From the Atrium

Tonight we recalled the preparation of the cruets with the second graders.
Catechist:  "When we come to Mass, someone has been there before us, to prepare..."
Callie, age 7:  "I bet it is God."
Will, age 7:  "No, it is Father Joe."
Callie:  "No, it is God because he prepares for us, He does everything for us.  Of course it is God."
Will:  "He love us.  Our relationship is perfect.  He does not get mad at us and we do not get mad at Him."


A few moments later:
Callie:  "What happens when we mix these?"
Jacob:  "The water spreads all around the wine."
Callie:  "It vanishes!"
Jacob:  "The water follows the wine like we follow Jesus"
Will:  "He is always right next to us."

Sing A Long

Who sang it better?  The boys or the girls...?

 

The boys did really well...

The girls gave it their all!

Tonight Eric Webster, our Music Minister met with the children to teach them some new music.  Next week he will teach them the new Mass Settings we will be using starting November 27, 2011.  Ask the children to teach you the actions for "Yes Lord" and "Lean on Me" or who won the singing competition - the boys or the girls??

Remembering our Baptism

Tonight Father Joe met with the 8th graders and parents to discuss Baptism.  They reflected on our Baptismal Promises.  At the end of the evening, the 8th graders had an opportunity to interview mom or dad about their Baptismal Day:

Why did you have me baptized?

What difference to you hope Confirmation will make in my life?

Who were my godparents and why did you choose them?

What hopes and dreams do you have for me this year?

KWKY Catholic Radio this Week

If you are near a radio this week or can listen online be sure to tune in to KWKY 1150 Catholic Radio.  St. Pius X is the featured parish this week.  Sherri Hunt, coordinator of Faith Formation and Mary Heinrich, director of Faith Formation will be on at 9:00 - 9:30 am on Monday morning to speak about The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

From my friends at the Youth Cartel...

How to Stop Facebook from Tracking You

by ADAM MCLANE on OCTOBER 11, 2011 · 0 COMMENTS

Recent announcements from Facebook, the world’s largest social network, make it clear that they intend to force you into absolute transparency. On the one hand that’s great accountability. On the other, that’s pretty scary stuff.

Whether or not you know it (or like it) Facebook and Google track your every click, tweet, comment, and share. They know that you read the New York Times or use Biblegateway or even that you bank at Chase. When you are logged in on one tab they are tracking what you do with every tab so they can market to you. And since Facebook’s cookies don’t expire,

Starting soon, they want to automatically share what you are up to with your Facebook friends. Any site which has integrated the Facebook’s open graph protocol on their site may eventually be eligible to publish to your friends what you are reading or what you are watching on YouTube. (It’s piloting this with Netflix & Spotify already.)

While I don’t think this will last long– first because it violates your privacy, which is likely breaking some law and second because people will hate it– it will be important to know how to disable this “feature.”

While this will be enabled by default you can disable it. Here are three options/plugins fromLifehacker for turning off this tracking. (No, logging out isn’t enough!)

• Facebook Privacy List for Adblock Plus is perfect for those of you who already have AdBlock Plus installed (get ABP for Chrome or Firefox). Just download the subscription and add it to AdBlock Plus to specifically block Facebook plugins and scripts all over the web—including the Like button-whenever you’re not visiting Facebook directly.
• Facebook Disconnect for Chrome keeps Facebook from dropping those tracking cookies on your system in the first place, and disables them when you’re finished using Facebook-enabled services. It’s essentially an on/off switch for third-party access to Facebook servers, meaning you’ll still be able to log in to Facebook and use the site normally, but when you’re visiting another site or using another application, that site or service won’t be able to use your information to communicate with Facebook.
• Full size

  
  Disconnect for Chrome and Firefox is a new plugin from the developer behind Facebook Disconnect, but it doesn’t stop with Facebook. Disconnect takes protection to a another level and blocks tracking cookies from Facebook, Google, Twitter, Digg, and Yahoo, and prevents all of those services from obtaining your browsing or search history from third party sites that you may visit. The app doesn’t stop any of those services from working when you’re visiting the specific sites, for you can still search at Google and use Google+, but Google’s +1 button likely won’t work on third party sites, for example. The extension also lets you see how many requests are blocked, in real time as they come in, and unblock select services if, for example, you really want to Like or +1 an article you read, or share it with friends.
  
  

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I Formation Course

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I Formation Course

For those who are interested in learning more about CGS...

