Tēnā koutou katoa, malo e lelei, talofa lava, ni sa bula vinaka, talohani, kia orana, fakalofa lahi atu and blessings and warm greetings to you all.

I cannot believe how quickly the year is going, and I am sure that you will be feeling much the same. Do try to take time each day to slow down, simply be in the presence of the world around you, breathe, and remember that God is with us, loving us, reaching out for us, in everything around us and everyone around us. Even five minutes daily of this contemplative, wordless prayer does so much for us – and any time of day is good, including first thing in the morning, and last thing at night.

This month I have been doing some checking of internet resources, using the search title ‘Catholic early childhood curriculum’. The search wasn’t quite as effective as I hoped, and I might try other search titles when I can think of better ones, but it was really nice to see several of our NZ Catholic Early Learning Services coming up on the very first page! Well done!

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd www.cgsusa.org

mymontessorijourney.typepad.com (go down to Resurrection Rolls)

An interesting article, or just read the abstract at the top! www.ecrp.uiuc.edu/v1n2/holloway.html

catholicblogger1.blogspot.co.nz/p/free-printables.html

I think I have publicised this site before, but it’s worth a reminder: allelu.com/activities-resources/song-lyrics-34.html

Godly Play is based upon the recognition that children have an innate sense of the presence of God: www.godlyplayfoundation.org/newsite/Main.php

From the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn:

Philosophy of Religious Education in Catholic Early Learning Centres

Fowler’s second stage of faith development (Intuitive-Projective Faith) and play based learning – these are two key principles in Catholic early learning.

Fowler’s second stage of faith development indicates that preschoolers are powerfully and permanently influenced by faith examples and stories shared by significant adults in their lives. At this stage children are constantly making sense of the world around them and are repeatedly faced with the unknown. Their imagination, natural sense of awe and wonder are unreserved by logical thought patterns. As children make

sense of themselves they are making sense of their own spirituality. Images and stories give shape to a child’s understanding and feelings towards the self, others, God and the environment.

The challenge to remain authentic to play based learning in Religious Education leads to Thomas Groom’s Shared Christian Praxis. The adoption of Shared Christian praxis, to play and pray experiences and developing reflection of these experiences offers a pathway for Religious Education in preschools to remain authentic to play based learning and to Religious Education. Educators can plan experiences that are guided by the children’s interest as guided by their play.

In order to remain authentic to the developmental age of pre-schoolers, children need to experience:

• a sense of personal and communal relationship with God,
• a sense of love and belonging in family and Church,
• a sense of God’s presence in Creation,
• a sense of celebration; in relation to the birth of Jesus.

A deep sense of listening and presence is essential from educators of preschool children, with opportunities for children to develop their being, encounter and make meaning of their world, to develop their sense of belonging and to become who they are, made in the image and likeness of God.

Courtesy of the website of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Exploring God's World

Jeffers, Susan. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky. New York: Dial Books.

Wood, Douglas. 1992. Old Turtle. MN: Pfeifer Hamilton.

Johnson, James Weldon. 1993. The Creation. Boston: Little Brown and Company.

Sose, Bonnie. 1988. Designed by God So I Must Be Special. Florida: Vaughn Press.

Young, Ed. 1993. Moon Mother. Willa Perlman Books.

Reid, Mary Carpenter. Come to the Ocean With Me. MN: Augsburg, Fortress.

Exploring God's Family

Munsch, Robert. 1990. Love you Forever. Canada: A Firefly Book.

Loomans, Diane. 1991. The Lovables in the Kingdom of Self-Esteem. California: H.J. Kramer Inc. Starseed Press.

Frasier, Debra. 1991. On the Day You Were Born. California: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

Joose, Barbara. 1991. Mama, Do you Love Me? San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Galbraith, Kathryn. 1990. Laura Charlotte. New York: Philomel Books.

Hoban, Russell. Best Friends for Frances. New York: Harper & Row.

Mayer, Mercer. Just Me and My Dad. Western Publishing Company.

Clark, Ann Nolan. In My Mother’s House. New York: Penguin Books.

Celebrating God's World and People

Nan Rolfe. 1994. Cassie’s Magic Flowers: The Story of Calico Crossings. Colorado: Current Inc.

Pfister, Marcus. 1992. The Rainbow Fish. New York: North-South Books.

Celebrating the Catholic Church

Wittenback, Janet. God Makes Me His Child in Baptism. MO: Concordia Publishing

If you have any websites or links that you would like to share, titles of any wonderful children’s books (in particular, books which represent the many nationalities in our country), or teacher books, or any good ideas, do please email them in to me and I will put them into the next newsletter.

Remember to pass on the newsletter, and to send us any news or photos for circulating.

Mā te Atua koe e manaaki, e tiaki hoki – May God bless you and keep you

Susan Apáthy, Deputy CEO, NZCEO

New Zealand Association of Catholic Early Childcare Organisations
C/- New Zealand Catholic Education Office
PO Box 12307, Wellington 6144
Phone 04 496 1739
Website www.nzceo.org.nz
Email nzceooffice@nzceo.org.nz or s.apathy@nzceo.org.nz

Catholic early childhood curriculum: Anne Kennedy
National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS)
email: ncrs@tci.ac.nz, or a.kennedy@tci.ac.nz