The Catholic Toolbox: August 2017

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Church Building Crafts

daniellesplace.com- Church Themed Crafts

prekinders.com- Envelope Church Craft

web.archive.org- Matching Pieces Church

almostunschoolers.blogspot.ca- Milk Carton Easter Chapels

artistshelpingchildren.org- Making Cut Out Foldable Paper Churches

catholicicing.com- Craft a Church Tithing Bank for Kids

teacherspayteachers.com- Foldable Church Craft (FREE)

sermons4kids.com- Don’t Miss Church Crafts

artistshelpingchildren.org- Making Cut Out Foldable Paper Churches

craftingthewordofgod.com- The Church (template provided)

auntannie.com- Milk Carton Church with cut outs you can put on church craft

littleglitterhouses.com- Bonus: Church Conversion Plans (scroll down to bottom) with full directions

plushpossumstudio.blogspot.com- Family Fun Project: A Church Model Out of Paper with printable template

looktohimandberadiant.com- We are the Church Craft

People at Mass Crafts

justlikemary.blogspot.com- Paper Doll Priests

massexplained.com- Fr. Alejandro Vests for Mass (scroll down to this)

catholicicinspired.com- Vestments Craft

catholicextension.org- Father Peter and Altar Boy Cut Outs

catholicicing.com- Priest Peg Dolls

jsha2415.blogspot.com- Priest Peg Doll (be sure to make some colored chasubles out of felt to correspond to the liturgical year)

catholicicing.com- Altar Server Peg Dolls

Parent-Teacher Communication Forms/Letters/Templates

Communication with parents is key to having a good CCD classroom. Keeping parents informed is an excellent way to keep in touch and help parents be a part of their child's education. Parent’s love to know what is going on in their child’s classroom and would love to help out whenever they can.

Here are some forms/letters/templates you can use in your classroom:

teachersprintables.net- Parent Communication Forms

thecornerstoneforteachers.com- Tips for Parent-Teacher Communication (tips & forms)

teach-nology.com- Printable Forms For Contacting Parents

brighthornizons.com- Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference & Relationship (tips & forms)

tips-for-teachers.com- Parent Communication (tips & forms)

educationworld.com- Communicate with parents by snail mail or e-mail with these editable and/or printable forms and letters.

scholastic.com- Lots of ideas and forms to use in your classroom

teachervision.com- Parent-Teacher Conference Resources

teachervision.com- Teacher-Parent Collaboration ideas and forms

teachertools.org- Free downloads of forms and letters for Discipline, Academic, Communication, etc. Tons of forms and letters provided. Just click on "Forms and Letters" on the left and it will take you right there.

Classroom Newsletters- Classroom newsletters are an excellent way to keep in touch with parents and help them be a part of their child's education.

Progress Reports- Keeping parents well informed is key for any teacher. Here are some Progress Reports that you can use in your classroom.

Assignment Sheets and Grade Sheets- Keeping accurate records of student assignments is necessary for good parent/teacher communication. It also helps students be more organized and be able to turn assignments on time. Here are a few free assignment/grade sheets that might come in handy.

Introductory Letter To Parents- It is a great idea to take the opportunity to introduce yourself by welcoming the child and the parents in a letter the first day of CCD. It provides the parents with information of what is expected in the classroom and what the children will be doing during the year. It can also inform parents of the expectations and rules of the class that will help in making the classroom productive, creative, and enjoyable year for all (this can be a separate page that parents must sign and return to you). Teachers can also ask if parents are interested in volunteering and for any information that can help aid them in better understanding their child and their needs.

Agenda Book/Student Planner- An organized student stays current on assignments and will achieve success in school. Agenda books help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school. *Printable Agenda Book page with directions on how to fill it out. Place for parents/teachers to communicate on form.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Catholic Faith Crafts

Need crafts that are about the Catholic faith? Here are some I found that might come in handy. If you know of any Catholic faith crafts, please comment and share!

loyolapress.com- A Monthly Craft Idea to Help Children Grow in Faith

loyolapress.com- Activities and Crafts

catholicicing.com- TONS of Catholic crafts for kids posted on this blog!

catholicinspired.com- Catholic Crafts

The Catholic Toolbox- Celebrating the Mass Lesson Plans (lessons about Mass with crafts and activities)

ewtn.com- Catholic Craft Corner

The Catholic Toolbox- Catholic Prayer Crafts (look under each prayer for crafts)

The Catholic Toolbox- Saint Crafts (scroll down to this)

The Catholic Toolbox- Pope Crafts (scroll down to this)

The Catholic Toolbox- People at Mass Crafts

Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities

You gave your students a reading activity from the class textbook, but how do you know they understood the material? How do you assess your students to see if they learned the information taught in class? Most teachers give various worksheets or written tests asking questions about what they read or learned, but that can become repetitious and boring for students. So what can a catechist do to make sure their students understand the material?

Here are a few suggestions for your students to do that might come in handy:

1. Draw a picture of a character in the story. List the traits of the character on the back of the paper. Collect the pictures and have the students play “Who am I?” guessing game using the pictures.

2. Make a time-line of what happened in the story using pictures or words. They can even make a comic strip.

3. Have the students come up with a skit about the story or topic. They can also use puppets and make them. They could even perform this for another class.

