Tag Archives: 1st grade

A Crown Of Glory

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Anabelle asked a question about loving God more than anything. As a teacher, I believe  great questions are a gift from the student. It gives us the privilege to share, though our experiences, and compliments us, through them showing interest in the subject matter we are passionate about teaching. Questions help us to learn and grow. Matthew 7:7 teaches us to, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

With Anabelle’s question, I was able to share with our class, my personal story. Years ago, while giving my four year old daughter a shower, this thought came to me. “Whom do you love more?” I stopped for a second, as I thought about that. So, I started to pray, “Lord, I love you more. You gave her to me and without that gift I would not have her.” As my daughter got out of the shower, she looked up at me and asked, “Mommy, who do you love more, me or God.” I smiled, and thanked God for preparing me for that question. As I knelt down and looked into her eyes, I said, “Honey, I love God more.” As her eyes widened, I continued with, “Because God gave you to me. If He didn’t, I wouldn’t have you. And, I am so grateful that He has blessed me with your love!” With that she smiled.

As we age, the more we can share. With experiences, come a greater understanding. As each day unfolds, I find myself relating more to Proverbs 16:31, “Gray hair is a crown of glory…” And you can’t buy that! “For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:4

To my students:

Through all our class’s great moments this year, I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know Alexa, Lucas, Ryan, Chase, Nicholas, Joseph, Anabelle, Adrienne, Lily, Dominic, Colin, Gianni, Siena, Anjali, Isabella, Sebastian, Ella, Ian, Matthew, Nicolas, Mark & Ben. God made all of you very special. Just remember always to say, “Present” when your name is called, because you are a gift! I will miss you all very much, as you move up to the second grade and prepare for your first Holy Communion. May God bless you always!

“Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”     2 Timothy 3:14-15

Many blessings,

Deanna Danielle

Here is our latest and greatest iMovie, on YouTube.
You can view it at:
201 Boulevard 2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Lih3Feitk

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Class of 20014, you did a great job! Keep up the good work!

Easter Blessings

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For our last class before Easter break, I thought it would be fun if we had an Easter Egg Hunt. As we entered the classroom, Chase and Ryan were the first to notice some hidden eggs. Their eyes widened and a look came over their faces that expressed, THIS IS GREAT! At that, they yelled out “Eggs,” pointing to the ones they saw. The next thing I knew, the whole class, like little chicks on the loose, were off and running. My natural instincts came into play; a quick “Uh uh,” slang for, “Don’t do it; stop right where you are.” It was like a game of freeze tag. They all stopped mid motion. I said, “Come back to the door, prayer first.”

I find it best to first huddle together on our knees in prayer before they go to their seats. It’s the best place to thank God and pray for everyone we love, and to pray for each other. Also, to introduce our lesson for the day and new classmates. At that point, I welcomed Nicolas. We now have twenty first-graders in our class.

Today, I read our class, The Story of Easter. The story was about a little girl named Alice who loved to read her favorite Bible stories. One day, when Alice was sitting in her garden reading, a giant screen appeared before her. As Alice got up and walked through the screen, she entered the land of the Bible, and had the privilege to walk though the story of Easter. It was here that she saw how much God loves us. How, through Jesus and His death on the Cross, “He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.” 1 Timothy 2:6

As I spread this great love of our Lord to our class, it is my prayer that they will always hold on to this awesome truth. The Cross–there is so much to be said about it. What man could think in God way? None. Only through the Holy Spirit of God, could we understand. Why did God the Father choose a cross, with all the other ways to die, why a cross? That is the simplicity of God’s love, found anywhere and everywhere. It’s the arms stretched out to hug and hold, comfort and love anyone who choses to come into them. If only we would.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Easter Blessing today and always,

Deanna Danielle

 

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All Hands Are In

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The greatest love anyone could ever know, is to know God’s awesome love for them. This is why it brings me great joy to teach about our faith. As my class and I gathered around in a tight-knit circle, I held Noah’s Arc puzzle flashcards. I believe working together makes life a little easier and more enjoyable. So, with teams of two, I gave every team a piece of the puzzle.

I shared with our class the story of Noah and how God called him to do what no one had ever done before, and that was to become the first major shipbuilder. God told Noah to go into the ark with his whole family and take with him seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate. He also took seven pairs of the male and female of every kind of bird. It rained for forty days and nights, as Noah, his family and all the animals sailed on to a place where only faith in God could take them.

I shared with our class how Noah did everything just as God commanded. Reflecting upon this story, I thought about how it took a team, God’s team, to bring about this fresh new start. Keeping that huge ship clean and orderly could only work with everyone giving it their all by working together; cleaning up, feeding the animals, collecting eggs, and tending to all the needs that took place. We even get a glimpse of how the raven and the dove helped out, by seeing if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. As I share the meaning of these beautiful scriptures with our class, it is important to me that I show them the joy of working together. With a piece of the puzzle in hand, along with team work, they put all the pieces together. From the unknown to the beautiful, all hands were in. They all had fun working together.

 Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it best, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

May God bless you always,

Deanna Danielle

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The Good Shepherd

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The chapter we covered this week in class talked about how good shepherds love and care for their sheep. It also shared how Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. We learned a lot about the nature of sheep. Sheep have very interesting personality traits, many similar to us. We also learned how good shepherds are a reflection of God’s love for us.

In this chapter, all the kids had the opportunity to pretend that they had a little sheep. I believe that once they learned they had to give it a name, they became very close to the it. When I asked them about the name they chose and why, they all gave more or less the same response; “Because I love that person, they are very special to me.” Anabelle said, she chose the names, Mary and God, for that reason alone.

I turned on a video as I shared how they are all very special, and will always be, because God made them and gave them all a meaning and purpose. The film was about a little crippled sheep who felt left out and different. This then brought him a lot of anger, to the point of going out into the wilderness on his own. He wanted to prove to the rest of the sheep that he did not need them. This pride brought the little sheep into great danger as he faced a giant lion. This made Siena turn to me and say, “My hands are sweating!” As she waited fearfully of what was going to happen. Sure enough, just as the great lion was getting ready to feast, the Good Shepherd interceded and saved him.

Even after the blessing of being saved, the little sheep was not very happy. He was still crippled and different from the rest. Then, one night when all the sheep were on their way to the green pasture, he had to stay back at the barn. On this night, there was one very bright star in the sky, and a lovely lady and her husband entered the barn. Next the little sheep realized that a beautiful baby boy was just born. Then, the couple looked around for something to help keep their newborn baby warm on that cold night. The little crippled sheep realized, for the first time, that God had a great purpose for him. The little sheep would be the one to help keep the newborn baby warm.

After the film, I said, “Look at my lips. There is something I want you to remember always.” They asked, “You want us to remember your lips?” I said, “No, I want you to remember not only what I say, but I want you to see what I am saying. I want it to be seen with your eyes, heard with your ears and received in your heart. God made you very special, and has great plans for you.” I have to say, that all their little smiles, are enough to make a teacher feel the presence of God’s great love in the room.

 When we feel broken, it is truly a time when we see the hand of God in action, protecting us. As the psalm of David says, in psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

May God bless you always,

Deanna Danielle

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Through a Child’s Eyes…

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 Looking back at our last class blog, I cannot believe it was in the month of November. Since then, we’ve celebrated Christmas and entered into a brand new year. As I reflect upon our classes that have passed, I ponder thoughts for upcoming sessions. Lessons on how to keep the kids engaged and enthusiastic, in learning about our faith.

From coloring, to our workbook, working on a project to role playing, or watching a movie to telling stories. All the kids have their favorite activity. However, the two most sought-after requests, besides being a class helper, that I am asked are: “When are we going to pick out of the treasure chest?” and “Are we going to have a snack today?” Seasons may come and go, years may pass; nevertheless, human nature has always remained the same. Seeking out the treasures in life and filling our bellies, have always been a top-priority.

Through a child’s eyes, there is so much we can learn. Being a teacher and a mom, I have to say that “I may prepare a lesson, or provide the meal, but somehow, I always leave with the treasure.” Whether it’s something astonishing that a student shares, or the simplicity of when my little girl says, “Hey mom, this spoon has a happy face…”  You know it could only be God’s grace touching the heart.

So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ~ Hebrews 4:16  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. ~ Ephesians 3:18

And, if I may say so myself, “That would even make the spoon smile :)”

Blessings always,                                                                                                           Deanna Danielle

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We’re Thankful For…

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Little hands, colorful paper, and thoughts of what we are grateful for, helped to make our Thanksgiving turkeys this year.  As we prepare to celebrate this festival that began with the Pilgrims back in 1621. I asked our class to share what they were grateful for. For Alexa, it’s God and Jesus; Lucas, his garden; and Ryan, his house. Dominic, Chase, Nick, Joseph and Annabelle are grateful for family. Adrienne is thankful for the earth; Lily, for oxygen; and Mark, for his faith.

Today, our program also had its annual Thanksgiving food collection.  All the items went to our church’s food pantry. This will help feed many people here in our own home town this Thanksgiving. Together, all the students filled 100 bags! So, I like to say; Way to Go! Great job!

At our prayer service, I had the privilege to read  beautiful scripture of Jesus feeding over five thousand people. Matthew 14:13-21, “When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.’ Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them here to Me,’ He said. And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”

This reminds me that Jesus was truly the One who taught us about Thanksgiving. He not only preached this, but lived by example. Whether He was feeding four thousand, five thousand, or God only knows how many more not listed in scripture. We see our Lord’s divine ability to completely meet the needs of all the Earth. This, in itself, is an awesome  blessing to be grateful for. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, this Thanksgiving, as we’re thankful for all the wonderful things in our lives, may we join together to pray for the poor, the homeless, the orphans, and the widows. Let us pray for all the needs of others and the needs of ourselves. May you be blessed with peace, happiness and great health this Thanksgiving season and always!

