Sacraments and Feast Days.

Isabella is preparing for her sacraments of reconciliation and communion this year! Although only in 1st grade, she has been working a year ahead in religion since the beginning and I felt that she was completely ready for this! She is also an older 1st grader, with a birthday in January, so she will be the appropriate age when receiving the sacraments.

As with Marco, we'll be doing so much more extra "stuff" this year to make sure she is ready! Besides our regular religion curriculum (Faith and Life 2), we are doing the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism, reading King of the Golden City (for the 2nd time!), making Catholic lapbooks (we purchased all of these), and of course participating in our parish's faith formation and sacramental prep classes. I suppose we'll also throw in even more extras into the mix, but only because we love it!!!

A fun project we did, which didn't really start as a project, was the making of a Mass Journal. During the first sacramental prep class, students were handed a Mass Journal to keep track of all the Masses attended. It contains fill in the blank questions for the kids to fill out...who was the celebrant, what color vestments were worn, what were the first and second readings, etc. It's actually a great way to get kids to pay attention during Mass.





Of course, the journal they passed out was just a bunch of pages stapled together. So Isabella and I decided to make an actual book out of it. We followed the directions on this video. Really simple. No music, no talking...just shows how to make a book!





After making our own book, I made copies of the Mass journal onto pretty paper that Isabella picked out. Each little form was then cut out and then glued to the Mass Journal book we made. Isabella is even working on illustrating the book. It's super cute and I know she will love taking it to Mass more than a bunch of stapled papers. Of course, none of this is necessary. But it was fun!!

Isabella picked a pink cover with yellow paper.

Isabella holding her Mass Journal.

As for celebrating feast days....we worked on some super cute bookmarks this week. An archangel on the front and the prayer to St. Michael on the back! I'm planning on doing this little craft with my 5th grade faith formation class as well.

Fabulous coloring by Marco and Isabella!!

Little Jimmy has enjoyed playing with our bookmarks.

Another Year of Faith Formation.

This year I'm back to teaching faith formation at our church. I'm a little nervous, as I'll be going into a 5th grade class, but confident that I'll be able to do well. Volunteering as a catechist is something that I never thought of doing; but when the "opportunity" presented itself, I thought it would be a wonderful way to share any talents I might have.

In the past, I was a 2nd grade catechist, which I really loved! Teaching kids during a sacramental year puts a little pressure on you, but the rewards are great. I've been spending the last week preparing and going over our lessons and we'll see how it goes!

For the time being, here is the parent's letter I'm sending home with the kids. I post it mostly because I'm always looking for a good letter and I can never find one. So hopefully, this will be able to help someone who is teaching faith formation (or CCD) at their church.


Letter to 5th Grade Parents of Faith Formation or CCD Students.
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Dear Parents:

It was a pleasure to meet your child at our first day of Faith Formation. I am excited to work alongside your family in teaching your child our Catholic faith. My goal this year is for your child to further cement the teachings of the Catholic Church, as well as developing a deeper love and understanding for Jesus Christ. We will be reviewing prayers learned in years past, as well as introducing and learning new prayers, including the Prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Our faith formation class is the only hour a week that I have with your child. It is a time when your child gathers with other children to concentrate on what it means to be a Catholic, a follower of Christ, and to learn what the church and gospels teach. It is my pleasure to be able to participate in the education of your child and I will be using the issued Catholic guide each week for our lessons, as well as involving them in prayer and faith-building activities.

As a parent, you are the primary educator of your child, and the best teacher. Your example at home speaks volumes and teaches your child far more than I ever could. I ask that you review each week’s lesson at home and share in any activity that your child may bring. Attending Mass and praying together (especially in the morning, before meals, and at bedtime) will solidify your child’s experiences as being part of a worshipping parish community and Catholic family.

Once again, thank you for participating in the Holy Family Faith Formation program this year. Please feel free to stop by and ask any questions you might have or call me. I also ask that if your child is unable to attend a class to please contact me or the Faith Formation office in advance whenever possible so that your child’s absence may be excused.

I look forward to working with you, and I appreciate your prayerful support.

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I would love feedback!

Liturgical Calendar.

Lately, I feel like I've been ignoring so many feast days. Not because I don't have time to celebrate them with the kids, but because I forget!! We have always been a crafty family when it comes to celebrating and teaching the kids about our faith; now with all the first grade and kindergarten schedules...things get lost somewhere in the midst of math, reading, and science. As I was going through my computer drawer this morning, I came across a liturgical calendar that I purchased from Pflaum. I had completely forgotten that I had it!!




So now I'm planning a spot for it on our school room wall. And to add to it, I found a great Liturgical Calendar Wheel that I'm ordering. It should help with all the feast days, solemnities, fast days, and memorials to the saints. I really love the artwork on it!




I really need to plan out our crafts month by month so that I'm never left without an idea for a craft or activity. There are so many things that you can do to celebrate your Catholic faith and make it come alive for your kids. Luckily, I have a small army of books to help me come up with new ideas. Not to mention that there are so many websites offering ideas for crafts, projects, and different ways to celebrate the Catholic year. Here are a few of my favorite books.

Faith Formation.

Last night was the beginning of the year for Faith Formation at our church. It was the first day for both me and Marco and we were excited! I am teaching 2nd grade this year for the first time and I had been so nervous! Marco, being the sweet little guy he is, assured me that I would do fine. "Mami, you are a great teacher! I think everyone is going to like you." Isn't he the sweetest?

Well, things did go well for both me and Marco! Before leaving the car, we said a little prayer together and then we headed in. Everything worked out well. My biggest fear was actually knowing what to do, what to say, and how to act in front of the kids in this setting. If anything, I felt completely unprepared. Scaring me more than anything was the fact that my aide didn't show up. But in the end, I think God heard my prayer and sent the Holy Spirit to guide me. My class went well and my fear dissipated within the first few minutes.

What I do regret not having, is a welcome letter for the parents. I came home that night and immediately wrote one up. I'm using last night as a jumping point for the beginning of the year. I know what to expect now and I'm feeling a lot better about knowing exactly what to prepare for! I did try to look for some examples of letters online, but had very little luck. Because of that, I'm posting my own up. Just in case there is someone out there feeling just how I felt. I'd love comments! These letters aren't going out until next Wednesday.

I hope the letter covers the basics! I also translated the letter for Spanish speaking parents.

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Dear Parent of 2^nd Grade Student:

It was a pleasure to meet you and your child last week at our first day of Faith Formation. I am excited to work alongside your family in teaching your child our Catholic faith. I will be using the issued Catholic guide each week for our lessons, as well as additional resources including videos, crafts, and fun activities. My goal this year is for your child to solidify a love for Jesus Christ as they get ready to encounter the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. As a parent, you are the primary educator of your child, and the best teacher. It is my pleasure to be able to participate in the education of your child.

As many parents have asked, there will be a snack sign-up sheet available. Please feel free to sign up for a date in which you will be able to provide a store-bought snack for the class (approximately 13 students). I appreciate your participation and the kids will be looking forward to enjoying a treat!

Once again, thank you for participating in the Faith Formation program this year. Please feel free to stop by and ask any questions you might have or call me. I also ask that if your child is unable to attend a class to please contact me or the Faith Formation office in advance whenever possible so that your child’s absence may be excused. Since this is a sacramental year, 90% attendance is required.

Thank you.

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