Crafty Crafters: Easter

So how crafty are you?

What is your favorite religious craft you make for Easter?



Here is a craft you can make using a tissue box:

catholicicing.com- Make an empty tomb craft (scroll down for this)



Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!



Here is what Jennifer is doing: crafolic.com- The Symbol of the Easter Egg ~ Craft

Crafty Crafters: Last Supper (chalice)

So how crafty are you?

What is your favorite religious craft you make for The Last Supper?



Here is a craft I make with my students using a plastic wine glass:

Introduce craft: During the Last Supper, Jesus said this to his disciples, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood.” What do we drink the Blood of Christ out of? (A chalice.)


familyatthefootofthecross.blogspot.com- Corpus Christi Mosaic Craft

Materials:

Plastic wine glasses
Tissue paper cut in 1 inch squares
Modge Podge (I put ½ water and ½ Modge Podge in a plastic bowl)
Sponge brush



Directions:

Paint on the Modge Podge and place the tissue paper in a mosaic pattern. After it dries, paint on a coat of the Modge Podge to seal it.

*You can also decorate the chalices with rhinestones using a hot glue gun.



Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!



familiacatolica-org.blogspot.com- Precious Blood of Christ Coloring Pages

familiacatolica-org.blogspot.com- Craft to pray the Prayer of Reparation to the Precious Blood of Christ Family

Crafty Crafters: Holy Thursday/Last Supper Craft

So how crafty are you?

What is your favorite religious craft you make for the Last Supper?



Here is a craft that all children will love to make:


Introduce craft: Who sat with Jesus during the Last Supper? (The disciples.)



Holy Thursday/Last Supper Craft by catholicicing.com- an easy craft based on the famous Leonardo da Vinci Last Supper painting.



Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!

crafolic.com- Agony in the Garden ~Craft / Diorama

Free Bible Clip Art

As you well know, good religious clipart/graphics are hard to find. One of my favorite FREE places is:


phillipmartin.com- Check out his Home page!

The Bible- alphabetical listing


*Be sure to read his clip art restrictions on the bottom of the page.

Organizational Skills

Too often students have problems with organizational skills. Lack of organizational strategies often prevent students from demonstrating their full competence. Procrastination, tardiness, dawdling, distractibility, disorganization, and messiness often become problems for students. For instance, they may

- forget what they have for homework

- lose or misplace things

- leave needed books at school

- waste time hunting for supplies

- wait until the last minute to start projects

- have a messy backpack, desk or room

- be late for many things.



As a teacher you can help students by making organization a daily routine in class by doing the following strategies:

• Make desk cleaning a part of the daily routine- A few minutes before dismissal the teacher can tell the students to clean out their desks. This will enable students to learn to clean out their desks and remember to bring home certain items.

• Make packing up a part of the daily routine- After the students clean out their desks the teacher can tell the students to pack up. This will enable students to systematically pack up what needs to go home.

• Present homework assignments orally to the students. Also post homework assignments visually on the board in the same place each time.

• Provide students with a homework sheet or agenda book/planner.

• Provide peer or teacher assistance in recording homework assignments.

• Provide students with the assignment in written format.






List of ways to help organizational skills:

1- Homework log/agenda/planning book- helps keep track of assignments and when they are due.

They usually consist of:

• calendar
• daily assignment log for each subject for homework, projects or assignments, etc.
• date due for assignment(s)
• space for teachers and parents to communicate
• teacher signature space for each subject
• parent signature space on bottom of page
• a designated place to check off when assignment is completed


2- Assignment Checklists or Timelines- break large tasks into manageable units and set deadlines for their completion.

3- Day planner- a tool to help persons organize a busy schedule and be more productive by keeping track of upcoming events, and maintaining a list of ongoing commitments or tasks that must be accomplished on a recurring basis.

4- “To do” lists- Teach the student how to develop a to-do list of what they need to do in the order they need to do them. Have them cross off completed items off the list.

5- Keep papers and assignments in a binder for organization.

6- Have a routine for packing up after class using a check list for what needs to go home.

7- Color tab dividers that are specifically labeled for CCD for keeping papers organized.

