Eucharistic Witnesses: Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

 I'm honored to be contributing to the Heart of the Revival, the newsletter and blog for the National Eucharistic Revival. I've written several articles and created activities for kids (like this Eucharistic Procession, Mass Offering Cards, Pilgrimage Passport, Pope Benedict XVI quotes, Art for Holy Week, and Bl. Carlo Acutis Activities). 

I've also been helping with a monthly series called American Eucharistic Witnesses. This collection highlights Americans whose lives have been changed by the gift of the Eucharistic. With a different expert author each month and an original woodcut print by the talented Connor Miller, I've been tasked with creating a version of this series for children. Each booklet contains a shorter bio and the art print on the front and back, and inside has some activities like a quote to color, a timeline to put in order, reflection questions, and short comprehension questions to answer. One booklet is for older children (I'd recommend 5th-8th grade) and another for younger children (I'd recommend 2nd-4th grade). The collection matches in structure and we'll finish the series with a final project to pull all the booklets together. 

Read the original article about Venerable Fulton J. Sheen here, and find the kids' activities below. (including in Spanish!)

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Biography Activity for Older Kids in English

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Biography Activity for Older Kids in Spanish

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Biography Activity for Younger Kids in English

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen Biography Activity for Younger Kids in Spanish

Others in the series:

St. Marianne Cope

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Bl. Stanley Rother

Bl. Carlos Manuel Cecilio 

Ven. Augustus Tolton

Ven. Fulton J. Sheen

Servant of God Dorothy Day

Servant of God Charlene Richard

Servant of God Julia Greeley

Servant of God Antonio Inija

Servant of God Michelle Duppong

Flannery O'Connor

Cardinal Francis George

Book Review: Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week {Plus a free companion activity book!}

Do you know the story of when young Fulton Sheen was altar serving and dropped the wine cruet during Mass? He  happened to be in a cathedral (St. Mary's in Peoria) serving for a bishop (Bishop John Lancaster Spalding), making the mistake even more memorable. This is one of my students' favorite stories of Sheen, I think because it makes him so relatable- they all know what it is like to make a mistake. They also love that afterwards he didn't get in trouble, but instead received from the Bishop a prediction of the plans God might have in store for his future.

As they look to the Saints, kids can benefit from remembering that the saints were all once children themselves. Most didn't achieve heroic virtue immediately, and all give witness to how following God changed the course of their lives. However, biographies that contain real details from the childhood of Saints are pretty hard to come by.

That's one reason that I am so excited to share with you Bonnie Engstrom's brand new book Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week! Sharing true stories from the childhood of little Fulton, Bonnie created a collection of tales that are real and relatable for today's kids. Each of the stories is adapted from events Sheen wrote about in his autobiography Treasure in Clay. (affiliate links)

This book is super fun to read aloud. With a recognizable days-of-the-week format, the rhythm of events connects with wonderful storytelling. The full color watercolor illustrations on every spread enhance the book. They share rich details and are based on real locations and photographs. I also love the little hidden symbols and connections to Sheen, which are revealed in a key at the end- they are perfect for going back to search for!

Most importantly, the theme that God is with us, is so close to us, even in our "very bad" moments is taught to the reader. Fulton's mom and dad and the Afterward of the book reveal that His plans are far bigger than what we might see in our current circumstances. The Lord is calling us to Himself through our particular path to holiness, and that is a message I want every kid to hear.

I've taught about Fulton Sheen in my 5th-8th Grade classrooms over many years, and have collected those resources into the Teaching with Fulton Sheen Curriculum. However, there aren't as many resources available for our younger kiddos, which makes this book a perfect tool for Kindergarten through 4th graders. To help expand its impact in homes and classrooms, I had the honor of working with Bonnie and the illustrator Mari to create a companion activity book that we all are so excited to offer you for FREE!

The activities are intended to be a companion to Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week with matching fonts, illustrations, and topics. The pages start simple and easy and get more challenging, offering a range of activities for K-4th Grade. 

The activities work on basic skills like copywork and coloring, but also include reading strategies like matching, sequencing, and recalling facts. The pages for older kids include reflection prompts and room to write.

