Alliance for Catholic Education
I have always loved Advent, but the season took on an even deeper meaning once I started sharing it with my 5th-grade students. Experiencing the hope and wonder of Christ’s coming through their eyes has renewed my own anticipation of Christmas.
Instead of an Elf on the Shelf, my 5th-grade class is visited by Mary on a Mantle. Mary appears in a different location each day, with a message of kindness or peace to share with the students. Last year, I worked hard to come up with clever hiding spots. This year, though, two of my former students eagerly asked to hide Mary each morning—an offer I willingly took! They arrive early each morning, brimming with creativity, crafting riddles and poems to guide the search. When the 5th-graders enter the classroom, I see my two former students huddled in the doorframe, watching with sheer glee as the students search for Mary.
The messages that my two former students write “from Mary” are overwhelmingly filled with motherly love. One morning, the 5th-graders were challenged to unscramble a message made of magnet letters on the board: “Mary loves you.” The next day, they were to find a piece of paper that would reveal how many children Mary loves, only to discover a single sheet marked with an infinity sign. I am continually moved by how deeply Mary’s love stayed with them from the previous year, especially knowing that, for many students, she was first encountered in our classroom. Mary’s daily presence mirrors the heart of Advent itself—an invitation to wait attentively and to notice love taking shape in small, ordinary moments.
Seeing the joy of both my current and former students—woven together through the gentle presence of our Blessed Mother—has made Advent one of the most meaningful times of the school year for me. It reminds me that Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas but a communal journey in which we help each other notice Christ’s presence in small moments. In their joy, creativity, and devotion, my students have become unexpected teachers. They exemplify how preparing the way for the Lord is best done in community.