Good to Me

Today, I had to explain to 21 ten and eleven-year-olds what September 11th was.
A day that is forever imprinted in my memory happened before they were even born.

But after listening to this Presidential Proclamation over morning announcements at the beginning of the school day, I was surprised with, "Miss Bogner, what's September 11th?"  But amazingly, while a few students knew (or thought they knew) something about the events of 9/11/2001, many had only heard the date thrown around as the name of an event out of context to their lives and understanding.  

How do you talk to kids about such a tragedy?  How do you honor the sacrifices made without delving into darkness with ones too young to deserve a loss of innocence?  How do you tell the history without frightening them about the future?

It didn't help that memories and emotions I didn't expect came rolling over me as I listened to the proclamation and then tried to explain what had happened and why we need to remember.

The best that I could do?  I compared it to why we learn about the atrocities of WWII and the Holocaust.  "So you know that life is valuable, so that you know what happened in the past when people chose death instead, and so you can be the one to make sure it never happens again."

High walking orders for 5th graders.

It is interesting that last night I happened to read this article that has been floating around facebook.  Written as an open letter to teachers from the mother of a Sandy Hook victim, I cried through the whole thing.  When Sandy Hook happened, I avoided the media about it- switched off the TV, didn't scour the internet like most for survivor stories, changed the topic when friends wanted to talk about it.  I felt cold and unfeeling, but honestly, I couldn't handle it.  It is not that I was struck by fear that it could happen in my school, but more that you can't help living through a bit of that experience if you are a teacher.  A few days after the Sandy Hook massacre, I was on my prep period while my kids were at PE.  Sitting alone in my classroom, I glanced up at all of the empty desks, and started to cry.  I knew that my kids were safe, that they were just downstairs in the gym.  But I could help but think about a classroom of empty desks, and what it would be like if the students never came back to sit in them.  If even one was missing.  Something in the article that resounded with me was a statement by a teacher who went back after the shooting.  She said she did it because "They are my kids."  It is so true.  They may annoy me, challenge me, work me to death, disobey me, try my patience, and make my day difficult, but they are still my kids.  I would die for them, and that makes it even harder to talk about Sandy Hook, September 11th and other times when life has been discarded like it means nothing.

And where was God in all of this, you may be thinking?  Now that I am at a Catholic School I don't have to talk around or avoid the real things that kids need to hear on a day like today.

They need to know that they can pray.  They can pray for the victims.  For the survivors.  For the sad souls whose actions hurt others.

They need to know that they can go to God in their fear.  They can be honest with Him about their feelings.  That they can put their trust in Him and know that He will carry them through any situation.

They need to know that they have adults who care about them and that they can talk to them about tragedy.  That there are good people who will always put them first, like their moms and dads and teachers, as well as people they don't know whose job it is to protect them.  Knowing that my brothers-in-law Steven and Luke, a firefighter and soldier respectively, have chosen to put their lives on the line for perfect strangers makes me love them more and reminds me of the selflessness of so many who strive to counteract evil working in the hearts of men.

And they need to know that God is good.  All the time.  God is good, no matter what the world around us is shouting, no matter what they see on the news, no matter the situation surrounding them.

So this song has been sticking with me lately.

"I steady my heart on the ground of your goodness.  When I'm bowed down with sorrow, I will lift up your name, and the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy, because you are good to me."

You can get this song (and a gorgeous version of Come Thou Fount) free right now on Noise Trade.  And/or you can get Audrey's new album, too.  Your heart won't regret it.

"Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." ~Psalm 23:6

Armor of God Decorations

Another year of CCD started yesterday!  We are all set for a year of learning and praying and growing.  No exciting news yet, but I will show you a peek of our decorations:

This year the theme is "Put on the Whole Armor of God!" from Ephesians 6.  I have already posted a few activities about the Armor of God here and here and here and will be posting about our Armor of God Boys' Retreat soon.

Here is the view coming down the stairs into our CCD hallway:

Foam swords, shield, and draped silver plastic tablecloths give a dramatic flair... the shield was from Hobby Lobby and the swords from Dollar General.

Flanked on both sides with pennants and posters about the "weapons" in the Armor of God.

 

 These posters are by North Star Teacher Resources.

 Then, first thing in the hallway is our Be Soldiers bulletin board.

...complete with some Armor of God resources, games, and books that will be added to throughout the year.

More pennants and shields and swords...

Speaking of swords, I got these on major sale (I think 90% off!) a while ago and stocked them away knowing that they would be useful.  I wrote "The Sword of the Spirit" on one side in Sharpie,

and "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword." (Heb. 4:12) on the other side.  At least when the boys are beating each other with these, they might get some Scripture through osmosis, right?

I haven't used these cute helmet of salvation foam cut outs yet, but I see a bulletin board in the future! These are from Hobby Lobby.

This cute poster is hanging in between our preschool and K/1 rooms.  (Made by Carson Dellosa)

And I also made some posters to go along with the theme:

and St. Michael is our patron Saint:

It's looking pretty good!  The catechists' classroom are also looking better than ever, each with their own flair.  These kids are in for a good year! :)

Why that high school aptitude test may have been right.

