Children at St. Marguerite Pre-school learn the meaning of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Janet Barberio (right) reads her first grade class the story of Passover and Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt. They also learned about Joseph and his coat of many colors, the Pharaoh, and they heard a story about heaven.

TOOELE — "Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey," said Kindra Valerio to her 4-year-old students at St. Marguerite Pre-school in Tooele. "His friends cheered and waved palm branches.

"Jesus shared a special supper with his friends and told them he would be gone for a while, but he promised to come back," continued Valerio. "Some people did not like Jesus and let him die on a cross. His friends felt very sad. They thought he would be gone forever. But on Easter morning, the most wonderful thing happened. Jesus was alive again and returned to his friends just like he promised. Easter is a happy day.

"I teach them the story of Jesus and how he rose from the dead on Easter so they can relate to Jesus in his new life," said Valerio. "When you ask children about Easter, they always talk about the Easter bunny."

Valerio illustrated Jesus rising from the dead by explaining to the 4-year-old children in her class that Jesus’ rising is just like a chicken hatching from an egg. The egg is like the tomb Jesus was placed in after he died on the cross. Just like a baby chicken comes out of the egg to new life, Jesus came out of the tomb to new life.

Allison Bench, 4, said "When Jesus died on the cross he had nails in his hands and in his feet."

"The children understand Jesus died on the cross, but resurrection is too big a word for them to understand, so I tell them Jesus rose to new life."

Aric Hallam, 3, in Karen Rounds’ class, was coloring Jesus inside the egg. He said, "When the egg cracked open, Jesus was inside. The people were mean to Jesus and put him on a cross. Then he came alive."

Rounds told her 3-year-old students in the springtime, there are many signs of new life for us to see. they help us know Easter is near. Baby chicks have new life in the spring. Butterflies grow and change inside a cocoon. When they come out of the cocoon, they have a wonderful new life.

"At Easter, Christians celebrate that Jesus has new life," said Rounds. "Jesus shares his new life with us. Easter is a celebration."

"Jesus is like the caterpillar," said Janet Barberio to her first grade class. "He came down to earth and bloomed into a beautiful man just like a caterpillar grows into a beautiful butterfly. After Jesus was crucified on the cross and died, he rose from the dead into a new life. Jesus lives in heaven and tells us in the bible, he will always be there for us."

"Heaven is a very nice place and only nice people can go there," said first-grader Aaron McLean.

"If we are sorry for our sins, God will forgive us," explained Barberio. "God is so full of love he wants everyone to live in heaven forever. Jesus lives in heaven and inside us in our hearts."

Barberio read from the book "Heaven is a Wonderful Place." She read, "God knows when we should die, and the time will be just right because God is wise. With Jesus living inside us in our hearts, we can all have a little bit of heaven here on earth."

The first grade class also heard the story of Passover and how Moses led all the Israelites out of Egypt, and the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors.

"Every time we go to Mass, we are celebrating Passover, and we are also celebrating the last supper with Jesus," said Barberio.

The students ended Holy Week by coloring eggs and having an Easter egg hunt.