December 6, 2004

1.    HCA Christmas Artwork Contest:    Catholic School students, CCD/RE  program students and Catholic home school students enrolled in grades K-8 in the United States are invited to enter the Holy Childhood Association's 2005 Christmas Seals Artwork Contest.  A Catholic tradition since 1916, Christmas Seals celebrate the miracle of Christ's birth.  Student entries must be submitted to the HCA National Office by January 31, 2005.  Winners will be notified in spring and announced to the public the following fall.  The HCA's annual Christmas Artwork Contest is one way children in the United States can express their love and commitment to children in the missions.  The artwork project can be easily incorporated into an Advent program or school religion/art class lesson.  The contest entry form and guidelines can be obtained on-line at the HCA web page link from www.worldmissions-catholicchurch.org or by contacting the Diocesan Missions Office at (614) 228-8603.  The Holy Childhood Association, a Pontifical Mission Society, offers young Catholics an opportunity to grow in faith through mission education, service and sacrifice to others.

2.    Weekly Religion Ideas:  Immaculate Conception
           Graded Course of Study Objective II:  D6
December 8 of this year will mark the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Blessed Pope Pius IX.  By this action the Pope affirmed that the Immaculate Conception of Mary is a truth revealed by God to the Church.  The meaning of this dogma is that by God's grace Mary was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her existence.  In this way God prepared her to be the mother of his Son and our Savior.  For Roman Catholics the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation, meaning that we must attend Mass on December 8.  We do so in order to praise God for choosing Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ.  (A statement from the USCCB)

Teachers - What You Should Know About Mary by  Charlene Altemose, MSC
This book focuses on Mary's strength, spirituality and relevance in the modern world.  Altemose reminds us that Mary is someone we can relate to and certainly was no stranger to hardship.  Tracing her influence on the Church throughout the ages, you'll see Mary in a whole new light.  This book allows us to learn Marian prayers, discover Marian shrines and contemplate other fascinating facts about Mary. 
Liguori Press:  www.ligouri.org or (800) 325-9521

The Mary Page is maintained by The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton in Ohio.  They are an international center of research and study on the role of Mary in Christian life.  The Marianists founded the University of Dayton in 1850.  Since 1943 it has been a home to the Marian Library, which holds the world's largest collection of printed information on Mary, the Blessed Virgin.  It has developed into a center which engages in many activities.  They provide an endless list of resources that stretch from images of Mary to the latest research.  It would be a great sight for teachers and catechists to gain more knowledge.  Also, it can be used for student research or maybe a fun scavenger hunt.
University of Dayton:  www.udayton.edu/mary/

Students - The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC has a wonderful website.  It puts a different spin on the study of the Immaculate Conception, because it brings us to an awareness of the importance the Blessed Mother has in our society.  As the United States' patronal church and preeminent Marian Shrine, the Basilica is a place of prayer and pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.  In addition the website gives virtual tours, various images of Mary, architecture, and the history of the shrine.
www.nationalshrine.com/

The Way of Mary:  Praying and Living Her Words by Kristin Johnson Ingram
Each chapter of this book includes insights, reflections, prayers and activities to help you examine your own life in light of the way of Mary.  This is a great springboard for the classroom; you can pull things out and with some creativity make it work for any age level.
Liguori Press:  www.liguori.org or (800) 325-9521

3.    Outreach Team:  The OSU Slavic Center's K-12 Outreach team is ready to come to your school to give lectures and presentations on topics such as the history, geography, culture, art, music, and contemporary society of Russia and Eastern Europe.  The lectures are free and are presented by area specialists who will gear their talks for any age student, including honors programs and very young students.  Simply let us know in what regions and topics you are most interested, and we will connect you with one of our team members.  For more information, please contact Jason Vuic, Asst. Dir., Center for Slavic and East European Studies, at csees@osu.edu.

4.    African Heritage Tour to Ghana:    Community Members, Alumni, and OSU Parents, Join the Ohio State University Department of African American and African Studies for an AFRICAN HERITAGE TOUR to GHANA, July 23-August 1, 2005, led by Professor Walter Rucker, AAAS.  This educational heritage journey is designed for community members, alumni, and OSU parents who wish to experience Ghana, a site of early contact between Europe and Africa and a staging area for the international slave trade.  Travelers will visit slave castles along Ghana's coast, cultural sites of the historical Asante Kingdom, the tropical rain forests of Kakum, the open air market at Kejetia, and more.  Pre-trip orientations, discussion sessions in Ghana, and a post-travel gathering will provide educational contexts for the sites visited, allowing travelers to appreciate most fully the historical and cultural significance of their journey.  For more information, call Carla Wilks at the OSU AAAS Community Extension Center, 292-4144.

5.    Increasing Student Spelling Achievement Workshop:    Integrate spelling with exciting word work that compliments a total communications curriculum for big dividends in writing, reading, speaking, thinking.  This workshop will be held in Columbus on January 11 at the Convention Center.  If anyone has further questions about the workshop, call the Bureau of Education and Research at 1-800-735-3503.

6.    Reminder:  The Diocesan LPDC will meet at St. Anthony School, Columbus on Thursday, December 9.  Teachers wishing to submit information for CEU credit should send materials to the Diocesan Personnel Office, 197 E. Gay St., Columbus  43215.

Comments to office@cdeducation.org

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