Last year around this time, I emailed our pastors. I love Lent and Holy Week, and I think that as a teacher I really do help my students to live these out. We pray the Stations of the Cross and go to Adoration weekly. We read the passion account from John. We learn some beautiful chants. We pray, fast and give to charity. But then when Easter comes, it goes away just as fast.
I want to make this year different. I want to be just as intentional with my celebration of Easter as I am with my observance of Lent. I want each of the 40 days of the Easter season to feel joyful and triumphant. Death, where is your sting? Where is your victory? Jesus is alive!
I’m not entirely sure how to do this, but I am sure that I want to start. Here are my initial plans and ideas, but I would love insight from readers as well. First of all, on Tuesday morning after Easter (we get Easter Monday off) I am going to gather some students to help me decorate the school with Easter banners and decor. When students walk in the door, I want them to immediately feel that something is different. I also want to adapt one of my favorite class activities- an outdoor Bible scavenger hunt into an Easter version, using only the New Testament and of course, plastic Easter eggs.
Some other ideas I am toying with include: Divine Mercy Sunday party, renewing our Baptismal promises in class, activities with the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and making our own “Resurrection Stations” to retell the stories of the resurrected Christ in a similar fashion to the Stations of the Cross. We will also start studying Acts of the Apostles in my 7th grade class. For prayer each day we will sing one of the great Easter hymns.
Stay tuned for some additional reflection about how our class tries to transform our school this Easter. I am excited to see how God blesses us in this endeavor.
