Esther Locascio: 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Christmas Season Ends January 9th

The lesson I covered in my RE class before the Christmas break was about the last week of Advent and the beginning of the Christmas season, which ends January 9th, 2012 on the Baptism of The Lord. Since we're still in the Christmas season, I'll share a Christmas tree ornament craft we did the previous week using recycled Christmas cards:

Christmas Tree Ornament Craft

Materials Needed:

craft foam
tinsel stem
tinsel cord
Christmas card
cardstock (for oval templates)
glue
glue stick and glue gun
scissors
hole punch

Instructions:

1. Make two oval templates out of cardstock, one 1/4" larger than the other.
2. Use larger template to make foam cutout.
3. Punch hole in foam cutout for tinsel cord.
4 Use smaller template to make Christmas card cutout.
5. Glue Christmas card cutout to foam cutout.
6. Fashion tinsel stem into oval around Christmas card cutout, trim off excess.
7. Use glue gun to attach tinsel stem to foam cutout.
8. Slip tinsel cord through hole in foam cutout and knot.
9. Glue tinsel cord knot to back of foam cutout.

Copyright ©2011 Esther Locascio. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the liturgical year. My RE class didn't meet today due to the Thanksgiving break, but will meet again next Sunday. I plan to bring an easy-to-make Advent wreath I created. Here are instructions to make your own:

Supplies for easy-to-make Advent Wreath

Supply List

1 - 18" wreath or strip of garland
4 - battery-operated candle lights (I bought these at Hobby Lobby)
5 - floral Christmas picks
acrylic paints, pink and lavendar
paint brush

Instructions

1. Fashion the strip of garland into a wreath.
2. Tuck the floral Christmas picks in wreath.
3. Paint three candle lights lavendar.
4. Paint one candle light pink.
5. Position candle lights in center of wreath.

Here is the finished product:

Easy-to-Make Advent Wreath

Friday, November 25, 2011

Advent 2011

My religious education class has been studying the liturgical calendar. Sunday, November 27th is the first week of Advent, and I've created an Advent wreath that I plan to bring to class and use to teach the students about this tradition of the Church. Here's a website with lots of information about Advent: http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent2.html.

I plan to post a supply list and instructions to make my Advent wreath, which uses battery-operated
candles. The church recently sustained massive flood damage, and I think it's wise not to use lighted wax candles in the classroom to prevent the risk of starting a fire and burning down the school!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

No - Crust Pumpkin Pie Recipe

No-Crust Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Wafers

Last week was my turn to bring dessert to the Third Monday Writer's Group: http://www.thirdmondaysa.org/
I brought a no-crust pumpkin pie that everyone seemed to enjoy. Here's the recipe, with my own variations:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
4 eggs
2 cans pumpkin
2 cans evaporated milk
1 box vanilla wafers
whipped topping

BEAT eggs in small bowl. In large bowl, mix pumpkin with sugar, salt, and ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add eggs and stir. Combine with evaporated milk. Pour into lightly greased 8" x 12" baking dish.
Submerge a layer of vanilla wafers in pumpkin mixture, let stand for 10 minutes. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 55 minutes. Add whipped topping before serving. Makes 20 servings.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Creation Story Class Activity

Last Sunday my class of sixth grade religious education students learned about the creation story from the Book of Genesis. To reinforce this lesson, I gave the students a 10-15 minute class activity based on an idea I got from a handout the teacher gave us in catechism classes I attended with my kids earlier this year. The handout was a visual of the creation story as found in "A Father Who Keeps His Promises," by Scott Hahn.

Esther's Days of Creation Activity

As you can see from the photo, the students were to draw, color, or use decorative stickers to indicate God's creation over a seven-day period in a compartmentalized house. I gave the students some stickers I'd purchased at the dollar store, but most were extras not needed to make Giftigami Boxes (http://www.estherlocascio.com). The numbers indicate the day of creation, and Day 7 (Sabbath) could have stickers or drawings of recreational activities, such as camping, hiking, photography, dance, or church-related stickers such as crosses and angels.

Band Competition

Our family has been blessed with musical talent. We presently have two children in the high school band, and we're proud as can be of the accomplishments this hard working group of students and their directors has earned. Here they are preparing to compete at their first band competition of the year at my alma mater, East Central High School.

2011 Hornet Invitational Marching Competition

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Religious Card Craft

With a nifty little change to the decorative cards in my previous post, you can make small gifts for seniors in a retirement home, sick children in the hospital, the terminally ill in hospice, etc. I made these with my son's girl friend in mind. She's in basic training for eight weeks and doesn't have any contact with the civilian world, other than letters or the occasional phone call.


Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ

Instructions:
1. Trace outline of oval template onto craft felt fabric and cut.
2. Place a small amount of polyester pillow stuffing in the middle of backside of card.
3. Apply a thin layer of glue around backside of card where tissue and card meet.
4. Press felt onto backside of card.
5. On the front, apply a thin layer of glitter glue around the oval where the tissue and card meet.


Backside of religious craft

Cards in the Mail

Around the holidays, we usually get beautiful cards in the mail from various religious groups asking for

donations, a few of which we support. I've created a fun way to use the cards we don't need.

Instructions:

1. Make oval template from poster board, use to trace and cut figures from cards.

2. Cut a thin strip of metallic tissue paper (about 1/2" wide and 18" long) for each card oval.

3. Fold the strips of tissue to form accordian pleats.

4. Apply glue to edge of each oval card and press pleated tissue onto it.

5. Go to http://www.estherlocascio.com to learn how to make a Giftigami Box.

6. Glue decorated oval card to lid of box.

Religious-themed Giftigami Box

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Back to School

The summer break will be over for us this week. Classes at the high school began Monday for Sarah and Matt. Remy's first day of his last year in college began today, and Chris flies to Oklahoma City on Friday before heading back to the seminary the next morning.

Things will be quieter at home during the day, but I expect the level of school-related activities evenings and weekends to rise. For example, band activities include 10+ football games and 9+ band contests/festivals/performances, all before the Christmas break. Then there's the work Chuck and I will do as Co-Treasurers of the band boosters this school year. Yes, a husband and wife team now manage the budget for a band booster organization!

We may be busy now, but our time raising kids is winding down. I'll be teaching religious education classes next month and hopefully, for years to come, after being away from it for several years. I'm looking forward to using my gifts of teaching, writing, and crafting to lead young people closer to God as I enter the next phase of my life.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Silly Bands for Christians

My copy of RTJ's Creative Catechist arrived in the mail last week! It's a great magazine for religious education teachers, who will be back in the classroom next month. An article I wrote for a game using "Faith Bands," the Christian version of Silly Bands, appears in this September issue.

Here's another game using Faith Bands(TM) for kids ages 8 and above. It's a simple 10-20 minute activity that promotes visual learning, reinforces biblical teachings, and requires team cooperation. Players may sit on the floor or stand behind a table.

Classroom set-up: Floor mat or table for each team.

Supplies needed: Two or more packs of Faith Bands bracelets (12 per pack, 1 pack per team).

Object: Be the first team to arrange your set of 12 Faith Bands bracelets in the order pictured on the reference guide in the pack.

Rules:

1. Divide the class into teams consisting of three to four players.

2. Ask your students to provide the meaning of the symbol associated with each of the 12 Faith Bands bracelets in the pack.

3. Empty pack of Faith Bands bracelets in a heap, one heap for each team.

4. Distribute reference guides, one for each team.

5. Teacher announces start of game.

6. Team members assemble Faith Bands bracelets from heap in order pictured on reference guide.

7. Game ends with first team to finish.

8. Team placing the most bracelets in the correct order pictured on the reference guide wins.