Pentecost 2013

This topic is a bit late in coming but is on my mind of late due to the date of Easter (hence Pentecost) this school year (upcoming in 2014).

This past school year, Easter/Pentecost 2013, we received a fantastic blessing in two of the atriums I had: TIME. We ended both the third full week of May, following Pentecost. Most parish atriums end the year in April or the 1st or 2nd week of May - almost always before Pentecost and some years (like 2014) more than a month before Pentecost.

SO - we used that time! THREE WEEKS OF IT!

I missed photographing anything in the second atrium and our work veered from the outline below because I wasn't the main catechist (we ended up overlapping and repeating a lot) - but I have wonderful memories of those moments together as well.



WEEK 1: Old Testament
First we introduced the Scripture for the gifts of the Holy Spirit - in prophet-fashion.

We set out a candle for each gift - did not light them this time. We labeled and discussed each gift - by definition and example. We then spent some time discussing these gifts, what they mean on different levels for a level 2 (ages 6-9) and a level 3 (ages 9-12) child (I also had some level 1 children in this group!). I sent them home for the week to contemplate these gifts and look at situations they are in, to ascertain which gifts are needed in particular situations.

For this group of children, we used the names of the Gifts as outlined by Isaiah in chapter 11 verses 2 and 3:

• Wisdom
• Understanding
• Counsel
• Strength
• Knowledge
• Fear of the Lord
• Delight in the Fear of the Lord (Awe and Wonder)

WEEK 2: New Testament

The following week, we read and meditated upon the New Testament Scripture passages from the Acts of the Apostles (the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles). During our discussion, we brought in other mentionings of the Holy Spirit throughout the Gospels - the ones the children honed in on:

• descent of the Holy Spirit upon Our Blessed Mother at the Annunciation/Incarnation
• the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove at the Baptism of Our Lord
• the Holy Spirit filling John the Baptist in his mother's womb - and Elizabeth's resulting Canticle

We considered each gift again - in light of our contemplation from the previous week at home and in light of the fact that we are each a child of God, called to live as Children of the Light. How shall we spread this light throughout the world? What gift do we need the most right now? 

And we each selected a gift to pray for in the coming week. 

After our group presentation, some of the children (a mix of level 2 and level 3) chose for their personal work to copy and illustrate the names of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - 1 child wrote out the definitions as well - all of them illustrated their work.  

WEEK 3: The Celebration
Finally in our third week, we had a true Celebration - atrium-style. The children proclaimed the Scripture, proclaimed the Gifts, proclaimed the Church teaching. We set a beautiful prayer table designed by the children and we sang songs selected by the children.

The children selected their Gifts - some different than the previous week, some the same.

always tip the unlit candle into the lit one

Prayerfully considering

Selecting

Calling the children by name to place their candles onto the table
Liturgy of Light style

All of the candles returned according to the gift prayed for

Our beautiful Spirit-filled children! 

They were each invited to snuff a candle
(I forget now who snuffed the remaining ones, since we had 7 extra than the number of children)

With so much time spent on a presentation and celebration that is usually squeezed in and rushed, I gained so much from the meditation, the experience, the focus on these Gifts of the Holy Spirit, wanting to work through us today. I look forward to future years when we can do it like this again. For 2014, I am looking at the reality of presenting Pentecost rather early for the level 2 and 3 children - perhaps during winter Ordinary Time so we have some time for contemplation and prayer - all atriums will end this year well before Pentecost, because Easter is so late. We can then pick up the topic again at the start of the coming school year - the Gifts are always needed!

Work of the Children - Start of the Year

What do the children do during their work time in the atrium?

The answer differs according to their atrium experience, temperament, interests and most importantly: the time of year. We have different expectations and a different selection of choices depending on the time of year.

We also try to over-present in the first few weeks to help the child acclimate and get some options available. When I give a new presentation, I may give the children some suggested options, or I may list some options and give them a choice between A and B for what they will do with the work now - with the other options as follow-ups at another time. This falls in line with the process of normalization as described by Maria Montessori - giving choices until a child can make choices of his own; while also allowing for the children to reveal themselves and their spiritual needs to the adult during times of wandering and considering all the open choices.


