Announcing:
Saint Mary's Press winner for the week of January 9, 2009!
Congratulations to Sue Heidel!

Sue Heidel will receive a copy of Saint Mary's Press® Old Testament Companion: Understanding Key Scripture Passages, a $19.95 value.

Teachers of Old Testament courses now have another great teaching tool available.

The Saint Mary's Press® Old Testament Companion guides students in reading and understanding 70 key Old Testament excerpts from the New American Bible translation. Assign the readings in any order to prepare them for class discussion and projects. Each reading has pop-up definitions along with maps, charts, artwork, and photos. After the students complete a reading, they can check their understanding of it in three ways:

• "Check Your Reading" questions check the students' basic comprehension.
• "Do You Have the Basics?" puzzles check for comprehension through crosswords, word finds, sequencing, and matching activities.
• "Questions for Reflection" challenge the students to think more deeply about the reading's meaning and the implications for us today.

Look Inside: You can view an online demonstration of the Saint Mary's Press Old Testament Companion on the SMP Web catalog. Search for "Old Testament Companion," or use this link to go to the product description, http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=1110. Then use the "look inside" button next to the cover image to see a sampler with screen shots and a Web demonstration of this interactive CD-ROM.

Saint Mary's Press® Old Testament Companion:
Understanding Key Scripture Passages
ISBN 978-0-88489-973-0, CD-ROM, $19.95
http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=1110

Written on Our Hearts Revised for 2009

This in-depth course brings to life the books of the Old Testament, with a full-color student text that covers the most important stories and passages of the Old Testament and guides students as they read the Bible. The one-semester course can be taught to ninth graders but is ideal for tenth- and eleventh-grade students.

The third edition of the student text features updates to the text that reflect current Scripture scholarship and the cultural experience of today's teens, new illustrations and photos, and a new glossary of biblical terms.

The teaching manual fully supports the third edition of the student text and includes numbered references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, prayers, prayer services, review questions and answers, student activities, discussion questions, role-play situations, suggestions for interviews and guest speakers, student handouts, and much more.

The Subcommittee on the Catechism, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has found this catechetical text, copyright 2009, to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Conformity statement refers to the student book.)

Written on Our Hearts: The Old Testament Story of God's Love, Third Edition
by Mary Reed Newland, ISBN 978-0-88489-991-4, paper, 320 pages, $22.95
http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=1141

Teaching Manual for Written on Our Hearts:
The Old Testament Story of God's Love, Third Edition
by Mary Reed Newland, ISBN 978-0-88489-992-1, spiral, 336 pages, $27.95
http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=1241

Catholic Schools Week: January 25-31
"Catholic Schools Celebrate Service"
by Steven McGlaun

This January 25-31, 2009, is Catholic Schools Week. Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebrator of the important role that Catholic schools play in the education of young people and to raise awareness of Catholic schools in the community. Saint Mary's Press is extremely grateful for the role Catholic Schools play in developing young people who possess a quality academic education, sound values and a deep spiritual life. Catholic schools are an amazing arena for the development of the entire students; mind, body, and spirit.

Many Catholic schools take the opportunity of Catholic Schools Week to have school Masses, open houses and events for students and families. This year the theme for Catholic Schools Week is "Catholic Schools Celebrate Service." This theme affords school the added opportunity to invite students and families into both service opportunities and education on the social teachings of the Church. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is offering a marketing kit that includes a day-by-day planning guide, liturgical guide and resources to assist schools in marketing year round. The kit can be ordered at http://ncea.org/news/CatholicSchoolsWeek.asp.

Saint Mary's Press also has numerous resources that can assist you in implementing this year's theme of "Catholic Schools Celebrate Service." Specifically, you may want to check out Making the Hours Count: Transforming Your Service Experience, Giving and Growing: A Students Guide for Service Projects, and Justice and Service Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens.

May God bless your school and the good work you do, not just during Catholic Schools Week, but year round. Catholics schools are truly an asset to the Church and the community.

Be a Witness for Life
by Brian Singer-Towns

The anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court is an opportunity to renew our commitment to witness to the sanctity of life, especially the life of the unborn. Here are some ideas for how teachers, youth ministers, catechists and parents can be witnesses to the sanctity of life to the young people we minister to and with.

• Bring in a person to speak to your group or class who received needed community support to have their baby.
• Watch Juno or Bella with your teen children and discuss the film's message.
• Download and show the short, delightful video from http://www.prolifemovie.com as a visual meditation during a prayer service.
• Order and distribute some of the excellent respect life resources from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at http://www.usccb.org/prolife/publicat/teens.shtml.
• Urge teens to participate in a Witness for Life Rally on January 22, or better yet, sponsor a group to attend the national rally in Washington. See details at http://www.marchforlife.org.

2009 Gift Sale: 12 New Sale Items!

To make way for new gift items in the SMP Gift Boutique, 12 items from the 2008 catalog are now available at reduced prices! Shown here are just some of the inspiring and thoughtful items now on sale.

Find all our sale items at gifts.smp.org!

Life Compass™ Necklace $45.95 Now $29.95	Joyful Angel Key Ring $13.95 Now $9.95	Heishi Shell Cross $15.95 Now $10.95	Holy Spirit Wall Plaque $21.95 Now $15.95