HMKids

HMKids is open to students in grades 1-6 who do not attend a parochial school. We mainstream special needs children in our classes. Depending on the child’s need, a parent may be asked to assist in the classroom.

The faith development process for children involves:

  • Participation in parish life, particularly weekly attendance at the weekend liturgy
  • Participation in weekly classes as designated by the HMKids office
  • Faith formation at home, aided by the materials provided in the textbook
  • Participation in enrichment opportunities for children and parents
  • Service

HMKids at Holy Martyrs teaches the basic knowledge and beliefs of the Catholic faith and works along with parents to instill Catholic values in every child. It also prepares students for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.

Registration is done in the summer, with classes starting each fall.

Tuition is as follows:

1st child $85.00       2nd child $65.00       3rd child $50.00        Family Max $200.00

Grade 2:  $35.00 Sacrament fee for five sacrament preparation books and materials.

Grade 8:  $45.00 Sacrament fee for speakers, retreats and journals.

Religious Education

The mission of our Parish School of Religion is to lead children to Jesus to help them know the Lord in their hearts. We welcome all families to our program, and support and assist parents in their vital role in handing on our Catholic faith.

HMKids Registration is done online. Parents will receive an email by July 15th with a registration link.

HMKids Home School (for grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) Please contact Diane Bruce in the Religious Education Office.  There is no Home School available for sacrament years 2 & 8.

Journey for Children (Non-baptized and uncatechized children in grades 3-8) Meet on Mondays from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR CONFIRMATION

Confirmation Rehearsal: Sunday, Sept. 29 at 12:45 p.m. in Martyrs Hall

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Plan to receive one to two weeks before Confirmation. For materials to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, look in the back of your journal.

Confirmation Date: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. in Martyrs Hall. Mass is at 2:00 p.m.

VIRTUS

All adults working with children at Holy Martyrs Church are required to complete a training program incorporating the VIRTUS workshop. VIRTUS focuses on educating teachers, parents, and other adults who interact with children about sexual abuse and providing them with information to help prevent abuse. This takes place in “awareness sessions” led by trained facilitators. The awareness sessions consist of videos, worksheets, and discussions. The VIRTUS workshop empowers people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church.

VIRTUS Sessions  Choose one: 

  • August 19, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. in Pfeiffer B
  • August 22, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in Pfeiffer B

Online Registration required at  www.virtus.org

Start by clicking First-time Registrant and then click Begin the Registration Process or call the HMKids Office at 330-952-1466

Click here to find all the needed documents required for VIRTUS.

 

