Are You Ready for Advent?

Advent is a great time to help your child grow in his or her faith.  In our home we do a lot of things during this season to help our children prepare for Christmas.  One of our family's favorite Advent resources is Holy Heroes Advent Adventure.  It's a free program that includes a Jesse Tree, coloring pages, cross word and word search puzzles and fun and informative videos that will teach your child a lot about our Catholic faith.    My children have done the Advent Adventure the past two years and are already looking forward to doing it again this year.  You can sign up to get the Advent Adventure Emails which will provide links to the daily videos.

New Mass Translation

In just two short weeks it will be the first Sunday in Advent and the new translation of the Roman Missal will go into effect.  The publisher of our religious education text book is offering a free download of the the new responses.  You can access this resource here.

To help prepare your child for the new changes Catholic Icing has come up with a free Mass booklet that you can also download.  This is a great way to help your children learn the new responses.

September 18th and 24th Classes

First off, I want to apologize for not updating the blog sooner.  I've been a bit preoccupied with preparing for our baby on the way and the school and extracurricular activities of my daughters.  I'm hoping to be able to update the blog on time going forward, but please be prepared to bear with me for the next month or two since I'll have a newborn sometime in the near future.

Our first week of class was a busy one.  We covered chapter 1, God Made All Things, in our textbook.  We discussed how God created the world and all the wonderful things in it, including us.
We made two crafts in class.  The first craft was the sign of the cross prayer magnet.  Please work with your child to teach him or her to make the sign of the cross.  We practiced this prayer several times during circle time.  The second craft we did was the creation wheel.  This neat little craft tells what God created during the first week.

During our circle time we prayed the sign of the cross and listened to a story about creation from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  I also introduced our class mascot, Flat Father Stanley.  Flat Father Stanley will be spending a week with each child in our class.  At the end of the year I will give each child a DVD with the story of Flat Father Stanley's adventures.

During our class on September 24th we covered chapter 2, God Gives Us Light, in our text book.  We discussed what wonderful gifts the sun, moon and stars are.  The children learned that God made these things because he loves us and cares for us.  The children also learned about St. Michael the Archangel who's feast day happens to be today.  I explained to the children that a feast day is a very special day in the church and is sort of like a birthday.

During circle time I read a story to the children entitled God Made the Angels.  The story tells the story of St. Michael the Archangel and the battle between the good angels who said they would love and serve God and the bad angels, or demons, who said they would not serve God.  The story also discussed how God created a guardian angel for each and every one of us.  To tie in with the story we made a guardian angel craft which features the Guardian Angel Prayer.   This lovely little prayer is one you could say with your child each night before bedtime.

I hope you are all having a great week.  If my new baby has not arrived by this Sunday I'll see you at our next class.  If I am not there this Sunday, Miss Kathy will be there in my place.

Welcome!

I'm thrilled that you have taken the time to check out the classroom blog resource I have compiled for your son or daughter's religious education class.  I would like to give you a brief overview of how this blog is set up and how you can use it to enrich your child's faith life.

First and foremost, I have set up this blog as a way of communicating what your child is learning in their religious education class with me each week.  Each  Sunday morning at 9AM I have the pleasure of teaching your child's Kindergarten religious education class.  I will blog about our Catholic Faith Adventures in each class once a week.  It is my hope that an account of the Sunday class will have a synopsis up on the blog by Wednesday at the latest.  In the very near future my family will be welcoming our baby, so please be patient with me if a few weeks go by where the blog isn't updated in a timely manner.

I have also provided a parents page filled with suggestions for enriching your child's faith formation.  Imparting the treasure of our Catholic faith to our children is one of our most important duties as parents.  It is my hope that I will be able to help you in doing so during the current school year.

Along the sidebar of this blog you will find links to various Catholic sites or products or resources.  Some of them are to Catholic storesand others are items that I either use in our classroom or use with my own children at home.  In the case of books, there may be a link to a review I have written on that particular book on my personal blog.

