COME HOLY SPIRIT PRAYER-BULLETIN BOARD

I added the 'gifts' of the Holy Spirit to the bulletin board.  Every day we said the Holy Spirit Prayer and then chanted the gifts.

• Wisdom: We see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of life take on deeper meaning. We see God as our Father, appreciate the dignity of others, and find God in all things.

• Understanding: In understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as followers of Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known, Aquinas writes.^[4]

• Counsel (Right Judgment): With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

• Fortitude (Courage): With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or physical harm. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing good and in enduring evil.

• Knowledge: With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.

• Piety (Reverence): With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes.

• Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe): With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in correct location with respect to God: we are the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

   Catholics in England during the period 1558-1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private.  It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in 1829.
   "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the 'catechism songs' to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith.  In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid.  Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment.  The authorities would not know that it was a religious song.
   "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is in a sense an allegory.  Each of the items in the song represents something significant to the teachings of the Catholic faith.  The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help Catholic children learn their faith.  The better acquainted one is with the Bible, the more these interpretations have significance.

JESSE TREE

STAINED GLASS WINDOW COLORING

Taken from Christmas Grades 4-6 by Leslie Satter.

DEAR GOD LETTER

Taken from Christmas Grades 4-6 by Leslie Satter.

SANTA LUCIA CROWN

Taken from Copycat 1990.  http://stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store

HAPPY ST. NICHOLAS CARD

Taken from Copycat Press 1988.  http://stores.ebay.com/Copycat-Store
St. Nicholas was a fourth-century Bishop known for his kindness and charity, especially to children.

JOHNNY APPLESEED RELIGION

Writing Activity and Prayer/Song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_IrdS-zu48

NAMES CAN HURT ME

This is a powerful concept that is great to do at the beginning of the year before you have any problems.  Make sure you assign the names to people so you do not get duplicates.  I didn't hang the pictures.  I put them in the Journal/Memory Books.  That way the students saw the reminder every time we had our Journals out to work in them or to add to them.  Try it.

MOSES AND THE PLAGUES

ADDED INFO

As you learn about Moses, this project will help the students understand the timeline of the story.  The papers the students use to draw descriptive pictures are formatted with the following writing.
God helped Moses escape slavery by bringing down plagues.  One plague was _____________________.

HOLY SPIRIT MIRRORS BULLETIN BOARD

While you are studying the gift of the Holy Spirit, hand out the mirrors for the students to draw a picture of themselves doing something with the Holy Spirit's guidance.  Make sure to decorate the rim and the handle.  Remind the students of the coloring rules:  Neatly, One Direction, Cover All White.  I used these on the border that is on top of the chalkboards.  It looked very nice.  I wrote the name of the student on the handle with black sharpie.

SACRED HEART OF JESUS GIFT

This is a Thank You Card for the end-of-the-year.  It should be printed front to back.  This could be two ways.  One as a gift to the parents that helped you throughout the year, or as a final gift to your students.  If you send to your students, I would change the Offering Prayer to the Thanksgiving Prayer (see below).  Add a Sacred Heart of Jesus inside the card.  Explain to the students that the heart should be hung above the entry to their home or their bedroom. I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be exposed and honored.

FOOTPRINTS BULLETIN BOARD

 During Lent we try to focus on Jesus at a deeper level.  One way is to ask the children how they can walk with Jesus on a daily basis.
Get foot prints.  I purchased a set from Instruction Fair.  The # IF9220 In His Steps.  They added color to the bulletin board.  Background is dark blue burlap bordered with Stained Glass Border.  Purchase a poster of the poem Footprints and put in the left lower corner.  Have student footprints making a path across the board toward a picture of Jesus or a cross.

Posters Footprints Sale | AllPosters.com

www.allposters.com     

PATH TO HEAVEN POSTER

I made this into a poster, laminated it, and taught the basics of Faith from it.  I love the visualization of OUR PATH TO HEAVEN.

CATHOLIC CHURCH PEOPLE

Help your students understand what certain people do in the Catholic Church.  Make sure they list the name of the people also.  This might be a good time to ask the priest, deacon....to visit your class and tell about their vocation and what their job description is.

THINGS EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD KNOW

JESUS IS OUR LIGHT BULLETIN BOARD

RELIGION SITES