4. Break the students into groups and have them make a game for other students to play about the story/topic.

5. Have the students come up with a craft or activity about the story/topic.

6. Use a Venn diagram to compare characters/topics. The catechist can even do this on the board with the class.

7. Break the students into groups and have them make a worksheet or puzzle to demonstrate their understanding of what you are teaching.

8. Play games to promote vocabulary building.

Hangman- Give the students a clue about the word and have them fill in the blanks to determine the word.

Vocab Dart Board- Use a real dart board or magnetic dart board. List the vocabulary words on the chalk/dry erase board. Assign each vocabulary word a number from the dart board and write the number beside the word. Break the students into teams and have one student from each team take turns and throw a dart at the dart board. The student must give the definition of the word that corresponds to that number they hit on the dart board. If they give the correct definition of the word, they get the number of points that word is worth. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Password- Put the vocabulary words on individual cards in a pile face down. To begin, one player is chosen to be "it". That player draws a vocabulary card from the pile. Then "it" gives all other players a one-word hint. The hint must not include, or be a variant of, the target word. (For instance, if the target word was "doghouse", hints such as "houses" or "doggy" would be illegal, but "puppy" would be legal.) Incriminating hand gestures, clues which consist of two or more words, and hyphenated words were also considered off-limits. Each other player in turn attempts to guess the target word. If no player guesses correctly, "it" continues giving one-word hints until a player says the target word. That player becomes "it" for the next round.

9. Play a game that reviews previously learned material. These activities make the Bible stories and aspects of the Catholic Church more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun.

10. Play a game show that quizzes your students about the subject. Make it fun and exciting by using a game that is created on PowerPoint. Download the template and modify the game to fit your curriculum needs.

What do you do with your students for reading comprehension and assessing what they have learned?

Friday, August 25, 2017

Gospel for the Mass: 9/21/14- Matthew 20:1-16a

Monday, August 21, 2017

Word Walls

Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.

dltk-bible.com- Bible Word Wall Words

christianpreschoolprintables.com- Free printable Creation Word Wall cards you can use in your Christian Homeschool or Sunday School classroom. These make great vocabulary lists, games, and even storytime enhancers for children. Print on heavy cardstock and laminate for durability.

sparklebox.co.uk- Story word cards (printable word and picture cards about Bible stories)

Here are a few I have made:

*If you are linking to my activities, please link directly to my blog post, not the URL (the address of a specific file on the internet). Thank you!

The activities below are free, however they can only to be used for classroom and personal use. They may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on these activities are not my own and are from various internet sources.

Abraham- Abraham, camel, sheep, tent, stars, baby

Adam & Eve- Adam, Eve, animals, Garden of Eden

Ash Wednesday & Lent- Ash Wednesday, pray, fast, give

Baptism of Jesus- Jesus, water, river, grasshopper, honey, dove

Fishers of Men- Jesus, boat, fish, net

Good Samaritan- robber, inn, oil, bandage, donkey

Good Shepherd- shepherd, sheep, storm, pray

Holy Spirit- scared, wind, brave, flame

Isaac- Abraham- Abraham, camel, sheep, tent, stars, baby

Jesus Calms the Storm- Jesus, boat, storm

Jesus loves me- Jesus, loves, me

Joshua & Jericho- Joshua, horn, wall

King Solomon- King, temple, ark, seven

Loaves & Fishes- loaf, fish, basket, share

Offering- offering, giving

Pray- listen, talk, pray

Sorry/Forgive- I’m sorry, I forgive you

Quail- Moses, quail, tent, manna

Red Sea- Moses, sea, red, cloud, fire, desert, chariot

Uzziah- King, sad, best

Virtues- Jesus, Christian

Wedding at Cana- jar, wine, water

Woman at the Well- jar, well, water, bucket

Young Ruler- I, love (When you use these cards ask the students and discuss, “What do you love?” and “Who do you love?”).

Zacchaeus- Jesus, Zacchaeus, loves

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Assignment Sheets and Grade Sheets

Parents and students like having assignments written down so they can keep track of them and a good way of doing it is having a Classroom Assignment Sheet. This can be posted in the classroom, on the door, or even emailed to the parents and students. Keeping accurate records of student assignments is necessary for good parent/teacher communication. It also helps students be more organized and be able to turn assignments on time and lets parents know whether their child is turning in their homework. You can also give a blank sheet to each student so they can write down when assignments are due to become more independent with their CCD homework assignments. An organized student stays current on assignments and will achieve success in CCD. Assignment Sheets help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school and CCD.

