The prepared Environment
In CGS, much of the materials are handmade and carefully prepared. Thank you to our volunteers who are sharing their time and talent with us to build a beautiful, prepared environment.
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The prepared
Adult 
Each atrium session requires one lead catechist with at least 90 hours of formation in this Catechesis. Currently, three catechist volunteers are in formation for Level I, and one catechist volunteer is in formation for Level II. To sustain multiple weekly sessions, we will need parent volunteers to help assist in the atrium on a rotation basis so we can offer concurrent Level I and Level II sessions. Parents are expected to fulfill requirements for Safe Environment.
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The prepared Child
Children who flourish in CGS attend Sunday Mass faithfully. This is the best way to prepare a child for the atrium and a lifelong spiritual life. Outside of the atrium, their religious potential is supported...
1. At home where parents pray regularly and have conversations about their faith, and 2. In the church where the family engages in the liturgical life and ministries of the parish. The atrium is the meeting ground between the home and the church. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd does not replace the domestic church and Sunday Mass attendance. It offers remote preparation for Mass. |
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Level I
(for 3 – 6 year old) Who is the Level I Child? The Level I Atrium responds to the developmental characteristics of the 3-6 year old. Generally, children in this atrium are preschool or kindergarten age. This is a child who loves to explore the world through his or her senses. This child is spontaneously active. He or she loves order and loves naming things. He or she longs to be independent. This child seeks and offers unconditional love. He or she is full of wonder and absorbs everything in the environment. He or she may have a short attention span or may focus deeply and at length on activities of the child’s own choosing. This child is attracted to the essentials in all areas of life, including faith. Meeting the Level I Child’s Needs The atrium meets 3–6-year-old child’s needs in a variety of ways. The predictable environment and the routine of each work feed the child’s desire for order and independence. Practical life exercises, such as spooning beans and arranging flowers, allow the child to practice controlled movement while quieting the body for subsequent prayer. The opportunity for open ended free choice allows the child to repeat and absorb the content of a particular work. The atrium is an invitation for the 3–6-year-old to fall in love with Jesus Christ through personal exploration. |
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Level II
(for 1st – 3rd grade) Who is the Level II Child? The 6-9 year old child is more social than the younger child and enjoys working and talking in groups. Typically this group corresponds to children in 1st through 3rd grade. The 6-9 year old is less interested in repetitive actions than his or her younger counterparts. This older child has an increased awareness of time and history and an increased curiosity regarding his or her role in history. The child is also forming a moral capacity, a sense of right and wrong, and often a rigorous sense of justice. Meeting the Level II Child’s Needs The Level II atrium experience supports these developmental highlights. Adults and children explore what it is like to be together in a caring faith community. Practical life activities are limited to those that care for the common space, such as dusting and sweeping; gone are the days of spooning beans. Works such as the Fettuccia, the Unity Strip, and the Gift Strip introduce the child to the huge expanse of history, and the place of God and the child in that history. There are more opportunities for working together as a group. The child begins to plan communal prayer and contemplates scripture with moral themes. |
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Level III
(for 4th – 5th grade) Who is the Level III Child?
The 9-12 child continues to grow socially, mentally, and spiritually. Typically, this child is in 4th–5th grade. This child continues to be interested in his or her role in the great passage of time. The child can absorb and analyze more information about the expanse of history and relate diverse themes together. Timelines remain an important part of the Atrium experience. They provide more opportunities for research and relating salvation history to the child’s own experience. Developmentally, the child is calmer and more focused than during the 6-9 phase. The older child can also draw connections between moral themes in scripture and their own spiritual experience. The 9-12 year old also takes a greater leadership role in the Atrium, planning more complex prayer and managing their progress through works in the Atrium. |
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