Usual
Meeting Times
& Location: First
Wednesday of each month at
Current
Members:
Emily Bates, Peggy Seville Baker, Myra Toms
Karen Jones, Board Liaison
Correna M. Ness, Director of Religious Education
Activities
/ Goals for Current Year:
Children
and Youth
Religious
Education
2008-2009
RAINBOW
PRINCIPLES
Respect
the importance
of all beings.
Offer
fair and
kind treatment to all.
Yearn
to learn throughout life.
Grow
by exploring
ideas and values together.
Believe
in your
ideas and act on them.
Insist
on peace,
liberty, and justice for all.
Value
our
interdependence with nature.
*
* * * * * *
* * *
A
Message from the
Director
of
Religious Education
Welcome to the
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
of York’s Religious Education Program! UUCY is a very special place for
our
children and youth to learn and grow while discovering what is
important in
their lives and what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. The
enthusiasm
and joy that participants bring to UUCY is the key to its success.
UUCY is a place where
our children and youth are
encouraged to be themselves and where they can celebrate their
differences
while developing their own values for living with their questioning
minds in a
safe, loving, and supportive atmosphere.
We encourage our
children and youth to explore the
spiritual world through a variety of experiences. We want to help our
children
open themselves to the gifts that life and people have to offer while
appreciating their own gifts as well.
Please take time to
read through this brochure to
learn about the different programs we offer to support our children and
youth
here at UUCY. Members of the Religious Education Committee and I are
committed
to making sure that you and your family have a positive and enriching
experience. I am happy to meet with you and your family to discuss our
RE
program and the ways it can help enhance your lives. Please feel free
to
contact me at 717-845-8212 or e-mail
me at dre@uucy.org.
In love and peace,
* * * * * * * * *
Our Principles
There are seven
principles which Unitarian Universalist
congregations affirm and promote:
The
inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice,
equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance
of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our
congregations;
A
free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The
right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within
our congregations and in society at large;
The
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.
Unitarian Universalism
(UU) draws from many sources:
Direct experience of that transcending
mystery and wonder, affirmed in
all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness
to the
forces which create and uphold life;
Words and deeds of prophetic women and
men which challenge us to
confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and
the transforming
power of love;
Wisdom from the world's religions which
inspires us in our ethical and
spiritual life;
Jewish and Christian teachings which
call us to respond to God's love
by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to
heed the guidance of reason and
the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and
spirit.
Spiritual teachings of earth-centered
traditions which celebrate the
sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the
rhythms of
nature.
These
principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious
community.
The Religious
Education
(RE) Program for Children and Youth provides structured classroom
lessons
during the school year and more informal activities during the summer.
The
school year curriculum is offered on Sunday mornings starting September 14, 2008 through June 7, 2009.
Our program gives
children and youth an opportunity to study Unitarian Universalism and
other
religions, to become friends with peers and adults, and to experience
worship
with the entire community. Our primary objective is for youth and
adults to be
able to share their religious inquiries and experiences, and to learn
from and
with each other. The curricula used in class are rich resources,
providing
teachers with complete lesson plans, activities, and discussion topics.
But we
hope that youth and adults alike use the curricula as launching pads
for their
own guided explorations of how to believe, worship, act ethically, and
affirm
one’s individuality and identity as members of a religious community
and of the
web of life. Please feel free to communicate with the teachers,
Religious
Education Committee members, and the Director of Religious Education
(DRE)
throughout the year. This is your program and we welcome your
involvement.
Children’s
Religious
Education Committee
To direct and guide
the
religious education of UUCY’s youth by providing an education and
social
program for all children in accord with the Unitarian Universalist
Principles.
The RE Committee will support the Director of Religious Education
(DRE),
teachers, and parents in order to provide educational programming which
addresses the following five components in age appropriate ways:
Religious Learning
Spirituality and Worship
Service to Others
Self-Actualization and Leadership
Development
Fun and Fellowship
Every
young person from nursery through senior high must register every year.
There
is a Registration Form inside this
brochure. Registration information is necessary for insurance purposes,
accurate record keeping, planning and projecting programs, and
communicating
with families.
In
order for the children and youth to fully benefit from the course
content,
build relationships with their classmates and teachers, and feel a part
of our
UU community, weekly attendance in child’s own class is important.
However, we
recognize that for some children and youth consistent attendance will
mean
“every other week”. We make every effort to help make all attendees
feel
welcome. Note that two programs, “Our Whole Lives” and “Coming of Age”
require
a commitment of weekly attendance.
News and Information
Consistent
communication within our congregation is a priority. You will find
news,
information, and dates to remember in the RE
Column in the Beacon, which is
published and distributed twice a month. You will also find news and
information on bulletin boards and posters.
We
believe that all of our children and youth should feel safe when they
are in
our classrooms. In order for this to happen, and to have a workable
class
environment, we expect everyone to follow some basic rules. The rules
relate to
our first and second Principles, that each and every person is
important, and
that all people should be treated fairly. Our guidelines are:
No Put-Downs
One Person Talks at a Time
Keep Hands and Feet to Self
Walk--Don’t Run
Use “Inside” Voices While Inside
Our
teachers will be reminding the children of these basic rules every
Sunday
morning when they enter their classrooms. We hope that by everyone
following
them we will become a respectful and harmonious”
Our religious education classes are
scheduled from 10:00- 11:15 am on Sunday mornings,
concurrent with the 10:00 am service. On most Sundays, children
through sixth grade meet with their families in the sanctuary
at 10:00 am and are directed to their classrooms after the
Children’s
Moment in the service. Children and youth enjoy snacks with their
classmates,
and may attend coffee hour with their families after their classes are
dismissed.
