Recap from the CGS Atrium, 10/2/16

Hello parents!

We were together for the first time as a full group today -- so nice to see so many familiar faces!  I know that the catechists, junior helpers and I really missed the children over the summer!

Today we continued to work on "grace and courtesy" lessons.  Our junior helpers did a wonderful job of demonstrating certain skills we always use in the atrium, such as:

- How to speak softly (we strive to only use soft tones in the atrium)

- How to form a line (we form a line to go over to our prayer room)

- How to sit on the carpet during prayer time

- How to throw away our hand wipes (they all receive hand wipes after prayer and before snack) 

Very soon, I will begin bringing out individual works.  But before we do that, we wanted to show the children how to designate their work space, using a rug or a tray.  So we demonstrated carrying a rug, unrolling a rug, putting our work on the rug, rolling up the rug and then returning it to the rug container.  Then we broke up into small groups and practiced these skills.

Finally, we learned how to carry and set up a breakfast tray (we use breakfast trays for work that requires drawing or writing, since it is difficult to write or draw on a rug.)   Right now, we have four breakfast trays that the children share, but eventually we will replace these with small portable work desks that high school sophomore Kevin Walsh is making for us as part of his Boy Scout Eagle project.   Then, we will have many more work surfaces for writing and drawing! 

Ms. Christy played the silence game with us, then it was time to practice walking on the line.  Such a simple exercise, but a vital one to use when learning to process correctly!  Right now, we sing a song "we are walking on the line" while we walk, but soon, we will switch to the song "Christ is Light."  We will also begin carrying a small processional cross.  Then, our next step will be to sing and carry the cross into our prayer room.  The children really love this activity; they love imitating what they see Father do every week when he comes into the church!

Ms Christy also led us in prayer time this morning.   The children expressed thanks for so many things, from trains, to friends, to planes, to superheroes!  

After we came back to our atrium room, Ms. Alyce led us in prayer before we enjoyed our snack.

Then, it was time to go!

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Here are a few photos from prayer time today.  The room isn't very conducive to photos (because of the light shining from the window), but this will give you a glimpse into our prayer time:

                          
Unfortunately, I don't have many photos today; I was distracted and forgot to take them!  Will have more next week!

Wanted to mention something about when we end our session, since there may be confusion, especially with our new parents.

We finish at approximately 10:40 a.m. (never earlier).  Even this is challenging; we do a lot in the hour the children are with us.  So,  if Mass gets out really early (like it did this morning), please feel free to take your time coming downstairs. No need to rush. Stay in church a bit longer and savor the quiet; visit with friends, or just relax a bit.  You are parents of young children -- you deserve a break, even if it is short! 

Here's a peek at part of our schedule:  at around 10:20-10:25, we go into the prayer room (the Spanish Room, across the hall.)  We sing our prayer songs, and will usually finish around 10:30-10:35.  Then we will come back across the hall and enjoy a snack while waiting for you. 

So, you will see us come out of the south door of the Spanish room in a line, then go into door 1 of the atrium rooms, where we will have our snack.  At that point, you can pick up your child's name card from the board and then line up by door 2.  A catechist will come to the door, take your name card, and then call your child to the door.

Please keep the area between the Spanish Room and Door #1 clear so we can process back into Rooms 1-2.

For last year's parents, this is a little different than last year's procedures.  We held prayer time in room 3, and we did not need to go into the hall to get back to rooms 1-2.  This year, we are using part of the Spanish Room as our permanent prayer room, so we don't need to move furniture in and out every week. So that's why we moved the prayer room from room 3 to the Spanish Room.

If you need to occasionally pick up your child quickly to make another activity, it's no problem!  Just let me or one of the catechists know when you drop off your child, and we'll release him/her right after prayer time and before snack.  The children love snack time, so you might hear a complaint, but you can always tell him/her "you can enjoy snack time again next week!"

