St. Paul's Sunday School

Sunday School 2/22/09

2009-02-18T08:11:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone. This Sunday will be the baptism of Georgia Gail Mollo and I know many of you want to/need to be in church for that. We'd also love for the kids to be able to see the baptism. Therefore there will be a short Sunday School session run by me in the Parish Hall (one room schoolhouse style) and then the kids will enter the sanctuary to sit with their families and watch the baptism. I will be talking to the kids about the UN Millennium Development Goals and having them choose one which we will raise money for in Lent. If you are curious, the MDGs are:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
The goal is to achieve these goals by 2015. More information can be found here: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

One more thing. Jim Mollo will be preaching on Sunday, and he will of course be wonderful! I hope you can all come to share with the community in this special day.

Sunday School 2/15/09

2009-02-11T08:07:00.001-08:00

Hello all! As you can see on the schedule, there is no Sunday School this weekend. St. Paul's will be hosting the Happening Retreat for the diocese this weekend. Enjoy the week off and this lovely weather!

Sunday School 2/8/09

2009-02-04T07:39:00.001-08:00

Hello all! Thanks for all jumping in and participating last Sunday even though you had no idea I was going to ask you to stand on wooden planks and turn towels over and play with playdough. I think it went well!

This week we'll be back to regular classes. I assume you've all had time to talk to your co-teachers and work out who will teach when. If you haven't, please do so and let me know if there are any weeks when neither of you can teach. Huge thanks to Simon who volunteered to jump in with the preschoolers! (By the way Simon, if you'd rather teach the junior high group with Tim, I'd be happy to switch with you!).

This week's stories/lessons are:

Godly Play (K & 1, 2 & 3) - The Mystery of Easter (yes! already!)

Living the Good News (that's all the other classes) - Mark 1: 29-39
In this story, Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law, and then spends a good deal of time healing everyone else in town. He just called Simon and Andrew, and James and John to be his disciples--this is one of the first things they do and one of the first times the disciples witness Jesus healing and casting out demons. One of my all-time favorite verses is in this story--"In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed." I think it is important to note that amid all the activity of teaching/healing/casting out demons...and when word of Jesus is spreading like wildfire and his fame is increasing...Jesus still takes time to be alone and quiet (or maybe he's just hiding). It is hard to be alone and quiet especially when we are so programmed to fill up all the spaces in our lives (fill our time, fill our houses, fill our stomachs, etc.) It is also scary to be alone and quiet because we might actually encounter the things inside of us that we try to avoid by moving so fast and by filling up our lives--things that we are afraid of or worried about or that cause us pain. I don't think we can be healed of any of these things (even by Jesus) if we cannot sit with them and accept them. This is all, of course, quite deep for 4th graders, however it might be a worthwhile exercise to see if they can sit quietly with themselves for 2 minutes...or 5 minutes. Deep breaths might help. Saying a prayer might help. If you try it...let me know how it goes!

Let me know if you have any questions about anything! See you Sunday!

Sunday School 11/23/08

2008-11-19T17:54:00.001-08:00

Hello all! Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Youth Service. I think they did a fantastic job!

There will be Sunday School again this week. The Godly Play story will be "The Ark and the Temple" (which is similar to "The Ark and the Tent," but, ya know, with a temple). Let me know if you have questions about it. The lectionary text is from Matthew 25: 31-46 and is about sheep and goats. It can be a difficult text. I don't know how the curriculum deals with it, but I would suggest stressing the social justice aspect. Jesus talks about visiting prisoners, giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, clothing the naked, etc. as being ways to bring about the Kingdom of God. How and where do we do these types of things? How can it make the world better? There will also be a Hunger Meal type of activity after church led by Kathy James to help us understand poverty and hunger in the world. I think this will tie in nicely with the lesson.

I wanted to let you know about a change in the schedule for Nov. 30th. The schedule says that there is no Sunday School, but there will be an activity for kids (which you will not in any way be leading). We will be going over the Christmas story and having the first pageant rehearsal during the Sunday School time. If your kids can be there, that would be fantastic!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sunday 11/9/08

2008-11-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I have been a bit negligent in sending out my weekly check in/informational emails. I apologize for that. I will be sending them from here on out...just to make sure we are all on the same page. This week's is quite simple. There WILL NOT be Sunday School this Sunday due to the low attendance expected because of the school closing. I hope you all enjoy the weekend!

