Church School Director Seminar

Transcription

1 Church School Director Seminar This, then, is our task: to educate ourselves and our children in godliness. St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Christian Education Commission Welcome Church School Directors. Your valuable ministry enables the education of our children in the Holy Orthodox Faith. May you be blessed by your time with us, and may God bless your efforts. Your notebook contains materials for the three courses leading to the certifi cate of participation. This is to certfy that has participated in the seminar courses required for this certi cate: Introduction to Church School Ministry Curriculum and Resources for the Church School Director Building Your Staff, Building Your Students This, then, is our task: to educate ourselves and our children in godliness. St. John Chrysostom Introduction to Church School Ministry Curriculum and Resources for the Church School Director Building Your Staff, Building Your Students

2 Acknowledgements Many thanks to those who contributed portions of this manual in its many previous drafts, notably JoAnne C. Droubie of St. Paul, Minnesota, Elaine Manneh of Upland, CA, and Joseph Tershay of Ben Lomond, California, Linda Funk of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and Nike Bach of Bergenfield, New Jersey. Thanks also to those who contributed and are not credited as I am not aware of all who took part in this project over the years. The Church School Director s Manual in the present form is the work of Kh. Betty Randolph of Anderson, South Carolina. Copyright 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Englewood, New Jersey This manual may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher, except for use of forms or checklists as required for fulfilling the role of Church School Director.

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4 Table of Contents 1 THE CHURCH SCHOOL DIRECTOR (CSD) THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL DIRECTOR A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH SCHOOL DIRECTOR PLANNING THE YEAR CHARTS AND CALENDARS PLANNING THE CHURCH SCHOOL SESSION BUDGETING OPENING THE CHURCH SCHOOL YEAR ORDERING MATERIALS INFORMING PARENTS REGISTERING THE STUDENTS Sample Registration Forms OPENING DAY CLASS ROSTER LET US ATTEND... TO ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE RECORDS COMMISSIONING OF THE PARISH PRESCHOOLER AND NEW STUDENT SPECIAL NEEDS CHURCH BEHAVIOR YEAR- LONG DECISIONS A Patron Saint for Each Classroom Church School Point System Year-long theme for Church School Orthodox Christians under Construction DURING THE CHURCH SCHOOL YEAR FOLLOWING THE LITURGICAL YEAR PARISH LIFE CONFERENCE CREATIVE FESTIVALS MAKING THE YEAR SPECIAL Processions Recognition Bulletin Boards Interest Centers Easter Story Cookies Family Nights JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) Clubs Field Trips Lazarus Saturday Youth Retreat PARENT ISSUES...62 Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 3

5 4 CLOSING THE CHURCH SCHOOL YEAR CLOSING DAY RECOGNITION DAY REFLECTIONS/ASSESSMENTS/SELF- EVALUATIONS Director Self-Assessment Reflections for a Teacher A Look Back APPENDIX CHECKLIST FOR SUMMER MEETING WITH PASTOR SUPPLIES Sample Office Supply List Sample Art Supply List CHURCH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PARISH COUNCIL REPORT ARTICLES OF INTEREST The Sacrament of Penance and the Younger Child Should Children Be in Church? Get Me to the Church on Time CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES CURRICULUM STANDARDS RESOURCES FOR EVERY CHURCH SCHOOL ONLINE RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION General websites: Camping programs Children s bulletin (see sample handout) Church School Directors Resources Directories The arts Games and activities JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) Clubs Music Online lesson plans Printed curricula Supplementary reading Teacher trainings Vacation Church School/Vacation Bible School LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL THE MUSTARD SEED LET US ATTEND! SUNDAY GOSPEL PROGRAM PHYLLISONEST.COM YELLOW PAGES FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CHILDREN S ORTHODOX SCHOOL BULLETIN - SAMPLE Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 4

6 7 BUILDING YOUR STUDENTS; BUILDING YOUR STAFF PRAYERS BUILDING YOUR STAFF QUESTIONS RECRUITING STAFF Qualifications Professional Qualities How Do You Recruit? Other Staff Approaching Potential Teachers PREPARING STAFF/NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION RETAINING STAFF Trouble Shooting Staff Meetings Good Staff Meeting topics? Training Camaraderie Some Ideas for Meeting Topics: (see 6.5.3) Love STAFF MANAGEMENT TEACHING OUR ORTHODOX FAITH (TEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION) BASIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STAFF INCENTIVES BRAINSTORM TRUE OR FALSE QUIZ BUILDING YOUR STUDENTS REFLECTION CREATING INTEREST SO STUDENTS WANT TO BE THERE RECOGNITION AWARDS INCENTIVES ASSESSING YOUR SITUATION SETTING GOALS (YOUR ACTION PLAN) Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 5

7 1 The Church School Director (CSD) Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 6

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9 1.1 The Role of the Church School Director 1) Pray for the teachers and the students 2) Be accountable to the Pastor and Parish Council. a) communicate regularly with the Pastor and obtain his approval for your calendar, special events, appointing teachers, special event coordinators, and making changes to the church school b) prepare and deliver a report to the Parish Council detailing enrollment, curricula, special events, and needs c) do a safety check of the church school classrooms and general environment and inform parish council and pastor of any safety problem areas or repairs that need to be made. 3) Provide for the teachers: a) an adequate teaching space b) books and supplies c) a roster of their students d) a back-up teacher or assistant teacher e) aides as requested f) an icon and candle for an icon corner g) calendar for the school year h) orientation and training i) notice of educational or spiritual events for continuing growth 4) Provide for the parents: a) notification of the beginning of the school year Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 8

10 b) registration form if necessary c) parent meeting or opportunity to review texts and meet the teacher d) calendar of the school year e) regular updates on events and progress of the classes 5) Provide for the students: a) a reliable, enthusiastic teacher appropriate for their age group b) adequate materials and supplies c) opportunities for joint activities with other classes of the church school 6) Be prepared to perform as teacher or other key person in their absence. 7) Be responsible for seeing that all class areas are left clean and in proper order. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 9

11 1.2 A Year in the Life of the Church School Director Small Group Brainstorm: What tasks need to be accomplished? May: July: October: February: Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 10

12 CSD TASK CALENDAR May Ideally, the church school director begins the year in the late spring. (Asterisk indicates a sample is available). 1) Pass out evaluation forms* to the teachers. The evaluation asks, among other questions, whether the teacher would like to teach again the following year, or if the teacher desires to continue but with another grade level. 2) Draft a tentative roster of teachers for the coming year, determine if new teachers will need to be recruited, and speak with the pastor about potential teachers. 3) Ask potential teachers if they would consider working with the church school. 4) Consider the comments on the evaluations regarding suggestions, and needs, and discuss with the pastor. 5) Carry out end-of-the-year activities for students and/or teachers 6) Inventory texts and supplies June/July/August 1) Draft tentative calendar* for the year 2) Draft tentative roster of teachers 3) Draft tentative roster* of students/classes 4) Determine need for classrooms/teaching spaces 5) Meet with Pastor (See Checklist for Summer Meeting with Pastor ) Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 11

13 6) Place order for texts 7) Shop for supplies (See Art Supplies and Office Supplies ) 8) Determine need for orientation and/or training from Diocesan Coordinator. 9) Draft budget request (See Checklist for Summer Meeting with Pastor ) 10) Meet with Youth Director to coordinate calendars 11) Hold orientation and/or training for new teachers 12) Recruit a pageant director and determine the play to be used. 13) Recruit other helpers for special activities. Give specific instructions for preparations, what is to be expected of them, and schedule. September 1) Stock the supply cupboard 2) Have texts ready 3) Meet with teachers a) Welcome new teachers b) Pass out rosters*, room assignment, calendar, explain attendance policy Discuss beginning of the year activity, for example, blessing of students and teachers, and any other activities that will occur before your next meeting. 4) Send out letters or newsletters to parents with information on registering students, and invitation to parent meeting. 5) Hold parent meeting Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 12

14 a) Announce teachers and class assignments b) Times of class sessions c) Behavior and attendance policies 6) Register new students*, introduce new students and parents to their teachers 7) Conduct opening session with all students and teachers a) Introduce new students and teachers, class locations b) Review attendance and behavior policies c) Announce theme or special events of the year October 1) Prepare letter announcing St. Nicholas event. 2) Prepare letter and form for participation in pageant. Letter should announce pageant, date and time of performance, and: a) Include dates and times of rehearsals; note which are mandatory b) Whether parent is to provide costume c) When form should be returned. d) Form should ask for response of whether student will be in the pageant; and which rehearsals student will attend. November 1) Begin rehearsals for pageant 2) Thanksgiving activity 3) Make preparations for St. Nicholas event Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 13

15 December 1) Prepare program for the pageant 2) St. Nicholas event 3) Nativity pageant January 1) Educate students regarding house blessings 2) Meet with teachers to discuss their concerns, and plans for the second half of the school year 3) Begin Creative Festival work February 1) Prepare for Great Fast project, or special educational offering or retreat 2) Discuss with pastor details of procession with icons for Sunday of Orthodoxy March/April/(Great Fast) 1) Sunday of Orthodoxy procession, pan-orthodox vespers 2) Palm Sunday Procession 3) Holy Week activity 4) Pascha 5) Prepare for end-of-the-year activities 6) Submit entries for the Creative Festival Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 14

16 1.3 Planning the Year Charts and Calendars Thirty blocks for your use in planning the year, and for teacher use in planning schedule of lessons. Note: an electronic Church School Planning Calendar is available at A sample follows on pages 17 to 19. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 15

17 Planning the Year Chart School Year 5 Sep 12 Sep 19 Sep 26 Sep 3 Oct 10 Oct 17 Oct 24 Oct 31 Oct 7 Nov 14 Nov 21 Nov 28 Nov 5 Dec 12 Dec 19 Dec 26 Dec 2 Jan 9 Jan 16 Jan 23 Jan 30 Jan 6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 5 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 3 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul 31 Jul Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 16

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21 1.4 Planning the Church School Session Whole School. Opening church school each week by gathering all students and teachers is valuable for several reasons. Open with a Christian greeting, such as Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever! or Christ is in our midst! He is and always shall be! or prayer. During this five or ten minutes the Director can address the following: 1. Schedule, room, or teacher changes for the day. 2. Upcoming events 3. Birthdays or namedays being celebrated 4. General education (such as on the feastday to be celebrated that week), or reminders (children need to make the sign of the cross when leaving church). 5. Any awards to be received. 6. You may wish to have the children learn hymns from the Divine Liturgy, or prayers as a group. The class session should then follow. Church School without Meeting. If you cannot gather as a whole group, a printed notice to all teachers should keep them informed and help them to present to their classes that which you would have addressed to the whole group. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 20

22 1.5 Budgeting Every Church School needs a line item in the Parish Budget. It is your responsibility to stay within your budget. It is the Parish Council s responsibility to provide the funds to educate the children in their faith. Church School Directors often find that attendance at Parish Council Meetings helps to keep this responsibility on the front burner for Parish Council members. Church School can easily be overlooked if you do not keep it visible. See the Appendix for sample Church School newsletters and reports to the Parish Council. They can both help to bring the Church School forward. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 21

23 2 Opening the Church School Year Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 22

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25 2.1 Ordering Materials The core curriculum for Orthodox Christian education is produced by the Orthodox Christian Education Commission. Other suppliers of educational materials are also listed below. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Publications Department 358 Mountain Road Englewood, NJ (201) FAX (201) Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) P.O. Box 151 Syracuse, NY (800) or (315) FAX (315) Orthodox Christian Publications Center Mr. Frank Tkacz, OCPC Manager 4653 Memphis Villas South Brooklyn, OH Office: Fax: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Religious Education 50 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA (800) A comprehensive list of publishers is contained in the Orthodox Christian Education Resource Directory. The Directory provides a listing of Orthodox institutions, publishers, vendors and service providers relevant for those engaged in Christian education. It is available from the Department of Christian Education and on the departmental website. Detailed information is found in Section 7 of this manual. See SECTION # 2, Curriculum and Resources for the Church School Director. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 24

26 2.2 Informing Parents A newsletter could be sent out each month to each family in the parish, or to the parents of the students. A sample newsletter is found the appendix. The newsletter can be used for the following purposes: 1. to remind parents of Church School policy, goals and objectives 2. to remind parents of events on the Church School calendar a. staff meetings b. announcements for further information c. Church School Curriculum d. individual classroom activities, comments, and drawings by the student 3. to give parents helpful hints on home education 4. to give parents helpful hints on child rearing 5. to inform parents of new books and articles they might want to read 6. to allow parents to share items of interest for other parents 7. to inform parents of the words of prayers and songs to use in the home 8. to inform parents of school needs and how they may contribute to the school 9. to inform parents who the teachers are in each class level 10. to inform parents on events that are happening in the Church as a whole Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 25

27 2.3 Registering the Students Registration usually takes place one or two weeks prior to the beginning of the school year. Have the registration day announced in the bulletin, and if possible, have yourself introduced to the congregation during announcements. If you have a large church school, you may wish to hold a formal registration. For small parishes, it is often enough to simply ask the parents of any new students to see you after church. Open House. If you wish, your registration day can also be an open house where teachers are in the classrooms, and their texts and other materials are displayed. Teachers may wish to have a handout highlighting the content of the year s study and offering any other classroom policies, or special events. For smaller parishes, you may wish to have a display table near where you are registering students, with the texts available for perusal by the parents. The display might also have copies of The Divine Liturgy for Children book for parents to purchase. To encourage use of the book, have a basket by the door of the church for children to place their books when not in use. Make sure the books are labeled with the child s name. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 26