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We WILL have CGS atrium next week.  Generally, we take the weekend off since many go out of town for the three day weekend.  But because we started so late this year, thought it might be best if we held our session.  Next week, we will start introducing the practical life works to the children. So if you need to miss, it isn't too serious.   The following week, we begin our faith formation presentations, by learning about the items that the priest uses on the altar. That would be an important session for them to attend, especially the new children, who haven't yet seen the presentation.  But even the children who were with us last year will enjoy this presentation -- I have some new items to show them, including a dedicated miniature altar table!

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As always, if you have questions, feel free to drop me a note!

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Recap - 9/25/16 CGS session

Hi everyone,

It was so nice to see all the smiling faces today, to make some new friends, and to see old friends again!  It is going to be a great year!  I can't wait until next week when the rest of the children join us!

Today we learned some basic "grace and courtesy" lessons, which guide us and help us understand how we should act in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium.  We learned:

- How to introduce ourselves
- How to say "excuse me" if we need to pass by someone while they are working
- How to say "thank you" when someone does something nice for us

To the parents, these might seem like basic instructions that you are already doing at home, but it is important for us to reinforce that we use these behaviors in the atrium, too.  It helps set the stage so the children know what to expect.

We also learned how to "make silence."  This is especially important; it helps calm the child and center him/her toward the individual works they will do later.

We learned to "walk on the line" -- the tape line that surrounds our room.  This also requires intense focus, especially for our youngest children. Many of these exercises may seem even a bit silly to adults, but Maria Montessori and Sofia Cavalletti (the founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program) found that they are highly effective in helping children develop not only their large motor skills, but also in developing their ability to focus and concentrate.

We then learned about the prayer room -- a special place we will go each time to thank Jesus for all the good things he has given us. We learned about the way they should behave in the prayer room -- quiet, reverent and carefully.  Sometimes this is especially hard for children, because the prayer room is at the end of the session.  So they get a little antsy sometimes.  That's okay; it is a work in progress.  Each time, it will get a little better! 

And there will still be some days, after weeks where the children are especially focused and concentrated in the prayer room and in our "atrium" rooms (where they do their work), when they will be a bit silly and antsy again.  That's okay too!  It isn't usually a setback, but rather "just one of those days."   Even as adults, we have days where it is harder to focus and concentrate. It is a skill we need to learn, and then continually practice!  The most important thing is that we are giving them this quiet time to develop their concentration and focus. 

Next week, we will cover more grace and courtesy, and also learn how to use the rugs and trays that are available for our individual work.

Here are a few photos from this week:

Practicing "walking on the line": 

In the prayer room: 

During snack time:

See everyone next Sunday!

Parents Guide: What to Expect at our First Two CGS Sessions

Hi everyone,

So excited to start our first session of the year tomorrow (Sunday, September 25, 2016)! 

As a reminder: tomorrow's session is for children new to the atrium; parents are also welcome to stay.

The following week, the children who were in the atrium last year will join us.

What to expect in these first two sessions? 

When you arrive, please go to the "check in" desk outside of room 1/2.  Find your child's name on the check-in sheet and initial the "check in" box.  Then, find your child's name tag and put it on him/her.

This is our usual check-in procedure, but the rest of the happenings aren't really "typical" of our year.  Your child (and you, if you opt to stay) will come into PAR rooms 1 & 2 and notice that there is basically almost nothing in them!  There will be two rugs on the floor, a line "tape" line around the floor, a few chairs in the front and back of the room, and a table in the back of the room with our snack materials.

We do this purposely.  We want to start them in an environment that won't immediately overwhelm and over-stimulate them.  Having all the special materials out at this point would be counterproductive to producing the quiet, meditative environment we strive for in the atrium.  So we keep it simple for the first few weeks.

Instead, we focus on learning basic "grace and courtesy" lessons, like how to behave in the atrium, how to talk in the atrium, how to interrupt an adult if we need help, how to say "please" and "thank you," and even how to introduce ourselves to others!  We will also learn how to unroll and roll the rugs that we place our materials on each week, and how to carry the trays that the various works will be on.

We will play a "silence" game, learning how to listen for the quiet sounds in the room, then also learn to walk on the blue tape line that surrounds the room.  This is practice for us, as we learn to process to our prayer corner each week.  Eventually, we will learn to carry things while processing, like our processional cross and battery-powered candles.