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Formation Course

A Spiritual Formation experience for catechists.

Session Datess and Times

Oct 22- 23, 2011 

Jan. 28-29, 2012 

Feb. 25-26, 2012 

June 2-3, 2012 

9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. (Sat.) 

11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Sun.) 

Final Intensive: 

August 3 - 6, 2012 

8:45 - 5:00 pm (Fri., Sat., Mon.) 

11:00 - 5:30 pm (Sun.) 

These sessions provide the 90 hours of training needed to earn a Level 1 certification from the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Hosted by Shepherd’s Staff

Formation location:
St. Pius X Catholic Church
3663 66th St.
Urbandale, IA 50322-3408
(515) 278-5684 ext. 152

Diocesan Youth Rally

Last Wednesday Night we sent home packets  with the 6, 7 and 8 graders for the Diocesan Youth Rally to be held on November 6th, 2011 @ the Iowa Convention Center.   Completed forms and money are due to the Faith Formation Office by on October 19th. Questions??  See below or call the office @ 278-5684.

The 2011 Diocesan Youth Rally will be part of our Diocesan Centenial Celebration

November 6, 2011

Iowa Convention Center (Des Moines)

Common Questions/Things You Should Know

What is the Rally? 

The rally is a day-long event for youth in grades 6-12 from all over the diocese to come together for a day of faith, fun and fellowship.  The day features a wonderful keynote speaker, Steve Angrisano.   The Rally will have music, food, energetic worship and other various activities throughout the day.  It is a great time for all who come. ??

Where is the Rally?  

The rally will be held at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines in 2011. This will be a part of the much bigger celebration the Diocese will be hosting for the 100 year birthday of its great existence. This is an event that shouldn't be missed.??

Who is Steve Angrisano?  

Steve Angrisano is undoubtedly one of the most effective and versatile ministry leaders in the Church today. Those who are young (and young at heart) embrace the passionate message of faith, hope and love woven throughout his music and storytelling. Always rooted in a spirit of humility and faithfulness, Steve has a keen intuition regarding the needs of any audience and engages them with his unique blend of humor, song, story and interaction.??

What is the Schedule of the day? 

(General Schedule Subject to change)
9-9:45 - am Registration/Entertainment by the House Band

10:00 - Opening Prayer/Welcome
Keynote Speaker: Steve Angrisano (Be prepared to be amazed!)

11:30 - Lunch / Entertainment by the House Band (Time to get on your feet and jump around to some of your CYC favorite tunes)

12:30 - Student Presenters
Special feature from the Youth Council

Approx. 1:15 Youth Procession to join the adults at Hy-Vee Hall for an afternoon session with Steve Angrisano

2:40-4:00 – Liturgy at Hy-Vee Hall

??
How much does it cost and what is included in the cost? 

Well it costs ONLY $15 this year. That will include your lunch and a t-Shirt if you register before October 21.

How do I register?

Contact your parish Youth Minister, if you have one, for registration details.  If your parish isn’t organizing a group to come to the Youth Rally, don’t worry, we’re excited to have you join us.  You can register at http://www.dmdiocese.org/100.cfm or call 515-309-1936 or email office@stmcenter.com??

What should I wear? 

Clothes!  For sure modest clothes.  Wear something comfortable.  Although we are going to celebrate with Mass, you don’t need to wear your Sunday finest on the outside.  Bring your Sunday finest on the inside and we will call it good.  Just be comfortable.  I would consider bringing a coat or sweatshirt as it may be cold.

??When do we eat?  

The lunch will be scheduled for lunch time. So it will be awhile after the start of the day.  So make sure you bring a snack for the ride or for one of the breaks.  We don’t want hungry peeps.  That leads to distracted minds.??

Should I bring more money? 

You can if you want to.  Steve will have some merchandise for sale.  There are pop machines if you are into that, and there may be a few other vendors as well.   So you can bring some extra cash.. A little bit of money is fine.??

Directions?  

Use Google maps or Mapquest.  They give as good of directions as any. Iowa Events Center is what you will be looking for.  The day will begin at Polk Co. Convention Complex – 501 Grand Ave., Des Moines. We will end at Hy-Vee Hall – 730 3rd St.

Where do I park? 