28 2.3.1 Sample Registration Forms Church School Registration Form Parent/Guardian Name(s) Address City, State, Zip Day phone Evening phone Child s Name* Birthday Age Grade *Please let us know if your child had any special needs that will require accommodations in the classroom. Would you be willing to assist in the following ways? (please check)! Teacher Assistant! Class parent (special activities)! Substitute Teacher Assistant Please enroll my children in the Church School program. I understand that I have a sacred responsibility to see the Religious Education of my children. I will work in partnership with the clergy and the Church School staff to fulfill my sacred responsibility. I therefore promise to make a conscientious effort to see that my children attend Church School regularly, to reinforce their lessons at home, and to help, as needed, with special projects of the Church School. Parent/Guardian Signature Date Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 27

29 Church School Registration /Application Parents Names Street Apt. # City Zip Daytime Phone ( ) Evening Phone ( ) Child s Name Birthdate Age Grade Class* *CLASS TO ATTEND Choose one for each child. A. 1 st /2 nd /3 rd Grade B. 4 th /5 th /6 th Grade C. Teen Please let us know if your child had any special needs that will require accommodations in the classroom. Would you be willing to assist in the following ways? (please check)! Teacher Assistant! Class parent (special activities)! Substitute Teacher Assistant Please enroll my children in the Church School program. I understand that I have a sacred responsibility to see the Religious Education of my children. I will work in partnership with the clergy and the Church School staff to fulfill my sacred responsibility. I therefore promise to make a conscientious effort to see that my children attend Church School regularly, to reinforce their lessons at home, and to help, as needed, with special projects of the Church School. Signed Date Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 28

30 2.4 Opening Day Commissioning Service The commissioning allows the entire congregation to recognize the efforts of both students and teachers in religious education. The service asks God s blessings as the year begins. If possible, students and teachers are asked to come to the solea for the blessing. If there are too many, they may be asked to stand before the blessing to be recognized. A traditional Service of Prayer for Students Beginning Instruction is found on page 29 of the book Services of Intercession and Thanksgiving published by the Orthodox Church in America Department of Liturgical Music in This is probably the prayer service most commonly used by our parishes to begin the church school year or to begin vacation church school programs. Blessing Service The blessing, Prayer For a Child When He Begins School is also appropriate, if modified to bless all students. It is found on page 221 of the standard Service Book used by the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 29

31 2.5 Class Roster Last Name First Name Class Roster Parent s Name Address Phone Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 30

32 2.6 Let Us Attend... to Attendance Some church schools take attendance and others do not. If attendance is taken, good attendance should be recognized. It is better to do this on an on-going basis, for example, monthly, as well as at the end of the year. Colorful attendance certificates can be found at Christian bookstores. One parish has the policy of 1-3 excused absences=perfect attendance, 4-6 excused absences=honorable mention. Scouting or camp activities are considered excused absences. A sample attendance record and instructions can be found in the appendix. Class Banner. Another parish has made an attendance banner award. The classroom with the best attendance for the previous month is given this banner to stand outside their classroom for one month. Part of the Team. At another parish, where good attendance is not a priority to parents, a poster with the name of the parish, and artwork such as a forest scene, is on display. When a child attends church school, he or she can place an animal sticker on the poster. In this way they don t feel penalized for poor attendance, but rather are affirmed for the days they do attend by contributing to a common project. This can be done in individual classrooms. Gaining Points. To emphasize that participation is important in all of church life, one parish established a program for the students to gain points. Points are given for class attendance, church attendance, and confession. Awards are given at the end of the school year. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 31

33 2.7 Attendance Records Last Name First Name Insert dates KEY Present: Absent: Late: Attendance Sheet Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 32

34 Attendance Record St. George Church School From / / To / / Grade: Teacher: Student Name Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Cert Please return this report to on Sunday, / /. In the Cert column, put a star if the student has attended class sufficiently to receive an attendance certificate. A photocopy will be made and the original returned to you for your records. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 33

35 St. George Church School How to use attendance records: 1. Attendance cycle is six weeks long with awarding of Attendance Certificates on the seventh Sunday. Please note that the next attendance cycle begins on the seventh Sunday. 2. On weeks where there is no Church School (e.g. Christmas), do not leave a blank column; use for the week we resume classes. 3. Enter the date of the first Sunday of current Attendance Cycle in From / /. 4. Enter the date of the last Sunday of the current Attendance Cycle in To / /. 5. As students arrive, mark them P if present and on time, L if present but late, S if ill and we have been notified by a parent or sibling, or A if absent. Anyone arriving after 9:45 a.m. will be marked absent. 6. At the end of six weeks, mark a star in the Cert column of the Attendance Record beside the name of every student who has attended all classes. Children who have been absent due to illness no more than once in a six-week period are still eligible for an Attendance Certificate. 7. Turn in the original Attendance Record to the office. A copy will be made and the original returned to you for your files. 8. At the end of the year, add up the attendance for each student. Any student who has missed a maximum of three weeks will receive a Faithful Attendance Certificate at graduation. Mark FA in the last column. Any student who has not missed any classes will receive a Perfect Attendance Certificate. Mark PA in the last column. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 34

36 2.8 Commissioning of the Parish Download a reproducible handout with this prayer at Students (Students, please come and stand on the Solea OR just stand) Priest: You are children of God, made in God s own image and likeness. You are made to know God and to love Him. God loves you and desires that you should become like His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you pray each day, praising and thanking God, and taking time to be alone with Him? Children: I will, with God s help. Priest: Will you spend time during the week to review what you have learned in the Church, and to share this knowledge with your friends and family? Children: I will, with God s help. Priest: Will you live as a true Christian in school, with your friends, and at home? Children: I will, with God s help. Priest: Into Your hands, O God, we place these Your children; support them in their successes and failures, their joys and sorrows. As they grow in age, help them to grow in faith, in love, and in knowledge of You, their God and Savior. Everyone: Amen. Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents (Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents, please stand) Priest: God has given into your keeping the souls of your children fashioned in His own image and likeness. You are but sojourners on this earth and our souls are incomplete until they are found in God. Your children are given into your care, but belong to God. The vocation of parents is impossible without the constant help of God. Therefore, will you be responsible for seeing that the children at our parish are brought up in the Orthodox Faith? Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents: I will, with God s help. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 35

37 Priest: Will you, by your prayers and example, help these children to grow into the full stature of Christ? Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents: I will, with God s help. Priest: Will you bring your children - and yourselves - regularly to the Church Services, Holy Sacraments, and our Educational programs; along with sharing in worship, study, and prayer with your children? Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents: I will, with God s help. Priest: May God our Father, who by Baptism adopts us as His children, grant you the wisdom, humility, and love to fulfill your task. May the Lord Jesus Christ, who brought salvation to the home of Zacchaeus, fill you and your home with His sanctification. May the Holy Spirit, who has made the Church to be one, keep you in His peace. Everyone: Amen (Parents, Grandparents, and Godparents may sit) Church School Teachers (Church School Teachers, please stand) Priest: Today, we recognize the men and women of our parish who have responded to the Lord s invitation to share with others the Gospel Message and to make disciples of all people. Their witness makes us aware of our call in Christ to be of service to others. God bestows on His Church gifts, like that of teaching, to strengthen and build up His Church. Will you continue to grow as disciples of the Lord by listening to the Word of God, living by His teachings, and sharing His commands with others? Teachers: I will, with God s help. Priest: Will you prepare yourselves to fulfill all of the responsibilities that this teaching ministry requires, in fostering the faith to those entrusted to your care and faithfully teach the True Faith to your students? Teachers: I will, with God s help. Priest: Then, we, the parish of, accept with thanks your willingness to respond to God s call. Priest: O God, Author and Creator of all things, bless the good intentions of our teachers, your servants, as they offer themselves in this teaching ministry. Assist them in all things, guide the work of their hands. Graciously grant them to begin this work and to complete it to the glory of You-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Everyone: Amen. (Please Stand) Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 36

38 Priest: Brothers and sisters, you realize that we all share in the ministry of teaching. Will you pledge your support for the Parents, Grandparents, Godparents, and Teachers of our children as they carry out their teaching ministry? Everyone: I will, with God s help. Priest: Master, Lord our God, You commanded that everything be done for Your glory. By Your blessing, stretch forth Your helping hand to us Your servants as we begin this Church School year. Grant these children a heart that is open to Your teachings and protect them from the Evil One. Bless the good intentions of Your people. Protect us from worldly wisdom and deceit. For You are a good God who loves mankind, and to You we give glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Everyone: Amen. (The priest blesses everyone with Holy Water) Priest: Continually pray that the staff, teachers, and students of our Church School program will be guided by the love, wisdom, and joy of the Holy Spirit. With our commitment, encouragement, prayers, and support, our students will learn to overcome evil, and grow ever closer to Christ. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 37

39 2.9 Preschooler and New Student Special Needs The parents of preschoolers (and parents of other new students) should receive a letter covering the following: 1. Welcome to the church school 2. Your name and role 3. Their child s teacher s name, and the location of the class 4. Class times 5. Calendar for the year 6. Curriculum and/or goals of the church school 7. Behavior policy or any other policies The parents should be invited to attend class with their child the first session or two. Make sure to connect the new students with their teachers before class begins so the student isn t wandering around lost. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 38

40 2.10 Church Behavior An excellent article, Church Etiquette or Some Things You Should Know While in Church (Fr. David Barr), can be found at Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 39

41 On Sunday, I go to Church to worship God... I have fasted that morning from food and drink, so that I may receive Holy Communion. I may read a Bible story. I think about thanking God for how He has blessed me this week. I think about those whom I want to pray for. I ask forgiveness from my family for ways I have sinned against them this week. 1. I may light a c and say a r. I kiss the icon. 2. Because the Church is a holy place, especially when we are worshiping, I b and make my when I enter. 3. I p and sing during the service and think about the words. 4. I when I hear the word bow in the service. 5. I d, especially during the Gospel and the Great Entrance, and when Father is blessing or censing. 6. I bow and make my cross many times: when I pray to the, Son, and Holy Spirit. when I sing the Trisagion Hymn, God. at the Great Entrance when Father passes by before and after Holy Communion 7. When it s time for Holy Communion, I quietly stand in line with my arms over my chest. This shows my humility. 8. If I have to leave the service and enter again, I wait if it s during: the L Entrance the Epistle or Gospel the Great the Consecration, A... times the Creed the Our Father I am made in God s image. I can do wonderful things. As an Orthodox Christian, the most wonderful thing I do is worship God. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 40

42 2.11 Year-long Decisions A Patron Saint for Each Classroom Choose a patron saint from the iconostasis - You want the children to able to readily recognize the saint, become familiar with them and learn the importance of why they are on the iconostasis. The opening prayer at the icon comer in the classroom should include the Troparion of that patron saint Assign the class a name for example, St. George s class would be known as the Dragon Slayers. Christmas ideas - The child would be given the patron saint icon. At the end of 12 plus years the children would have a nice collection of icons. Another idea is to assign a color to be used for ordering T-shirts for each classroom, design a T-shirt that would have the class name and patron saint printed on it. The kids love T-shirts. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 41

43 Church School Point System from Fr. Timothy Baclig Church School Point System Our children are given points for: participation (including attendance, offering, Festal processions, Christmas program, etc.), memorization of prayers (i.e., The Trisagion, pre-communion prayer, the Creed, etc., relative to their age group), completion of Festival projects, charitable projects [FFHP], and quiz answers to questions on weekly lessons. Some points are standard for all classes, i.e., Sunday attendance - 10 points, procession participation - 50 points, etc. The teachers are given the freedom to qualify the point system for the other credits. The points are totaled twice a year: 1) at the end of Lent, and 2) just before Christmas. The parents an children are notified of a shopping day : at our Lazarus Saturday brunch (following Liturgy), and at the Saturday rehearsal for our Christmas Program (usually two Sundays before Christmas). The items chosen for our Church School Store are qualified with a point Value; each item useful for the children: icons, books, games, some jewelry, etc. The children then come in with their coupons and their teacher credits their account with left-over points used in the next semester. The program has helped increase attendance and has encouraged participation and motivation. The system is a tool and not a disciplinary weapon. The children must find the point system as a way of being rewarded for their participation and not a means by which the teacher grades the student. I know that this is a brief sketch. There is a lot of flexibility for each Superintendent to tailor the program to meet their local parish. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 42

44 Year-long theme for Church School Leslee Abud St. George Church Flint, MI Example of a year-long theme: For Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be Also Matthew 6:21 Once the theme has been chosen we brainstorm... coming up with ideas and ways to use it throughout the year. Bulletin Boards Incentives Decorations Gifts Opening Day/Open House Letterhead/stationery/certif icates Activities/events Hallway is decorated as a rain forest and bulletin board is designed as a map with location points being goals for the entire C.S. (i.e.: attendance, offerings, on-time, extra services, returning homework, etc). Parents were given a map with locations to each classroom and a treasure candy for coming in. Each classroom bulletin board is decorated with the treasure theme, some have each student s picture inside treasure chest frame. Thanksgiving Dinner Each class prepared a part of the traditional menu and visited stations that highlight a different treasure (i.e. exploring a fire truck, Arabic dancing, making cards for nursing home, make palm crosses, baking holy bread, etc.) Christmas Program Instead of the traditional Christmas pageant, this year was set up as a treasure hunt. Groups were formed with children, parents and parishioners who went in search of clues that led them to a treasure box of props and costumes. Each group performed their part in the Christmas story. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 43

