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Lent at Hillcrest
Chapel
Our journey in Lent has begun. After enjoying a no-uniform Mardis Gras, all students began their Lent by attending Ash Wednesday chapel services and burying their Alleluias. Alleluias were made by each student in the classroom or in Religion class, and then collected at chapel. Chapel Coordinator, Gaye Lynn Huddleston and Religion Teacher, Kathy Ross collected all the white ribbon Alleluias at morning and noon chapel services. They will reappear at Easter and remain on display for the 50 days of Easter.
On Mondays in chapel, children are exploring the season with a Lent Line, a time line that includes symbols, colors, objects and events. The Lent Line is in the church and in the religion room. It is answering many “how long” and “when” questions the children have right now.
Religion
Kindergarten through second grade have begun Lenten projects in religion class, designed to be contemplative, and give the students time to think, wonder, and discover things about God, Jesus and themselves. Just as Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness to pray and know who he really was and what he was to do, students will enjoy having 40 days and nights to think about their projects and wonder with God about them.
Kindergarten is exploring the many different kinds of crosses. Some crosses are very plain, some are very fancy. Some are sad, and others are happy. Some have symbols, and some tell a story. Some are used to help us pray. One, formed naturally by two sticks and found on a hiking trail, reminds us that God is everywhere. They are working on what their own cross will say as they each decorate a cross box.
First grade is thinking about prayer, using Lent as a time to talk more to God in order to come closer to Him, and to hear Him talk to us. In religion class, students looked at the many prayer tools that people use to help them pray, such as the Book of Common Prayer, the Labyrinth in the church, and a holding cross. Students also looked at a rosary and a chaplet, and learned that beads are used by Christians and other religions to help them pray. Each first grade student will make their own chaplet during Lent. The chaplet has a cross and nine beads. Specific prayers are said while holding the cross and each bead. First graders will decide for themselves what the seven smaller beads will remind them to pray for. Those beads are all about them.
Second grade students enjoyed the Story of the Easter Egg in religion class and holding a real Ukrainian Easter Egg. This old tradition of telling the story of Easter on an egg with beautiful colors and designs is a wonderful way to get ready for the Mystery of Easter. Each second grader is working on decorating their own wooden egg. They are wondering what story their egg will tell, and what colors and symbols they will use to tell it. They are enjoying learning the meanings of different symbols, colors, and designs as they sketch their “practice eggs” on paper.
As we travel on our Lenten journey on the Hillcrest campus, we invite you to work toward and look forward to the joy of Easter with us!
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Gaye Lynn Huddleston
Chapel Coordinator
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Kathy Ross
Religion
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