Parking will be available at the city garages for a small fee or on the surrounding streets at no charge.  Bus parking will be available.  Drivers should drop the participants at the Polk County Convention Center on the 5th Ave. side.  You will then be directed as to where to park the bus.  Pick up will be at Hy-Vee Hall on 3rd St.

?Anything else? 

Most of the stuff has been covered above.  If you have any questions please call 515-309-1936 or email office@stmcenter.com.

http://www.stmcenter.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=155

Family Handbook

2011-2012 St. Pius X Family Handbook

Dear Friends,
We are pleased to share with you the 2011-2012 Family Handbook.  You will find useful information, including calendar dates for sacramental preparation and an overview of our curriculum for the year.  Please let us know what other information would be helpful for your family.
In the Shepherd's Love,
Mary Heinrich

Faith Formation and CGS Atrium Calendar

Tuesday, September 27

CGS Atrium Parent Meeting for Tuesday Atrium Families, 4:15 pm in the Martha and Mary Fellowship Hall.

We ask that at least one parent attend this meeting.

Wednesday, September 28

CGS Atrium Parent Meeting for the Wednesday Atrium Families, 4:45 and 6:30 pm in the Archangels Meeting Room (lower level).

We ask that at least one parent attend this meeting.

Saturday, October 1

CGS Atrium begins for the three and four year olds during the 5:00 pm Mass. Enrollment is limited to 10 children.  No registration accepted the first day.

Sunday, October 2

CGS Atrium begins for the three and four year olds during the 9:00 am and 11:00 am Masses.  Enrollment is limited to 10 children per Mass time.  No registration accepted the first day.

Tuesday, October 4

Tuesday Atrium Sessions begin at 4:15 pm.

Wednesday, October 5

Faith Formation begins with a FAMILY MEETING in the Martha and Mary Fellowship Hall at 5:00 and 6:45 pm.  Parents are asked to attend this meeting with their child(ren).  

Wednesday Atrium Sessions begin at 4:45 and 6:30 pm.

Questions?  Contact Mary Heinrich, Director of Faith Formation at 515-278-5684, ext. 130 or mheinrich@saintpiuschurch.org

Expanding Atrium

St. Pius X Catholic Church is expanding its CGS Atrium and needs enthusiastic CGS supporters to help with this effort. If you are interested in supporting our CGS Atrium, training as a catechist, or learning more about the Atrium contact Mary Heinrich at mheinrich@saintpiuschurch.org

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori based religious education method for young children.  It is an alternative to the traditional religious education curriculum.  Saint Pius currently offers the Level I, II and III CGS Atrium for any child from 3 to 13 years of age.  CGS acknowledges that there is an inherent relationship between the child and Jesus, the Good Shepherd, which precedes formal religious education.  Children are encouraged to explore this relationship and the essentials of our Catholic faith, liturgy, and sacraments through hands on work with materials that are carefully prepared for them.

Catechists in the CGS Atrium are certified by the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  We are currently in need of enthusiastic individuals to train in the Level I.  Training is scheduled to begin October 22-23.  For more information please contact Mary Heinrich at mheinrich@saintpiuschurch.org or 515-278-5684, ext. 130.

First Communion DVDs

It has come to our attention that the First Communion DVDs have not been delivered.  In speaking with Mike Kelly, owner of Video Portraits of Iowa, this morning, he indicated that you should have your DVDs by next week.  He regrets that recent storms left him without power for quite awhile.  He also had significant storm damage to clean up around his home.  We are thankful that Mike and family are well and that production has continued.  Please let us know next week if you did not receive your DVD.

News from the Diocese of Des Moines: Teaching Mass on the Roman Missal

NEW EDITION OF TEACHING MASS HIGHLIGHTS MASS CHANGES

July 14, 2011
Written By: Anne Marie Cox

We’re doing a new edition of the Teaching Mass, one which will focus on the new texts. It will be video recorded at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Parish in Ankeny this Monday night, July 18, from 6-9 pm. Everyone is invited to attend the taping. Our goal is to get four 20-minute segments that will be available to parishes in DVD and online formats: Introductory Rites, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist, and Concluding Rites. People who come to the taping will experience Msgr. Steve Orr and liturgical ministers from Our Lady's Immaculate Heart doing many of the movements for Mass. We’ll do the liturgical components for each segment, then Father Steve will give words of explanation. In the editing process, Father Steve’s explanation will be used as a voice-over to the liturgical texts and actions. Come to the taping Monday night at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Church in Ankeny!

