Rainy Days and Mondays

This song by the Carpenters was so very popular back in my day. It was one of those songs everyone knew the words to and loudly sang along with when it came on the radio! I am not going to include the rest of the line, because we are very definitely not going to let this get us down. Hopefully you will find something or many things on this list to help pass the time, stimulate everyone's brain, and actually be fun.

PUDDLES:
There is one wonderful activity you can do when and only when it rains....let your children don those cute rain coats and rainboots and go out in your yard and driveway and jump in puddles.

Talk about why we have puddles in some places and not others. Not only can you let them figure out why there are puddles, you could talk about slopes, gutters, the difference between grass that drains well and dirt spots that may not. You could use something to mark the space where a puddle is now and then check periodically to see if has grown bigger or if it is drying up, shrinking. Maybe each family member could estimate the days it will take for it to disappear or just guess the day it will be gone.

RAIN:
Measure the rain in a given time period perhaps using a glass measuring cup if you do not have a rain gauge. You could repeat this during other periods of rain. Even our four year olds understand graphing, so make a chart! Talk about more and less.

Discuss what happens to all this water...absorbs into the ground for grass, plants, and trees; evaporates back into the air so it can return as rain; is cleaned for us to have water in our homes for drinking, cooking, and bathing. You may can look out a window when it is raining and find a place where the water is running down a space rather than absorbing.

CLOUDS:
Venture outside and look at the clouds between rain and try to identify the different types you see. For instance those clouds that are full of rain are nimbus clouds. Visit sciencing.com and look for "Types of Clouds for Kids." They post a daily video about clouds, and there are directions for using cotton balls to create four of the types of clouds as a science project.

BOOKS AND VIDEOS:
These are three books I quickly found just about puddles being read aloud. Look on You Tube for these, and I bet there are many more about puddles and the rain.

Puddles by Jonathan London READ ALOUD

Puddles!!! by Kevan Atteberry

PUDDLE by Richard Jackson/Story Time Pals/Kids Books Read Aloud

I bet your children could write and/or illustrate their own book or create a piece of art about rain or puddles or clouds.

The sky is truly the limit today!!

Continued prayers for your well-being, our Day School families, and our city, state, nation and world.

Preparing for Easter

This year, we may all have more time and more solitude with our families to devote to the Lenten season of preparing ourselves and our hearts for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter. IPC is offering daily devotions to help with this. Adults and older children can listen and then share that message with your with younger children in words they can understand. Some parents do not feel adequately prepared to do that, but I promise you that God is with you and you can absolutely help in their spiritual formation. The daily devotions are available on You Tube IPC Birmingham. 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a widely used Montessori-based Sunday school program for 3-12 year olds which draws the child deeper into an already existent relationship with God. We love our Catechesis program on Sundays at IPC and are fortunate to be able to take our Day School children up to the Level 1 atrium (ages 3-6) twice a month during the school week for one-on-one lessons and circle time with our trained catechists.  Though we are all missing our visits to the atrium while we are apart, Kay and the catechists are inviting you into the atrium for Levels 1, 2 and 3 lessons on You Tube IPC Birmingham.

As we prepare for Easter in this unusual Lenten season, we have talked about Lent as a time that we prepare, get ready in the atrium and our Chapel lessons. You may be surprised that many of your children know that the purple paraments (or cloths) and stoles the ministers wear in church indicate it is Lent. 

I want to share this from Beverly Hoyt, one of our four-yea-old teachers, Coordinator of the Catechesis Program at St. Mary's, and the wonderful formation leader who trained me.

From Beverley - 

During the season of Lent (during which we prepare for Easter), we think about the first three verses of Psalm 23.  You can ask the child what he already knows about Jesus as the Good Shepherd and refer to John 10:3b-5, 10b - 11, 14- 16 to read what the child has heard in the atrium about the Good Shepherd -Jesus - and his love for his sheep.  You can read then 23rd Psalm with the child one verse at a time and “unpack” it with the child.  Asking - "what did you hear”   and “what could this mean?"

Below is part of what we call an album page - lesson plan - for teaching the 23rd Psalm:

Indirect Aim: To introduce the Old Testament 

To connect lessons on The Good Shepherd and the paschal mysteries

To lay the ground work for further presentations of Psalm 23

Materials: Prayer table

Bible

Candle and match basket

Prayer card with verse 1-3

Presentation:  

• Light the candle
• What do you remember about the Good Shepherd?
• He calls the sheep by name and leads them.
• We have read part of this Psalm. What does Psalm mean?
• Most of them were written by David.  Who is David?
• David was a Shepherd.  But Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  
• Was Jesus a normal man?  Jesus was both man & God.  
• He was not just a Shepherd like David, he was The Good Shepherd.  
• Who are Jesus’s sheep? We are the sheep
• David tells us about his relationship with God in this Psalm
• Read verse 1-3
• We have heard some of this before.  Do you remember the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want?
• What does this mean? I have everything that I could ever want and need.

