From the Desk of our Fifth Grade Catechists (English Program)…
Lori Barnett
Nina Styrczula
5th Grade RE Classes are going well. We cannot believe that we are almost half way through the school year and curriculum. We have a wonderful group of kids and they do a great job interacting and participating verbally and in the chat.
Our weekly Google Meetings are on Wednesday’s from 6-6:30pm. The agenda for our meetings is as follows:
· Opening Prayer
· Q&A from prior lesson
· Review Vocabulary from current lesson
· Review key points from current lesson
· Closing Prayer
We also try to incorporate current Holy Days and special events the church may be celebrating into the meeting. Once all the lessons of a unit are completed, we review the unit test with the students to reiterate the important points of the lessons. The curriculum we follow comes from our online resource: My Catholic Faith Delivered.
During the first semester we have covered Lessons 1-12 and the Unit 1, 2, & 3 tests. The first unit started with what we believe as Catholics and covered the Trinity, God our Creator and the Angels.
The next unit taught us more about God’s people from Adam and Eve to the Chosen People and Moses. The following unit delved into God’s people and the Prophets – leading up to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our current unit teaches us about all of our families: The Holy Family, our Church Family and the Kingdom of God. We are all learning so much about God’s love for us and the sacrifices that Jesus made to open the gates of Heaven for all of us.
Looking forward to the rest of the school year!
Lori Barnett
Nina Styrczula
5th grade Catechists
Message from our Digital Shepherd Father Thomas Koys…
As we introduce our children to the treasures of Catholic doctrine, us older folks need to feed ourselves so we can translate a kernel of wisdom to our children. Here’s a beautiful quote from one of Catholicism’ greatest, G.K. Chesterton.
“There is in the last second of time before the iron leaps to the magnet, an abyss full of all the unfathomable forces of the universe. The space between doing and not doing such a thing… is so tiny and so vast. To come into a Catholic church in order to scoff but finding it is a great place to remain to pray, is always welcome in a spirit of wonder and the glow of an unexpected good.”
Chesterton is referring to his own decision to enter the Catholic church. But there is something for even the smallest heart and mind. Often, when we have to make a decision, between right and wrong, we hesitate. We can be afraid of doing what the church asks of us. But following the voice of God through the church, or, for children, through the voice of your parents will inevitably give you a wonderful surprise. He says it’s like “the glow of an unexpected good.” So, doing the right thing is like opening a present. You don’t know what you’re going to get, but you’re filled with hope of getting something good since it comes from someone who loves you. So, doing what God asks surprises us because no one loves us more than God.
-Father Koys
