Photos of 1/17/16 CGS session

Hello everyone!

I'm going to keep the 1/17 and /24 recaps short because I'm a bit overwhelmed with deadline projects for my job until the end of the month, but I wanted to share a few insights and photos.

We had a wonderful session last week! After Ms. Mary led us in our opening songs, Ms. Christy played the "Silence" game with us. With this game we learn to "tuck away our sounds" and concentrate on the quiet around us.  After the game we began our free work time. It was amazing to see the children maintain the quiet throughout most of the rest of the session.  That's probably why they were very energetic when they left the atrium; they worked so hard to keep their sounds tucked away!  Yet I could see happiness and contentment in them with the quiet.  We live in such a noisy world with so much stimulation. As adults, we are used to the commotion and maybe even unaware of how exhausting it can be. Quiet times can refresh the soul!

We will keep playing this game for a while, and then revisit it occasionally as needed.

Ms. Mary led us in our prayer corner this week.   Two of the children helped set up our prayer corner. Sharing a photo of them after they decided what should be put on the prayer table:

Here are a few more photos of our individual work time:









See you on Sunday!

Blessings,
Mrs. Basile

P.S.  Just a reminder that we will NOT have CGS on Sunday, January 31.  The school is having an open house that day to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.  Please stop by the open house if you have a chance and see all the wonderful projects and work that SJA's school children are doing!

Recap: January 10, 2016 session

Our three-week Advent/Christmas vacation is over, and it was back to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on Sunday.  It was so wonderful to see the children again, and I'm guessing that some of the parents were probably a little bit happy to go to Mass without their little ones on Sunday!  Kudos to all of you who took your children to Mass over the Christmas break.  I'm very proud of you; I remember how stressful it can be to take active little ones to Mass!

When my son and daughter were toddlers and preschoolers, they were both very active children (no sitting still for them in Mass, at least not until they were in the CGS program for a while!) I remember one time when my 2 year old son thought it would be fun to crawl under the pews toward the front of the church.  He made it through four rows of pews before we were able to stop his adventure!  

I also remember another church whose cry room was actually a side altar (overlooking the main altar). We decided to take the kids in there, only to discover than many senior citizens also liked to sit there, so we got quite a few dirty looks from the seniors when our children were their usual active selves during Mass!  After the stress of that Mass, I was sure that I must have earned at least part of my way into heaven! 

Fortunately, this stage won't last forever -- I promise!   Enrolling your children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program will help a lot, especially if your children come consistently.  It won't happen overnight--it seems like God likes to work slowly on us humans--but it will happen!  One day, you will realize they are actually attentively watching what Father Gabriel, Father Don or Father Ken are doing up at the altar (especially during the consecration) and you will say "hey, when did that happen?" 

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I'm sorry I don't have any photographs this week.  I've been breaking the children up in smaller groups and giving them presentations, so it takes most of the hour and I haven't had a chance to take out my phone and snap pictures.  But I will try to catch a few photos next week, or ask one of the junior helpers if they can do it.

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Although the church finished the Christmas season last Sunday, we're going to follow an older tradition (still popular in Europe and at the Vatican), and stay in the Christmas season until Candlemas Day (February 2, 2016.)  I'm doing this for a couple of reasons:

1) Because we were gone so many weeks for the Christmas break, I need to play "catch up" with the presentations related to Christmas.  Last Sunday, I gave the children the Nativity/Adoration of the Shepherds presentation.  This Sunday, I'll give them the presentation entitled "The Visit of the Magi."  More about last Sunday's presentation in a second.

2) I have a variety of "white" practical works, and Nativity themed works that I just introduced, and want to give the children time to explore them.  

For example, during Advent they could decorate our two small evergreen trees with purple ornaments and garland.  (They loved that!)  We kept reinforcing that purple is the color for the season of preparation in the church, and because we are preparing for Christmas, we're using purple ornaments.  Now that we're in the season of the "feast", we use white in the church. Therefore, I've replaced the purple ornaments/garland with white ornaments and garland. 

I'll keep out the "white" and nativity works until the Sunday after Ash Wednesday (which falls on February 10 this year).  Then we'll bring out purple works again (to reinforce that we're preparing for another feast), along with some works that are specific to Lent.

