I use the God With Us series along with some OCEC and EC Pub. materials at home with my children. As we are priest-less at the moment (pray for us to get a priest soon) it has been decided to regularize a lot of our church activities.

One of the more notable changes is using the God With Us series after the liturgy with the parish's children. Do most parishes have "Sunday school" and how is it implemented? We are a parish with a lot of kids in terms of ratio (adult:children) but not so many that we can have a class for every grade level. I'd like to be supportive of the new plan, but I'd like to do it intelligently. Thoughts?

The ECDD actually gives guidelines:
http://www.ecdd.org/index.php?pr=Multi-grade_Guidelines

But having been involved with ECF for 11 years now I would not combine more than two classes except for high school (which I think everybody across the board combines if they have a class for them at all) if you can help it. I recommend the following schema:

Pre-School/Kindergarten
1st/2nd Grade
3rd/4th Grade
5/6th Grade
7/8th Grade
High School

If you absolutely had to combine more I would not combine more than three and I recommend the following schema:

Pre-School
Kindergarten/1st/2nd Grade
3rd/4th/5th Grade
6th/7th/8th Grade
High School

Fr. Deacon Lance

Fr. Deacon Lance, lays out a good format.

The combination of grades here may change according to the numbers. Some age groups are really large and would not be practical to combine simply because of the numbers and not getting the individual discussion time needed. I think in recent years we are averaging about 150 kids. We have at least two teachers with each class, and usually three with the younger ones.

We have the ECCD while Orthros is being sung on the Sunday morning. Then once a month, the kids come over early - a half hour - to particpate in Orthros. The classes are 1 1/2 hours long.

If they are not staying for DL, they must be picked up inside the Church by their parents. NO exceptions!

Also, at Christmas and Pascha, Father sets a schedule to hear their confessions prior to the feast itself. Of course a play is done and party held on the Feast of St. Nicolas (or close by). At the end of the year we have a picnic, and the kids with - what is called perfect attendance - receive feastal icons at end of DL. The others receive certificates.

Anyway this might help.
http://www.melkite.org/OES.htm