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Religious Education
From the Director of Religious Education
Welcome to First Parish in Needham. Our church community is in transition this year. We have vacated our beloved church building so that it can be renovated and become a building that is more congruent of our philosophy as a welcoming congregation.
This year more than ever our families will be challenged to grow their minds and hearts as we enter into new relationships with other religious communities who have opened their doors to us in our year of transition. Unitarian Universalism did not rise out of nothing. One of the sources of our faith has its roots in Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves. Our children will learn how to be good neighbors as they attend classes at Temple Beth Shalom and Carter Memorial Methodist Church. Through these new relationships our children will have an opportunity unlock the door to creative possibilities. We will have opportunities to join together and learn from one another as we strive to be active agents of change in our world.
We learn as much from those who teach us as we do from what we are taught. Our classroom leaders create an atmosphere where children are free to ask questions and talk about feelings and ideas. More attention will be paid to the implicit curriculum than to the explicit curriculum. We want our classrooms to be friendly and open to the sharing of ideas with a main focus on how we treat one another inside and outside of the classroom setting. Every person is important to us. Children are encouraged to explore faith, worship, study, and relationships. We believe that children need to guide their own learning through curiosity and creativity, so that they will be able to recognize the sacred that is all around us.
We invite you and your children to join with us in the exploration of our liberal faith as we embrace diversity and change.
Irene Praeger
Director of Religious Education
RE Calendar: Spring Term
The Fall Term begins March 9, 2008, and runs through June 1, 2008. There are 10 formal Teaching Sundays and several multi-age activities and special events. Please join us!
Church Services and Class begin at 9:00 am at Temple Beth Shalom and Carter Memorial, and 10:00 am at First Church in Dedham.
|
Date |
Activity |
Notes |
| Mar 02 | (10) Teaching Sunday Last Teaching Sunday of the Term (Overlap with Term 3 Teachers) |
Children in Church for first 15 mins - Kids Choir sings |
| Mar 09 | Spring Term Begins - Term 3 |
Daylight Savings begins! |
Mar 16 |
(2) Teaching Sunday | Palm Sunday |
| Mar 23 | EASTER SUNDAY | Everyone meets at Temple Beth Shalom All children in church for the first half of the service. Then to classrooms for multi-age groupings |
| Mar 30 | (3) Teaching Sunday | |
| Apr 06 | (4) Teaching Sunday | Teachers assist with Earth Day preparation |
| Apr 13 | (5) Teaching Sunday Full-Family Earth Day service |
Intergenerational Service - Everyone in the sanctuary |
| Apr 20 | Multi-Age Activities * |
Multi-age groups meet at Temple Beth Shalom |
| Apr 27 | (6) Teaching Sunday | |
| May 04 | Mini Walk for Hunger at West Newton Church PS - Gr. 5 (7) ** Family Worship and Teachers assist with walk |
Children in Church - (15 min) Children’s Choir Everyone meets at West Newton UU Church |
| May 11 | (8) Teaching Sunday | Mother's Day |
| May 18 | (9) Teaching Sunday | |
| May 25 | Multi-Age Activities* MEMORIAL DAY weekend | Multi-age groups meet at Temple Beth Shalom |
| Jun 01 | (10) Teaching Sunday Last Teaching Sunday of year |
Coming of Age service |
| Jun 08 | Intergenerational Service Flower Communion Sunday Bring a flower |
Everyone meets at Temple Beth Shalom |
** Family Worship Sundays - All children in Grades Nursery through Grade Six should be dropped off at Temple Beth Shalom for the beginning of the service. Grades Three, Four, Five, and Six will then be dismissed to walk to class at Carter Memorial.
Grades Nursery, Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade meet in the classrooms at Temple Beth Shalom.
Grades Three, Four, and Five, meet in the classroom #8 on the second floor of Carter Memorial Church.
Grades Six, meets in classroom #7 on the second floor of Carter Memorial Church.
Grade Seven will meet on teaching Sundays at Theodore Parker Church in West Roxbury.
Grade Eight will meet at the YMCA on Great Plain Avenue from 10:30 to 12:15 on all teaching Sundays until Dec. 16th. Classes will resume after the holidays for our Coming of Age program.
