Children's Religious Education

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse

Registration
RE Assistant
Grade Configurations
For Grades Pre-K Through Sixth Grade
After RE Classes Child Safety
Yellow House Needs Snacks!

Registration

As we begin this new semester, please fill out a registration form for your child if you have not done so previously. If your child is in the 4/5/6 class, please remember to complete the Sign-Out waiver, which lets the RE program know if you would like your children to sign themselves out, or if you wish to sign them out.

Since the offering of RE classes is contingent on a pool of volunteers, parents are expected to sign up to assist in an RE class at least twice each semester this coming Church year. Choices for sign-up times will be included in the new Fall Registration form, so please plan on setting aside a Sunday or two this coming semester to help out the lead teachers.

The registration process is an important part of running the RE program, and is essential for planning, budgeting, and having important updated emergency and contact information on file.

Once you have filled out a registration form, just drop it in the Office Drop-Box next to the stairs to the minister’s office, or you can drop it in the front porch mailbox at the Yellow House. Fall registration forms will be available the first week of August in the Church foyer. Please take the time to fill out a form if you plan on having your children attend RE classes, whether your child is a new or returning student. The Fall RE schedule will commence on September 19, 2010

RE and Nursery Assistant

The RE Program is very lucky to have long time member, parent and volunteer Melodie Rai returning as RE Assistant and Nursery Coordinator. Her hard work, insight, and innovative ideas have helped to make the RE Program a flexible yet consistent work in progress that is moving us forward to some of the goals outlined by the UUA in its recent long-range planning.

Grade Configurations

The grade configurations for the will be as follows: the PreK-K class will be held in the foyer of the Yellow House; the 1/2/3 class will continue on the main floor of the Yellow House; and the 4/5/6 class on the top floor. The DRE’s office is now in the basement, where the old Kinder class used to be, along with the Church library, and a community space. The Youth Group will have their very own room upstairs in the old DRE office, with the option of moving out into the other top floor classroom for larger gatherings.

A multi-age Children's Fellowship where children can visit and have snack will meet on the main floor of the Yellow House AFTER RE classes at 11:30am.

For Grades Pre-K Through Sixth Grade

PreK/K children that come to class will participate in the Chalice Lighting and Opening ritual with the 1/2/3 class, and then proceed to the foyer for a simplified lesson and modified playtime.

And of course the program will continue to incorporate all of the current rituals of the Yellow House - lighting the chalice, and the sharing of Joys and Concerns, and the most important part of all - SNACK TIME!!

As the curriculum is somewhat fluid, the DRE will try to tie weekly lessons to ongoing events in the church, and to other events happening in the church and out in the community.

After RE Classes Child Safety

For safety reasons, it is extremely important for parents to remember that RE does not provide supervision on the playground after RE classes are finished.

With those same concerns in mind, it is critical that parents of children in grades PreK-3rd grade sign their children out before they, the children, leave the Yellow House.

Up to now, we have not been requiring the 4th-6th grade students to be signed out by parents. But as part of our overall Safe Congregations Policy, we are now asking parents of the 4th-6th grade students to fill out a form, available from Director of Religious Education Janet Guthrie-Granja or from the UUCP Executive Secretary Summer Stevens during their office hours, noting whether they wish their children to sign themselves out or they wish to personally pick up and sign their children out at the Yellow House. Please drop the form off in the RE registration box in the windowsill in the Church foyer.