Children and Youth Religious Education Program Fall Tennessee Valley Unitarian

Children and Youth Religious Education Program Fall 2008 Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Our Unitarian Universalist Principles Adult Version T he inherent worth and dignity of every person Justice, equity and compassion in human relations Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth A free and responsible search for truth and meaning T he right of conscience and the use of the democratic process T he goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part Children’s Version We believe — T hat each and every person is important T hat all people should be treated fairly and kindly T hat we should accept one another and keep on learning together T hat each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life T hat all persons should have a vote about the things that concern them In working for a peaceful, fair and free world In caring for our planet earth, the home we share with all living things Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919-4624 (865) 523-4176 Contents From our DRE and minister.........................2 Mission statement ....................................4 Registration information .............................5 General Information .................................6 Nursery .................................................9 Class descriptions (11:15) ......................11 High school program .............................15 9:00 a.m. program ...............................18 Calendar .............................................19 From Our Director of Lifespan Religious Education I f you are reading this booklet, then surely you are on a journey. I welcome you to TVUUC, and I invite you to explore in these pages our Children and Youth Religious Education Program. I hope this brief overview will inspire you to contact me with questions and to bring yourself and your children into our circle of learning and love. I also invite you to be a part of our wonderful team of parent volunteers. Our registration form provides a list of ways you can be involved. In addition, you are invited to continue your own spiritual journey by participating in our adult programs, which are described in a separate booklet called “Paths to Spiritual Growth.” In Children and Youth RE, our goal is to launch children on wonderful voyages of discovery. Novelist Marcel Proust once wrote, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” When my daughter was born, she gave me new eyes — and I am certain many parents know just what I mean. I invite you to join us as we guide our children (and ourselves) toward new vision and new understanding. Brian Griffin Director of Lifespan Religious Education 523-4176 briangriffin@tvuuc.org 2 From Our Senior Minister T he challenge of religious education at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church is not to teach people “what” to think about religion. It is to teach them “how” to think about religion. Our children and youth are exposed to a variety of ways of contemplating life’s ultimate questions. We encourage our young people to cross boundaries of thought by learning how different religions and cultures understand the answers to life’s mysteries. Then young people can develop a personal theology that makes sense and is congruent with their own personal experiences. More importantly, we provide the support of an intergenerational learning community that respects freedom of the mind and individual creativity. Our religious education program is central to the ongoing mission of our congregation. I hope you and your family enjoy your experience with us. Rev. Chris Buice 3 Our Mission Statement he mission of the Youth Religious Education Program at TVUUC is to nurture responsible, actively engaged, caring world citizens dedicated to life-long growth, spiritual awareness and issues of societal, environmental and global concern. Youth Religious Education Committee T t TVUUC, the Youth Religious Education Committee encourages regular church school attendance. The YREC has the primary responsibility, along with our director of Lifespan Religious Education, for planning, coordinating, and evaluating the programs described in this booklet. We meet monthly throughout the year, and new members are always welcome. Denise Lloyd Stephanie Seay Terri Killeffer Terri Combs Orme, Chair elect Laura Howes Rena Hallam Wendy Southern Mary Jo Holden, Chair A Chris Douglass, Youth Programs Coordinator 4 Registration P lease register your child(ren) for our program. We ask that you register all children who will be participating in any of our activities, even if you do not come regularly. If you have registered in the past, we ask that you re-register each school year so that we can keep our information up to date. Why register? We need to know your child’s birth date, and we need to know about any allergies or medical conditions that might restrict your child’s activities. We need to know who you are and who makes up your family so that we can find you in case of an emergency as well as let your children know about special events coming up in the church school program. Class enrollment information also helps us plan for the future. The reverse side of our registration form gives us important information about you. Please indicate your interests, skills and talents, and please volunteer to help in our program. The active involvement of parents and extended families is essential to the success of our program. Volunteers are needed during the year — many for single events or short-term projects. Registration forms are available in each classroom, on the information table in the RE hallway and from the church office. 