Level 1:

get out last year's presentations and review for oneself
in level 1, observation is also allowed  (see child in background)

wander
yes, this is allowed to an extent in every level
to a large extent in level 1

 

charm the catechist into lighting the candles 20 times in a row,
just so they can be snuffed
(the catechist is more than happy to oblige!)

polishing
so much polishing can be done with the items in use in the atrium
that we don't need "samples" for the children ;) 

Level 2:
In level 2, a very limited amount of wandering is allowed; some observation; but the requirement is to find work to do. The catechist should help guide this requirement but cannot catch every moment (hence observations from other adults are necessary too). The children can also be helping each other.

stand and look handsome
while your friend does all the clean-up

set up the altar

build on last year's work

tracing and artwork

walk the line

Level 3:

At this level, the children are truly collaborating. Almost no child does work by himself unless they are working on similar individual projects while chatting at the same table. The children can do more reading and research, but are still required to find real work to do. They are capable of doing so, with the right tools in hand.

share level 2 work with brand-new-to-level-3 children

plan communal prayer
(this would be an end of year option for 3rd graders in level 2)

plan communal prayer
she is thinking seriously about something - she is normally all smiles and wonderful silliness

Baby Atrium

We have some sweet visitors with us in the atrium sometimes.

They know what they like! And where they belong!

So handsome! 

Setting up our portable line
did NOT take long for the boys to find it! 

Returning to level 1 and inviting the 2 year olds to join us (their siblings are extras!) recalls to mind my son's first years in the atrium.

I discovered Catechesis of the Good Shepherd the school year before my son came to be. When I returned to my home-state to attend a Catholic college for a degree in theology, I even found a local formation course for level 1. I was unable to attend with my schooling schedule and uncertainty regarding my son.

At 2 1/2, he had been in the atrium for a year
1-4 parish sessions a week (depending on the season)
at-home atrium available anytime

It was almost 2 years later when I looked again. I would have to coordinate a weekend each month to make it happen, but it happened. I would drive an hour to my hometown each Thursday, do some housekeeping for an old employer (I used to be the family's nanny), visit with family; my mother would pick up my son after work on Friday and take him up north for the weekend (she went up north every weekend). I would stay at one of my grandmother's homes, then drive 2 hours north-east for a day-long training. At the end of the 9-5 day, I would drive 3 hours north and west to reunite with my son. We were still nursing so we got lots of snuggle time in before a late supper. After his bedtime, I would prepare some materials (anything that needed wood-cutting especially). Then we would get up the next morning, drive a bit south to Mass, drive the rest of the way home (sometimes stop and visit some more family) - and spend the week preparing the rest of the materials I had learned about that weekend.

The year I was in training, I taught a preschool class in the same (old nursery) room as the kindergarten class (who had different teachers, but we met at the same time). I was introducing concepts and materials as I could and by Christmas, the DRE asked if I would do a full-blown atrium and combine the two classes (there were issues with the other teachers). We (the DRE, my co-teacher and myself) spend Christmas break clearing out the room and preparing what we could.

Over the next 18 months I had homeschool groups, children of the RCIA, regular Sunday School children, my daycare children (I ran an in-home daycare at the time) and many visitors.

My son was 15 months old when we started atrium in our home and eased into it at the parish - his responses were phenomenal (to my oh-so-biased heart!).

Yes, he had his moments of standing on a table and dropping glass items on the floor. This would be when I was in a presentation and the co-teacher refused to do anything in regards to my son, yet I was expected to control her two boys doing cartwheels in the middle of the room. I had a new co-teacher by the end of the year.

Everything I was learning in CGS about how the 3 year olds respond - I literally saw, before my eyes, my son growing into those very moments:

• light - fascination with the light, respect for candles, attention to detail in snuffing, concentration 
• colors - hanging the chasubles, matching the colors, watching for the colors in the church
• the Good Shepherd - the sheep follow the Shepherd; the Shepherd loves the sheep - these are the first two concepts the children hone in on
• water - 3 pourings of the water at Baptism - no more, no less
• Sign of the Cross - he practiced for hours
• pouring water (cruet of water into 3 glasses)

There has been some talk and some experiences within CGS for the very young child (before age 3) - and the discoveries being made are so sweet and SO wonderful! 

