Summer is an ideal time to brainstorm new project ideas for the upcoming school year. It’s also a good time to review that “great ideas” email folder you’ve stuffed with inspiration you didn’t have time to consider during the flurry of last year! The editors of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies looked in their idea files and found a few fun projects for the beginning of the school year. These ideas are meant to welcome children, improve basic skills, and set the tone for a positive learning community.
- Pick a Patron Many catechists and teachers work with their students to write a class covenant—a list of rules and guidelines under which the classroom will operate. It’s a good way to set expectations as well as to introduce the biblical concepts of promises, covenants, and commandments. In this vein, you may also want to choose a patron saint for your classroom. Depending on the age of your students, you may choose to have them research and pitch their ideas, or you can offer a few suggestions to your children. Explain that you want to model your behavior—kindness, generosity, work ethic, etc.—after the example that your patron saint provides.
- Spider Web Getting to know the children in your class—and having them get to know you—is an important step before diving into the lessons. There are icebreakers of all types, but this spider web activity seems to be a hit with all ages (even adults). Try it out first in your catechist training sessions.
- Early Start If your program begins before the start of the Unit 1 lessons on September 23, the editors of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies have written three early start lessons for each level. Available online for parishes, schools, and families using the Gospel Weeklies, each lesson includes a lesson plan, song suggestions, and at least one related activity.
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