The empty tomb, Jesus’ appearances to his worried disciples, his triumph over death, the symbols of new life found in spring—all combine to fill the Easter season with powerful images. This issue of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Newsletter brings you activities to help children at each level of the Weeklies explore the images and the Gospels of the Easter season.

This issue of the newsletter and the March issue are available online at pflaum.com/pgwnewsletter. Look for the May issue in your inbox on April 14.

This month’s newsletter features ideas for April 4 & 11, 2010, Easter Sunday/2nd Sunday of Easter, through April 25, the 4th Sunday of Easter.

• April 4—Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and John discover that Jesus is not in the tomb, but they do not yet understand that Jesus must rise from the dead. (John 20:1-9)
• April 11—Jesus appears to his disciples twice. First he gives them the Holy Spirit and sends them, as his Father has sent him, to forgive sins. Then he shows Thomas his wounds so this doubting apostle will believe that Jesus is the Messiah. (John 20:19-31)
• April 16—Jesus appears to his disciples after they have fished all night without catching a single fish. When Jesus tells them where to cast their nets, they do not recognize him. But when they return to shore with their nets filled with fish, they recognize Jesus, who is cooking breakfast for them. (John 21:1-14)
• April 25—Jesus cares for those who follow him as a shepherd cares for his sheep. He gives those who believe in him eternal life. (John 10:27-30)

• Saint of the Month—Introduce your students to St. George, a soldier and martyr who is depicted in legend and art as a Christian superhero.
• Teacher Tips—Learn what to expect from children at different ages and stages of development. Discover how to set realistic expectations and how to avoid problem behavior.
• Student Activities—Seeds children identify symbols of Easter and create Easter greeting cards. Promise children learn what it means to say that Jesus is like a good shepherd. They recognize people who care for them and learn how they can care for and show love for others. Good News children hear the Easter story and reflect on how Jesus’ friends were witnesses to his resurrection. Venture students create mosaics of pictures and words to illustrate how they can show Jesus’ love to others. Visions students are reminded of how Jesus’ triumph over death has changed the world. They learn to recognize the power of love in their daily lives.
• Parent Tips—The Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Family Pages offer activities and resources for parents to use at home with their children to observe Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.
  
  On Holy Thursday, families can have an experience of Jesus’ Last Supper at their own dinner tables. “Remembering Jesus’ Last Supper,” a prayer service especially for families, begins with the words and actions of a Jewish Passover meal and ends with the words and actions that Jesus used to give us the Eucharist.
  
  Go to the Family Pages at pflaum.com/familypages and choose pages to send home with students, or send notes home to suggest pages for parents to download and print.

• Catechist to Catechist—Connie Stewart, 5th grade catechist at St. Teresa of Avila Parish, Perrysville, PA, gets her students up and moving to learn about the sacrament of Reconciliation. Connie’s students pick this activity as their favorite year after year.

Have you ever seen a movie that was “based on a true story?” Talking about St. George is a bit like that. The facts are that George lived in the second century of Christianity and that he was a soldier and became a martyr when he died for his faith. But his real-life bravery and courage inspired a wonderful story about St. George slaying a terrifying dragon. He was a faithful Christian martyr who is depicted in legend and art as a Christian superhero.

St. George was born about 275-281, and grew up in a noble Christian family in Lydda, Palestine. His father was a respected official in the Roman Army, and as soon as George was old enough, he also decided upon a military career. Based partially on his father’s reputation, George was accepted into the Roman Army and before long was promoted to the rank of tribune and stationed as an imperial guard of the emperor at Nicomedia.

In 302, the emperor Diocletian ordered every soldier in his army to offer a sacrifice to the pagan gods. George requested an audience with the emperor, boldly objected to the edict, and declared that he was a Christian and worshiped only Jesus Christ. Not wanting to lose his best tribune and the son of an esteemed official, Diocletian offered George gifts of land, money, and slaves if he would make a sacrifice, but George did not waver. He gave his money to the poor and prepared for death. Tradition tells us that George was beheaded on April 23, 303.

His story inspired many Christians and devotion to St. George was widespread. The flag of St. George, a red cross on a white background, was displayed on ships sailing from London bound for the Mediterranean and worn by crusaders marching into battle. St. George was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers to whom medieval Christians prayed, especially during the plague known as the Black Death.