Third Grade-March 31st Class

This week our class covered chapter 22, We Continue the Work of Jesus, in our text book.  The children learned that Jesus Brings God's life and love to all people.  They learned that Jesus shared his mission with his disciples, and asked his Apostles to carry it on.  Ways in which the Church works for Justice and peace were also discussed.  And the children learned that we, as disciples of Jesus, are called to live out the gospel just as Jesus did.

This weeks' Rosary Mystery was the Third Glorious Mystery, the Descent of the Holy Spirit.  The children listened to a bible story that explained this mystery.  I wonder if any of the students pointed out to Mrs. Stefanelli that the Pentecost is the birthday of the Catholic Church.

This week's homework is the Project Disciple portion of the chapter on pages 192 and 193.

I was not in class this week as I had a concert to attend for my older daughter.  Mrs. Stefanelli was kind enough to substitute for me.  Thank you, Mrs. Stefanelli.  I appreciate your help.

I hope all of you have a great week.  I will see you next Thursday!

Third Grade-March 10th Class

This week we covered chapter 20, Lent, in our text book.  We discussed when Lent begins, how long it lasts, what the liturgical color for the season is, and what it leads up to.  We also talked about how Lent is a season where we fast, pray and give alms.  The children learned that Lent is a time to renew our baptismal promises, and that the sacraments of penance and Eucharist are important sacraments to receive during this season.

The students were given a Lenten calendar that works like a countdown to Easter.  Every day in Lent they can color one square purple (with the exception of the squares I had them color in advance with the correct liturgical color).

This weeks' homework was to complete the Project Disciple portion of the chapter, but we decided to complete the assignment in class much to the delight of the students.  Please have your child pray the Apostles' Creed each day.


Our rosary mystery for the week was the first glorious mystery, the Resurrection.

At the end of class we played a round of Lent and Easter trivia.  We will likely play this game throughout Lent.

If you are looking for a way to help your child learn more about Lent, please consider signing up for Holy Heroes Lenten Adventure.   It's free and your child will learn a lot about Lent.  I know I was surprised at how much my children learned from last year's Lenten Adventure.  Also, if your child signs up and completes the cross word or word search puzzles they count for extra credit stickers on their reward cards.

Hope you all have a great week.  See you next Thursday!

Kindergarten-March 6th Class

This week we covered two chapters in our text book, chapter 18, Jesus Teaches and Helps Us, and chapter 19, Jesus Wants Us to Love.  In chapter 18 the children learned that Jesus went many places and taught people about God and helped those in need.  In chapter 19 the children learned that Jesus wants us to show love to one another.   We talked about ways we can show others that we care about them.  We also discussed how we can pray to Jesus and ask Him to help those we love.

During circle time the children listened to the the chapter stories for both chapters.  First they listened to the story of the loaves and fishes and then they heard a story about St. John Bosco.  The children are doing very well with learning the Our Father and Hail Mary.  Please continue to work on these prayers with your child every day.

Our craft this week was a Jesus fish sun catcher.  The children were VERY quiet as they carefully strung the beads onto the pipe cleaner that became a Jesus fish.  When the job was done we had a classroom filled with very colorful Jesus fish sun catchers.

Since Lent began this week, the children were all given a cross with many different sections.  Each day they do a good deed during Lent, they can color in one section of the cross.  By Easter, the cross should look like a colorful stained glass window.

This week's homework is to pray the Hail Mary and Our Father every day.

I hope you all have a great week.  See you Sunday!

Third Grade-March 3rd Class

Tonight we covered chapter 16, Celebrating the Eucharist: The Mass, in our text book.  The students learned that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper and that we remember this important feast at every Mass.  The children learned that the Mass is both a meal and a sacrifice.  We also talked about ways in which we can participate in the Mass each week.  Some of the students pointed out that they can't participate if they're not there.  Very true, indeed!  