Here are a few free assignment/grade sheets that might come in handy.

teachervision.com- Assessment Forms

superteacherworksheets.com- Printable Gradebook

printablepaper.net- Printable Gradebook Paper

teachersprintables.net- Grading Sheets and Rubrics

teacherspayteachers.com- FREE Editable Printable Gradebook Sheet

superteacherworksheets.com- Here's a terrific gradebook template designed especially for elementary classroom teachers. Download the gradebook and open it up on Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc. Enter your student names and grades. The spreadsheet will calculate student averages for each subject. It's completely free from Super Teacher Worksheets!

vertex42.com- This free Gradebook Template for Excel started out as a very basic grade book spreadsheet, but it has evolved into something that is very useful, flexible, and powerful (and still free). The gradebook download includes 3 different types of grade books that can handle most of the major grading systems used in high school and colleges.

teachnology.com- This tool allows you to quickly create printable weekly assignments for your students.

teachnology.com- Weekly Multi Subject Assignment Maker

teachertools.org- 2 Assignment Sheets to download. Click on Forms and Letters. Look under Academic.

friendsofpr.com- Assignment Sheet

Friday, August 18, 2017

Gospel for the Mass: 9/17/17- Matthew 18:21-35

*Be sure to check out Gospel for the Mass Year A page right below the header for other days that you need Gospel for the Mass activities.

Disclaimer: The posts below contain links to other websites and the content of these sites are evaluated before they are included. These websites can change without warning making links inactive and/or the content altered. We have no control over other websites and we are not responsible for the content that they post.

Matthew 18:21-35

Activities

catholicmom.com- Scroll down to the date for Coloring Page, Mass Worksheet, Crossword Puzzle, Word Search, etc.

catholickidsbulletin.blogspot.com- Download a FREE bulletin to help your kids learn more about our Catholic Mass. Each week's bulletin contains coloring pages for a saint and activities based on the Gospel. The coloring pages may also include a maze, dot-to-dot, find the picture, and many other activities.

loyolapress.com- Background on the Gospel and activities for groups and families

4catholiceducatiors.com- Resources on the Sunday Readings

sermons4kidslcom- Over and Over Again object lesson with group activities, coloring page, puzzles, worship bulletin

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving object lesson with group activities, coloring page, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

The Catholic Toolbox- Unforgiving Servant Lesson Plan for 1st Grade On Up with Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets, etc.

dltk-bible.com- The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant lesson with activities

The Catholic Toolbox- What Can Teens Do For Gospel For The Mass Activities?

textweek.com- Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources

Coloring

sermons4kidslcom- Help me forgive others as you have forgiving me.

biblewise.com- The Unforgiving Servant

supercoloring.com- Unforgiving Servant Parable

bible-printables.com- The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Crafts

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving (group activities) crafts

orientaltrading.com- Craft is discontinued but it gives you a great idea for a craft

Jesus Always Forgives poem by Patricia Meyers (idea for a lacing craft)- Have students print this out or print out on computer and give it to your students to paste inside heart.

Jesus Always Forgives

Sometimes we hurt each other's hearts by
mean things said or done.
It's hard not to be mad or angry,
forgiveness isn't fun.
But after the "I'm sorry" if we'll say “it's okay"
and mean it deep inside our heart,
we choose the Bible way.
Jesus always forgives us,
I know that that is true.
When we say we're sorry,
He makes our hearts brand new.

By: Patricia Meyers

kidssundayschool.com- How many times should I forgive? A delightful craft to show how often we should forgive one another.

truthforkids.com- Forgiveness Craft

Games

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving (group activities) games

Introduce games: God forgives the wrong things we have done, what should we do to others who have done something wrong? Forgive them.

Five in a Row- This game will help children to discover that when Jesus forgives them, their sins are forgotten. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 125).

Who’s Forgiven- The Really Big Book of Bible Games page 66.

Introduce game: The core lesson for the Unforgiving Servant is the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The Catholic Toolbox- The Golden Rule (file folder game)

The Catholic Toolbox- The Unforgiving Servant (file folder game)

Movies

Forgiving: God Wants Me To Forgive Them?! (Veggie Tales)

Introduce movie: How many times are you to forgive someone? Many, many times.

The Grapes of Wrath (12 min.)

Questions to ask after movie:

1. What did the grapes do to Junior? They made fun of him.
2. Who does God want us to be kind to? Everyone
3. When someone says they are sorry and they really mean it, what should you say? I forgive you.
4. How many times are you supposed to forgive someone? Not 7 times, but seventy times seven (490). In other words, many, many times.

Larry’s Lagoon (15 min.)

1. What happened to the boat? Larry smashed it.
2. How did everyone feel about Larry? They were mad at him.
3. How doe it feel when someone says they forgive you? It feels good.
4. It is wrong to not forgive someone when they say they are sorry and they really mean it? Yes.

Puzzles

Introduce puzzle: How many times must we forgive someone? We should forgive over and over again just like God and Jesus. Nutty Numbers (How many times you should forgive maze)- Maze Mania by Viki Woodworth

dltk-bible.com- anagrams, crossword, cryptogram, mazes, word mining, word searches

sermons4kidslcom- Word Search

joanyedwards.com- Word Search

sermons4kidslcom- Decoder

sermons4kidslcom- Spiral Puzzle

biblewise.com- Crossword with answers

4catholiceducators.com- The Unmerciful Slave crossword

sermons4kidslcom- Crossword

joanyedwards.com- Crossword

Quizzes

sermons4kidslcom- Matching

Snacks

Introduce snack: When might you need to trust God’s faithfulness? When I do something wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness.

christiancrafters.com- Sweet Faith Crackers

pillsbury.com- Faith Cookies
Have the children make cross shaped cookies and decorate them. (Example: one large rectangle for main part of cross, and one smaller rectangle to form the cross).

