Now that May is upon us (where has the year gone??), our thoughts here at Our Lady of Grace have turned to … Our Lady of Grace. It’s time for our May crowning. Continue Reading
Catholic Religion for Preschoolers
Pennies … and Love! … for Pachyderms
At Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy, preschoolers dream BIG. Pachyderm big, that is!! And we did something about it!
Here’s the story: Last January during Catholic Schools Week, the preschoolers insisted they wanted to go into the community and do service just like the big kids. That’s a little tough on our schedule (many are half-day), and given our need for naps, snacks and jumping around, though. 🙂
Palm Sunday Fun!
We’ve been preparing for Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. We begin with the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem for Passover from my children’s Bible. People waved palm branches at him … and we still use palms today to mark that event. Continue Reading
Jesus and the 3 Pigs
We are on Spring Break this week. Alleluia!! Although I am enjoying a little down time, I’ll also catch up on a couple of posts … this one on the Three Little Pigs. Continue Reading
A Priest, A Dog, and a Lesson that Stuck!
Even preschool students stop to listen to homilies … especially when they come from Father Greg and his puppet dog! Last week, Father Greg and his puppet dog talked about signs and listening to God, and how it leads to following Jesus. The kids listened to every word. Continue Reading
Quieting Down for Jesus Time
In March we can get very noisy. We have not been able to go outside much (although yesterday was beautiful!) and, because we’re 3/4 of the way through the school year, the students know each other very well. That means we talk, laugh and holler a lot! Continue Reading
“Will they be hot?” Preschool questions about Ash Wednesday
When you tell preschoolers they will have ashes put on their foreheads, their first question is, What are ashes?
I tell them the ashes come from burning last year’s palms from Palm Sunday. Next question? You got it: Will the ashes be hot? Continue Reading
The Feast of St. … “Kolastica”?!
Last Friday I taught my preschoolers about Saint Scholastica. It was her feast day. As a founder of my community – the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery – we celebrate it. So we decided to celebrate in our Catholic preschool classroom, too!! Continue Reading
The New Roman Missal: Part 2
Teaching preschoolers about the revised Roman Missal is not easy, to say the least. Lots of grownups will be confused! But I’m giving it a try … and incorporating a little teaching across the curriculum in the process. Continue Reading
New Roman Missal Lesson 1: “And with your spirit”
Catholic school teachers have been asked by the Peoria Diocese to prepare our students for the missal change beginning in Advent. How do you prepare 4-year-olds, I wondered. Impossible. They’re still fighting the urge to play in the holy water! (This photo is from our trip to the monastery. They loved our big hammered brass font … and wanted to play in it!!) Continue Reading
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