Our key words for this week are Passover, Eucharist, Mass, sacrifice and assembly.  All of these terms and their definitions should be underlined or highlighted in your child's book.  The students are responsible for knowing these terms.

This week's mystery of the rosary is the fifth sorrowful mystery, the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord.

This week's homework is to complete the Project Disciple portion of the chapter on pages 144 and 145.  I also asked the students to think about what they can sacrifice or give up for this Lent which starts on Wednesday.  Some of the children threw out suggestions like  younger siblings, school, religious education class and vegetables, but I told them that they should discuss what they want to give up with their parents.

I hope you all have a great week. Don't forget this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  Lent is just around the corner.  See you next Thursday.

Kindergarten-February 27th Class

This week we covered chapter 17, Jesus Grew Up in Nazareth, in our text book.  The class learned about how the Holy Family lived and how we can do some things just like they did.  For example, playing games, eating meals together, praying, and buying food.  The children also learned that just as they have a family to help them grow big and strong, Jesus also had a family who loved and cared for Him and helped Him to grow.

During circle time the children listened to two stories about Jesus' boyhood.  The first was the chapter booklet "Jesus in the Temple" which told the story of Jesus staying behind in the temple.  The second story was from the Catholic Bible Stories for Children book which told about life in Nazareth based on archeological findings.  We also listened to a story about Flat Father Stanley's latest adventure.  It turns out he's thinking about looking into pursuing Ninja lessons since he's already got the look.  Flat Father's adventures never cease to amuse us!  I'm convinced that he's quite the character.

This week's homework is to pray the Our Father and Hail Mary every day.  Each week at circle time it's evident that some of the children are working very hard at learning these prayers.  The class has made great progress.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.  I'll see you next Sunday!

Third Grade-February 17th and 24th classes

I apologize for the incredibly late posting on these two classes.  I've been a bit under the weather as of late and hadn't gotten around to blogging about the classes.

On February 17th we covered chapter 12, God Calls Us to Holiness, in our text book.   We discussed how God calls each and every one of us to a life of holiness.  The children learned about vocations.  We discussed the vocations of laypeople and those called to religious life.

Our key words for the chapter were: Vocation, laypeople, and vows.  Students are responsible for knowing these terms.

The homework for this class was the project disciple portion of the chapter on page 112 and 113.

Our rosary mystery for this week was the third sorrowful mystery, Jesus is crowned with thorns.

This past Thursday, February 24th, we covered chapter 15, We Celebrate the Sacraments, in our text book.  In this chapter we discussed the seven sacraments of the church.  We also took a brief look at sacramentals, such as the sign of the cross, holy water, religious statues, rosaries and crucifixes.  The children learned that the seven sacraments were instituted by Jesus.  These seven sacraments all fall into one of three groups: Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing and Sacraments of Service.

Our key words for this chapter are: sacrament, grace, Sacraments of Christian Initiation, Original Sin.  Students are responsible for knowing these terms and their meanings.

The homework for this week is the project disciple portion of the chapter on page 136 and 137.

Our rosary mystery for the week was the fourth sorrowful mystery, Jesus carries His cross.

This week the oldest child in the family was sent home with the Operation Rice Bowl packet that is to be utilized during Lent.  The poster and rice bowl are a great way to encourage your children to pray, fast and alms give during the Lenten season.

Hope you all have a great week.  I'll see you on Thursday!

Kindergarten-February 13th Class

This week we covered chapter 16, God the Father Gives Us Jesus, in our text book.  The class learned that God loves us so much that he gave us Jesus.  We discussed the many wonderful things God gives us, such as families, and friends.   We talked about the many ways that we can learn about Jesus.

During circle time the class listened to a little story that was a riddle.  Many of the children are doing a great job learning the Hail Mary and Our Father.