There also will be no Sunday School on 11/16/08, but I encourage all of you to come to church and to bring your children! We will be having the Youth Service that morning. The service will be led by the Confirmation class and we will hear a bit about this past summer's mission trip. Following the service there will be a special coffee hour where we will experience a bit of what some of our youth did at summer camp. If there are any concerns or questions about anything, please don't hesitate to contact me. It's best to reach me by email and my cell phone.

Thank you all for your continued service to the children of St. Paul's!

Melissa

Sunday, 5/11/08

2008-05-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all! As many of you know, I will not be in church this Sunday, but there will be Sunday School! Tim will lead the prayer service before and after class and get the kids into church. This Sunday is Pentecost, as well as Mother's Day, so there should be lots to talk about with the kids. The Godly Play story is, "The Mystery of Pentecost," and the lectionary text for the week is also, of course, about Pentecost. Please mention to the kids that the red balloons that they see in church are to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Red is the color generally associated with the Spirit, and balloons are filled with air--the HS is said to be like a mighty wind. You get it. Let me know if you have any questions!

We'll have one more week of class (Trinity Sunday, which is May 18th, when we'll talk about--you guessed it--the Trinity!). The following weekend is Memorial Day weekend. There won't be Sunday School, but if you are around, I'll be preaching! June 1st was going to be the Youth Service, but I think that has been canceled. Ordinarily there would be no Sunday School on that day, but I will do something special with the kids in the Parish Hall. And, it will be teacher recognition Sunday, so do try to be in church so that we can say, "Thank you!" It will also be my last Sunday before I leave for the summer (I will be back in Sept.!).

Remember to cross your fingers for good weather on the 18th and to join me at the Loantaka Park at 2:00 pm for games and a nature walk!

Thanks!

Sunday 2/24/08

2008-02-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Thank you for this past Sunday. Everything seemed to go well, even though we didn't have a lot of kids.

If you've looked at your Sunday School schedule, you will see that you get a big, long break. I'm not sure that this is the wisest thing to do, but that's just the way it worked out this year. So your kids will probably have forgotten who you are by the next time you teach. Here's what's going on for the next 5 weeks:

This week, Tim and I will be away with the junior high and high school youth groups on the ski trip. There will be no Sunday School. (Pray that we don't break anything!)

On March 2nd, Bishop Mark Beckwith will make his visit. He has requested time to do a children's sermon, so I will meet with the kids during the first part of the service to talk to them about what a bishop is and why he is visiting, and then they will enter the service for the children's sermon. If you'd like to join us for the "bishop talk" you may, but I would also encourage you to be in church so you can hear the Bishop!

On March 9th, Rev'd Elizabeth will visit with the Sunday School to talk about the Eucharist. You may join us, or you may stay in church to hear Jim Mollo preach!

March 16th and 23rd are Palm Sunday and Easter, respectively. Their won't be Sunday School on either one of those Sundays.

One more thing. On Saturday March 1st, I'd like to invite you all to my house for dessert and coffee at 7:30pm. It will be an informal and fun gather, but I'd also like to hear what you think of the Sunday School program and how you think it might be improved, or any questions you may have about it. Expect an invitation in the mail soon!

Thanks!!

Melissa

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 2/17/08

2008-02-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday 2/17/08

2008-02-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone. Are you ready for week 2? How are you all doing?

The lectionary text for this week is John 3: 1-17 where we find a Pharasee named Nicodemus visiting Jesus by night. The Pharasees are the keepers of the law, and Jesus is blowing it out of the water so it's probably best for Nicodemus to slip in to see Jesus under the cover of darkness. They have a conversation about being born of the Spirit. The author of John, as he is wont to do, presents us with an idea that doesn't make a whole lot of sense at first glance. How exactly is one born after growing old? What does it mean to be born of the Spirit? And, why do we read this story in Lent...in preparation for Easter? This passage is also where we find the famous words of John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.")

