FOR

A service of Faith Catholic

WHAT’S INSIDE:

• Tips for success

• Tricks to make learning fun

• Teaching religion at home

• How to organize your day PLUS! online resources

SCHOOL-AT-HOME GUIDE FOR CATHOLIC FAMILIES

Helpful tips for teaching at home during the COVID-19 crisis • Connect with your online for Mass. If your parish isn’t streaming Sunday Mass, visit watchthemass.com for live and taped Masses. As you would on Sunday, gather the family together, sit respectfully as you watch the liturgy, pray along (but no need to stand or kneel) and say a prayer of spiritual communion in lieu of receiving the Eucharist. • Pray together as a family. Take turns reading the daily Scripture aloud and have an informal Bible study over break- RELAX — fast, discussing what the readings reveal to you that day. you’re already a • During family prayer, include your own version of the prayers of the faithful with prayer intentions from religion teacher! each family member. In particular, pray for: • The Church, Francis, all the clergy, and especially for our pastor and parish staff • Those who are leading nations, states and ithout the support of Catholic communities through the COVID-19 crisis W religion classes or parish religious • Health care workers education programs, many parents are • Those who are sick and suffering, and their families, concerned about how to “teach religion” and those with other health issues whose treatments during the mandated period of social are being affected by the crisis • Those who are dying and who will die alone, distancing. In fact, for many parents, the idea and for their families of holding at-home religion classes makes • Pray a family and have each member lead them feel inadequate, since few Catholics have a decade, and everyone shares intentions. formal training in theology. • Have a crucifix in a prominent place in the home, and in every bedroom. If your children don’t have them, There’s good news about teaching the Good News! You make them as a craft project during school-at-home. don’t need a degree in theology. You need only to remember • Talk freely about the presence of God during these that your family represents a domestic Church, and your role uncertain days. When reading the news, look for uplifting is to lead your flock toward a closer relationship with Jesus stories of neighbors helping neighbors, heroic health care Christ. We know that times of crisis often serve as a catalyst workers, and others who demonstrate sacrificial love. to growing in faith. Catholic educators recommend respond- • Allow your children to witness you in private ing to the COVID-19 public health crisis by demonstrating to prayer. Encourage your children to pray daily on their children the vital role your faith plays in your daily life. You’ll own, to listen for God’s call and, if heard, to respond. be teaching by example, and your lessons may make a lasting Order a prayer journal online for each family member. impression that could inspire your children for years to come. • For more ideas on how to build your home as a domestic While you’re at home with your kids, try these ideas to Church, visit www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/programs/ practice and demonstrate the faith: family-fully-alive/10162-family-fully-alive-booklet.pdf

For more helpful articles and resources on schooling kids at home please visit www.dioceseofspokane.org/school-at-home GETTY IMAGES/SKYNESHER

Flexible schoolwork in the morning ORGANIZE THE DAY FOR Students in grades five through eight are capable of a fair amount of self-directed learning, especially in SCHOOL-AT-HOME literature-based courses. For assignments that involve reading from textbooks or novels, they may only need a few minutes with a parent for direction. Depending hen you’re teaching at home, you’ll be more successful if you on the number of children engaged in school-at-home, W abandon the idea of replicating a regular school day and, parents can decide to spend blocks of time with each instead, create an easy-to-learn routine. Imagine the day in blocks, one individually throughout the day, working on several divided by mealtimes that create natural breaks. Meals could be the subjects during their one-on-one time. In addition, since several children at home may be sharing a computer, anchors attached to the clock, since setting a designated breakfast, the day may look different for each child — one may be lunch and dinner time can help manage childrens’ expectations. working on schoolwork for the morning while another Activities in between can be fluid to reflect that varying amount of enjoys playtime until the laptop is free. time children need to accomplish the day’s goals. (Note: experienced homeschoolers say the kitchen should be “closed” between meals, to Participate in online learning keep from daylong grazing that isn’t healthy and can get expensive.) During this unprecedented public health crisis, schools have rallied to offer continuity of learning plans and online learning opportunities for students. Many Up and at ‘em! teachers are sending daily emails with assignments that While you don’t have to set the alarm for an early are due online. Whether they’re joining a Facebook start as you would for a typical school day, establish a Live class or watching a lesson previously recorded and routine by choosing a regular time to start the day. Stu- posted to YouTube, students will likely be engaged with dent athletes might begin with a short workout. Morn- technology for big chunks of the day. For this reason, ing chores include making beds, picking up clothes, it’s even more important that children enjoy tech-free brushing teeth and getting dressed for the day. Children recreation when their schoolwork is done. also can help the household by folding laundry, empty- ing the dishwasher, and walking the dog. Playtime, exercise, games, music, and more The school-from-home day ends much sooner than Breakfast and Planning a typical school day, since working independently on Whether breakfast is a communal meal fixed by assignments takes less time without the elements of mom or another family member, or everyone prepares structure that a school day requires. The result? You their own, begin the routine by sitting down together may announce “Class dismissed!” just in time for lunch, to pray, eat, and map out the day. Imagine this as a leaving the afternoon open for free play, board games, “team meeting” where the game plan is chalked out. exercise, practicing an instrument, or engaging in a Each child should leave the table with a list of tasks hobby. Keep in mind that fifth- through eighth-graders that needs to be accomplished during the day, as well are extremely social creatures who need to keep up with as a review of longer-term assignments that might be friends through texts, calls and social media. Having worked on, but not completed. When the dishes are time for this is a great incentive for a productive morn- cleared and the table is clean, it’s time to start school. ing of schoolwork. Make school-at-home memorable and fun for — fourth graders

