RE for Youth
Preschool (up to age 4)
Our pre-schoolers will be cared for in our toddler room by our four high school helpers. Each Sunday morning the children will have some interactive activities from the UU curricula “Chalice Children” and “We Are Many, We Are One.” These curricula are designed to nurture children’s spiritual growth, creativity and connection to their Unitarian Universalist community by involving them in “hands-on” rituals – simple rhymes, finger plays, games and other activities.
Elementary (Grades K-4)
Our elementary children will be using the curriculum “Timeless Themes,” stories from the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. The curriculum engages children in an exploration of biblical themes such as loneliness, loyalty, sibling rivalry, trust, jealousy, forgiveness and love. It includes songs, games, role plays and other imaginative learning activities to enhance children’s understanding and appreciation of our biblical traditions.
Middle School (Grades 5-8)
Our middle schoolers, instead of meeting during the morning worship, will be involved in a youth group, meeting on Sunday evenings from 6:30-8:00 pm, led by Raeanne Lohner and Dave Brooks. They will be using a curriculum called “Race to Justice” which celebrates human diversity – racial, ethnic, cultural and familial – as a positive enriching fact of life, and introduces the concepts of prejudice and individual, cultural and institutional racism. The curriculum nurtures group building and invites our kids to affirm important religious values – particularly our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all people.
They may also be involved in the UUFCM as Junior Associates on occasional Sunday mornings if they wish.
Our Whole Lives
We are delighted to report that our OWL (Our Whole Lives) program is up and running for our 4th-7th graders. We had a very successful parent meeting on January 5, and the first OWL class met the following Sunday, January 8, with nine young people, all from our fellowship. They will meet again for eight more Sunday evenings in January and February plus the first Sunday in March, in order to complete the 8-session curriculum. They are being led by our two trained facilitators, Mary Alsager and Norma Bailey, so we raise our hats to them for the important work they are doing with our young people.
Our Whole Lives is a positive, comprehensive, and age-appropriate educational program based on the core values of respect, responsibility and relationships. The program, whether K-1, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 or adult, promotes sexual health; increases self-esteem; supports development of positive relationships with others; develops interpersonal skills such as communication, decision-making, and problem solving; and teaches personal health and safety. It is based on the philosophy that educational institutions, including churches, in partnership with parents, can and should provide a positive and responsible age-appropriate sexuality education program for its children.