The account of St. George, dragon-slayer, was popularized in The Golden Legend, a book about the lives of saints that written in the 13th century. According to the story of St. George told in this very popular book, a dragon that lived in a lake near Silena, Libya, terrorized the entire countryside. No army had been able to defeat this creature. The flocks of sheep had been depleted to appease the appetite of the dragon, and in desperation, the people were preparing to sacrifice the princess to the dragon. St. George, hearing of the princess’ peril, made the sign of the cross and went to battle against the monster, killing it with one blow of his lance. Then St. George preached to the people he had saved and won their hearts for Christ. In charity he gave to the poor the reward he received from the king. This story is a powerful symbol of the victory of goodness over evil.

• Seeds children will love to act out the story of St. George and the dragon. Tell the story to the children, emphasizing that when God is on our side, we can do great things. Costumes and props can be minimal, but still lots of fun. Provide lengths of cloth or old tablecloths, shawls, belts or cords, a flashlight for the fiery dragon, a broom for George’s horse, and empty paper toweling tubes for swords. Children can play the parts of St. George, the dragon, the townspeople, the princess about to be sacrificed, and her parents, the king and queen.

• Tell Promise children that St. George, and many other saints, are holy helpers, also called patron saints. St. George was a soldier and is the patron saint of soldiers. St. Joseph was a carpenter, and so he is the patron saint of carpenters.
  
  Give each child drawing paper and crayons. Assign each child one of the following saints or other saints of your choosing, perhaps including the patron of your parish or school. Ask the children to draw pictures, not of the saints, but of the people the saint helps and protects. Thus, a child could draw a picture of a soldier, carpenter, priest, baker, grandmother, and so on. When all have finished, gather the children into a prayer circle with each holding his or her picture. Lead the children in a litany of saints. Ask the children to hold their drawings high as each of the holy helpers are named.
  
  Leader: Children, let us call upon the holy helpers.
  St. George, holy helper of soldiers:
  Children: Help all soldiers.
  
  Leader: St. Joseph, holy helper of carpenters:
  Children: Help all carpenters.
  
  Leader: St. Nicholas, holy helper of children:
  Children: Help all children.
  
  Leader: St. Anne, holy helper of grandmothers:
  Children: Help all grandmothers.
  
  Leader: St. John Vianney, holy helper of priests:
  Children: Help all priests.
  
  Leader: St. Elizabeth of Hungary, holy helper of bakers:
  Children: Help all bakers.
  
  Leader: St. Monica, holy helper of mothers:
  Children: Help all mothers.
  
  Leader: St. Luke, holy helper of artists:
  Children: Help all artists.
  
  Leader: St. Cecilia, holy helper of musicians:
  Children: Help all musicians.
  
  Leader: St. Peter, holy helper of fishermen:
  Children: Help all fishermen.
  
  Leader: St. Isidore, holy helper of farmers:
  Children: Help all farmers.
  
  Leader: St. Therese, holy helper of pilots:
  Children: Help all pilots.
  
  Leader: St. Sebastian, holy helper of athletes:
  Children: Help all athletes.
  
  Leader: St. Michael the Archangel, holy helper of police officers:
  Children: Help all police officers.
  
  Leader: St. Albert, holy helper of scientists:
  Children: Help all scientists.

• After sharing the story of St. George slaying the dragon, engage Good News children in a brief discussion about the dragons in their lives. It will be easy for them to see a playground bully in that role. Ask them how they could conquer such a dragon: with kindness, or by bravely standing up to him, or by having the courage to tell a parent or teacher. Help them see that a spelling test, fear of giving an oral report, a fight with a friend, and a temptation to sin are also things that challenge them and which they need to conquer.
  
  After the discussion, ask the children to think of the “dragon” they want to defeat. Tell them that they are going to prepare a sword with which to slay their dragon. Give them cardboard and a sword pattern, or pre-cut cardboard swords. Ask them to print their name on the handle of the sword, and to write on the blade of their sword the dragon they will slay. Then let them cover the blade of the sword with aluminum foil. Ask them to consider whether they can slay this dragon themselves or if they need help in knowing how to do it. Encourage them to consult you or another trustworthy adult if they need help, and to pray to St. George for help when they are challenged by their personal dragons.

• Share Saint George and the Dragon (New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1990), retold by Margaret Hodges, and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, with Venture students. Then ask students to prepare story boards for a book about themselves slaying a dragon in from four to six scenes. The name of their dragon could be a vice or temptation that threatens them such as lying, cheating, vulgar language, being mean to classmates, and so on. But only they need to know the true identity of their dragon. The title of their story is to be (the student’s name) the Dragon-Slayer. Give the students the opportunity to share their story boards and to enjoy one another’s stories.
• Divide your group of Visions students into two news teams. Give one team the assignment of covering the story of St. George slaying the dragon. Assign the second team to report on St. George’s martyrdom. Give each team some resources to use, including the Internet if access is available. Members of each team can be investigators, writers, news anchors, reporters, and eye witnesses.  Give each team a time limit to prepare their report, and then have each team present their report to the other team.