Years from now, younger children may not remember every- thing about the 2020 school year, when coronavirus disrupted the world and sent them home for weeks of remote learning. But they may recall the memorable things their parents did to make the experience both educational and fun. Use these tips to harness the energy and curiosity of early-grade students:

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TAKE BRAIN BREAKS. • Play music and freeze dance ENCOURAGE SELF- GET MOVING! • Do an online exercise class • Play Sparkle with counting DIRECTED LEARNING. If weather allows: • Set up devoted spaces in your • Go outside and use nature or spelling words • Cook or bake together home for hands-on learning to help you learn • Set out sensory bins, blocks, • Create a scavenger hunt • Play board games, do a puzzle, paint or draw Play Doh, coloring sheets, • Take a walk and talk about etc. for free play God’s creation • Let your child help to • Work on gross motor skills determine the schedule by setting up a mini obstacle for the day course, hopscotch, throw/kick • Post a checklist on the a ball fridge for your child to track • Use sidewalk chalk to practice his or her own progress on name writing, numbers and/ assignments or drawing • Create Catholic crosswords and word search games If weather is not ideal, adapt online at wordmint.com to the indoor environment: • Play tennis with paper plates and a balloon • Jump rope in the basement • Sort/build with Legos • Do science experiments in the kitchen • Watch GoNoodle Movement GO ON A VIRTUAL

and mindfulness videos at GETTY IMAGES/PEOPLEIMAGES FIELD TRIP! www.gonoodle.com • Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems — Kennedy Center www.kennedy-center.org/ USE TECHNOLOGY education/mo-willems PRODUCTIVELY. • Daily animal visits and • Use online resources like crafts from the Cincinnati ABCya, BrainPOP, ABC Mouse Zoo and St. Louis Aquarium or Catholic Brain • Live webcams and STEM • Use FaceTime, Facebook Live or activities from NASA Zoom to connect with teachers • Virtual museum tours, such and school friends as the White House or the • Since screen time use will go up Vatican! for online learning, try to limit recreational screen time