I will also introduce the children to our prayer corner, and we will learn the songs that we will sing each week in the prayer area.

So, here is the basic schedule for the day:

1) Parents and children arrive and check in outside rooms 1 & 2
2) Children are greeted and taken into rooms 1 & 2, and encouraged to find a place to sit on the rug. (Parents are welcome to come into the room and stay as long as they want, or until their child is comfortable)
3) We will sing songs while we wait for everyone to arrive
4) We will learn how to introduce ourselves, and each person will take a moment to introduce himself/herself
5) We will play the silence game
6) We will practice some other grace and courtesy lessons
7) We will practice walking on the line
8) If time, we will go to the prayer room (across the hall) this first week.
9) We will learn our two prayer corner songs
10) We will come back into the room for snack (Goldfish crackers)
11) Mass is over, and parents arrive to pick up children

The pick up procedure:  Go to the check in table, and find your child's name on the poster board.  It is written on an index card and stored in a clear plastic pocket.  Pull one of the cards with your child's name (leave the other card in the pocket.)  Sign out your child on the check in/check out sheet, then come to door 2 and a catechist or junior helper will meet you, take the card, and bring your child to the door.

This all sounds very organized on paper, but it may be a bit chaotic these first few weeks, as we learn the routine and everyone gets to know each other! 

Please don't be concerned if your child cries or clings to you when you want to leave him/her; it is quite normal!  Again, you are welcome to stay.  Chances are, in a few weeks after they know everyone and are comfortable with the adults and children, there will be happiness and excitement about coming to the atrium!  But sometimes it might take a while, depending on your child's personality.  That's okay.  The Holy Spirit truly works in this program, and when your child is ready, s/he will embrace this quiet time with Our Lord.

Please let me know if you have any questions!  Can't wait to meet all of our new children tomorrow!

Blessings,
Cheryl

New CGS year begins on September 25 and October 2!

Hi everyone,

The starting dates of this year's program have been set:

September 25 - for children who are new to the atrium and did not attend last year.
October 2 - for all children.  This will be the first session for those children who attended the program last year.

We're looking forward to seeing your children very soon!

Catching up post: 4/17 Presentation on the Empty Tomb

Ms. Christy (Christy Sharafinski), another one of our terrific catechists, volunteered to give this week's presentation to the children since I was still recuperating from surgery.  Ms. Christy has taken the CGS training in the past and is familiar with the presentation.

Afterwards, the children were invited to work with the empty tomb and peg figures.  You will see their fascination in these photos.   Other children worked with a felt board or a small wood set to retell the story. So much deep, contemplative work on this day!


Working with the Empty Tomb Diorama:

Working with the felt board and other "Empty Tomb" materials

Other work in the atrium:
(Learning how to pin punch -- a great exercise for small motor skills!)

Using the other materials -- Annunciation and Last Supper dioramas:

And even more work!

Walking the Line (while singing "Christ is Light").  We do this as our procession to our prayer corner:

Ms. Mary leading us during Prayer Corner time:

Thank you to all the catechists and junior helpers for making this a wonderful session for the children!

Catching up post: 4/10 Session featuring Flower Arranging

Because I was still recovering from emergency surgery, Alyce Sosnowski, our catechist who is also a Montessori teacher, offered to give a session on flower arranging to the children.  Flower arranging is an important practical skill, but in addition it teaches children how to take care and keep sacred spaces beautiful!  It also happens to be one of the favorite works of the children.  In the atrium where I taught for 8 years, it was a work that the children would choose each week, because they wanted to proudly display their tiny floral arrangements on our prayer table.  They were so proud of their little contribution toward making our prayer table beautiful for Jesus!

Here are a few photos shared by Christy Sharafinski.  I believe her daughter Calista, who is also one of our junior helpers, assisted in taking these photos.  Thank you Christy and Calista!

Catching up post: Our Last Supper Paraliturgy on Palm Sunday

Hi everyone,

I'm catching up with some blog updates that I missed earlier in the year.  Want to share as much information and photos as possible with our parents!

This post is about our Last Supper Paraliturgy, which we held with the children on Palm Sunday (March 20, 2016). 

We (parents, children, catechists and junior helpers) met in our room number 1, outside the PAR, and each child was given a name tag that listed the name of  one of Jesus' disciples.  They will play the role of Jesus' disciples at our Last Supper Paraliturgy later.  Each child also collected the paper hand "palms" they made last week, which will they will carry during our procession.  Father Gabriel blessed the palms in the PAR and all of the congregation began processing out of the PAR, around the school building and into the narthex of the church.  Our group followed the rest of the congregation in the procession.  Here are a few photos of the children getting ready for the procession, and then processing out of the PAR and into the church. (Remember, the names you see are NOT the children's actual names, but the name of the disciple they will play during our paraliturgy.)

 Here are the children processing outside.

 After we left the parents in the church, we went back down to the atrium and sang songs, while I worked with our junior helpers to practice for our Last Supper paraliturgy.  We set up room 3 with a low table covered with a white tablecloth, and a side table held a paten, matzo bread, chalice, grape juice, candles, and crucifix.  The room was dark except for one lamp -- was trying to recreate the atmosphere that it might have been in the Cenacle, where Jesus held the last supper. 

After the junior helpers had rehearsed their parts, we brought all the children into room 3 and I explained to the children what they saw in the room and what they were about to see.   Then our junior helpers acted out the Last Supper:

- Lizzie and Jenny were our narrators, telling the story
- Patrick was Jesus
- Calista and Maria were Peter and John
- Anna was an additional helper (Mary Magdalene)

Lizzie and Jenny shared how Jesus (played by Patrick) called Peter and John (Calista and Maria), and asked them to find the special room and prepare it for their special meal.  So Peter and John went to the far side of the room and set up the table with the paten, matzo, chalice, grape juice and towel.  Then they returned to Jesus, and Lizzie and Jenny told how in the evening Jesus and his followers returned to the special room.  They moved to the table, then I invited the children to sit around the table too.   Jesus said "This is My Body" and the paten with matzo was passed around.  Each child broke off a small piece and handed it to the next child until everyone had a piece.  Then Jesus said "This is My Blood" and sipped from the chalice filled with grape juice, then demonstrated how to use the towel to wipe it off before passing it on to the next person.  And it was passed around to every child.  They had the option to sip or just pretend to sip, wipe it off and then pass it on. 

After this, Jesus, Peter and John and Mary Magdalene left singing "Amen".  Then I said to the children.  "So Jesus celebrated this special meal with his followers and friends, and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  But the story wasn't over then.  The next day, He died."  (I put a crucifix on the table where Jesus was sitting.)  But that isn't the end of the story, because in three days He rose from the dead."  (I light two candles and put them on the table near the crucifix.)   I gave them a few minutes to ponder this and to watch the flame of the candles, and then we sang "Amen" and processed into the other room for snack time.

I wish I had photos of this!  Perhaps next year.  I hesitate to take photos during the paraliturgy as it may distract the children from the solemn, meditative environment. But perhaps I can capture some photos with the children around the low table after the event next year.

 It was such a wonderful experience -- the children's intense concentration during the "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood," and their quietness as they passed around the bread and wine to share with each other.     When they see this in church, it will now begin to mean much more to them.   The careful way they held the paten and sipped from the chalice -- they've seen all of you do that many times when you go to communion!   This is such a deeply moving experience.  Even our antsy kids sit still during most of this paraliturgy!

And THANK YOU to our junior helpers -- Lizzie, Jenny, Patrick, Maria, Calista and Anna -- who did a MARVELOUS job acting out this special last supper that Jesus held with his apostles!   (Parents of junior helpers -- will you give your children my HUGE thanks and let them know how proud I am of them.  They really made this moment real for the children!)

Afterwards, I asked a few children if we should do this every year, and they enthusiastically said "YES!"   Please feel free to drop me a note with anything your child shares about this paraliturgy, and if you feel it affected them in a deep way.  Sometimes it may not be obvious at first, but with time...