45 Godparent Sunday Invitations resembling a scrolled map were sent to Godparents and Godchildren to attend church together, receive Communion and a luncheon following. A display featuring a large treasure chest held pictures of each child on their Baptism day. The banner said Godparents are a Treasure. Their godchildren gave treasure candy and a flower to Godparents. A special sermon for the adults only highlighted the responsibility of the Godparents. Pascha Egg Hunt Our traditional Egg Hunt following the Agape Vespers was turned into a Treasure Hunt this year. Clues were given to teams made up of parents and children who searched for their treasure box. Each box contained different elements of the Easter Story that was acted out by that group. The kids then went on the egg hunt in the Courtyard. Earth Day Flowers were planted around the church building. Lessons were taught about treasures that God has given us in nature and the environment and how we can take care of them. Recognition Day Certificates and gifts were all theme-related. Children came up to a huge treasure chest to find their reward. The hall for the luncheon was decorated as a rainforest. Other year s themes LOVE - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son... FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT ANGELS RAINBOW FISH - Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men... LIGHT - I Am the Light of the world... The CREATIVE FESTIVALS theme Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 44

46 Orthodox Christians under Construction Caution signs printed on yellow poster board to be placed on the door of the classroom Classroom grade level assignments printed on yellow poster board Design a banner that would have the yellow/black construction borders that displays the text Orthodox Christians under Construction. This would be used for the Church School bulletin board. Opening day of Church School - decorate the hall with caution tape (purchased at any large hardware store) and use plastic hard hats for the table decoration (purchased at a paper goods store). Christmas Gifts - yellow T-shirts with the Church s name surrounding the Orthodox Cross on the front left. The back would be building blocks with the Orthodox Christian under Construction in the design. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 45

47 3 During the Church School Year Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 46

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49 3.1 Following the Liturgical Year September 8... Nativity of the Theotokos September Elevation of the Life-giving Cross The Nativity Fast... November 14 until Nativity November Presentation of the Theotokos into the Temple December Nativity of Jesus Christ January 6... Theophany February 2... Presentation of Our Lord The Great Fast days before Pascha March Annunciation Palm Sunday... the Sunday before Pascha Holy Week... the week before Pascha Ascension days after Easter Pentecost days after Pascha Saints Peter and Paul Fast... 2 nd Monday after Pentecost until June 29 The Dormition Fast... August 1 until August 15 Transfiguration... August 6 Dormition... August 15 Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 48

50 3.2 Parish Life Conference Creative Festivals Information on the Creative Festivals of the Parish Life Conferences comes from the Department of Youth and Parish Ministries. While it is possible that some students may work at home, or that individual teachers may work with their classes, the best chance for facilitating submissions is to have special sessions for the festival projects. Some parishes take time from Church School, and/or use Saturdays. Let the parents know when festival work is to be done and that they are responsible for getting their children to church those days, or for working with their children at home. There are two components to managing this effort. First, the students must become familiar with the theme and consider how they will implement it. Second, the projects must be done. Theme. The Church School Director is in the best position to prepare all students, or to help the teachers prepare the students. The Christian Education website has a page on Creative Festivals, with lesson plans at four different levels to introduce the theme each year. These can be found at Creative Festivals. Project Creation. There are categories for entries in photography, art, creative writing, and poetry. An announcement in the church bulletin can ask for any who are professionals or amateurs in these areas. A list of resource people should be kept. It is easier to Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 49

51 choose one art medium for all art projects. The art resource person can help decide which to choose. Consider any budget limitations when planning the project. Whether these people work with the entire student body, or with individual classes, they should be informed of the time allotment for the project work, and that they are to keep receipts for reimbursement. Have the teachers on board to help on festival project days. It is useful to set a completion deadline and then to schedule a Saturday morning (often Lazarus Saturday) for those who need a little more time. Submission. There is a form to use for submitting the projects. Write in your parish name and copy the form for the students. Older students should fill out their own form after they have finished their project. If possible, have the work of the students displayed for the parish before or after the festival. Focus on the fun had being creative and learning about our faith, rather than on winning. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 50

52 3.3 Making the Year Special Processions When planning any procession, make sure you understand when and how the children are to participate, and how the procession will end. For example, do they return to their seats, or stay at the front of the church. There are several opportunities for processions during the year. Sunday of Orthodoxy. Most churches have the children process with icons on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, which is the first Sunday of the Great Fast. In one parish, banners are designed with an icon as the centerpiece. These are carried in the procession as well. Sunday of the Exaltation of the Cross. The children may be asked to wear their baptismal crosses that day, or carry crosses adorned with roses, or wear a cross made as a craft project (from construction paper, or craft sticks). Sunday of Palms. The children may carry palms in procession outside the church. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 51

53 3.3.2 Recognition Baptismal Anniversaries. The children can appreciate their baptism into God s kingdom by making their baptismal anniversary a special day. On that day they should wear their baptismal cross, and carry their baptismal candle as they come to Holy Communion. If godparents are part of the same parish, the Godparents may accompany their child to Holy Communion, and perhaps receive a special recognition or thank you card made by the student. Namedays and Birthdays. The intoning and singing of Many years is a common way to recognize people on special days. In many Orthodox countries, children are named according to the saint commemorated on the day of their birth. The celebration that day is for their nameday, which is often also their birthday. Our children can be made more aware of the importance of saints in Orthodoxy by recognizing them on their nameday. Attendance. If you wish to recognize good attendance, you may do so as the year progresses or at the end. Ideas are given on the page, Let us attend. Graduation. Graduation is also a time for recognition. Many parishes give the gift of an Orthodox Study Bible, or the icon of the parish patron saint to graduates from high school or college. More information is found in section IV. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 52

54 3.3.3 Bulletin Boards Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when using bulletin boards. 1) Keep most of the bulletin boards small intimate and low, where the child can touch them and personally relate to them. 2) Keep the bulletin board displays relevant to things the child is learning. Use the wall displays primarily as background for the various interest centers you set up around the room. 3) Use harmonious colors in keeping with the time of year, the general decor of the room and the subject of the lesson or theme for the week. 4) Change the displays frequently, at least twice a month, according to the theme. For younger children 2 1/2-5 year olds. Never change everything all at once. It is necessary the child retain a feeling of familiarity, which is important to his overall comfort and security. 5) Bulletin boards are only one of the many interest centers in the classroom. It should not take away from or be any more important than the other centers in the classroom. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 53

55 3.3.4 Interest Centers Interest centers should be set up for each class. An interest center can be set up on a tray, a table, a corner of the room, or any other place where a child can spend time pursuing an activity. An activity can range from sitting alone or joining others in working on a puzzle or sorting out pictures to be cut from a magazine. In setting up an interest center, teachers select materials that will lead to a particular learning experience. Observant teachers know, of course, that much of the time the child may use the materials in some way other than the way the teacher anticipated. In this case, the children should be monitored, especially if the materials are for the use of the altar or other religious use. Help your staff maintain an ever-changing array of interest centers by establishing a system for sharing, rotating and exchanging materials. Such a system minimizes duplication of expensive items, thus effecting budgetary savings. It s advisable to make use of a central storage area from which each teacher may draw materials for a specific activity for a period of time or one day. Periodically, perhaps once a month, teachers can take a half hour period at a staff meeting to exchange puzzles, games, books, and other items. Never change all materials of a particular kind at once. Children are comfortable with familiar things. But by changing some things on an ongoing basis, the children are constantly provided with new challenges to stimulate learning. Items brought from home should be shared among all staff members, rather than used only in the room of the child who brought in the item. Manv materials can be made. A workshop should be provided during the course of the year where all the Church School Staff can make materials. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 54

56 From Diana Najjar. To be made the evening before Easter. Materials: Easter Story Cookies 1 c. whole pecans l tsp Vinegar 3 egg whites pinch salt zipper baggie wooden spoon wax paper tape Bible 1 c. sugar Preheat oven to 300 F. 1. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested. He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19: Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp Vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19: Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10: Sprinkle a little salt into each child s hand. Let them taste it brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus followers and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23: So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add l c. sugar. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 55

57 Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and to belong to Him. Read Ps 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God s eyes of those whose sins hate been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa 1:16 and John 3:1-3. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid. Read Matt 27: Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed. Read Matt 27: Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 & 22. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt 28:1-9. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 56

58 From Kh. Gigi Baba Shadid Family Nights Projects for Framing Icons: Paper cutting Matting & Oil Decorating (The Kitchen Madonna) Water color Tin punching Paper piercing (need Styrofoam) Pointillism Dry flowers to decorate icons (use clear contact paper to place it) Stencils Mini-icons around the big icons Calligraphy - write the saints names Borders with fancy scissors Soap/wood carving Decoupage onto wood (mount Icon Calendar or other pages) Skits: Feast of Joshua (lots of action) Joachim and Anna (i.e. praying for baby) Finding the True Cross True story of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6) Story of Zacchaeus (Lent) Elizabeth and Zacharias (August) St. Elizabeth the New Martyr St. George (perform at picnic) April 23 Feasts Lazarus Skit More Ideas: Skit/Performance- Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet by Amy Grant (maybe sing at Christmas Program) - use flashlights Memorize Bible verses Decorate with flowers the icons that our church uses on the feast that is coming up January (before house blessings) make commemoration books - have a list for the priest to pray for the living and the dead. Write down the prayers for the living and the dead and have it ready for the priest - talk about prayer corners, etc. Review doing the sign of the cross and prostrations Vespers: Holy God,... make a bow with hand on the floor (the older group should do this, too) Guardian Angel card Songs to learn - tape them before hand Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 57

59 Mary and Mimi, More Honorable, Before Thy Cross, Nativity. Patron saints troparion, When Thou O Lord was Baptized, Receive me Today, As Many as have been Baptized, Holy God (3x) Cover folder for the songs they learn so they won t get wrinkled Choir books Laminate the Doxology and O Give Thanks Unto the Lord and put it in the pews. Advent Projects: Do a Jessie tree where we trace back Jesus ancestors All Saints Day Party -- hallelujah Party with a heavenly room (not a Haunted house) From Revelations: heavenly city, new Jerusalem, leaves were used for healing, every month a new crop grew - 12 trees (one for each month); RIVER: blue material; the TREES were made out of cardboard base (trunk) covered with wood grain contact paper. Top part, dark green wallpaper with flowers; leaves were done with special care because they were for healing; CLOUDS from ceiling, on poster board; Kids come dressed as a saint or something from the Bible. It was really a fun family night and parents came dressed up, too (i.e. Lazarus dressed up like a mummy) Play Pin the Halo on the Angel 9 Pumpkin Carving (Let your light shine through) Puppet show Older kids can make the props for the younger kids Games they did as a family (i.e. push a peanut with your nose) Lenten - address the works of mercy (i.e. adopting an orphan), a shut-in from the parish, adopt a grandparent from the parish Lazarus Saturday: Learning to pray for the dead January: feast of Saint Julianna; bread-baking day Teens can make Russian Easter eggs Make a suggestion box for each of the rooms Theme - search for your patron saint - why you are named after that saint, etc. Icon Earnings: Every 4x you come, you get an icon for your collection Memorizing Prayers (i.e. Heavenly King, Holy God, Our Father)

60 3.3.7 JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) Clubs These pre-teen clubs focus on fellowship, instruction, community service projects, arts and crafts, etc. The JOY curriculum can be ordered from Volume 2 of the curriculum can be downloaded from rs/joycurriculum2 Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 59

61 3.3.8 Field Trips Transportation Transportation for field trips is most always by bus or by private cars. If private cars are used, the following rules should be adhered to: 1) An adult driver in each car (no student drivers). 2) Each car must be in safe condition and have adequate liability insurance. 3) All state and highway laws must be obeyed. 4) Each vehicle must only carry the prescribed number of passengers as designated by the manufacturer, and every passenger must have access to a seat belt. 5) A prearranged route must be prepared, and emergency procedures set. 6) No child should be allowed to ride in the back of a truck, camper, or trailer. Parental permission slips must be signed and collected. They should note a contact number for the parent during the time of the trip, the name of the physician, any allergies, and another contact name and phone number in case the parent cannot be reached. In addition, the permission slip should have a statement that the parent gives permission for emergency medical care for the child. Destination: Be sure that the place you plan to go is appropriate for the age group you are taking. Simple and uncomplicated trips should be planned for the younger children. Check ahead of time to make sure, too, that it is appropriate for the particular time of the year it is being planned. During the summer months, midweek outings are best because they will not interfere with family weekend outings. Contact Person: Be sure that you have made arrangements, if necessary with a person at your destination, and also have a contact person at home in case of emergency. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 60

62 From Kh. Anna Kouri Lazarus Saturday Youth Retreat 10:00-11:00 Liturgy (with kid sermon and welcome) 11:00-11:30 Donuts and Group Game with significant meaning lead by Father Alex. At the end Father gathers the kids and shows them the crafts they will be making and explains their religious meaning. 11:30-12: awesome craft tables that the children rotate through-20 minutes each. (This usually runs over time.) 12:30-1:00 Lunch (You need to have your outdoor supervision ready because kids eat fast. I usually eat my lunch outside.) 1:00-2:00 Outdoor Fun!!! balls, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, jump rope, roller blading, street hockey, skate boarding... (A kick ball game with teen helpers is organized in the front of the church) 2:00-2:30 Father Alex will be meeting with the older kids for a discussion. 2:00-2:30 Younger children will watch a Christian Video Sometimes we let the outdoor play run over and then gather all the kids in the hall for a Popsicles break. Father Alex then gives another kid sermon with a visual trick to reinforce the theme being discussed. He always ends with questions and answers time. We like this ending the most. 2:30-2:45 Group Closing Prayer, opportunity for confession. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 61