Within the activities, kids will come to know Fulton Sheen, but more importantly grow in understanding of the love that God has for each one of us. You can see a preview of the activity pages below, and the full pdf also includes a couple more coloring pages, a table of contents with recommended ages, a letter to teachers and parents, and an answer key for the necessary activities. :)

I hope you consider adding  Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week to your home or classroom library! It would also make a great Christmas gift for your nieces and nephews, godchildren, and grandchildren. Plus, you can print and include a copy of activity book too!

Click here to download your own Fulton Sheen and the Very Bad Week Activity Book:

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!

American Saints Activities- All Free Resources, perfect for the month of July!

 

Looking for some activities to celebrate faith in the month of July? I created this at-home VBS last summer featuring some of our inspiring American Saints. Since then I've added even more resources and just checked/corrected some of the broken links and updated Ven. McGivney to Blessed! 

Here are some of the features of this American Saints collection:

-All the resources are free! Some are things I have created, but I also link to coloring pages, recipes, videos, and songs outside of my site. 

-You could do an in depth study throughout the month on lots of the Saints, or just choose a couple that your family would like to learn more about.

-I provide way more resources than you would ever need, so it is easy to pick and choose what fits your child's age and interests.

-If you would like to share this collected in a school/parish setting, you are always welcome to, and there is also an editable version you can tailor to your audience.

-For a more formal classroom/homeschool application, there I've added a biographical info sheet as well as a Google Slides version for Google Classroom.

-There are resources included in the overall list for adults too so that you can learn about these inspiring people alongside your kids!

Continue below for all the resources. Note that the photos are not updated, but the links to the documents should all be corrected. ;)

All you holy men and women of America, pray for us!

~~~

Leading up to the 4th of July, I wanted to create a shareable resource for your homes and parishes to celebrate and learn about the many, many faithful men and women who have impacted our country. This collection of activities could just be a resource for your home, can function as an at-home VBS, or can be easily shared out to your school or parish as an optional resource. There's even an editable version at the bottom to tailor it to your needs. Included are a few theme printables and then a pdf collection of (all free!) links highlighting fourteen American Saints (or soon-to-be Saints) including prayers, biographical videos, coloring pages. etc. There's also a column with resources for parents and older kids to help you research and learn alongside your kids.

Fourteen Saints are included. Honestly, my original plan was for ten and I just couldn't eliminate anyone on my brainstorming list. ;) Included are Americans spanning several centuries, men and women, lay people, religious, and priests, and Saints who are Black, White, and Native American. Each has a powerful and unique story of how they followed God's will and made our country a better place. I think that learning from their example and asking for their prayers is one of the best things we can be doing with our families right now.

There are many, many more Catholic Americans that could have been included, but I hope this starts you down the path of studying them and doing your own research. Theoretically, your family could study a new Saint every day for two weeks. Or you could spread the activities out over the month of July. There are lots of ways to jump in and no wrong method.

Before beginning the activities about the individual Saints, there are a few overall projects to set the vision for studying these holy men and women both as inspiration and as a challenge to pursue holiness ourselves. First, there is a map of the USA and an info sheet with a list of the fourteen Saints, the main states they lived in, and a symbol to add to the map. This page also lists the other Saints, Blesseds, Venerables, and Servants of God connected to America. Older kids could research them and add them to the map as well!

There is also a Litany of American Saints where your child can write in their favorite American patrons. The America the Beautiful Saints flag would be great to print out and display during the month as a reminder to ask for their intercession.

This resource is set up with a lot of the elements of a VBS (prayer, music, snacks, crafts) but with tons of options so it can work for a wide range of ages. I also pulled A LOT of resources- more than anyone would really use -but I wanted there to be variety and choice. All of the activities  are FREE so hopefully this project is easily accessible and shareable, even on a school or parish level.

For each Saint, there are links for:

-Prayer/Song/Bible Verse

-Short Videos

-Activity/Craft/Recipes

-Links for Parents or Older Siblings (to help parents feel equipped to teach their kids along the way, and to help older kids participate)

This whole plan is completely free and available for you to email out to your friends, parish, class, school, etc. I always appreciate when people include a link back to the blog so people can find more resources, but the schedule is especially designed to be easy to share as a pdf in a bulk email, school communication system, or parish bulletin. Please share! I'm always honored to be able to help, but especially now when we can't necessarily minister to our communities in the same ways we are used to. Click below to open all the resources!

First, here are the overall theme printables. (These are also linked in the shareable activity page as well.)

Click here for the American Saints Map. This helps identify the varied locations of the fourteen featured Saints across the United States, and also gives a list for further research:

Click here for the Litany of American Saints printable. You can fill in ten of your favorite holy men and women from America:

Click here for the American Flag Saints printable to display as you learn:

Click here for a Saint Bio Page if you'd like to complete a more formal study as you learn about the Saints:

Click here for the two page America the Beautiful pdf with links for the 14 Saints. This version cannot be edited, but is meant to be easy to share:

Click here for the editable version of the resources. It is a Google Slides file, so you can edit/add/remove to fit your audience. In order to make changes, you'll need to open and make a copy to edit in Google Slides or download and then edit in PowerPoint:

Click here for a Google Slides version that is perfect for a student project or classroom assignment, especially if using Google Classroom. (Note that I did not update the images in this set):

A special thank you to Shari from Catholic Paper Goods for offering a set of her stellar coloring pages for free to help round out the resources! She also has stickers, Saint trading cards, and more in her shop! Here are a few of her pages that are included in the links above:

And Kristina Markford (you might remember her super cute Emmaus Road Pegs shop) generously is sharing these awesome mini posters featuring 18 American Saints. You can find her on Instagram here.

All of those activities are free, but I also have been collecting books about these (and other American) Saints both to read myself and for my classroom. I'm still gathering titles and have some reading to do first, but hopefully I'll be able to do a Katie Reads post with some book suggestions! Feel free to drop any good titles about American Saints in the comments!

Katie Reads {25} (Enter to win a copy of my new book!)

Hi there! Time for a new stack of Katie Reads recommendations- and in honor of my book releasing this week, I'm giving away a copy at the end of the post! Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children will be available on February 1st, so if you preordered, they should be on the way to you this week! I can't wait for them to start arriving and for you to put them to good use in your homes and classrooms. 

Check out all of my Katie Reads Posts under this tab, and my growing list of Books for Catholic Kids here.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

I also highly encourage you to buy directly from the publisher or from your local Catholic bookstore! 
+++Emmaus Road Publishing provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
***Pauline Books and Media provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
^^^Tan Books provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~Ave Maria Press provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
%%% Ignatius Press provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
### Author provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First up, I wanted to share with you a peek at a few inside pages to give you a feel for the contents of my book Through the Year with Jesus. There are over 60 entries like this, with the complete text of Scripture, a full page Sacred Art, a kid friendly reflection with discussion questions, a practical application, and Lectio Divina prayer starters. It's hardback, full color, and 232 pages, and I hope and pray it becomes a keepsake for you and your kids! You can order the book from the St. Paul Center (also available as an ebook) or on Amazon, and can access the preorder bonuses here. I'm also giving away a free virtual workshop to someone who preorders, so if you order by 2/6/21, don't miss out on entering!

Next up, here are some Lenten book recommendations:

###Set a Fire: The Holy Spirit Book for Kids from Blessed is She

This Lenten journal for kids (intended for ages 6-12) is just awesome. I love that they used the Holy Spirit as a theme- there's such a lack of resources for kids on the Third Person of the Trinity! The content is thoughtfully laid out with cool graphics and colors. It includes Scripture, activities, room to draw and write, reflections and questions, prayer and Saint quotes. Plus it has great design, a hardback cover and spiral binding. It's probably the best kids' Lenten resource I've seen- I love how interactive it is! There is also an adult devotional of the same theme and they are offering a great deal on a kid/adult bundle too!

Extra thought- if you happen to be in a diocese where Confirmation is received in 2nd/3rd grade THIS would be awesome prayer and preparation for your kiddo! Lent and the Holy Spirit- a perfect retreat leading up to Confirmations this spring! :)

~~~Surrender All: An Illuminated Journal Retreat through the Stations of the Cross- Jen Norton

I love having a "fresh" Stations of the Cross book to try each Lent, and this is the one I'll be praying with this year. Artist Jen Norton has a unique style that I'd call a modern folk art, and this journal is full of her beautiful work! More than just a prayer for each Station, the book contains Scripture, reflections, questions, and room to write. I look forward to enjoying both the words and the visuals as a fresh way to encounter the Stations of the Cross this Lent. Heads up, you can buy the book on the Ave Maria Press website for $13 and free shipping with the code KBOGNER from Feb. 1, 2021, through March 5, 2021! (I ended up with an extra copy and will be giving away one on Instagram later this week, too!)

~~~Messages of Letting Go for Lent 2021: 3-Minute Devotions- Michael White and Tom Corcoran

~~~The Living Gospel: Daily Devotions for Lent 2021- Theresa Rickard, O.P.

