On the 4th Sunday of Advent and as we get closer to Christmas, know that I celebrate the gift of Jesus and am thankful for the gifts and joys that I have in my life. Each and everyone one of you and your children touch my heart and my life in such meaningful ways. Thank you for the 'gift' of your child to my classroom and to our school. May we all be continued to be blessed by each other's love and learning!
4th Sunday Advent Prayer
Let us pray as Advent draws to a close, that Christ will truly come into our hearts.
Oh, God who loves me with such tenderness, I beg you for moments of quiet in this day and in the days ahead.
I long to savor this joy, this anticipation of the great gift you give us.
I ask for the peace and joy of "watchful hope."
Give me the grace to carry in my heart the soul-lifting awareness of Emmanuel - God With Us.
What joy, what a gift.
The Advent song comes to me and fills my heart:
"Emmanuel , Emmanuel.
Who are we that you should love us so well?"
I want to walk in gratitude in these last days of Advent and place myself in the service of your plan for me.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Amen.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
3rd Week of Advent
We begin this third week of Advent asking to feel the joy
that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping
in the background of our everyday lives.
that comes from knowing our Lord's coming to us is near.
In these precious days ahead, we are praying, longing, hoping
in the background of our everyday lives.
His mission is for each of us who
ask, “What must we do?”
He tells us to give away our coats, our security.
He asks that we not bully people but be content with our lives.
He tells us to give away our coats, our security.
He asks that we not bully people but be content with our lives.
We can smile today as we imagine the
freedom he has won for us
and how liberating it will be to live it, with him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.
and how liberating it will be to live it, with him, for others.
It is right to give our God thanks and praise.
Have no anxiety at all, but in
everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6-7
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 6-7
Prayer for the 3rd week of Advent:
I
lift my heart up to you, Lord,
to thank you for the blessings
you shower on me each day.
to thank you for the blessings
you shower on me each day.
You are the 'joy of my soul.'
I know that in your great love,
I am held and protected by you.
I know that in your great love,
I am held and protected by you.
I pray and listen to the good news
you send;
I ask and feel the healing.
I am freed by you
from the things in this world
that let me hide from you.
I ask and feel the healing.
I am freed by you
from the things in this world
that let me hide from you.
I rejoice, I rejoice, down to my
soul.
Help me to prepare my heart
to be open and able to receive your immense love.
Help me to prepare my heart
to be open and able to receive your immense love.
2nd Week of Advent...sorry it's late!
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT: HOPE
We light a second purple candle on the second Sunday of Advent to represent the hope of Christ coming to the world.
The word "hope" has two meanings in the Bible. The first, tiqvah, contains the sense of eager anticipation or waiting. The second, elpis. depicts a sense of confident expectation based on certainty. Biblical hope is secured by God's faithfulness to His promises. For the Old Testament leaders, their hope was in the Messiah's arrival. For us, it is the hope of the Messiah's return.
God's plan for humanity unfolded in the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Messiah, joyously fulfilling a long-awaited promise. Today we confidently wait for the Messiah's triumphant return.
Dear Lord,
Through the darkness, I look for your wisdom.
I want my heart to be open to you.
But sometimes in these days, it seems that
so many things come between us.
We light a second purple candle on the second Sunday of Advent to represent the hope of Christ coming to the world.
The word "hope" has two meanings in the Bible. The first, tiqvah, contains the sense of eager anticipation or waiting. The second, elpis. depicts a sense of confident expectation based on certainty. Biblical hope is secured by God's faithfulness to His promises. For the Old Testament leaders, their hope was in the Messiah's arrival. For us, it is the hope of the Messiah's return.
God's plan for humanity unfolded in the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Messiah, joyously fulfilling a long-awaited promise. Today we confidently wait for the Messiah's triumphant return.
Dear Lord,
Through the darkness, I look for your wisdom.
I want my heart to be open to you.
But sometimes in these days, it seems that
so many things come between us.
Help me to be awake and aware
of the radiance you bring to my life.
Help me to be grateful each day
for the blessings of family and friends.