63 3.4 Parent Issues Occasionally your role finds you mediating a difference between a parent and a teacher. Again, consider informing the priest of the situation even at the outset. The priest may have valuable insight into the personalities involved. Two common reasons why difficulties occur are: 1) an unconscious rivalry between the teacher and a very opinionated parent, 2) an over-reaction to a comment or action that the teacher may have said or done without forethought, 3) disciplinary action taken by the teacher to keep order in the classroom. Suggested Plan for Resolving Differences with Parents 1. Arrange for the persons involved to meet with you together. 2. Have each state their point of view. 3. Analyze where there is common ground, and state what that is. 4. State the reason for the conference, paraphrasing what each party has said. If the problem is the child s behavior in class: a. For a common behavior problem, clarify what the discipline policy is and why. Ask the parents for suggested resolutions. b. Add yours or the teacher s suggestions. c. Make a plan for the child and teacher, and a secondary plan should the first not work. d. If the parents ask for advice, do not speak as an authority, but rather mention what other parents have tried. 5. If necessary, make a plan for resolving the difficulty, and a secondary plan should that not work 6. End on a positive note, perhaps mention an upcoming activity. 7. Hold a follow up meeting, if necessary. Keep in mind the need to help each person involved reestablish his self-esteem and self-confidence, both of which may have been shaken by the disagreement. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 62

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65 4 Closing the Church School Year Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 64

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67 4.1 Closing Day Before the end of the school year, pass out the evaluation form to the teachers. A sample is in the appendix. Ask teachers to return their forms on closing day. You might also pass out the page Reflections for a Teacher found in this section. If you have classrooms, instruct the teachers to make sure their room is tidy and all supplies are orderly. You may wish to have them present an inventory of texts and supplies. Many parishes have a blessing for graduating seniors and a small gift. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 66

68 From Leslee Abud 4.2 Recognition Day We have a Sunday dedicated to recognizing the students and staff for their efforts over the past school year. It is held on the Sunday following the last class. We hand out certificates to each student. If they attended a few times they Participated, if they attended at least 50% of the classes they Completed that grade level. If they attend at least 75% they receive Faithful Attendance sticker on their certificate, 90% Excellent (and a gift), 100% Perfect (and a gift). The teachers and subs are all recognized and given gifts. We usually end with a luncheon. Depending on what the theme for the year has been all gifts, certificates, decorations and meal will follow the theme. For example, this year was treasure so the gifts were all given out of a big treasure chest (trunk). Each child received a treasure box - a heart box decorated with the theme - inside was an olive wood cross, an icon magnet, a lock and key, a coin, and a treasure candy. The luncheon was decorated like a rain-forest with maps as our signs, posters, banners, etc. See Section 6 for additional ideas. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 67

69 4.3 Reflections/Assessments/Self-Evaluations Director Self-Assessment A good administrator always seeks to improve his or her abilities. Consider the following reflection questions and make a point to become a better Church School Director every year. Have I imparted positive feelings to others by compliments and encouragement? 2. said thank you enough? 3. fulfilled my responsibilities? 4. avoided indulging in gossip about staff members or about student s families? 5. been conscientious in my attendance at Liturgy? 6. worked diligently to keep priest informed and involved? 7. accepted suggestions and constructive criticism of staff members gracefully? 8. remained flexible in my relationships with other adults? 9. remained flexible in my relationships with students? 10. been able to maintain my composure in tense situations? 11. encouraged friendships and a sense of community within the church school? 12. been realistic in the demands I have made of my teachers? 13. implemented improvements in my church school program? 14. facilitated the teaching experience for my staff? 15. been fair and consistent in dealing with staff and students? 16. always been a good role model to my students and the church community? 17. prayed for the church school? Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 68

70 4.3.2 Reflections for a Teacher A good teacher always seeks to improve his or her abilities. Consider the following reflection questions and make a point to become a better teacher every year. Have I recognized the image of God in each student? 2. always greeted my students in a friendly and pleasant manner? 3. assumed my share of responsibilities? 4. avoided indulging in gossip about staff or about the student s families? 5. been conscientious in my attendance at Liturgy? 6. maintained a child-oriented classroom? 7. Focused on grade level standards? 8. accepted suggestions and constructive criticism from gracefully? 9. always remained flexible in my relationships with other adults? 10. always remained flexible in my relationships with my students? 11. been able to maintain my composure in tense situations? 12. been fair and consistent, and kind to my students? 13. helped each child develop friendships? 14. helped each child to recognize his role as a member of the Church? 15. been realistic in the demands I have made of my students? 16. developed goals for the improvement of my church school class program? 17. prepared my lesson plans far in advance? 18. been faithful in teaching Orthodox beliefs? 19. always been a good role model to my students and the church community? Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 69

71 4.3.3 A Look Back What did you enjoy about teaching this year? 2. Were there ways the director or pastor could have helped more? 3. Did you find the text and teacher manual adequate? 4. Were your facilities adequate? 5. Would you consider teaching again next year? 6. Would you prefer to be a back-up teacher? 7. Would you like to teach at a different level if an opening occurs? If so, which level? On behalf of the parish and the children, thank you for teaching! Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 70

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73 5 Appendix Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 72

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75 5.1 Checklist for Summer Meeting with Pastor 1) Calendar for the year including days off, and special events or service projects 2) Teachers/Staff recruiting/retention 3) Students/class breakdown (how many in each class, where class will meet) 4) Opening event or blessing 5) How to promote confession 6) Scheduling trainings for teachers 7) Proposed Budget* 8) Ask if pastor wishes to be present at staff meetings or parent meetings 9) End of the year event and/or gift to graduating seniors. *Budget categories usually include: 1) Texts 2) Supplies for students 3) Supplies for teachers 4) Supplies for office 5) Pageant costs 6) Creative Festival supplies, postage to ship items 7) Trainings for continuing education 8) End of year gifts to graduates 9) End of year picnics or celebration 10) Teacher recognitions Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 74

76 5.2 Supplies Maintenance and storage of supplies will vary according to your facilities. Extensive supply lists follow. Please keep in mind that if a common supply area is provided, someone will need to be responsible for stocking, organizing, and maintaining the supply closet. An alternative is supplies in individual classrooms. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 75

77 5.2.1 Sample Office Supply List As Church School Director you may have an office at home or at the Church. Here are suggestions for your supply cabinet. Filing supplies file folders file folder labels file cards tab guides Fastening supplies Adhesives stapler staples paper punch paper clips paper fasteners push pins straight pins thumb tacks white glue library paste rubber cement liquid paste scotch tape magic tape masking tape mystic tape tape dispenser Correspondence church letterhead stationery other stationery church envelopes other envelopes liquid paper correction fluid Appointments Accounting appointment book and calendar month-at-a-glance calendar wall calendar liturgical calendar bookkeeping record form (cost of materials) expense books record books receipt books Miscellaneous X-ACTO knives scissors pencils and pens felt markers fiber-tip pens zip code directory clipboards rulers memo pads memo holders gummed labels Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 76

78 5.2.2 Sample Art Supply List Paper white 36 width 50 to 100 ft. rolls (can be cut into 12, 18, or 24 widths) butcher banner, Kraft, or wrapping papers White drawing paper (can be used for painting, too) 80# only. Construction paper of assorted colors 18 x 24 (can be cut to 18 x 12 or 9 x 12 ) Mill screening paper 18 x 36 (oatmeal, roughtex, etc.) Finger paint paper, coated 18 x 36 (or use butcher paper) Tagboard, assorted sizes. Watercolor paper, 9 x 12, for occasional use. (inexpensive) Wallpaper sample books and end rolls, usually no charge. Wrapping paper, brown 24 x 50 or 35 x 100 (for murals). Old newspapers, no charge. Newsprint, free or may be small cutting charge Computer paper, used. Japanese rice papers (for occasional use) Tissue paper, assorted colors. Paints, colors, and other ingredients powdered tempera, assorted colors liquid tempera, assorted colors finger paint, commercial liquid starch (to extend paints, to make finger paint to use with chalk liquid soap (to extend finger paints) shaving cream (to finger paint with) oil pastels, assorted colors lecturer s chalk assorted pastel chalk, assorted colors crayons, regular and Kindergarten size, asst. tempera blocks, assorted, boxed sets transparent watercolor pans, in boxed sets Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 77

79 marking pens, watercolor, assorted Brushes and other tools easel brushes 1/2 to 3/4 flat & rounded painters brush 1 1/2 and 2 feather dusters, colored tongue depressors for mixing paints and other crafts ice cream sticks for mixing paints and other crafts small juice or fruit cans for holding paint (free) plastic containers for holding paints aluminum foil (for covering paint cans) Collage materials (not for small children s use cotton balls paper straws small rocks seeds beans plastic triangle poster paper 9 x 12 jewelry file cards 3 x5 plywood scraps Construction paper 18 wire screening cardboard scraps hairpins cloth scraps parts from broken toys ribbons washers rick-rack nails felt squares 6 x 9 screws macaroni, asst. shapes sequins buttons scotch tape beads toothpicks kleenex paper fasteners pipe cleaners styrofoam scraps safety pins seashells straight pins leaves paper clips paste gummed stars glue glitter crayons paper scraps pinking shears cellophane scraps aluminum foil scraps charcoal sticks scissors, blunt and regular paper punches tracing paper acorns yarn, string, ribbon, and thread scraps pine cones, twigs, bark etc., etc., etc. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 78

80 5.3 Church School Newsletter Church School Newsletters can be a wonderful parent communication tool but are also excellent for parish/public relations. 5.4 Parish Council Report If time a skills allow, a report for the Parish Council helps to keep Christian Education in the minds of council members (think budget!).

81 5.5 Articles of Interest The Sacrament of Penance and the Younger Child By Dr. Constance Tarasar, Department of Religious Education, OCA, 1988 (Although this paper was written for the purpose of introducing the younger child to the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, the same basic principles may be used when discussing the sacraments with older children.) The aim of all religious teaching in the Orthodox Church is to introduce the child (or the adult) into the Church, to integrate him into her life - - the life of grace, communion with God, love, unity and spiritual progress toward eternal salvation, for such are the essential aims of the Church. (Fr. Alexander Schmemann, LITURGY AND LIFE Integration into the Christian life is the goal of all our teaching, but this goal becomes especially clear when we introduce a child to the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion, the sacraments of reconciliation and reunion to the Body of Christ. To assume such a role, however, of helping to mold or shape a child s thoughts and attitudes concerning himself and his relationship to God and to other human beings, is an awe-some and fearful responsibility. Therefore, it is first necessary that we understand and strive ourselves for a right relationship with God and with each other before we attempt or even speak of the procedure of teaching or acquainting a child with these sacraments. We must first refresh our thinking about the sacraments as they relate to our own lives, and then we can discuss a few general concepts concerning Penance and Holy Communion and their relation to the life of a younger child. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE Sacrament of Reconciliation The Sacrament of Penance is the sacrament of reconciliation, for the primary prerequisite for the Sacrament is the desire to return to God. It is the sinful state that causes the separation between us, and it is the desire for repentance and reconciliation that leads us again to communion with God, The Sacrament of Penance is offered by the Church to enable us once again to restore this unity with God. Our approach to Penance, therefore, must involve this idea of separation, of the fact that we, through our own will and through our own acts, have desired something other than God, and consequently have effected a deep separation between ourselves and our Creator. It is only when we acquire a true perspective of the world and see value in the things that are truly valuable that we can begin to see God and see how far we are from Him. Then repentance and the striving for communion begins; then the Sacrament of Penance, the sacrament of reconciliation, becomes our first step in the restoration of our union with God. Self-sacrifice and Renewal of Life The Sacrament of Penance is not an automatic device that in five minutes can wipe out our separation from God and re The Teacher and the Sacrament of Penance In order to teach the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of Holy Communion to others, it is necessary that we first of all have a continuing experience of these sacraments ourselves. It is not sufficient for a teacher to speak of frequent Communion or of the attitudes necessary for Confession. She must herself receive the sacraments frequently and be a living example of the attitudes she is trying to cultivate in her students. Especially with younger children, the attitude of a teacher is extremely important; insincerity is quickly felt by them and an example is much easier to understand and follow than several pamphlets or lessons on the same subject. Christ taught the Christian life by example; we also must take His lead and strive first to live the Christian life and by our living to teach it. Though we will discuss in this introduction many methods of teaching the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we need always to keep in mind that these methods are secondary to that method of teaching by living that we have already mentioned. THE RITE OF PENANCE It is not our purpose here to discuss in detail the specific methods used by the priest in assisting a person to confess his or her sins. We will merely outline the basic form, the main elements involved in the Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 80