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Handwriting/Copy Work Worksheet Makers

To learn various prayers, liturgical objects used in Mass, and other church activities, having the students write it down is a good way for them to remember. Here are a few of my favorite handwriting worksheet makers that are FREE so you can make personalized handwriting worksheets (print or cursive) for your students.

handwritingworksheets.com- Make basic print, D’Nealian, or Cursive handwriting worksheets. You can make the worksheets dot trace, dash trace, hollow trace, and even separated letters by just a click of a button. Each format has starting dots for each letter.

softschools.com- Make manuscript handwriting worksheets in PDF form.

atozteacherstuff.com- Create your own custom handwriting worksheets for handwriting practice! You can choose traditional or modern print styles.

kidzone.ws/tracers/- Type in anything you like into the custom tracer pages to practice printing (standard block or script type printing fonts) or cursive handwriting. The custom tracer pages are available in a variety of themes as well.

writingwizard.longcountdown.com- Create writing practice sheets in D'Nealian or Zaner-Bloser style, in print or cursive form.

twistynoodle.com- You choose the worksheet that you want; select the font....and you have a writing worksheet along with a picture to color. You can also edit the text to make it a verse or words that go with the Bible story, etc.

worksheetworks.com- Add your own copy work to their text box and then select the create button. It will then take you to a page to download the .pdf format worksheet

Bible Alphabet Handwriting Sheets

Below is a list of FREE Bible alphabet handwriting sheets you can print out for your classroom or home.

christianpreschoolprintables.com- Print Bible ABC Worksheets: Teaching your little ones the alphabet is a great opportunity to introduce them to some key Bible characters and concepts.

biblestoryprintables.com- Cursive Bible ABC Worksheets: Children can learn the alphabet while also learning about key Bible characters.

first-school.ws- Bible Alphabet Coloring pages & Handwriting Tracers
From A for Angels to Z for Zacchaeus (D'Nealian and Standard block). Includes links to Bible reference scripture links, additional printable resources: coloring pages and crafts.

preschoolpost.com- Free Printable Bible Coloring Pages for children to learn their ABC's. Each page has the letter for the children to color in, and for older students, there is a place to trace the letter and begin to write it on their own. These make great Bible Handwriting Worksheets to send home with children, or make their own Bible ABC Coloring Book.

simplelivingcreativelearning.com- This printable pack contains one tracing worksheet for each uppercase and lowercase letter of the alphabet. Each page contains an object that relates to a story in the Bible, that begins with the letter of the alphabet that they will be working on. There are a variety of activities included on this page.

Bible Alphabet Handwriting Books

I am trying to compile a list of Bible Alphabet Handwriting Books. I was wondering if anyone knew of any books that have any Bible alphabet handwriting activities using lines for the children to write on. Here are a couple of books that I found that will give you an idea of what I am looking for.

Bible Alphabet Handwriting Books (has lines for the children to write on)-

Bible Stories from A to Z by Mary Murray- Each of the 26 mini-units features a letter of the alphabet and includes a Bible story with questions, an activity page, a craft, a prayer, snack, take home story, and a handwriting sheet. Click on Sample Pages to see book. Click here for another view of the book.

A Bible Alphabet by Alison Brown- Each Bible story provides a coloring/writing page that corresponds to each letter of the alphabet. Children have the opportunity to color the scene given with the Bible story and to write the word using the letter being emphasized. The sheets are perforated making them easy to remove from the book.

Do you know of any Bible Alphabet Handwriting books that have handwriting activities using lines for the children to write on? Please comment and I will add the book to the list.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Lesson Plan Templates

Lesson Plans come in all shapes and forms. What you should use depends upon your principal, DRE, etc. and what you need as a teacher. Teachers must also take into account inclusion of special needs students into their classroom. Keeping all the needs of everyone in mind while doing a lesson plan can sometimes be overwhelming.

Lesson Plan Template Filled Out- example of one I did

Below are some lesson plan templates that I found online that might be helpful:

thereligionteacher.com- Click on the links below to download your free copies of the lessons planning templates from The Religion Teacher’s Guide to Lesson Planning.

lessonplanspage.com- This lesson plan template was designed to make lesson plan writing easier to do while ensuring that all lesson plan components are met. Copy and paste below into your authoring program.

lessonplans4teachers.com- Every teacher has a unique way of completing lesson plans. Some are based on strict district guidelines, while others come out of years of experience and successful practices. The following is a list of generally accepted lesson planning templates. These are all Free Lesson Plan templates.

nwlink.com- Lesson Plan Template (rtf)
This template is intended to be the ultimate lesson plan. If you only use a quarter of the learning techniques within the template, you will still have a great lesson plan. This template uses Outlining to keep the numbers correctly sequenced. By pressing the [Enter] key within the outline or deleting an outline number, the numbers will automatically resequence themselves.

k6educators.about.com- Blank 8-Step Lesson Plan Template

personal.psu.edu- Lesson Plan Template

What kind of lesson plan do you use? Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you use!

