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General Information

Two Services Schedule

This year, we will be conducting two services on Sunday morning: 9—10 am and 11am—noon. RE will be offered at both services. While the curriculum will be the same at both services, the classes will differ in age range and other factors. We strongly recommend consistent attendance at one service to encourage group bonding with each other and the teachers.

Registration

In order to provide a Religious Education program which meets the needs of the children and is safe, we ask that every child be registered. Forms are available on the RE greeting table, the RE office, and the information table across from the Fellowship Office. The Registration Packet has three forms: 1) a general information form, 2) an emergency medical information form, and 3) a permission slip for walks in the immediate vicinity of the Fellowship building and for photographs. This permission slip does NOT give us permission for field trips or outings to specific locations such as Throop Park. Parental / guardian permission will be sought separately for those events.

Safety

Children can only learn and grow if their environment is safe and nurturing. Safety is our first priority. Please share any information about special needs with your child’s teacher, the Director, or our Minister. Be sure to note any allergies or pertinent medical information on the Emergency Medical Information Form of the registration packet. Be sure to update that information during the year if there any changes. The confidentiality of this information will be respected.

Attendance

Children will benefit from regular attendance by becoming more familiar with the program, the teachers and their classmates. Bonding as a group helps them feel more comfortable with active participation in the classes which is essential to the learning process. We STRONGLY encourage regular weekly attendance as an integral part of experiencing our programs.

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning starts for everyone in the Sanctuary. The children will stay in the service until the Conversation with the Children when they will gather at the front. After the Conversation, they will be led upstairs to their classes by the Director and the teachers. At various times during the year, the children will remain in the sanctuary for the entire service and there will be no RE classes. See the Calendar on the back cover for these dates, known as Intergenerational Services.

The children will gather upstairs as directed by their teachers - sometimes as a whole group, but usually they will go directly to their individual classrooms. Classes usually last for just over an hour which means they will run after the scheduled end of the service. When you arrive to get your child from her / his class - please be sure to attract the teachers’ attention and let them know you are taking your child. It’s important for the teachers to be able to keep track of the whereabouts of every child.

Our Special Place for Infants and Toddlers

We employ caregivers to supply loving care to our youngest UU’s from birth through four years old. They are provided with play, creative outlets, snacks and a warm, accepting atmosphere in which to begin their UU journeys. The Nursery is located on the second floor with the classrooms and a caregiver is available from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm every Sunday.

Visitors

Guests are very welcome in our RE classes. If you are visiting our Fellowship for the first time, feel free to go upstairs to the Religious Education area before the service to meet our Director and the teachers and to explore the classroom in which your child will be our guest. Our staff is dedicated to making their experience with us both enjoyable and challenging. The Director or a member of the Religious Education Committee is available for questions before and after every service.

Adult Involvement

Financial Support

            The Religious Education program is funded through the Fellowship budget. Your pledges and gifts to the Fellowship, as well as participation in fund raisers such as the Auction and Marketplace and Concerts, are what make our programs possible. Your financial support to the Fellowship in whatever way possible will keep our programs alive and growing.

Volunteering

            As a Fellowship, we thrive because EVERYONE uses their talents for the benefit of the community. If your talents or interests bring you to RE to volunteer - GREAT. But the health of the entire Fellowship is what REALLY keeps RE thriving - so put your talents to use wherever they lie and rest assured you are helping the Religious Education program in the process.

            It takes MANY volunteers to keep RE running smoothly. Teachers make up about half our helpers. But there are MANY other areas - organizers/coordinators for special events, clerical support, arts and crafts projects, worship helpers - too many to detail here. See the Director or any member of the RE Committee, or pick up a volunteer form next time you are in RE. The monthly Newsletter also has a section devoted to volunteer opportunities.

Growth and Learning Circle

            Learning is not just for children! It is a “lifespan” process which keeps us all engaged and growing our entire lives. Here at the UUFSLOC this is known as our Growth and Learning Circle. Currently this Circle consists of our Art Committee, the Lit Wits, Café Socrates, Seekers, the Library Committee, Adult Enrichment and our traditional Religious Education programs for the children and youth. All of these groups offer opportunities for growing and learning regardless of age.

            In addition, our minister offers courses at various times during the year which give us the opportunity to explore our faith and our community. The Social Justice Committee runs  in depth workshops on a variety of topics. The Worship Arts Committee offers seminars on various religious traditions in conjunction with some of its special services. In short - opportunities for Adult Enrichment abound at our Fellowship. Contact our Minister, the Director of Religious Education, or any of the Committees / groups mentioned above for more information. opportunities.