Background Notes for Parents/Carers

About the theme – Lent/Easter

In this theme the children learn about the seasons of Lent and Easter and how Christians live their lives because of the beliefs held.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent. According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he was tempted by Satan. Lent began as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter.

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday, and placing them in the sign of the cross on the heads of people to the accompaniment of the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". Catholics believe that they are called to continuously ‘turn back’ to God and live a holy life. The symbol is a reminder that this life is short and our real lives will begin when we are raised to New Life in the Communion of Saints.

Lent

The three traditional practices of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Prayer:

Catholics believe that more time given to prayer during Lent will draw them closer to the Lord.

Fasting:

Fasting is not just about developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind Catholics of their hunger for God. Fasting should be linked to concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from injustice and those who are in need for any reason. It is linked to living out baptismal promises. By Baptism, Catholics are given the responsibility of showing Christ's love to the world, especially to those in need. Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked Christians to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals.

Almsgiving:

This is a sign of care for those in need and an expression of gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life which is begun at Baptism.

Holy Week

For the Church, Holy Week is the ‘greatest week’ during which the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus is remembered in special celebrations.

On Passion Sunday which is sometimes called Palm Sunday (because palms are blessed and Christians hear the reading of the passion of Jesus), Christians celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to face his suffering and death.

The Paschal or Easter Triduum (pronounced Trid-oo-um) begins on Holy Thursday when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and ends on Easter Sunday in the evening.

When Lent ends, Catholics stand in the centre of the Christian year. On the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, Catholics keep the Easter Vigil. They gather to light a fire and a towering candle, to listen to their most treasured scriptures, to sing psalms and other songs. Then they go to the waters and baptise those who have been preparing for new life in Christ. The newly baptised are then anointed with fragrant oil and, at last, with these newly baptised, they celebrate the Eucharist.

Catholics prepare for this Vigil in the washing of feet on Holy Thursday and in the veneration of the cross on Good Friday. They also prepare by fasting. The Church fasts – from food, from entertainment, from chatter, from work – so that they have time to ponder deeply the death and resurrection of the Lord, the mystery of faith that they will celebrate in the Vigil.

Easter Season

Begins on Easter Sunday and ends 50 days later on Pentecost Sunday.

Easter Sunday is the beginning of the Easter Season which lasts for 50 days ending on Pentecost Sunday. The Easter season is to the year what Sunday is to the week. It is the heart of the Christian faith. St. Paul writes that without a strong, unswerving belief in the resurrection of Christ, then, “empty too is our preaching; empty too your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14.) Catholics are an ‘Easter People’ and make "Alleluia" their song because they delight to praise the Lord who is raised from the dead and now shares his new life. The Paschal candle, the giant candle that is lighted during this season whenever Catholics celebrate in church, shows that Jesus lives.

Overview

Key Vocabulary

EARLY YEARS

Growing

LENT/EASTER THEME

(Lent is a time to work at growing spiritually in preparation to celebrate the death of Jesus and his resurrection at Easter. This process involves growing in many ways. It is not always easy.Children will know and understand:• Spring is a time when things begin to grow • Lent – a time to grow in love to be more like Jesus and to look forward to EasterSee Background Notes for ParentsWeek 1: Children recognise examples of new growth and new life around them during Spring.Week 2: Children learn that Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and that Lent is a time to grow in love and goodness like Jesus.Week 3: Children learn that Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday but God his Father gave him new life and he rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. This is a happy time to celebrate in church.Week 4: Look at the key vocabulary for this topic and use it to remember all that your child has learned about Growing. Celebrate with a simple Act of Worship. )

Grow

spring

different

Lent

Good Friday

cross

Easter Sunday

Early Years

In EYFS children learn that Lent is a time when the family of Jesus try to grow in a special way: to grow ‘inside’. They cannot see the growing happen, but it does. People grow in love, goodness, kindness, helpfulness – this happens ‘inside’ them. Lent is also a special time when the family of Jesus think about him and how he grew. They try to grow more like him.