Children of this age are so fascinated with color; this method really seems to appeal to them, especially if we can keep the color for a number of weeks before we switch.

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Back to my discussion on this week's faith presentation.  I gave the Nativity/Adoration of the Shepherds presentation using a small diorama with Fontanini figures of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, an angel, and the shepherds with their sheep.  The children were so fascinated with this, wanting to lovingly touch each figure!  (Fortunately, Fontanini is unbreakable, so I show them how to carefully touch the figures, then allow them to do so.)   I read the passage in the Bible from Luke, which recounts Jesus' birth, and then acted it out using the figures. 

Then the children could help me set up the scene.  They had some very specific ideas on where the sheep and shepherds should be, both when they were in the "fields" (a far off region of the table, far away from the stable).  Then, when the shepherds moved to the stable with their sheep, they had specific ideas on where they should be in the stable!  One child said "let's put this little sheep closest to Jesus, because Jesus loves little children and He would love little sheep too!"

How much I love giving this program to the little ones.  They are constantly giving me new insights on our beautiful Catholic faith.  What a blessing!

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Next Sunday, we'll be learning about the Magi who came to visit Jesus, and they will be able to see, smell and touch beautiful boxes filled with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  I also have a myrrh candle that I'll light during the presentation to appeal to another one of their senses.
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See you all next Sunday!

Blessings,
Cheryl

Our December 13, 2015 session in the atrium

Oh,  the excitement of Christmas!  I can see it growing in our little ones each week as we move closer to December 25!  But we still try to emphasize that this is Advent, and not yet Christmas!  So, I fill the atrium with 'lots of practical works that involve the color purple.  Again, a subtle way to emphasize that we are in the "purple" season, which they have already begun to associate with "preparation for a feast."  No, we're not at the feast (of Christmas) yet, but we're getting ready!

Such an important message, especially in today's world, which has been talking "Christmas" for weeks now!  I feel sad that our society, as a whole, misses the wonderful season of contemplative preparation!

So, as promised last week, thought I would share some photos of our work table and the various works that the children are doing during Advent.  Some of these works aren't necessarily "religious" in nature.  Their goal is to help the children build their motor skills (especially fine motor skills) while increasing their ability to concentrate for a growing period of time.  As explained last week, this is an essential skill that many of us are losing today, yet it is a skill that is foundational to our ability to pray in a deep and meaningful way. 

So, here are some of the works they will use in Advent.  (I apologize that some of these photos are blurry!  I was trying to quickly take some shots before the children arrived this morning.)

  "Match the names of Jesus" work. These little plastic ornaments, in purple, pink and silver, have the many names of Jesus written on them. (One name on each ornament, such as "Light of the World," "Holy Child," etc.  The children find the name with the ornament and place it on the laminated sheet next to the appropriate word.  We have two sets of this work -- one with small ornaments, the other with larger ornaments.

"Decorate our Jesse tree work."  Children can select small purple garland, beads and ornaments to decorate our little tree.  On the third week of Advent, we add a few pink ornaments to the mix for Gaudete Sunday.
This work was so popular last week that I added a second small tree this week, so more children could decorate a tree if they wished. I also encourage them to make "Jesse tree" ornaments -- we have paper ornaments that they can color and add to the tree. 

  

"Placing beads in small grooves on a mat."  The children use a little spoon to move purple, oval-shaped beads from the small bowl to the mat.  The second photo is a similar activity--they are moving round beads from the container to the grooved mat using the purple tongs.

 "Learning to spell the word 'Advent" and "Emmanuel"  The children match purple wooden letters to the letters on the Advent mat.  When they have found the correct letter, they place it directly over the letter on the mat. The second photo gives them the opportunity to match the wooden letters to spell Emmanuel.  Both activities also help them build vocabulary and letter recognition.

 "Dry Erase Coloring the Word 'Advent'"     The children use a purple dry erase marker to color in the word Advent, then they use the little included eraser to erase their coloring.  They can repeat as many times as they like.  It is interesting to watch the children concentrate while they do this, and they may repeat it several times, as if they are memorizing the letters!

 "Sorting purple objects."  The children use a little spoon or their fingers to move sort and categorize purple items of various shapes and textures.  Some of the items include tiny purple blocks, sticks, pom-poms and triangles. Because they have a choice of how to move the materials, they are problem solving:  could they move the sticks with the little spoon, or will they need to use their fingers to do it?