• Seeds children will understand Easter as a time of new life in nature. They will remember the sights, sounds, and smells of Easter traditions more than the significance of the cross. They can follow simple directions and use fine motor skills to decorate eggs and create Easter greeting cards. They will love to take their artwork home to display and share.
  
• Promise children will recognize the people who care for them and understand the idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. They will be interested in learning about sheep and shepherds and will be eager to share stories about caring for pets.
• Good News children will enjoy dramatizing the disciples finding Jesus’ tomb empty.
• Venture students can understand that Jesus showed God’s love and that Christians show Jesus’ love. Students will create mosaics of pictures and words to illustrate how they can show Jesus to others.
• Visions students can recognize how Jesus’ death and resurrection have changed the world and look for signs of the power of God’s love in their world.

Preschool (Seeds)
“My Easter Egg,” April 4 & 11, 2010

Seeds children hear the Gospel story of a man and his fig tree. Children this age should be able to:

• identify symbols of Easter: lambs, Easter bunnies, butterflies, tulips, Easter eggs, chicks
• use fine motor skills to decorate plastic Easter eggs with stickers
• create Easter cards for loved ones

Materials: An egg carton, a hardboiled egg, a photo of a hen with her chicks, one plastic Easter egg for each child, stickers with an Easter or spring theme, colored tissue paper, colored construction paper, white glue and glue sticks, two marshmallow chicks for each child, and copies of Seeds for April 4 & 11, 2010, one for each child

Procedure

1. Show the egg carton. Ask: What comes in this carton? Show the hardboiled egg. Ask: Where do eggs come from? What would happen if the hen laid an egg in her nest and sat on it? Tell children a chick would hatch from the egg. Explain that chicks and eggs are symbols of new life and Easter joy.
2. Point out the plastic Easter eggs. Ask: How can we decorate these eggs? Tell children that they will be decorating eggs to take home and also making Easter cards. Have each child choose a colored egg and two or three stickers. Demonstrate how to peel and place the stickers on the plastic egg. As they work, talk with children about how the stickers show symbols of Easter and spring.
3. Ask children to color and cut out the Easter egg on page 2 of their copies of Seeds. Help each child fold a sheet of construction paper in half from top to bottom to make a card (approximately 5 1/2” x 8 1/2”). Children can glue the eggs they colored to the front of their cards. Help each child to write “Happy Easter!” and his or her name inside the card.
4. Show children how to decorate their cards with tissue paper dipped in glue. Demonstrate how to tear bits of tissue, roll the tissue into small balls, dip each ball in a small amount of glue, and glue each tissue ball one at a time to the Easter egg on the card. This will create a puffy Easter egg image and provide plenty of practice with fine motor skills and eye and hand coordination. 
5. Give each child a marshmallow chick to put inside his or her decorated plastic Easter egg and another marshmallow chick to eat!

Grades K-1 (Promise)
“Jesus Is Like a Shepherd,” April 25, 2010

Children this age should be able to:

• identify what a shepherd does to care for sheep
• share how they care for their pets
• role-play sheep with a good shepherd
• recognize that Jesus cares for us like a good shepherd cares for sheep
• create a “Jesus Is My Shepherd” nametag

Materials: A shepherd’s crook (or a walking stick or umbrella with a curved handle); photos of a shepherd’s crook, sheep and lambs, and sheepdogs; a pattern for a sheep cutout; hole punch, scissors, black markers, white construction paper, yarn; and copies of Promise for April 25, 2010, one for each child

Preparation: Use your pattern to cut out sheep from white construction paper, one for each child.

Procedure

1. Tell the Gospel story in child-friendly language. Encourage children to talk about what they see in the picture of the boy and his goat on page 1 of Promise. Ask children: What does the shepherd do for his sheep? Allow all who wish to contribute to the discussion. Display the photos of sheep and lambs. Explain that the shepherd may use a trained dog to help keep the flock together. Show the photos of sheepdogs.
2. Then show children a shepherd’s crook, or a picture of a shepherd’s crook. Point out that the shepherd may use the hook at the end of the staff to save a sheep from harm—to pull it to safety or to guide the sheep in the right direction. Ask: How is Jesus like a good shepherd? How can you care for others like a good shepherd? How do you care for your pets? (Children can help care for younger siblings or elderly family members. They can show they care for their parents by helping with chores, obeying, saying thank you, and giving hugs. They can show they care for friends by helping them, respecting their belongings, and using kind words.
3. Tell children that they will pretend to be shepherds and sheep. Arrange the chairs in a large circle and have the children pretend to be sheep in a flock inside the circle of chairs. Have one or two children escape from the fold and wander the room. Provide the shepherd’s crook (or walking stick or umbrella) to one child who will gently guide the sheep back to the flock. Allow children to quietly “Baa” like sheep. If time permits, repeat the role-play so more children can have the experience of being either shepherd or stray sheep.
   
