Families Growing in Faith 5th grade 2020-21
Dear Fifth Grade Families,
We are delighted to be your fifth grade cathechists along with Nicole Behn. Here is a welcome video from the three of us. What are your responsibilities each week? 1. Read our emails which will be sent by Saturday night. 2. Read the Venture for the week. 3. Watch the short video about the Gospel in our email. Set aside a special time to do this. Perhaps Sunday morning would be a good choice. We would love to hear from you. Maybe you can tell us a little about yourself. Email: [email protected] Call: 330-492-3601 February 21 Hello everyone, This weekend is the first weekend of Lent. Did you remember to fast and abstain from eating meet on Ash Wednesday? Have you made the choice to “give up” something for Lent? I know in the current pandemic many of us feel like we have already given up so much – gatherings with families, vacations, crowded sporting events, physical contact, concerts, activities. It feels like it has been “Lent” for the past year. But remember that Lent is a time of preparation – we are preparing ourselves for the glorious day when Jesus will rise from the dead, giving us eternal life with him in heaven. Let’s look forward to an end to the pandemic in the same way we look forward to Jesus rising. Our cover this weekend has a crossword puzzle with clues about Lent and Easter. Our story on pages 2-3 is about a boy named Colin, and a decision he had to make. Colin makes a bad choice and gets caught. As a result, his mother finds it hard to trust him in other areas. This story is about temptation as well. When have you been tempted to do something that you knew was wrong? How did you handle the situation? The theme of temptation is continued in our Gospel reading this week, from Mark’s first chapter. The gospel reading talks about Jesus spending 40 days in the desert, being tempted by Satan. This is why we spend the forty days of Lent trying to avoid the temptation of whatever we have chosen to give up. We use this time to try to break bad habits and turn closer to God. We don’t always have to “give up” a food. Maybe we could give up gossip, or fighting with a sibling, or some other negative behavior. How are you improving your relationship with God during Lent? Here is a link to a short video that includes all of this week’s readings and a quick interpretation of those readings. https://youtu.be/pJDZTs81sqA Our reading from the “What the Church Believes and Teaches” book and the story on page 5 address the idea of a Covenant. A covenant is a promise made by God and his people. Read about the Covenants God made with Noah and Abraham. Pages 6-7 continue the Covenant discussion. You are asked to make your own personal Covenant with God for Lent on page 7. The last page of our booklet is a review of the material from the last few weeks. Feel free to look over previous Venture booklets to help you find the answer. If you answer correctly, your answers will reveal a message. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Nicole Behn February 7 Welcome to February. There will not be a lesson next weekend, as we would have typically taken the weekend off due to school breaks for the President’s Day holiday. Feel free to look over next week’s Venture on your own. The following weekend will be the first Sunday of Lent. I am still keeping my fingers crossed that we might be able to actually see each other in person some time this year, maybe in an outdoor socially distanced event! I would love to be able to put faces to your names. Now onto this week’s lesson! The front cover of our Venture this week’s Venture asks you to consider the ways in which you can make a difference in someone’s life. In this current time and atmosphere, there are many people who are lonely, anxious, and suffering. You can make a difference both in small, simple gestures like a wave or a kind word, or in large gestures like organizing a fundraiser for someone who has lost a job or has extensive medical bills. How do you show God’s love towards another? In the story “Who Gets to Play”, two different conflicts are addressed. One is the difficulty we feel when a friend moves away. Have you ever had a friend who moved away? Or were you the one who had to move? How did you feel? The second is the issue of bullying. Have you ever been bullied? Were you the bully? Did you ever stand up for someone else who was being bullied? This week’s Gospel is about Jesus healing people, both in a physical and a spiritual sense. There are many examples in the bible of Jesus healing people. We have two sacraments that deal with healing. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are healed spiritually through the forgiveness of our sins. We ask for physical healing through the Anointing of the Sick. Page 24 in your “What the Church Believes and Teaches” book discusses this Sacrament. There is also more information about this Sacrament on page 5 of your Venture booklet. What can you do for people who are ailing, either in the spiritual or physical sense? Here is a link to this week’s Gospel video: https://youtu.be/mEmIFDRUO8M Page 6 tells the story of Saint Josephine Bakhita, from the country of Sudan in Africa. The last page of your booklet, when combined with the last page of next week’s lesson, will make a foldout Gospel booklet with chapters from Mark’s Gospel. Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other. Thank God daily for the good things in your life, and ask him to help you with your needs. As always, feel free to reach out with questions or comments January 24 This week's lesson PDF Gospel Video Video about Jonah January 10 Cover Page - Whose beloved child are you? Fill in your personal information. Pgs. 2-3 Read the story of Branson’s Baptism. Most Catholics are baptized as infants but you can be baptized and become a Christian at any age. Do you have pictures of your baptism? Who are your Godparents? How old were you when you were baptized? Pg. 4 In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. You need water to baptize someone so Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Read pages 19-20 in Venture - What the church teaches and believes. BAPTISM 1. Anyone can baptize someone. 2. You need water to baptize someone. 3. Baptism makes you a member of the church. 4. You are baptized only once. 5. Baptism takes away original sin and you become a child of God. 6. Baptism is the first Sacrament you receive. Pg. 5 Read the story of the prophet Isaiah. We are here to serve God and others. How do you serve the people in your family? Pgs. 6-7 Read about Baptism and celebrate the prayer service with members of your family Happy New Year Marcella and John Emmons December 13 It’s the third Sunday of Advent, known as “Gaudete Sunday”. Gaudete is the Latin word for “Rejoice”. We know that the time for the birth of our savior is almost here. The time for Rejoicing is near. We will have lessons this week and next week, then will take off the week between Christmas and New Year. The first page of our Venture asks what is the best gift you have ever received. Do you remember what gifts were given to the baby Jesus by the three kings? In the Christmas play on pages 2-3, who gave the meaningful gift that caused the bells to ring? Why was it such an important gift? This week’s Gospel message is about John the Baptist. People wanted to know who he was and why they should listen to him. He wanted them to understand that they should prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. The bottom of page four, page five, and our reading in the “What the Church believes and teaches” book all address Jesus as the Messiah: What type of leader the people expected, the type of king Jesus was, and how the people reacted to Jesus. Here is a link to this week’s Gospel: https://youtu.be/Gv1cA8xh02U Page 6 has some Advent/Christmas themed puzzles for you. The final page is about the “O Antiphons”, prayers about Jesus that we use from December 17-23. Try reading these with your family on the appropriate days. The final page has an advent prayer. This year Christmas may be different for many of us due to the pandemic. Maybe we are not able to gather with extended family or friends. Maybe there will be fewer presents under the tree because someone was out of work and the finances are tight this year. Maybe there is sadness due to the loss of a loved one. Try to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate that – God sent his only son to us, to live with us and as one of us, and to die on the cross so that we might live. The coming of Jesus brings hope for a brighter day. May that thought bring you hope for a brighter 2021! Nicole Behn December 6 Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent. This week we continue to prepare for the arrival of our Lord. Can you identify the bible stories shown in the ornaments on the cover of this week’s Venture? Our first story this week is about forgiveness and reaching out to others. Have you ever had a fight with your best friend? We all have disagreements and fights, but our response to those fights is what shows both the strength of our character and the strength of our friendships. Is there someone you need to make things right with? Our gospel story this week comes from the book of Mark. We learn about John the Baptist, and how he helped to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. He helped people understand that in order to prepare for our Lord, we must make a “straight path”. The way to make the path straight between ourselves and God is by admitting our sins, and by being baptized to wash away sin. After our baptism, we must keep the path straight by avoiding sin and seeking forgiveness when we do sin. Page 5 discusses how our sins separate us from God. Our assignment in the “What the Church Believes and Teaches” book teaches the difference between venial and mortal sins. Here is a link to the video for this week’s Gospel: https://youtu.be/p-Wh-A20dSg Pages 6 and 7 continue with the theme of making a straight path. Sometimes our path leads us to a dead end, or to a place that we know we don’t belong. Sometimes we have to back track or take a new turn, and finding the right path can seem overwhelming. We will make wrong turns, but God is always there leading us to the right path. Our final page tells us of Saint Juan Diego, an Aztec man who was visited by Mary and told to build a church in her honor. His feast day is December 9. Another important feast this week is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, held on December 8. I pray that you and your families are healthy and are preparing the way for the Lord in your homes and in your hearts. It has been a trying year for us all, and together we look for the arrival of our savior to lead us out of the darkness and into the light. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments. Nicole Behn November 22 Cover: What do you do for others? Last week, we sent you the Bible story of the Good Samaritan. So now you have an opportunity to write about how you help others. Jesus, said ,“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me.” Matthew 25:40 Do you see Jesus in everyone that you meet? Do others see Jesus in you? Story: What are some things that the children did that you might be interested in doing? Can we change our thinking at Christmas from what will I get to what can I give? Gospel: Jesus is coming back at the end of time to judge all of us. We will be accountable for what we have done for others. Watch the Gospel video here: https://youtu.be/2NkC4josxeU Read page 50 in your VENTURE HANDBOOK. You can help people spiritually by comforting, forgiving and praying for them. You can help people physically by feeding, sheltering and visiting them. Page 5: There are projects that show how people are helping people. Pages 6-7: A game for you to play. Page 8: Read the prayer service with members of your family. November 15 Cover: What are your talents? Are you good at sports, playing an instrument, singing, writing stories or making people laugh? These are your talents that God has given to you. We all have special talents but our talents are not in the same area. We can use our talents at school, at home, and at church to connect with others and to enrich our lives. How do you use your talents to serve others? Pgs. 2-3: Is Gina a quitter or does she try to improve? What do you think about her attitude when she is disappointed? pg. 4: In the Gospel talents refer to a large sum of money so this is a different definition of talents. Each servant is given a certain talent or amount of money. The master goes away and returns to see what they have done with their talents. This is a parable and it shows us that Jesus will return one day to judge how we have used our talents. Have you shared your talents with others or have you kept them hidden? Watch the Gospel https://youtu.be/bTPXZV9c0AE Pg. 5: Read Proverbs 31:10-31. What does the passage say that an ideal wife does? What makes an ideal friend? Pg. 6: Interesting stories for you to read. How would you solve these problems? November 8 Greetings Fellow Students, The cover for Venture asks, “Are you Ready?” Being ready shows that you are responsible. Can you think of times when someone depended on you? Were you prepared or not? Do you feel differently when you are prepared and when you are not? Does being prepared make you less stressful? Pgs. 2-3: The Happy Dance Does Juan take his responsibilities for being in the talent show very seriously? Was Juan prepared? What should Juan have done differently? What activities are you committed to? Gospel: This parable is about the wise girls and the foolish ones. What did each do differently? Which girls were prepared? What would you do if Jesus came back tomorrow? Are you prepared to meet him? Watch video of the Gospel https://youtu.be/gDx6h0miYVk Pg. 5; The Responsorial Psalm is part of the Liturgy of the Word, the second part of the Mass. This part of the the Mass comes from the book of Psalms which is in the Old Testament, that part of the Bible which tells of events before the birth of Jesus. The Psalms are songs written by King David and others. Watch a video of the Mass and see if you can find the Responsorial Psalm. They are usually song by the cantor or choir. Pg. 7: A fun game for you to play. Pg 8: The story of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is told on this page. Many hospitals and schools are named after her. Please do not hesitate to contact us Marcella and John Emmons, [email protected]. or 330-492-3601 November 11 This week we celebrate All Saints Day. Pages 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all talk about Saints. You will learn about what it takes to become a Saint and what we mean by “Communion of Saints”. Pages 6 and 7 talk about the steps to becoming a Saint, some famous Saints from history, and a few people who are in the process of becoming Saints. In a few years, you will begin your preparation for Confirmation and you will take the name of a Saint as well. Try this link to find a saint whose feast day is on your birthday. Then read about that saint. For me, that would be the Blessed Gabriel Ferretti. As the son of a count, he was born into Italian nobility, but gave up his worldly possessions at the age of 18 to join Franciscan friars at the convent of San Francesco