Kindergarten students learn holiness through saint presentations

Teaching a Kindergarten student to live a holy life sounds like a challenge, but Kindergarten Teacher Renee’ Saunier is allowing her students to discover holiness through the lives of our best examples – the saints.

“It is important for the students to learn about the saints because we use them as role models in our lives,” she said. “Looking at the lives of the saints reminds the students how to live a holy life.”

In November, the month of remembrance, Saunier’s students had to identify a saint to study and make models of that saint in the classrooms in small groups. The saint models were created with a toilet paper roll, fabric, construction paper, pipe cleaners, yarn, flowers and other objects, integrating S.T.R.E.A.M. into their learning experience. The students then presented their saint model to the class. Presentations included the name of the saint, his or her feast day, symbol, and an interesting fact about their saint.

“It is always great to watch the presentations,” she said. “The students are very interested in learning about the saints and get excited about the details surrounding their lives. The presentations give the students an opportunity to become familiar with the saints’ names and why they are all special in God's eyes.”

Saunier said her class uses examples from the saints’ lives to try to connect the choices her students make in their own lives.

“The saint presentations help the students to develop Catholic identity at a young age by relating to the saints as they were once a normal person and they chose to live a holy life like Jesus,” she said. “The students can relate and do their best to live a holy life just as the saints did.”

Saunier understands the importance of teaching Christian values at a young age and engages her students in several projects throughout the year that highlight Catholic identity. One favorite of her students is their Class Service Project. The students tie knots in fleece blankets and pray for the sick in the Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church and School community, relating it to the Corporal Works of Mercy.

While the saint presentations may seem like a cute project for Kindergarten students, Saunier sees the impact that learning about the lives of our most holy models can have on our youngest minds.

“The saints provide a platform for the students to identify with in their every day lives,” she said. “The goal of this project is for the students to understand that the saints’ lives can influence each of their lives as we look to them for guidance and pray to them in heaven. We use them as models for us to live a holy life, which is the goal of this project.”

To see articles and videos about saints and faith formation at home, visit our website at ctrschool.com/family-faith-formation.