for Children (Nursery-6th Grade)

Cathy Cartwright, Credentialed Director of Children’s Programs
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 We have year round programming for children and all are welcome! During our "Teacher Holidays" we always offer childcare for 7-years and younger.

Jump to OWL: Our Whole Lives information.

NURSERY
up to -2 years

Our youngest children are cared for in the first floor Nursery. Here we create a warm, accepting atmosphere where trust is formed, helping our tiny ones to be comfortable and happy. Children will have time for exploration and plenty of cuddling. We have two rooms available for our growing needs, one for more active babies and the other for quiet time. If your baby or toddler needs you to stay for a few minutes or the entire service, you are most welcome. Parents are asked to sign-out a pager from the Information Desk. If a child is unhappy and cannot be comforted in a reasonable period of time, you will be contacted. Another option is for parents and babies to view the service on the monitor in the Daisy Bingham Room (located in the basement of the Sanctuary).

JUNIOR PRESCHOOL
2- & 3- year olds by Sept. 1

Becoming comfortable with the church, their caregivers and peers is the goal for these youngsters. A warm, loving staff helps our little ones transition from home to church. Children will have lots of time for free play. World of Wonder, a simple curriculum with monthly themes, helps them explore a preschooler’s world through stories, finger plays, art materials, movement and music. A snack and chalice ritual are also part of the program. Parents are encouraged to stay with their child until they feel comfortable in this setting.

SENIOR PRESCHOOL
3- & 4-year-olds  by Sept. 1

We Are Many, We Are One is based on the philosophy that young children learn about religion through relationships. What is a person? Who am I? How am I related to others? How do I treat other people? What are my responsibilities? What kind of world do I live in? These are religious questions that children begin to answer as they become acquainted with themselves, other people, and their environment; all responses are mediated by the significant adults in their lives.

Our morning program includes a friendship circle, story, music, chalice ritual, and a snack. Theme-based activities and crafts are provided, as well as interest areas where children may explore and participate as they choose. They also have access to a wonderful outdoor play space when weather permits. Parents should plan to participate in the classroom and provide snacks at least three times during the year.

KINDERGARTEN
5-years old by Sept. 1

Our Houses, Our Homes is a curriculum designed to help Kindergarteners feel at home in the world. It includes the concepts of birth and death, and being comfortable with one’s body. Christmas is the time for building a stable for Jesus’ birth and reenacting the nativity.  By exploring being at home in their church, building a home for something small and a special house for themselves, we hope children will experience the spirituality of family and a larger understanding of community. Parents provide essential support by assisting in the classroom throughout the year for this very labor intensive, but very fun, curriculum.

TREASURE HUNTING
1st & 2nd Graders

Treasure Hunting will be the focus for our 6– and 7-year-olds. Each week, through games, crafts, songs and stories, children will explore themes which illustrate Unitarian Universalist Principles. For example, the first week the children will treasure hunt among themselves to find people “who have curly hair,” “who have a little brother” or “who like chocolate ice cream.” The story and discussion that follow the hunt emphasize the idea that Unitarian Universalists treasure people’s differences and similarities. This lesson illustrates our first Principle, the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
                Themes focus on treasuring our own and other’s thoughts and feelings, exploring our Unitarian Universalist faith, our world community, and the interconnected web of life, among others.

 A STEPPING STONE YEAR
3rd & 4th Graders

A Stepping-Stone Year addresses children who are taking their first structured steps in forming religious identities and concepts. Younger children may identify with their church or have religious experiences that will influence their religious thinking, but they are not ready developmentally to begin to understand and articulate these concepts until they reach around age eight or nine; hence, A Stepping-Stone Year.
                A Stepping-Stone Year focuses on these important religious questions: How did the world begin? How did life begin? How can I live so as to make my life worthwhile? Why do people die? What is right and wrong? How can I make decisions?

HOW CAN I KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE?
5th Graders

How Can We Know What To Believe? This is the question posed to our fifth graders during the coming year. This program works on the basic premise that what we believe determines who we are and how we live. How Can We Know What To Believe asks questions like… Is the Bible the word of God? Was Jesus human or God? What do you believe about life after death? What does our Unitarian Universalist religion ask of us? Are people born bad, good, or neutral? … without giving answers. This program allows much more room for discussion (intermingled with crafts and play acting) so our children can decide for themselves what they believe.

KEEPERS OF THE EARTH
6th-12th grade

The emphasis of Keepers of the Earth is on an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about the Earth and Native American cultures. With their close ties to the land, North American Indian cultures are a vital link between human society and nature.
                Intended to provoke curiosity, each activity facilitates a discovery of the environment, toward an understanding of the influence we have on our surroundings. It is hoped that we will be able to engage in the activities outside of the classroom experience, by going to such sites as Forest Park and Tyson State Park.
                Youth (7th grade and older) who prefer to attend during the 9:15 session are welcome. Adults who are interested will be invited to join the class in the spring.

OUR WHOLE LIVES (OWL)
11- and 12-year-olds

January 15– March 11, 2012
10:15-11:30am

For years we have offered OWL for 8th/9th. This year we would like to make this program available to our 11- and 12-year olds between services, as an additional class. Our Whole Lives covers topics and that both parents and students want to have available but schools are less likely to cover. Participants will read It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris, and examine topics such as values and sexuality, communication and decision making. Each session includes a “HomeLink,” a homework activity for parents and children to complete together.
This class will be closed to visitors. Registration forms go out in December.