in Ancona, Italy. He reportedly received visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and had the gift of healing. He founded three other convents in Italy. We also celebrate All Soul’s Day on Monday. This is a time to remember all who have gone before us in faith. Do you have any special ways that you remember friends or family members who have died? Both our Gospel reading and the remaining pages of this week’s Venture focus on the Beatitudes. The beatitudes come from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount. In this reading, we are told who among us God considers blessed and happy: the poor, the sorrowing, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for justice, those who show mercy, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for God’s sake. Here is the link to this week’s Gospel video: https://youtu.be/yjz0d3h3Rfw Enjoy your feast days and remember to report your family service and prayer activities either to your catechist, Julie Sutton, or on the website at www.stmichaelfamiliestogether.weebly.com. Mr. and Mrs. Emmons will be back with you for the next three weeks. October 25th Welcome to the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week the opening story in our Venture is about food insecurity in America. Have you or someone you know ever worried about having enough to eat? During the course of the pandemic, do you remember when there was a shortage of meat due to COVID infections in workers shutting down meat processing plants? Or when people couldn’t find toilet paper or other necessities? What did it feel like to worry about being able to find or afford things that you need to survive? Imagine how the 37 million people across America who do not have access to nutritious food on a daily basis must feel. As Jesus fed the crowd with only the loaves and fishes, we too must be willing to share what we have with others. Consider making a donation to our food drive. Our Gospel reading this week comes from Matthew chapter 22, verses 34-40. In this reading, Jesus says that the two most important commandments are both about love. Love for God, and love for our neighbor. What are some ways that we can show our love to our family? To our friends? To our neighbors? To our enemies? Here is a link to our gospel video. https://youtu.be/EbIOdj529Uo. Page 5 is about the Prayer of the Faithful. Some people refer to this part of mass as the Petitions. It comes at the end of the Liturgy of the Word, right after the Profession of Faith. This is the part of mass where we pray for the needs of our church, our community, and our world. Who might be in need of your prayers today? The “Living the Gospel” section of our Venture this week helps us to live the second commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself, by asking us to put ourselves into someone else’s place and imagine how they might feel in various situations. Our final page showcases Father Stephen Gadberry, a pastor from Arkansas who has a special talent…one you may have seen him showcase on TV! Have a great week and stay healthy. As always, feel free to reach out to me or to Mr. or Mrs. Emmons with any questions or comments, and make an effort to show love to someone every day! John H EmmonsFri, Jan 8, 9:25 PM (2 days ago) to John Cover Page - Whose beloved child are you? Fill in your personal information. Pgs. 2-3 Read the story of Branson’s Baptism. Most Catholics are baptized as infants but you can be baptized and become a Christian at any age. Do you have pictures of your baptism? Who are your Godparents? How old were you when you were baptized? Pg. 4 In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. You need water to baptize someone so Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Read pages 19-20 in Venture - What the church teaches and believes. BAPTISM 1. Anyone can baptize someone. 2. You need water to baptize someone. 3. Baptism makes you a member of the church. 4. You are baptized only once. 5. Baptism takes away original sin and you become a child of God. 6. Baptism is the first Sacrament you receive. Pg. 5 Read the story of the prophet Isaiah. We are here to serve God and others. How do you serve the people in your family? Pgs. 6-7 Read about Baptism and celebrate the prayer service with members of your family. Happy New Year Marcella and John Emmons |
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September 20th: Welcome to Venture! 1. Were you able to do the puzzle on page 1? 2. What movie do you think Mom and Dad picked? What chore would you pick? 3. Watch the video that goes with the Bible Gospel. 4. What is a parable? A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospel. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Do you spend time with Jesus? Do you talk to Jesus like you talk to a friend? Have a wonderful week. God Bless You. September 27th: The words in a dictionary are put there in alphabetical order. There is also a certain way to find a Bible verse. How to find a verse in the Bible by using this method. Let us find the passage Matthew 21:28-32 Matthew 21: 28-32 Book Chapter Verses The Bible is divided into books, each book having a unique name. Each book of the Bible is divided into chapters which are numbered. The lines of the text have small numbers referring to lines in the passage. Get your Bible out and see if you can find a book, a chapter, and verse numbers. Can you find this verse in your Bible Matthew 21:28? In the story on pages 2 and 3 what three adjectives would you use to describe Jamal? Would he make a good friend? How do you help others? Watch the video that goes with today’s Gospel. (to the right) The readings for the Mass come from the Bible. These readings for each Sunday are put into a book that we call the LECTIONARY. On pages 6 and 7 there are stories about difficult decisions. What do you think the children should do? October 4th: We hope that all of you are in good spirits and health. Cover Page: How are you and your family a team? Pages 2-3: Who does Adam think of first? Himself or others? Watch the video of the Gospel here https://youtu.be/2xiumzKF3Tg Page 4: Julie Sutton is asking each family to pray together and do service together for 30 minutes each month. You have probably done this in the past. How can we be of service to others? How can we care for the earth? Here are some suggestions. Recycle. Give toys and clothing to charities. Conserve water and electricity. Do not litter. Feed the hungry. St. Michael's Church collects food for the poor every week. Pray for others. One way might be to walk around your neighborhood and pray for the people in each house as you walk past. Call or write to someone who is alone. Light a candle in church for someone. Welcome and be nice to everyone at your school. Help your parents. Thank your parents and others. Plan a zoom meeting with another family. Read a chapter from the Gospels together and discuss what Jesus means to them. Arrange for meals or groceries to be delivered to a neighbor in need. Have a chalk party and write Bible verses on your driveway. Hand out thank you notes to cashiers, mailmen, teachers, etc. Page 7 - October is Rosary Month. Read page 54 in WHAT THE CHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES. Try to find time to say the Rosary with your family or my yourself. Next week in Columbus Day weekend so there will be no formal emails coming to you. You do have Venture for October 11 which you can do with your family. Starting October 18th, Mrs. Behn will be sending you weekly emails relative to the weekly Ventures. We will return again after a few weeks. October 18: Have you ever read a Choose Your Own Adventure book? In these books, when you get to the end of the page you have to select what you think the character should do next – depending on your answer you go to a different page in the book, and the story can have dozens of different adventures and endings. This week’s Venture begins like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. You read the story on the first page, and choose what you think the characters will do, then turn to different sections on pages 2 and 3 based on the options you choose. Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 22:15-21. Here is the link to the video for this Gospel: https://youtu.be/_0EBNhsJiLU In this week’s gospel some of the Pharisees try to trick Jesus into taking sides on a political issue – the payment of taxes. In this story, Jesus teaches about how to be both a good citizen and how to be a child of God. It teaches us about the similarities of and differences between the laws of God and the laws of man. Can you think of a law that is both a law in our country and a commandment of God? Can you think of any of God’s laws that are not laws of your country or state or vice versa? Page 5 tells about the Pharisees, a group of religious Jewish people who followed the laws of Moses. Our lesson this week in the “What the Church Believes and Teaches Book” is on page 32-35 and teaches about the Ten Commandments. Pages 6-7 of your Venture go into further detail about the first three Commandments. Which commandment do you find hardest to keep and why? Lastly, since October is Rosary Month, I’d like to share with you about a trip I took last week to southern Indiana, in the town of Ferdinand. My parents are from this town, and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins still live in or near the town. Ferdinand is home to the Sisters of St. Benedict in the Monastery Immaculate Conception. It is one of the largest communities of Benedictine women in the United States. I share this with you because one of the most beautiful parts of the Monastery is an outdoor grotto containing a walking path with the Stations of the Cross and a set of Rosary Steps. This is like a giant outdoor rosary with steps instead of beads. You can pray the rosary while walking through the beautiful grotto – I always find it easier to pray when experiencing the beauty of the outdoors and in such a peaceful setting. Please enjoy some of my pictures from the grotto . (on the right side of the page) have any questions Have a great week and feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or 614-506-7928 if you or comments! Nicole Behn |