PLEASE NOTE: Except for inclement weather, the children in Grades Three, Four, Five, and Six will walk to Temple Beth Shalom at the end of class to meet their parents in Coffee Hour.
Also please note that no food is allowed in the classrooms at either Temple Beth Shalom or Carter Memorial. Children's Snack will be served during Coffee Hour at Temple Beth Shalom.
Teachers: Please fill out the Curriculum and Teaching Evaluation form and return to Irene!
Registration Form
Download the 2008-2009 Religious Education Registration Form (2007-2008 Form is also still available).
Goals of Our Sunday School
- To help each child develop a sense of purpose and a respect for his or her own worth;
- To help the child understand other people and be concerned about them;
- To stimulate the child’s awareness and comprehension of our religious traditions; broaden the child’s perceptionsof what religion can mean and of the many roles of the liberal church;
- To help the child explore difficult questions which will enlarge his or her insight into life, and to launch each child upon her or his pursuits of a personal religion;
- To provide experience with worship;
- To offer a group to which the child can appreciate belonging, and to nourish the feeling of "I’m glad to be a Unitarian Universalist!"
Children's Worship
There are several kinds of worship opportunities for children throughout the church year: intergenerational, family, and children's worship. A sense of spirituality is an important part of our religious education program.
Children's Choir
All children ages seven through fourteen are welcome to join the choir. The full children’s choir will perform each time the children are in church. Children may also share their individual gifts of voice or instrument during solo presentations. Arrangements for solo presentations should be made through the Choir Director, Vivian Montgomery.
Social Action
The Religious Education Committee feels strongly that service to others should be an integral part of our Church School program. Each year all the classes share a common focus on a major project as well as participating in short-term work. We join forces with other church committees when appropriate to develop intergenerational service projects.
Your Commitment
Our program is a cooperative program and has no fee.
Parents are indispensable to our church school. We ask each family to choose one volunteer commitment for each of their children. This might include co-teaching a class of children, assisting with non-teaching Sundays, serving on a committee, or sharing a special talent. We all have a gift.
Persons new to teaching and persons new to Unitarian Universalism are provided the resources and assistance needed to become a successful participant in the church school life. We have "user friendly" curricula and we team-teach. Volunteering to teach enables you to understand and expand your knowledge of Unitarian Universalism.
Please contact any member of the RE Committee or the Director of Religious Education to discuss what you can do for the children.
You may be asked to provide children’s snack during coffee for one time during the year. A list of names will be published and sent to all parents.
Religious Education Committee
Mission Statement: The mission of the Religious Education Committee of the First Parish in Needham, Unitarian Universalist, is to create a warm, nurturing environment in which individuals can develop a strong sense of spiritual identity and awareness.
Primarily focused on the education of our children, we strive to:
- Promote an understanding of Unitarian-Universalist purposes and principles within the context of our families, our communities, and the greater world;
- Explore our rich Unitarian-Universalist heritage, both in terms of
its history and its societal contributions; - Respect and honor the traditions of other world religions and
instill an appreciation for the wisdom of each; - Foster a commitment to social responsibility and an openness to diversity;
- Present children with a variety of spiritual practices with which
to enhance their own personal journeys; - Support families in developing meaningful family traditions and in cultivating a grounded spirituality in their daily lives;
- Inspire a sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty and mystery of life beyond that which is tangible.
- In creating a strong foundation for lifelong spiritual growth and
understanding, we hope to give our children the gift of inner strength and joy, and the earth the gift of a caring people—a people for whom respect of all things is primary, and acting on one’s principles is inevitable.
The Religious Education (RE) Committee in collaboration with the Director of Religious Education is responsible for the overall planning and direction of religious education for children in Nursery through Grade 8.
The Religious Education Committee meets on the first Thursday of the month. Meetings are open to all. Please feel free to approach any of the RE Committee members with your questions, suggestions and/or feedback. Parental input is important to us since we honor and value a variety of views.
R.E. Committee Chair: Andrea Grealish
R.E. Committee Members:
Traci Abbott, Liz Rover Bailey, Mary Jane Houlihan, Katrina Kipp, Marianne Prokesch, Dan Scanlon.