Religious Education (R.E.) Program for Children and Youth
H.V.U.U.C. Religious Education
The Religious Education Program
of the Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church has as its purpose and goal
to encourage growth and development of children, youth and their families…
- In the knowledge, skills and attitudes required
for understanding U.U. principles
- To nurture the gift of reason and exercise
curiosity and inquiry with an open mind.
- To encourage the search for an individual
spiritual path.
- To learn and practice skills needed for the
potential to act in the world and make a difference in their communities.
- To provide instruction about the interdependent
web of life of which they are an integral part.
- To develop an identity by providing an accepting community that demonstrates democratic processes, tolerance, compassion and civility.
Registration
A registration form is
included with this packet or may be obtained from the church office or from a
greeter as you enter the church on Sunday morning. All families must complete this form
for each child each year.
Registration is critical to our program planning and to meeting the
needs of each individual child and is the basis of our class mailing
lists. Please return the registration
form to the church office, your child’s teacher or the Director of Religious
Education.
Nursery-Toddler Room
(Birth
through 2 years)
These teachers will provide
capable and loving care for our littlest ones.
* Ellen Barker *Sandy Davis *Barbara McDonald *Jill Fee
Parents, please take time to
help your children feel comfortable in their new setting and bring any special
items that may ease the separation. Also, bring diapers, extra clothing and
bottles as needed (labeled, please).
When you have a little one
in the nursery, please sit in or near the back row by the nursery window. A volunteer nursery assistant may be
needed. Please come prepared to lend a
hand if numbers require an extra presence on a given week.
Preschool
(3 years old through Kindergarten)
Teachers *Scott LaVoie *Casey LaVoie *Melissa Landry *Renee Van Guilder *Martha Rubenstein
Through a consistent team of
teachers and familiar routines, the preschool class ushers children into
Religious Education. The curriculum is
based on “Natural Learning Activities” through music, speech, and movement. Our goals for each child are:
- To feel good about coming to church
- To begin to form church friendships
- To develop a sense of being a
valued member of this church community
Primary Class
(Kindergarten through Second Grade)
Teachers *Brian Kleske *Denee Mattioli *Tamara Richardson *Beth Calvert
Through Spirit Play,
this class explores Unitarian Universalist principles,
U.U.’s of the past and holidays at their concrete
level of understanding. Each week,
through stories, crafts, songs and games, the children explore the meaning
behind a U.U. principle.
Intermediate Class
(Third and Fourth Grade)
Teachers *Chris
Joker *Rebecca Rowe *Dilawar Grewal
The intermediate class is
starting a program called What Do You Stand
For? A Kid’s Guide
to Building Character. The class
will look at ten character traits, connect them to the
U.U. Principles through discussions of stories about actual kids in specific
situations. This program will be
followed by a series of lessons on conflict resolution for kids.
Junior Youth
(Fifth, Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grade)
Teachers *Mark
Ray *Pat Murphy *Randy Sanders * Mary Williamson
The Junior Youth will be
doing The Gospel According to Harry Potter.
The year will begin with a lock-in and a Harry Potter Movie
Extravaganza. Each lesson looks at the
movies and discusses such topics as good vs evil,
courage and self-sacrifice, how do we overcome prejudice, and the love of power
vs the power of love.
Both the Jr. & Sr. Youth will be studying the same curriculum but
will be doing so separately.
Senior Youth
(High School)
Teachers *George Cross
*Katie Doman *Charlie
Stuart
The Senior Youth will be
doing the Gospel According to Harry Potter.
The year will begin with a lock-in and a Harry potter Movie
Extravaganza. Each lesson looks at the
movies and discusses such topics as good vs evil,
courage and self-sacrifice, how do we overcome prejudice, and the love of power
vs the power of love.
Both the Jr. & Sr. Youth will be studying the same curriculum but
will be doing so separately.
When
are R.E. Classes Held? Regular
religious education classes for children and youth are held September through
May during the church service at 10:30am.
Several Sundays per year we will have services that are
intergenerational. There will be no R.E.
classes for the children on these Sundays; they will stay in the sanctuary for
the service. These will be advertised in
advance in the newsletter. Some of our
regular Intergenerational Services are; the Water Ceremony on September 30th,
the Festival of Lights on December 16th, Flower Communion on May 11th, the
Children’s service March 2nd and the Senior Youth service on April 27th. Regular classes are not held during the
summer; however, the R.E. Committee does provide for weekly, informal, fun
activities during the summer in which all age groups can participate.
PARENT
PARTICIPATION: The registration form
is the means by which we share in this cooperative venture. More volunteers means stronger, richer and
more varied programs for our young people.
Consider what our Religious Education Program means to you and your
family and what it is that you can do to help.
Can you …drive on a field trip? … organize and host one of the monthly family activities? …chaperone youth at a weekend con? …substitute in the nursery? …prepare snacks on Sunday mornings? Perhaps it is something different than what is listed on the form…being a democratic institution we honor write-ins!
What's The Usual
10:30a.m. until 10:45a.m.: Intergenerational
Formal Worship Time - all children & youth are asked to remain in the
sanctuary. There will be a children’s
story time when any of the children are welcome to come up to the front and
listen to the story.
10:45a.m. until 11:45a.m.: Children depart the sanctuary and go to their
assigned classroom spaces. The classes have a weekly chalice lighting,
sharing time, and lesson or discussion
11:45a.m.: Parents resume supervision of their children.
The playground is not supervised after 11:45a.m..
When Should Parents Retrieve Their Children After Church?
Parents of preschool
children should go to the classroom immediately following the service. All other RE classes will conclude at
11:45. Parents of children grades K-3
should go to the classrooms and sign out and pick up their children. Please check-in with the teacher before
taking your child from the classroom or the playground. Older children and youth will be excused from
class on their own. At 11:45 parents
assume responsibility for their children whether in the Fred Ball room or on
the playground.
What About Supervision and Behavior During R.E. Class Time? All children and youth should either be in a supervised class or remain with a parent in the sanctuary during Sunday services. The R.E. Committee does not allow children and youth to roam the church grounds unsupervised during this time. If a child or youth in an R.E. Class becomes disruptive, the teacher will send the student to the sanctuary to stay with the parent for the remainder of the Sunday service.
If you have any further questions about our Religious Education program, please contact the church office or the Director of Religious Education
Director of
Religious Education, Denee Mattioli
2007-2008
Religious Education Committee
Mary Williamson
(Chair), Beth Calvert, Dave Baldwin, Marina Munjal,
Martha Rubenstein, Ruth Ann Daugherty, Lisa Mitchell, Shannon Fee, Denee Mattioli
Phone
423-477-7661
Church
E-mail: office@hvuuc.org