The Diocese of Amarillo is offering the Safe Environment Program for Children and Young People titled: “Right Relationships” to all of our parishes. This program was developed by the Office of Safe Environment of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who generously gave us permission to use this program. “Right Relationships" promotes and models safe environment principles and teaches children to recognize and respond to relationships that are not "right."
The Safe Environment Office is offering this program on a trial bases and will seek your input as to the viability of “Right Relationships” as part of our Safe Environment curriculum. Next year two new components will be added to the curriculum to ensure minimal repetition of lessons and a broader approach to ensuring our children are in “Right Relationships” at all times and in all places.
“Right Relationship’s” lesson plans are fairly easy to follow. The curriculum is interactive between the catechist and those students present. It requires following the lesson plan and specifically the designated “CORE” lesson and supplementing it with any additional lessons that might be therein.
Both “CORE” lesson plans, “Know the Rules” and “Rules & Boundaries” are to be used jointly. They can be adapted to the particular circumstances of the classroom. For instance if during the first class session, the teacher covered basic classroom etiquette, then that portion of the “V. Establishment of Classroom Rules” can be modified or eliminated but must include the basic CORE guidelines of “VII. Code of Conduct.”
Each program has the Spanish Language “CORE” component. Age and grade level appropriate materials, handouts, instructions, dialogue, etc., are available on the Amarillo Diocese’s website under the Safe Environment: www.amarillodiocese.org. Simply run copies of whatever forms are needed for your particular class.
It is the Policy of the Diocese of Amarillo that every child and minor entered in diocesan/parish programs attends Safe Environment Training annually. This must be documented on the “Student Attendance Sheet – Safe Environment Training” and the “Parish Training Report” and forwarded to the Safe Environment Office, 1800 North Spring Street, Amarillo, TX79107, by November 15th and supplemented with additional reports as needed by the parish to ensure full compliance.
Parents who Opt-out must sign the Opt-out form. These parents will be offered the age appropriate safe environment materials for their child. The signed Opt-out forms will be sent with the parish Safe Environment Reports to the Diocesan Safe Environment Office.
The alternative to “Right Relationships” is to continue utilizing the curriculum previously supplied by the Safe Environment Office.
Thank you for your past participation in the Safe Environment Program and we ask for your continued support as we implement this curriculum in your parishes and/or schools.
Dcn. Blaine Westlake Director of the Safe Environment Office,
Diocese of Amarillo
August 30, 2011