Religious Education Happenings

Greetings!

Welcome back to all our Religious Education families and friends!

I hope that everyone has enjoyed the fruits of summer- from the fresh local produce that New England has to offer, to the warm sunshine, and maybe even a dip in a pool, lake, or ocean waters.

I noticed this week a few leaves on the trees are already showing a tinge of red and yellow and the mornings have a slight crisp edge when I wake. The signs of autumn are clearly evident! While I am already lamenting the end of summer, I am looking forward to an exciting new year at church and Religious Education.

With a new minister to help us bring in a new church year and kids who are just a little bit older than when they left, we have yet another opportunity to help guide our kids in their exploration of the natural world, spiritual lives, and their relationships with their community and beyond.

Here at Foxborough Universalist Church, we do not believe in indoctrinating our kids with a particular set of rules, but that we are here to give them a supportive environment in which they can ask questions and know that there is no such thing as a wrong question.

We also believe that in addition to any explicit curriculum that our children learn as much, if not more, from implicit experiences. Our community, how we live our values and principles here at church and beyond, plays a critical part of helping to shape our children. If you do not have children or do not have kids in our program - know that your participation and support in our wider community has a profound impact on our kids. Your involvement in our program, whether directly or indirectly, is greatly appreciated!

If you have ideas, wish to be more involved, or are just curious about our program, I am always more than happy to talk about what we are doing!

I am looking forward to reconnecting with all the kids and families for another year!

Lisa Benoit
Director of Religious Education

Registration Ongoing For RE Classes!!
We are now accepting registration forms for the church year's Religious Education (RE) classes. If you or your child is interested in participating in our Religious Education Classes, please contact Lisa Benoit, Director of Religious Education, at re@uufoxborough.org or 508-543-4002. This year's RE Brochure can be downloaded by clicking here (in MSPub). The enrollment form can be downloaded here (in MSWord).

Religious Education For Children

We believe that religion is not something to be given to a child, but something that grows out of direct experiences. Through our religious education classes, children (and adults) are exposed to a wide variety of thoughts and beliefs from many world religions to assist them in developing their own religious philosophy. We believe that religious education is not achieved during one hour on Sundays but is a continuous process influenced by parents, peers, and community members.

Located in the social hall of our historic Universalist church, our Sunday school classes are organized and led by church members. The Unitarian Universalist Association has provided many of the materials utilized to create our curricula. We also supplement our classes with a series of activities, service projects, and intergenerational services for all ages. We strive for a broad understanding of our own and other faiths from around the world and focus on building a respectful, compassionate, spiritual community.

Our Goals:

• Foster our children’s exploration of self and to help them develop a respect for their own self worth.
• Develop an understanding of other people and an appreciation for other’s worth and dignity.
• Empower our students to develop their beliefs and encourage them to act on their convictions.
• Emphasize the importance of freedom of religious expression.
• Enhance our children’s understanding and appreciation of their relationship with the natural world.
• Create a supportive community of friends with the students in their class, other children in the RE program, and with the adult members of the congregation.
• Form a positive, enjoyable environment that stimulates natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
• Encourage a sense of helping others.

The Religious Education Director for 2008-2009 is Lisa Benoit. Newcomers are always welcome, so please contact our RE Director (re@uufoxborough.org) if you or your child is interested in participating in our RE Program.

We believe:

• RED: Respect all people
• ORANGE: Offer fair and kind treatment to all
• YELLOW: Yearn to learn throughout life
• GREEN: Grow by exploring ideas and values
• BLUE: Believe in your ideas and act on them
• INDIGO: Insist on a fair and peaceful world
• VIOLET: Value our connection to all life and nature

Toddlers
The main goal of the toddler program is to help the children become used to and enjoy participating in an RE program. They will engage in lots of free play, supplemented by age-appropriate activities.

Preschool & Kindergarten
Preschool/K We will be using the curriculum "Celebrating Me And My World". This curriculum celebrates the wondrous qualities of children and the animals, objects, and people around them. It will provide the children with experiences and opportunities to grow in trust and caring and to develop their self-identity and sense of connectedness with all of life.

Grades 1-3
This group will be using the "Timeless Themes: Stories from the Hebrew and Christian Bibles curriculum. The best-known stories in religious literature are presented to the children in this curriculum, providing a base of knowledge essential to the understanding of their religious heritage. Timeless themes that inspired the scriptures, such as power, responsibility, freedom, love, and forgiveness, are explored.

Grades 4-7
The curriculum "Neighboring Faiths: Exploring World Religions with Junior High Youth" will be used to help learn about various religions. They will explore the different aspects of each religion and they will have the opportunity to visit other houses of worship and have an opportunity to discuss how the religions relate to our UU values.

Extra-Curricular And Family Activities
In addition to the regular curriculum, special events and trips are planned throughout the year to further enrich the program, enhancing program goals and providing opportunities for bonding and building relationships with fellow students.

Some of the events from the past year include nature hikes, a walk-a-thon fundraiser, a community clean-up, group swim at the YMCA, movie and pizza nights, and a family potluck and Square Dance night. Similar and other field trips and events will be planned for the upcoming year.

Junior Youth Group
This year, we will hold special events that will allow our older children to bond together and participate in special activities which create a special sense of importance within the community as the 'older youth'. We plan to have at least one overnight trip during the year.

Social Action
As Unitarian Universalists, we are compelled to give back to the wider community. Our children are encouraged to participate in social action projects each year. Past projects have included a walk-a-thon for Habitat For Humanity and Heiffer International's Read to Feed.

This year, we will encourage the children to work on projects to sell and to raise funds for a charity of their choice, giving them an opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

A Typical Sunday

The children participate in the first fifteen minutes of church service. Usually there are announcements, joys and concerns, the lighting of the chalice, and a hymn. At this stage, the children go downstairs to their religious education (RE) classes.

The RE classes begin with all the students together. They light the chalice and share their joys and concerns. They then separate into their groups.

A typical class will consist of a story and discussion about a UU value, a physical or artistic follow-up activity, and a snack.

Other Items:
Expectations For Children During Coffee Hour, Photos, about our coordinators, teachers, and volunteers, and RE Blog.

Religious Education Committee

The Religious Education Committee is comprised of the Religious Education coordinators, RE teachers, and other interested church participants. The committee meets informally during coffee hour to asses and further plan classes.

Commitment from Church Members and Friends

We believe that it takes a village to raise a child, and thus we encourage all church attendees to participate in the RE program. In taking an hour to share a special talent or interest, an adult can make a lasting impression on a child's life. Feel free to contact Lisa Benoit, the RE coordinator, if you are interested in participating or wish to discuss ideas or suggestions.