As mentioned earlier, many of these works may almost seem "secular" because they do not have any Biblical or spiritual underpinings.  However, they are still building a very important skill for the children.  As their concentration levels and ability with these practical works increase, we find that they spend less time on these materials and more time on some of the more "spiritual" works.  



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The other thing we did today:  while the children were working individually on these various works, I pulled small groups of children aside and presented the Annunciation material to them.  I use a small diorama of Mary's home with figures of Mary and the Angel Gabriel.  I read Luke's passage about the Annunciation to them, we discussed the passage, and then I read the passage again, using the figures.  I wish I could have taken photos of the children while I was presenting the material (but that would have distracted them too much!)  The wonder and joy I saw in their faces, at the thought of an angel appearing to Mary and telling her the great news that she was going to have the baby Jesus! 

It is amazing in many ways.  I read to them directly from a regular Bible (not a children's Bible), and as you know, a regular Bible is often filled with big words they don't know.  Yet they remain attentive to the words and their eyes watch me closely as I read from the Bible.  I might explain a few words here and there, but sometimes this seems almost unnecessary.  They may not have the vocabulary to give me a definition of the meaning of the complicated words, but they still understand the story and love it.  I can see it in their faces!  

I feel so blessed to do this work with your children each week, and to watch as they discover the beauty and miracles that God gives us every day! 

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We're off for three weeks for the Christmas holiday.  Our next session will be 1/10/16, when we'll do a meditation on the Nativity.  

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Wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season!  

Blessings,

Cheryl

Photos and brief commentary on December 6, 2015 session

Although it is the second Sunday of Advent for the church, it is the first week that we've observed Advent in the CGS atrium, because we were off last week for Thanksgiving break.  The children noticed the changes, from the new "Advent" themed work on the tables, to our Jesse trees, waiting to be decorated, to the purple cloth and the advent wreath on our prayer table.

 We also read Isaiah's Prophecy (9:2) and learned about how "the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."  Such deep thoughts these little ones on this prophecy,  from how beautiful the light is and how happy we are see to see the light!  Who is this light?  They immediately answered "Jesus!"

I'll share photos of our Advent work in the 12/13 edition of the blog, but for now, want to share some photos of the children working,  snapped by Christy Sharafinski.  (Thank you, Christy!)

Notice that even when they are sorting things, or using their fine motor skills to place little beads on an indented mat, that they are in deep concentration.  In our hurried, fast-paced world, this is a skill that many children (and adults!) are losing--the ability to concentrate deeply on something for an extended period of time.   I think that is why coloring books have become so popular with adults, especially those coloring books that include images with detailed patterns.  You really need to concentrate deeply to color them.  Our soul yearns for this deep, contemplative concentration!

Several of the children enjoy decorating our "Jesse tree."  I do not call it a Christmas tree.  During Advent, we decorate it in the color of the season--purple for Advent, and they had  the opportunity to color little Jesse tree ornaments and put them on the tree.  (The white pieces of paper are our Jesse tree ornaments.)

If you aren't familiar with a Jesse tree, it is a tree or bush filled with small ornaments that symbolize important people in the Old Testament who are Jesus' ancestors.   Think of it as Jesus' family tree!

Incidentally,  I do not discuss the Jesse tree with the children in Level I (with the 3-6 year olds), other than just tell them it is a Jesse tree.  That's because Sofia Cavalletti, the developer of the program, does not recommend teaching Old Testament stories to the littlest ones.  For the littlest ones, we want to build an image in their head of a loving shepherd who watches over them and protects them.  Sofia found that this is the image that resonates with them the most at this tender young age.  Old Testament stories are often frightening to children, or, to make them less frightening, they are often told in a "fairy tale" way that will later confuse the children and make them associate Bible stories with fictional stories.

Because of this, your little ones won't hear Old Testament stories in CGS until they are older and have reached the age of reason (usually about 9-12 years old.)  By that time, they have already fallen in love with the loving, merciful God and are more able to dwell in the deeper meanings of the Old Testament passages.

Sorry--I went a little off topic, but wanted to explain why your children won't be hearing stories like Noah's Ark, or Jonah and the Whale, until they are older.