82 process of helping a child to make a good confession of sins, and will also speak briefly about the process of preparing the child for Holy Communion. The Preparation The Preparation of a child for the Sacrament of Penance will primarily consist in helping the child to establish the proper attitude toward the sacrament, that is, an attitude of humility, contrition and sincere desire to amend his or her way of life in order to come closer to God. [1] Stories showing how other people recognized how far they were from God because of their sinful acts and how they repented, turning back to God with the real desire to be in communion with Him again, should be selected from the Scriptures and from lives of saints and discussed in class. [2] Prayers and verses from the Psalms that are of a penitential nature should be read, examined and discussed; a few of these may be read frequently or memorized. [3] Class discussion on how we often stray from God (by sinning against God, against each other, or against ourselves) can help the children come to an awareness of their sins themselves. psychological discussion of my problem during the confession. The proper attitude can only be maintained by a constant reference of ourselves to God: how far we are from Him because of how badly we behave towards Him, and towards ourselves, and towards others who are made in His image. The children may be warned not to follow the example of the Pharisee who compared himself to other men and who felt he was good in comparison, but to follow the example of the Publican who saw himself only in relation to God and who found himself miserable in the sight of God. Finally, the children should be referred to the parable of the Prodigal Son, which illustrates both the son s desire to return to his father, and especially the father s joy and willingness to forgive and welcome his son back into the family. The teacher should point out that God is always willing to forgive and receive those who are truly sorry for their sins back into His love. The Confession necessary result of confession. Only then is the absolution given as the sign of this conversion, of this change of mind and action. And, of course, the goal of the change that of communion with God must always be repeated. Preparation for Communion Though we usually assume that preparation for Confession is necessary, we often forget that preparation for Holy Communion is also necessary. Fasting, prayer and the real desire for reconciliation and communion with God are the elements of this preparation. Younger children should be acquainted with at least one or two of the shorter prayers before Communion; these should not only be memorized but also should be examined and discussed for an understanding of their content. Teachers might also review the procedure for receiving Communion and may wish to acquaint their students with one of the prayers following Holy Communion. Again, the necessity of amending our lives, of avoiding our previous sinful acts and of living to glorify God should be stressed. The form of the confession proper PENANCE AND THE often varies; therefore it would be YOUNGER CHILD best to have the parish priest explain Several warnings, however, should The Primary Child the form (i.e. what to do) to the be kept in mind: Teachers should be children himself. The teacher may The primary grade teacher who has careful not to suggest specific sins, discuss with the priest before class taught children of several ages will but rather to lead the children to the material and the concepts that readily recognize that the child s think out themselves how we often have been covered (such discussion rate of development at this level is hurt someone else, how we forget to should also take place before the quite rapid and varied. do good things for others, how we unit begins), the reaction of the treat God s creation, etc. Care Though the six-year-old child is class to certain stories on repentance should be taken so that each child often inconsistent and has difficulty that have been discussed, and their does not recall to the class how he deciding what to do, even when he general attitude toward confession. has sinned (lest the discussion realizes what is right or wrong, A close cooperation between priest become a confession in the seven or eight-year-old children not and teacher (and parent, if a meeting classroom). only realize the difference between can be arranged to inform parents right and wrong, but are beginning Although we wish to encourage a on how the Church School and to feel some responsibility for their self-analytical attitude, care should home can cooperate in helping the acts. The seven-year-old is be taken to avoid a misinterpretation child) is most essential in preparing particularly reflective; the eightyear-old is already willing to accept of this attitude, so that it would not the child for this Sacrament. The result in a self-centeredness or a desire to amend, to change our the consequences for his acts if he is lives, should be stressed as the really to blame (but if he shares the Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 81

83 blame, he may say so quickly). Both the seven and eight-year-olds concepts about God are expanding, the seven-year-old being interested particularly in the why s and how s of things. Their concepts of time and space are expanding and teachers can be more specific about when and where something happened. Heaven is of particular interest to children of both ages. This then should be kept in mind when speaking of the purpose of Confession, i.e. to be reunited with God so that we may live forever with Him in heaven. The Child s Experience of Sin To the child sin is still a strange word, so other terms such as right and wrong, obey and disobey, or good and bad may have to be used synonymously with sin to establish the meaning of the term. The same is also true for other terms we may refer to in speaking of Penance, e.g. humility, repentance, contrition, amendment, etc. Such terms cannot be used at this level so teachers must be careful to use simpler terms or phrases that express the same attitudes or concepts. A child may not experience contrition, but may feel sorry for his sins. If our approach to the Sacrament is not simple, direct, and related to his life, he may only think of sin as stealing, killing, etc, and not as hurting his little brother by taking away his toys or bothering his father when he wants to rest after work. The experience of sin in the life of a seven or eight-year old is vastly different from that of an adult, but often we teachers do not realize this fact. We are content to stick to the Ten Commandments as they are expressed in adult language and ignore the world and life as seen through the eyes of a youngster. Here is where our ability to do a little role-playing can be most valuable. If we can see the world through the eyes of a seven year-old, we may be better able to help him recognize his sins and to live a better life. TEACHING THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE We have said previously that the goal of our teaching is to help integrate the child into the life of the Body of Christ. This is especially so when we are acquainting the child with the Sacrament of Penance. More important than teaching the external form of the Sacrament (which can be learned in a very short time) is the development of the proper understanding and attitudes concerning the Sacrament. It is not so much the amount of information about the Sacrament that will lead the child to true repentance, as it is the experience of participation in the Sacrament with the assistance of loving teachers and pastors to guide and prepare the way toward self-analysis, repentance and a real desire for communion with God. We must keep this goal in mind so that our teaching of this, or any other sacrament, will not become mechanistic and devoid of meaning and relevance to the child. Salvation-History as a Frame of Reference Since the younger child of seven or eight years of age is a reasoning child (e.g. he is interested in the causes of things, in conclusions or logical ends, and likes to reflect upon his experiences), it becomes necessary to supply not only directives for his actions, but reasons for those directives. His increased awareness of time and space now allows the teacher to connect the isolated Bible stories he has been hearing into some logical sequence, such as salvationhistory or the history of God s people. Such a sequence can then provide the basis for meaningful discussions on the necessity for repentance, on the meaning of Christ s sacrifice on the Cross, on the responsibilities of all people to God and to each other, etc. A discussion on the result of Adam s Fall or the meaning of the Incarnation will, of course, have to be limited and described in simple terms, but nevertheless, these events can now be told in relation to each other in terms of time or in terms of cause and effect. Use of the Scriptures The most effective means of using the Scriptures now is to help convey concepts and attitudes related to Penance. For example, the story of the Prodigal Son might well be used to illustrate several ideas: (a) how a boy wasted the good things that had been given to him by his father, (b) how he realized what he had done and how he felt sorry for the wrongs he had committed, (c) how his father was willing to welcome him back into the household, etc. Role playing or creative dramatics could be used to let each child show how the son felt before and after he squandered his goods, or to show how the father felt or acted when his son returned. Since terms such as humility, forgiveness, and repentance are difficult for the children to understand, such roleplaying of carefully selected Bible stories can help the children to understand and grasp the concepts or attitudes that you wish to stress. Nearly all of the stories of the Gospel lessons of the Pre-Fast period (including the Sunday of Zaccheus before Pre-Fast) may be used this way. Use of the Liturgical Year The liturgical year can be the basis of our teaching of the Sacrament of Penance. The Pre-Fast and Great Lent periods may be used as a guide for teaching the attitudes necessary for true repentance. The fasts of the Church may serve as periods of the year when participation in the Sacraments is emphasized (though this should be taken as a minimum, not as a maximum goal). Days on which important saints are Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 82

84 commemorated may be used to show how each respective saint strove for communion with God. Teachers should be familiar with the texts of the services used throughout the year, for many useful ideas in teaching can be gathered from them. For years the liturgical cycle was the sole means of teaching in the Church; it would be wise for us to look back to the services of the Church for guidance in our teaching in the Church school today and to encourage greater participation in the services for both children and adults so that our teaching will not only be heard, but experienced. Use of the Prayers of the Church Too often the prayers of the Church are memorized and not understood, a practice that is commonly followed in many of our Church Schools without much thought on the part of teacher, parent, or supervisor. The fault is not entirely theirs, for the thinking for many years was that learning prayers meant simply memorization of prayers. However, most of us know from our own experience that memorization of prayers does not necessarily mean that we understand anything of their content. The prayers of the Church preceding the Sacraments of Penance and Communion are numerous and extremely essential for a good preparation of the Sacraments. However, routine recitation of these prayers without thought to their meaning is not the most effective use of them. Teachers might select a few of the simpler prayers in the prayer book and use them as the basis for discussion in class, reading selected sentences and explaining them, allowing for discussion on how the ideas contained relate to the lives of the children in the class. At this level, one or two prayers might be sufficient, but other prayers might be added one by one each year. Many of these prayers refer to persons in the Old or New Testaments, who are examples of true repentance; some of the stories of these persons might well be used in your lessons. For example, as the children recite the prayer, Of Thy Mystical Supper... before Communion, do they realize the meaning of the reference to Judas or to the thief, or, in the Lord s Prayer, do they understand, in relation to their own lives, what is meant by forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Again, we must try to see these prayers through the eyes and ears of a seven-year-old in order to know how much they understand or are capable of understanding. Such careful analysis of the prayers of the Church may provide us with much material for lessons throughout the school year. Love as the Key Finally, the greatest tool, the greatest gift in all teaching is love. Without a loving attitude on the part of the teacher, pastor, or parent the child will find it difficult to grasp the concept of a loving and forgiving God, a God who understands and is willing to forgive their sins and welcome them into His Heavenly Kingdom. Repentance is a continuing act of love and self-sacrifice. It is a continuing act of rejection of the socalled valuable things of this world and a continuing acceptance of Christ and the things of the world to come. Our life in this world involves a constant choice a choice between good and evil, between God and man, between material and spiritual, between an unlimited number of little choices that have to be made each day. It is this struggle each day that involves the decisions of self-sacrifice and love that are evidence of complete submission to Christ. If we submit fully to Christ, we are unable to sin against Him. This submission then is the key to the restoration of our communion with Him. To live in Christ is to live in a perfect unity of love. It is this perfect unity in love that is our goal for eternity. The positive approach to doing good because we love God so much and don t want to hurt Him is much more effective than the negative approach of avoiding evil because God will punish us. We know ourselves that we will do whatever we can to please someone we love and will be hurt ourselves if we are the cause of hurting the person we love. Such positive motivation might be the best teaching or guidance that we could offer in helping our children to lead Christian lives, along with the Christian example that we ourselves present. SUMMARY These are some of the concepts, attitudes and methods involved in teaching the Sacrament of Penance to the younger child. The key to the whole problem, however, is the teacher and, more importantly, the pastor. Our attitude and our method of confronting the child will be a major factor in determining the degree to which the child understands and readily participates in the Sacrament of Penance and in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. If we are understanding of the child s daily life, his needs and experiences, if we approach the child with love in a sincere attempt to bring the child closer to God and to others, and if we strive ourselves for reconciliation and reunion with the Body of Christ, then these sacraments can become a real means of communion with God for the child, rather than a mere mechanical fulfillment of an obligation. Then the child can experience that joy of the life of grace, the life of communion with God and the Body of Christ which leads to eternal joy in God s heavenly kingdom. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 83

85 Resources: These are the Sacraments by Anthony Coniaris, Repentance and Confession by John Chryssavgis Preparing for Confession by L. Joseph Letendre [Available from Light & Life] Making Things Right [Teacher s Manual, Student s book, Activity pack. The Sacraments: Penance (Confession) Videofilmed at Holy Cross Church, Pittsburgh. 48minutes, color, A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians, My Orthodox Prayer Book by Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos Sample Lesson Outline: Teaching the Sacrament of Penance during Great Lent 1. Sunday before the Pre-Fast Period: Story of Zaccheus A. Gospel lesson: Luke 19: Zacchaeus, a sinner, desires to see Christ, He makes the effort to do so and Christ comes to his house. Zacchaeus repents and Jesus grants him salvation. B. Object of the lesson: To point out the condition and result of the Sacrament of Penance. 1) We must first want to see God and to live in his Kingdom. 2) We must make the effort to come to God. This we do whenever we do good and whenever we come to God to confess the things we have done wrong. 3) If we are truly sorry for our sins and if we try to correct our mistakes, God forgives our sins and grants us life in His Kingdom of Heaven. C. Theme: The desire to see God and making the effort to come to Him. D. Method: Telling the story, discussing the story, drawing out main points from the discussion and relating these to Confession; role-playing the story. 2. Pre-Fast, First Sunday: The Publican and the Pharisee A. Gospel lesson: Luke 18: Two men enter the temple to pray, the Pharisee who praises himself before God, and the Publican who humbles himself saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. God justifies the Publican because of his humility. B. Object of the lesson: To point out the attitude necessary for Confession, that is, Humility. C. If we wish to come to God and to live with Him in Heaven, we must first be sorry for the things we have done wrong. We feel badly because we have not been good to God and to other people, as God has been to us. We must not boast or brag about the good things we have done. D. Theme: Feeling sorry for our sins. E. Method: Telling the story, drawing upon children s experiences of when they have done something wrong and have felt sorry. Learn the prayer of the Publican.

86 3. Pre-Fast, Second Sunday: The Prodigal Son A. Gospel lesson: Luke 15:11-32 (v may be omitted now) The younger of two sons asks his father for his share of the inheritance, leaves his father and squanders his money. He becomes a servant for another man and finally realizes that he would have been better at home. He decides to return to his father, to repent, and ask to be accepted as one of his servants. His father sees him returning and runs to embrace his son. The son confesses his sin and the father rejoices. B. Object of the lesson: To point out our misuse of God s gifts and the necessity to repent and return to God. 1) Discussion of all the things God has done for us and has given us. 2) Discussion of how we forget God and what he has done for us, of the little ways we disobey God daily, of how we hurt God and other people by what we do or don t do. 3) Discussion of how we can return to God, of how we can live a better life. 4) Confession as a means of beginning our return. God s joy when we do return. C. Theme: God rejoices when we return to Him. D. Method: Telling of the story, discussion (see above), role-playing of the story. 4. Pre-Fast, Third Sunday: Parable of the Last Judgment A. Gospel lesson: Matthew 25: Christ describes the last judgment and points out the necessity for seeing Christ in every person, i.e. as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me. B. Object of the lesson: To point out how Christ wants us to live. 1) We must love God, and in loving Him, we must love our neighbor. 2) We should behave towards our neighbor as we would behave towards God Himself. 3) Christ will judge us [i.e. choose who will live with Him in God s Heavenly Kingdom] according to how we live. C. Theme: God wants us to love our neighbors as we love Him. D. Method: Telling and explaining the story. Discussion of how we obey God and disobey Him by the way we treat other people and how we can live a better life by helping our neighbor. Supplement: Good Samaritan. 5. Pre-Fast, Fourth Sunday: Forgiveness Sunday Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 85

