Welcome UUCM families and friends to another congregational year filled with Religious Education for Children and Youth!
As Religious Education classes and activities officially begin this Sunday September 17, 2017, here are a few important reminders.
Religious Education Classes: Start time, Class locations
Here is the information for which classes meet and in which rooms during the 9 a.m. worship service:
September 17, 9am – 10am
PLEASE NOTE FOR THIS SUNDAY 9/17: PreK-5th graders and their teachers will begin in the Sanctuary at 9 a.m. and stay through the Time for All Ages and then go to classes afterward. Nursery and 6th-9th grades will begin at 9 a.m. in their respective class locations noted below. 10th-12th grades will begin NEXT Sunday 9/24 at 10:30 a.m.
For Nursery through Grade 12
Nursery: Joseph Priestly Room
Pre-K: (only offered at 11 a.m. service)
K-1: (only offered at 11 a.m. service)
Grade 2/3: A-5 (The Purple Room)
Grade 4/5: Mortenson
Grade 6/7: Tomlinson (Formerly Sub-Peierls)
Grade 8: Peierls
Grade 9: (only offered at 11 a.m. service)
Senior Youth : Samantha Smith Room (not in session until 9/24)
And here is the information for the 11 a.m. worship service
Sun, September 17, 11am – 12pm
PLEASE NOTE FOR THIS SUNDAY 9/17: Pre-K through 5th graders and their teachers will begin in the Sanctuary at 11 a.m. and stay through the Time for All Ages and then go to classes afterward. Nursery and 6th-9th grades will begin at 11 a.m. in their respective class locations noted below. 10th-12th grades will begin next Sunday 9/24 at 10:30 a.m.
For Nursery through Grade 12
Nursery: Joseph Priestly Room
Pre-K: Beatrix Potter
K-1: William Ellery Channing
Grade 2/3: A-5 (The Purple Room)
Grade 4/5: Mortenson
Grade 6/7: Tomlinson (Formerly Sub-Peierls)
Grade 8: (only offered at 9 a.m. service)
Grade 9: Peierls Room
Senior Youth : Samantha Smith Room (not in session until 9/24)
A “RE”-Covenanting for All Ages (“RE”- as in- “Religious Education”!)
The time for all ages for this Sunday will be in the form of a responsive covenanting as we affirm the work the religious education volunteers are doing and the congregation renews its commitment to religious education for children and youth.
THINK ORANGE
You will continue to hear from me and other leaders of Religious Education on how we “Think Orange”- combining the yellow light of our UU community and the bright red love of families into ORANGE! By thinking orange, we want to continually find ways for the congregation and families to be in partnership in developing the Unitarian Universalist identity of our children and youth.
Parents as Partners in Religious Education
One of the key partners in a successful Religious Education ministry is- PARENTS. Just rearrange the letters in “parents” and add an “r” and you’ve got “PARTNERS”! We recognize that parents are the primary religious educators of their children and we want to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to be that primary religious educator to their children throughout the week.
As such, if there is not already 1 parent in an RE family engaged as a lead teacher, we are asking at least one parent per RE family to serve as an assistant 5 times throughout the congregational year (September through June). We know flexibility is important so parents can decide if assisting in their own child’s class or in another class is the better fit. And work and family schedules may be such that volunteering 5 times in a row is better, for others, spreading out the commitment is preferred.
With a large pool of parents taking turns as assistants, Lead teachers can focus on the lesson prep and will be able to do so in a more sustainable manner. It is also important that both lead teachers and assistants have the opportunity to attend one of the large group worship services from time to time for their own spiritual nourishment- expanding the volunteer pool allows for a better balance in that respect as well. Please speak with any of the teaching team coordinators for the classes, or Iris De La Paz, RE Coordinator, to get connected as an assistant.
Thank you to those who have registered their children and youth for the 2017-18 year. If you haven’t, please submit this registration form via online or paper.
You can commit as a volunteer via this form, making note of areas you’d like help. Someone will follow up to confirm how you can help.
I look forward to working with you and walking with you on this shared journey of forming our faith and identity as Unitarian Universalists.
In faith,
Chris Buja, “Mr. B”
Director of Religious Education & Congregational Life