Godly Play (Dan, Amy, Linda), it is time again for the Faces of Easter. (Amy I can hear you groaning). There are seven Faces of Easter and they are meant to be told one every week of Lent. However, they are very short and very repetitive, and the kids tend to get bored. This year, because of some events in Lent (the Bishop's visit, Rev. Elizabeth's visit to the Sunday School) we've had to condense the Faces a bit. This week, we will do Faces I, II, and III. The Faces go through Jesus' life hitting some of the highlights. Faces I is Jesus' birth, Faces II is the story of Jesus "lost" in the Temple, and Faces III is Jesus' baptism. Each week, you add a new plaque to an underlay that you roll out and each week you review all the stories and then tell the new one. So, this week, instead of stopping at the end of Faces I, you will just continue on to the end of Faces III. You will need three sets of the story cards (Faces I, II, III) or just grab the Godly Play Vol. 4 book. At the end of each story, you will be instructed to invite the children to get an object from the room that adds to the story and to place it next to the plaque. This works just fine if you are in a Godly Play room where children can choose objects from other Godly Play stories. Since we don't have that, it doesn't work so well. There are plenty of objects in the Sprout House classrooms, so you may want to try it anyway. If you'd rather do something else, I suggest you ask a question like, "What was your favorite part of the story?" or "Who is your favorite character in the story?" or "Is there anything that bothers you about the story?" Let me know how it goes.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 2/10/08

2008-02-07T13:47:00.001-08:00

Sunday 2/10/08

2008-02-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings all! This Sunday will begin the classes for the Spring Term. Thank you to all of you for agreeing to teach. I am hoping that I have everything in order for you, but I've probably goofed up somewhere and I apologize in advance.

Let's see if I've got this right. I believe Linda G. will be teaching preschool this week. Linda, your curriculum book is outside my office door. I will be teaching 4th and 5th along with Julia. Julia, your book is also outside my door, but I think we are all set for this week. Paul, Tim let me know that you are on for 6th, 7th and 8th. I have the scripture readings for your class and will give them to you on Sunday morning.

Dan and Linda S., you two will be teaching using the Godly Play curriculum. Dan, I'm not sure if you've taught Godly Play before so I've attached some basic information to this email. I've just reorganized the Godly Play closet (Rm. 19). All the stories for the Spring Term are in the closet and in order starting on the left side of the top shelf. All of the cards with the scripts for the stories are also in order in the box in the closet. I would appreciate it if we could keep things in that order. The story for this week is The Mystery of Easter. It is a purple bag with puzzle pieces in it that form a cross. The story helps the children understand the concept of the season of Lent.

Finally, classrooms:

Preschool - Rooms 3 & 4 (in Sprout House)

K & 1st - Room 2 (Sprout House)

2nd & 3rd - Room 5 (Sprout House)

4th & 5th - for this Sunday, we'll be in the Parish Hall

6th, 7th & 8th - The Stage!

If you are using a Sprout House classroom, they have asked us to please make sure that all toys are put away, all of our supplies cleaned up, and the doors to the classrooms locked.

If you've got questions, concerns or anything else to say, you can feel free to email me or call me. OR, you can visit the Sunday School Blog and leave a comment. That way we can all talk about whatever is on your mind. Sunday School Blog: www.saintpaulschatham.blogspot.com

See you all in the Parish Hall at 10am!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 1/13/08

2008-01-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

Sunday 1/13/08

2008-01-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I apologize that last week didn't flow as smoothly as it could have. The service was shorter than usual, and there was a bit of confusion about when the children were to enter, but I think we have that worked out now.

This week there will not be regular Sunday School. I will work with all of the children in the Parish Hall. If you would like, you may take a break! However, you are also welcome to join us if you would prefer that.

The Sunday School term ends on January 27th. I have begun to look for Spring teachers. If you think of anyone who would be interested, please mention it to them. The Spring term runs from February 3rd to June 1st.

Also, I am trying to get a feel for how many kids would be interested in the Harry Potter Book Study (on the 7th book) and how many of those kids have already finished the book. I know a couple have not finished yet, so I would ideally like to wait until all who want to participate are ready. If you have any sense of this (specifically in the older classes) please let me know what you think. Originally I had thought January would be good, but perhaps February would be better?

Thanks!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 1/6/08

2008-01-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

Sunday 1/6/08

2008-01-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year! There will be regular Sunday School this week. Godly Play teachers will be working with either the Parable of the Good Shepherd or the Parable of the Sower. Both are located in the closet in Room 19 on the bottom shelf in the middle. If you have any questions about your lessons, let me know!

Questions, Concerns, & Conversation 12/23/07

2007-12-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 23, 2007

2007-12-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of your help and support with the Christmas Pageant! I think it went very well!

There will be regular Sunday School and Nursery Care this week. During the Prayer Service at the beginning of Sunday School, we will light the fourth Advent candle. The Christ candle (in the middle of the Advent candles) will be lit at the 5 p.m. Service on Christmas Eve.

