Welcome to VBS 2012

Check out the VBS intro video here:

At Sky, kids discover that for God, ALL things are possible! Sky is filled with incredible experiences that allow kids to see, hear, touch, and even taste! Science-Fun Gizmos, team-building games, cool faith-filled songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the Sky activities that help faith flow into real life. Plus, we’ll help kids discover how to see evidence of God in everyday life – something we call God Sightings. Get ready to hear that phrase a lot. Ask your child about his/her God Sighting each day!

Your kids will also participate in a hands-on project, through a program called Operation Kid-to-Kid with Catholic Relief Services, that will let the kids in our community show God’s love to children in Africa. We will be collecting donations (even pennies are great!) Tuesday through Friday. For each $6 collected, we will be able to donate one mosquito net to children in Africa to protect them from Malaria. One mosquito net protects 2 children for 4 years! Your child can bring change, cash, or a check (made to Church of the Holy Spirit) if you would like to participate.

Click on this picture to learn more about mosquito nets:

Last Class and Jelly Bean Prayer

On Saturday we had our last Religious Education class of the year. 

On Saturday we drew pictures and wrote words that showed what we understand about "Father, Son, Holy Spirit". We did this activity at the beginning of the year and then did it again this Saturday. We compared and contrasted our papers to see what we learned throughout the year. 

The Jelly Bean Prayer
Since Saturday was the last class and we are currently celebrating the season of Easter, we each received a bag of jelly beans with a special prayer inside. We talked about the meaning of each line of the prayer as we tasted the differently colored jelly beans. 

The Jelly Bean Prayer

Lord, in my bag I see colorful jelly beans.

What could they mean?

Black is for the brokenness of my sin.

Red is for the blood; my salvation you’d win.

Purple is for faith; it’s a gift I received!

White is for cleansing of sin. I believe!

Green is for studying your Word so I’ll grow.

Orange is for the promise of heaven,
 where one day I’ll go.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and you will be saved.

Acts 16:31

First Communion Taste Test

A few weeks ago we had the chance to taste test the bread and wine at Religious Ed class.

We practiced lining up and taking communion like we were at church. We learned that since the gifts were not consecrated (blessed) they are still bread and wine and not yet Jesus' body and blood (but they will still taste the same). 

We practiced: 

-Holding our hands in front of us-left over right. 

-When the priest/minister says, "The body of Christ," we respond, "Amen." 

-Then we pick up the host with the other hand and put it in our mouths. We try not to chomp on it like gum, but we can chew it to make it easier to swallow. 

-Then we go to the next minister. When the minister says, "The blood of Christ," we respond, "Amen." 

-Then we take the cup in both of our hands and take a small sip. 

-Though some people do "dip" the host, we are encouraging taking a sip. It is actually more germ-y to dip than sip because people's fingers have more germs than their mouths! And even when people don't think they are, they often get their fingers in the cup. Though some churches do allow parishioners who desire to do so, dip. Proper practice is to sip the wine. 

-One of the most important things we learned: When you get back to your seat, it is a time to sit and pray. Thank God for the things in your life and ask for prayers for what you need.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Stations of the Cross

For Religious Ed class on Saturday we were very busy! First Fr. John talked to us about adoration. It is an opportunity for us to be in the presence of Jesus and use that time to pray to Jesus truly present in the Eucharist. We place the Blessed sacrament (or consecrated host) into the monstrance and pray to Jesus present there

Then we went on a scavenger hunt around the church. After that, they 5th graders acted out the stations of the cross for us. At the end we were able to go around the church and see the stations ourselves. We talked about what was happening in each one and what we remembered from seeing the presentation. 

You can go through the Stations of the Cross with your child right here:

Stations of the Cross for Kids

Why Stations of the Cross?

From the website:

Stations are places where people wait while they are going from one place to another. A school-bus stop is like a station. People wait at train stations or bus stations or airports. Think of some stations where you have been.
Stations are also places where people take time to think about Jesus as he went to die on a cross. They are “Stations of the Cross.” They show us how much Jesus loved us.
You do not have to think of all of the Stations of the Cross on one day. You may want to stay at one Station with Jesus for a few days before you move to another Station. Whatever you decide, Jesus is with you and he loves you.