I like to think that I am the kind of girl who can get things done.

Give me a task or challenge, and I will try my darnedest to make it happen.

For example, this Labor Day, I spent my day off by getting ready for one of these:

By making lots of these:

Until one of these started giving me problems:

 

And by problems, I mean that the needle (and all other moving parts) stopped moving entirely.  Now, this may be related to the fact that I have been using this machine for a while and have not taken it in for its 3000 mile check up. Regardless, I was in the middle of a project, at my sister & brother-in-law's house, and I had work to do.

So what was my next step?  I asked for a screw driver, of course.

Steven got me some tools and a flashlight, and very politely asked if I would like help.  I said thank you, but no, to which he responded something like, "awesome, because there is no way I would have any clue what to do with that thing."  Chivalrous and cute that man is.

I disassembled pieces, attempted to not lose tiny screws, unwedged some mis-wound bunches of thread, cleaned some gunk, and oiled the moving parts.  In the middle of this repair attempt, it brought back a memory from high school.

So do you remember those aptitude tests you had to take in high school?  The ones that you were subjected to many times over your later educational years so that you could figure out the perfect career that suits your interests and skills?  When I took them, they always told me to go into teaching or childcare or something like that.  Then, one test gave me a slightly different result.

It recommended that I pursue a career as a VCR repairman.

Yup.  VCRs.  Little moving pieces.  On a workbench.  All day. 

(Not to mention, I would already be obsolete.)

Regardless, guess who fixed the sewing machine with no outside help (even from the worthless user's "repair" manual)?  That would be me.

Maybe I really was made to be a VCR repairman.  Or maybe I picked up more than I thought from my mechanic-who-can-fix-anything father.  Maybe I should consider a career change...

 ...or maybe I should just be grateful for WD-40 and get back to sewing aprons.

In the meantime, if you live in my area and like pretty feminine crafts like aprons and scarves and flowers and more, check out our facebook page for more info about our craft and garage sale this Saturday:

Angelus Mini Book

You may have read here that one of my goals this year is to make the Angelus part of my 5th graders' day.  But I don't want them to merely memorize it (although that would be awesome, too). I want them to understand it and see how it is a statement about a core belief of our faith, as well as a request for intercession in our day-to-day lives.

Cue a mini book to tuck in their desks, which we will be pulling out to use just before lunch.  They now have the text right in front of them, as well as some pictures, definitions of hard words, Scripture references, and other info.  Handy dandy, and would make a great addition to a notebooking project or prayer journal!

  Click below for a printable of the mini book:

Treasure in...a cafeteria

You might already know that Fulton Sheen and I are tight.  Remember that as you read this story.

A couple of weeks ago, before school started, our cafeteria became a terrible terrible place which we shall call "used book sale."  I say terrible because I have books everywhere- at home they are overflowing in layers on my bookshelves, under my coffee table, in a closet, and stacked next to my bed.  In my classroom, the books may be better organized, but they are no less in number.

So I told myself, upon finding the book sale (which I should mention was really "take free books" for teachers) "STAY AWAY!"

But I didn't, and I am very glad that I was disobedient.

Because while rifling through the stacks of books, my eye was caught by the pretty picture on this antique book.  So I picked it up.

And then read that it was written by Fulton J. Sheen. FULTON J. SHEEN. 

A children's book. About Jesus and Mary.  Written by Fulton J. Sheen.  In my hands.  At a used book sale taking spree.  Books that were about to be shipped off to la-la-land the next day.  So glad that I wandered through!

The book is filled with awesome teaching gems written in typical Sheen style but at a kid's level.  I will definitely be using this with my 5th graders, who I think will look past the age of the book because of their love for Sheen. This version is copyright 1947, with the Imprimatur from Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York.  You can still find a newer edition on Amazon.

This book, like all his others, has a lovely dedication to Our Lady:

And beautiful color and black & white pictures:

Love it! I think that this is further evidence that used books sales are always good places, right?

Back in the Classroom Again

 Most of us are back in the classroom again, or will be soon.  Here are a couple of things that make the start up in my room a little smoother!

Get to know your students and help them feel more comfortable with this U Survey.  Send it home or have them work on it individually, then collect them and read for your reference (always good to know a few tidbits about the kiddos early on) or have them share a few answers with the class.  Also, they will love it if you actually answer the questions they ask in that box on the left!  Click here for a printable:

Also, I am a big fan of using folders well to help keep kids organized.  I like to put these labels on the inside pockets of a folder to help the kids know when papers should be left at home (put them in the LEFT pocket) and when they should come back (put them in the RIGHT pocket).

Click on the picture below for a printable that will give you full sheets of 30 labels on standard sized mailing labels (2.625" x 1"). 

 (it is a two page document, fyi, one will all the lefts and one with all the rights)

Divine Mercy and Reconciliation Lapbook

 It's my Divine Mercy Notebooking activity revamped- Check out the first post here for links to all the printables and resources.