THANKS
What a fun summer. We “traveled” to St. Louis, Washington DC, New York, Italy, England, the Wyoming back country, and the International Space Station. We learned about essential oils, maps, and tried our hands at disc golf. We even squeezed in a canoe trip to Pillsbury Crossing and a visit to the Woolly Bee Farm.
Many, many thanks to all our summer tour guides: William Mitchell (disc golf); Mark Clarke (International Space Station); Dan Swenson and Larry Weaver (Pillsbury Crossing); Sandy Nelson (Washington DC); Lily Colburn (New York); Susan Adamchak (maps); Molly and Nick McGaughey (St. Louis); Katherine Colburn (Wyoming), Katie Kingery-Page and Ruby (Italy); the Campbell family (Woolly Bee Farm); Enell Foerester (essential oils); and Jonalu Johnstone (England’s Lake district). Your enthusiasm and participation in the religious education program is much appreciated.
We finish out the summer with a welcome home party and potluck on September 3 and then some music during the September Musicale on the following Sunday.
FALL AND BEYOND
Formal classes begin Sunday, September 17 with a “getting to know you” introduction. We’ll continue to use themes this year as each class explores its curriculum, but we’re switching things up a bit in the elementary classes. Rather than continuing with our three year rotation between UUism, Jewish and Christian Heritage, and World Religions, we’re dividing the whole year into quarters and each topic will consume a quarter. The fourth quarter will be our summer program.
By including the full rotation within one year, the RE program should be easier to manage for volunteer teachers. You could pick one of the three topics and commit to teaching for just a few months (or even a few weeks) – not the whole year! We could use a few more helpers in class. If you’re interested, please let me know.
The teens (7th-12th grade) will be semester oriented with fall being a fun curriculum that Molly is putting together about learning from social convention. Spring semester will be Virtue Ethics. Also, we’re encouraging our high school juniors and seniors to participate in a transitioning program that works with a mentor as they travel the road to young adulthood. If you’re interested in being an official mentor to one of our older teens, please let me know.
Remember: all children must be registered for the 2017-2018 year and registration forms are available on the RE bulletin board at the end of the hallway as well as online at: http://form.jotform.us/form/51486475507160.
OWL IS COMING!
Our Whole Lives (OWL) will be offered for teens in 7th-9th grades in the winter and spring (roughly January-May). Our trained facilitators are Molly McGaughey, Jen and Matt Campbell. A schedule is still being created, but classes will likely be after regular Sunday school from 12:30-3:30. We understand that students won’t be able to make every class, but we hope they can attend most.
We also intend to offer the OWL curriculum for Kindergarten-2nd graders in the winter (January through mid-March). Classes will be after regular Sunday school from about 12:30-1:30.
If you have a student in 7th-9th grade or K-2nd grade and would like them to attend, please let me know. I’m happy to answer questions about the OWL program, and there’s also great information at: http://www.uua.org/re/owl.
We’re looking forward to a great year!
-Sandy
FAMILY FUN – Sunday, September 3
Join us for a Welcome Back Potluck and Party after the service
THIRD SUNDAY TEEN LUNCH – Sunday, September 17
Teens (7th grade and up) are invited to gather for lunch (usually pizza) after the service.
PARENT NIGHT OUT
Will return in October.