Happy Second Week of Advent, everyone!

Sharing Photos from Last Sunday

Thank you Christy Sharafinski for sharing these photos from last Sunday!  Look at the intense concentration on the children's faces as they work on the liturgical color and Biblical geography work, use the Saints peg dolls, walk on the line in the procession and set up our prayer table.

11-15-15 Recap: Articles of the Mass; Defining the Three Period Lesson.

Hi everyone,

It was another fruitful and fulfilling Sunday, both for the children, the catechists and the junior helpers.  That's one of the many reasons I love the CGS program -- the adults and teens who help with this program take the journey of discovering/rediscovering Christ with the children, and often we walk away refreshed and with a new perspective on our faith!  

Children have so much wisdom that is deep within their souls, and this program has a wonderful way of bringing out that wisdom.  It is truly amazing to see and hear them as they learn to vocalize their feelings about our Lord!  

Sometimes it doesn't always happen quickly; each child progresses at his/her own speed. But I always feel the Holy Spirit working in such a strong way.

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Today, I did a large group presentation on the "Articles of the Mass."  We talked about how  we  might set a beautiful table with a special tablecloth and special dishes for a party. And how Mass is a special celebration too, so the special table at the front of the church is set with a beautiful cloth, and how we use special items during this celebration.  We worked with miniature replicas of the items used at Mass, and the the children learned these words:

- Altar Table (the special table where Father stands behind during the Mass)
- Altar Cloth (the special cloth that is put on the table, and how sometimes it is the color of the church season:  green, purple, white or red)
- Paten (the brass "plate" that holds the host, which becomes the body of Christ)
- Chalice (the brass cup that holds the wine, which becomes the blood of Christ)
- Crucifix (and we continue to emphasize the difference between a cross and a crucifix)
- Candles 

We discuss how the materials used on the altar, especially the materials that hold the Body and Blood of Christ, are made of precious materials like brass or gold.  Our  miniature replicas are made of brass.  

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Teaching Vocabulary Using the Three Period Lesson

Maria Montessori discovered that one of the best ways to teach children terminology and vocabulary is by using a "three period lesson."   This is the method I used to teach the names of these various articles; it works wonderfully.  The children remain engaged for a longer period of time; even some of our antsy children!  

It is a wonderful technique to use at home with your children too.  This is how I used it with the Articles of the Mass today. Specifically, I'll show you how I used it to teach them the word "paten."

Step 1:  Naming Period.   Using slow and deliberate movements, I gently picked up the paten (which I had in a basket) and showed it to them.  Then I said "this is called the Paten."  I repeat the word "Paten" a couple of times, then ask " Can you say Paten?"  They repeat it.  I gently set it on the appropriate place on our "altar table."   

It's okay if they don't repeat it; some of the younger ones will be a little shy about saying these special words at first.  But soon, they will repeat them because they want to be like the older kids!  (That's one of the strengths of a multi-age group; they encourage each other!)

I did this with each of the items mentioned above.   Then we move onto step two.

Step 2:  Recognition and Association Period.   Our "altar table" is now set with all the items, so I will ask them to help me find various things.  I work backward, starting with the item I named last.    I will ask a specific child to come up and show me "Where is the Paten?"  This gives them a chance to move and also to identify an object with a name.  They can ask their friends for help in locating the item.  We then placed the item back in the basket.

After all the items are back in the basket, I move forward with step three.
 
Step 3:  Recall
For this stage, I make sure that a child is very confident about the item's name before I call him/her up, and I use gentle encouragement if s/he isn't confident about an item.  I want to make the child feel excited like s/he has achieved something.  So, I might say, "Peter, can you come up and find the Paten for me?"  After he locates it, I gently show him where to put it on the altar table if he doesn't already know.

I'll do this with each item.

Depending on the attention span of the children, I might repeat these steps 2 and 3 again.  If the children are getting antsy, we finish up and move to individual work time. 

There is a great description of the three period lesson here  and a video of the technique here 
if you would like to try using it with your children at home, when you are trying to teach them any type of vocabulary and terminology, from colors, to shapes, to animal names, to much more.  In the video they show you to introduce the names of three different types of fruit. 

