Maximillian Kolbe - Love and compassion 2011
During this term we have been learning about Saint Maximillian Kolbe. Saint Maximillian Kolbe is the patron saint of our church in Marsden. Maximillian Kolbe was a Francisian Friar from Poland. Maximilian loved his work and enjoyed studying to become a priest, and he especially loved Mary. Maximillian volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz. The prisoner was a married man with a family. He begged and pleaded to be spared for the sake of his children. Kolbe, who was listening, felt deeply moved and decided to help that suffering prisoner. He stepped forward and asked the commander if he could take the man's place. The commander agreed.
Maximillian Kolbe and the other prisoners were sent into a bunker and they remained alive without food or water for many days. One by one, as they died, Kolbe helped and comforted them. He was the last to die on August 14, 1941.
Maximillian Kolbe and the other prisoners were sent into a bunker and they remained alive without food or water for many days. One by one, as they died, Kolbe helped and comforted them. He was the last to die on August 14, 1941.
This term we have listened to and viewed the parable of the Good Samaritan as it teaches us about the values of love and compassion that are highlighted in Maximillian Kolbe's life story. The parable helps us to identify and express understandings about the Gospel values of love and compassion in friendships and relationships. It also teaches us about the "Golden Rule".
Each morning we pass around the prayer rocks of love and compassion during our Morning Prayer ritual to remind us to always act this way in our classroom. As we pass around the rocks they are filled with kind and warm thoughts. We love that the rocks feel warm to touch when we have all had a turn. We did a brainstorm about all the different ways we can show love and compassion in our classroom.
Love |
Compassion |
In our community there are lots of people who show love and compassion. A Doctor is someone who helps people who are in need. To practice these values we set up a doctor surgery to show how we help each other. We used the dolls and teddy bears as our patients. We loved taking bookings and helping our friends while they waited for the doctor. The doctor gave us medicine and bandaged us up! Miss Victoria even got her arm bandaged when it was hurting. We thanked the doctor and paid the secretary for our visit. We loved playing doctors!
In Week 6 we participated in our Primary School "Peace March". We made a flag of peace to carry while we were walking. Our Peace banner said "This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine!" We had so much fun on the march! We got to be the leaders at the very front! We sang songs while we walked and shouted "Peace be with you!" at all the passing cars! We counted how many people honked their horns at us - 33 people honked for us!
After the march we had a liturgy at the church. We recieved a plant as a symbol of new hope. After the liturgy we had a shared morning tea then caught the bus back to school. For lunch we had a sausage sizzle and ice blocks! |