Ms. Chermak's Blog

Our late October preparation for All Saints' Day was filled with excitement for the White Sox in the World Series. It was the first appearance in the world series for this team since 1959,and the sixth graders followed the games carefully. One evening's game didn't end until 1:15 a.m., which made the next day of school challenging - there were a few bleary but very happy (and relieved) eyes.

A task of theology is to take a day's events and apply them to the scripture readings and tradition. Those readings inform and transform the event and bring new insights, while making the reading and tradition more powerful and meaningful.

The sixth graders used the school's and city's rapt attention to the World Series and its players to bring new meaning to our celebration of All Saints' Day. What follows is what the children came up with in their classes. They presented these ideas at the All School Mass for 700 children on All Saints' Day, November 1, 2005.

Pre-mass presentation by sixth graders for All Saints Day 2005:

Last week we were so excited to have a Chicago Team in the World Series! THEY SWEPT the other team in FOUR GAMES! Lots of us wore White Sox shirts or hats. Some of us even went to one of the games! The players played great and sometimes felt on top of the world!

What made them so great?

Their confidence, their belief, their skill.
They practiced every day, and had all the equipment they needed.
They read books and manuals on how to be better all the time.
They had parents and coaches to teach them
and teammates to encourage and support them.

Today we celebrate saints.
Saints, like World series players feel “on top of the world”.
Sometimes saints do one great thing – like a grand slam in the world series.
In the case of a saint, that one great thing may be teaching a whole country how to be Christians,
or like Saint Maximilian Kolbe – giving over your life so someone else might live,
or it like Saint Mary – and giving birth to Jesus.

But other saints practice every day and do the right thing; like Scott Podsednik with his speed, Bobby Jenks wit his power pitching, Juan Uribe with his driving catches, Paul Konerko with his homeruns and RBIs and Joe Crede with his clutch hitting.
They practice and practice and practice and practice and they get really good at what they do.

All saints have this in common: they have the confidence, the belief, the skill to be saints. They have good equipment.
They have a book and a manual and hear stores and instruction on how to be saints.
They have other people who are more experienced and knowledgeable to teach them
and classmates and friends and a community of believers to encourage and support them.

Today we celebrate grand slam saints – really famous ones like Saint John Fisher
and home run saints – our friends and members of our families who now live in heaven and base-hit saints – like all of us.

Everyday saints like us are people who go out of their way to help others.
These are the people who come every day to practice and try to live a good life
by showing kindness and following the teachings of Jesus.

We are God’s children:
we are called to be saints.
We are called to be champions in the world (and heavenly) series of God’s people.

Post communion reflection 1: The idea of Frank Kelly, 6th grade.Today we honor those who went before us
and live as saints in heaven.
We want to be inspired to live like saints.
The sixth graders have this suggestion:

Think of someone from your family who has died. Think of your favorite things about them.
Do something today to carry on their memory.

Maybe you could cook their favorite meal.
Or play their favorite game.
Or wear the color they liked best.

We honor those who went before us.
We ask our communion of saints to watch over us and stay in our hearts.

Think of something you can do today
to remember your family saint.

Post communion reflection 2: The idea of Jack Carey, 6th grade.
Today all the sixth graders made prayer cards to remember a saint who is living on earth or in heaven.

We put their picture on this card and wrote some favorite things about them.

We hope you will look at them in the foyer and think of your favorite things about the people in your life.

Think about how you can become a saint by being a friend to all people and by being a friend to Jesus. Because just as we wrote about our favorites, you are all saints too: by your acts of kindness and friendship and by all of your good deeds following the example of Jesus.

The Fifth and Sixth Graders Play for the Championship Game this Weekend. Here is a prayer for them and all Sports Players (change the name for your favorite high school or college team.)

O God who loves us all more powerfully than we could ever imagine,
Be with our entire school family as we have fun, learn new things and face exciting challenges.
This Friday in November in the year of Chicago world champions, 2005 we especially ask your blessing upon our 5th and 6th grade Fisher Falcons.
We thank you for the victories they have celebrated in winning all their football games so far.
We thank you for all the ways our team has modeled hard work, skill, dedication and especially cooperation as they have shown good sportsmanship with one another.
This spirit of respect for their own abilities and that of their team mates has allowed them to learn more about you, our loving God, and themselves.
Help our 5th and 6th graders continue their dream in these playoffs by believing in themselves. Help them to realize that hard work and cooperation always pays off.
Forgive us and them for the times we have doubted ourselves,
and help us always to use our best abilities to see all we can be.
So we ask God to bless our football team as they play their championship game this weekend:
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.