87 A. Gospel lesson: Matthew 6:14-21,Forgiveness and Fasting - If we wish to be forgiven for our sins, we must forgive others as God forgives us. We must fast in secret and not show others how we fast (i.e. or how good we are). We should be more concerned for our life in heaven rather than for our life on earth. [ Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. ] B. Object of the lesson: To point the direction for behavior during Lent. 1) To begin Lent by forgiving others for their sins and by asking others to forgive us. 2) To fast, but not to boast of our fast to others. 3) To make the return to God by feeling sorry for our sins, by confessing them to the priest and by trying to live a better life by giving ourselves to God and to our neighbors. To add to our prayers, to attend Church more often, etc. C. Theme: Forgiveness. D. Method: Reading and explaining of the Gospel text, reviewing of the concepts in past lessons, general discussion of Lent and Confession. Learn the Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian. 6. First Sunday of Lent: Orthodoxy Sunday - Discussion of the Sacrament of Confession A. Preparation - Reading and explanation of a few prayers before confession. Thinking about how we have sinned. Relate to past lessons. B. The Liturgical Order 1) Prayers before Confession 2) Short Talk by the priest 3) Confession 4) Absolution C. Theme: Fulfillment - Living a new life as related to lessons 4 and 5. Also discuss prayers before Communion, receiving of Communion, prayers after Communion, responsibilities of Communion [i.e. changing our lives, doing what God wants us to do]. The pastor may wish to conduct this session or sit in on the class as a resource person. This session would emphasize the mechanics of going to Confession. 7. Second Sunday of Lent: St. Gregory Palamas - Discussion of Holy Communion A. Review what the students know about the Divine Liturgy and Communion. B. Discussion of the Liturgy as our coming together to be God s people. C. Review prayers before and after Communion and the story of the Last Supper. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 86

88 8. Third Sunday of Lent - Adoration of the Cross A. Theme: Christ makes a new life possible through His Death on the Cross and His Resurrection from the dead. B. Review Creation, the Fall, the Incarnation, some events in the life of Christ. C. Lesson on the Crucifixion. Learn the hymn: Before Thy Cross Fourth Sunday of Lent: St. John of the Ladder A. Theme: Resurrection B. Method: Teacher may use any of the Gospel lessons on the Resurrection of Christ. 10. Fifth Sunday of Lent: St. Mary of Egypt A. Review Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Emphasize the theme of the resurrection of all people when discussing the story of Lazarus. B. Make a chart showing the events of the life of Christ commemorated during this period of Lazarus Saturday through Easter. C. Learn the troparion for Palm Sunday and Christ is Risen... RESOURCE MATERIALS: 1) For students: We Return to God, 2) For adults: If We Confess Our Sins available from the OCEC & Light & Life Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 87

89 by Kh. Joan Woodward Teebagy Should Children Be in Church? Recently in some parishes there has been much discussion about whether or not children should be in church during Divine Liturgy and/or other services, or whether they should be attending Church School (or nursery for the very young) during Church services. Should children be in Church? The answer lies in how the Church is viewed, and what you see or want for your children in the life of the Church in the future. Should children be in Church? Definitely. Disagree? Please read on. In my early twenties as a young single woman in charge of a Sunday School and as a professional teacher, my answer from a theoretical viewpoint would have been: "Definitely. You can't teach in a vacuum. You can't teach about the life of the Church if children are excluded from that life." In my home parish at that time, such a question would not have been entertained. Children were part of the Church family. They were expected to be in Church and were a welcome part of the services, even with their "holy noise', 'liturgical movements", and all. We never knew any different. Are they a distraction to others? Sometimes. But they are Orthodox Christians in the making; they will become regular churchgoers if they attend Church on a regular basis from the beginning. Did I know how difficult it was to bring children to Church at that time? No. Does it take preparation and planning? Yes, lots of it. Is it worth it? Definitely. Being a wife of a priest, some people believe my children somehow behave differently in church because they are used to it or because my husband is the priest. Being used to it? Well, that's the point. Any child will learn certain behaviors in certain situations if they are used to it and exposed to it on a regular basis. Is it easier because my husband is the priest? I am able to use the term "Daddy" instead of "Father John" when pointing out things during the church service. However, growing up in my home parish, we all had a closeness with the priest and I remember my parents saying the same things to my brothers and sisters and me. We had the same reverence and respect - perhaps even a little more since to very young children, the priest may represent God while Daddy is just Daddy. In an answer to mother's question of "Who is that?", instead of saying "Father John," a child of three responded "That's God!" In reality, my children are no different from any other children their age. Alexander, at five, can be expected to pay attention a little bit longer than Elizabeth who is two and, of course, nine months Nathaniel will just look and take everything in and let out a scream here and there. I have had my moments when I wonder whether it is worth it or not. I have made my treks to the back of the church when my children have become a little too noisy or rambunctious or made trips to the bathroom - often at the most inopportune times during the Liturgy. At some bleak times, I wonder if those who say children should not be in church are maybe just a little bit right. These moments are rare since I am shaken back into God's Kingdom and His welcome of little ones when my son suddenly asks about a particular icon or asks what "mercy" means or my two year old daughter sings along with the choir with a chorus of "Alleluia" or "Lord Have Mercy" or how she crosses herself every time she hears "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" or even when my infant son just watches with great curiosity the censer being shaken or listens intently as the bells are being rung. Is my time in Divine Liturgy different now with children? Yes. Would it be easier for me during Divine Liturgy if they were in a class instead of church? Yes, but that's not what I want for my children. I want them to be involved with Christ and the Church. This is what I want for them now and in the future. If I keep them on the fringe now, they will be involved only in the fringes of the Church later. At this time, being with my children during Divine Liturgy is my work for God and His Church. If I don't have the opportunity to hear every word of the Liturgy or miss the response to Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 88

90 one of the petitions or even not be able to sing in the choir as I have all my life, I can believe that my job now is to raise my little children to worship the name of God, to know my prayers are offered through my children, as I watch them at their tender age recite the Lord's Prayer and receive the Body and Blood of Christ through Holy Communion - to know I have tried my best to make them a welcome part of God's worshipping family. By regular attendance in church, children learn and notice more than we will ever know in the short term but this knowledge and habits will become a reality and a part of their existence in the long term. One parent, I was recently speaking to, admitted that she thought that she would be the last person to say children should be at Divine Liturgy rather than Church School. She has noticed that her children have learned so much during their time in church, have become used to the length of the service, and have made observations and asked questions about what they see and hear. However, it is not without a great deal of effort and patience on the parent's part. Following are some suggestions that will help you with your little children as you make the life of Christ and His Church part of their life. Sit as close to the front as possible. Children need to see what is happening. This also helps with their attention and eventual understanding of the service. You may feel uncomfortable doing this, thinking your children will be a distraction to adults. Please don't. It is the children's job to learn how to be a part of the Divine Liturgy at their level, and it is the adult's job to be tolerant of this learning process and not expect children to be adults. (Look around and see some of the adult behaviors, such as talking. This is more of a distraction to priests than a child's "holy noise.") Don't expect young children to sit still for the whole service or stay quiet. This is unrealistic and counter-productive. I never say to my young children "Don't talk" but rather "Whisper." Movement can be restricted but not prohibited. My two and a half year old can move around a little bit more and sit on the floor while my five year old is expected to sit on the pew and stand with minimum of movement. Bring materials for the children. This can be children's liturgy books, picture books, crayons, and small snacks. Let the children know what is acceptable and what is not - this will change as the children get older. I don't expect my two and a half year old to stand still as much as my five year old is expected to do. As children learn to read, an illustrated Divine Liturgy book may be sufficient. Don't overdo on activities. At times, our pew was so cluttered with the various things packed for the children. Now I have learned to bring much less and set up routines for the children to follow. Prepare your children for the Liturgy. Try to read the Gospel reading for the day to your children on Saturday night. Explain to the children that they will hear this in church and have them listen for key words during the Gospel. During church, whisper to them to remind them to listen to the gospel story. On special days, such as Elevation of the Cross or Orthodox Sunday, have them bring in their own cross or icon so they can participate in their small way. Have children prepare an offering envelope that they can place in the collection baskets. Children as young as two can recite the Lord's Prayer. Teach it to your children and encourage them to recite it during church. Teaching your children certain routines such as lighting a candle before church, watching for the Little and Great Entrances, listening to the Gospel, receiving Holy Communion on a weekly basis, reciting the Lord's Prayer, etc., not only breaks down the service so it is manageable for young children but also teaches them a lot about the Divine Liturgy itself. (Your children will surprise you with their own observations and habits as my two year old daughter has, who, without any coaxing, crosses herself at every "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" and who sings "Alleluia" and "Lord Have Mercy" - this from a child who is described as the "wild" one of the family.) As your children grow older, expect and teach more. If you do not know enough about the Liturgy to teach it to your children, find out. What a great opportunity to enhance your own spiritual life. As your children grow older, encourage them to participate in the Divine Liturgy and the life of the community by singing in the choir and serving in the altar. Ignore comments that belittle your effort to make your children part of the church life. People who make these comments about behavior of children have little understanding of what the Church is about or Christ's acceptance and welcome of little children. I have found that my tolerance level is lower and my children's behavior appears to be worse when I am more concerned about what people are thinking rather than concentrating on encouraging my children during the Divine Liturgy. Don't let "bad" days discourage you. Evaluate what has happened, change expectations if necessary and try again. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 89

91 You are not alone to seek advice from other parents as well. Make the Church an important part of your life. Your own spiritual life is an important role model to your children. If the children see that God and the Church is an important part of your life, this will make a great impact as children grow older and one day, accept this faith as their own. Pray at home, read the scriptures, and involve your children in good works. Your own spiritual strength will also give you that extra strength to tolerate those less than perfect but child-like behaviors in church and to bring your children on a regular basis to the Liturgy, even during those summer months when there is no Church School. Parents who bring their children just to Church School, whether it is before or after church, do not realize that the real class is IN CHURCH. The other class is only a reinforcement. It is only an enrichment of what is being taught at home and what is being absorbed through all five senses in church. When Church School is put first rather than the Liturgy, it sends a mixed message about the importance of the church in your own life and, unfortunately, it is a much stronger message than whatever they could learn in church school. Attend extra services with your children. Make an effort to attend weekly Vespers and other special services with your children. This is where our Elizabeth learned her "Alleluias" and "Lord Have Mercy" and where Alexander (start at four years old) is getting his feet wet as an altar boy. Although it is not always possible with young children to attend all the services during Lent, attending a few extra services including Presanctified Liturgies, special Divine Liturgies and Akathist exposes the children to the cycle of services. Again, learn about these services and prepare your children to know what they will see and hear. In conclusion, you need to examine how you view the Church and what you see and want for your children in the life of the Church to answer for yourself if your children belong at church services. If you want your children to experience the fullness of Christ and His Church and possess a full liturgical life that will one day enhance their own spiritual life when they struggle with the question of making this faith truly their own, then you must answer "definitely Joan Woodward Teebagy is the wife of Fr. John Teebagy, the pastor at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church in Dedham, Massachusetts. Reprinted from OCEC News, Vol. 16, No. 1, August 15, 1995, Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 90

92 5.5.3 Get Me to the Church on Time by Joan Woodward Teebagy There is an ongoing joke in some of our churches when any reference is made to the time of church events or services. People will jokingly ask: "Is that ' American time' or 'Lebanese/ Syrian/ Russian/ Romanian/ Greek time'?" in response to visitors' shocked reaction to tardiness at church services, people will reply, "Our people [meaning the Orthodox are al-ways late." The sad thing is that our people are not always late. They are on time for doctor's appointments, school, work, piano lessons, luncheon dates, movies and shows and even Little League practice or sunrise hockey practices. Doesn't the community worship of God deserve the same effort and respect? Some will say God would rather have them late than not be at church at all. I'm sure that this is true, but even the most understanding of spouses will soon tire of being constantly taken for granted and will demand more respect and consideration. Converts to the Orthodox Church are often shocked at their initial exposure to this indifferent attitude about punctuality at church services. "Blessed is the Kingdom" marks the beginning of Divine Liturgy with only a handful of people in church to hear it. Parishioners straggle in even up to the point of Holy Communion, as if five minutes of church was enough preparation. What does this show God about our commitment to Him when we wouldn't dare miss the first half of a movie or a show? What does this teach our children? Children sense our priorities not only by what we say, but especially by what we do. Although this responsibility falls mainly on the shoulders of parents, every church member is a role model and "Christian Educator" just by virtue of being a member of that community. We all must make the effort of putting God and His Church first, and show it by arriving on time on a regular basis. Some parents make a conscious choice to bring their children late to church, because they feel their children cannot handle the entire Liturgy. The importance of children's attendance at Divine Liturgy is addressed in a previous article entitled "Should Children Be in Church?" As a mother of three young children, ages 5, 3, and 1, I know the effort it takes to get children ready for church and to be with them for the entire Divine Liturgy. It is my strong belief, how-ever, as a mother and a professional educator, that children should be in church, and they should be there on time. They do adjust, they do adapt to routine, and they listen and learn more than you know. It is no small task to get families ready for church and there on time on Sunday mornings, and still maintain a "holy atmosphere." As a wife of a priest, this responsibility is usually exclusively mine on Sunday mornings, but even with help, it can be a hectic task, especially if you have very young children or a nursing infant. Here are some ways to move those lively "spirits" out on time on Sunday but still keep with the spirit of worship in church. Also included are reminders from the previous article about children's time in the liturgy. 1. Plan the night before. Get the children's clothes pressed and ready. Pack up their bags with church school assignments and projects, offerings, Divine Liturgy books and for the very young, small snacks, crayons and picture books. Remember to pack up the diaper bag too. 2. Spend a prayerful, quiet evening and attend Vespers if you can. Remember to read the Gospel reading for Sunday and have children remember to listen for key words. Go to bed early and rise early. 3. Keep breakfast for the children simple. Clean up can be dishes in the sink until you return, if time is short. 4. Have children read or play quiet games instead of turning on the television on Sunday morning. You may wish to put on Bible Story videos, especially if they are related to the Gospel Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 91

