Wishing all a joyful Christmas season.
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Wishing all a joyful Christmas season.
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Where can you find literature about Santa's assistants? In the Elf-help section. Popularly known as “The Night before Christmas,” the first few lines of this classic poem are so familiar… ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; but can you recite the whole of it? Put your brain at ease and read the rest at poet.org ‘ Visit from St. Nicholas’ by Clement Clarke Moore, 1779 - 1863 Need to calm the little ones down on Christmas Eve so that the final present wrapping can be done, a bedtime story for the season could work. Not all of the 20 summarised by Ellie Hall at Buzzfeed are bedtime stories, though it’s likely one of these is in your home ‘20 Magical Children’s Christmas Books To Read Aloud’ Congratulations to those who have finished their Christmas shopping, but if you’re still looking for a children’s gift this list of books is spot on, especially for Australia. I bought one for a little niece. 8 books by Australian authors to buy for kids aged 0 to 8 this Christmas Do Christmas games calm the festive folk down at your gathering, give a few more minutes to those preparing the feast or raise the tempo among the competitive types? Try a Christmas Quiz from Dr Steve (Steven M Sultanoff) at Humor Matters***. On offer is Christmas Carols and Songs - Final Exam Note there are three different versions, but when visiting this site the link to‘printable version‘ for each takes to the same version. This is an old page and site. So you may need to select and drag from the web page to extract versions 2 & 3, (possible was just in too much of a festive hurry). You can just use Version 1. Don’t forget to grab the answers from the site – wouldn’t want the quiz master to be in trouble. What Christmas song is ‘Noises from celestial beings above’? Answer : ‘Angels we have heard on high’ Full lyrics at metrolyrics.com and probably a hundred other sites. Dazzle family and friends or send them into a comatose daze with your extreme knowledge of that rousing Christmas carol ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. From the Library of Congress blog is this fulsome and interesting illustrated history of the lyrics and tune. Read all about it in this piece by Cait Miller, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”: An Illustrated History ‘Some Stories behind Christmas Carols’ presents brief historical information about a few other carols. Finally looking to 2017, ramp up your reading and take part in one of the multitude of challenges available. Tanya Patrice offers ‘The Master List of 2017 Reading Challenges’ It is an extensive list and surely there’s a challenge to suit your interests. I am very fond of libraries and so partial to Bea’s ‘2017 Library Love Challenge’ Since the Centre is spiritually oriented, Tim Challies’ challenge options look to feed the mind, spirit and soul. Check out ‘The 2017 Christian Reading Challenge’ Are you shy or doubtful about participating in a reading challenge? No worries, do one on your own without signing up or registering. Still gets you reading, make it your New Year resolution. There are ‘lists’ to help find something to read that suits age ranges or interests from a myriad of sources. Below are just a sample.
[***With thanks to Jenny Watts and the great work she does for teacher-librarians around Australia.] Wishing you a joyous Christmas Sandro Botticelli [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsBelow are the full web addresses / URLs that have been hyperlinked in the order mentioned in the article:
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/visit-st-nicholas https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/20-childrens-christmas-books-to-read-aloud?utm_term=.ldAAjw0Ve#.de4oDnXrv http://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/8-books-by-australian-authors-to-buy-for-kids-aged-0-to-8-this-christmas/ http://www.humormatters.com/holidays/Christmas/xmassongs.htm http://www.metrolyrics.com/angels-we-have-heard-on-high-lyrics-christmas-song.html http://blogs.loc.gov/music/2016/12/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-an-illustrated-history/ http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_stories.shtml http://www.girlxoxo.com/the-master-list-of-2017-reading-challenges/ http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/sign-up-2017-library-love-challenge.html http://www.challies.com/resources/the-2017-christian-reading-challenge http://readplus.com.au/index.php http://www.betterreading.com.au/top-100/ http://blog.librarything.com/main/2016/12/top-five-2016/ https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2016 https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/arts/the-top-books-of-2016.html?_r=1 What's an Advent Garden? Is it a garden or front yard that has all its Christmas lights and decorations set up and ready for the first Sunday of Advent? Could be, but the one of interest is explained by Christine Sine in a five-minute video clip. She describes an Advent Garden as a way to connect nature with prayer through the Advent season and even gives the Southern Hemisphere a nod.
Christine Sine, site creator of the U.S.A. based blog Godspace, describes herself as a 'contemplative activist'. She has gathered together in one spot a lovely group of activities and links for the Advent season, many being freely available online. The 'Advent Garden' video clip is accessible on the page 'Advent Activities for Families and Kids for 2015'. CLICK HERE for link to Advent activities on God Space web site. A new 2015 list of useful sites for Religious Education, Christian Formation, and Christmas traditions compiled by the Catholic Resource Centre is available to support schools and families celebrate Advent. CLICK HERE for 'Advent and Christmas Webs 2015'. Just came across Busted Halo's catchy Advent clip via Australian Catholic's latest Faith and Life Enews issue. 'Advent in 2 Minutes' is worth viewing and only 2 minutes (well okay, 2 minutes plus 10 seconds).
To watch 'Advent in 2 Minutes' CLICK HERE. Also on offer from Busted Halo its 2014 Advent Surprise Calendar HERE with a 'digital twist' of daily challenges and 'days' will not open until it is that day. So those nearer Antarctica than the Arctic just wait till late afternoon. The Centre's 'Christmas Webs' is revised and updated --- sites and pages that have moved have had their links fixed and those no longer freely or easily accessible have been deleted. For 'Christmas Webs. 2014 version' CLICK HERE. The Centre's most recent Current Awareness Bulletin (T.4 N.2, 2014) 'Preparing for Christmas' includes links to educational and liturgical resources for the Advent - Christmas season. Though intended for Australian schools, resources listed under 'ON the NET' (page 2) are not region specific. The BBC has a timely clip of 'Sr Wendy Beckett on the true icons of Christmas'. It runs for just 5 minutes and might be just the right 5 minute time out one needs in the last days of preparation for Christmas. CLICK HERE for the clip.
The National Office for the Status of Women has posted an end-of-year blessing by John O'Donohue from his book 'Benedictus: a book of blessings'. View it HERE... The book 'Benedictus' is held in the Centre's collection, available for loan to schools and other bona fide patrons of the Catholic Resource Centre, Bathurst, NSW (Australia). The Centre can provide supplier/distributor information to others in Australia. At this busy time of the year, there's always something that we need at the last minute...
The web sites noted on Christmas Webs feature many links especially suited to the Australian classroom. |
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