GETTY IMAGES/PHOTOINC Dos for high-school- Don’ts at-home

Do make a schedule. With- Do pray for guidance. When you Don’t expect perfection, out the threat of tardies and detention, catch yourself being caught up in the stress from yourself or your high-schoolers studying at home might of work and school and everything that usu- teen. Don’t put too much pressure not start their day until 11 a.m., but they ally happens in separate places, all going on on yourself to become a teacher or can still have a schedule to help them feel at your kitchen island or dining room table, expert overnight on the subjects secure. Set specific times for breakfast take a deep breath and ask the Holy Spirit your teen is learning. Many teachers (or brunch!), lunch and dinner. Include to show you the next right thing you can are offering online office hours and times for online learning, homework, do to keep your family moving in the right encourage students to ask them chores and socializing. direction in this uncharted territory. questions and discuss potential learning difficulties. If your child Do encourage your teen to Don’t be too hard on yourself is struggling, encourage him or her get dressed, even if it’s switching if your kids don’t keep their to contact the teacher and seek out from PJs to sweatpants. It might feel like schedule. There will be another day online educational resources. an extended weekend, but online learning to get yourself, and your teenager, back on often includes video conferencing and track. With the uncertainty and anxiety Don’t forget to have virtual classrooms with students looking over the coronavirus pandemic, you are compassion. Our students are at each other and their teacher. Putting on teaching your child that it is OK to take a critically aware of the unprecedent- an outfit that might normally be worn to moment, or the day, to let yourself relax, be ed times they are living through. hang out with friends, or go to practice, still, and find peace by just being together. Many are mourning the loss of aban- lets their brain know it’s time to wake up. doned sports seasons, prom dates, Don’t do the hard work daily interaction with friends and fa- Do let your student talk to for them. High school teachers and vorite teachers and maybe even their their friends. Whether through administrators often set up situations that high school graduation. Now is the phone calls, FaceTime, a video confer- are designed to encourage the students to time to pray for patience, wisdom ence, or interactive video games, find a be independent and responsible for their and the ability to understand there way you are comfortable with for them to own work. Make sure that you are doing could be a real reason for all that communicate with other students their the same. teenage angst. age. Remember, most students are used to being with friends anywhere from seven to 12 hours a day (including after school activities and practice times). Letting them blow off some steam with friends suffering through the same circumstances can boost their mood and make them feel less isolated.

Do make sure you are con- necting as a family during this time. It’s easy for everyone to be on their individual electronic devices, talking online to friends and doing their homework in isolation. Gather together at least once a day without electronics in a relaxed setting to eat, joke, share concerns, pray and express gratitude. You have a captive audience, it’s a great time for family movie nights and to share your favorite cookie recipes. When you make the cookies, eat them together!

GETTY IMAGES/SOLSTOCK GETTY IMAGES/FG TRADE the impactthispandemichasonourstudents,staff, and families. in ourSpokane Catholic community andwe aredeeplysaddenedby families duringthishealthcrisis.Ourschools playanimportantrole continue theirdedication toeducating and formingstudentsand THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS expectation. For this,we couldn’t torisen thischallenge andexceeded teachers andadministrators have serve. Over thepastfewweeks, our academic excellence to thosethey provide solidfaithformation and resources, our teachers continueto proving thisto With betrue. limited ever, theyare and shiningbrightly education, andnowmore than and creative intheirapproach to have beencalledto beflexible parents andstudentsat home OFFERS ENCOURAGEMENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLSKATIE RIECKERS SPOKANE DIRECTOR OF Catholic educators historically withintheDiocese of Spokane communication, well organized. school andteachers. Proactive, great Well done!” support thanotherschool sectors. organized with the planningand appreciate allofthesupport!!” painless! Weexperience sincerely are encouragedbytheirwords: positive andaffirmingfeedback be more proud. We have heard such “I amsuperimpressed withthe “Catholic Schools are farmore “Thank you formakingthis

challenging time.” he willseeusthroughthis hope andourstrength, hands of Christ.Godisour they stilltouch themwith the distant fromtheirstudents, Even thoughteachers are

Catholic education. to continuetheChurch’s of ministry Catholic communityfortheability now. We askfortheprayers ofour thischallengingtime. during stability ofourfamilypartnerships and creativity ofourschoolsandthe our heartfelt prayers forallofyou. time.” We, asalways,willcontinue will seeusthrough thischallenging is ourhopeandstrength, andhe God them withthehandsofChrist. from theirstudents,theystilltouch “Even thoughteachers are distant together intruth.” illusion ofinvulnerabilityandlive call inthisseasonisto throw offthe responsible foroneanother. The is ultimately dependentandwe are we have notbefore thateachofus now,brings where we feelinaway on thelessonoflossthatsuffering Maybe ournewnormalwillbuild consider andcrave as‘normal.’ begin to changewhatwe ourselves ‘after’ allofthis,perhaps we can is notanew‘normal’intheworld and dependentwe are. Even ifthere to recognize justhowvulnerable of thisseasonisthatwe are forced South Bendrecently wrote “The gift at theUniversity ofNotre Damein looks differently.” something consistent, even ifit from theirteachers. Ithelpskeep the love, guidanceandsupport that mykidscontinueto receive consistency onadailybasis.” uncertainty to have thissupport and We are thistimeof luckyduring We take comfort inthestrength saiditbest, One ofourprincipals Leonard J. DeLorenzo, aprofessor “I take great comfort knowing we are right together than been stronger we’ve ever I don’t think strong, and community to keep our team effort It’s a truly ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A CATHOLIC To view the entire placemat series, visit store.faithcatholic.com

