The creativity of the children in their follow-up work is a beautiful gift to witness and experience. Enjoy the following "gifts" they have shared this year! The Shepherd (A song recently composed by a 5th year) God I know you're with me every day, But sometimes from your flock I stray, And lock myself away from your grace and mercy. But every hour of the day, I know that help is on the way 'Cause your life down you laid for me. You won't abandon your sheep, Lord. You will not sleep until they are safe, Lord. You protect us with your life 'cause you are our Shepherd, Lord. Your Body and Blood to us you gave, Then you amazed us by rising from the grave. Oh, you truly are the Good Shepherd! The Parables are a very popular work in the Atrium, both with the Children's House / Level I child and with the Elementary child. As the children enter Level II and III they continue pondering Parables about the Kingdom of God but also move into a meditation on the Moral Parables as is fitting to their new developmental stage. In the following series you see one child's work choice: a booklet of parable Scriptures complete with illustrations. Another aid to the moral development of the children in the Atrium is the introduction of "Maxims" to the Elementary children. These Scriptures are often first copied and recited in conversations and at the prayer table. A full list of the Maxims used in the Atrium may be found here. The following is a recap of the 4th-6th graders' explanation of what Maxims are...
- "Maxims aren't rules but they are something you can grow in." - "They are like a quote from God." - "Maxims are something God instructs you to do. They are not rules but more like priorities." - "They are things that can make your life easier and are advice to help you get to heaven." - "A maxim is like the word 'maximum' which means 'the most' because they help you to be the best you can be." The following is a work choice made by a 3rd grader. He read and pondered several Parables, using the materials to aid his meditation. Then he made a list of all of the Maxims being lived in that parable. As the school year draws to a close, the Atrium children are focusing in on finishing up work they began earlier in the year. Some have completed up their "follow-up" work and freely chosen responses and are enjoying a relaxing time with the materials...but others are realizing they have A LOT of projects that have been begun and are not yet concluded! There is a busy but peaceful hum to the Atrium this time of year and it is a joy to see on their faces the accomplishment they feel when clearing out their folders and taking home their collections of finished work. This past week I took the following photos of the 4th-6th graders (Level III Atrium) to show the variety of work being entered into in just one moment in time in the Atrium. Enjoy!! While I know that the year is not yet over, I just need to share how incredibly blessed the 2017-18 school year has been at The Way of the Shepherd. We began a new adventure this year, doubling our staff and significantly adding to the children in our care. The decision to expand our school's capacity to serve a greater number of families and children was made with much prayer and discernment and yet such a big choice is always accompanied by at least a bit of "fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12)! But how richly God has blessed us this year, "packed together, shaken down, and overflowing" (Luke 6:38). We have struggled, at times, as a school, to find teaching staff who fit well into our community and have hearts formed by the Montessori Method, seeing the child with eyes of hope and faith in who God has created them to be. But this year, when adding a significant number of staff members, each and every one has such a deep commitment to loving and caring for the child and children in their care. And the children have responded so beautifully to such love! There is a peace and joy in our learning environments that is so incredibly beautiful to witness.
Recently a friend referenced a talk Fr. Mike Schmitz gave about how you become like the five people you spend the most time with. In pondering who those people are for me, one of the first thoughts was of the time I spend with the children in the Atrium and the impact they have on me. I have been blessed to spend time with children in many different settings, classroom and Atrium alike, parish, school, home, etc. My time with the children in the Atrium at The Way of the Shepherd has formed me and influenced me in a way I cannot describe. I am so grateful for the blessing and gift I have received in looking forward to going to "work" and having the opportunity to sit and listen at the Model Altar with a three year old, delighting in the light-bringing smile on his face as his eyes fixate on the dancing flames of the candles which speak of Jesus' risen light or to see the pure joy in the face of the four year old who, when hearing a portion of the passage from Matthew's account of the Empty Tomb, "He is not here!" proclaims, "That's because He is the Good Shepherd and He wants to be with us, his sheep, always!" or to hear 4th through 6th graders describe the Maxims of Jesus as "Gifts, not rules, because He loves us and wants what is best for us." (Can you believe that these examples are all from just this past week?!?!) When I think of the five people who I spend the most time with, who are the greatest influence on my life, in this moment in time "the children" get one of those spots and I can't tell you how grateful I am that I am the recipient of such a precious gift. I am grateful today for our good and loving God who is so faithfully walking with our school community. As summer approaches, I am going to continue the prayers for our families, staff, and School Board that some of our parents have begun. Each family and each child who joins our community becomes such an integral part of who we are at The Way of the Shepherd; as we grow individually, we grow together. What a gift to be part of such a committed, focused, joyful group of pilgrims journeying with our good and faithful God towards the fullness of His Kingdom. I am so grateful! As we approach the end of the school year, many of the Extended Day / Kindergarten children are approaching the Second Plane of Development, which, according to Maria Montessori, has very different developmental characteristics than the First Plane. Dr. Montessori recognized four distinct planes: First (0-6 years), Second (6-12 years), Third (12-18 years), and Fourth (18-24 years). Characteristics of the First Plane of Development include being in the sensitive periods for the development of language, movement, and order as the children strive for physical independence. They also have a great need for the following freedoms: movement, choice, and repetition. All of these freedoms must be within clear limits in order to support true freedom which leads to order and peace instead of license which leads to chaos and discontent. Characteristics of the Second Plane of Development, in contrast, include moving from an absorbent to a reasoning mind, the development of abstraction and imagination, a focus on morality and justice, heavy interest in peer interaction and a "herd instinct," and a new need to collaborate in setting the structures which clarify their freedoms as they strive for intellectual independence within a communal, social environment. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd serves the children from ages 3 to 12 and thus spans the First and Second Planes of Development. As the child moves from the First to the Second Plane, their new characteristics begin to emerge even while they are still in the Level I Atrium and thus their work needs to grow as they grow. Here are several examples of our Extended Day children expanding their work to meet their new characteristics and needs. During the 2nd year Retreat, the children were offered the opportunity to copy a Formal Prayer to add to the inside cover of their Bible. Here are some examples of their work!
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Carolyn Kohlhaas
CGS Catechist and Formation Leader (Levels I, II, and III) Categories
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April 2024
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