Madeline's First Communion!

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
April 20, 2008


Maddie is standing in front of an Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Maddie's Gramma Leitzke loved Our Lady with a very special devotion.
We remember Gramma and Papa and love them very much!

Gramma Leitzke
2-16-02

Papa Leitzke
12-28-98

Anger and Children

I usually love Thursdays. Every Thursday our school attends weekly Mass. Today was a bit different. I'm not sure why but as we were going up to receive the Blessed Sacrament I focused my attention on one of my boys. He has been having a rough week with behavior and as I saw him go forward to receive Communion I had a thought...actually, it was a prayer...

Be with him Father...help him to make some good choices today so that he begins to grow in Your light.

I'm not sure what has been his problem this week. It has been one poor choice after another.
Well...yesterday he got angry with another boy and took his pencil and stabbed at the other boy's hand. Today another teacher mentioned that $5.00 was missing from her room and the other children informed me that it was (child's name) who had taken the money. He didn't even argue that he hadn't taken the money, he just pulled it from his pocket and tossed it to the other teacher.

He needs help. I'm not sure if everyone understands just how difficult it is to get a parent to understand when their child needs help. There are some things that you just can't laugh off. I'm talking about parents here.

We have a field trip tomorrow and we have placed him on a one day out of school suspension. I do not want to take the risk that he will not spin out of control while we are away from the school. His mom was angry that we took him out of school because both she and the dad have to work and there is nowhere for him to go. I tried callling the dad and was informed that he cannot receive phone calls at work. He can't be bothered.

I am so troubled by this. This child shows no remorse. He shows no feelings. I asked his mom and she said that she cannot remember a time where she saw him cry.
Where is all of this anger coming from...I can only guess. He is not the only child with severe anger issues in my class of 19. Through the years I'm seeing more and more angry, defiant children.

I'll post some other time about what I think is one of the reasons for this behavior. I am so drained I feel I just need sleep. My dear husband is bathing the little ones tonight because I just cannot.

Please pray for me to have the strength to continue to help this children. And of course...please pray for the children. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a font of Mercy for us,
Jesus, I trust in You!

God's Will in Our Lives

Here it is the end of the school year...and what a year it has been! I see the children's beautiful faces and I know why God led me to this classroom. So many children in need. So many children with anger issues and power/control problems. They have temper tantrums when they want something or need to do something they do not want to do. They fight and push and say such words...
Oh Jesus, continue to work through me! These children need so much, yet they have always received everything they have wanted. They don't understand what they really need! You.

The parents come in to discuss their child and seem mystified as to why they have discipline problems. These children have been on more vacations than I'll ever go on in my lifetime...Spain, Mexico, Bahamas, Disney World...
Oh Jesus, help me to enlighten these parents. They need you so! Help me draw them to You!


The year is almost done...I have so much to pray for...please pray for my students with me. They need your prayers. And please pray also for their parents, for guidance and strength to be the Mother and Father that God intended them to be and to teach their children what's truly important in their lives.

Thank you for your prayers for them.
Mary

Jesus, I trust in You!