Let me be a peacemaker
in my own life, and in the world.
Let me pray especially for this difficult world
and those who are so in need of an end to violence.
My heart begs for this as my Advent prayer today.
of the radiance you bring to my life.
Help me to be grateful each day
for the blessings of family and friends.
Let me be a peacemaker
in my own life, and in the world.
Let me pray especially for this difficult world
and those who are so in need of an end to violence.
My heart begs for this as my Advent prayer today.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
1st Week of Advent - 2013
The season of Advent begins tomorrow (Sunday, December 1st)! This is my very favorite time of year!!...We'll
be getting our Christmas tree today or tomorrow (we always do a real one, it's
just something I have to have!) and I'll have my christmas tunes going...I love
singing....but I love singing christmas music the most! (I used to sing for the Rittenhouse in
Bayfield- so much fun!) But amidst all the hustle and bustle that this season
brings to all of us, let us take time to pray and be thankful for the reason
for it all- the gift of God's loving son, Jesus, to come to earth and be our
saviour! So, each weekend I'll post a
prayer I found that goes with each of the four weeks of advent! The children will have advent wreaths at
school that we will 'light' (with orange colored tissue paper) each week. I encourage you to have your own advent
wreath at home too, as a reminder that 1) it isn't christmas quite yet and 2) this
time before christmas is to prepare ourselves for this very special day that we
celebrate the day of our Lord's birth!
(These prayers can be read to your children if you find that
you want to...but they are more intended for us, adults & parents)
The First Week of Advent
Lord God,
only you can see into my heart and know
that under all the busy-ness of my life,
there is a deep longing
to make this Advent
one that welcomes you
more deeply into my
own life.
My heart desires the warmth of your love
and my mind searches
for your Light
in the midst of the
darkness.
Help me to be a peacemaker this Advent
and to give special
love to those
who disagree with me.
Give me the strength
and courage
to forgive those who
have hurt me.
Help me to free my
heart
from the prison of my
anger and hurt.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
AMEN !
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Happy September!
Hello! The school year is off to a great start! The new Kinders have done an excellent job of getting aquainted with our classroom, our new and old friends, different teachers and the new routine of the school days! I am very proud of each and every one of them...they are doing an excellent job of becoming wonderful students. We're rarin' to go with great learning throughout the year!!
In September we will be working on the following concepts:
First and foremost...being Kindergarten students!! Being a Kindergartener is WAY different than being a preschooler...we are quickly learning our schedules for our days and that we do all have work to get done each day and when our work is done, we get to play!!
First and foremost...being Kindergarten students!! Being a Kindergartener is WAY different than being a preschooler...we are quickly learning our schedules for our days and that we do all have work to get done each day and when our work is done, we get to play!!
In Language Arts: We are learning our ABCs. We are focusing on one letter a day. We look at how the letter is formed (straight lines, curved lines, etc.) and think of words that begin with it's sound. We are also learning about titles, authors and illustrators. Several students have already become authors and illustrators of their own books...which they have worked on during free time. They really enjoy being able to share their stories with our class while we all listen on the carpet. We've got some very creative writers in our class!
In Math: We are learning about sorting and classifying objects. The children are sorting objects by shape, size and color. We are also reviewing the colors and names of shapes. We work on numbers every day with our calendar and couting the days that we've been in school. We are trying to learn to count to 100!
In Religion: We are learning about God as our Creator. We are learning about all of the wonderful things that God has created for us and how we need to care for these things. We are thankful to God for the gifts of our moms, dads, families, friends and the world around us!
In Science: We are learning about matter- solids, liquids and gases. We are exploring to sort and classify different objects and items into these groups. We are identifying solids and liquids and gases in the world around us.
In Social Studies: We are learning about ourselves and our family and friends around us. We are learning about our special talents and how we are all different and all have wonderful gifts and talents that we are special at. We all have different things that we like and dislike and we are learning that we need to respect each other's differences.
Special September Happenings... We took a field trip to Bayfield to visit the Bayfield Apple Company and Hauser's Farm to see their orchards and taste some of their delicious apples! We had a very fun trip!! We ended the trip by having lunch at the Coast Guard park in Bayfield and played on the playground. The weather was beautiful and we all had a really fun time! <br />
Friday, February 1, 2013
Highlights from Catholic Schools Week 2013!
CrAzY hAt DaY!
Kindergarten - 4th Grade go sledding!
We had a great time sledding (I even went down a couple times!) behind the Chequamegon Hotel. It's within walking distance for us and provided a perfect space for our group to sled. The temperatures cooperated so that we were able to take our sleds and have some fun!
Today is Friday and is Crazy Hair Day and Inside Out Clothes Day. I will try to get some more pictures up today or tomorrow from today. We have had a great week of activities to celebrate our wonderful school! We sadly were not able to go to Superior for Mass with the Bishop due to bad weather conditions, but are hoping to maybe be able to reschedule that for a later date. Instead, we had Mass with Fr. Paul at our own church and took time to thank God for the gifts that we have...WONDERFUL students, WONDERFUL families and WONDERFUL teachers and staff!
Thursday was pajama day and the children were able to go to the OLL School 'Movie Theater'...they were able to pick one of four choices. The Home and School provided popcorn and a juice box for a treat! Thank you Home and School for all of the wonderful activities planned for the week!!
Don't forget...SUNDAY, FEB. 3rd at 10 AM is the All School Liturgy to end Catholic Schools Week and also a Pancake Breakfast in the Social Hall!!
Stone Soup pictures!
Ingredients are ready!
First, we add the stone!
Next, we add potatoes...
then, onions...
then, carrots...
then, meat...
then, celery...
then, corn...
then, tomatoes...
TIME TO EAT!!
Our finished 'Stone Soup'!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
January 7th-12th, 2013
Hello! Looking forward to starting this next full week of school. The children and I had a great last week as we both got back into the swing of things with routines of school. It was nice that it was a short week, I could tell some of the children were getting tired by Friday. The three day week really helped to ease them back into school.
This week's activities and happenings in the Kindergarten room...
Language Arts:
We are about to start one of my FaVoRiTe weeks!! We start this week off with the story of "Stone Soup". So, the children will each be bringing something to add to our own stone soup. I will bring the stone, meat and barley; the children will bring in other vegetables. We will read through the story once, then I have the children help me act it out and they get the be the townspeople and add the various items to our pot. I was certainly reminding them all to bring in their items for Monday and that we'd have 'soup that is fit for a king!' (a line from the story) and most of them looked at me like I was crazy! I will be certain to take lots of pictures and load them on to the blog later this week, maybe even tomorrow afternoon if I get a chance.
We'll also be working with our 'at' word family. We'll continue to sound out words and do more and more fabulous reading! We'll review our sight words and I hope that they are all able to do a little of this at home too! We worked on making our '2nd sight word mat' last Friday; they will go home on Monday. We play a little flashcard game together (the kids and I) and if they get the word right, they get the card...I they get it wrong, I get the card! I heard mumblings on Friday "We're gonna get her now...we'll get all the cards this time!" intersperced with giggles. Music to my ears!
Math:
We will wrap up our section on numbers and move on to geometric shapes! We will be reviewing various 2D shapes that most of the children are pretty familiar with, but then move on to exploring 3D shapes! The children always enjoy exploring with shapes and finding them hidden in our world around us!
Religion:
We will talk about the Epiphany, which was the official end of our Christmas season, that happened this past Sunday. We will talk more about the three wise men and the star they followed to find baby Jesus. We will also start our chapter dealing with learning about Jesus as a teacher.
Science:
We will explore weather! We will first talk about winter and the weather that comes with this. We will read about Polar Bears and other winter animals and what they do to survive the cold temperatures. During our winter weather discussions we'll also do a little experiment with snow. It's fun to have the children go out with their clear plastic cups, fill them up and then have the guess where the water will be when it melts. What's even more interesting is that I will allow the snow water to sit a bit longer and after awhile bacteria will start to grow. It doesn't always grow in all of the cups, but it usually does in at least a couple...and then we talk about (again, because they've been told not to before) why we should NOT eat snow. =)
Social Studies:
To go along with our cold weather science talk, we will also explore those groups of people who also live in areas where it is very cold. We will compare and contrast how they live with how we live. We will talk about their various traditions and why they may have to do some of the things differently than we do.
As always....
please be sure your child gets plenty of rest and a great healthy breakfast in the morning to help them do their best at school. The MAPS test will be coming up soon and if I get a chance I will be taking the Kindergarteners to do some 'pretesting' to get them acclimated to the computer test system. I want them to have the best chance possible to show all that they know...doing a pretest with them will allow them to do this even more!
Parents...thank you for all that you do!!! The snacks you bring are wonderful and scrumptious! Thanks also for all of your volunteer time and donations!!! We have had some generous donations to our school...some that have come to our room...supplies, etc. and coming soon we will have a Leapfrog Tag system and books to go with it! Yay for more reading opportunities!
Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful week ahead!!
~Mrs. Westlund
This week's activities and happenings in the Kindergarten room...
Language Arts:
We are about to start one of my FaVoRiTe weeks!! We start this week off with the story of "Stone Soup". So, the children will each be bringing something to add to our own stone soup. I will bring the stone, meat and barley; the children will bring in other vegetables. We will read through the story once, then I have the children help me act it out and they get the be the townspeople and add the various items to our pot. I was certainly reminding them all to bring in their items for Monday and that we'd have 'soup that is fit for a king!' (a line from the story) and most of them looked at me like I was crazy! I will be certain to take lots of pictures and load them on to the blog later this week, maybe even tomorrow afternoon if I get a chance.
We'll also be working with our 'at' word family. We'll continue to sound out words and do more and more fabulous reading! We'll review our sight words and I hope that they are all able to do a little of this at home too! We worked on making our '2nd sight word mat' last Friday; they will go home on Monday. We play a little flashcard game together (the kids and I) and if they get the word right, they get the card...I they get it wrong, I get the card! I heard mumblings on Friday "We're gonna get her now...we'll get all the cards this time!" intersperced with giggles. Music to my ears!
Math:
We will wrap up our section on numbers and move on to geometric shapes! We will be reviewing various 2D shapes that most of the children are pretty familiar with, but then move on to exploring 3D shapes! The children always enjoy exploring with shapes and finding them hidden in our world around us!
Religion:
We will talk about the Epiphany, which was the official end of our Christmas season, that happened this past Sunday. We will talk more about the three wise men and the star they followed to find baby Jesus. We will also start our chapter dealing with learning about Jesus as a teacher.
Science:
We will explore weather! We will first talk about winter and the weather that comes with this. We will read about Polar Bears and other winter animals and what they do to survive the cold temperatures. During our winter weather discussions we'll also do a little experiment with snow. It's fun to have the children go out with their clear plastic cups, fill them up and then have the guess where the water will be when it melts. What's even more interesting is that I will allow the snow water to sit a bit longer and after awhile bacteria will start to grow. It doesn't always grow in all of the cups, but it usually does in at least a couple...and then we talk about (again, because they've been told not to before) why we should NOT eat snow. =)
Social Studies:
To go along with our cold weather science talk, we will also explore those groups of people who also live in areas where it is very cold. We will compare and contrast how they live with how we live. We will talk about their various traditions and why they may have to do some of the things differently than we do.
As always....
please be sure your child gets plenty of rest and a great healthy breakfast in the morning to help them do their best at school. The MAPS test will be coming up soon and if I get a chance I will be taking the Kindergarteners to do some 'pretesting' to get them acclimated to the computer test system. I want them to have the best chance possible to show all that they know...doing a pretest with them will allow them to do this even more!
Parents...thank you for all that you do!!! The snacks you bring are wonderful and scrumptious! Thanks also for all of your volunteer time and donations!!! We have had some generous donations to our school...some that have come to our room...supplies, etc. and coming soon we will have a Leapfrog Tag system and books to go with it! Yay for more reading opportunities!
Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful week ahead!!
~Mrs. Westlund
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