4. Gather all the “sheep” and sing, “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.” Provide each child with a sheep cutout to use as a nametag. Write “Jesus Is My Shepherd” on each nametag and have each child write his or her own name on the nametag. Help each child to punch a hole at the top of the nametag and insert and tie a length of yarn. Then hang the nametag around his or her neck like a necklace. Allow children to take their “Jesus Is My Shepherd” nametags home to share with family members and to serve as reminders of the love Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has for them.

Grades 2-3 (Good News)
“We Are Jesus’ Witnesses,” April 4 & 11, 2010

Good News students will hear the story of Jesus’ resurrection and learn how Jesus’ friends shared the news with one another. Children should be able to:

• understand that Jesus rose from the dead
• discover the ways in which Jesus’ friends were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection
• create “Eyewitness News” reports to share the events of Jesus’ resurrection with members of their class

Materials: Black markers, large self-sticking nametags, a toy microphone, a sample press pass, a video camera, and copies of Good News for April 4 & 11, 2010, one for each child

Preparation: If possible, arrange to have a parent volunteer to use a video camera to record the interviews.

Procedure

1. After reading “We Are Jesus’ Witnesses” on pages 1-4, discuss how the friends of Jesus became witnesses and shared the news of Jesus’ resurrection. Ask: If Jesus died and rose today, how would we get the news out? If you were a reporter, which of Jesus’ friends would you want to interview? If someone interviewed you, what would you say about Jesus’ resurrection?
2. Give each child a nametag. Have children use markers to write on their nametags, along with their names, the words “Good News Press Pass” and “I am a witness!” Ask each child to write his or her name on the nametag.
3. Tell children they will create an “Eyewitness News” report for each character in the Gospel story. Divide the class into small groups. Each group will be a news crew interviewing one of the following: Peter, the beloved disciple, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas. Each group is to choose a person to interview and a reporter or reporters to do the interview.
4. Ask members of each group to find in “We Are Jesus’ Witnesses” how the person they have chosen to interview reacted to and shared the news of Jesus’ resurrection. The group should write questions that bring out how the person felt and what the person did.
5. Allow each group time to create, practice, and present their interview of an eyewitness to Jesus’ resurrection. If the interviews have been recorded, arrange a time when your class can share their interviews with their parents or with another class.

Grades 4-6 (Venture)
“Jesus Shows Love,” April 25, 2010

Venture students will:

• reflect on Jesus’ teaching that he and the Father are one
• discuss how Jesus showed God’s love and how Christians show Jesus’ love
• create mosaics of pictures and words to illustrate how they can show Jesus to others

Materials: Dinner-size (at least 10½ inches in diameter) heavy paper plates, one for each student; small, flat mirrors from a craft store, one for each student; old Catholic and family magazines; scissors, a bottle of liquid glue and glue sticks; a variety of colored and patterned paper; adhesive picture hangers; chalk for the chalkboard, or markers and chart paper; and copies of Venture for April 25, 2010, one for each student

Preparation: Place a small mirror in the center of each paper plate and trace around it with a black marker. Don’t show the mirrors to the students until they have completed their mosaics.

Procedure

1. Direct the students to the Sunday Gospel on page 4 of Venture and then to the last line: “The Father and I are one.” Print that sentence on the chalkboard or on chart paper. Ask the students to think about that statement for a few seconds and then brainstorm for what comes to their minds. Jot their ideas and associations under the sentence.
2. Ask the students to turn to page 8 of Venture. Select two volunteers to read the first two paragraphs of “Jesus Shows God’s Love.” Ask students to find a sentence that conveys the idea of the title. They should be able to identify the statement: “In Jesus we see God.” Ask a student to add that sentence to the board or chart paper.
3. Present the idea that if Jesus helps us see God, we, as Christians, help others see Jesus. Offer a couple of examples: we show Jesus’ love when we help others; we show Jesus’ mercy when we forgive others; we show Jesus’ healing when we comfort others. Invite the students to mention other examples.
4. Tell the students that they will do an art project to show people helping others see Jesus. Pass out a variety of family and Christian magazines. Ask students to cut out pictures and words that illustrate and describe how a Christian shows Jesus to the world. The ideas they have written on the board or on the chart paper should help them.
5. Give each student a paper plate. Direct the students to arrange the pictures and words they have found on the plates, avoiding the center spaces you have marked. They are to cut the pictures and words to fit together as a mosaic (not overlapping), using colorful paper to fill any empty spaces. When they are happy with their arrangement, they should use a glue stick to secure the pieces. If the plate has a colorful border, they may choose to allow it to serve as part of their design.
   
