FYI
If you don't already know, I'm pregnant (!) and due at the end of March. Now that we've turned the calendar, I want you to know because at some point this month, I'll be gone on maternity leave! This Flocknote has LOTS of information in it, but I want you to have as much information as possible before I leave. Rest assured that the Faith Formation team will jump in and make sure the year finishes strong for your middle schooler(s). What a blessing that our program is combined with Assumption, and Kathy Russell can continue to lead our final meetings without me, if necessary, without missing a beat! I do hope to be here for our final three meetings of the year, but you never know! :)
I do anticipate being on maternity leave for our 5th Grade "Welcome to YM" Event on April 14 and for the Cedar Point trip on June 3. But, again, Kathy Russell (along with our Director of Faith Formation, Corinne Cathcart) will be leading these events, so everything will continue as planned. :)
Without further ado, here's EVERYTHING coming up from now through June!
YM // March 3
This Sunday, we'll introduce our final Corporal Work of Mercy: Give Drink to the Thirsty! It's supposed to be fairly warm, so we plan on taking the kids outside for an activity. :) The 8th graders will spend the second half of the evening in their small group, sharing about how they feel about high school and High School Youth Ministry. They'll have special ice cream sundaes and have their questions about high school and High School Youth Ministry answered!
YM // Water Walk // March 10
Next week, we'll continue exploring the Corporal Work of Mercy to Give Drink to the Thirsty. To do this, we are coordinating with Global Compassion, a local non-profit that raises funds to provide bore wells to villages that do not have local access to clean water. As a part of this lesson, we'll be walking all together to Plymouth Park with buckets, gathering water, and then returning to the Parish Center. This will give us a small taste of what's it's like for millions of women and children in water-scarce countries like India who have to walk for miles to gather water for their families.
Because we are leaving Blessed Sacrament property, all students are required to have parental permission to participate. You can fill out the permission slip online by clicking the button below! It should only take 5 minutes! :) Thank you!
As a part of this project, we would LOVE to raise funds to purchase a bore well for an Indian village in need! A bore well costs $2,500. We know that's a significant sum, but we were able to reach that goal when we did our first Water Walk three years ago! So it can be done! :) There will be a representative from Global Compassion at YM on the 10th, if you would like to make a donation to this project in person. You are also more than welcome to join us on our Water Walk if you'd like!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me! Thank you!
Here's a picture of the bore well that we were able to purchase for a village in India three years ago! The students chose the name "Hope" for the well. :)
YM // Final Meeting of the Year! //
March 17
We'll wrap up the year with a St. Patrick's Day party! We'll explore the life the St. Patrick and how he embodied the Works of Mercy and Principles of Catholic Social Teaching that we've been learning about this year. We'll do a special activity that the kids can take home to more fully participate in Holy Week, and then we'll play games, eat food, and celebrate the wonderful year we've had together!
Cedar Point Registration is now open!
We are going to Cedar Point on June 3! The registration form is now live! Please be aware that the pricing structure has changed this year. Rates will go up as we get closer to the date, so if you're able to, secure your child's seat on the bus today!
If you register and pay during...
...the month of March, the price per student is $125.
...the month of April, the price per student is $140.
...the month of May, the price per student is $155.
- Date: June 3
- Supervisors: Kathy Russell and Corinne Cathcart
- Time: We will meet at Blessed Sacrament at 5:30 AM and arrive back to Blessed Sacrament at 12:00 AM.
- Details: Every student must sign up with a buddy that they agree to stay with in the park for the entire day.
- Chaperones: Are needed and can go for free! (First-come, first-served!) Please email me or Corinne Cathcart at corinnec@blessed-midland.org if you're interested!
- Seats on the bus are first-come, first-served.
5th Grade Event // Welcome to YM //
April 14
If you have a 5th grader, then you should save the date for our annual Welcome to Middle School event for 5th graders on April 14, 6-8pm, at Assumption BVM parish! The event is designed to give students a taste of what middle school and Middle School Youth Ministry are like! We'll play games, eat pizza, decorate pillow cases, and have time for students to ask current middle schoolers all about middle school and Middle School Youth Ministry! At YM, students can be themselves, and this event is designed to encourage students to do just that!
Middle school volunteers are needed to help lead the 5th graders through the activities and to answer their questions and share their middle school wisdom! If your child is interested in helping out, you can simply fill out a permission slip for him/her below. Thank you!
VBS Volunteers Needed!
VBS is June 17-20 this year! So please let your middle schooler know that they have the fun opportunity of helping lead our elementary students at VBS and mark it on your calendar! On March 15, you will be able to sign your child up online for this opportunity. Thank you for your consideration! We always need a lot of hands to make VBS a success!
Middle School YM Calendar
Regular YM Meetings:
March 3: YM (Give Drink to the Thirsty + Special Night for 8th Graders)
March 10: YM (Water Walk)
March 17: YM (Closing Event)
Special Opportunities:
April 14: 5th Grade Event (middle school volunteers needed!)
June 3: Cedar Point Trip
June 17-20: VBS (middle school volunteers needed!)
Have a fantastic weekend!
Christine