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level I Formation Course

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Formation Course

A Spiritual Formation experience for catechists.

Session Datess and Times
Intensive:
Fri., July 29 - Monday, Aug. 1, 2011
8:45 am- 5:00 pm (Fri., Sat., Mon
11:00 am- 5:30 pm (Sun.)

Continuing Thursday sessions:
Aug. 25, Sept. 22, Oct. 20, Nov. 3,
Dec. 1, 2011; Jan. 19, Feb. 9, Feb. 23,
March 29, April 26, May 10, 2012.
6:30 pm- 9:00 pm.


Final Intensive:
Fri., August 3 - Mon., August 6, 2012
8:45 - 5:00 pm (Fri., Sat., Mon.)
11:00 - 5:30 pm (Sun.)

These sessions provide the 90 hours of training needed to earn a Level 1 certification from the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Hosted by Shepherd’s Staff

Formation location:
St. Pius X Catholic Church
3663 66th St.
Urbandale, IA 50322-3408
(515) 278-5684 ext. 152

The Catholic Review Online | Special Section: Millennials.

All those who work in ministry with young people will find this interesting...
The MILLENNIAL Generation:  Who are they?
The first generation to come of age in the new millinnium.
Born between 1981 and 2000.  They are the most connected, confident and open to change.
75 % have social networking accounts
62 % say sharing personal information online is a good thing
61 % feel it is their duty as a citizen to always vote
40% ages 18-24 are enrolled in a two or four year college
40 % have tattoos
Read the 4 part series @  The Catholic Review Online | Special Section

On the third Sunday each September we celebrate the ministry of catechists, those men and women called to share their faith with God's children.

Let us pray for those who will serve the youngest lambs and for those who have yet to hear His voice.  We are still in need of catechists for this fall. If you are interested or know someone who is interested, please contact Mary at the parish office.

from Level Three Formation

The babies of Level 3

Participants enjoying a presentation

Thanks You from Level Three CGS Formation

A big thank you to all of those volunteers who provided cookies, bars, muffins, coffeecakes, juice and other goodies for the participants of our Level 3 CGS Formation held at St. Pius X from June 5 - 12, 2011. The participants, many from out of state, were impressed with our beautiful facilities and our warm hospitality.  Thank you again!

How Handwriting Boosts the Brain

I found the following article on handwriting and found it to be very interesting.

By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS

Ask preschooler Zane Pike to write his name or the alphabet, then watch this 4-year-old's stubborn side kick in. He spurns practice at school and tosses aside workbooks at home. But Angie Pike, Zane's mom, persists, believing that handwriting is a building block to learning.

Wendy Bounds discusses the fading art of handwriting, pointing out that new research shows it can benefit children's motor skills and their ability to compose ideas and achieve goals throughout life.

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Audio

• Gwendolyn Bounds reports on what your handwriting says about your brain and everything else.

She's right. Using advanced tools such as magnetic resonance imaging, researchers are finding that writing by hand is more than just a way to communicate. The practice helps with learning letters and shapes, can improve idea composition and expression, and may aid fine motor-skill development.

It's not just children who benefit. Adults studying new symbols, such as Chinese characters, might enhance recognition by writing the characters by hand, researchers say. Some physicians say handwriting could be a good cognitive exercise for baby boomers working to keep their minds sharp as they age.

Studies suggest there's real value in learning and maintaining this ancient skill, even as we increasingly communicate electronically via keyboards big and small. Indeed, technology often gets blamed for handwriting's demise. But in an interesting twist, new software for touch-screen devices, such as the iPad, is starting to reinvigorate the practice.

View Full Image

Angie Pike

Four-year-old Zane Pike used to toss aside his handwriting books. Now, the Cabot, Ark., preschooler is learning to write his letters using a smartphone application.

Most schools still include conventional handwriting instruction in their primary-grade curriculum, but today that amounts to just over an hour a week, according to Zaner-Bloser Inc., one of the nation's largest handwriting-curriculum publishers. Even at institutions that make it a strong priority, such as the private Brearley School in New York City, "some parents say, 'I can't believe you are wasting a minute on this,'" says Linda Boldt, the school's head of learning skills.

Recent research illustrates how writing by hand engages the brain in learning. During one study at Indiana University published this year, researchers invited children to man a "spaceship," actually an MRI machine using a specialized scan called "functional" MRI that spots neural activity in the brain. The kids were shown letters before and after receiving different letter-learning instruction. In children who had practiced printing by hand, the neural activity was far more enhanced and "adult-like" than in those who had simply looked at letters.