The main thing is to work slowly and deliberately.  Not to say too many words.  In the case of the Paten, I don't explain too much about it at this point.  The main thing is that they start associating that gold plate with the word Paten, and the gold cup with the word Chalice.  So whenever they see it, eventually they will only call it Paten and Chalice, not plate and cup. 

The same with the video linked above.  The teacher in the video shows how to teach the words for banana, orange, apple.  One might be tempted to say "oh,  yes, look at how yellow the banana is, and it is a funny shape, isn't it?"  But Montessori found that "less is more" when we are teaching children basic concepts and vocabulary.  It allows the child to see the item, think about it, associate it with its name, and then make his/her own internal observations about the item. 

I encourage you to try the "Three Period Lesson" at home sometime!  You will be amazed at how quickly the children pick up even more complex concepts when they are presented this way.  

For example, during our "individual work time,"  I worked with several children today on our Biblical puzzle map.   This is actually rather difficult work. This map divides the Holy Land (during Jesus' time)  into several different areas with their specific names, like Judea, Samaria, Perea.  Not an easy work, yet after using the Three Period Lesson to teach them the locations of these various areas, even our three year olds were telling me where Samaria, Perea and the Dead Sea were! 

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A huge ""THANK YOU!"

Wanted to take a few moments to say "thank you" to everyone who donated gently used clothing and other items to the Nelson and Vilardi families, the two SJA families who suffered a fire in their apartment/townhome complex this week.   Because of the smoke damage, they lost most if not all of their possessions.  They are very appreciative of the donations  given by our generous families and parish.  I didn't count the donations, but I think they received at least 10 bags of gently used items this morning! Thank you too to Angela Fuerst, a SJA Mom's Group member, whose son is also in CGS, for organizing this drive.  What a wonderful community SJA is!

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Looking forward..

Next Sunday (November  22) - our last session before the Thanksgiving break.  The children will be given extended time to work with the materials.  I (and perhaps Ms. Mary) will continue to work with small groups of children on the Biblical geography puzzle, Ms. Alyce will continue working on pasting, and the junior helpers and Ms. Susan will work with small groups or individual children on the various liturgical color work, Biblical geography work, and articles of the Mass work.   

I am making some new (individual) work on the articles of the Mass available next Sunday, including some matching and concentration games.  Again, the idea is to reinforce the vocabulary we learned this Sunday.

Next week will be the last week they can work on the liturgical colors work (that is, the work that reinforces the four different colors of our church year.)   During Advent, I'll put it away, although we will have some "purple" work for them, to reinforce the concept that we are now in the season of "purple/preparing for the feast."   The liturgical colors work will return later in the year.

Sunday, November 29 - NO CLASS -- Thanksgiving Break

Sunday, December 6 - First Sunday of Advent, and the children will notice a difference in our prayer table, which will no longer be covered with a green cloth, but a purple cloth!  We will be discussing the "Light" and meditating on Isaiah 9:2   "The people who walked in darkness, have seen a great light."  Yes, little children can meditate, and they do it beautifully!  I'll share the observations and insights with you after that class.

The SJA Mom's Group is also holding a St. Nicholas Event after the 9:30 a.m. Mass on that Sunday.  I'll send out more details as they develop, but it would be an easy thing for you to attend, since it coincides with the time that you pick up your children from CGS.    

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Looking even further... 

Would you like to observe one of our CGS atrium sessions?  You will have a chance, very soon!  After Christmas, I'll have a sign up sheet available with dates that parents can sit in the CGS session and observe what we do.   And later on, you will be invited to participate in some of our "paraliturgies" during Lent.  More about that later.

Blessings,
Cheryl
 

Sharing a few photos from 11-8-15

Hi everyone!

Last week I began presenting the Map of Israel puzzle map to small groups of children; Ms. Christy helped me with this. Ms. Alyce worked with another group on pasting. The other catechists and junior helpers worked with the remaining children on the Biblical geography sensory works or the liturgical color works. Ms. Mary opened our session with a variety of our favorite praise songs and Ms. Christy led our prayer corner time. Sharing a few photos:

This week I will be giving the "Articles of the Mass" presentation to the children and we will begin learning the names of the various things Father uses during the Mass including the chalice and paten.

Blessings,

Cheryl