                He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside quiet waters.  How do these verses make you feel?  Safe.  Calm.  Quiet. 

Have you ever been in a green pasture?  What would that be like?  Soft.  What does a green pasture mean for a sheep?  Grass to eat.  

               Can you picture still waters?  Sheep don’t like moving water.  Actually, they only drink from still waters.  Does the shepherd know what the sheep need?  Yes.  

It’s a peaceful place and he knows what to give them.  

So this lent season you can think about these images.  Green pastures and still waters with the shepherd.  This is what lent is about.  How we can prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Easter.  

• Verse 3 says He restores my soul.
• What does this mean? What is your soul?
• Your soul is your insides; the part of your body that makes you think, love, etc.  
• Is God making me right?
• Verse 3 also says He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
• What does this mean? He leads me on the right path.  He leads me to the right things and God wants us to do the right thing.
• The Shepherd that calls us by name is going to lead us to the right path for God’s glory.  We (sheep) just have to follow. 
• Read from the prayer card
• Sing the Lord is my shepherd or prepare ye the way of the Lord, or say a prayer
• Put the candle out

After you discuss Jesus and the Good Shepherd and Psalm 23:1-3, you can ask your child to draw a picture of the picture he makes in his head of the Shepherd and the sheep or green pastures and still waters.

If you do this, we would love to see pictures of the children’s art!

St. Mary's on the Highlands, Birmingham, AL Facebook page

Mo Willems' Free Daily Lunch Doodles

Celebrated children's book author, illustrator, and Kennedy Center Artist-in-Residence, Mo Willems is hosting daily doodling sessions at noon (CST) everyday. He says our current situation puts a whole new meaning to artist-in-residence! You can actually watch anytime and go back and watch the ones you missed. Each session is about 20 minutes and children will need paper and a crayon, pencil, or pen to participate. Who doesn't love The Pigeon Has to Go to School, Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus, We Are in a Book!, and Knufflebunny with his endearing pigeon, elephant, and piggie. Mo is also inviting children to write in with questions which he reads aloud and answers during the session. I just heard him say he doesn't like cake!!  I hope your family will tap into their creative talents and all start doodling with Mo. We can share pictures when we get back to school...What about a Mo Gallery?

                                                        
                                                        To view his videos:

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/

To submit questions:

LUNCHDOODLES@kennedy-center.org

For more information: 

https://www.boredpanda.com/free-online-lunch-doodles-sessions-for-kids-mo-willems/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

                               

Jemison Trail Scavenger Hunt

Social Distancing thankfully allows us to still get outside as long as we stay 6 feet apart from one another. Taking walks fits this criteria really well and we all can get exercise, fresh air, and the kids can run off some energy!
I have been walking on the Jemison Trail each day and decided to put together a list for a scavenger hunt if you visit the paved part of the Jemison Trail that runs along Mountain Brook Parkway. You can always add more difficult items for older children, such as certain types of trees, but this is a family friendly list so everyone can be involved.

Scavenger Hunt list of things to find, do or hear:
1. Find a trillium. ( If you are not familiar with this small, three multi-green-leafed, one short stalk   plant with a small purple "flower" on top, google a picture before you go.)
2. Find a birdhouse.
3. Find a sycamore "gum" ball.
4. Find purple flowers in trees. (There are two kinds of trees with this color flower.)
5. Find a picnic table.
6. Hear a bird sing.
7. Find a pinecone.
8. Find Golden Ragwort. ( This is a small plant with clover-like leaves and small daisy-like yellow flowers. Good images on Google.)
9. Cross some water.
10. Find some trash in trees. (This is a great time to talk about the heavy rains in February and point out that the creek rises to the height of the trash!)

Happy Trails!!

A Home For Faith - A New Moms' Group

Please join us for a new Moms’ Group!

Monday mornings September 9- October 28 in Room 105 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. for coffee followed by discussion. This group jointly led by IPC Day School and Children’s Ministries will be studying Making a Home for Faithby Elizabeth Caldwell. Childcare is available but you must register with Stacy Pulliam by email no later than the Thursday prior. Even if you know you may have to miss some weeks, we would still love to have you join us when you can. You may contact Kathy Leaver, Cindy Coulter, or Stacey Pulliam with any questions. 

Spring Break

Remember Spring Break is next week. We hope you make some great memories with your children while they are out of school. There are many of you going out of town, but there are many adventures to be had right here in and around Birmingham. If you haven't visited Red Mountain Park, it is a beautiful place for a great hike and picnic. And if you make it up high enough, the views are breathtaking. Enjoy your children, they grow up so fast!

Celebrating 100th Day

                     

Our four year olds celebrated 100 days of school this week. Time really does fly when you are having fun with your friends! Among their many activities with "100" was making these celebration hats. Each child diligently put 10 dots on each of their 10 strips before attaching them to the bands. What a marvelous way to learn about grouping 10's to make 100.  A yummy pizza party topped off the day.