The Inclusive Atrium

Atrium Practical Life (9-12)

The upper elementary child has amassed many life skills over time. They are old hats at polishing, table scrubbing, vacuuming, and plant pruning. However, they may still need assistance to further grow their concentration and attention to detail. Their understanding of the world allows for more intense projects which require holding the balance between potential danger and completion and historicity and creativity. The work of the child should always be directed to avenues of service with in the parish, especially in the sanctuary.

Tray with example wood burned Good Shepherd, books about icons, and an abstract image of Easter. On the table: wood burning and polishing containers, icon tray with wood, gold leaf, lesson, and brushes, basket with green cloth leaves and containers with pencils and colored pencils.

Options may include:

  1. Soldering small electronics and wiring fixtures. (3-6 batteries sequencing for flashlights and microphones. 6-9 changing of lightbulbs and recharging batteries for the service.)
  2. Wood or lino carving (3-6 wood polishing and gourd sanding. 6-9 building home prayer tables and sharpening knives)
  3. Wood burning (3-6 pin pushing, wood polishing, and hole punching. 6-9 Japanese hole punching and threading)
  4. Mosaics (3-6 paper cutting, pasting boxes. 6-9 paper tiling)
  5. Embroidery (3-6 sewing lines, buttons, shapes. 6-9 repairing service robes and altar items)
  6. Knitting or crocheting (3-6 rolling the perfect ball of yarn and finger chaining. 6-9 making their own la Fettuccia and making scarves for the needy.
  7. Cooking (3-6 grinding wheat, snack prep, and baking breads. 6-9 making community lunches, morning tea prep, knife skill acquisition, reading a recipe, and seasoning)
  8. Wax-based polish making (3-6 and 6-9 polishing wood)
  9. Gardening (3-6 personal plantings, leaf polishing, and plant watering. 6-9 pruning, planting flowers, and making wreaths)
  10. Composing (3-6 singing songs. 6-9 plain chanting, writing poetry, instrument work)

Does the Inclusive Atrium at Parkside have all these practice life works out right now?

No.

We have some basic options year round (decorative papers, glue, scissors, colored pencils) and access to thread, needles, and yarn. While others practical life options are seasonal (similar to the way in 3-6 one polishes wood during Advent and Lent while holding off on brass and copper until Epiphany and saving silver for Eastertide). We have found a rhythm that works with our climate and our preferences. It can change based on our volunteer capacities and abilities.

Here’s our general options for the special materials shelf and community care activity options by season. CC denotes church care, AC refers to atrium care. PR offers focused personal reflection.

From September to May

Bowl with chopped tomatoes and zucchini.
  1. Monthly cooking classes and communal meal (We try lots of different foods from many cultures.)
    1. Meal planning
    2. Mise en place
    3. Knife skills
    4. Trouble shooting
    5. Cleaning as you go
    6. Setting the table
    7. Hospitality to guests
    8. Final cleanup

Ordinary Time (Late August – November)

Child wood burning the Good Shepherd
  1. CC: Care of plants in the courtyards, watering plants throughout the building. This is done by people who come early and on days we have extra volunteers or low numbers.
    1. Training in the use of pruning scissors and pruning sheers
    2. Training in the composting or disposal of removed material
    3. How to prune various plants.
    4. Safety and storage of materials.
  2. PR: Wood burning the Good Shepherd
    1. Training in the use of the wood burning iron
    2. Safety and storage
    3. Sanding and polishing to bring out their hard work
  3. PR: Icon writing as a response to a Kingdom Parable
    1. History and language of icons
    2. Process of preparing the self and the material
    3. Steps of icon creation
    4. Painting techniques
    5. Gold leaf techniques
    6. Safety, care of the materials, and storage
  4. AC: Sewing a prayer cloth from various green fabrics cut into palm sized grape leaves.
    1. Venation of grape leaves
    2. Safety and storage
Wood-Burning-Good-ShepherdDownload