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Make Your Own Mini Books

Mini books are a great way to help reinforce various Bible stories and topics. You can find some that you can buy and there are some that are free at various websites. But sometimes you want to have your mini book to go with your version of a Bible story or emphasize certain aspects of a topic. Or you may want your students to make their own mini book. Here are some templates that might come in handy:

homeschoolshare.com- Several different kinds of booklets you can print out for free

practicalpages.wordpress.com- One Page Mini Book Templates

vickiblackwell.com- Several different kinds of booklets you can print out for free

brighthub.com- learn how to make mini books in MS Publisher without using a template

sparklebox.co.uk- Editable Fold Over Mini Book Templates

eslprintables.com- This template is a ready minibook to be fill in. You need to add your pictures and text.

melzwritingwiki.pbworks.com- Mini Book templates are created in MicroSoft Office. They are templates which include text boxes for you to include any question or instructions at the top of each page of the Mini Book. Clip-art can be inserted on any page. Instructions for folding.

ehow.com- How to Make a Mini Book Off of Word 2007

dedicatedteachers.wordpress.com- Here is a template for you to start preparing your own minibooks. It’s fully editable.

practicalpages.wordpress.com- MS Word (editable) and PDF mini book templates

Coloring Pages- you can add various black and white pictures that your students can color

Free Religious Coloring Pages

Clip Art/Graphics- clip art you can add to your mini books

Free Bible Clip Art and Graphics

Monday, August 14, 2017

FREE One Page Printable Bible Stories

Short on paper and need some printable Bible stories? Well, lambsongs.co.nz has them for FREE. You can print them out in color or black and white, whichever you prefer. Great for review and for your children to read.

Old Testament

New Testament

Christmas

Easter

Value Series

Bible Story Mini Books

Bible Story Mini Books are a great way to review a Bible story or concept with young students. There are even some online for free to print out for the students to take home. I give one to each of my first grade students every week so they can read them to their parents for homework.

lambsongs.co.nz- are by far the best mini books online for free. They have color or black and white (students can color these) versions of several types of mini books in Word or Publisher format. Check this site often because they add new mini books all the time.

Old Testament

New Testament

Christmas

Easter

dltk-bible.com- Bible Mini Books (7 posted that are color or black & white)

• Adam & Eve (2 versions)
• Creation
• Life of Jesus
• Lord’s Prayer (Catholic version posted)
• Men of the Bible
• Noah and His Ark

chrisitanpreschoolprintables.com- Old and New Testament Bible Story Mini Books

biblestoryprintables- (sister group of christianpreschoolprintables.com) Bible Story Mini Books that are in color or black & white

psscentral.com- Bible Story Mini Books (20 posted that are black & white)

Sunday, August 13, 2017

FREE Printable Mass Notes For Children

It’s no secret that kids often struggle to pay attention during Mass. Sometimes the problem is comprehension, other times it’s just listening skills. This post features downloadable resources to help the children in your church remember what was said during Mass.

lifeofahomeschoolmom.com- FREE My Mass Notes Printable {for Kids}

lifeofahomeschoolmom.com- Mass Reflection Sheet Graphic Organizer

happylittlehomemaker.com- Catholic Mass Listening Pages~There is a set for both the regular (Novus Ordo) Mass and the Traditional Latin Mass. Each set includes a page to be used during each liturgical season.

Use these for ideas to make your own.

notconsumed.com- Free Printable Sermon Notebook for Kids

lifeofahomeschoolmom.com- Sermon Notes for Kids Printables

paththroughthenarrowgate.com- Printable Sermon Notes Sheet

theministrymama.com- Sermon Notes Round Up for Kids

123homeschool4me.com- Sermon Notes for Kids Printable Worksheets

flandersfamily.info- Sermon Notes Printable for Children

blessedbeyondadoubt.com- Encourage Your Children to take Sermon Notes with FREE Printable!

mmmcrafts.blogspot.com- It's a Christian worship activity page for your school-age kiddos that will keep them quietly occupied during worship while at the same time helping them to focus on what is going on.

forestbaptistchurch.org- Sermon Note Worksheet for Kids

ministry-to-children.com- Printable Sermon Note Taking Sheet for Kids

raisingarrows.net- The worksheets contained a list of hand-written “church” words and the children were putting tally marks next to each of the words as they heard them in the service.

clarchatter.blogspot.com- In order to keep Christ the focus, we have tried out many ways to help our children attend and commit to memory what they learn on Sunday. I created this sheet for that purpose.

teacherspayteachers.com- This 5 page packet contains a study note outline for: PK-K, 1st-2nd Graders, 3rd-5th Graders, 6th-8th Graders. It aids children in focusing on what is happening during worship services, instead of focusing on coloring books or texting or the people around them or notes or daydreaming. I am making it free because I think it is an awesome resource that every church should incorporate.

momsbestnest.blogspot.com- Use these ideas to make your own.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Gospel for the Mass: 9/10/17- Matthew 18:15-20

How To Grade Journal Writing

Before assigning any kind of journal writing the teacher must explain to the students all the expectations that are required to completing and grading the journal. By identifying all the expectations before writing the journals this will prevent some confusion for the students and it will also facilitate good teacher and student communication.

What the Teacher Needs to Explain Fully to the Students:

What is the purpose of the journal?

What format is to be used for the journal?