5 General Information Every Sunday, specific information for all programs is posted on the easel at the main entrance. Sunday Morning Format Childcare 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Childcare is available in the nursery and toddler rooms for infants and children below the ages of the class offerings listed below. 9:00 a.m. Service 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Kindergarten – 4th grade 5th grade and up To be announced. See page 18 Attend adult worship service 11:15 a.m. Service 11:15 to 12:30 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds 7th – 12th grade Church school classes Either a story for all ages in the adult worship service or a children’s worship service. Church school classes 11:15 to 11:30 Kindergarten – 6th grade 11:30 to 12:30 Children’s Worship and a Story for All Ages On some Sundays, children in grades K – 6 will gather in the fellowship hall at 11:15 a.m. for Children’s Worship. On other Sundays, children in grades K – 6 go to the sanctuary for a “Story for all Ages” at the beginning of the 11:15 service. After both of these activities, children are escorted to their classrooms at 11:30. Signs posted in the entrance area inform families where their children should be at 11:15 — either the sanctuary or the fellowship hall. Greeters can also assist you. 6 Intergenerational Services When family/intergenerational services occur, the nursery will be staffed and regular classes will be held for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds. No-Church-School-Classes Dates Occasionally, there will be a Sunday with no youth religious education program (e.g., Christmas Day, Memorial Day weekend) because our volunteer teachers have families and their own holiday commitments. On those Sundays, the nursery will be open as usual but will accept children through age four as long as there is sufficient volunteer help. Children five and older should attend church with their families. Volunteers Needed All our youth programs depend on volunteers. We have small tasks and large projects, short-term and long-term needs, and opportunities to interact (or not) with the children in our extended church family. Please fill out the parent information on the back of the registration form or talk to RE staff to volunteer now for something that interests you. Call Brian at any time! Behavior Guidelines We come together to learn from each other in search of our own beliefs. We respect others and each person’s right to speak. Early in the RE year, teachers and students will set guidelines together. These guidelines will give children opportunities to share beliefs and learn from others. We solicit parental support in attaining our goal of a nurturing environment for spiritual development. 7 Financial Support There is no registration fee for our Sunday morning classes. Religious education is as much a part of the total church program as the worship service. We ask you to consider the benefits the program provides you and your family and to make a generous pledge to the church during TVUUC’s annual canvass in the spring. General Child Care TVUUC provides child care for church-wide events such as congregational meetings and the annual auction. To help us plan, please inform the church office in advance if you need child care for such events. In addition, we provide child care for adult education classes if it is requested in advance. If you need child care in order to attend an adult education class, please inform the person who is facilitating your class. Contact information is available in the Adult Religious Education prospectus, or by calling the church office at 523-4176. In addition, you may call our child care coordinator, Susan Kemp, at 212-0122 or e-mail her at kempvi@comcast.net to request child care for a class or to ask questions. 8 Sunday Morning Childcare Nursery Open from 8:45 through 12:30 I nfants from birth to two years old are lovingly cared for by our nursery staff every Sunday. We have rocking chairs, appropriate toys, a diaper-changing area, and cribs. Please introduce yourself and your child to our caregivers and take some time to help your child feel at home. Bring any special items (marked with your child’s name) that will help them feel happy and secure. You may also choose to keep your child with you during the service. In addition, the E. E. Cummings Room at the back of the sanctuary is a place where you can both see and hear the service while your child has a bit more freedom to move around. Our sound system also allows you to listen to the service from the comfort of the nursery. We require parents to let our childcare staff know how to locate you during the service. Please leave your information on the sheets posted on the nursery bulletin board. You may indicate where you expect to sit in the sanctuary; leave a description of what you’re wearing; or set your cell phone on vibrate and leave your the number. 9 Toddler Room Room H In addition to the nursery, childcare is also available in the adjoining toddler room at certain times. During the 9:00 a.m. service, children through age four are welcome. During the forum hour between the two services, school-aged children may also be brought here. Please refer to our class offerings for information about the 11:15 church school classes for 2-year-olds and preschoolers. Note to parents: our regular caregivers are paid by TVUUC to ensure that we always have a minimum level of responsible staff on duty, but we need additional help from parents and other adults to be sure that we have an adequate number of caregivers for the number of children present. If you use our childcare services, please volunteer to assist about once every six weeks. You can sign the volunteer list when you register your child, or you can sign up on the volunteer calendar on the nursery bulletin board. If there