• Avery #11907 Tab Dividers. You can print your inserts on the computer by using the Avery perforated tab insert sheet that is provided in the packet to make it nice and neat.


You can label the pockets:

• Class Syllabus

• CCD Class Schedule

• Flyers/Announcements/Newsletters

• Assignment & Grade Sheets- sheets to write down assignments, when they are assigned, when they are due, grades, etc.

• Homework To Do

• Homework To Be Turned In

• Behavior -Behavior Contract & Behavior Chart, Behavior Report, etc.

• Parent/Teacher Communication

• Prayers- Prayer Booklet, Prayer Chart (prayers that the student has completed), etc.

• Graded Papers

• Etc.



8- Section in the binder for papers going home and papers that need to be returned to school.

9- Use a multi-compartment backpack. Have a separate section for school supplies, money, binder, etc.

10- Periodically help your child clean out their CCD folder/binder. It makes it hard to stay organized and know what is due when the folder/binder has too many unwanted papers in it.

11- Clean out backpack each evening.

12- Reload and organize backpack or CCD folder/binder as soon as homework is completed.

13- Designate a place at home for storing the backpack or CCD folder/binder.

14- Designate a certain place to do homework that is clean, uncluttered, quiet and there are no distractions. Have it stocked with all necessary supplies to complete homework.

15- Set aside the same time each weekday for your child to do homework. That way your son or daughter knows that time is set aside for homework.

Crafty Crafters: Lent

So how crafty are you?

What is your favorite religious craft you make for Lent?



Here is a craft I make with my students using a toilet paper roll:


Introduce craft: What happens to a caterpillar? He changes into a butterfly. What are we supposed to do during Lent? We are to change. We are going to make something to show us how the caterpillar changed into a butterfly to remind us that we are to change during Lent and become more like Jesus.


Butterfly- (this website has been removed)


Need:

• Toilet-paper tube
• Tongue depressor or ice-cream pop stick
• Heavy paper
• 6" (150 mm) piece of pipe cleaner, folded in half
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors and glue


Directions:

1. Cut out and color a butterfly from the heavy paper. Use any colors, but make both halves look the same. Put a small hole at the top of the butterfly's head.
2. Color the toilet paper tube to look like a chrysalis
3. Take a piece of pipe cleaner and shape it like the letter "V". Put one point through the little hole in the butterfly's head and then twist it to look like antennae. Butterflies use these "feelers" to learn about their environment.
4. Glue the butterfly to one end of the tongue depressor or ice-cream pop stick. Let the glue dry.
5. Curl the butterfly's wings and slide it into the chrysalis.
6. Pull the stick to make the beautiful butterfly come out of the chrysalis.



Please comment so I can add the link to your blog to this post. We would love to see what you do!

Friendship

Linda is looking for ideas to help teach her 13 & 14 year old students about friendship and how we choose good friends, what qualities we look for, etc. Does anyone have any ideas that could help her?



Here are some ideas:

Google: Making and Keeping Friends
Lots of ideas and activities to use with your students.


Be sure to check out:

liguori.org- Making and Keeping Good Friends (lesson)

store.samhsa.gov- Making and Keeping Friends: A Self Help Guide

christianteens.about.com- Advice for Christian Teens

books.google.com- Help Students Make and Keep Friends (lesson plans)

glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com- Making and Keeping Friends Lesson

specialed.about.com- Recipe for Making Friends (worksheet)

wvde.state.ws.us- Scroll down to Lesson 14: Making and Keeping Friends

advocatesforyouth.org- Making Friends (lesson)



Games

Make your own game like this one:

therapeutricresources.com- Making and Keeping Friends Cards

This deck of cards focuses on real-life situations that help teens reflect on their own friendship skills and their personal values as they make and keep friends.

Full Description: The High School version presents more complex and sophisticated questions that are appropriate for teens and reflect the complex issues they are faced with every day.



You could also use these games to help teach your students about making the right decisions or just use some of the cards to play the game above.

WWJD & Morals Dilemmas Card Game

Report Card Comments

It’s that time again teachers detest and dread as much as the students. It is report card time and teachers have the overwhelming task of writing constructive, insightful, and original comments on a classroom full of students.