Week 1:

Help children to recognise growth in nature and to discover the ways in which things grow. There are lots of ways to do this. Over the course of the week you could do some of the following:

· Plant some cress or something similar that grows very quickly. Focus on what is happening over time.

· Look on the internet for newborn lambs or baby chicks.

· Watch time lapse videos of seeds growing or chicks hatching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-FO8tZQGfk&list=PL1A9527BBC718596E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tof5b1Qs_OE

· Go on a Nature Trail, in your garden or on walks, looking for signs of growth – buds on trees, snowdrops, crocus, daffodils coming. Take photographs.

· Tell stories, read poems, sing songs about new life e.g. Once There Were Giants by Martin Waddell.

· Plant some summer flowering bulbs outside in your garden or in patio pots. Look after them and monitor their growth over time.

· Look at pictures of various adult animals and their babies. Play matching games.

· Look at photos of your child when they were a baby and how they are now. Talk about how they have grown and the differences. Make a timeline of their life with photographs.

Task: Children can do paintings or drawings of the signs of new life that they see while out in nature.

Week 2: Lesson 1

(You may have spoken to your children about Ash Wednesday when it was celebrated, during the half term holidays. If so, a recap of how Lent begins, a reminder of any Lenten promises or a look at the Lenten calendar is sufficient.)

Look at the pictures from Church’s Story 1 pages 39-41 below. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. A Cross is made on our foreheads with ashes to show that we want to grow more like Jesus. Lent is the Church’s season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. During the forty days of Lent, Christians are encouraged to work at growing more like Jesus by caring, sharing and helping. This helps us to think about other people. Lent is also a special time when we think about Jesus, how he grew in love and we try to grow in love, goodness, kindness and helpfulness like him.

· What do we call this special time?

· When does Lent start?

· What do we try to do during Lent?

Task: Make a Lenten promise card showing how ‘I want to grow in love like Jesus by...’

Week 2: Lesson 2

Look again at the pictures from Church’s Story 1 pages 40-41 below showing children living as Jesus asks them to. Talk about what is happening in the pictures and add speech bubbles. Explore the ways children can grow to be more like Jesus during Lent. Talk about how we can do things for others and grow in love e.g. pray for them, help them in some way.

Task: Ask your child to draw pictures of sharing, caring and helping on the heart template below. Hang these on a branch to make a Lenten tree.

Week 3: Lesson 1

Jesus dies on the cross

At the end of Lent, we remember that Jesus died on Good Friday because he loves all of us. During his life some people became jealous of Jesus. They made a plan to get rid of him. Jesus knew that whatever happened, God his Father loved him.

This is the story of what happened on Good Friday.

Mary, Jesus’ mother, and his friend John stood beside the cross as he died. Jesus said to his mother, “John will now be your son. Take care of him.” Then he said to John, “Mary will be your mother now.” When Jesus died, John cared for Mary.

Based on John 19:25-27

· Who was there with Jesus when he died?

· What did Jesus say to them?

· What does the story tell you about Jesus?

· What does the story tell you about Mary?

· What does the story tell you about John?

If possible make an Easter Garden (There are lots of ideas on Pinterest or see instructions here https://www.mybaba.com/nanny-anitas-easter-garden/ )

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Week 3: Lesson 2

Easter

Look at the picture below. Easter Sunday is a happy day. The priest wears white vestments. White is the special Easter colour. ‘Alleluia’ is the special Easter prayer. Some churches also have an Easter garden to help people remember that Jesus died and was buried, but God his Father gave him new life. Jesus rose from the dead. Spring flowers are a symbol of new life. Easter is the Church’s celebration of new life for Jesus and for everyone.

The Easter Garden is a symbol of the Easter events.

Read this story to the children:

Jesus dying was not the end of the story. When Thomas and Jane got to church on Easter Sunday, they were surprised. It looked so different from when they had been there on Good Friday. The colours were different, everything was bright and golden with flowers and banners. Everyone in church stood up and sang a hymn.