I have so many stories to tell of the other children aged 3 through 6, then elementary children up to age 12 within the level 1 atrium, also connecting with these things. My son was only 1 and I saw it unfold before my eyes, like a miraculous opening of a rosebud, petal by petal - until at age 3, he was able to go so deep with the 3 year old work, then deeper and deeper each year until he began level 3 a year earlier than typical. And now he is a such a big boy, doing Bible studies of his own, able to speak intelligently about the Liturgy and about Scripture and - oh - I am so proud of him! 

The day he read from the Bible for the first time, in his own voice, with his own reading power, I cried.
(he was 5 by then...)

I have video of him as a toddler carrying statues and chanting, enacting the Mass (complete with a "Roman Missal", objects (statues and candles placed and rearranged on coasters)), drawings of angels and empty tombs and one beautiful story I will share on another day of the Good Shepherd and the sandpaper globe of the world. 

All before he was 3 years old - most of it before he turned 2. 

The religious capacity of the very young child... No wonder Jesus said, "Unless you become like little children...."

Setting up "candles" at home with crayons and dinner candle holders

Close-up of the "candles"

One of the very few photos I have of not-yet-dubbed-Legoboy in the original atrium
He set up the altar all by himself. So precise.
And he wanted to snuff the candles!
(surprised? ;) )

Legoboy's alter-ego in today's level 1 atrium ;) 

Today:

This past Pentecost
atrium time before the ceremony, as I was setting up

This past Pentecost
our ceremony

The Roman Missal work for level 3
How time has flown... 

This child has revealed so much to me - and I pray every day I will never place an obstacle in his path, although I know in my human weakness I have been and will continue to be an obstacle.

I am ever so grateful for the time I spend in the atrium with children of all ages - every level has its own gifts and graces. These children before age 3 have such a Light - such radiant souls.

Local Atrium 4th Grade Musings

I have a few children in the level 3 atrium this year who just "aren't there".

Last year, within these groups, I had 5th and 6th graders who had been in the atrium only for sacramental preparation (before there was even a full level 2 atrium available to them) - they returned to a full level 3 atrium along with last year's 4th graders who had been in atrium since kindergarten (these children had level 1 for K and 1st grade; level 2 for 2nd and 3rd).

It was a tough, but a great year! I wish I could have done more with the 6th graders, but I have to trust that the Holy Spirit was allowed to work where needed - and I am confident that many seeds were planted in soil that I can only trust will continue to be tilled.

This year, my incoming 4th graders, who have mostly been in atrium since age 4 (2 years in level 1, 3 years in level 2 --- 1 4th grader is "new to atrium" and 1 4th grader had only 1 year of level 1 and is now returning).

Many of the 4th graders are right where last year's 4th graders were: ready and chomping on the bit for the meat of level 3.

But a few... just aren't there. Their needs will not be met in level 2 (level 2 is no longer developmentally appropriate for them), yet their attention, their focus, their understanding of the faith given their faith formation backgrounds - the pieces just don't make sense. And I spend many hours contemplating how best to prepare the environment to meet their needs.

There are a few noted special needs - nothing I've not had before or know how to address. But somehow, there are pieces to this puzzle still missing. That only observation and love will bring out.


One group: 
I have one boy is right there with anything/everything we do - as are most of the 4th graders in the other group. But the other 4th graders in this group are all over the place with attention span, understanding the nature of the atrium environment and long-term thought processes. These are not bad things - just reasons to adapt.

I have adjusted our presentations to bring in work on the Mass already, despite our typical focus on the History of the Kingdom of God this time of year. It was getting to be too much for them - I just didn't think they could handle another week of History of the Kingdom - so I presented the first Mass chart to one of the groups.... SUCCESS! They were more engaged, more connected - refreshed.

The following week, we returned to the History of the Kingdom with a modified Open Book presentation - I set it up for them beforehand. The children in that group copied out the long strips and listed the titles of the Scripture passages under the appropriate moments. Then we discussed just a bit. They really seemed to connect with some of it having had it through their hands first.

This coming week, we will go back to something with the Mass, I think. Or perhaps another topic - prayer perhaps? I might prepare 2-3 presentations and see how they are doing when they come in.


Second group: 
Within the second group, there tend to be enough children who are ready, that they keep the others on task. But there are a few that just can't handle staying on topic no matter how long or short the discussion is. When we move to the topic of their choosing, they are off on something else; if we hold back on changing topic, they will hang on to the ONE topic we are not discussing, until we switch to it, then they are off on something else altogether.