Go Fisher Falcons!

Each year the 5th grade students at Saint John Fisher prepare the Thanksgiving Day school prayer service. They present the story of the First Thanksgiving in America. The gospel is from Saint Luke about the 10 lepers and the one who return to give thanks. In addition to the student reflections on that for which they are most thankful, these are my thoughts on what thanksgiving means to me in this school this year.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Elena Chermak

Thanksgiving Day reflection for the Students of Saint John Fisher delivered on Tuesday, November 22, 2005 at the Thanksgiving Day Prayer Service

Two interesting things happened on Sunday morning in the school hallway and upstairs classroom that apply to this prayer service.

1. One dad took his daughter to Scripture Safari and read the 1st grade signs in the hallway on the way.
“See, he told his little girl: It says to be thankful for your toys.”

2. In Mrs. Sullivans’ room, the 6th grade teacher C.F.F. didn’t come, so the last minute substitute said, “Instead of our regular class, let’s go to the pancake breakfast.”. It was a great idea, especially since two of the 6th graders were boy scouts serving the food. Now that can’t happen every week, because there are important things to learn in 6th grade C.F.F., but for that day, it was a big surprise, a delicious surprise.

In two days we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a great and beloved holiday, and since it revolves around a meal, a delicious holiday.

In church, you notice that the missalette we’ve been using for a while runs out and that we will need new ones, soon. It is the end of the church year, with a new church year to start when with Advent, when we get back from Thanksgiving.

All this year in the church we have been reading the gospel according to Matthew. One of my favorite stories from Saint Matthew was the gospel we heard in church in September. It’s about a man who hires someone to work at 9 a.m., noon and 4:30 p.m. They all stop working at the end of the day, and the interesting thing is that that all get paid the same exact amount.
$100 if you worked from 9 to 5. $100 if you worked from noon to 5. $100 if you worked for ½ an hour.

How is that fair?
We learn from that story that we don’t always know why we get what we have. We learn that life is full of surprises, of things we don’t understand, that God is full of surprises.

All of us in this church have been so very lucky. We all live in a strong and rich country which we think is the very best country in the world.
We live in peace and don’t have to worry about a war going on where we live while we walk home from school.

We live in a great and exciting city with wonderful hospitals and doctors to take care of us if we get sick.

We live at a time when there is lots of food, and heat for our homes; a time when we can talk to millions of people all over the world, just by picking up a phone, a time when we can watch the president in China, just by pressing a button on our TV.
These are all wonderful things that everyone in the world can’t say, because they need so many things to survive. These are things people who lived before us can’t say because all these great conveniences and wonders hadn’t been invented, these wonders and conveniences that are part of our lives, everyday.

We also live in a time when Jesus and his message have been around for 2000 years. Unlike people in the Old Testament, we aren’t waiting for the messiah to come and teach us his message, because we already know him – It’s Jesus!

Last week I stopped at the White Hen after school and saw a man sitting in his car, scratching off his lottery tickets, (and I hope he won), and I remembered that everyone of us here, just by being born - at this time - in this place - won the best lottery prize of all.

Sometimes we think, “I wish I had more brothers and sisters; I wish I had a mansion to live in; I wish I was the best athlete. Having those wishes are good because it gives us a better chance to making some of those dreams come true, but the popular song says,

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you give it time – you get what you need.”

Maybe you don’t have as many brothers and sisters as you’d like. – but maybe you have a heart that reaches out to all people.

Maybe you don’t live in a giant home, but maybe you fill the house you have with love.

Maybe you aren’t a famous athlete, but maybe you recognize great skill and encourage everyone around you.

A prayer I like says, “I received little of what I asked for, but all that I had hoped for; of all people I am most thankful.

On this Thanksgiving day, be especially aware of all the good things you have been given: everyday things like toys and surprise things, too, like a pancake breakfast.

Be ready for the surprise of each day, and like the leper in today’s gospel, always be thankful for God’s goodness.

Here’s the last part about you:
While we are talking about goodness, know how much Sister Jean, and the teachers and I are grateful for you!: for you kindness and hard work and enthusiasm – especially as the White Sox won the world series recently.

For thanksgiving, we asked the 5th graders to write what they are most thankful for. You heard some of their essays.
On Saturday and Sunday, Father Bob invited anyone at mass who wanted to – to write down on this piece of paper what they are most thankful for.