As you "visit" each station on the website with your child, look at the picture and ask him or her
"What is happening here?"

At church we looked at each painting around the church and talked about what was happening after we saw the presentation by the 5th graders. 

monstrance

Our Scavenger Hunt

the seats

the altar

the baptismal font

the altar

the Presider's chair

 thurible (incense thing)

Blessed Sacrament Chapel

Tabernacle

Presentation of Stations of the Cross

Chapters 12 and 13

This week we covered Chapters 12 and 13. 


In Chapter 12 we learned the story of Zacchaeus


One of us reads the story of Zacchaeus.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

See us all tell the story of Zacchaeus!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

We talked about how the people must have felt that day. They were all there to see and learn from Jesus. After following him around in a large crowd, Jesus stopped and invited himself to one man's house. But they couldn't believe who Jesus was talking to! Zacchaeus! He wasn't even a good man. He was a tax collector who cheated and stole people's money. Was Jesus tricked? Did he not know what was going on? We don't think so!! We think Jesus knew he could turn Zacchaeus' life around! 


We all wrote down and read our answer to the question "What was Jesus thinking that day?"

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

This week we talked again about how God will always forgive us. In Chapter 13 we learned about reconciliation. We practiced thinking about something we have done that we shouldn't have done. We prayed to God to ask for his forgiveness. 

We also practiced going to Reconciliation and telling the priest our sins. 

In Chapter 13 we learned about 2 different types of sins.

In Chapter 13 we learned the story of Jesus healing a paralyzed man. A few of us practiced retelling the story with the pieces we colored and cut out:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Ask your child to see those pictures and practice retelling the story at home!

Homework:

Page 97

Page 105

Reread the Bible stories in those two chapters and talk about them at home!

Christmas Eve Mass

On Christmas Eve some of us helped act out the Gospel during the 2:30 Mass. We were a very important part of the Mass as we helped the congregation understand the story of Jesus' birth. The people at Mass loved seeing us be part of the Gospel. Thanks to those who participated!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Sessions 17 and 18

Today we covered chapters 17 (Jesus Loves the Church) and 18 (Gathering for Mass) in our books.


We began our class, as we do every class, by gathering around our prayer table. We prayed to help us learn today and also asked for prayers for friends and family members who need our help.

In chapter 17 we learned about the story of the two disciples inviting Jesus to dinner. We read the story and then 3 of us volunteered to act out the story.


Two of Jesus' disciples were walking down the road. 
They were feeling sad about Jesus dying. 
They ran into a stranger. 
They told him all about Jesus. 
Then they invited him to dinner. 
At dinner the man broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples. 
Then they knew it was Jesus. 
Jesus had risen from the dead.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

We learned that this story is important because the two disciples were nice and welcoming even when they didn't know it was Jesus they were talking to! We talked about ways we can be welcoming to other people in our lives and at church.


We also cut out 4 pictures and put them in order to retell the story. After that we wrote on our papers to retell the story. This is something you should ask your child to share with you!

Some of us read what we wrote:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

In chapter 18 we read about out the Mass. We also learned the importance of spreading the Word that "Jesus Saves". We made megaphones to help us spread the Word with our families!

At the end of class Ms. Rosi came to talk to us about Liturgy. We talked about some of the different people that help make the Mass happen. Some of those are jobs that we did when we hosted our second grade Mass. People help prepare the church just as people who invite us to dinner prepare for us to come. There are people whose job it is to decorate the church for the different seasons. At the beginning of Mass we bring in candles and the cross. All of these things help us prepare for the celebration.


When we are at church, Fr. John represents Jesus. We remember the last supper every time we attend Mass when we participate in the Eucharist.


There are two parts to the Mass: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Homework:

-attend Mass and bring your bulletin to get a sticker

-pages 137 and 145 in the book (marked by post-its)