Welcome to a new school year!

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 weekly.  It is my hope that an account of the Sunday class will have a synopsis up on the blog by Wednesday at the latest.  However, it's possible that some weeks the blog may not updated in a timely manner.  Life with a baby and two school aged kids can be unpredictable at times!  I will do my best to keep up with weekly class updates.

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. 

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

Kindergarten-December 12th Class

This week we covered chapter 8, God Made All People, in our text book.  We discussed how God made all of us and gave us a world filled with wonderful things to enjoy.  We talked about how God loves each and every one of us very much and how we should share God's love with others.

During circle time we discussed Flat Father Stanley's latest adventures.  He's been quite busy lately!  We also read two stories.  The first was the little booklet entitled "The People We See" and the second was a lovely book about the Christmas story called "The First Noel."

When circle time was finished, we worked on a little wreath craft that says "God Made All People."

The homework for this week is to pray the Hail Mary every day, and to complete the coloring page maze worksheet.

Next week we will have a small Christmas party during the second half of our class.  We will be covering chapter 14, Christmas, when we meet next week.

I hope you all have a lovely week.  See you next Sunday!

Kindergarten-December 5th Class

We had a craft filled class this past Sunday.  To start, we made Mary and Joseph stick puppets.  The puppets can be used to talk about Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem where baby Jesus was born.  The children were also given a St. Nicholas coloring page since St. Nicholas' feast day was this past Monday, December 6th.

We covered chapter 13, Advent, in our text book.  We talked about how Advent is a season of waiting and preparing our hearts for Jesus' coming.  We discussed ways that we can share and show others that we care.

During circle time we read the final installment of the story of St. Therese from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  We also read a short booklet about how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in the census. We discussed that baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

We concluded our class with an Advent wreath craft.  The children glued green tissue paper around the wreath to make leaves.  The children worked very hard to make their wreaths look just right.  I think they all came out looking beautiful.  To light the candles on this wreath simply pull the yellow tissue paper flame above the top of the tube.

This week's homework is to complete the Project Disciple activity on page 124 and to pray the Hail Mary every day.  Pretty soon we will start learning the Our Father.

Our next class is Sunday, December 12th.  See you then!

Kindergarten-November 14th and 21st Classes

I'm really sorry that I haven't updated about our class for the past two weeks.  Between illnesses in the family and all the craziness that comes with preparing for Thanksgiving and classroom Thanksgiving feasts and shows for my daughter's schools, I simply never got around to updating the blog.

On November 14th, we covered chapter 5, God Made the Animals, in our text book.  We talked about our favorite animals and how God wants us to care for all the wonderful animals he gave us.  We also listened to the story of Noah's Ark and colored a related coloring page.

During circle time we discussed Flat Father Stanley's latest adventures.  We also listened to the third installment of the story of St. Therese.

On November 21st, we covered chapter 6, The Church Year, in our text book.  We talked about all the ways we can celebrate God's love for us.  At the beginning of the class we colored a picture of the Blessed Mother holding a crowned infant Jesus and I told them about how the church was celebrating the solemnity of Christ the King that day.

During circle time we listened to the next installment of St. Therese's story from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series.  Once we were finished with circle time we began to work on our Thankful Turkey project.  The children made turkeys by tracing their hands and cutting it out.  Then we added four feathers that listed things they were thankful to God for.

There is no class on November 27th.  The homework is to pray the Hail Mary every day.  Pretty soon we will begin learning the Our Father.

Advent begins this Sunday, November 28th.  Check out this post for an excellent way to celebrate the season of Advent with your child.

Get Ready For Advent!

Advent starts tomorrow and it is the perfect time of year to teach your child the true meaning of Christmas.  I particularly love Advent because there are so many different activities you can do with your children to help them experience the richness of our faith.

Holy Heros is a company that offers Advent, Lenten and Summer Faith Adventures for free each year.  Last year was the first year that our family participated in any of Holy Heros adventures and I was incredibly impressed with how much my children learned from their programs.  I strongly encourage all of you to sign up for the Holy Heros Advent Adventure.  Don't worry if you come across this post a few days into Advent, you can still sign up.

A great thing about the Holy Heros Advent Adventure is that it is suitable for a wide age range.  It's perfect for preschoolers and school aged children.

Here's a video Holy Heros put together to tell you about the Advent Adventure.

Kindergarten-October 31st Class

This week we talked about All Saints Day in class.  The children colored an All Saints Day coloring page when they arrived at class.

We covered chapter 7, We Learn About Ordinary Time, in our textbook.  We talked about how those who shared God's love and did what He wanted them to do became saints.  We discussed the ways that people in our lives show their love for us and God, and we discussed the ways we can share Gods love with those around us.

During circle time we read a story about St. Joseph.  We also read the next installment of the story about St. Therese the Little flower.

We did a Halloween Jack O Lantern craft and finished our class with a little Halloween party when we were surprised with cupcakes.

This week's  homework is to continue praying the Hail Mary each day.

There is no class next week.  We will meet again for class on November 14th.  I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween.  See you in two weeks!

Kindergarten-October 24th Class

This week we covered the Child Safety Lures Prevention lesson during class.  We discussed as a class who are people we can trust.  We talked about some ways in which strangers may try to lure children and how to think first and stay safe.  Everyone was sent home with a coloring page packet that covers the main ideas that were covered in this lesson.

Check your child's folder for the Thanksgiving food collection sheet that was sent out by the religious education office. Starting the week of November 1st, your child may bring in canned goods and non-perishables to help the needy in our community.

