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January 2009
Today’s Catholic Teacher
Idea of the Month:
Happy Birthday, School!
Everyone loves a birthday party! Celebrate your school's
birthday: Choose a day during Catholic Schools Week
(January 25-31, 2009) or designate the date of its
founding or the feast day of the school's namesake.
Invite students and parents to send "presents" that will
be raffled off to raise funds. Students can design and
display birthday cards. Close by treating students to an
appropriate snack as they salute the birthday of their
school.
—Gail
Harvey, St Saviour School, Brooklyn, NY
December 2008
Today’s Catholic Teacher
Idea of the Month:
Advent Retreat Day
We set aside the last day before Christmas break as a
student retreat day. Teachers collaborate with grade
partners to plan age- and grade-appropriate activities
for the retreat afternoon. In so doing, we focus
students’ attention on the real reason for the season. A
school-wide prayer service in the church creates a
quiet, prayerful atmosphere on that last, otherwise
hectic, day before the holidays begin.
—Sr. William Adele, principal, St. Luke School,
Glenside, PA
November 2008
Today’s Catholic Teacher
Idea of the Month:
A Special Pre-K Prayer
Before the day's beginning prayer, ask the children to
hold God in their hands (put their hands together in
prayer) while they think about him and pray. End with
the Sign of the Cross and ask the children to "hold" God
for a final time. Tell them to give God a kiss and blow
him back up to heaven. To do so, they kiss their hands
and blow, wiggling their fingers as they let God go.
—Erin Seymour, St.
Martha School, Louisville, KY
October 2008
Today’s Catholic Teacher
Idea of the Month:
Pumpkin Saints on Parade
Following a detailed study of saints, students can take
advantage of pumpkin harvest time to transform pumpkins
into likenesses of their favorite saints. Use paint,
cloth, beads, yarn, and other favorite craft items. At
our school on All Saints Day, the other k-8 students
enjoyed table displays of our sixth graders’ pumpkin
saints on parade.
—Ellen L. Boyd, Father Andrew White, S.J. School,
Leonardtown, MD
September 2008
Today’s Catholic Teacher Idea of the Month:
Catch
your students being Christ-like every day of the week.
Ask students to focus on using their minds through which
Christ thinks on Monday, their hands through which
Christ serves on Tuesday, their voices through which
Christ speaks on Wednesday, and their hearts through
which Christ loves on Thursday. Recognize students with
certificates on Friday.
─Nancy
Cheesman, St. Lawrence School, Indianapolis, IN
Share your experience with other teachers. Send your
Idea of the Month to
mnoschang@peterli.com
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Month is posted to the web?
Click here.
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