are more volunteers than needed on a Sunday morning, extras will be free to attend the service; but if the childcare area reaches the maximum number of children per adult, our staff will post signs on the doors indicating that no more children can be accepted without an additional volunteer. Caregivers: Linda Rust Davenne Essif Amien Essif 10 Class Descriptions During 11:15 Service 2-year-olds Room H Friendship Finders The primary goal of this curriculum is to create an environment where toddlers can begin to learn that church is a safe and fun place to be. The curriculum employs ritual, structure and lots of ageappropriate activities to achieve this goal. This class will be taught by one of our childcare staff, but additional assistance from parent volunteers is needed. Please sign up in the classroom for the Sundays when you can help out. Teacher: Davenne Essif For 3- and 4-year-olds Room G Celebrating Me and My World This class provides three- and four-year-olds with opportunities to grow in their sense of trust and caring and to develop self-identity and a sense of connectedness with all life. The curriculum includes stories, sharing time, songs, games, art and crafts, and playtime. Parents are encouraged to assist in this classroom. Teachers: Mary Julian Donna Russell Lorrie Kehr Amy Neff 11 Kindergarten and 1st Grade Room E Spirit Play This is a Montessori based experience that encourages independent thinking through learning core stories of our faith. Children will make meaning through wondering questions and art. The purpose of this experience is to help children to find religious language and story and to live into their own answers to existential questions such as Who am I? Where did I come from? What is my purpose? What are my gifts? How do I choose to live my life? What happens when I die? Why am I lonely and sad sometimes? Teachers: Rob Spirko Sarah Marcel Lisa Thomas Wilson Susan Daniel Jill Rochelson 12 2nd Grade Room F Stories About God This curriculum offers children a wide variety of experiences with the concept of “God.” At the heart of each session is a story which presents an idea about God inspired by images and issues from world religions, feminist studies, science, and human experience. All of these metaphors for God are presented in a way that is compatible with our Unitarian Universalist principles. The class will include activities to help children make connections between the images and concepts in the stories and their own experiences. The aim is to help children develop a language with which they can speak of God, even as the develop their own beliefs. Teachers: Cindy Cotter Lauren Baker Elna Brynstadt Karen White 3rd and 4th Grades Room D Holidays and Holy Days The year will focus on experiencing holidays and holy days from many of the world’s cultures and religions including Rosh Hashanah (Judaism); St. Francis Day (Christianity); Maulid al-Nabi or the birthday of Mohammed (Islam); and Divali, the festival of lights (Hindu). Some Sundays we will even celebrate the contributions of UU historical figures. The children will create their own celebrations of holidays and holy days of other cultures as they learn the significance of these celebrations. Teachers: Jennifer Spirko Joe Touchton Jennifer Fletcher Jenna Chaffee Jim Myers 13 5th and 6th Grades) Room C Why Do Bad Things Happen? This class will explore, through discussion and activities, how different religions and cultures respond to the theological or philosophical problem of evil. To what extent do we control our own lives and how much are we at the mercy of chance, deity, fate or cosmic purpose? During the year this group will also engage in several projects with a social action emphasis. Teachers: Valerie Horner Marty Menane Galt Eaton Tim Klein 7th and 8th Grades Room A Neighboring Faiths This class will explore the history and development of various faith traditions in our community through background study and trips to local religious institutions. Participants will plan their own program by choosing which religious groups to learn about. Then they will visit those houses of worship and relate their experiences to their own growing UU faith. Betty Franklin Courtney Eleazar Greg Johnson Erin Byers 14 High School Programs YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) Youth Programs Coordinator: Chris Douglass YRUU offers the youth of our church a balanced program to support them in their continued personal growth and religious exploration. The five components of the program include worship, community building, social action, learning and leadership. The group will host their own district conference for youth, take field trips, work on social action projects and engage in a variety of other activities in addition to regular Sunday morning classes. Participants have an opportunity to attend the annual UUA General Assembly, District Youth Conferences, a Mountain Conference and a heritage trip to Boston in the spring of 2009. The optional Boston trip is based on a covenanting process and will require the participation of parents for planning and fundraising. There are three main parts to the YRUU structure at TVUUC: a Sunday morning church school class, a Wednesday evening youth group and the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), which coordinates the programming and activities for this age group. High school students are invited to attend and participate in any or all of the activities. (For example, we do not require attendance on Sunday morning for a teen to participate in the Wednesday evening youth group activities and vice versa.) We encourage all of our high school youth to participate in at least some part of the program, but we know that other activities and interests, jobs, and family responsibilities may make it impossible to be active in everything. The Boston trip will require mandatory meetings and other obligations. 