NAME THAT Born the son of Italian sharecrop- pers and one of 13 children, this saint was elected pope on October 28, 1958, at the age of 77. Because of his age, many expected him to be a “stop gap” pope, but he was very active during his papacy. This saint was known for slipping out of the Vatican late at night to walk the streets of Rome, and he was the first pope in the 20th century to make pastoral visits to prisons and hospitals in the Diocese of Rome. This saint is best known for con- vening the less than three months after his election to the papacy. He had no detailed plan for the council other than a very general idea of aggior- namento, or “bringing up to date,”

and a desire to seek Christian unity. ACROSS 6 This longest in Western Asia Answer: Pope Saint John XXIII John Saint Pope Answer: 2 Mary’s, not Jesus’ conception has a Tigris for a sister 8 This “Poor Lady” was one of 7 C’mon you know you want to; St. Francis’ first followers it’ll make you feel good 9 Jones, Evan Almighty, 11 Reputed as the founder of the and St. Louis (sort of) , this saint really 10 The Eternal City could preach it CATECHISM QUIZ 12 First native-born 14 Proclamation of the word North American saint occurs here , and Faith hope charity 13 Unleavened bread, bloody 15 Suffered 10 plagues are known as ... doorposts, death of first-born sons the human virtues a. 16 United States Conference of b. the theological virtues Catholic Bishops c. the cardinal virtues d. the ecclesial virtues DOWN

Entire group of organized bod- charity. charity. 1

(CCC 1813) (CCC ies that help the pope govern

There are three: faith, hope and and hope faith, three: are There Body and soul, “up” Mary did go foundation of Christian moral activity. activity. moral Christian of foundation 3

From the word meaning The theological virtues are the the are virtues theological The 4 “tenth,” one-tenth of something

Answer: (b) the theological virtues. virtues. theological the (b) Answer: 5 Peasant, roses, tilma, basilica SCHOOL-AT-HOME can be fun with the help of online resources

Most teachers are providing excellent lesson plans for learning at home, but parents can add to those lessons with resources that encourage learning through games and educational videos. If your school-at-home day needs a boost, try these sites for something new!

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Safe Search and Tech Social Studies and Geography Amazon Audible Kiddle Tour the States Free books for all students, Kid-Safe search engine Tour the States song no subscription necessary www.kiddle.co www.viewpure.com/_E2CNZIlVIg?ref=search stories.audible.com/start-listen

Zoom TIME for Kids Exploratorium Video conferencing with your class! TIME news articles for kids Experiments, activities, videos on all subjects Download the app on your devices www.timeforkids.com/g34 www.exploratorium.edu/explore zoom.us TED Talks for Kids ReadingIQ (Children -6th grade) Catholic TED Talks to watch with kids Educational activities Beyond the Pew: Catholic Parenting Resource www.ted.com/playlists/86/talks_to_watch_ www.readingiq.com/redeem Ablaze Ministries with_kids Enter School Code www.youtube.com/playlist?list= PL7ecQyUVRnORQzUqBk_3J_fv_qo-L2M3I General Educational Science Voyages in English Nat Geo Kids Teaching Catholic Kids Adverbs game National Geographic games, videos Catholic parenting resource games.loyolapress.com/sos_g4_Adverbs kids.nationalgeographic.com teachingcatholickids.com Math Game Time How Stuff Works CatholicMom.com Math game Watch videos about how stuff works catholicmom.com www.mathgametime.com/grade/4th-grade www.howstuffworks.com

Early childhood Highlights Magazine Discover Nature Live Cams PBS Kids Activities, jokes, games Photos and videos of nature around Missouri Games, activities www.highlightskids.com nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/ pbskids.org photos-live-cams Scholastic Activities ABCmouse (Children preschool-2nd grade) Activities, games, videos Google Earth Educational activities classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support Satellite photos and videos of Earth www.abcmouse.com/redeem www.google.com/earth Enter School Code BrainPop Educational videos NASA Kids Club go.brainpop.com/COVID19 NASA videos, games, photos, activities Click on FREE Family Access, sign up with www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html LEARN MORE your email and follow instructions for access. Virtual Field Trips Visit dioceseofspokane.org Museum, zoo virtual tours for the latest updates from adventuresinfamilyhood.com/20-virtual- the Diocese. field-trips-to-take-with-your-kids.html