As we all prepare for the upcoming Atrium year, the next few posts will include a few practicals to consider. In my observations last year one of the insights I had was that I must always neglect to explain in training why my EPL pouring work activities are set up as they are. So, here is your opportunity to hear a bit more about the importance of pouring work as well as how it is set on the tray! Above, you see several pouring works as they sit on the shelf. Each material has the glasses or cruets set on an angle. This is intentional as the way materials are set on the tray is the way we hope the children will set them on their chowki or table. Below, you can see children pouring on an angle, having set their work as it was on the tray. But why? Have you ever tried it?! Do some experimenting and try pouring into three glasses that are set in a horizontal line then try it again with them set on the diagonal. For the 2.5-4yo child, the child for whom this work is most fitting, trying to pour into glasses set on a straight line is very difficult. When they are set on an angle, however, they can pour into each glass easily without having any other glasses in the way of the pitcher. If you are seeing a good number of spills at the Gestures Altar, it is possible that there is a related issue. Instead of setting your cruets on a tray in front with the decanters on a tray behind (something I have often seen in Atria), place both decanters and cruets at the back of your sacristy/credence table. When presenting this work, show how to bring down one decanter, one cruet, and the funnel. After filling the cruet with the desired amount of liquid, all items are restored to their trays. In this way the child has no cruets in the way when pouring and will be better able pour carefully and, hopefully, without very many spills! As a bonus tip, the cruets never rest on the Gestures Altar but always sit on their tray. We pick the cruets up, one at a time, to pour the wine and water into the chalice but only set them back down on their tray. In my experience, much of the "spilling" at the Gestures Altar comes from the drips on the bottom of the cruets which transfer to the altar cloth when the cruet is set on the Gestures Altar.
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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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