15 YRUU Sunday Morning Class Room B Sunday morning programming for the high school youth can include discussions, activities, and guest speakers on topics of interest to them. The classes are facilitated by a team of four adult teachers, collaborating with the youth coordinator. Lessons are selected from a variety of curricula developed by Unitarian Universalist youth leaders. The focus is on teen issues with an emphasis on being a Unitarian Universalist teen. During this school year leading up to the Boston heritage trip in the spring of 2009, the class will focus on understanding our Unitarian Universalist heritage. Teachers: Keperly Camet Barry Cole Julia Bartmess Levasseur Patti Young Mark Evans YRUU Youth Group Room B The YRUU Youth Group meets every Wednesday evening during the academic school year from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. This group time is designed for socializing and strengthening the bonds of our UU teens. Programming varies from week to week to include films that cover themes the youth are interested in, speakers from the community to address specific topics, and hang-out time for the youth to get to know one another outside of the Sunday morning classes. This is primarily a youth driven time and is facilitated by Youth Program Coordinator Chris Douglass. 16 Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Room B YAC coordinates the programming for the high school youth at our church. It is responsible for planning social activities, coordinating the Senior Recognition service and our youth conference, organizing social action projects, and coordinating trips to district youth conferences. In a larger sense, YAC meets to give voice to youth concerns and interests at our church and to foster a connection between the youth and the entire congregation. An important sub-committee of this group will work with parents on preparing for the Boston heritage trip in the spring of 2009. The Youth Advisory Council reports to the Youth Religious Education Committee. It includes youth representatives (at least one from each grade), our youth program coordinator, and at least one other adult. YAC strives for a youth to adult ratio of two to one so the number of members varies from year to year. Youth members volunteer for YAC based on their own level of interest and whether or not they are willing and able to commit to attending meetings regularly and making decisions. Youth members may continue their participation on YAC for more than one academic year if they wish to do so. New members are self-selected at the beginning of each school year. YAC will meet monthly, probably on a Wednesday evening before the weekly youth group meeting. Contact Chris Douglass if you are interested. 17 During 9:00 Service Multi-age (K through 4th grade) Room F Our staff and volunteers are working to create a new approach to meaningful, multi-age community for children from families who choose to attend early services. We are considering an art-based option for certain Sundays, with the possibility of Spirit Play-inspired sessions as well. Please see page 12 for a description of the Spirit Play concept. Meanwhile, watch the church newsletter and list serve for updates and feel free to contact Brian Griffin for more information. 18 2008 – 09 Calendar Aug. 23.................................................................Teacher orientation Aug. 24............Intergenerational teacher dedication worship service and structured art projects in the classrooms Aug. 31..........................................Fall church school program begins Sept. 7 .......................................................................... Visitor Sunday Sept. 14 ................................ Child dedication in the worship service Oct. 3–5 .......................Retreat at Pickett State Park (no RE classes) Nov. 23 ..................................Thanksgiving intergenerational service Dec. 13 ........................ Holiday program & intergenerational service Dec. 24 ............................................................. Christmas Eve service Dec. 28 ............................................ Christmas Break (no RE classes) Feb. 7 ..................................................... 60th anniversary celebration Feb. 8 ..................... 60th anniversary worship service (no RE classes) Feb. 15 ..........................................................Intergenerational service Mar. 15 ...................................................Spring break (no RE classes) Apr. 6 .................................................................. Flower Communion April 12 ............................................. Easter intergenerational service Apr. 26 ............................ High school graduation and middle school bridging ceremony May 10 ......................................... Mother’s Day, Flower Communion and last day of RE classes May 17 ............................... Teacher recognition and passages service May 24 .................................Memorial Day weekend (no RE classes) May 31 ............................................................Summer program starts Watch for announcements about additional events. 19 Children’s Affirmation Said (with motions) for chalice lighting in children’s classes and worship services — We light this chalice to celebrate Unitarian Universalism. Ours is the church of the open mind, Ours is the church of the helping hand, Ours is the church of the loving heart. Together we care for our Earth and work for friendship and peace in this world. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church 2931 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919-4624