Some people will say this is "normal children" - but it's not. Maria Montessori talks about "normalization" - and even 90 minutes a week in the atrium brings that normalization in. "Normal" is "typical" or "average" - "normal" SHOULD mean "what is proper for the situation".


So I will observe. And respond. And observe some more.

Please pray for these children - their hearts need so much tending!


Observations thus far:

• lots of repetition --- but not all at once --- 1-2 weeks on one topic, switch gears, come back to original topic ---- we do this a bit anyway, but with other groups we can focus on Salvation History for the first month - these children can't take a whole month.
• anything written must be very specific 

Results thus far: 

• switching topics and returning brings out more on-topic discussion
• specific writing almost-assignments brings focus to those specific words
• the children's responses are deeper - to the question on the Gifts strip regarding the greatest gifts we have received, one girl wanted to share her top greatest gift with the group: the gift of her own life so that she could enjoy all the other gifts of God. Fantastic! Exactly how the children ordinarily respond in the atrium! SUCCESS! 

Communal Prayer

These children are so inspiring!

This year, I am trying something new in my "local" atriums - a pair of children set the prayer table at the beginning of class; a candle is lit throughout the atrum, with or without someone at the prayer table (an adult will supervise). The children planning Communal Prayer may make minor modifications that suit their theme. The two pairs of children must coordinate amongst themselves who will light/snuff (remaining) candles - or if they will ask others in the atrium to do so.


These boys set the prayer table - all those candles! They had a couple of lessons to learn about lighting candles, but they had the inner desire, self-control and respect - all the things that matter. These two boys are well-mannered, goofy at the right times, and serious only when they need to be. When it comes to setting the prayer table, they take themselves very seriously. And when it comes time for the photo, well... these boys make me smile!

Reminder to self: lessons in candle-lighting to be renewed next class - we went over everything last year, but a summer has passed.

 They wanted another photo - just in case the first one didn't come out to their liking. ;)

Three young ladies planned Communal Prayer on this day. They sang the song "Our God is An Awesome God" and led a well-organized prayer time at our beautiful table - with confidence! 

Thus far, I am really seeing good things come from having different children setting up the prayer table (a couple of volunteers clear it away after class as well) and planning Communal Prayer - there is communication and collaboration. They are taking SO much responsibility for the atrium themselves - even in other ways - because everything is not all laid out for them. They have the supplies they need, the lessons they need, some of these children have been in atrium for 5 years now (next year, I will have 4th graders who have been in atrium since age 3 along with some who joined along the way). It has been amazing to be part of these atriums and seeing them grow over the course of the last 5 years - and now to see these children really taking responsibility for themselves, for the atrium space, for their own faith formation.

Give them the keys - in this case, wings that have not been clipped - and they will fly!

Typical Work in Our Atrium

This is a combined level 2 and 3 atrium. I love these children! I also have 2 5 year olds who are ready for some of the Level 2 work but are mostly receiving appropriate 3rd year level 1 presentations.

Level 3 girls preparing to plan Communal Prayer,
first helping the level 2 children with reading the Blue Unity mute pieces

the strong reader at level 2 is reading the Blue Unity booklet
while the other two level 2 are being assisted in reading the movable pieces
how we adapt for readers and non-readers - all 3 very bright 7 year olds
just that 2 aren't quite there yet with reading 
After this work, the two boys will go work on drawing and cutting/pasting

Level 3 young ladies working on the History of the Gifts

Level 1 - polishing - she loves to polish until it shines!
she joined us and contributed to the Blue Unity first presentation
Then wants to polish ;) 

Level 1 - joined us for the Blue Unity initial presentation
she wants to draw some of the images on her own paper

2nd year Level 3 boys - reviewing the Roman Missal

Atrium Themes

I am in the process of putting together a series of pages on the various themes we explore in the atrium.

http://seekingtheplanofgod.blogspot.com/p/atrium-themes.html

I am beginning with levels 2 and 3; adding level 1 as time permits.

My hope is that this will not be an exhaustive resource, but will provide atrium parents with an insight into the atrium and how this exploration of our Faith can be extended at home. Or if your 4 year old tells you every week, "I played with sheep" and you wonder.