Children and Youth Religious Education

2009 – 2010 Curricula Information for each class is described below:

Busy Bees

3 and 4 year olds
Curriculum Theme: UU Awareness

Goals for the Class

• To feel comfortable in their Religious Education group.
• To learn to cooperate and share with one another.
• To create the foundations for developing friendships.

The curriculum for this class, Wonderful Welcome, engages and challenges leaders and children alike to explore how and why we are willing to welcome others into our lives. We welcome not only strangers, but family, our peers, our neighbors and even entities that are not people such as our animal friends and nature itself.

Rainbow Riders

Kindergarten. 1st and 2nd Grades
Curriculum Theme: World Religions

Goals for the Class

• To learn and demonstrate positive group interaction and develop friendships.
• To begin to explore diversity in their culture and feel connected to the larger world: environmentally, culturally, and socially.
• To develop an awareness and acceptance of physical self.

The curriculum, Special Times; Honoring Our Jewish and Christian Heritages, helps children become acquainted with Jewish and Christian heritages and be engaged in celebrating their holidays and other "special times" such as the Shabbat/Sabbath, Thanksgiving, and "birth days". Additionally it teaches children to appreciate our Jewish and Christian heritages, to understand & appreciate the special qualities of worship & celebration, to honor diversity & universality in religious traditions and to grow in Unitarian Universalist community and religious meaning-making.

Chalice Lighters

3rd, 4th & 5th Grades
Curriculum Theme: World Religions

Goals for the Class

• To develop respect and appreciation for diversity.
• To learn Unitarian Universalist history, principles and beliefs.
• To explore and identify the beliefs of other religions.
• To explore the meaning of living your religion through peace and justice within yourself, with others, and with the environment.

The curriculum for this class, God Images, engages youth in their own religious quest & allows for personal decision making in the context of lively discussion and creative activity. It presents God images that are derived from Jewish and Christian traditions, other world religions, and from modern science.

The students will explore the questions and issues that lead to the creation of God images while learning to identify those already created by other religions and science. They will learn to express their feelings and ideas about God images through a variety of creative activities.

Junior Youth

6th, 7th & 8th Grades
Curriculum Theme: World Religions

Goals for the Class

• Increase self-awareness of physical and emotional changes.
• Define and explore personal and religious beliefs based on overview of world religions.
• Develop an understanding of their growing independence and responsibilities.
• Begin to develop a moral, ethical, Unitarian Universalist framework for living and dealing with daily life issues (i.e. peer relations, personal integrity, and intolerance).

The curriculum, Neighboring Faiths, introduces youth to the faith traditions & practices of other religious groups in our community and provides opportunities for them to participate personally in the faith traditions of others; to reflect on the unique and universal "religious experience"; to explore their own values as they relate to and become aware of the connections between Unitarian Universalism and other faith traditions & increases their understanding & appreciation of religious diversity; to strengthen commitment to our UU faith and community by building relationships with peers, adult leaders, and our congregation. Centered on all 7 UU Principles, and drawing from all 6 Sources, Neighboring Faiths provides opportunities for all to live these values in their religious education experience & deepen their religious identity.

** The Junior Youth and Darwin’s Fish will meet together on the 4th Sunday of each month beginning in October for a joint fieldtrip to a local church or experience the teachings of an invited guest who will share practices of their own faith tradition. **

Darwin’s Fish

9th – 12th Grades
Curriculum Theme: World Religions

Goals for the Group

• To develop a moral, ethical UU framework for living and dealing with daily life issues (peer relationships, global issues, intolerance in society, personal integrity).
• To develop the ability and knowledge to take action on issues about which they feel strongly.
• To provide a forum for values clarification.

The purpose of the curriculum, Truth and Meaning: Questions About the Western Religious Heritage of Unitarian Universalism, is to act upon the Unitarian Universalist principles calling for a covenant to affirm and promote encouragement to spiritual growth and a free and responsible search for truth and meaning by: posing difficult questions about our society’s dominant religions commonly asked by youth to help them find meaningful answers; relating these truths to UU history and practice; and helping youth apply this knowledge to their own beliefs and thereby, continue to grow spiritually. Truth and Meaning helps youth resolve the challenges they face explaining their "no creed, no dogma" religion to their friends, where they fit in, and what they have in common with other faith traditions and reasons they do not always agree.

** The Junior Youth and Darwin’s Fish will meet together on the 4th Sunday of each month beginning in October for a joint fieldtrip to a local church or experience the teachings of an invited guest who will share practices of their own faith tradition. **

Children’s Worship

Grades K – 5th

This part of our program, held on the 4th Sunday of each month, provides children an opportunity to worship together in an age appropriate manner. Led by the Religious Education Director, each worship service focuses on one of our 7 principles or 6 sources and includes singing, storytelling, meditation, and other activities that foster an understanding of what we as Unitarian Universalists believe.

Children’s Worship is intended to help our children understand for themselves what UU’s believe, show them ways they can apply and practice those beliefs in their lives now, and give them a religious language that will enable them to share their faith tradition with their friends.

*** Please Note: Children’s Worship begins at 11:00 on these Sundays ***


Parents we need you to be in RE too! We expect you to help our program be the best it can be by bringing your children as often as you can, and by volunteering to be a teacher or assistant teacher in our classrooms. If teaching isn’t your "thing", the RE Committee and the DRE can fit you and your talents into our program in ways that will enrich your life and those of the children & youth!

Classroom Placement & Guidelines

All students are assigned to a class based on their age and grade. This placement generally insures that the student will be exposed to the particular curriculum that most meets their needs and interests, as well as providing the student with the most appropriate peer group with which to relate. Changes to these assignments will be made only with the consent of the RE Committee in consultation with the DRE and the teachers involved.

Background screenings are performed on teachers and assistants, two adults are required to be in each classroom during religious education class time. If two adults are not available for any given class, the Director of Religious Education will cancel the class for the day and the students will remain in the service with their parents. Behavior policies are in place and provide guidelines to the volunteers on dealing with behavioral issues. The DRE will provide a copy of these policies upon request.

UUCSV Religious Education Classes are held during the church service beginning Sunday September 13th and continuing weekly through Sunday June 13th.

For more information, please contact
Brenda Berry, Director of Religious Education,
540–869–6965, ext 3
e–mail: dre@uushenandoah.org
Office hours: Tues. 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
Thurs. 10:30 am – 3:30 pm & Sun. 10:am – 1 pm

Religious Education Committee Members:
Lauren St. Jacques – Chair
David Wright – Vice Chair
Julie Hilton – Secretary/Treasurer
Diane Collett – Parent Communication
Laura Baker – Curriculum Specialist
Julie Elrick – Special Events Coordinator
Liz England – Religions Specialist