Ages 3-5 Epistles,Feasts,Sacraments Overview

EPISTLES, FEASTS, AND SACRAMENTS

AGES 3-5

This sample schedule is supplied for the use of the Church School supervisor. Feel free to fill in your own dates and teachers!

Teachers:

                 

Schedule of Classes:

     Date

 Lesson/Activity

Teacher

                Special Notes

September  7

                  14

                  21

                  28

Nativity of the Theotokos

Elevation of the Cross

Romans

Romans

 

 

 

 

Memory Work: New Testament Books

 October    5

                  12

                  19

                  26

I Corinthians

I Corinthians

II Corinthians

Galatians

 

 

 

 

 

November   2

                    9

                  16

                  23

                  30

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

Entry of the Theotokos

I and II Thessalonians

 

All Saints Party after Church School

December   6

                   7

                  14

                  21

                  28

Tentative

I and II Timothy

Titus/Philemon

Christmas Pageant

Nativity of our Lord

 

St. Nicholas Party?

 

 

Parish and Nursing Home

Painting of Holy Water jars

January     4

                  11

                  18

                  25

Theophany

Hebrews

Hebrews

James

 

Three Kings Party after Church School

 

February     1

                   8

                  15

                  22

Meeting of the Lord

I Peter

II Peter/Jude

I,II,III John

 

Memory Work: 12 Major Feasts

 

Make Homeless bags

 

March        1

                   8

                  15

                  22

                  29

The Revelation

Baptism

Chrismation

Annunciation

Confession

 

 

April          5

                  12

                  19

                  26  

Palm Sunday

Pascha

No Church School

Eucharist/Liturgy

 

Candle Decorating Workshop

 

Pascha!

Prosphora Workshop

May           3

                  10

            15-17

                 17

                 24

                 31

Marriage

Orders

Camping Trip ages 6-12

No Church School

Ascension

Pentecost

 

 

 

Theme: Journeys of St. Paul

 

Make “Kneel-upons”

Birthday Cake for the Church

June          7

                 14

                 20

                 21

Holy Unction

Requiem/Burial

Play Rehearsal

Closing Exercises

 

 

Koliva Workshop

After vespers, with overnight

Play performance

August      2

             3-7

                 9

Transfiguration

Vacation Bible School?

Dormition

 

 

 

 

General notes:

Classroom supplies: Each class is supplied with the following items:

Paper plates, small and large              Scissors                                               Stapler/Staples

Paper, plain and construction             Tape and dispenser                             Paper bags

Glue or glue sticks                              Crayons and/or markers                      Cotton Balls   

Popsicle sticks                                     Chenille (colored pipe cleaners)         Sharpies

If you use the last of something, please either replace it or let me know so I can replace it. If you need special craft supplies for your lesson, submit the receipt to me for reimbursement.

 

 

Books are available for class use. While each child in the younger classes will have a copy of the Beginner’s Bible, and it’s always fun to start out in your very own Bible book, many times we must supplement with the teacher’s copies of the Children’s Bible Reader, Read with Me Bible, Golden Children’s Bible, Child’s First Bible, or other books. Watch the lesson plan for page numbers and details. Each has strengths and weaknesses: Children’s Bible Reader is Orthodox but no longer in print, First Bible has great pictures but not much content, Golden Bible has the most content and lovely pictures but way too long, etc. And not a one has ALL of the stories we need.

Teaching Schedule: We all know that there will be last-minute needs; trade with someone if you cannot teach on your assigned day and let the director know!

Insurance: Each of us must “apply” each year for our volunteer position of teacher. Please be sure not to send small children to the bathroom unattended and accompany your charges back to the Social Hall after class.

 

 

Opening Exercises: The Church School director will supervise this time, or delegate it when she is absent. Church School children and teachers are dismissed first from Liturgy; children come straight across for snack during opening exercises. These are an integral part of the curriculum – reviewing material from previous weeks, presenting additional Old Testament characters, rehearsing plays, hearing memory work, and playing quiz games.