This week's homework is to pray the Hail Mary daily.  I'm hoping that everyone will know this prayer by December so we can start learning the Our Father.  If your child says this prayer with you once a day he or she will pick it up very quickly.

Kindergarten-October 17th Class

This week we covered chapter 4, God Gives Us the Land, in our text book.  We talked about all the wonderful things that fill the earth from flowers and trees to mountains and oceans.

When students arrived at class this week we began working on a craft project that had a nice autumn feel to it.  While the students colored the little wreath that says "God, thank you" we discussed that God likes it when we thank Him for the many blessings he gives us.  I also read the children the story of the Ten Lepers from the book Catholic Bible Stories for Children.  This was the same story from the gospel at Sunday Mass the week before (October 10th).

During circle time we read two stories.  The first was about St. Rose of Lima and the second was the first installment of a story about St. Therese the little flower from The Catholic Children's Treasure Box Series.  We also listened to the story of Flat Father Stanley's adventures with another member of our class.  On his last adventure Flat Fr. got to go to Mass (He was thrilled!), decorated a house for Halloween and even got to play on a playground.  He had a great week and is now off on yet another adventure.  We also prayed the Sign of the Cross and the Hail Mary.  Keep working on those prayers with your children.  They're getting closer to knowing it by heart each week.

Homework this week is the cut and paste activity sheet that you will find on the left hand side of your child's folder.  Also note that a revised calendar is in the folder, as well.

Next week we will be presenting the Child Lures Prevention Class, Think First and Stay Safe during class.  A letter regarding this class was sent home with your child the week of October 3rd.

See you all next week!

Kindergarten-October 3rd Class

This week we covered chapter 3, God Gives Us Water, in class.  We talked about how water feels, the ways we use it, and where we can find it.  We talked about how water is a wonderful gift from God.

At the start of class we listened to a bible story about Noah and his ark.

During circle time we discussed some of the ways we experience God's gift of water in nature (snow, rain, and the ocean).  We listened to the story and looked at the pictures from Flat Father Stanley's first adventure.  Then we concluded our circle time by saying the Hail Mary.

This week our class merged with the kindergarten class from room 1B so we have more friends which means more fun!

Homework for the next two weeks is to continue learning the Sign of the Cross and Hail Mary.  


Please note that our class does not meet again until October 17th.   

Kindergarten-September 26th Class

We had a great time in class today.  We colored a picture of St. Michael the Archangel and listened to a story about him from Catholic Children's Treasure Box Series #18.  The story told us about how God made all the angels and it described the battle between the good and bad angels led by St. Michael the Archangel.  The children were told that St. Michael the Archangel's feast day this Wednesday, September 29th.  If you'd like, you can click on the links and find craft ideas and coloring sheets.

We covered chapter 2, God Gives Us Light in our We Believe textbook.  We discussed how God loves us so much that he made the sun and moon to light our world.  We drew pictures in our books to show our favorite ways to enjoy the sun and the moon.  While we colored a worksheet about how God's gifts of the sun and rain create a rainbow, we listened to and sang a song thanking God for the sun and the moon.  In our Project Disciple portion of the class (page 34 in the textbook), we identified the things that give us light.

During circle time we listened to a story entitled "God Made the World" from the Catholic Children's Treasure Box series #19.  We learned that God made the world out of nothing so that we could enjoy it and all the wonderful things he gives us.  Afterwards, we prayed the Sign of the Cross and the Hail Mary together.  Flat Father Stanley chose his first friend of the year to visit.  We look forward to hearing all about his adventure during circle time next week.

We made a Jesus fish craft at the end of the class.  It was a fun little project for everyone.

Homework: Check your child's folder for this week's coloring pages and homework. Our homework is a coloring page that ties into what we learned in our textbook this week.  You will also find two brightly colored prayer cards paper clipped into your child's folder.  Please pray the Sign of the Cross and the Hail Mary with your child each day so he or she can learn these prayers.

This week's homework.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.  I look forward to seeing everyone in class next Sunday.  Our class is truly a delightful bunch of kids.  It is a pleasure to teach them!

Kindergarten-September 19th Class

Our first week of class was a lot of fun.  We had a lot of fun learning about each other and learning about God.  We covered the first chapter in our book and learned that God made the world.  We discussed all of the wonderful things God made for us.

Each week during class your child will have a coloring page that is related to the lesson or a story that will be told in class.  This week, we colored a picture of God's name and listened to two stories about God's creation of the world.

During circle time the class met our class mascot, Flat Father Stanley.  Flat Father Stanley likes to go on adventures and starting next week he will go home with someone in the class for one week.  When he is visiting with each family I ask that you take some pictures and write a paragraph or two to tell us about his week.  We will discuss his adventures during circle time.  At the end of the year everyone will get a DVD with the story of his adventures.  Because our class is so small, I anticipate Flat Father Stanley going home with everyone for two one week visits.  His travels will be spread out over the school year.

Each child was sent home with a blue folder and their workbook.  Please make sure your child comes to class each week with his or her folder, workbook and a pencil.  This week your child's folder should have contained the coloring sheet of the week, a welcome letter and a getting to know you survey.  Please fill out the survey and return it to me next week.

During next week's class I will be sending home a copy of the Hail Mary.  Each week during circle time we will be saying this prayer.  Over the next few months we will be working on learning the Hail Mary and becoming familiar with making the sign of the cross before and after we pray.  The best way for your child to learn this prayer is to say it with him or her every day.  In class I will say a line and have the class repeat after me until they are comfortable with saying it on their own.

I look forward to seeing you all next week.  Have a great week!