"It seems there is something really important about manually manipulating and drawing out two-dimensional things we see all the time," says Karin Harman James, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Indiana University who led the study.

More

• The Juggle: In Digital Age, Does Handwriting Still Matter?

Adults may benefit similarly when learning a new graphically different language, such as Mandarin, or symbol systems for mathematics, music and chemistry, Dr. James says. For instance, in a 2008 study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, adults were asked to distinguish between new characters and a mirror image of them after producing the characters using pen-and-paper writing and a computer keyboard. The result: For those writing by hand, there was stronger and longer-lasting recognition of the characters' proper orientation, suggesting that the specific movements memorized when learning how to write aided the visual identification of graphic shapes.

Other research highlights the hand's unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas. Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential strokes to form a letter, whereas keyboarding involves selecting a whole letter by touching a key.

She says pictures of the brain have illustrated that sequential finger movements activated massive regions involved in thinking, language and working memory—the system for temporarily storing and managing information.

And one recent study of hers demonstrated that in grades two, four and six, children wrote more words, faster, and expressed more ideas when writing essays by hand versus with a keyboard.

View Full Image

AJ Mast for the Wall Street Journal

For research at Indiana University, children undergo specialized MRI brain scans that spot neurological activity.

Even in the digital age, people remain enthralled by handwriting for myriad reasons—the intimacy implied by a loved one's script, or what the slant and shape of letters might reveal about personality. During actress Lindsay Lohan's probation violation court appearance this summer, a swarm of handwriting experts proffered analysis of her blocky courtroom scribbling. "Projecting a false image" and "crossing boundaries," concluded two on celebrity news and entertainment site hollywoodlife.com. Beyond identifying personality traits through handwriting, called graphology, some doctors treating neurological disorders say handwriting can be an early diagnostic tool.

"Some patients bring in journals from the years, and you can see dramatic change from when they were 55 and doing fine and now at 70," says P. Murali Doraiswamy, a neuroscientist at Duke University. "As more people lose writing skills and migrate to the computer, retraining people in handwriting skills could be a useful cognitive exercise."

In high schools, where laptops are increasingly used, handwriting still matters. In the essay section of SAT college-entrance exams, scorers unable to read a student's writing can assign that portion an "illegible" score of 0.

Even legible handwriting that's messy can have its own ramifications, says Steve Graham, professor of education at Vanderbilt University. He cites several studies indicating that good handwriting can take a generic classroom test score from the 50th percentile to the 84th percentile, while bad penmanship could tank it to the 16th. "There is a reader effect that is insidious," Dr. Graham says. "People judge the quality of your ideas based on your handwriting."

Handwriting-curriculum creators say they're seeing renewed interest among parents looking to hone older children's skills—or even their own penmanship. Nan Barchowsky, who developed the Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting method to ease transition from print-script to joined cursive letters, says she's sold more than 1,500 copies of "Fix It … Write" in the past year.

Some high-tech allies also are giving the practice an unexpected boost through hand-held gadgets like smartphones and tablets. Dan Feather, a graphic designer and computer consultant in Nashville, Tenn., says he's "never adapted well to the keypads on little devices." Instead, he uses a $3.99 application called "WritePad" on his iPhone. It accepts handwriting input with a finger or stylus, then converts it to text for email, documents or Twitter updates.

And apps are helping Zane Pike—the 4-year-old who refused to practice his letters. The Cabot, Ark., boy won't put down his mom's iPhone, where she's downloaded a $1.99 app called "abc PocketPhonics." The program instructs Zane to draw letters with his finger or a stylus; correct movements earn him cheering pencils.

Indiana University

In children who had practiced writing by hand, the scans showed heightened brain activity in a key area, circled on the image at right, indicating learning took place.

"He thinks it's a game," says Angie Pike.

Similarly, kindergartners at Harford Day School in Bel Air, Md., are taught to write on paper but recently also began tracing letter shapes on the screen of an iPad using a handwriting app.

"Children will be using technology unlike I did, and it's important for teachers to be familiar with it," says Kay Crocker, the school's lead kindergarten teacher. Regardless of the input method, she says, "You still need to be able to write, and someone needs to be able to read it."

Write to Gwendolyn Bounds atwendy.bounds@wsj.com