Hand-Outs: There will be weekly hand-outs from the Parents’ Guide if it wasn’t given to each family at the beginning of the year. These should be sent home with the children to continue the lesson through the week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curriculum: There are 3 types of lessons this year: epistles, feasts, and sacraments. For epistle lessons, even the small children can learn a part of the verse. With feast lessons, I have included True/False questions. Make your classroom elephant now. He’s very easy, and each week, when we tell a story, we do true/false afterwards by writing the statements on paper peanuts and feeding the elephant the true ones and stomping on the rotten (false) peanuts. Just take a cardboard box, tape the top shut, and glue on an elephant face out of construction paper (or foam). Cut out a mouth big enough for paper peanuts to fit through. Glue on ears and a trunk, being sure to glue the trunk only above the mouth so the children can lift it to insert the good peanuts. Color in wrinkles and eyes. Then, each week, write the true/false statements on construction paper pieces cut like peanuts and go around the circle. Each child selects a “peanut”, you read it to him, and the class decides whether he should feed it or stomp it! Just be sure you have at least one paper peanut for each child! For sacrament lessons, role-playing is especially fun and leads to long-term remembrance for small children.

 

Movie Nights and Parties: We will have supper after vespers on Saturday night while showing a small children’s movie. Older children should bring a sleeping bag for a lock-in with “feature” presentation; we must have at least 2 adults at each overnight.

 

Workshops: We have 5 workshops planned this year learning traditional Orthodox ethnic “skills” that coordinate with our curriculum: baking prosphora, making koliva, decorating holy water jars, making kneeling cushions, and decorating Palm Sunday candles. These will take place after Church School in the Church Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPES

                            CLAYS                                                                  PAINTS

              SALT DOUGH                                                 FINGER PAINT (4 WAYS)

2 cups flour                                                                 Use pudding with food coloring!

1 cup salt                                                                     Mix liquid starch and food coloring.

about 1 cup water                                                       Mix 3 T sugar, ½ cup cornstarch, and

food coloring                                                                          2 cups cold water. Cook over

bath oil, vegetable oil, peppermint oil                                    low heat, stirring, till thick.

            Mix flour and salt. Add water                                     Pour into muffin tin. Add

slowly and mix with your fingers until                                   food coloring to each cup.

it makes dough. Knead in a few drops

food coloring and a splotch of oil (if                                         SAND PAINT

desired). Store in air-tight container.                          Add dry tempera paint to corn meal.

                                                                                    Sprinkle over areas “painted” with thinned white glue

          SELF-HARDENING CLAY      

1 cup sand                                                                    for a sand effect. Shake off excess.

½ cup cornstarch

1 tsp powdered alum                                                                          PASTES

¾ cup hot water                                                          PRIMARY PASTE

Food coloring if desired                                             Mix ½ cup water and 1 cup flour

            Mix sand, cornstarch and alum                       in a bowl. Spoon into a jar

in large pot. Add hot water and stir                           or squeeze bottle to store.

vigorously. Add food coloring if

desired. Cook over medium heat                                PAPIER MACHE PASTE

until thick, stirring constantly.                                    3 cups water

After cooling, store in airtight container.                    1 ½ cups flour

                                                                                                Mix flour with cold water until lumps are gone

       SAWDUST CLAY                   

2 cups fine sawdust                                                                Dip strips of newsprint in paste and mold around

1 cup flour                                                                              surface to be shaped. Air dry.

            Mix sawdust and flour in bowl

or bucket. Add a little water at a time,

stirring till it is stiff but pliable. Knead

till it’s elastic and easy to shape. Store

in airtight container. Air dry.

 

           CORNSTARCH DOUGH

2 cups cornstarch

4 cups baking soda

2 ½ cups water

            Mix cornstarch and soda in large

pot. Add water. Cook, stirring, over medium

heat until thick like mashed potatoes. After

cool, knead on wax paper for 5 minutes. Store

in an airtight container. Air dry.