For security and to promote
parent/teacher
communication, responsible adults must
pick up children in the sixth grade and younger from their classrooms.
As always,
our top priority is the safety of our children.
The nursery operates from 9:30-11:30
am and is open to infants
and toddlers to age three. Responsible adults must sign their
youngsters in
and out each Sunday morning.
Infants
under six months of age can be accommodated in the nursery only if the
adult to
child ratio is one to three on that morning.
Because it is important to our
congregation for all
ages to be together each week, the children join in our worship during
the
opening portion of most Sunday services. Children attend the first
fifteen
minutes of worship in the sanctuary. They sit together with their
families, and
younger ones may be called forward during the Children’s Moment.
Pre-School
teachers and students may choose to join the service or remain in their
classrooms.
August 24-
Teacher Development Workshop
September
7 No
RE - Ingathering Family Service
14
RE Class
21
RE Class
28
RE Class
October
5
RE Class
12
No RE - Association Sunday
19
RE Class
26
RE Class
November
2 No RE - Special Event
9
RE Class -
Teacher Connection
16
RE Class
23 Thanksgiving
Family Service
30
RE Class
December
7 RE
Class
14
RE Class
21
RE Class
28
No RE -
January
4
RE Class
11
RE Class
18
RE Class
25
RE Class
February
1
RE Class
8
RE Class
15
RE Class
22
RE Class
March
1
RE Class -
Teacher Connection
8
RE Class
15
RE Class
22
RE Class
29
RE Class
April
5
RE Class
12 No RE
- Easter Family Service
19
RE Class with
Earth Day Celebration
26
RE Class
May
3
RE Class with
Seedling Planting-
10
RE Class
17
RE Class
24 No RE
- Memorial Day - Family Service
31
RE Class
June
7 RE
Class - Last Day of RE
Summer RE Begins -June 14
Family Services are for all ages and are held
in the sanctuary. The nursery is
open every Sunday for infants and toddlers from six months
to age three.
Teacher Connection is
for our Children & Youth RE Teachers; we meet at
8:45am -9:45am for
programming.
Age/Grade
|
Classroom
|
Location |
Infants-
3yrs
|
Beatrix
Potter
|
LL
|
Pre S,
Pre K
K |
Louisa
May Alcott
|
LL
|
1st & 2nd
|
Clara
Barton
|
LL
|
3rd- & 4th
|
Benjamin
Franklin
|
LL
|
5th- & 6th
|
Susan B. Anthony |
LL
|
|
7th & 8th |
Board
Room
|
CH 2nd
Floor
|
9th
-12th
|
Pablo
Picasso
|
CH 2nd
Floor
|
LL=Lower
Level CH=Carriage
House
|
||
The
nursery and classrooms for grades Pre S – 6th are on the lower level
below the sanctuary. Classrooms for grades 7-12 are in the adjacent
Carriage house.
A
Greeter is available every Sunday morning in the lobby to help you find
your classroom and answer questions you may have.
|
||
Our nursery program provides loving care
and
supervised activity for infants and toddlers. We offer an environment
that
encourages discovery and provides a positive first experience within
our church
community. For security reasons a responsible adult must sign
youngsters in and
out each Sunday. Infants under six months of age can be accommodated
only if
the adult to child ratio in the nursery is one to three on that morning.
UU Super
Heroes & Super Heroes of the Bible
Clara Barton Room
This class will hear stories of UU’s and of
Biblical people who have acted with courage and wisdom to live their
lives and
make the world a better place. They will see how the lives of these
people
confirm the principles which we as UU’s promote. The curriculum
encourages the
children to lead their own lives fully and to use their “super Powers”
as they
interact with the world around them, and, as they do, to grow
spiritually and
ethically.
3rd & 4th
A Stepping
Stone Year
Ben
In their Stepping Stone Year, our
children will
begin exploring how religions help formulate answers to moral and
spiritual
questions. How did we begin? Why are we here? How do we make ethical
choices?
Why do we die? Topics include discussions of creation myths, birth
stories of
religious leaders including Unitarian Universalists, death, and
decision-making. They also examine the lives of some famous Unitarian
Universalists
and enjoy a very special field trip.
5th
& 6th
A
Susan
Based on the four Gospels of the New Testament, A
Kingdom of Equals describes Jesus’ radical path to love and justice. It
highlights the relationship between Jesus’ teachings and Unitarian
Universalist
Principles and Purposes. Student will examine the ideas of justice,
equality,
and love as taught in the Jesus stories, and consider how these ideals
might be
relevant to a spiritual path worthy of study. It Starts With Me will
focus on
doing service for others as an outgrowth of the students’ study of how
Jesus
lived his life.
7th
& 8th
“OWL” Our Whole Lives
Board
Room
Our Whole
Lives is
based on the philosophy of comprehensive sexuality education, which
helps
participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual
health
and behavior. It equips students with accurate, age-appropriate
information in
six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills,
sexual behaviors,
sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of
sexuality, comprehensive sexuality provides not only facts about
anatomy and
human development, but also helps participants to clarify their values,
build
interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, social,
and
political aspects of sexuality as well.
9th
& 12th
Youth
Group
Pablo Picasso Room
The group is led by youth and
facilitated by
adults. It combines the six components of a balanced youth program:
Worship,