Report cards give parents essential information about their child’s progress and the teacher comments can indicate how a child is performing in different areas. These written comments should highlight the student’s strengths and offer ways the child could improve his or her academic work and/or classroom behavior. These comments can also indicate a need for improvement by turning the words around a bit by making them into a goal for the child to work on.

Parents love to hear about how their child is doing in class and enjoy comments on their child’s report card. It is a good idea for catechists to write something positive about each student to help the child’s self esteem. If only negative statements are written, the parent may feel overwhelmed and thus be unable to help their child. Parents are more willing to cooperate if a comment concerning their child’s weakness follows a positive one. Therefore it is more productive to state a student’s strength first, then follow it with your concern – but make sure that is written in a constructive way.

Positive comments on a report card can inspire students to live up to their teacher’s observations. For example, if the teacher wrote that the child excels in “Being dependable” or “Shows outstanding sportsmanship,” these statements could become part of the student’s self-image. It is important for teachers to remember that their written words can motivate and challenge their students to be their best.



Words that promote positive view of the student:

• thorough
• caring
• shows commitment
• improved tremendously
• has a good grasp of



Examples of definitive words that should be avoided are:

• the child will never;
• the child will not or won’t;
• the child cannot;
• the child will always
• the child is unable



Since your comments need to be as specific as possible, avoid using ambiguous words alone such as wonderful, good or great. Focus on the student’s strengths and give encouraging comments when students are making some progress.

Well written comments can give parents and students guidance on how to make improvements in specific academic or social areas. When concerns are evident, teachers must be precise and give examples of what the student needs help in. You can also give suggestions on how they as parents can help as well.


Words and Phrases to use to convey that a child needs help:

• could profit by
• requires
• finds it difficult at times to
• needs reinforcement in
• has trouble with



For example: Tommy listens and comprehends new information quickly. He answers questions correctly in class and enjoys participating in activities. Tommy is capable of doing his homework, but has difficulty turning it in on time. Tommy requires help with organizational skills and could benefit from using an Agenda/Planner Book and binder with color tab dividers that are specifically labeled for CCD for keeping papers organized. Tommy also needs encouragement and this will help reinforce him to complete his work and turn it in on time.



Here are a couple of sites that have some good report card comments:

educationworld.com- 100 Report Card Comments

kellybear.com- Teacher Comments on Report Cards

Bible Story Graphics

Need some cute Bible story graphics for various crafts, games, activities, and what-not? Here are tons of Bible story graphics that are FREE! All the graphics are done by Richard Gunther and there are NO copyright restrictions.


All from lambsongs.co.nz

Bible Story Graphics


* Note that any pictures from the books can be captured and used as well.

Old Testament

New Testament

Christmas

Easter

Church Potluck Recipe: Cajun 15 Bean Soup

At home we LOVE this soup on a cold winter day and since we started a new Pot Luck activity at our church I thought I would bring it. After CCD we have a Pot Luck Luncheon once a month featuring our priest who enlightens us with his wit and wisdom about the history, mystery and majesty of the Catholic Church.

This is what I fixed to warm us up and to share with the congregation along with some hot buttered corn bread (Jiffy corn muffin mix).



Cajun 15 Bean Soup

*I make this the day before and in the morning I warm it up in the microwave and put it in my crock pot on LOW to keep it warm. I take the crock pot with us and plug it in my CCD classroom and go to Mass. After CCD I just take it down to the Fellowship Hall and plug it in there. I warm the cornbread up in a microwave and place it on the table next to the crock pot.


Ingredients

• Hurt’s HamBeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup (dry beans and flavor packet in a bag)
• 1-2 lbs. of regular or mild Italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean HOT roll sausage)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 15 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced



Cooking Directions

Soaking: Place beans in a large pot, cover with 2 quarts of water. Allow beans to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.

1. After soaking, drain water, add 2 quarts of water. Bring beans to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 ½ hours.
2. In a skillet, sauté onion, garlic and sausage until sausage is browned.
3. Drain excess grease and add contents to beans along with tomatoes, lemon juice and Cajun flavor packet.
4. Simmer another 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Servings: 16 (1/2 cup cooked)