SCHOOL YEAR ENDS / SUMMER BEGINS –
Many thanks to EVERYONE for making the 2017-2018 RE program so successful. My thanks go out once again to all our volunteers and mentors.
School year teachers: Molly McGaughey (7-12 grade and teen OWL); Scott Tanona, Austin Roberts, Kim Martinson, Eli Martinson (4-6 grade); Michelle Hill (1-3 grade); Sandy Nelson (PreK-Kindergarten); and then there were those who led multiple grades: Katherine Colburn, Carolyn Ferguson, Katie Kingery-Page, Lindsay Smith, Dan & Kathy Swenson. Ashley Mitchell was our primary nursery attendant, but she was helped by Kathleen Oldfather, Ellen Meyer, Carrie & Austin Roberts, Katherine Colburn, Jen Campbell, Sylvia Beeman, and Elke Lorenz. Christopher Renner and Sandy Nelson led OWL K-1 with occasional help from Courtney Albin, and Jen Campbell and Molly McGaughey led OWL 7-9 with occasional help from Matt Campbell and Tai Amri Spann-Wilson (from First Congregational Church). You’ll notice Katherine’s name popped up a few times. I’ll admit that I probably played the “I’m your mother” card a little too often when looking for someone to cover a class, but she was always willing and did such a good job. I’ll miss her dearly next year.
Summer World Traveler Tour Guides for 2017: Billy Mitchell (disc golf), Mark Clarke (International space station), Dan Swenson and Larry Weaver (canoeing), Lily Colburn (New York), Susan Adamchak (maps), Molly & Nick McGaughey (St Louis), Katherine Colburn (backpacking), Katie Kingery-Page (Italy), Jen Campbell (Wooly Bee Farm), Enell Foerster (Essential Oils), Jonalu Johnstone (England).
An extra thank you goes to the entire fellowship for donating to food drives and sock drives, coming to family fun events like Pride and potlucks, and bringing kids to, or helping at, Parent Night Out/Kid Night In. Your participation in the program is what makes everything worthwhile.
A special thanks to Larry Weaver who, one Sunday, thought I wasn’t in attendance and automatically exited with the kids and put together an entire lesson plan in the time it took to walk down the hallway. To be honest, I think he was relieved to see me in the classroom once he arrived, but I get tears in my eyes even now as I type and think about how dedicated he is to the RE program.
UU WORLD TRAVELERS IS HERE!
Our summer program begins in June which means all students meet together for class where guest “tour guides” from within the congregation lead students on all kinds of adventures. We’ll make our own tie-dyed t-shirts, canoe at Pillsbury Crossing, go fishing, “visit” Washington DC, and more!
Do you have a passion you’d like to share? There are still slots open and we’d love to have you join us for a morning. Do you cook? Have you been on a cruise? Do you love to quilt? knit? sing? Contact Sandy Nelson at DRE@uufm.net for details on the summer program.
June 3: Bon Voyage – We’ll have a party during class, decorating cupcakes and we’ll tie-dye T-shirts. Tell us you T-shirt size on this form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AqPHT3b8ndkFetOHo_9HiZHaLneWAvt55UtrSeIdrSI/edit?usp=sharing
June 10: Canoe at Pillsbury Crossing – We leave at 10:30 a.m. from the Fellowship, but there will be activities at the Fellowship for children who prefer not to go on the field trip. Children 5 and under are welcome to canoe, but must have a parent accompany them (and possibly drive with the appropriate car seats). If you have your own life jacket (PFD), please bring it. Frequently, a small group camps in the back yard of the fellowship on Saturday night. If your family is interested in camping, please let me know. All children attending the canoe trip MUST be registered in the RE program AND have a permission form on file prior to leaving. Find the forms here:
Permission form for Pillsbury Crossing (PDF to print and sign. Also available at the Fellowship.)
PARENT NIGHT OUT/KID NIGHT IN June 1, 6:30-9:30
See you soon,
Sandy Nelson