The Godly Play story is "The Mystery of Christmas" which follows the common Godly Play format of laying out cards along an underlay to tell the story of Christmas. There are also smaller label cards and scripture cards that you can use to label each part of the story. There is no specific "right way" to use these cards. They may not be as important for the younger kids who can't read them, but the 2nd and 3rd graders may want to take turns reading the different bits of scripture. It is up to you! The story is on the longer side, so I will try to make the Prayer Service short in order to give you as much time as possible.

There will be no Sunday School on December 30th. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 12/16/07

2007-12-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

It's Time for the Christmas Pageant!

2007-12-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Pageant will be this Sunday, December 16th, during the 10:00 a.m. service! All children are welcome to participate. Most children received costumes during last week's rehearsal. Please have them wear these costumes over their clothes on Sunday, and please arrive in the Parish Hall by 9:30 a.m. If your child did not receive a costume OR if your child has not yet signed up for the pageant, but would like to participate, come at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday and we'll get them everything they need! There will be no Sunday School because of the pageant. See you Sunday!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 12/9/07

2007-12-08T12:07:00.001-08:00

Sunday, 12/9/07

2007-12-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Greetings! First I'd like to apologize for being a little behind and a little disorganized this week--especially to Godly Play folks. I've learned that one should not move to a new apartment in Advent!

There will be regular Sunday School this week. If you used the "Living the Good News" curriculum and haven't yet picked up your Winter book, it is in the closet in Rm. 19 in a folder labeled for your class. Godly Play classes will be doing "Advent I - IV" this week. During the Special Program last Sunday, the kids explored a bit about why we celebrate Advent and Christmas during this time of year when it is dark and cold and we are all longing for a little light. The Godly Play Advent stories will focus more on the liturgical significance of Advent in the church year and how it helps us to prepare for Christmas. The story cards are almost finished and will be with the story and the Godly Play books in the closet. You may use the cards, or the books, or both. The story will be slightly modified on the cards because all four stories are being told this week. The modifications simply help the story to flow, and so I would recommend using them for this week. Also, please note that the story does not contain the candles mentioned in the book, however, the story can be told without them.

The second (and final) Christmas Pageant rehearsal will be held after church on Sunday. We will attempt to fit all the kids for their costumes. Any help you might be able to give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 11/18/07

2007-11-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

For Sunday 11/18/07

2007-11-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings all! There will indeed be Sunday School again this week! The Godly Play story will be “The Exile and Return.” It will be on the shelf in the Godly Play closet in Room 19 along with new story cards. You will need the two small baskets that are under the cards—one with The People of God in it, and the other with chain, blue yarn, and wooden blocks in it. You will also need the Desert Box—but this is the last week! Alleluia!

For those of you who teach using the other curriculum (Living the Good News) you may have noticed that your books only go until the end of November. Fear not! Your new curriculum has arrived! I will place it in file folders in the Sunday School closet in Room 19. You may pick it up at any time.

Please encourage your kids/youth to sign up for the Christmas Pageant. The sign-up sheet can be found just outside the narthex. Kids can choose to sign-up for EITHER a role in the pageant OR a place in the band. Rehearsals will be after church on December 2nd and 9th and the pageant will be during the 10 am service on December 16th.

Thanks!

Questions, Concerns & Conversation 10/29/07 - 11/4/07

2007-10-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

2007-10-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to St. Paul's Sunday School blog! Ever wonder just what is happening in Sunday School next week? Or want to ask a question and get feedback from several other teachers? Now you can! I will use this blog to relay to you information about the Sunday School program. I will post once a week (unless there is something really exciting and I can't wait to tell you about it!) with information for the next Sunday. You will also receive an emailed version of the post (so you don't have to remember to check the blog). In addition, each week there will be a post entitled, "Questions, Concerns, and Conversation." This is where you can, well...ask questions, voice concerns, and engage in conversation with other teachers and with me. I hope this will help all of us to stay in better communication and to be on the same page so that we can provide the best programming possible for our children and youth.

The Rules: Anyone can post comments on this blog (which means you do not need to sign up for anything or remember passwords, etc.), but I will moderate all comments. Because of this your comments will not appear immediately, but only after I read them. If you do not have a blogger account that uses your name, I would ask that you please sign your name to all comments. Also, please do not use children's names on this blog. If you are having a problem that is that specific, please speak to me privately.

Feedback, as always, is welcome. Happy blogging!