6. Give each student a small mirror. Ask students to use the liquid glue to fasten their mirrors on the empty space in the center of their mosaics. Point out that the person each of them sees in the mirror is a person in whom other people see Jesus. Provide a little time for them to explore and discuss this idea.
7. Finally, give each student a picture hanger for the back of his or her mosaic. Encourage students to take their mosaics home and display them as a reminder to show Jesus to others by the things they do and say.

Grades 7-8 (Visions)
“Jesus Shows Us the Power of Love,” April 25, 2010

Students should be able to:

• recall the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection
• discuss how Jesus’ resurrection has changed the lives of human beings
• explore the growth of the early Church
• list ways to spread the news about the power of God’s love

Materials: Writing paper, pencils, newspapers, magazines, and copies of Visions for April 25, 2010, one for each student

Procedure

1. Have students recall the events of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday. Ask: How did these events change the lives of Jesus’ friends? How has Jesus’ resurrection changed the lives of all human beings? What has Jesus’ life, suffering, death, and resurrection meant in your life?
2. Have students work in pairs or small groups to study “Paul Establishes New Christian Communities” on pages 6 and 7 of Visions. Ask each pair or small group to trace Paul’s journeys to spread the good news and create communities of believers.
   
3. Have each pair or group work to list ways in which young people can spread the news today about the power of God’s love. (phone calls, e-mails, and text messages supporting friends and family in need; sharing talents, donations of time and resources, volunteering to help the poor or needy; praying for the sick, homeless, and those in danger; supporting mission work; interacting with others in loving and respectful ways) When all have had a chance to finish their lists, allow time for pairs or groups to share their lists with one another.
4. Ask students to look through the newspapers and magazines you’ve provided for examples of the power of God’s love and for ways in which people are living out Jesus’ commandment to love one another. Allow time for students to share what they find.
   

The Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Family Pages offer activities and resources for parents to use at home with their children to observe Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.

On Holy Thursday, families can have an experience of Jesus’ Last Supper at their own dinner tables. “Remembering Jesus’ Last Supper,” a prayer service especially for families, begins with the words and actions of a Jewish Passover meal and ends with the words and actions that Jesus used to establish the Eucharist.

Throughout the 50 days of the Easter season and into the summer, Family Pages’ stories about the saints of the Church and descriptions of Catholic traditions can enhance family faith life. Go to the Family Pages at pflaum.com/familypages and choose pages to send home with students, or send notes home to suggest pages for parents to download and print.

The Family Pages are a free service available to all families in schools and parishes that use the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. On the Family Pages home page, click on “Tips for using these pages” for a sample letter you can send home.

Stay on the Beam!

Connie Stewart, 5th grade catechist at St. Teresa of Avila Parish, Perrysville, PA, gets her students up and moving to learn about the sacrament of Reconciliation. And year after year, at the end of the year, students pick this activity as their favorite.

Connie begins by pointing out that life is all about striking a balance. To demonstrate, she uses some simple props. A length of a 2” X 4” board works best, but Connie has also used a long strip of white tape about 1 ½ inches wide. Either serves to simulate a balance beam. At the end of the “beam” a crucifix is displayed. The beam, she explains, stands for life and the crucifix for its goal—Jesus.

Students hear that to reach their goal in life they need to stay on the straight and narrow—to stay on the beam. But falling off is easy. Temptations can cause them to stray from what they know is right. Students work together to talk about temptations they are likely to face. Examples vary, but students most often mention temptations caused by the influence of their peers, the desire for material possessions, and the desire to be well-liked. Then they create scenarios in which kids their age are likely to face these temptations.

With the preparation done, Connie asks for a volunteer to walk the balance beam. As the volunteer walks, another student reads one of the scenarios. The volunteer on the beam is free to role-play his or her response. Will being in this situation cause the person to fall off the beam? Or will the person stay tuned to what he or she knows is right and stay on the beam? Eventually everyone wants to take a turn on the beam.