Senior Religion: Course Syllabus

Ms. McDermott

Contact Me:

Email: mmcdermott@ndsion.edu

I am available 4th hour Senior Study in Room 104 everyday.

Available by appointment in the Religion Office (trailer outside the library).

Drop in anytime, I am there all the time unless as follows:

I teach 2nd and 4th in 104 (The art room). 

Lunch Duty: Mon and Fri Senior Lunch. 

Study Hall:  Monday Rm. 104 3rd hr.

Overview:

Welcome to Senior Religion. This course provides a synthesis of the previous three years of religion at Notre Dame de Sion.  The course is intended to complement the Senior Service Project required for graduation. As the mission of the Congregation of Our Lady of Sion states in their Explicit School Curriculum:  “The students are to develop a mature understanding of the Christian concepts of stewardship and social responsibility…identify ethical issues…and do critical analysis through guided faith reflections and social analysis as a basis for leadership in systematic change.” Senior Religion is intended to guide and challenge the students in this process.

Assessment:

 The main method of evaluation will be written journal questions, and essays, both in and out of class.  We will also have quizzes over the readings and lectures.  There will be discussions, and other subject material such as guest speakers or films.  Additionally, there will be homework to help guide the reflective and critical thinking process over the readings.

 Participation will be a large factor in evaluating a students progress in this course. For example, participation in prayer, watching films, or Field trips will be given participation points. Points will be deducted from the participation grade for doing other work in class, and distracting from large or small group discussion. 

There will be a large semester long assigment given, that will carry heavy weight at the end of the semester.

Be in uniform, and leave food outside. 

Class Policies:

You will get out of this class and your senior service project what you put into it. Life is kind of like that.

• Absent:  If you are absent for any reason, sick or sports events, etc., it is entirely your responsibility to make up the assignments and work that was missed. Check the website or ask me. You are a senior, I will not chase you down. If you know you are going to be gone for a college visit, sporting event, etc, I am sure you know in your mature experience that its better to plan ahead and get things ahead of time.

• Late assignments:  Late assignments will be accepted with a grade reduction for each day late. I will enter them as a ZERO in POWERSCHOOL so you are aware of your grade without that assignement.  My class has VERY FEW assignments. If you skip one, the zero weighs your grades down heavily. I want you to be aware of that. The zero and grade will stand after mid-quarter and quarter deadlines. 

• In class work time:  I highly value the work time we have in class. I will allocate days for in class silent reading and journal reflections. You many not do other work during this time.  I give you time in class so you can read slowly (:0) and reflectively, taking in the words, turning over their meaning to you, and applying your life and faith experiences in order to critically evaluate the theological themes we are covering. Its not the time to read as FAST as possible, but to ready as DEEPLY as possible. So I know you are busy seniors. So I am smart. I give you time IN CLASS to do this. (or at least to get started).  Use it! Even if you are feeling spacey, tired, dont want too, I have heard it all.  It will be a practice of self discipline. A skill that comes in handy in life.

• In class films:  In class films are chosen carefully for their artisitc delivery of complex faith themes, and ability to communicate the human experience. I value them as an experiential learning tool. If you miss a day of a film, you will be responsible for reviewing that section of the film. I am happy to loan you my copy.   You will be responsible for the entireity of the film. It is not time to sleep. It is time to enjoy engaging in art, and the study of the human faith experience.

• In class prayer: Prayer time is a valuable part of our day, intended to ground and center us. Please do not ask to "skip" prayer because you are too stressed out and want to study instead.  I will tell you thats exactly why you need to pray. You will do better on your test after 30 min of quiet time than 30 min of frantic cramming. If you ask to "skip" prayer to make up a test, I will also tell you  no. Hiding your calc notes under the prayer cushion is also a excercize in futility. No, I dont know yet where we will pray since the chapel is mia this semester. But I am creative and I am working on it.

• Plagiarism:  Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form.  It will result in a zero for the assignment, and notification of the parents, deans and principal.