What will the students write about?

How much writing is required?

When will the journals be due? Where do the students turn them in?

How will the students be given feedback?

When and where will the students pick up their journals?

How will the students be graded?

Who will read the journals?

Journal Grading:

The teacher needs to state what percentage of the student’s grade will be affected by their journal writing and how they will be graded. A syllabus or an introduction letter about the class is a good way to notify the students and parents what is expected. Teachers must also go over the syllabus/introduction letter thoroughly with the class to avoid any confusion and allow students to ask questions. Studies show if the instructor chooses to incorporate journal writing into their class, unless the journals have an effect on the grades, students will put very little effort into their writing (Hahnemann, 1986). Grading journals therefore gives them value and shows their importance. How much the journal writing should count as part of the student’s grade is up to the teacher. Usually it is 10% (Hahnemann, 1986) to 20% (Tryssenaar, 1995) to make sure that the students feel the journal writing assignments matter and are important. When completing some journal assignments it is imperative to remember that if the focus is on the thought process, then grammar and punctuation should not be a part of the evaluation of the journal. If the focus of the journal is to reflect, then the journal should be an environment where students can write and not worry about punctuation, grammar, and spelling (Walker, 2006). Teachers need to convey that content is more important than word count and sincere reflection on the topic is key.

*You can also use these rubrics below to assess students' abilities to complete the journal activities assigned. Share the assessment with students prior to completing the journal writing lesson so they will understand how they will be assessed. You can also use the rubric as a basis for discussion and feedback with each student.

sites4teachers.com- Journal Response and Comprehension Rubric

gsu.edu- Several rubrics posted to use.

Journal Feedback:

Teachers must give feedback to the students about their journal writing before the second writing assignment is given. Judgment and criticism should not be noted on the journal writing. Instead, the attempt to write on the student's part is more important than the success of the attempt (Hahnemann, 1986). One to two comments about the entry is more than enough (Brown & Sorrell, 1993). If more comments are stated by the teacher the students usually lose their sense of purpose and meaning of the writing. The students will worry about grammar and sentence structure instead of what they are trying to say (Holmes, 1997).

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

FREE Printable Christian Journal Sheets and Booklets

Need some journal sheets or booklets for your classroom? Well, believe it or not, there are several online for free.

catholicicing.com- How to Start a Scripture Journal with Children

pinterest.com- Prayer Journal Printable

homeschoolcreations.net- Draw and Journal Pages Printable

dailydwelling.com- Prayer Journal Printables

momstoolbelt.com- Bible Study and Quiet Time Pages

graceisoverrated.com- These pages were created out of a sense of delightful, insightful personal exploration. They combine fill-in-the-blank journal prompts with unconventional to-do lists, game-show-inspired lightning rounds, action-inspiring quotes, and oodles of hand-drawn doodles.

wateronthefloor.wordpress.com- FREE Printable Prayer Journal for Kids

truthforkids.com- Download a kid-friendly journal page to use with devotions or for taking notes during a sermon.

hem-of-his-garment-bible-study.org- Free Christian Prayer Journal Pages (scroll down for these)

joditt.com- Free printable prayer journal template

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Journal Writing

Coming up with ideas for journal writing in the classroom or home can sometimes be hard. Here are a few ideas I found online that might be useful.

saints365.blogspot.com- Catholic Journal Prompts: Holy Family Edition

saints365.blogspot.com- Catholic Monthly Journal Prompts: Love Edition

catholicsistas.com- Journal Writing in your {Catholic} Homeschool

gardenoftheheart.com- Prayer & Journaling Prompts

trinitytutors.com- Spiritual Journaling for Christian Youth (journaling prompts)

thereligionteacher.com- Rosary Journals for Meditation on the Mysteries of the Rosary

thecatholicscholar.blogspot.com- Prayer Journals (how to do one and what could be in it)

Mass Journals- Here are several activities online that may help.

Do you have any other suggestions? Please comment and I will add it to the list.

FREE Printable Christian Journal Sheets and Booklets- Need some journal sheets or booklets for your classroom? Well, believe it or not, there are several online for free.

The Catholic Toolbox- (links to FREE printables!)

Saturday, August 5, 2017

What Makes A Good Catechist?

When you volunteer to be a catechist you must take it seriously, it is not a job to be taken lightly. By becoming a catechist you have made a commitment to teach students the best you can and that doesn't mean being a slacker and only doing a mediocre job. When you volunteer to be a catechist at your parish it says you will be responsible for that class for the year. That means you need to have lesson plans and activities ready each time your class meets. That also means a catechist will be on time and will know the material. All too frequently some take a nonchalant attitude about being a catechist. Remember you volunteered to be a catechist and they are counting on you to be there and do your job well.

What makes a good catechist?

• When a catechist needs to be absent you follow the procedure for being absent that is written in the catechist handbook that you signed to verify that you understood what your responsibilities are and the rules that you must follow. Contact the appropriate personnel when you find out when you will be absent ASAP. When you are absent and you do not notify others this causes disruption and poor learning with the students. When you notify the DRE and co-teacher prior to being absent it allows them to make other arrangements. Nothing is worse than not having a teacher show up and a lesson has not been planned. Other volunteers who are supposed to be doing something else and not your job will have to scramble and try to come up with a lesson and teach your class. Utter chaos will result and your students will suffer the consequences from your inconsiderate actions. The catechist should also have all necessary items and suggestions (lesson plan, Substitute Teacher Packet, tips, etc.) ready for the substitute so they can do their job efficiently and effectively.