For the next few moments, I’d like you all to imagine you are a 6th grader or a parishioner here on Sunday and answer this question silently in your heart:
For what are you most grateful?
Like the leper in the story, what do you most want to thank God for?

Sister Jean and I include these prayers in the bread which the parish distributes at the Thanksgiving Day mass. You might want to use one or the other at your family celebration.

Thanksgiving Table BlessingLoving God,
our hearts are crowded with gratitude
as we celebrate this feast of Thanksgiving.
We come to our feasting table with great joy,
for we are truly grateful to You, our God,
for all that you have given us.

We thank one another for the gifts of love, kindness and affection that we have freely shared.
We are thankful for all who are present at our feast
and for all who have labored in love to bring this dinner to our table.

We also remember those not present at our feast:
those separated by miles, who are members of our family of love;
those separated by sickness - may their health be restored;
our loved ones in heaven - we treasure the memories they
helped us to create, which are a special part of this day.

In deep gratitude, may we also remember those who might need
warm clothes, warm homes, or warm hearts to love them.
May our gratitude result in deeper generosity.

May You, our God, bless this Thanksgiving feast and all of us who shall share it in Your Name. Amen.

Children's Table Blessing

Let us pray,
Thank you, God, for all the gifts you give us.
Thank you, God, for families and friends who love us.
Please help those who most need your care,
and help us to be friends to them.
Bless us all
and bless this feast we share today.
Amen.

All say, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

If you are a fifth grade student who is participating in the Thanksgiving Day mass, please come to church at 8:30 a.m. We will have seats reserved in the front. School uniforms or Sunday best are both fine to wear for the liturgy that day. See you then!
Thank you,
Ms. Chermak

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Dear Eighth Grade Parent,
This letter will provide you with information about your child’s upcoming Confirmation.
The Confirmation Liturgy will take place on Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. Bishop Thomas Paprocki will be our Confirming bishop. This is always a beautiful and prayerful liturgy. As many friends or family members who would like to attend are welcome.
Everyone is invited to Kane Hall after the Confirmation Mass to meet and take pictures with the Bishop. There will be a reception at this time, with juice, coffee and cookies. Allow an hour and a half for the mass, (or maybe two hours, depending on how much time the bishop spends with each candidate) and thirty minutes for the reception (you are free to leave the reception at any time). If you are making plans for after the ceremony, these times may help.
We will have a professional photographer and videographer at the ceremony. An order form will go home closer to the date.
There will be a Confirmation retreat for all Confirmation students from the school and religious education program on Friday, November 18, 2005 in Kane Hall during the regular school day. We will provide a lunch. This is an out-of-uniform day. Jeans & gym shoes are okay.
On Sunday, November 20, 2005 we will have the Confirmation Commissioning Mass. At this mass the Confirmation candidates with their families will sit close to the front of the church in a reserved section. The candidates will, as a class, announce their desire to be confirmed. They will be presented to the parish as the Confirmation Class of 2006. This commissioning mass happens to coincide with the Boy Scout pancake breakfast. Perhaps you would like to make plans to attend this mass and then stop by Kane Hall for the breakfast.
There is a Confirmation fee of $28.00. This fee covers the Bishop’s Offering, program booklet printing, Confirmation picture, retreat and reception costs. Please make checks payable to Saint John Fisher School and send payment to school by Wednesday, November 30th.
To prepare for the ceremony, we will have a final prayer service and rehearsal for Confirmation on Wednesday, February 8th at 7:30 p.m. This prayer service is for the candidates, parents, and, if possible, sponsors.
Please continue to pray with and for your child as he or she prepares for Confirmation. We especially encourage Sunday Mass attendance, and role modeling on the importance of faith and belief in God in your life. If you have any questions, please call: (773)238-1851/445-4737.

Dates:
Friday, November 18, 2005 - Confirmation retreat for students during the school day.
Sunday, November 20, 2005 – Confirmation commissioning mass 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005 – fee due
Wednesday, February 8, 2006 – Prayer service and Rehearsal for Confirmation, in church, 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 11th - Confirmation liturgy 4:00 p.m. Confirmation candidates & sponsors in classrooms at 3:30 p.m.
Sincerely,

Sister Jean McGrath Mrs. Sherry Hughes Ms. Mary Redmond Ms. Elena Chermak
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Confirmation Fee
Enclosed is my confirmation fee ($28.00) for _____________________________________.
(Student's name)
__________________________________
Parent's Signature
Please make checks payable to Saint John Fisher School. Please turn in fee to school by Wednesday, November 30, 2005. or to C.F.F. by December 4, 2005. Thank you.