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SSTN - Number 159
February 26, 2001

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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:

1) 4-5 Year Old Songs
2) Problem Kids In Class
3) I feel like quitting
4) Feels like quitting
5) Feels like quitting
6) Games For 4 and 5 yr olds
7) Teaching the ten commandments
8) Curriculums and Children's Congress
9) I feel like quitting
10) Christian Scavenger hunt for preschoolers
11) February Ideas
12) Cooking Session

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1) 4-5 Year Old Songs

This is response to Joni who wondered what to do with 4-5 year olds with
time left at the end of class. How about action songs instead of games?
We use "We Sing" - it has basic songs like "Deep & Wide", "Father Abraham", "Rise & Shine" which are easy to teach and have arm and/or leg movements to them. We may think we need to prepare something different for each week, but preschoolers crave
consistency in their routine and will not get tired of singing the same
songs! You might even make easy instruments (tambourines) for them to use
while singing! Good Luck!

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2) Problem Kids In Class

I Am A Children's Church Teacher who deals with problem children each week
especially with ADHD and BIPOLAR disorders seeming to affect a lot of
children these days. I can say that we have tried a lot but the most
effective I tried this last Sunday was a WALKIE TALKIE method were an
elder or POSITIVE ENFORCER is chosen to respond to your CALL OF NEED and
help to correct the problem or take the child aside and coach them NOT
NEGATIVE DISCIPLINE, That is what the outside world is for, WE ARE HERE TO
LOVE THEM .... God Bless, James Contreras / Children's Church Teacher / La
Presa Community Church / Spring Valley, CA. You can e-mail me at :
James_Contreras@Hotmail.com

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3) I feel like quitting

"Hi, I was wondering if someone would have any suggestions for me. I
teach
K-6 grade, 10-12 children, half of which are related to each other.
Attention spans and focus on any subject are minimal. I have been
teaching for about 15 years and have never faced challenges like I seem to
be now. Sometimes I feel like quitting but there is no one else willing to
take my place. One boy continually interrupts stories to tell me things
not related. Some are verbally mean to each other. I have had the
children make up their own classroom rules but that didn't help.
Hopefully someone will have some creative suggestions for me so I will not
lose my mind, patience and sight of my goal. Thanks for your help."

Have you thought about splitting them? That sure sounds like a wide age
span to deal with even if it is 10-12 children. If there is not another
teacher, maybe you could get a gentleman to sit in with you for a while,
sometimes just a male presence helps. Could you maybe send the disruptive
ones in with their parents? This is usually my last resort one and I only
have to do it once. It's just too "boring" with mom and dad.
Hope this helps. Shana


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4) PROJECT FOR EASTER: EASTER EGG

Give each child a plastic egg into which he or she will put various items
symbolic of the Easter story. The items are: (1) a piece of purple cloth;
(2) a thorn; (3) a nail; (4) a small cross (if you cannot find this, have
students make a cross by gluing together two toothpick pieces); (5) a
small stone. Give each child a slip of paper upon which the following
explanation is written:

The Easter Egg:
* Purple Cloth and Thorn - Jesus was mocked, so the gaurds placed a robe
and a crown of thorns on him, and said, He was the "King of the
Jews."
* Nail and Cross - Jesus was nailed to a cross.
* Rock - After Jesus died on the Cross, he was placed in a tomb. On
the third day, he was raised from the dead, and the stone was rolled
away from the tomb.
Blessings, Jerri Fusch

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5) Feels like quitting

To the lady who said she feels like quitting. This is what we do in our
Children's Church. We have a dry erase board that we have put each child's
name on. At the beginning of each class this is what we do. We give each
child a check mark or star for these things,
1.Attendence
2.Bringing Bible
3.Learning Memory Verse from week before (two check marks)
4.Helping during class (only one mark for helping no matter how many times
they help)
5.Offering
and etc. If during class at any time the child does any of these things,
1.Talking when not suppose to or out of turn
2.Hitting or Touching others
3.Disrespecting the Teacher in any way
4.Getting out of Seats
5.Looking around and talking during prayer time
and etc. We take one check mark or star away. At the end of class we have
a table set up with prizes marked. The child with the most marks gets to
choose anything off that table the rest usually get candy or small prizes
such as pencils or little plastic toys or such for each mark they have. We
usually have some pretty nice prizes to choose from for the one with the
most marks. This has really helped keep our kids in line because they want
to get the nice prizes. Try it I have a feeling it will help you out a
lot. They don't have to be expensive just big.
If you would like to know anymore you can e-mail me at eel_aseret@hotmail
.com . I will be glad to answer any questions you have.

