Dear Family, - RCL Benziger Family Life

Dear Family,
Your child has now completed the first two lessons of the RCL Benziger Family Life
Grade 5 program dealing with God’s gift of family. We have been exploring the
following concepts.
Family Ties
God created us to grow and to love and to be loved in families. Our families shape
and influence who we are. We all belong to a “family of families.” First of all, there is
the family we are born or adopted into. We also belong to the entire human family: we
are all brothers and sisters because we are all children of God. We are also members
of the Church, as Catholics, who share a common faith. Within the Church, we also
belong to a parish family, whose members come together to celebrate and heal and
help. Families come in many configurations. Each is unique and blessed by God. Yet
strong, healthy families share certain qualities. Ask your child to share with you some
of the qualities he or she has been learning.
Family Feelings
A house full of people means a house full of moods. And the moods of one family
member can affect the mood of another. Moods can change often, and if they do
not rule us, we can learn to work with our own moods and the moods of others.
Your child is learning that, most often, moods can be worked through with good, open
communication. Uncontrolled anger and frustration, for example, can lead to verbal
or physical violence. When this happens in a family, it is usually a sign of a serious
problem, and professional help should be sought immediately.
Thank you for your participation in Family Life.
Sincerely,
Family Life, © 2011 RCL Publishing LLC
You will find some helpful background on these topics and some ideas for family
dialogue and activities related to them in Parent Connection.
Dear Family,
Your fifth-grader has now completed lessons 3 and 4 of the RCL Benziger
Family Life program dealing with God’s gift of self. We have been exploring the
following concepts.
Communication
Honesty and respect are important in good communication. Respectful, open,
and honest communication is vital in forming and maintaining healthy family
relationships and adolescent friendships. Your child has been learning aspects
of good communication. Good communication is not merely the sharing of
information. It is a much more involving interchange based on truth and respect.
We explored specific ways to show respect, as well as ways to be a good listener.
Like most pre-adolescents, your child is probably quite exposed to messages in the
mass media. We have spent time discussing how to discern the worth of messages.
Underlying the entire lesson’s content was an emphasis on the importance of daily
communication with God.
Change
Basic to physical and emotional growth is a respect for the bodies and minds God
gave us. This care includes good nutrition, exercise, rest, and the avoidance of
abusive substances. Check your copy of Parent Connection for ideas to help you in
reinforcing these themes at home.
Thank you for your participation in Family Life.
Sincerely,
Family Life, © 2011 RCL Publishing LLC
Puberty is a time of rapid growth and development. Learning what to expect while
going through puberty helps your child handle the changes when they occur. Your
child has learned about male and female hormones and the parts they play while a
person is growing up. Emotional changes were also talked about and the fact that
emotions can be volatile during puberty.
Dear Family,
Your fifth-grader has now completed lessons 5 and 6 of the RCL Benziger
Family Life program dealing with God’s gift of life. We have been exploring the
following concepts and ideas.
New Life
Pope John Paul II described Catholic teaching about the sanctity of human life
as “the gospel of life.” He affirmed traditional Catholic teaching that all human
life is sacred from conception until death because all life is a gift from God. He
expressed the Church’s opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide, and
appealed for an end to the death penalty. Because human life is sacred, bringing
new life into the world is a great gift and responsibility. We have discussed in class
the importance of prenatal care, and the responsibilities of both the husband and
children during a woman’s pregnancy.
Because the topic of God’s gift of sexuality will be discussed in the next unit,
you may wish to discuss with your child the information found in the Human
Reproduction Level A booklet that accompanies this grade of the program. It treats
the male and female reproductive systems and God’s plan of married love and
procreation. These topics are best taught within the context of a loving family that
only you can provide. Also look to Parent Connection for more ideas on discussing
these concepts.
Part of God’s plan for human life is to create a safe and secure place for human life
to develop. That is the purpose of parenthood and of families. The physical and
emotional changes of adolescence prepare young people to become good parents
when they reach adulthood. It is God’s plan that most people find someone of
the complementary sex to love in the permanent and lifelong relationship called
marriage. In marriage, the gift of life can be shared and handed on to children. Both
fathers and mothers play important roles in God’s plan of creation.
Thank you for your continued participation in Family Life.
Sincerely,
Family Life, © 2011 RCL Publishing LLC
Parenthood
Dear Family,
Your fifth-grader has now completed lessons 7 and 8 of the RCL Benziger
Family Life program dealing with God’s gift of love. The following concepts and
ideas were covered. They are intended to reinforce the values you have shared with
your child around the theme of human sexuality and the virtue of chastity.
Friendship
Your child learned about the importance of friends, and that in friendship and
marriage the sexes complement each other. A loving family and good friendships
are vital factors in forming a young person’s self-identity and self-esteem. A young
person’s ability to establish loving friendships is part of the long-term preparation
for adult vocational commitments. Ask your child to share with you some of the
qualities of good friendships that we have discussed in class. Remind your child that
Jesus gave us two valuable aids for developing close friendships: the Golden Rule
and the two-fold Law of Love.
Marriage
Marriage is based on friendship and respect that grows into deep and lasting spousal
love. In marriage, joys and sorrows and love are shared. Not only married couples are
called to make loving choices. Your child has learned that he or she can make such
choices too. Talk at home about some practical ways to do so. Parent Connection
will offer you some ideas. If you have not already done so, you may wish to discuss
with your child the human sexuality themes in the Human Reproduction Level A
booklet that accompanies this grade level.
Sincerely,
Family Life, © 2011 RCL Publishing LLC
Thank you for your participation in Family Life.
Dear Family,
Your fifth-grader has now completed lessons 9 and 10 of the RCL Benziger
Family Life program dealing with God’s gift of community. The following concepts
and ideas were covered.
Supporting Families
Families, regardless of their shape or size, are the basic units of society. Therefore,
there is an inter-relationship among them. A family contributes to the good of
society, so society reaches out to help those families who cannot or do not
manage on their own. Families today encounter many challenges and difficulties
from homelessness and poverty to separation and divorce. When families are in
pain, the whole community suffers. The Church, the Family of God, serves and
supports families. As individuals, we follow this example and do what we can to
show we care.
A Caring World Family
God created the Earth for us and told us to be responsible for it. Earth’s resources
are for the good of all—not to be wasted and exploited. The U.S. Bishops, in a
letter to American Catholics written in 1986, made it clear that our action is
needed in four particular areas: food, natural resources, energy and poverty. We can
start right where we are with what we have to make the world a better place. Our
faith tells us that we can live in a way that is simple and directed toward others,
just as Jesus did. Discuss these important concepts together as a family, and
choose ways to respond to them.
Sincerely,
Family Life, © 2011 RCL Publishing LLC
We hope you and your child have enjoyed your participation in the Family Life
program, and that the program has helped to strengthen the bonds of your
Christian family.