Third Grade Card Making

 With scissors and tape and crayons and paper and glue and stickers and markers all strewn about, another third grader greeting card is being crafted to acknowledge a special event. 

 

Throughout the year, Mrs. Groh’s third graders set time aside from reading, writing, and arithmetic to help the community celebrate events, big and small.

If a new baby is announced at ASA, a stack of handmade welcome cards are bundled together and gifted to the family.

When a visitor shares their time and talent with us, we craft a set of beautiful thank you cards and mail them off to them in appreciation.

Sympathy and prayers are  shared with people who lose a loved one.  

Teachers receive a birthday card to celebrate their special day.

During Advent, festive Christmas cards are mailed to the seniors of the four parishes.  Easter cards are mailed to the seniors, as well, in the spring.  

The third graders love crafting and creating, but more, they love receiving a word of gratitude for their work.  Every year we receive a spattering of mail thanking us for the gift of our time and craftiness.  It’s a special moment when the kids are affirmed for thinking of others.  

“It makes me proud to get a response from someone who got one of my cards,” Weston beams.

“I just feel happy!” says Lena … and she adds #smileyface

“I have joy making cards for others,” Justin says.

“It’s a nice thing we do,” smiles Remi.

“It makes me happy,” says Grayson.

“I feel generous,” announces Kasia with a huge smile.

“It’s nice to hear that they had a good day,” says Thatcher.

“I feel really proud and happy to make gifts,” Mae commented.

“I’m so grateful to help others!  I just say ‘Amen’,” says Vincent.

Angels Among Us

The Kindergartners have been very busy learning about their Catholic beliefs and growing in their faith.  One of the prayers we recite often is the Guardian Angel prayer.  The students were excited to learn that each and every one of us has a special guardian angel assigned to us by God to protect us and guide us throughout our life.  Our guardian angels are a sign of God’s great love for us and are a gift from our Creator.  At the conclusion of the lesson, the Kindergartners illustrated themselves with their guardian angels and wrote about ways their angel helps them.  Here are just a few examples of their amazing work!

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here;

ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule and guide.  Amen

Faculty and Students Work Together to Create Engaging Morning Prayer

 “What I think is really cool about morning prayer is that we have the chance to take on a leadership role,” stated London, an eighth grade student at the Upper Campus. London is specifically referring to the weekly Wacky Wednesday.

“ Yes,” added Evy, a current seventh grader. “ And with all the new activities, like Trivia Tuesday, it is definitely more inclusive and the students are much more involved by leading and participating in all the activities.” 

Wacky Wednesday? Tuesday Trivia? 

While gearing up for the new school year back in August of 2024, the Upper Campus faculty decided to change up their all school morning prayer in the gym in a few different ways. With the goal of making that time together more communal and participatory, planning began. First faculty chose to center daily prayer on the liturgical year with the target of highlighting the “why” of the liturgical seasons, events, and feast days. In an effort to engage all students, Trivia Tuesday and Wacky Wednesday were born. 

Now, each Tuesday, prayer culminates with a trivia question based on what students learned the week prior during morning prayer. On Wednesdays, an appropriate Catholic kid joke is shared. On both days, students quickly gather around their homeroom teachers, vote on an answer, and then take turns announcing their responses. You would think there would be only one answer to the weekly wacky, but often times grades are given extra points for creativity in the answers shared. There have been some pretty amazing answers that showed higher level thinking and connections to the religious knowledge our students have. 

Wanting activities for the remaining days of the week, Movement Monday, Fun Friday, and Theology Thursday were created.

 On Theology Thursdays, the message of the daily Gospel is shared before students head up to Mass. Along with sharing the message, students are asked to give examples of how they can live that message at home and at school in the year 2025. Previewing the Gospel makes for a good foundation before Mass begins, and it encourages confidence in answering questions that Fr. Ayub, Fr. Christopher, Monsignor Ed, or any visiting priest may ask during homilies.   

Movement Monday and Fun Friday round out the week. Movement Monday is anything from whole group Simon Says, Would you Rathers, or cheering on a friend as classes take turns with a quick game of Lightening. Fun Friday is a minute to win it type of class competition. One class goes each week as the rest of the student body cheers on. 

As staff members take monthly turns creating the liturgical year content for the prayer portion of our morning get together, a newly formed prayer team comprised of seventh and eighth grade volunteers help out, too.  Eighth graders Fletch and Lily often lead us in prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and daily announcements that include celebrating birthdays. As mentioned above, London and Evy lead the trivia and wacky joke portions. 

“Everything is fun. I’m always wondering what’s going to be the new challenge on each Friday,” shared Madelyn, a new member of the team. Because of her curiosity, she is going to take over planning the “fun” on Fun Fridays come February. 

Andrew sets up each morning, and Jesus is soon to take on that responsibility. As Andrew contemplates his next move on the prayer committee, he reflects,  “ It’s just been a fun way to start each day together this school year.”