We did a Valentine craft this week that incorporated a Bible verse from 1Corinthians.  We also had a little surprise Valentine snack that was made by one of the members of the class.  We all enjoyed the yummy cookies.

I hope you all have a great two weeks.  Remember, our class will not meet again until February 27th.

Third Grade-February 10th Class

This week we covered chapter 11, The Parish Is Our Home, in the text book.  The students learned about some of the different ministries that our parish has.  We also discussed how the parish is our faith community.

Key words for this week are: parish, pastor, and deacon.  Students are responsible for knowing these words and their definitions.


This week's homework is to complete the Project Disciple activities on pages 104 and 105.

Our rosary mystery for the week was the second sorrowful mystery, the scourging at the pillar.  Students were given a coloring page representing this.

Hope you all have a great week.  See you Thursday!

Kindergarten-February 6th Class

This week we covered chapter 15, God Chooses Mary, in our text book.  The children learned in this chapter that God chose Mary to be Jesus's mother.  We discussed how Mary wanted to do what God wanted, and how she might have helped her own parents as a girl.

During circle time, the class listened to two stories about Mary.  The first story was from the little booklet that was part of the chapter.  The second story was about the Holy Family and was from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.

The children decorated Mary grotto crafts.  They all came out beautifully.

This week's homework is to pray the Hail Mary and the Our Father each day.

Hope you all have a great week.  See you Sunday!

Third Grade-February 3rd Class

This week we covered chapter 10, The Church Prays, in our text book.  The class learned about prayers of intercession, praise, petition, blessing and thanksgiving.  We talked about how Jesus taught the disciples the Our Father, and we prayed this prayer together. We discussed how we can pray together as a group, such as at Mass, or alone.

Our key words for this week are prayer, synagogue, liturgy and pilgrimages.  Everyone should have these keywords and their definitions highlighted in their text book.  Students are responsible for knowing these words and their definitions.

Our rosary mystery for this week was the first sorrowful mystery, the agony in the garden.  Students were given a coloring page that represents this mystery.

This week we played a game called Catholic Lingo Bingo from Arma Dei.  The bingo cards are pictures of sacramentals, things you would find at church, vestments, and people such as priests.  It's a fun game that teaches the kids a little about some items of which they might not know much.  For example, none of them knew what a monstrance was, but now they know it holds the Blessed Sacrament when it's exposed for Eucharistic Adoration.

This week's homework is to pray the Apostle's Creed daily and complete Project Disciple on pages 96 and 97.

Have a great week.  I'll see you next Thursday!

Kindergarten-January 30th Class

This week we covered chapter 12, We Learn About God with Our Friends.  In this chapter we talked about how friends are special gifts from God.  We discussed the many ways we can show our friend's God's love.  The chapter contained a few activities where the children looked at pictures to determine which sets of friends were making God happy by treating each other with kindness and which ones were not being kind.

During circle time the children listened to the conclusion of our story about the Blessed Mother from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  We also learned about St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Frances of Rome and St. Martin de Porres.

The children colored in book marks to share with friends and family members as a craft.

This week's homework is to continue praying the Our Father and Hail Mary every day.

I hope you all have a great week!  See you on Sunday.

Kindergarten-January 23rd Class

This week we covered chapter 11, We Learn About God with Our Families.   In this chapter we discussed the many ways we can discover God's world with our families.

During circle time the children listened to a story about our Blessed Mother from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  We also introduced a new prayer that we will say each week during our circle time, the Our Father.

The children decorated a cross magnet (very handy for holding prayers they are learning) for a craft.

The homework for this week is to pray the Hail Mary and the Our Father every day.

I hope you all have a lovely week.  I'll see you next Sunday.

Third Grade-January 20th Class

This week we covered chapter 9, The Church Teaches Us.  In this chapter the children learned that the Church is the Body of Christ and as baptized members of our faith, they are part of it.  We discussed the Apostles' Creed and what we are saying we believe when we say this prayer.  The class learned that the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit who guides the pope and the bishops who teach the truth about Jesus Christ through their words, writings, and actions.  We also discussed some of the Church's teaching that is known as Catholic social teaching.  The children learned about human rights and how we should treat everyone fairly and with respect.

