Classroom Notes & Announcements

Link to our monthly events calendar.

The R.E. Committee needs "a few good people" to join!
For those of you who may not know, this is the committee that "runs" the R.E. program in conjunction with the Director of RE and our minister. Among other duties, we set policy, help choose curriculum, plan events such as the pumpkin carving, and Christmas ornament making and tree decorating. Minimum commitment would be to attend our monthly meetings -- we meet the first Thursday of the month at 7:30pm.
If you want a bit more involvement you could join one of our subcommittees or help plan and participate in one of our events. *If you would like to be involved in our R.E. program without the time commitment of teaching, joining the R.E. committee would be ideal.*

Teacher resources:  UUA Directory is now online.

From our Mothers' Day service: a special song from the youth in Religious Education. Video Link

 Youth RE Updates

We are very excited about starting a new church school year this month! You may have read about the new lifespan religious education program, entitledTapestry of Faith, developed by the UUA. 
This program consists of a variety of curricula for different age groups, each incorporating Ethical Development, Spiritual Development, UU Identity, and Faith Development. We are pleased to be introducing a  Tapestry of Faith curriculum into each of the elementary grades this year. These fun, but thought-provoking, classes will take up approximately two-thirds of the sessions. The other third will cover World Religions, the topic that would ordinarily be occurring this year as part of our traditional approach, in which each year has a different focus. This promises to be a very interesting year!

Now that we have the curricula, all we need is teachers! We certainly can't  do it without you. We have tried to make it as easy as possible by shortening the teaching terms into trimesters. You are welcome to sign up for one, two, or all three. Please fill out a teacher registration form to indicate your preference as to times and grades and we will do the rest. The curricula really spell out what you need to do each week, but we will also try to pair inexperienced with experienced teachers wherever possible. If you e still not sure about teaching, perhaps you could sign up to assist with a class or special event. Most parents end up helping out in some way, much like a co-operative school, but we also welcome other congregants to help with this ministry. It is so rewarding, you won't  regret it!

As part of the ongoing church mission to become more of an Intergenerational Congregation, the RE students will be attending more of the services in the Main Chapel. They will learn about our church and can also share what they have been doing with the congregation. 
**We need adult parishioners to work with some of the youth to produce music either instrumental, vocal, or recorded or each First Sunday, when the choir is off.
**In addition, we would like to invite an adult parishioner into each classroom periodically as an adoptive grandparent. The visit doesn't  have to last long, just enough to relate an experience or read a story. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any interest in either (or both) of these positions.

The RE Brochure, including the student registration form, will be mailed to each home, and will also be available at church in September. We hope to have an Interim Director of Religious Education by that time. The plan is to have an Interim DRE for this church year and possibly the next, in order to allow time for the Board to fully define the role of, and find a suitable candidate for, the DRE. 

We are pleased to welcome Shannon McGrath to the RE Committee. Michele Beiter is taking on the role of Recording Secretary to relieve Darlene Digati, who has been doing it for the last two years. Thanks to them and also to Hella Jacob, who has been hard at work preparing the calendar and online forms (despite her broken arm), and to Tammy Ulrich, who did a super job with the picnic.
***Thanks also go out to the Summer Committee (Shannon McGrath, Amanda Crotty, and Lynn SantaLucia) and all the volunteer speakers who shared fascinating stories of their World Travels . . . it was a fun and informative program that the kids really enjoyed.

Upcoming events:
Wed., 9/1, 7pm: Teacher team-building/orientation
This will be an informal gathering for experienced, inexperienced, and prospective teachers to review how the church school operates, learn about apestry of Faith, share tips for a happy classroom, and get to know each other. We will be meeting on the patio of the Emerson Room and then roasting s ores by the fire. If the weather is bad, we l meet inside the Emerson Room and enjoy a chocolate fountain dessert. RSVP and let us know ahead of time if you l need child care.

Sun., 9/5, 10:30am: Water Ceremony (Intergenerational Service) in the Main Chapel; or, for kids who have participated in the summer orld Travelers program, their elcome Home party in the Channing Chapel; RE registration in the Main Lobby. We l be needing nursery volunteers for this day.

Sun., 9/12, 10:30am: Barroom Buzzards (Intergenerational Service) in the Main Chapel; RE registration in the Main Lobby. We l need nursery volunteers for this day, too.

Sat., 9/18, 10am: RE Wing Clean-up. Please come and help spruce up the classrooms, check on supplies, and make sure everything ready for the first day of classes. RSVP. We'll provide lunch!

Sun., 9/19, 10:30am: First Day of RE! All students and teachers start in the Main Chapel and then proceed to their classrooms to start a great year!! Can wait to see all of you!

Rosalind Sulaiman, Chair, RE Committee  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RE Team Building
The RE Committee will be having a RE Team Building program on Wednesday September 1 at 7pm. This will be for teachers and prospective teachers to meet the people who will be on your RE Team this year. Coffee and dessert will be served. The Youth group will be hired for babysitting in the Channing Chapel. The program will end at 8:15, at it which point the children will rejoin their parents and we will have a campfire and s’’mores in the back nature preserve In case of rain we will have a chocolate fountain indoors.