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Practical Life in the Atrium

9/23/2016

As the Atrium year gets into swing, the children are spending time at the Atrium Practical Life shelf. Practical Life materials are a great tool in helping the young children grow in independence and in fine motor skills. They help the child to love and care for the Atrium as they joyfully polish, clean, and restore order to the environment. In addition, these materials assist the child in developing his will so that his mind controls his body. Practical Life activities help the child to concentrate through meaningful work of the hand, which helps them develop the ability to listen and respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd. We, as adults, have this same opportunity to develop a disposition of calm, focus, and listening which can serve as an aid for prayer through the "Practical Life" activities which surround us every day - laundry, dusting, dishes, mowing the lawn, shoveling, etc. Not only do these activities have the potential to bring us to prayer, but they help us to live well our call to responsibly care for the beautiful gifts of creation with which He has surrounded us. "Space is made sacred by routine acts of care."

The Enthronement of the Bible

9/22/2016

The Bible is the most important book in the whole world because it contains God's Word for us. In it He tells us all that He wants us to know about Himself. What a gift to hold God's Words in our hands when we hold the Holy Bible! The Level I (Children's House) children had the opportunity to "enthrone" the Bible this past week, carrying it in a procession and then placing it in a place of honor on the Prayer Table. We listened to Jesus' words in John 8:12, "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me does not walk in darkness but will have the light of life," and reflected on Jesus who is our Light. The elementary children also had an opportunity to reflect on the preciousness of the Holy Bible as they held in their hands Bibles in Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Amharic and Portuguese as well as several beautifully illuminated books of the Bible. God's Word is for all people! The 1st grade students then received their own, personal copy of the Holy Bible to use at school, both in their learning environments and in the Atrium. In the upcoming weeks they will begin learning to look up Scripture passages in the Bible and have the opportunity to "bookmark" their favorites!

Several groups of children carrying the Holy Bible in a procession.

Preliminary Activities

9/22/2016

As our new children adjust to life in the Atrium, they spend time working with Preliminary Activities. These materials help to "bridge" the transition between their home and Children's House (learning environment) and the Atrium. Each material is intended to be familiar and easy to use without an in-depth presentation. This allows the children to have multiple materials at their disposal early on in the year as they are learning the way of life in the Atrium. It seems so simple, to take out a material, work with it, and return it to the shelf, but there are so many parts involved in this basic task! First, the material must be chosen, then the type of work space for that material needs to be decided upon (table? chowki? working mat?). Next the child carefully brings the material to their work space, takes the items off of the tray or out of the basket, and returns the tray or basket to the shelf, remembering exactly where it belongs. This reserves that material's spot on the shelf in case someone else has forgotten where to put their work! The child then returns to their work space and works with the material until the purpose of the work is completed. Restoring their work is next, including unlacing or unstringing as needed, retrieving the tray or basket, replacing the materials exactly as they looked initially, returning their work to the shelf, and rolling up their mat or pushing in their chair. That's a lot for a little one to keep track of and stay concentrated on! But by focusing on this cycle of activity in the early weeks of the year, the children are already beginning to grow in independence, focus, and concentration. This process will give them the tools for calming their body and mind so as to listen for the Good Shepherd as we continue our year together. What a gift that God can use such simple means to prepare for such great gifts!

Introduction to the Atrium

9/16/2016

The Atrium year has begun! This week Children’s House (Level I) children were introduced to the Atrium as a place where we come to speak with and listen for Jesus. When asked, the returning children described the Atrium as “quiet,” “where Mary and Jesus talk to us,” and “peaceful.” They also shared with the new children that in the Atrium we need to walk carefully and speak softly “so we don’t distract anyone.”

Greeting the children outside the Atrium.

Children sharing how the Atrium is different from any other room in our school.

Unwrapping the chime. When the bell rings it means, "Stop, look, and listen for an important announcement."

The elementary children began their Atrium year with a silent journey around the room, looking for things that had changed since last year. There were many changes – small and large – that were noticed! After hearing “Taste and see that the Lord is good” from Psalm 34, each child brought an Atrium material to the mat that has helped them to know that God is good. A variety of Scriptural and Liturgical materials were chosen. The children then had time to work with materials they remembered from previous years and chose a great variety: Infancy Narratives, Parables, Geography, Maxims, looking up and writing Scripture, the History of the Kingdom of God timelines, Baptism, Eucharist, and so much more.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Practical Life in the Atrium

The Enthronement of the Bible

Preliminary Activities

Introduction to the Atrium

Carolyn Kohlhaas

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