These little pocket devotionals provide a simple tool for jumpstarting Lenten prayer. Messages of Letting Go offers a daily Scripture verse, short reflection, and action item. The Living Gospel offers suggestions for entering into prayer, a recommended reading from the Gospels, a bit longer reflection, an action item, and a closing prayer. At right around $2 each, these would be great to give away at your parish, or even to older students. I could also see using the Living Gospel especially for opening prayers during Lent in a high school classroom. Both are dated, making them easy to navigate this year, but unfortunately then not as valuable in the future. 

Here are a couple of daily reflection books that I am really loving right now (and have used for many gifts lately!)

In Caelo et in Terra: 365 Days with the Saints- The Daughters of St. Paul

This is hands down my new favorite Saint-a-Day type book. It is beautifully published as a large hardcover (7x10" and 432 pages) with gold foil accents and original illustrations on every page. I will definitely have this on display in my classroom, but it would be a good read for adults or as part of a family prayer table. I wrote a full length review with more details that you can read here- but the best endorsement I can give you is after getting my copy (it's a little bit on the pricey side), I immediately ordered five more to use as Christmas gifts. It's sure to be a timeless resource.

The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen: 365 Days of Inspiration, Blue Sparrow Books

I've got a mixed review on this one- first, Fulton Sheen quotes for each day? Awesome! Gift-quality hardback with textured paper cover? Lovely! But when I opened this book the first time, I was surprised that it contains more blank paper inside than actual text. The quotes for the 365 days are good, (it is Sheen, after all) but the layout seems almost wasteful with all the empty space. However- I looked it over and decided that it would make a great "journal" with lots of applications- maybe jot down prayer intentions on that date, and then return the following year to see how they were answered, and then add more. Or make note of significant dates and their events. Or use it as an art journal, lettering the quotes and decorating the pages. There are many ways to use it and I've got some plans for turning it into a gift, but just know that it's a lovely "package" with less than you might expect inside.

And here are some great picture books for kids:

^^^The Monks Make Amends- Sylvia Dorham

I love the other titles in this series, and this one fits right in! Cute rhymes, expressive illustrations, and a super relatable storyline about anger, frustration, and forgiveness. It contains a great reminder that emotions are not sinful, but we need to control out actions. It also models forgiveness and turning to Jesus in prayer and the Sacrament of Confession. It would be a perfect read aloud for kids in the time leading up to their first Confession!

+++The Catholic Treasury of Prayers & Verses- Adalee Hude 

Adalee is one of my favorite Catholic artists, and this prayer collection she has created is both a tool and a truly beautiful keepsake. It contains many traditional Catholic prayers and favorite Bible verses alongside Adalee's gorgeous illustrations. At over 50 pages, hardback, and in a classic but warm style, it really is a treasure! I think that it would be such a great book for a Mass bag or prayer table, and certainly would make a perfect First Communion gift. 

%%%Bernadette: The Little Girl from Lourdes- Sophie Maraval-Hutin 

This book is not newly published, but is new to me so I still wanted to share it with you. It is a sweet picture book about the beloved St. Bernadette and tells the story of Our Lady of Lourdes. Short but thorough and warmly illustrated, I really liked how the book included Bernadette's life as a nun once an adult, as well as a little about her death, canonization, and the miracles associated with Lourdes. 

%%%Saint Bernadette and the Miracle of Lourdes-Demi

(If you're on Instagram, I'll be giving away a copy of this Bernadette and Hiawatha book on Sunday 1/31!) I know that parents and teachers alike love Demi books- she's a prolific author with over 300 biographies and legends published about cultures around the world. Her illustrations are a totally unique combination of painting and collage, rich in detail and symbolism. The book on St. Bernadette is lovely and is one of those picture books that has value even for older readers- using beauty and eloquent language, it's uses are not just for kids of a typical "picture book" age.