November – Christmastide

Bees-Wax-RecipeDownload
  1. AC: Weaving a prayer cloth from purple cloth strips
    1. Warping the loom
    2. Weaving process and design agreement
    3. Cutting strips (ironing if decided to hide the edges)
    4. Safety and storage
  2. AC & CC: Cleaning and polishing wood
    1. Making beeswax polish for all the classes
    2. Cutting
    3. Cleaning and polishing wood in the church
  3. PR & AC: Beeswax candle rolling for personal prayer tables and the atria.
    1. Rolling process and traps
    2. Safety and Storage
  4. CC: Making mini loaves of bread for others (one person/one time each atrium)
    1. Choosing recipes for the season
    2. Safety and care
    3. Choosing the recipients
  5. CC: Polishing special items used during the Christmas Feast
    1. Cutting scrap t-shirts for polishing
    2. Different metals and their polishes review
    3. Safety and Storage
  6. CC: Nativity set care This is done by people who come early and on days we have extra volunteers or low numbers.
    1. Unpacking and cleaning the nativity set
    2. Setting up the set and moving the people during advent
  7. CC: Sanctuary Advent Wreath construction and set up This is done by people who come early and on days we have extra volunteers or low numbers.
    1. Unpacking and preparing the candles
    2. Making the wreath
    3. Use and safety for wire cutters and floral wire
  8. PR: Painting with watercolors and salt for backgrounds to prophecy cards or Parousia
    1. Properties of salt and watercolor
    2. Care of watercolors and brushes
    3. Process and tricks

Epiphany to Lent

  1. PR: Mosaic creation
    1. Creation of design
    2. Safety and cutting of tiles
    3. Process of gluing tiles
    4. Process for grouting
    5. Cleanup and disposal of unused grout
  2. CC: Paschal/Christ Candle making
    1. Preparation and Prayer of the team
    2. Prayer while creating it
    3. Blessing of all by the priest
    4. Safety and cleanup
  3. CC: Knitting or Crocheting
    1. Identifying recipients
    2. Gathering supplies
    3. Community rules (can you take your work home to continue or in class only)
  4. AC: Making/updating map materials (Note: adults do the sealants.)
    1. Review of materials and creating items needed list
    2. Researching
    3. Process of working with plaster
    4. Whittling flags, making buildings
    5. Writing place names on flags
    6. Making the control map
    7. Gifting map to the other room

Lent

  1. CC: Planting seed for the flower gardens and farmer’s market give away
    1. Planning the plants to grow this year
    2. Making materials list
    3. Making care chart
    4. Planting and nurturing
    5. Making pots
    6. Repotting
  2. AC: Deep Cleaning the Atrium
  3. PR: Embroidery of the Maps or True Vine and sacramental themes
    1. Safety and storage
  4. AC: Personal Prayer Tables
    1. Proper set up (drop cloth)
    2. Sanding (emphasis on cleaning up)
    3. Measuring and using power tool review
    4. Applying beeswax
    5. Safety and storage
  5. PR: Wood carving or linocuts of the Maps or True Vine and sacramental themes
    1. Design and goals
    2. Proper set up (drop cloth)
    3. Process of carving
    4. Process of print making
    5. Pulling prints for classroom cards
    6. Applying beeswax (if wood)
    7. Safety and storage
  6. CC: Polishing special items used during the Easter Feast
    1. Cutting scrap t-shirts for polishing
    2. Different metals and their polishes review
    3. Safety and Storage
  7. CC: Repair of any vestments or altar items
    1. How to darn
    2. How to repair a rip
    3. How to do a satin stich
    4. How to patch
    5. Safety and storage
  8. CC: Care of plants and preparation of plant beds in the courtyards. This is done by people who come early and on days we have extra volunteers or low numbers.
    1. Training in the use of pruning scissors and pruning sheers
    2. Training in the composting or disposal of removed material
    3. How to prune various plants.
    4. Safety and storage of materials.

Eastertide

  1. CC: Planting the seedlings in courtyards
    1. Making care chart
    2. Making plant map and plant tags
    3. Planting and nurturing
  2. PR: Batik prayer cloths
    1. History of batiks
    2. Process and limitations of batiks
    3. Making a plan
    4. Care, storage, and cleanup.
  3. PR: Tissue Paper and Willow Lanterns for Pentecost
    1. Choosing your shape
    2. Process of making the latners
    3. Care and cleanup from week to week
    4. Wiring your battery light pack

Ordinary Time (June – Mid-August)

  1. AC: Materials repairs and replacement
    1. Case-by case basis
  2. AC: Weaving rugs for the classrooms
    1. Warping the loom
    2. Weaving process
    3. Cutting strips
    4. Safety and storage
  3. CC: Care of plants in the courtyards, watering plants throughout the building. This is done by people who come early and on days we have extra volunteers or low numbers.
    1. Training in the use of pruning scissors and pruning sheers
    2. Training in weeding and plant identification
    3. Training in the composting or disposal of removed material
    4. How to prune various plants.
    5. Safety and storage of materials.
  4. PR: Bookbinding for their Journals
    1. Tooling leather
    2. Nomenclature and processes
    3. Making a bone if needed
    4. Teaching how to clamp and pull.
    5. Applying gold leaf
    6. Safety and storage
  5. PR: Calligraphy – English, Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic
    1. Training in the art of loading and holding the pen
    2. Practice!
    3. Creating a prayer card
    4. Clean up and storage