• Always arrive at least 30 minutes before your class starts. To enhance your students learning prepare your classroom. A well organized catechist and classroom is a must. Without it, your students will not learn to their fullest potential.

• Use a wide variety of engaging activities that enable all your students to be actively involved in the class. Do imaginative and creative activities that add excitement to your lessons. Make sure the activity fits your students and emphasize the lesson and the objectives of what you want your students to learn. When you complete a chapter with your class and you need to review it to make sure your students understand it and/or get them ready for a test, what should you do? How can you make it interesting and fun and the students will learn? How To Review Material- Try to incorporate a game to review the material in your classroom. There are lots of ways to review. Here are some games I use quite frequently since the students enjoy them so much and they really help to review what we have been doing in class.

• Use the textbook as a resource, not as the sole source of learning. No curriculum is perfect and teachers need to supplement with activities to help teach their students. Using various resources provides your students with a variety of activities that helps enhance the lesson and allows them to understand more and have a lot of fun in the process.

• Engage in efforts to deepen your knowledge of the faith and grow spiritually. No catechist can know everything and by going to workshops, retreats, classes, studying Catholic literature, etc. can help broaden your understanding and learn new ways of teaching.

• Be prepared and know the material. Know your subject. Read, study, and learn. A good lesson depends on how well the catechist understands the material.

• Have prepared and well planned lesson plans. Before you do anything you must plan and prepare. Having a well planned and prepared CCD class is essential. Without this your students cannot learn to their fullest potential. A well planned and prepared lesson plan will also help to avoid possible behavior problems that could arise in your class as well. A thorough and thought out lesson plan should include various elements to promote good learning.

• Consistently model the behavior you expect of your students. If you want your students to be good Catholics, you must act accordingly. By modeling and living the Catholic way of life it will reinforce proper behavior for your students.

• Teach what you are supposed to teach. The subjects should include the Church’s liturgical and sacramental life and moral teachings. You should also cover the topics that are in your curriculum so your lessons will flow accordingly with next year’s class activities.

• Have Class Rules and keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum. Go over your Class Rules thoroughly with your students so they will understand them. Every classroom needs rules so that the class can run smoothly and effectively. Having a well behaved classroom is critical for proper learning. For the students to learn to their fullest potential they need an environment that is quiet, without distractions, and organized. To achieve this is to keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum. And always have classroom behavior expectations and go over them with your students the first day and post them where the students can see them.

• Be fair. Never show favoritism. Treat each student the same.

• Work well with others. That includes the priest, DRE, teachers, helpers, parents, students, etc.

• Obtain information from parents and have training for all personnel if you are having a special needs child in your classroom. When a special needs child is assigned to your classroom, be sure to gather information from the parents about their child before they come to class to help with the transition of their child into the classroom. Seeking the advice and assistance of the child's family is the most important factor in learning how to teach a child with special needs. A training session of all personnel that comes in contact with the child should be conducted before the student starts CCD to focus on identifying supports the student needs and how to implement them.

• Assess students regularly. Test according to their abilities and how they work best. Use various ways to assess what they have learned. Be sure to review all material prior to testing.

• Get parents involved in CCD. Without parent involvement in CCD their child will not learn to their fullest potential.

• Assign homework that reviews previously learned material and is relevant to the objectives of the lesson. Homework should not be busy work, it should reinforce the lesson. Have assignment sheets and grade sheets to help keep students organized and parents up to date. Or use an Agenda Book/Student Planner to help students develop sound organization skills that will teach them a successful lifelong journey through school.

• Explain what you want your students to learn in ways that they understand the material. Take into account the unique needs of your students or how they learn best to make your lesson as effective as possible.

• Use technology in your classroom that enhances the lesson and learning of your students. What is effective and needed for your classroom depends upon your students and what is available for the catechist to use. Whatever equipment you are using it must achieve your learning objectives for your lesson. Always have the equipment ready before class and know how to use it.

• Catechists keep all information confidential. Anything you know and hear that is personal about anyone, including the students is kept confidential.

• Catechists follow and sign the guidelines and rules set forth by the diocese and/or DRE. If there are not any, the DRE should write up some guidelines for the catechists to sign to verify that they understood what their responsibilities are and the rules that they must follow. Be sure include in it an absenteeism policy and what they are supposed to do when they are absent.

It is a good idea to have a Catechist Handbook to acquaint volunteer catechists with the policies and procedures in the Religious Formation Program. The Catechist Handbook will clearly define what the responsibilities are for the catechist and the procedures that they are to follow.

What kind of catechist are you?

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Catechist Training

Most dioceses and/or parishes require some kind of catechist training before they can teach a class each year. By providing assistance and training to all catechists before CCD starts it will prepare the catechist so they can be an effective teacher. Certified catechist should also participate in the training because no catechist can know everything and they could also benefit from new ideas and activities. The veteran catechist can also be informed of new CCD policies and rules that have been introduced as well as any other pertinent information regarding CCD.

