FUUN Weekly Programming for Children and Youth
Director of Lifespan Religious Education
March 5, 2023
Dear All,
The past couple of weeks have been particularly busy for RE staff, and with three OWL age groups and Youth Sunday and the New Member Orientation along with the usual activities, Sundays especially so. It becomes absolutely necessary to let go of those things we can so that we have the bandwidth for what must be done, which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite stories…
The Muddy Road
A Traditional Wisdom Tale
Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.
Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono, unable to cross the intersection.
“Come on, girl,” said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.
Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he could no longer restrain himself. “We monks don’t go near females,” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”
“I left the girl there,” said Tanzan. “Are you still carrying her?”
And so I’m trying to be mindful about where I spend my energies and where I do not. Easier said than done, of course, and worth the effort. I hope it proves so for you, as well.
Please stay in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
Blessings,
Marguerite Mills Caleb Hampton
Director of Lifespan Religious Education Religious Education Administrator
MMills@firstuunash.org REAdmin@firstuunash.org
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This Sunday
Next Sunday
Volunteer Roles
COVID-19 Policy
This Sunday (March 5)
- CRE classes for PreK-8th grades
- Youth group for 9th-12th grades.
Next Sunday (March 12)
- This is the first weekend of Spring Break, for which programming is reduced. There are options for children and youth below, or come to the worship service.
- Multi-age supervised activity for preK-8th grade.
- There is no Youth Group, but if any youth would like to help with the activity for younger folx, they are more than welcome!
Children’s RE Classes (PreK-8th Grade)
Children start in the sanctuary for the 10 a.m. worship service where they may participate in lighting the chalice, taking up the offering, and more. At approximately 10:30, they go to Morgan House for classes that end at 11:30.
Our youngest age group is using the usual Celebrating Me and My World curriculum, while our two older age groups are using the multigenerational curriculum, Miracles:
- PreK-1st grade (preK includes ages three and four who are potty trained)
- 2nd -3rd grades
- 4th-5th grades
- 6th-8th grades
As we get further into the year, with a better understanding of how many children and volunteers we have, we hope to break into five age groups with age-specific curriculums.
Youth Group (9th-12th Grade)
Youth start in the sanctuary for the 10 a.m. worship service where they may participate in lighting the chalice, taking up the offering, and more. At approximately 10:30, they go to the Youth Room (Norris House) and meet until 12 noon.
The youth will work together, supported by Youth Advisors, to develop what we hope will be a lifelong process that nurtures an ever-changing and growing Unitarian Universalist identity. This will include engaging in social justice efforts, regular participation in worship, service to FUUN and the larger community, such as helping with younger children, fellowship with other youth groups, UU and otherwise, committee membership, and involvement in other FUUN activities, such as the Auction.
Our Whole Lives (OWL)
As we begin to catch up, which means leaving no age group out, the 2022-2023 programs will be for 2nd-3rd, 6th-7th, and 9th-10th grades*. Registration for 9th-10th grade and 6th-7th grade OWL has closed. Registration for the 2nd-3rd grade class is still open:
The Parent/Guardian Orientations are scheduled. Contact Caleb Hampton asap to register! If needed, childcare can be provided – please include this information when contacting Caleb.
- 2nd-3rd grade class: Sunday, February 26, 12-2:30 p.m., Morgan House.
These orientations are REQUIRED for all legally custodial parents/guardians if you would like your child to participate. At the same time, attending this orientation does not constitute a commitment to `participating in the program; you may attend to learn more about what you child would experience and then make a decision.
* The age groups for 2023-2024 will be 1st-2nd, 5th-6th, and 8th-9th grades. For 2024-2025, they will be K-1st, 4th-5th, and 7th-8th grades, at which point we will have caught up.
Volunteer Roles
We have begun to list the role descriptions for the many volunteers needed to make programming for children and youth happen. Please see the Faith Development Volunteer Roles page for PreK-8th grade roles, which are our single greatest need right now. Descriptions for other roles and other areas will come soon. And don’t limit yourself—if you have a gift to bring to the table, we want to hear about it, and if you don’t know what your gift is (whether with children or youth, or elsewhere), let us help!
COVID-19 Policy Update 1/5/23
During the Board of Directors meeting on December 20, 2022 the COVID-19 policy was revisited. The prevalence of the disease is fairly low, and vaccination is freely available to all who want it, along with medications in case an individual becomes infected. It has become clear that vaccination reduces risk of getting infected, but not dramatically. Fortunately it does dramatically reduce risk of hospitalization or death. Requiring vaccination for in-person participants does not prevent transmission via asymptomatic or early-infection cases. We are no longer requiring masking at in-person meetings. For all these reasons, the board felt it was appropriate to suspend the requirement for in-person participants at church to be fully vaccinated. Visitors should still avoid attending when they have symptoms or test positive for COVID 19.