Father Smith was smiling as he said, “Good morning and a Happy Easter to you all. Today is a day to be full of joy. Today, we remember God his Father giving Jesus new life on the first Easter day.” After Mass, they went to look at the Easter garden. Beautiful flowers bloomed all around; yellow daffodils, red and pink tulips, blue grape hyacinths and a beautiful green fern.

There was a cross draped with a white and gold cloth and a beautiful golden candle – and beneath the cross was a basket full of chocolate Easter eggs, their favourites. “There’s plenty for everyone,” Father Smith told them.

Easter Sunday, the day when Jesus was given new life by God his Father, really is a day to celebrate. Everyone is happy.

Task: Make an Easter card for your family. You might like to cut out and include this prayer:

This is the wood of the cross on which Jesus died.

Let us remember him.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.

Jesus, you are so good.

Help us to grow in goodness.

Jesus, you are so kind.

Help us to grow in kindness.

Jesus, you are so caring.

Help us to grow in caring.

Jesus, you are so loving.

Help us to grow in loving.

Week 4: Look at the key vocabulary and help your child to remember what they have learned about ‘Growing’.

Celebrate with a simple Act of Worship (see below)

ResourcesWeek 2 Lesson 1

Week 2 Lesson 2

Week 2 Lesson 2

Week 3: Lesson 2

Week 4

Act of Worship

“GROWING”

EYFS

‘Lent: a time to grow in love to be more like

Jesus and to look forward to Easter’

(Gathering together )

You might like to set up a Focal table with some of the following:

Candle, Bible (if possible), a cross, seedlings or a bulb sprouting in a pot, pictures of chicks/signs of new life (from the internet), Easter egg, some of your child’s work on Growing.

We begin our prayer by making the sign of the cross – a sign which reminds us of how much God loves us… In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

We have been looking at how things grow in nature and the signs of new life all around us.

Lent is a special time in the Church’s year when Christians think about growing in love and we have talked about all the different ways we can show our love.

(The Word of God )

The day on which Jesus died is called Good Friday. On Good Friday people go to church to remember how much Jesus loved us all and to listen to the story of how he died. The Cross is special because it helps us to remember God’s great love for everyone.

Jesus died on the Cross. When he was dying, he saw Mary his mother and his best friend standing near. He said to them, “Take care of each other.” And they did.

(Based on John 19: 25-27.)

We know Good Friday is not the end of the story.

But God his Father gave Jesus new life. (based on Acts 2:23-24)

Easter Sunday is a happy day. The priest wears white vestments. White is the special Easter colour. Some churches have an Easter garden to help people remember that Jesus died and was buried, but God his Father gave him new life. Spring flowers are a symbol of new life. Easter is the Church’s celebration of new life for Jesus and for everyone.

(Response to the Word)

Let us pray a litany asking God to help us grow to be more loving – just like Jesus.

The response is: Lord, help us to grow.

That we will remember to thank God each day for loving us.

Lord, help us to grow

That we may be kinder and more loving to friends and family.

Lord, help us to grow

That we may appreciate the signs of new life and growth around us

Lord, help us to grow

That we may be more helpful in the classroom.

Lord, help us to grow

(Going Forth)Lord Jesus, during Lent may we grow to know you more clearly, love you more

dearly and follow you more nearly, day by day. Let us pause for a moment and think

of one thing we will try to do this week to show we are growing in love…..

You may like to listen to the words of this Lenten song:

Everything Grows:

1 In the springtime as we know

Plants long buried under snow,

Put down roots and send up shoots,

Rain and sunshine help them grow.

2 Lent comes in the springtime too,

It’s a time for me and you.

A reminder to be kinder,

Jesus shows us what to do.

3 Easter Day we all await,

When He conquers death and hate,

Then our growing will be showing,

He with us will celebrate.

(Words Sr. Oswin)