad picture."
o Turn it off or turn away.
o Talk to your mom, dad or a trusted adult so they can help you.
o Ask your parents to put a filter on all the electronic devices to which you have access so that you can have protection from these sites.
• If you have been exposed to pornography and have come back to it out of curiosity, it's not something you need to or should deal with on your own.  Don't be afraid.  If it happens God still loves you, and your parents still love you and want to help you. Bring it to Jesus' love and mercy in confession. Jesus will also give you the grace to tell a parent or another trusted adult what you have seen so that you can have help to stay pure and be healed of any harm that might have been done.  

I wanted to inform you in advance in case you have any questions or concerns for me. Also, your children may come home with questions, and I want you to know what they’re hearing. It is important that children can talk about this in a context of being loved.

In Christ’s love,

[Admin]

Please feel free to share other examples

[sr.mary-angela]

+JMJ+ August 17, 2017
Dear Parents:
I pray this note finds you well and ready for the new school year!
With this note, you should have a parent guide to a book called “Love & Life: A Christian Sexual Morality Guide for Teens.” This book was used as a reference for creating the new Theology of the Body Curriculum that will be implemented into 7th grade religion class this year, which I am very excited about! The curriculum (which spans grades K-8) was designed by the Office of Religious Education with the help of many parents, teachers, and administrators. The goal of the curriculum is to help parents and teachers address the issues we face in an over-sexualized culture, while keeping the material age-appropriate and faithful to Christ’s truth and charity. With this curriculum, we hope to help students understand themselves as God made them and understand His plan for their lives.
The reason you are receiving this parent guide is because you are the primary educators of your children. The teachings of Theology of the Body speak to the root of who we are as human persons and what we are made for, particularly in regards to our bodies. Simply put, some of these topics are best introduced by you, the parents, as you know your child best and have a lifetime to teach your child in much more rich and personal circumstances.
Since some of these topics may be daunting to discuss, this book will hopefully be a guide in navigating how to most accurately and prudently discuss these topics. The parent guide is a supplement to the student edition of this book that we will be using in class. The Office of Religious Education intends that what your child learns in class reinforces what they have already learned from you. It is encouraged that you review the student guide, so you have a solid grasp on what will be discussed in class and can present it to your child in the context of your family prior to the classroom work.
In conclusion, I ask that you prayerfully take a look at this parent guide and really discern how these topics may be best approached with your child. Every child is unique and learns in a unique way that can best be discerned through prayer. Perhaps you have already begun discussing some of these topics—excellent! There may be some information in the booklet that is still helpful in deepening that understanding.
Knowing that the students might not be particularly overjoyed at bringing this booklet to you, I would like to have a little bit of accountability and just ask that you sign and return the bottom part that I will know you have received it. Please return the signed portion by Friday, August 18th with your child, or you may send me a picture of the signed form or an email that you have received this letter. The guide you have is numbered and can be returned at any point before the end of the school year, so we can use them again. Knowing this, please try to keep the booklets in good condition. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. The curriculum is available online as well at http://www.lincolndiocese.org/curriculum-requirements/k-8-theology-of-the-body.
Thank you for all that you do! This is going to be a great school year!
In Christ through Mary,
Teacher Name
Teacher email address

Please return the bottom portion:
I have received the parent guide to “Love & Life: A Christian Sexual Morality Guide for Teens”.
Parent/Guardian signature: _________________________________________________
Questions/comments/concerns:

[sr.mary-angela]

Over the next few weeks we will be learning about some of Pope Saint John Paul ll’s Theology of the Body teaching in Religion at a first grade level! Below are listed the topics we will cover this week. Please look for religion updates of the other topics we will cover on the homework sheet in the coming weeks.
- God created Adam and Eve and all human beings in His image and likeness. Humans have a body and soul, unlike animals.
- The body reflects the soul to help us know what people are thinking or feeling (I can tell someone is happy or sad by the way they look or act).
- We need to respect our bodies and the bodies of others because they are a gift from God, and very good.
- If we see something that does not show respect for the body we should turn away and tell an adult right away (magazine, TV, tablet, phone, etc).

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