Deanna Danielle

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

How to Get to Know Someone

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The only way to truly get to know someone is by the amount of time we spend with them. Having a class of 19 first-graders once a week, for only an hour and a half makes getting to know every one of them both joyful and challenging.

For our first day of class this year, I decided to prepare pin style name badges for each of the students. When I was through with writing their names, I was afraid the pin might stick them. So, to avoid this, I taped the badges to ribbon and created necklaces. These cute lanyards would now serve three purposes: First, to get to know their names, Second, I could use it as a class lesson, sharing with them that they are a gift from God, thirdly, they are recyclable and we can use them each week.

Three weeks have passed since our second class. One week the school closed for a tornado watch and the last two weeks I had been attending seminars. So, returning this week, I thought I’d keep it simple and make old-fashioned stick-on name tags. Funny how the kids remembered our routine, as they approached me asking for their name tag necklaces. Taken by surprise, I have to thank God for the new opportunity I had. I was able to share with them how we began with the ribbon necklace so they can see how they are all gifts from God. Now, today, we have name tags, because every gift has a name tag on it, and they are all presents to their families, me and everyone they meet.

There is a saying that I have come to know because it describes a part of me very well. It goes like this, “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.” I have to say, I’m still working on remembering everyone’s name. However, their little personalities speak loudly. From those who are there, ready to respond, to those who are a little more quiet, and still those who find the chairs a little too uncomfortable to sit in for too long. This is the beauty of being a teacher. It is my prayer that as I get to know them, that they get to know our Loving Lord through their involvement in our class lessons. The truth is, “How to Get to Know Someone” is truly by the gift of time we have to spend with them.

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”   John1:1-4

Many Blessings,                                                                                                                    Deanna Danielle

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New Friends

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From our first game of speed meeting to setting up play dates, 201 Boulevard’s 1st grade class is moving up! From our first blog, ‘ Hello Everyone! Welcome to the 1st grade’ to our last blog, ‘New Friends’, I have to say, it was a really sweet experience…

While our class watched a video, I took them aside one by one. As we sat in the little chairs facing each other, I asked them what they’ve learned. It has to be one of the greatest gifts, as a catechist, to hear a student say, as Ally did, “I learned Jesus loves me, God blessed me, and how to pray.”  This is the same Ally who asked, “…deliver us from evil.” , what does that mean?” and also “Did they get haircuts back then?” As a teacher, I love to see my students seeking questions that will bless them with A Day of Discovery!

Throughout the school year, there have been times when we’ve had a Change Of Plans or relied on Improvisation. For instance, when there were no costumes to play the part of Mary and Joseph, and we used pink tissue on Paula’s head and the paper towels on Jack’s as they embraced baby Jesus. Or, when Ewan raised his hand and asked, “I eat apples, am I bad?” I’m so grateful to have God with us as we enter these precious moments and respond to  sensitive questions! Let me not forget our game of Volleyball, when the hands of Emma and Salvatore were used for our scoreboard.

Whether we are going through the The Storms of Life where we can be encouraged by David defeating Goliath, (even if I have to ask, does anyone know what a giant is?) Or, when Gianluca drew a picture of his fish and himself, reflecting on Unconditional Love, we know there is  A Time For… everything. There is also a time when students leave a great Impression on their teacher. I’ll never forget when my nephew, Ben, brought one of those special moments when he shared, “I prayed to God, and He healed me!” As Charlotte said it so perfectly, “Love is a gift from God.”

So, it could be that Aidan M, becoming the new Pope Patrick or that Aidan S. Is sharing what he learned about Noah having all the animals on the boat, and that God is love. Also, it could be Ashley and Salvatore’s picture being in the Catholic New York newspaper for You’re in My Heart Haiti orphan project. Or, Gianluca and Samantha reenacting a Baptism and naming their baby Jackson. Or, any of the following; Patrick’s little ways, that remind me of ‘The Little Rascals.’ Nikolaus, who is saving for a motorcycle already, Mary, who is always there ready to make things happen, and of course Elizabeth, who came to class with a different braided coiffure every week, and impressed me each time (being a stylist, I just had to mention that). I felt very blessed to have been a part of their little lives, Planting Seeds and watching Blooming Gardens.

I would like to take a moment to share something Samantha said to me, “God is special to us,” and a part of the class that she will always remember is our helpers, Dominique, Kristen, Gabby, and her new friends! (thanks Samantha for giving me the title for our class Blog 🙂

This is my Thanksgiving Prayer. I thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Jesus, your Son, and the grace of Your Holy Spirit, who guides us always. Thank you for the blessings of our families, and the New Friends that we’ve become with each other.  As it is written, “And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness—and he was called a friend of God.” James 2:23. Thank You for being our Lord and for the privilege of being your friend. May peace, happiness and great health be with us always, and when we look at the Cross may we forever see a Big Hug!  Amen.

P.S. Thank you, Ben, for bringing in the World’s Best Mom project for all the kids. Also, Jack, for putting in so much time setting up the freeze dance game for our class. You helped make it an extra special day!

Many blessings,

Deanna

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