93 Readings for that day. There are videos that tell the bible story with-out extra characters as in some of the cartoon versions of them. 5. Be sure to build in extra time, especially if you have a distance to travel. I knew of someone who had to travel 50 minutes, including the crossing of an international border, but she still managed to make it on time with her two young children. It can be done if it is a priority in your life and the desire is there. 6. Upon arrival at the church, remind the children of certain routines, such as lighting a candle before entering church or kissing an icon. Remember the following suggestions to make the time in church more meaningful (For details read earlier article entitled "Should Children Be in Church"): a) Sit as close to the front as possible so children can see. b) Bring materials for the children as those listed in #1. A new Divine Liturgy book for children is now available through the OCEC (Orthodox Christian Education Commission). c) Prepare your children for Liturgy by reading the Gospel reading for the day the evening before church, and have them listen for key words. Teaching your children certain routines such as lighting a candle before church, watching for the Little and Great Entrance, listening to the Gospel, reciting the Lord's Prayer and receiving Holy Communion, not only breaks down the service so it is manageable for young children, but also teaches them a great deal about the Divine Liturgy itself. 7. Be mindful of Christ and His Church throughout the week by daily prayers at mealtimes and bed-times, reading the Bible stories along with their other favorite stories and participating in good works. In this way, getting ready for church and arriving on time is a natural extension to their everyday life. Your own spiritual strength is important in making the Church a priority in your own life as well as your children's. Remember, you are the most significant role model for your child in their spiritual development in the church. In conclusion, we all have days that make delays unavoidable, and we will arrive at church later than we would like. Do not let these days discourage you, for you will be welcomed with open and loving arms. However, continue to make the extra effort the fol-lowing weeks to show commitment and respect for God and His Church, so you may experience and enjoy the fullness of the journey of Divine Liturgy by arriving on time. We must teach our children that the gathering of our church family to worship God is more important than our social and secular demands of this world. If problems arise, seek advice from your pastor or other parents. Most importantly, take care of yourself spiritually, spend time in your own quiet, reflective prayer at home (as much as a young family will allow), and be mindful of Christ's presence when the community gathers together to worship God. Joan Woodward Teebagy has been a member of the Department of Christian Education in the Antiochian Archdiocese for and has served as the chairman of the Curriculum Department of the OCEC [Orthodox Christian Education Commission]. She is the wife of Fr. John Teebagy, the pastor at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church in Dedham, Mass. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 92

94 Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 93

95 6 Curriculum and Resources Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 94

96 6.1 Curriculum Standards Educational Standards Knowing Your Faith: Educational Standards for OCEC Curriculum "Knowing Your Faith" is presented as a series of PDF files, from Kindergarten through Grade 5. Each grade includes content for parents, teachers, and students. On the website you will find an overview file, and then for each of the grades K through 5 the following files: Teacher Letter Parent Letter Teacher Package Scroll Click on each link to download a PDF file that may be viewed online or printed. Adobe Reader is required to view PDFs. Download Adobe Reader here. In the Grade 5 Teacher Package, the icon for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross should list the dates as September 14/27, instead of 8/21; and that a replacement page is now available. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 95

97 6.2 Resources for Every Church School Explore resource table/handout Following each description are initials noting where to obtain the resource. They are: AO, Antiochian Archdiocese, (212) ; OCEC, Orthodox Christian Education Commission, www. orthodoxed.org; GOA, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, CP, Counciliar Press, com; LL, Light and Life, 1 Teaching Pics The forty 8 x 10 color pictures are set out in four groups, Divine Liturgy, Sacraments, Great Lent and Pascha, and Feast Days. They assist in the teaching of lessons on the topics, as the back of each picture offers an explanation of what is shown. AO, OCEC 2 Again Originally a publication for converts to Orthodoxy, it is now a forwardlooking magazine with enlightening articles on a variety of topics related to our faith. Again is no longer published. Gather and keep all old issues. Look for this online, if not now, soon..cp 3 The Word Bishop St. Raphael founded this periodical which is the offi cial publication of the Antiochian Archdiocese. The Department of Christian Education has a newsletter that appears four times a year in the magazine. AO 4 Christ is Born Magazine Formatted as a magazine, and designed with contemporary graphics, this education piece for middle and high school students is engaging and well done. It comes with a teacher manual. A second publication deals with Holy Week and Pascha. GOA 5 Revelation in Color Icon Packet. The resource offers 40 icons from the Gospel stories on 8 x 10 glossy paper. An earlier item in the series is also available, Come Bless the Lord, which contains feastday and saint icons. Explanations are on the back of each page. AO, GOA 6 Antiochian Gospel Program Each Sunday s gospel, followed by discussion questions, is presented at five grade levels. The Gospel program is used by hundreds of parishes, and is also presented as a podcast, Let us Attend! of Ancient Faith Radio. AO, antiochian.org\christian education scroll to Highlights and click on Antiochian Gospel Program

98 7 The Way, The Truth, and The Life The basics of Orthodox Christianity are presented in this full-color book of 28 lessons recommended for grades 8 or 9. Also included are four resource sections. There is a substantial teacher manual. AO, OCEC, GOA 8 Praxis The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Religious Education produces this magazine for catechists. Issues are topical and contain inspirational and practical articles, with some devoted specifically to the sharing of ideas. It is the only professional magazine for catechists, and is very well done. GOA 9 The Children s Bible Reader The Bible contains a substantial amount of stories from the Old and New Testaments, and illustrated in iconographic style. It is written at the upper elementary level, but is easily understood by those younger when read aloud. It is the answer to the many questions of which Bible should I use? Thankfully, it is very well done. GOA 10 Storybooks There are many beautifully illustrated storybooks in print. Request catalogs from Conciliar Press, St. Vladimir s Press, and Hellenic Press. The picture books are not necessarily written for preschoolers, so note the description of the particular books you are interested in. CP, SVS, LL, GOA 11 Enter In: Exploring the Feasts of the Church The program is contained on 4 disks with segments minutes long, in total, 16 segments totaling four hours. The first segment of each disk presents our worship. Segments on three feast days follow the worship presentation. The segments include quotes from the Fathers and Scripture, brief commentary by well-known theologians, and discussion questions. Each disk includes a bibliography. It is excellent in script, presentation, and music. I cannot imagine a more superb inspirational and educational resource. GOA 12 Children s Orthodox Christian School Bulletin (sample pages) Published by a large Orthodox school in Florida, the bulletin for upper elementary students contains articles and page of fun and games. It consists of eight half-pages. It is free to download, and used by hundreds of parishes. 13 The Divine Liturgy Book, and Activity Book The Divine Liturgy book presents the words of the service, and simple drawings. It educates the child by way of sidebar hints, for example, what to look for, listen for, etc., The Divine Liturgy Activity Book is a set of activities, some for older, some for younger, that help children have fun while learning about the Divine Liturgy. AO, OCEC Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 97

99 6.3 Online Resources for Christian Education Revised 7/10/09. Visit and click on resources for the latest version. After General Websites, topics have been arranged alphabetically. Some of the resources can be downloaded. Others are available only in print, but can be ordered online. This list is by no means exhaustive. Please send other recommended sites to MAIN LISTINGS: General Websites Camping Programs Children s Bulletin Church School Director Resource Directories Fine Arts, Games & Activities Joy (Junior Orthodox Youth) Clubs Music Online Lesson Plans Printed Curricula Supplementary Reading Teacher Trainings Vacation Church School/Vacation Bible School General websites: 1. Orthodox Christian Education Commission 2. American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA 3. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America 4. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 5. Orthodox Church in America 6. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 98

100 6.3.2 Camping programs Visit these websites to get an idea of what s involved in running a camp: Antiochian Village Camp St. Andrew s camp Camp St. Raphael has programs for 2 groups: 9-11 and 12-18, and has put its curriculum online at Children s bulletin (see sample handout) St. Nicholas Church publishes the Children s Orthodox Parochial School Bulletin weekly from September through June of each year. The Bulletin is an 8 ½ x 11 paper folded in half and run off in booklet form. The back cover of the bulletin contains a box with the heading "Reproduced by" which allows you to insert your parish name, address, phone number or any other information up to four lines. The section entitled, "The Gospel under the Microscope" examines the Sunday gospel reading and clarifies and comments on its meaning. Other sections are: Focus on a Feast," Did You Know? and "Fun and Games" with word searches or pages to color. Finally, the back cover gives information about St. Nicholas Orthodox Parochial School, Inc, and contains the box "Reproduced by" as mentioned above. The Children's Orthodox Parochial School Bulletin is an excellent resource for parents as well as church school. It can be used as a resource for those classes that are studying the gospel reading as part of their Sunday morning lessons. To view a sample PDF, click on the link at Those who wish to use the Bulletin must establish an account, and log in each week. The bulletin is provided free and posted on Tuesday of each week Church School Directors Resources This superb manual for Church School Directors parallels the course taught at the Orthodox Institute every fall at Antiochian Village: Phyllis Onest has compiled a collection of articles on a wide variety of topics at (click on Resources, then Church School Director Resources). The articles are available to use free of charge; she only asks that you include her name with each article Directories Resource Directory This directory has contact information (mostly phone numbers and postal addresses) for Orthodox institutions, publishers, vendors and service Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 99

101 providers. or go to (Highlights, click on Resource Directory). Yellow Pages Phyllis Onest has an extensive directory of resources at (Click on Resources, then 2005 Yellow Pages for Religious Education). With websites and addresses changing constantly, it s almost an impossible job to keep everything up to date, but even so this directory is well worth your time The arts The Creative Festivals were started by Met. PHILIP to help him personally meet and reward the children at Parish Life conferences. Over the years the PLCs have grown so large that he can no longer attend and interact with all the children personally. However, the Creative Festivals continue to encourage children to use the fine arts (art, poetry, creative writing, and photography) to express their faith. The theme changes each year. Lesson plans and ideas for using the theme throughout the year, as well as guidelines and rules, can be found at or by following the link at Drama A lot of these plays are heavier on narration than on dialogue, which is easier for young children. Older students may enjoy the book (#4), which has more dialogue/memorizing lines. 1. The Trial of Jesus An enactment of Jesus trial; includes 2 scenes and narration. Role-playing like this could be easily adapted for any topic A small collection of plays written and produced by local parishes: 3. Christmas plays available in both HTML and PDF: (Click on Resources Christmas Plays) 4. Playing It up for Christmas to order this book of 5 Christmas plays: r+christmas Games and activities Most of the online games are pencil and paper types. There is certainly a need for churches to submit their more kinesthetic and team activities to aodce@aol.com Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 100

102 Activity books 1. Saints of North America: 74 pages of activities about 12 North American saints whose lives and witness built up the Orthodox Church in America Saints in Times of Trouble: 101 pages of activities and information about 12 saints who suffered extraordinarily for the Orthodox faith. Bible activities 1. Discovering Biblical Meaning in Liturgical Verses 13 pages of verses and scriptural references during the services of Nativity 2. Examining the Nativity of the Theotokos through hymnography and iconography and scripture 3. Holy Women of the Bible read about them & create a team game to identify them by their virtues. This could be easily adapted for any topic. 4. The Theotokos in Scripture & Hymnography an activity to examine and understand the OT references to the Theotokos in our services. Crafts 1. This website looks like a collection of crafts from camp Good instructions on planning, a list of related books and publications, and instructions on making glass and/or laminated icons. (click on Summer Crafts) 3. Celebrate the Feast Days Patterns for stand-up centerpieces for each feast. On this page you will also find several resources and their ordering information. Games This is a collection of fun games for groups. Most don t have a Christian theme, but could be adapted if you wanted to relate it to a particular lesson. Service Projects Here s a good variety of projects for either groups or individuals. Word puzzles You can make your own word puzzles (word searches, crosswords, word scrambles) for free at Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 101

103 6.3.8 JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) Clubs These pre-teen clubs focus on fellowship, instruction, community service projects, arts and crafts, etc. The JOY curriculum can be ordered from Volume 2 of the curriculum can be downloaded from Liturgical Music 1. At the Orthodox Institute in 2005, Liz McMillan taught a course on introducing liturgical music through the Church School. Her class included technical topics such as how to teach pitch and rhythm, practical considerations such as time and place, and the importance of teaching liturgical music. Her material is in the process of being put online. (Music Downloads) 2. Most jurisdictions have a link to their music on their websites. However, many of them are choral arrangements that would be difficult to teach children has an extensive listing of music from different jurisdictions, as well as liturgical music sung by contemporary artists such as Eikona. (Go to to hear a clip of Rejoice O Unwedded Bride.) Most of the links have recorded samples and some also have printed scores available. Non-liturgical Orthodox Music 1. Children s folk-style songs (clips available on right sidebar) a. Gigi Shadid Fruits of the Spirit Kids and adults alike will enjoy this production. Renowned youth worker Gigi (Baba) Shadid produced this awesome folk CD to teach children and to help them grow in their faith in Christ and their love for His holy Church. While many of the songs are directed specifically toward youth, all ages will appreciate the music, lyrics, and Gigi's joyful approach to life and faith. The CD features musical stories about saints, Scriptural passages, and aspects of Church Tradition from a uniquely Orthodox perspective. b. Gigi Shadid Celebrate the Feasts Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 102