%%%The Spirit of Hiawatha- Demi

Demi's newest book focuses on the importance of Hiawatha unifying the Iroquois tribes in the League of Five Nations, his teachings of peace and forgiveness, and hints at his continued impact even today. It also points to the connection of his mission to the later work of the Jesuits who came to America as well as the creation of the US Constitution. I think it presented an interesting crossover of the respect that differing cultures and religions can have for one another, learning from all of our gifts and good work.

Sleepytime Saints:A to Z- Michael and Marcy Kelleher

Marcy and her dolls are old favorites here on the blog (read her guest post here). Her coveted handmade Saint dolls are hard to get (for good reason!) but now everyone can enjoy their beauty and creativity with this new book. Combining Marcy's dolls, her husband's poems, and fun collage style photography, there's lots to see and enjoy in their first book! There are so many details to explore and Saints that you might not expect are included on the A to Z list. I think older kids would like investigating the symbols and researching the biographies of the Saints to better understand the stories, and littles are sure to love the cozy images and fun rhymes!

***Brilliant: 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People- David Michael Warren and Jaclyn Warren

 With full page gorgeous illustrations and short biographies on these 25 brilliant Catholics, this new book words to demonstrate to kids that science and faith are not meant to be separated, but instead seek the same Truth. This was a collaboration from Pauline Books and Media and Word on Fire, and I hope to see more in the future! We need more books like this for kids!

###Giorgio's Miracle- Laurie Schmidt

This middle grade chapter book just arrived in my mailbox, but I wanted to make sure to include it! I've read the first and last chapters already (a bad habit, but convenient for a teacher!) and I really liked it! A fictionalized version of the real Eucharistic miracle that occurred in Turin, Italy in 1453, this book is sure to draw in kids that are animal lovers. I think it could make a great read aloud following First Communion, or an independent read for 4th-6th graders. 

And finally, a couple of new books on Mary:

***Beholding Beauty: Mary and the Song of Songs- Gregory Cleveland, OMV

Taking the Song of Songs one section at a time and connecting to the beauty and virtue of Mary, this book dives deeper into understanding Mary's role as Mother and Bride. Each chapter opens with the Scripture, a short story, and then an explanation connecting and teaching about the Blessed Mother. A set of thorough reflection questions and prayer exercises make me think that this book would work well for either personal or group Bible Study. I plan to put this aside until the Easter Season or maybe the month of May, but look forward to diving into its riches.

^^^Crown of the Virgin: An Ancient Meditation on Mary's Beauty, Virtue, and Sanctity- St. Ildephonsus of Toledo 

St. Ildephonsus was a new Saint for me- he lived in the 7th Century, but this is the first time these writings have been published in English. He wrote about about the "jewels" that make up the crown of the Queen of Heaven, using 24 gemstones to describe her virtues. It's been a prayerful read so far, and has me inspired to create art to go along with his reflections! The quality of the book with lovely gold foil and pretty end papers would make it a great gift book.

And finally, to celebrate release week, would you like to win a copy of my new book? Enter the giveaway here, no follow/share requirements. Just provide your email address so I know how to contact you if you win! Sorry, US addresses only, but maybe next time I can do an ebook giveaway! ;) Giveaway closes midnight 2/6/21.

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Teaching with Fulton Sheen Curriculum- Over 200 Pages of content, all free!

If you've been around my blog for long, you know that Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and I are old friends. He and I grew up in the same Diocese and he's now entombed in the Cathedral just across town from my school. When I was in college, reading one of Sheen's books was the reason I finally began to understand and believe Mary's role in the Church- and then started to get to know him as a "local" celebrity. When my dear friends' son was miraculously healed (Vatican approved miracle!) through Fulton Sheen's intercession, I knew that I needed to share his life with my students in the classroom. 

That was almost ten years ago, and I can now credit Fulton Sheen as being one of the greatest influences on my work as a teacher and catechist. His deep prayer, his warm humor, his evangelical use of technology, and the way he could connect the seemingly everyday with the loftiness of Heaven- these all inspire me to be a better teacher and a better follower of Christ. The first year I taught about him in my classroom (and with him) was a powerful and memorable experience. At the end of the school year, I collected the resources I had created and shared them here and within my diocese. Since then, much more has been added to the collection, being used with different grade levels of kids, in CCD classes, youth groups, whole family activity days, and more.