Suggestions of what can be in the catechist training:

Guidelines for Catechists- Explain fully the guidelines for the catechist so they will know what they are supposed to do and when. This will help the catechist know what they should do for class management and how to handle certain situations and challenges with students and parents. Catechist should also know and understand what the appropriate behavior of a catechist is and how to address a variety of circumstances that, if not appropriately addressed, may create a risk of incidents, allegations, claims and/or lawsuits.

It is a good idea to have a Catechist Handbook to acquaint volunteer catechists with the policies and procedures in the Religious Formation Program. The Catechist Handbook will clearly define what the responsibilities are for the catechist and the procedures that they are to follow.

CCD Policies- Review and explain the CCD Policies that are in the Parent/Student Handbook so the catechist will know what they are and what the parent and student must follow so there will be no misunderstandings. This will allow CCD to be able to run smoothly and without any problems.

Know Your Curriculum- To ensure consistent progress and development the catechist must read, study, and learn the curriculum. A good lesson depends on how well the catechist understands the material. Providing essential information about the curriculum will help the catechists build their lessons on a strong foundation. The training should provide a concise overview of the curriculum and how to use it properly so the catechist will know what to do.

Tips For Planning and Preparing Your Lessons- Having a well planned and prepared CCD class is essential. Without this your students cannot learn to their fullest potential. A well planned and prepared lesson plan will also help to avoid possible behavior problems that could arise in your class as well. The catechist must write detailed lesson plans and include what is essential to be an effective teacher.

Select what activities you will be doing with your students. Find various activities (crafts, worksheets, games, coloring sheets, puzzles, etc.) that go with your lesson. Review the objectives of your lesson to determine if the activity is appropriate for your students. Remember that the activities must relate to the lesson. Only do crafts, games, and activities that emphasize the lesson and the objectives of what you want your students to learn. These activities make your lessons more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun. Keeping the students busy with relevant activities also helps eliminate discipline problems that might erupt due to the students being bored.

Adjust lesson plan to your students. Be sure to take into account that every year each group of students is different and can learn differently than previous classes. What activities worked one year might not work this year. Take into account the unique needs of your students or how they learn best to make your lesson as effective as possible. Example: If your students learn better when they are in small groups, make sure you have an activity planned for your students to break into a small group and work together.

Have alternative activities. Sometimes what you have planned for the class does not work out so have alternative activities to accomplish your objectives for the lesson.

Have extra activities. Sometimes what you have planned takes less time than expected. Be sure to have other activities to fill in if you have extra time in your lesson.

Discipline- Having a well behaved classroom is critical for proper learning. For the students to learn to their fullest potential they need an environment that is quiet, without distractions, and organized. Discipline procedures must be fully discussed as well as classroom rules. Tips and suggestions on how to keep disruptive behavior down to a minimum should also be examined.

How to Access Student Progress- Since students learn in different ways, they must be tested in different ways to find out if they have learned the information taught in class. Assessment must include a variety of methods that will enable the catechist to determine how successfully your students are learning to live out their faith in their daily lives and in communion with the Church.

Be Prepared- Make sure you have enough materials for all students. Have enough books, pencils, craft supplies, worksheets, puzzles, etc. for each student. Have a few extra for any new students or if they bring a friend to class.

Have materials and classroom ready before class. Make sure you arrive early to set up your classroom and to make sure all the materials and equipment you need are there, easy to access, and ready to go.

Report Cards/Progress Reports- They are usually based on attendance, work, behavior and attitude. They allow the parents and student to know how well he/she understands the material being taught in class. If your CCD program has report cards/progress reports this must be explain fully so the catechist will understand how and when to do them.

Absenteeism- When a catechist needs to be absent you follow the procedure for being absent that is written in the catechist handbook that you signed to verify that you understood what your responsibilities are and the rules that you must follow.

*What else could be in the catechist training? Please leave a comment and add to the list.

Books & Recordings for Catechists:

The Catechist’s Toolbox by Joe Paprocki- is an invaluable tool for catechists to use so that their students can learn to their fullest potential. The book allows the reader to dig deeper into the understanding of what makes a good catechist and what they should do.

Limited preview

Joe Paprocki has also provided recordings (videos on youtube.com) of The Catechist Toolbox Webinar that are quite informative. The recordings revolve around the theme of Getting Started as a Catechist. These Webinars, hosted by Joe Paprocki, will provide catechists, both those who are new and those who'd like to refresh their skills, with an introduction to the basic tools needed to effectively engage young people in faith formation. These videos are one part of a two week event. The videos are divided into chapters for easy viewing.

Part 1 Recording

Joe covers topics such as:

• Your Role as a Catechist
• Lesson Planning and Preparation
• Choosing Learning Activities
• Preparing the Learning Environment

Part 2 Recording

Joe covers topics such as:

• Leading Reflective Prayer
• Discipline
• Polishing Your Technique
• 10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Become a More Effective Catechist

Pages

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Friday, August 25, 2017

Monday, August 21, 2017

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Friday, August 18, 2017

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Monday, August 14, 2017

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Friday, August 11, 2017

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

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