Ember Wednesday during the Octave of Pentecost

What are Ember Days?

According to the Saint Andrew Daily Missal, the start of the four seasons of the year begins with Ember weeks, liturgical periods that date back as earlier (if not earlier than) the 5th century. Their present dates were fixed in the 12th century by St. Gregory VII. They are "to consecrate to God the various seasons in Nature and to prepare those who are about to be ordained" (p. 99).

The Ember Days consist of three fast days: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. This week's Ember Days are always during the octave of Pentecost, when the "Church offers up to God the first-fruits of the new season, and prays for the priests who, on the coming Saturday, are about to receive the Holy Ghost in the Sacrament of Holy Orders" (p. 718).

Here is also a nice explanation of Ember Days by a homeschooling mother at Family in Feast and Feria.

How does this work in the home?
Today we are fasting, and we said thanksgiving prayers for the summer season and for the strawberries God has given us this this month. We also pray for the priests about the be ordained, especially soon-to-be Father Bergida from our parish.

SALE! on Classically Catholic Memory Materials at Ignatius Press

The Alpha Year materials we are using next year are currently on sale at a discounted rate at Ignatius Press! If you want to save some extra money, now is the time!

VIRTUS Training in Arlington Diocese

If you are considering joining our homeschool cooperative next year, please consider registering for VIRTUS Training.

June 9th at 9:00 am: All Saints Church in Manassas
June 16th at 10:30 am: St. John the Evangelist Church in Warrenton
September 22nd at 9:00 am: St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal

See VIRTUS Online for more details and for more dates and locations.

An Art History Story Book for Children

Have you been looking for an art history book for your children that is told as a story? Look no further! One of my favorite resources for explaining art history to young people is A Child's History of Art by V.M. Hillyer and E.G. Huey. This book is recommended for grades 4-8, but many adults enjoy the read as well. The art history of painting, sculpture, and architecture are covered. Here is an excerpt from the book:
"Now, animals can learn to do a good many things that human beings can do, but one thing an animal can't learn is to draw... Every boy and girl who has ever lived has drawn something at some time. Haven't you? You have drawn, perhaps, a horse or a house, a ship or an automobile, a dog or a cat. The dog may (not) have looked just like a cat or a cat-erpillar, but even this is more than any animal can do" (1933, Ch. 1, p. 4).

This book is the backbone of our inspiration for art activities this year, and we will be providing colored copies of artwork for your history notebooks!

A Liturgical Year Bulletin Board

Sanctus Simplicitus has provided free templates to make a DIY liturgical year bulletin board based on the 1962 Liturgical Calendar. We are pleased to be making our own such bulletin board for use in the co-op next year!

Using this visual presentation of the 1962 Liturgical Calendar fits in with our goal of making Tradition a joyously-lived experience in the liturgy of our homes.

May God grant us the patience we need during the gluing and laminating processes!

If you are looking for a lesson planner that follows the 1962 liturgical year, you might consider buying the Holy Simplicity Planner.

St. Rose Venerini, our Patroness

In a search for a patroness, she found us!

Saint Rose once said: "I find myself so bound to the divine will that neither death nor life is important: I want to live as he wishes and I want to serve him as he likes, and nothing more" (Biografia Adreucci, p. 515). She did not want to keep this desire to herself, for she believed that education and catechesis were the tools necessary to liberate the soul from ignorance and misconduct. Her special charism was "to free from ignorance and evil so that the project of God which every person carries within could be made visible."

She took up this work of educating the young, and indeed this was to be her cross. Her work, as with many good works, did not begin easily. After much persecution, even from within her own parish, the fruits of her labors and of the labors of her fellow teachers became evident, and after some time Saint Rosa was invited to Rome to help found more schools. Pope Clement XI, after having visited some of her lessons and lessons by her teachers, remarked: "Signora Rosa, you are doing that which we cannot do. We thank you very much because with these schools you will sanctify Rome." Her followers, who were known as the Venerini Sisters, continued her life's work. Their motto, surely inspired by Saint Rosa, was "Educate to Save". 


May we obtain such dedication, such zeal, and such charity as our patroness! Sancta Rosa, ora pro nobis!

Read the Vatican's Biography of St. Rose.

Encouraging Words from The Imitation of Christ

"My son, do not let the hard work you have taken on for my sake crush you; do not let any trouble make you lose heart completely. ... Go on with what you are doing; work faithfully in my vineyard; the reward you will have is myself. Go on writing, reading, singing, sighing, keeping silence, bearing your troubles like a man; it is well worth fighting all your present battles, and even greater ones, to gain eternal life ... If you were really keen to get to heaven, if the thought of it went right home to your inmost heart, how would you have the affrontery to voice a single grievance? Surely, with eternal life as the prize, you ought to put up with all kinds of hardship" (Imitation of Christ, Book III, Chapter 47).

Teaching Preschoolers to Read

Would you like to teach your preschooler how to read? It's quite simple and you're probably teaching them without even realizing it. That's because it really only involves one step. Read together!

Invite your child to sit on your lap or find a nice, cozy spot on the couch. Pick out a book that will keep his/her interest (kids at this age particularly enjoy books with beautiful illustrations, simple words and a text that repeats itself). Make it a special time together so that they associate reading with happy memories. Find a favorite book and read it over and over again.

In the co-op this year, the preschoolers and I started each morning by reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. It's a silly book about the letters in the alphabet climbing up a coconut tree. But as the tree gets fuller and fuller we wonder, "Chicka, Chicka, boom boom. Will there be enough room?" This question is asked over and over, allowing the children to memorize the text and "read" out loud with me. This is a joy to read, allowing you to use many different expressions and different voices for the different letters that are speaking. It gets really fun when you see one of the kids pick up the book to "read" to themselves and notice them using the same voices. 

Does your child have a favorite story that they want to read over and over again? This is a great thing! It's very helpful in the process of teaching your preschooler to read. They will start to realize that the words on the page stand for something because they don't change. They stay the same each time we read the story! If you point to each word as you are reading, they will begin to see that each word has it's own meaning. Before you know it, they will be "reading" the book to you. Don't worry that they are only saying the words from memory. If you have been following the words with your fingers, chances are your child will do the same. Even though they are speaking the words from memory, eventually they will begin to associate certain letter sounds with the letter. A great achievement in the process of learning how to read!

So the next time you ask your child to pick out a book and you get tempted to hide the one that you have already read a hundred times, remember that you are teaching your preschooler a very important thing. How to read.

Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com

Information Meeting June 2nd

Where? Samuels Library in Front Royal, VA


When? 10:00 - 11:30 am 


At this information meeting, you will be able to thumb through the books we have on our required and recommended book list! You will also be able to chat with mothers who were in the co-op last year and meet other interested mothers. 


Like what you see? You can register on the spot! 

Refreshments will be served.


Photo credit: ppdigital from morguefile.com

Planning Next Year

Greetings in Christ! We, three of the four original founders of St. Scholastica's Schoolhouse, are offering a second co-op option for next year, and we are currently planning! Please visit the tab at the top "Program Details 2012-2013" for what is happening next year.

See the "Contact Us" tab if you have questions or you are interested in joining.

UPDATE: We are in the final stages of finalizing a location and dates for our meetings. 
FINAL DETAILS COMING BY MAY 19th!

St. Scholastica, ora pro nobis!
St. Benedictus, ora pro nobis!