While I have created many more resources about Fulton Sheen and the things that he taught... I haven't been as great about sharing and keeping them organized here on the blog. So without further ado, I'm happy to present the 3rd Edition of Teaching with Fulton Sheen!

With over 200 pages of resources, printables, and ideas, this collection has applications in homes and classrooms with kids of all ages. It's not just for those who want to dive into a study of Fulton Sheen- it's more about using his wisdom and words to present the truths of our faith. These tools are things that can reinforce the content that you already plan to cover, or could be pulled from for a fun mini unit or project.

Some major topics covered:

-Biographical info about Sheen

-Resources for teaching about the Canonization Process, heroic virtues, etc. as well as non fiction sources on Sheen's Cause for Canonization

-Topics that were especially important to Sheen- devotion to Mary, commitment to Adoration, the World Mission Rosary, Spiritual Adoption, etc.

-Tools to help with using outside resources in the classroom, like newspaper articles, 61 Minutes to Miracle, Word on Fire's Pivotal Players Documentary, and the Servant of All Documentary

-Projects for universal Catholic topics, including all seven Sacraments, prayer, Mary, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, virtue, and more

-The resources cover a variety of skills and ability levels, from simple things like coloring pages to more complex writing prompts to non fiction research, making it useable across grade levels

-And much more!

This curriculum is NOT intended to be taught cover to cover- even I only use pieces of it in my classroom each year. It's more a collection of resources that can be pulled from to support a wide array of Catholic topics while also inspiring students with the life of Fulton Sheen and the message that they are also called to be SAINTS!

Someday soon hopefully I'll get the individual activities posted and my Fulton Sheen tab updated, but until then, I hope you download, use, and share this resource.

Click here to open, download, and print the whole curriculum!

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!

JMJ Printables and Fulton Sheen Bulletin Boards

“As a custom which started in kindergarten, I always wrote ‘JMJ’ at the top of the blackboard, as I do on every piece of paper before I write- and which I hope will someday be on my tombstone. In answer to many letters, the public finally recognized me and the words Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”

From “Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen”

You can read about Fulton Sheen's practice of writing "JMJ" at the top of his chalkboard in my upcoming Sheen Corner article in the Catholic Post.  I think that it would be a great habit to bring back in our Catholic schools, writing JMJ on our smartboards and teaching our students to write it on their homework as a way of dedicating our work to the Holy Family, asking their guidance and protection in all we say and do.

I've created a set of printables for you that have "JMJ" in Fulton Sheen's actual handwriting.  I've printed one and hung it in my classroom about the smartboard here, but I think they would also be great to hang above a family calendar, glue inside a student's school notebook, etc.

I also wanted to use Fulton Sheen to decorate my door as I welcome my students back to school in a few days, and thought I'd share with you how I made this quick sign that would easily double as a bulletin board decoration.

(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.)

Supplies:

Black poster board (or black bulletin board paper)

Woodgrain Contact Paper or Woodgrain washi tape or duct tape (I already had some contact paper from the dollar store and it worked perfectly)

White Sharpie Paint Marker

JMJ printable (pdf at bottom of post)

Favorite picture of Sheen (ideas and links at bottom of post)

First, I laid out my supplies to see how everything would fit. I cut one length of the woodgrain contact paper a few inches longer than the length of the poster board.  Then I split the contact paper into four equal sized strips (with the convenient grid marks on the back). I folded them over the edges of the poster board to create clean edges that were fairly even.  

Then I glued on the JMJ and photo of Sheen, and lettered on one of my favorite quotes.

This concept can work for a door decoration like mine all the way up to a large bulletin board.

You can print and piece together a favorite photo of Fulton Sheen, or order a poster of Fulton Sheen.  A few of my favorites from these shops:

Catholic Paper Goods

Cassie Pease Design

Glory Be Prints

And we haven't started yet, but for CCD, I plan to use these cute little chalkboard labels and mini chalkboards for the kids' names and for a "JMJ" craft: 

Chalkboard Nametags

Mini Chalkboards with Stand

I'll post more pictures once we're all decorated!

We'll be using these room signs on the doors.  They list PreK-8th grade and a few other labels, but if you need a special room sign, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I'll edit them for you! ;)

Click here for the JMJ printables (in Fulton Sheen's handwriting):

And visit my Etsy Shop for JMJ Vinyl Stickers and coming soon a JMJ Stamp!