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Religious Education - Children's Programs for 2009-10
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Questions or comments about religious education for children at our church?
Call our DRE, Liza Spisto, at 978-456-7788. |
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| Worship for Children |
| We offer three kinds of worship experiences for children: |
| On most Sunday mornings children attend the first 15-20
minutes of the regular worship service in the Church sanctuary. They
participate in the Reflection for All Ages portion of the service,
then leave with their teachers for their classes. |
| On the second Sunday of each month, children begin in the
Fellowship Building instead of the sanctuary for a special children's worship,
usually led by the Director of Religious Education. This is a child-specific
service with singing, readings, reflections, meditation, and candle lighting. |
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The third form of worship for children is intergenerational. These Sunday
services are usually on or around religious holidays or on other special days
when the minister and the DRE lead all-church worship in the sanctuary. |
| Families are encouraged to talk at home about the sacredness
of the sanctuary space, the meaning of our rituals and symbols, and the
importance of silent reflection in worship. We appreciate everyone's
modeling for and patience with our youngest participants. |
| Reminders about starting locations for children are listed in
the Belfry newsletter and on the sign at the top of the Fellowship
Building driveway each week. |
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Please Note: While the new Fellowship Building is under construction, all children
and youth programming takes place in the Hapgood Library (Old Library), which is
located in the brick building at the end of the town common on the east side. Nursery
care for our youngest children up to Age 3 is available upstairs in the space above
the offices in the back of the church. Once the Fellowship Building is complete,
we will resume beginning mornings in the sanctuary, beginning with a Story For All
Ages. |
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What Do Children Need on Sunday Morning? |
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Children's Version of Unitarian Universalist Principles |
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It Matters What We Believe |
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| Nursery Care |
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The nursery, for infants to 3-year-olds, offers a comfortable and safe haven
for our youngest children. Located upstairs in the front of the church, it is open at
9:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings and closes promptly at 11:30 a.m. Feel free to
stay as long as needed while your child becomes acquainted with our caregivers.
The nursery is staffed by an adult caregiver and a youth (10th grade or older). Children must be registered to
stay in the nursery. |
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| Sunday Morning Schedule |
| 9:45 a.m. |
The nursery is open for infants
and children up to three years old. Parents are
welcome to drop their children off at the Hapgood Library for the RE Program. |
| 10:00 a.m. |
Worship - Children participate in an All Ages Worship Service and then are escorted
to their classes by their teachers. |
| 11:00 a.m. |
Fellowship Hour - At the end of the worship service, adults and youth attend a
refreshment/social time at the back of the sanctuary. |
| 11:15 a.m. |
Children's classes end. All children are
picked up. Parents are encouraged to be timely
so our teachers may enjoy the Fellowship Hour.. |
| 11:30 a.m. |
Nursery closes. |
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Classes for 2009-10
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Preschool and Kindergarten – We Are Many, We Are One |
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We will be using the yearlong UUA curriculum We Are Many, We Are One. This
anti-bias, multicultural curriculum, celebrates diversity and interdependence, by
promoting the acceptance of one another and the inherent worth and dignity of all.
This program also devotes a lot of time to nature, appreciation of and caring for
our environment, helping children to understand how they fit into the interdependent
web.
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Our goal here is for children to feel a sense of
belonging to our faith community
and begin to associate themselves as Unitarian Universalists. |
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1st. 2nd, and 3rd Grades – Spirit of Adventure |
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This year the first, second and third graders will be learning about Unitarian
Universalism using the Spirit of Adventure curriculum. This program uses a combination
of active play and meaningful group projects as vehicles for conveying our principles.
Here children learn by doing; for example, UUs value exploring, let’s dissect a
computer. Famous UUs are mentioned throughout
the curriculum, people whose lives
exemplified our faith as well as important quotes which connect our daily lives
with the UU Principles.
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In addition to this program, children will be using a workbook called My Unitarian
Universalist Journal, which helps
them make personal connections to the
UU Principles.
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4th, 5th, and 6th Grades – Toolbox of Faith |
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Toolbox of Faith invites participants to reflect on the qualities of our
Unitarian Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, as tools they
can use in living their lives and building their own faith. Each session uses a
tool as a metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as reflection (symbolized
by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), and justice (a flashlight). This program
engages kids with the use of story, active play, expressive options and discussion.
There are also many opportunities for youth to participate in social action projects
tied to session themes. We are excited to try this new UU curriculum, which is part
of the Tapestry of Faith series..
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| Social Action |
| Social action and justice are ongoing parts of the children
and youth programs. Children discuss, research, develop, and participate in at
least one project that will address social inequalities in our church, our
community, or beyond. Empathy, compassion, and the satisfaction of knowing that
we can make a difference are the goals of these endeavors. Youth participate in
annual social service projects such as the City Year Serv-A-Thon and the Walk
for Hunger. |
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| Children's Choir |
| Join us in song! The Children's Choir, directed by Eleanor
Toth, is for all interested children in first through sixth grades. We
rehearse on Sundays. Children learn new songs and perform at special worship
services during the year. A schedule of rehearsals is posted in the Fellowship
Building. |
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| Religious Education Committee |
| The Children's Religious Education Committee works in
partnership with the Director of Religious Education to plan, carry out, and
assess the programs, classes, and special events specific to children, nursery
through sixth grade. Committee meetings are on the first Monday of each month
at 7:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Building. Visitors are most welcome |
| The Religious Education Committee upholds Unitarian
Universalist values by presenting religious education and spiritual growth
opportunites for our children and youth. We make the RE mission possible by: |
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Supporting the church's mission;
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Assisting our children and youth in building a strong spiritual foundation;
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Offering age-appropriate curricula; |
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Sponsoring intergenerational activities; |
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Providing opportunities for ritual and worship; |
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Promoting social action involvement; |
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Creating a fun, safe, and nurturing environment. |
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Committee members for 2009-10 are Risa Goldman and
Mary Krause co-chairs, Sharlotte
Eiland, Annie McGinty, David Neville, Beth Reuman, Kate Stamm, Shelly Sullivan,
and Liza Spisto (DRE).
Director of Religious Education (DRE) is Liza Spisto, 978-456-7788.
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