Monthly Religious Education News

May 2018

Religious Education

All Souls Unitarian Univrsalist religious education nutures liberal religious discovery and

the spiritual development of children and youth.

 

As we greet the May flowers born of April rain and snow, we will also gather the fruits of our learning community.  This month, each class will be winding down its yearlong curriculum, with an eye toward synthesizing meaningful concepts and values to carry forward into our lives.  Take a moment to read below what we will be up to in each age group:

 

In PreK/Kindergarten, we will start with some Emotional Intelligence content with the “Seven Blind Mice” story about how we each have a different perspective based on where we are. The story we will share on Mother’s Day is “I Wish You More,” which describes all the things a parent or elder may wish for a child to become whole.  Additionally, with the “In My Heart” story, we will explore all the feelings that come from our hearts – some that are hard to feel and some that are fun to feel.     

 

In the 1st/2nd Grade “Our Whole Lives” sexuality and faith course, we will talk about the feelings that come up when there are changes in our family such as a new sibling.  We will also learn age appropriate information about conception, how children come into families through birth and through adoption, and we will each share a story that begins “The day I came into my family…” 

 

In the 3rd – 5th Grade “Harry Potter” class, we will continue to fight the “horcrux” of harm to the environment.  We will do a litter clean-up during class time, learn about Monarch butterflies, and plant milkweed seeds to support their survival.  We will also learn about the ways that All Souls is a “Green Sanctuary” congregation within our denomination.

 

In the 6th/7th grade “Bibleodeon” course, we will learn about the miracles attributed to Jesus, through an entertaining news report format and a playlet performed by the class.  We will depict some of the important Bible stories we’ve learned this year through “living sculptures” as a creative team.  We will then consider the life and impact of the Bible today, through the lens of world current events.

 

In the 8th grade “Heeding the Call” class, we will reflect and play a game about identifying our own unique strengths that help us in justice work.  Through the true story, “It’s Up To Us,” we will learn about Hurricane Katrina and the ways that Canadian Mounties came to help.  We will explore the social dimensions of this disaster, and consider what responsible leadership looks like. 

 

The Coming of Age class will be considering “Big Questions” that include dying, death, and grief; spiritual practice including prayer; and UU history.  The youth will begin writing their credos that will be shared at the service on June 10. 

Thank you to:

Arlene Stoltz and Maridalia Hernandez for the many ways that they pitched in during my sabbatical to maintain a steady and vibrant Sunday School experience!

Sean Elliot and Arlene Stoltz for chaperoning our Coming of Age youth on the UU Heritage Tour to Boston.

Lillith Davies-Smith for jumping in to sub in our PreK-K class, Carol Irwin in our 1st—2nd grade class, and Hans Veltheim for substitute teaching in our 6th-7th grade class.

Katie Van Dyke Heard for overseeing Sunday School on April 29.

Our music volunteers for preparing the children and youth to sing beautifully in our Earth Day service.

 

Dates to Remember

May 20 – one 10:00 a.m. service, followed by All Souls annual meeting. Childcare and bagels provided.

May 27 – Memorial Day, one 10:00 a.m. service, no Religious Education


Monthly Faith Formation News