104 The much-anticipated sophomore disc from Khouria Gigi (Baba) Shadid is finally here! The CD is a collection of 11 original tunes from American Orthodoxy's favorite female folk singer, plus 16 more tracks of Gigi and friends singing various festal hymns of the Church. Take a listen and you will agree that "Celebrate the Feasts" exceeds all expectations. May God bless Khouria Gigi and all of the work she does for our youth! c. Fr. Michael Shanbour Living in an Orthodox World Youthful energy and theological soundness adorn this disc by former KERYGMA member, Fr. Michael Shanbour. Each song, directly or indirectly, focuses in on a liturgical service or theme in a way that is simple, singable, memorable, and educational. Some songs incorporate portions of prayers, hymnography and melodies from the liturgical services in order to implant a familiarity with and desire for the services of the Church. Features a choir of well-tuned young singers! 2. Other styles by Orthodox artists Check out folk, jazz, classical etc. at Non-orthodox Music 1. Scripture Songs are a very easy way to memorize scripture is to set it to music! Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119: clips available, King James Version 2. Be very careful about using non-orthodox music that is not pure scripture, unless you check with your priest about the theology in it. Be sure to get your priest s blessing before using nonorthodox music in your Christian Education programs Online lesson plans Online lesson plans have their pros and cons. Just the link to your local copy center and pick up the order the next day. If you re computer savvy and have good quality paper at home, you can print them yourself. It s also an easy way to get extra books quickly if you have new students join part way through the year. However, there is an undisputed simplicity to filling out a mail order form and putting a stamp on it instead. At first glance online lessons look like an inexpensive alternative to ordering books. You will save on shipping and handling, but copying still costs, especially for color. We highly recommend that you use both color and good quality paper since they make the material much more attractive to the students. The Antiochian Gospel Program Illustrated handouts of the each Sunday's Gospel for every Sunday are offered at five levels. It is paraphrased for the younger grades, and presented as it will be heard in the liturgy for the older students. With engaging Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 103

105 graphics and great questions, it can be used as the curriculum for a small church school or by parents who wish to read the gospel on Saturday night with their children. Those who have used it report that the children are much more attentive to the Gospel Reading at the Divine Liturgy. A coloring page is included for younger children, as well as two audio files one for the younger children, told by a master storyteller, and one for the older children, a reading of the Gospel. Check out the story for next Sunday at or follow the link at FOCUS units Modules of 5-6 lessons for 5 different age groups. Topics covered are the Journey to Pascha, the growth of Orthodox Christianity in N. America, the Theotokos and the Nativity season. The Hub - A good resource for teens and young adults. Most of these are discussion based. Mini Units Modules of 1-2 lessons for 3-4 different age groups. Some of the lessons are based on the Orthodox Church in America s Youth theme of the year, such as Champions of the Faith. Other topics are suitable for seasonable emphases such as stewardship, charity, and missions, and may work for retreat settings. Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) A single lesson for 4 different age groups, including adult. OCMC is the official international missions and evangelism agency of SCOBA. The lessons highlight mission work and encourage students to support existing missions, join a short-term mission team or consider long-term mission work. The Scribe lessons for Middle School. On the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, Jesus explained to the disciples how the Old Testament pointed to Him as the awaited Messiah. In The Scribe, a fictional first-century journalist is covering current events in Judea. In an effort to write intelligently, he turns to his scholarly scribe friend for help in understanding the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. or follow the link at Printing this curriculum is a little tricky right now because the student activity sheets have been included only in the Teacher Guide and not in the Student handouts. You will have to print one copy for each student, omitting the teacher notes. This will be revised soon. Tithing 4-5 lessons for 4 different age groups. Tithing (giving 10% of our income to the Lord) and stewardship of our resources is important to teach from early childhood. Each year a new series of lessons is created, using various saints as models for us to emulate. The material can be used as an add-on to an existing lesson, or expanded to be a complete lesson in itself. It is recommended that one lesson be taught per month to reinforce the concept throughout the year. or follow the link at There is also a link to priests resources which can be used for short talks or bulletin inserts. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 104

106 Printed curricula OCEC Orthodox Christian Education Commission curriculum can be ordered from Scope & Sequence Good curriculum is written within a scope & sequence that aims to give a comprehensive education to students as they move from pre-k to High School. Scope describes what subjects are taught in various categories such as Biblical, Church History & Tradition, Doctrine. Sequence arranges the materials in an age appropriate order. The S&S for the Orthodox Christian Education Commission is described at m% pdf Knowing Your Faith educational standards for OCEC curriculum K-5. Questions, prayers & icons that summarize what you taught throughout the year. Available in poster format for classroom display and review. Learning Opportunities for Middle and High Schools Many programs and materials are available for Middle and High School students. In the following table, materials from various jurisdictions have been categorized as: 1) Theology, Scripture, History, 2) Liturgy, Spirituality/Morality, and 3) Service, Witness, Saints, and 4) Other ideas. Project Mexico has 3 lessons that can be adapted for different age groups. These lessons give students an opportunity to examine what it means to be poor, hear what Christ instructed us to do for those in need, and learn about Project Mexico s ministry to the poor and orphaned of Mexico. The length and focus of the curriculum make it a great option for Vacation Bible School or a Lenten project. Hopefully, the lessons will be available online or by within the next year. Included are detailed instructions for several different fundraising projects. Printed lessons can be ordered through Supplementary reading Book Discussions. In 1942, one of the founders of the very active Orthodox Youth Movement of Lebanon and Syria was Ignatios Hazim, now His Beatitude IGNATIOS IV. The goal of the movement was to organize and lead a renewal of church life in the Patriarchate of Antioch among ordinary believers. Participants committed themselves to personal and group studies and discussions, and future church leaders emerged, such as Patriarch IGNATIOS and Met. PHILIP. The same thing can be done on a parish level. A church school teacher in Halifax, NS, Canada used this as a model for his teen class. He drafted a reading list and required his students to read two books during the year. They were to give an oral report to the class, as well as a written Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 105

107 report to the parish that could either be posted or printed in the bulletin. Within a few weeks, two students came to him, saying that they had finished their books and asking for more. If these teens continue in this direction, that parish is well on its way to educating its laity and identifying future leaders! Consult with your priest about drafting a reading list. Be sure to include various levels and types of materials for differing abilities in the group. Historical novels about the saints and /or life in the early church would be good choices for pre- or early teens. Eventually there may be a few participants who would like to meet together as a book club to read and discuss a common book. Once again, consult with your priest to make sure the content is true to the Orthodox faith. Some publishers group their catalogues according to age levels. Conciliar Press Holy Cross Light and Life (available only in print) St. Vladimir s Press Thomas Nelson, Inc. LCATALOG.pdf There are several more publishing houses listed at (Click on Resources Yellow Pages for Religious Education, p. 2) For guidelines in teaching students how to read for content: (click on Teaching Devices: Reading Strategies for All Content Areas) For help in starting and leading a book club, check out: (How to lead a book discussion group #1-#7 at top of page) Cross and Quill This web-based publication by and for teens is no longer in production. However, it yielded a harvest of over 100 very good articles during the two-plus years it existed. Most articles come with a response column containing questions to guide discussions. They are available individually by reviewing the index and clicking on the article you wish to download. Reference Books Following Bible Journeys A list of books that provide background readings, Bible references, maps and charts Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 106

108 Teacher trainings Workshops Trainers are available to come to your parish to conduct a workshop designed to train church school teachers. Two workshops are offered: basic and advanced, each consisting of three 2-hour sessions. To view brochures describing the workshops or to host a workshop, go to and click on Training Events. Orthodox Institute for Christian Education This pan-orthodox institute is held annually at Antiochian Village and features a different theme each year. Participants can choose from approximately 20 different classes to attend, including the Teacher Training Workshops (above). Click on the link at and follow the links to view a PDF flyer describing the classes Vacation Church School/Vacation Bible School 1. This page describes many details, such as choosing a theme, daily schedule, choir rehearsal, etc The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has published the first of three VCS programs: The Twelve Great Feastdays, available only in print. It is designed for 5 half-day sessions for ages 5-11, but includes suggestions for adapting it to different schedules and ages. It is available for purchase at A flyer can be viewed at Adapt materials mentioned above: Camp St. Raphael has programs for 2 groups: 9-11 and 12-18, and has put its curriculum online at Activity books, etc.: 1. Saints of North America: 2. Saints in Times of Trouble: 3. FOCUS units 4. Mini Units 5. Project Mexico 4. Read a blog that describes how VCS/VBS changed someone s life: Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 107

109 6.4 Learning Opportunities for Middle and High School For the most recent version, visit and click on Curriculum. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 108

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114 6.5 The Mustard Seed The Mustard Seed is a feature of the Department of Christian Education. The task of this website is to provide suggestions and advice for small church schools; however, Church School Directors of small, medium, and large schools can benefit. If you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains. Matthew 17:20 Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 113

115 Bigger, Not Better the Small Church School, by Catherine Sullivan, from The Mustard Seed Westerners, particularly Americans, often feel that bigger is better. Bigger cities, bigger wardrobes, bigger fast-food meals. Even those of us in the church often fall for this fallacy. We feel we need large numbers of converts and newcomers, larger parishes, and church schools which are bursting at the seams. This often seems to us to spell success. In many ways however, particularly in terms of the church school, bigger is not always better. The reality of the American Church is that it is spread over thousands of square miles, with parishes often separated from each other by hundreds of miles. Most of our parishes and church schools are small, and we need to start looking for the positive aspects of this situation, of which there are many. First of all, in a smaller parish, church school students get to be more integrated into parish life. Often their teachers may be the same people who are the lay leaders: parish council members, choir singers and readers. There just aren t enough people for each to take on only one job. A larger percentage of the parish is involved in church school than in a bigger parish, and thus the people of the parish feel they have more invested personally, and are much more aware of what goes on in the church school, as well as having heightened interest. Because students are fewer, older parishioners may even have to step in and interact with the children, playing parts in plays or pageants, for example, which proves fun for all ages, and helps bond the generations together. Secondly, as any teacher can tell you, small classes have great interpersonal advantages. The teacher develops a closer relationship with the students. She (or he) gets to know not only the children well, but their families as well. In addition, it is far easier to teach and give attention to four or five than it is to thirty. As well, it is far easier to be spontaneous: to be free to change the lesson around if it seems appropriate. The teacher does not need to worry about deviating from what another teacher of that grade is teaching. Lastly, but not unimportantly, discipline issues are usually non-existent or at least much less prevalent in the smaller environment. It is easier to be proactive, and to be on top of potential problems. When the teacher knows the parents well, this usually eliminates many problems too, as the children soon discover that news of misbehavior (or successes!) will quickly reach their parents. Having a smaller church school can actually provide a more enriching experience for the students. If the teacher wants to show her students the difference between Orthodox worship and Presbyterian worship for example, she can take her students to a Presbyterian church in her car or van to see for themselves! No complicated and costly scheduling and bus rentals. Transportation for field trips is a lot easier, and admission fees to be paid by the church school are less. The smaller enrollment also makes it easier to tailor-make outside experiences; places and experiences which are closed to large groups may be perfect for a smaller church school; for example, visiting in a nursing home. In closing, let s remember that there are many advantages to the smaller school. There are additional possibilities, and also, there are few activities in which the small church school cannot participate, perhaps with a little tailoring. Let s remember also, that our little church schools are just as effective in educating our children and in exposing them to the Kingdom of Heaven! Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 114

116 Ten Points for Maintaining High Standards in Smaller Church Schools by Catherine Sullivan from The Mustard Seed 1. Class should meet every Sunday for the full minutes. (classes should meet for at least 35 weeks per year, and a minimum of 45 minutes) 2. Classes should have (and follow) a real Orthodox curriculum, even if this is selfdesigned. 3. No story telling or favorite topics should get in the way of the day s material. 4. Use only experienced, trained * teachers, or have those who are not, work with someone more experienced if possible. 5. Make sure all teachers have ongoing training and regular meetings together with the church school director. 6. Run the church school professionally, using: a. application forms for teachers/volunteers b. student registration day c. church school announcements in bulletins, newsletters, posters, web site, and sent home with students d. keep attendance, and recognize good attendance e. have programs and pageants just as you would in a larger church school 7. Involve the parish: a. have open house and programs to which all are invited. b. have a supply drive, soliciting donations of pencils, crayons, colored paper, etc. c. have a display once or twice a year in a central place, showing student s work, art projects, and the curriculum you use d. ask the priest to talk up church school just before it opens, and have him recognize the teachers in some way 8. Place is important. Make sure each class has: a quiet place in which to meet, good lighting, enough tables and chairs, a whiteboard/chalkboard, and wastebasket, as well as a supply container which includes pencils, pens, pencil sharpener, crayons, paste, paper, colored paper, tape, scissors and glue sticks. 9. Have a high standard for student behavior. Students should be reasonably attentive and respectful of the teacher and others. If a student is out of control, he should not be in the class with others who are trying to learn. Call Mom or Dad! 10. Last but certainly not least, include prayer in the package. Pray about your class and lesson before hand, pray with your students in class, and model for them how to pray for themselves and (especially) others. Remember, high standards foster a good learning environment where your students can learn about their faith, and see examples of how to live an Orthodox life. Even though you will probably not see many instant rewards, what you say and do can have profound effect on your students later. You are helping foster the future Orthodox Christian laity, deacons, priests, church school directors, choir directors, etc. What an awesome thing that is, and what an important position you hold! Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 115

117 6.6 Let Us Attend! Sunday Gospel Program Illustrated handouts of the each Sunday's Gospel for every Sunday are offered at five levels with discussion questions by the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education. The Gospel is paraphrased for the younger grades, and presented as it will be heard for the older students. Engaging graphics and great questions--it can be used as the curriculum for a small church school, or by parents who wish to read the gospel on Saturday night with their children. Those who have used it report that the children are much more attentive to the Gospel Reading at the Divine Liturgy. Two audio files are available each Sunday--one for the younger children, told by a master storyteller, and one for the older children, a reading of the Gospel. You can also subscribe to the audio files as a podcast, courtesy of Ancient Faith Radio. Visit and click on the Let Us Attend link. Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 116

118 Sample Let Us Attend handout Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 117

119 6.7 Phyllisonest.com Church School Directors Manual 2010 Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education 118

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