Our key words for this week are Apostles' Creed and justice.  Students are responsible for learning the Apostles' Creed.  A copy of this prayer was sent home in October.

This week's decade of the rosary was the fifth luminous mystery, the institution of the Eucharist.  

This week's homework is the Project Disciple portion of the chapter found on pages 88 and 89.  Students do not have to do the Celebrate section.

I hope you all have a great week.  See you next Thursday!

Third Grade-January 13th Class

This week we covered chapter 8, The Church Has Four Marks, in our text book.  We talked about how Jesus chose St. Peter and the Apostles to lead the church.  Upon arrival at class, the students worked on a word find activity to find the names of the apostles.  We learned that the pope and the bishops are the successors of the Apostles.  We talked about how the bishops lead locals areas of the church called dioceses.  They also learned that the pope is the bishop of Rome and he along with the bishops, leads the whole Catholic Church.

I told the children that we are part of the Camden diocese and our bishop is Joseph Galante.  I let them know that if they listen closely at Mass, they will hear his name and the name of the Pope, Benedict XVI, mentioned during the Eucharistic prayer.  We also did a brief lesson on roman numerals as I explained how the XVI  in the Holy Father's name translates into 16.

We discussed the marks of the Church, namely, that it is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.  Each characteristic was explained, but I fear the anticipation of a four day weekend made it difficult for some of the class to focus on the fact that the word catholic meaning universal or open to all people, didn't mean the fun amusement park in Orlando, Fl.

Our key words for the week are: bishops, dioceses, pope, and marks of the Church

This week's decade of the Rosary was the fourth luminous mystery, the transfiguration.  I read the children the story of the transfiguration from The Rosary Comic Book.  Some of the students were rather surprised to learn that there is a comic book about the mysteries of the rosary.  It's a book that has been a favorite of my girls for the past year and a half and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in it.

To wrap up our class this week we played a game called Catholic Lingo Bingo which was sent to me to review by the publisher, Arma Dei (latin for Armor of God).  The class had a little difficulty playing the game because I absentmindedly forgot to bring the cards to call the pictures, but we managed to play it in spite of that.  The game is actually pretty cool because it teaches the children the names of items they see being used at Mass.  It's a great primer for any children who hope to be altar servers in the future.

This week's homework is the Project Disciple portion of the chapter found on pages 80 and 81.


I hope you all have a great weekend.  See you next week!

Kindergarten-January 9th Class

This week we covered chapter 10, God Helps Us to Discover, in our text book.  This chapter covered the five senses God gave us so we can discover and enjoy the world around us.  We did a couple of related activity sheets where we discussed what we might see, hear, smell, taste and feel at a carnival, and we also discussed and drew some of our favorite things to see, smell, and taste.

During circle time we listened to a short story about our senses which tied into the chapter for the week.  We also listened to a story about this week's gospel, the baptism of our Lord.  Children colored a search and find page that was related to this gospel reading when they arrived at class this morning.

Next week we do not have class.  Our class will meet again on January 23rd.  Until then, please have your child continue to pray the Hail Mary each day.  When we resume classes on the 23rd, we will begin learning the Our Father.

See you in two weeks!

Third Grade-January 6th

This week we covered chapter 7, Ordinary Time, in our text book.  We discussed how we learn about the life and teachings of Jesus during Ordinary Time.  We talked about how Ordinary Time is not only the longest season in the liturgical year, but is also the only one that is separated into two parts.

Our rosary mystery for this week was the third luminous mystery, Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God.  Students were sent home with a coloring page representing this mystery.

We had a small party after we completed the chapter and rosary.  While the class ate, we played Bible Trivia.

Homework for this week is page 70.


See you all next week!