SERVICE PROJECT IDEAS FOR FAMILIES

  1. Donut Sunday following each Sunday Mass
  2. Make Valentines for Senior Citizens and deliver to an area Nursing Home.
  3. Donate kids’ craft kits to a local children’s hospital. Call ahead to ensure a contact person.
  4. Organize a board game night at your local nursing home. Gather your friends and favorite classic games, and plan a fun afternoon. Talk with the Director prior to the event.
  5. Decorate placemats for the Friendship Meal.
  6. Make a no-sew fleece blanket for a child in need through Project Linus, (look online.)
  7. Organize a food drive in your neighborhood and bring the items to the Ministry of Assistance food pantry at Holy Martyrs.
  8. Babysit for couples taking part in Discovering Christ.
  9. Take part in preparing the Friendship Meal at Holy Martyrs and/or serving the meal at La Sagrada Familia.
  10. Have a garage sale or lemonade stand for your favorite cause.
  11. Pack up a backpack of school supplies for a child in need.
  12. Bring gently used board games and decks of cards to a local homeless shelter.
  13. Put on gloves and pick up litter at your local park.
  14. Collect DVDs and videogames you no longer use/watch and donate them to a Children’s Hospital for patients.
  15. Volunteer at an animal shelter– play with the dogs and cats, help to brush them, and clean up after them.
  16. Stuff warm socks with snacks and fruit to pass out to people who are homeless.
  17. Secretly rake leaves or shovel snow for a neighbor in need.
  18. Make sure your school is recycling– talk to your city hall to get recycling bins for all of the classrooms and make posters to explain what materials can be recycled.
  19. Hold a “dog wash” to raise money for a local animal shelter.
  20. Volunteer to read letters or the newspaper to residents in nursing homes.
  21. Collect used sporting equipment and donate to communities that do not have access (such as Level the Playing Field to help kids in the US or IAYS that works with the Peace Corps to deliver worldwide).
  22. Grow extra fruit and vegetables in your garden to donate to a food bank.
  23. Hold a spa day at a nearby nursing home for residents: paint their nails and do their hair and make-up.
  24. Donate your gently used stuffed animals to a local firehouse or police station to give to children in emergencies.
  25. Find out when the next sporting event is for your local Special Olympics teams, and go there as cheerleaders for the participants with signs, balloons, and noisemakers.
  26. Make a “New Student” guide to your town that includes your favorite parks, a map of the neighborhood, and fun things to do.
  27. Plant a garden or tree that your school or neighborhood can enjoy.
  28. Host a shoe-cutting party for Sole Hope! With your old jeans, help make shoes for kids in Uganda, so they are not affected by painful jiggers! solehope.org/category/shoe-cutting-party/
  29. Search your closet to find items in good condition that you’ve outgrown or don’t use anymore. Take them to your local Goodwill or shelter. Your school may also collect clothing or other items for needy students. Ask if the organization needs volunteers to sort or distribute donations.
  30. During the holiday season, see if local stores have lay-away plans that allow customers to pay for purchases over several weeks. Be a secret Santa and pay off someone’s holiday gift balance.
  31. For your next birthday, ask that people give donations to a charity of your choice instead of gifts.
  32. Send a package or cards to deployed troops, veterans, wounded soldiers or first-responders through organizations such as Operation Gratitude.
  33. Create your own campaign or join one through DoSomething.org. You can choose the cause, the amount of time you have available and the type of service in which you want to participate (donations, face-to-face, events, taking a stand, etc.).
  34. Collect children’s books and other reading materials for shelters, libraries and schools, then ask if they need volunteer readers.
  35. Offer to rake leaves, shovel the walk or do housework for someone in need.
  36. Donate homemade blankets to people in need. Many knitting shops, religious organizations and libraries have charitable knitting groups.
  37. Invite your friends and hold a bake sale for your favorite charity. Or, see what you can create to sell at a local craft fair.
  38. Sing or play music at local shelters or senior organizations.
  39. Run or walk in an event like Race for the Cure or Relay for Life.
  40. Sign up to help with registration, water stops, setup, cleanup and other administrative tasks before a race event.
  41. Participate in a cleanup day at a local beach, trail, waterway or park.
  42. March for a cause or organize your own march.
  43. Organize or participate in a sleep-out. Experience the difficulties that homeless people face every day while raising money and awareness for homeless or at-risk youth. Covenant House Sleep Out provides online tools to help you plan.
  44. Ask at your library to see if volunteers are needed for after-school clubs or children’s book groups.
  45. Work with special-needs kids or adults through an organization such as Best Buddies, The Friendship Circle or Special Olympics.
  46. Read or help with crafts at an elder-care facility.
  47. Help an environmental organization with water testing, trail maintenance and animal management.
  48. Grow flowers and deliver them to nursing homes or donate fresh vegetables to a food bank.
  49. Collect clothing/hygiene supplies/toys/paper products/blankets to give to a shelter
  50. Cook casseroles to be served at an area Soup Kitchen
  51. Inspect and sort canned food in the food pantry
  52. Make sandwiches and bag lunches for homeless children or a shelter
  53. Organize snacks for walkers during fundraising events
  54. Clean fresh produce for food pantries
  55. Conduct toiletry, mitten, or book drives
  56. Sponsor a birthday party for a needy child
  57. Participate in a Walk or Run and gather pledges to raise funds for food banks and pantries
  58. Make fleece tie blankets
  59. Adopt a family – give gifts anonymously or holiday gifts
  60. Work, plant, water, weed and/or harvest in a community garden
  61. Plan a meal, purchase ingredients, and prepare food for a small family in transitional housing
  62. Make pillows, cards, games, or stuffed toys for children who are sick in the hospital
  63. Collect items to make baby bags for poor mothers who recently had a baby (diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers, burp rags, formula, baby food, etc.)
  64. Hold clothing drives and donate clothes to those in need
  65. Repaint or rebuild playground equipment
  66. Play basketball or other sports with children in need
  67. Conduct a fundraiser to help send a child to summer camp
  68. Make care packages (i.e. sunscreen, stationery) for children at camp
  69. Write letters to or for sick children
  70. Organize a teddy bear drive
  71. Have a “senior” prom at a nursing home
  72. Have a talent show or musical program for residents at a nursing home
  73. Organize a Bingo evening or game night at a nursing home
  74. Help an elderly couple with yardwork.
  75. Have puppet shows at a nursing home
  76. Make decorations for residents’ nursing home rooms
  77. Clip coupons for seniors who are on a tight budget
  78. Listen to stories and memories about an elderly person’s life.
  79. Label an elderly person’s pictures to preserve memories of people and places (using acid-free materials)
  80. Play board games with nursing home residents
  81. Perform a play for nursing home residents
  82. Read a book or the newspaper to an elderly person
  83. Make lap blankets for a nursing home
  84. Help run an event or cheer and support athletes for the Special Olympics
  85. Do a Walk or Run to educate and raise money for cancer research (or another important disease)
  86. Grant “wishes” for children who are sick
  87. Deliver or serve meals to people who are bedridden or their families
  88. Make food for families with relatives in the hospital
  89. Clean up litter on the street or in a park
  90. Weed in a cemetery or park
  91. Work on a community garden or farm
  92. Help with a yard sale, bake sale or lemonade stand and donate the money you earn to an animal organization
  93. Make items, such as magnets, scarves, or other special animal artwork that you can sell, and donate the proceeds to animals in need
  94. Protect habitats for endangered animals
  95. Make a birdbath or birdhouse
  96. Walk or run to raise money for animals
  97. Collect books throughout the year to donate to local homeless shelters or children’s hospitals. Or collect used books and resell them to generate profits for charity.
  98. Collect newspapers, old towels and blankets, and pet food donations for a local animal shelter.
  99. Coordinate a charity walk at the local high school’s track.
  100. Donate a Birthday Box of cake mix, frosting, candles and toys to a local food pantry for those families in need of a birthday cake.
  101. Write/draw pictures for the veterans at the VA hospital.
  102. Go Fund Me account for Alex in El Salvador (see Diane Bruce)