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6) Games For 4 and 5 yr olds

I know this isn't that exciting for older kids, but it's fun for the age
group. We get one child to be "it" and hide their eyes while another
child hides a very small pocket bible. Once the bible is hidden, all the
kids yell "warmer" or "colder" to help the child who's "it" find the
bible. The only problem is literally every kid wants a turn to be "It"!
- Kelly, Winnipeg, Canada

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7) Teaching the ten commandments

I have a site for the person looking for ways to teach the ten
commandments. www.fishersofkids.com is a sight that has one year of free
curriculum. I believe it is on the 2nd quarter where you will find
lessons for each commandment--with puppet and drama scripts. Hope this
helps! It is awesome material!! Janice Gamage

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8) Curriculums and Children's Congress

Hello, I just joined the SSTN and read through some newsletters from the
archive. I live and work in Yugoslavia and could use any curriculums
that you have left over. Please email me if you can help.

Also, I would like your ideas about the children's congress we are
planing for april. The theme is "Be like us", that is, Jesus said "If
you don't be like little children..." Do you have any suggestions for
this theme, like craft ideas, hand-outs, sermons, talks... etc.
Thanks a lot. Ljiljana- lilianc@EUnet.yu

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9) I feel like quitting

1. First, pray. I had the same problem with my K-4 graders, mostly
boys. Realize that if you stop teaching, the devil has won a victory. Tell him
out loud that you are not quitting.
2. Use a reward system. Tree with coin slots that get a quarter put in
each session they behave. Gingerbread man gets a nose, eye, button, etc.
each Sunday they behave until it is completed: at completion they get a
prize. Promise a trip to Burger King, McDonalds, etc. the first Sunday
that they all pay attention, behave, and don't get out of their seats.
3. Stronger approach-let them know at the beginning of class that if
anyone overdoes
his misbehaving, then everyone is either sent back to parents or whomever
brought them-or they must all sit with you in the sanctuary with you
instead of having class.
4. Talk to your pastor about how to deal with it. He may act as the
"police" for you and remove any kid from class that he hears being a
problem. After a couple times of someone being taken out of class because
someone heard them through a closed door they might straighten up.
5. Let all parents know that you are having discipline problems and the
methods you might be using to correct them.

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10) Christian Scavenger hunt for preschoolers

Hi there. A few years back we did a treasure hunt for the few
preschoolers in our homemade preschool co-op. The mom who organized it
cut out pictures from magazines and advertisements that matched stuff
around her house and yard. Sometimes there was more than one spot the
item could have been, so the kids had to work together to find the next
envelope with another picture clue in it. (For instance, there were two
hoses outside.) They knew they had the right spot when they found the
next envelope. At the end, there was a paper bag for each child with a
simple treasure inside. They enjoyed the hunt so much they decided to do
it again without the treasure.

To adapt this for Sunday School uses: make your treasures trinkets from
a Christian book store (little books, pencils, stickers..), or add Bible
verses to the clues (The GRASS withers and fades--Oh--next clue must be
in the grass!). Remind them that Jesus is the greatest treasure of them
all! (Maybe have a picture of Jesus at the end of the hunt.)

Also--Try an Acts of Kindness scavenger hunt. Give each child (or team)
a list of kind things they can do (with pictures) and see how many they
can do in a small time frame. They'll be surprised at how easily they
can encourage someone--with a hug, a compliment, a hand-made card or
picture, by praying for them... If your scavenger hunt goes home with
them, make sure they have an adult initial what stuff they've done.

A hunt-related book to read to your preschoolers: God Promised Us A
Savior by Matthew Welser. This is an Arch Book that uses a simple
rhyming text. A boy and his father hunt through the Old Testament for
"clues" that foretell the birth of Jesus. The book has a Christmas-y
look, but you could use it any time of year.
Happy hunting! Dana, St. Clair Shores, MI

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11) February Ideas

I know its late but we just did this for my own kids .... I bought a bag
of Hershey's Hugs and Kisses.. and i bought the juice Squeezits.... i
wrapped up a few hugs and tied them up .. and then some kisses... and then
tied those up .. and then tied both packs to the squeezit and on a small
paper heart i wrote " Here is a hug , a kiss and a squeeze "

for sunday school we did the story of the sinful woman forgiven and the
verse was 1 John 3:11. At home i used Craft Foam and had cut out small
heart shapes of various sizes and glued them to milk caps and made stamps.
for our craft we made valentine cards using the stamps and paper. The
kids had a blast using markers to color the stamps. But here is a tip
..... have a small dish of water to clean off the stamps. And have wet
paper towels for little fingers. I plan on using the stamps again but in
different designs such as a Fish and a Cross and a dove for some other
craft projects.

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12) Cooking Session

Look at your Bible Book Store for a book called Scrumptious Scriptures, it
looks like a great book and I can't wait to get it! Debbie Sun City Ca.

from SSTN: you can find this book in the Bookstore Search box at:
www.ChristianCrafters.Com

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