• Materials:  This class does not have a text. Therefore, there will be LOTS of handouts. You will need a three ring binder to keep your readings and assignments and journals. This is highly recommended, as many assignments are long term assignments.  You will need paper you can write on and turn in for your journals and in class essays. NO RIPPED OUT SPIRIAL EDGES. They will not be accepted. You will need something to write with! This is your first homework assignment! Bring a Religion Binder to class!

• Out of class essay assignments:  MUST be typed or they will not be accepted. 1 inch margins. 12 point font..

• Do not do other work in this class during lesson time:  It is rude, disrespectful of the class, and demonstrates poor time management.  I will warn you once, and then I will take the material and give it to the teacher of that class.  If it is other reading material, such as Cosmo, etc. I will take it and throw it away. I recognize that students work at different paces, so once you have completed all the work for my class and the lesson is over, then you are free to work on other Sion homework or projects.

• Cell Phone Policy:  Refrain (!) from using them in the classroom. If I see or hear them, I will take them and turn them into the front office. You will receive a pink slip. Please just turn them off or dont bring them.

• Class Calendar of Events and Scheduling: will be updated online and posted in the classroom. 

 Content Areas:  Due to the nature of the course, this is an open calendar, guaranteed to change based on class opportunities and class needs.  Some of the areas we plan on covering:

AUGUST- BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER:

Senior Service Projects: Individual interviews. Readings and journaling on service

Spiritual Journey:

Introduction: Spiritual Journey Binder: Semester Long Project: Presented to class and turned the last week of the semester. This constitutes a major part of the grade for this course.

Life time lines assignment.

Readings and journaling on growth in the spiritual life

Friday Prayer:

Use of chapel for meditation, prayer, guided reflection and silence throughout the semester. 

Guest Teacher:  Sr. Suzanne Fitzmorris, OSB.  Vocations Director at Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, KS.   

Aug 26th- Ms. McDermott gone for Freshman retreat

SEPTEMBER- THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER:

Sion’s Mission: Celebrate with with Judaism and Islam:

Understanding Nostra Aetate: In Our Time, 1965 Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.

Planning a Field trip to Beth Torah, Rabbi Vered Harris, R.J.E. Tentative for Sept. 24th.

Film: Ushpizin.  A lesson on Sukkot, and welcoming the stranger.

.

Ms. McDermott gone for Sophomore retreat Sept 28

Library Unit on understanding Islam and Ramadan 

Possible Guest Speaker/Presentation from the Islamic School

Catholic Social Teaching:  Sensitivity to the Marginalized and Poor: 

Guest Speaker: Rita Flynn, Director of Catholic Charities Turn Around Program

Death Penalty

                                    Film: Dead Man Walking

                                    Research and Position Paper on the Death Penalty.

Economic/Social Justice Issues

                                    Read excerpts from Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America.

                                    Pope John Paul II Readings on Consumerism and Materialism

                                   Spending Journals

OCTOBER :

Senior Service Project Analysis and Proposal Due October 5, 2010.  Work time in the library provided prior to due date. YOU MAY TURN THEM IN AT ANY TIME BEFORE AS WELL to mmcdermott@ndsion.edu.

KAIROS Retreat October 6-8.  Class Policy:  This religion class supports developing a mature faith through taking the time to know oneself, God and others in community.  The students experience on Kairos is intended to be time away, “Gods Time,” a special retreat for seniors, lead by seniors, that supports the growth of faith.  In support of students participation in Kairos, there is no makeup work on Kairos for students who choose to attend.  For the students who stay at Sion that week, we will use the week to develop our theme of spiritual journey, and we choose a film to watch and discuss .

NOVEMBER:

Sexuality:  Incarnate/Embodied  love and spirituality:

Kathleen Fischer’s “Incarnate Spirituality.”

                  Letters to God

                  Dating Bill of Rights

Healthy Relationships: Preventing Date Rape and Dating Violence:

Guest Speaker from MOCSA: (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault)

Guest Speaker from Health Department

Alcohol Awareness Unit

Thanksgiving Prayer and Thanksgiving Break

Work on Spiritual Journals in Class

Check in on Senior Service Project Progress

DECEMBER:

Spiritual Journal Presentations

Closing Prayer / Christmas Reflection