Our Psalms
December 9, 2009
The St. Anne’s School of Annapolis community has many stories to tell. That’s why the theme for the 2009-2010 school year is “OUR STORIES.” We will share our stories here all year.
The Psalms of St. Anne’s School
Religion and Music Come Together
This fall, Third and Fourth Grade students began a study of the Psalms of David in religion class. Students read and sang the Psalms in both Hebrew and English. Students read many different kinds of Psalms. Joyous Psalms like Ps. 100, “O, be joyful in the Lord,” and mournful Psalms like Ps. 42, “Like as the hart desireth the water brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee O Lord.”
We learned about King David, the author or 73 of the Psalms and presented a special “David Chapel.” In this chapel, all grades learned of David’s humble roots as a shepherd, and how God chose him, the youngest of eight sons, to rule as the second King of Israel.
This powerful story reminds us of the importance of faith, and the true meaning of strength. After seeing Eliab, the oldest, tallest and strongest of Jesse’s sons; the prophet Samuel thinks he has surely found Israel’s next King. But God says to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)
Using the prompt “The Lord is like a friend at school…” students began writing their own Psalms. The results were touching in both their creativity and maturity. Some students wrote about creation, some about feeling God with them during conflicts or sadness.
The next step was setting their words to music. Tehillim or “Praises” are, of course meant to be sung, not spoken. Students chose a familiar tune and altered their words if necessary to make them fit with the melody. I hope you enjoy some of the Psalms of St. Anne’s School. They are being shared and sung each week during Lower School Chapel, as we “Come before His presence with a song” (Ps. 100) in the great tradition of King David and Levites, the first “ministers of music” in the temple. Here are some of their psalms:
Where I’m From
December 3, 2009
The St. Anne’s School of Annapolis community has many stories to tell. That’s why the theme for the 2009-2010 school year is “OUR STORIES.” We will share our stories here all year.
The Fifth Grade has written poems about their stories. Click on the names below to read the poems:
Stories from Heifer International
December 2, 2009
The St. Anne’s School of Annapolis community has many stories to tell. That’s why the theme for the 2009-2010 school year is “OUR STORIES.” We will share our stories here all year.
The Seventh Grade created videos from their trip to the living classroom at Heifer International. While there, they lived the lives of others in the world, and learned how individual action and community cooperation can create sustainable solutions for global hunger, poverty and the environment.
Here are their videos:
