We want to share with you our ideas for this academic year regarding PCUUC religious education for 2011-2012! Please contact Julie Palumbo, Director of Religious Education if you have any questions or ideas regarding the program or would like more of a detailed description of the lesson plans for the year stated below at RE@prairiecircleuuc.org. The Religious Education brochure is in the process of being updated, gathering everyone’s input. Religious Education is held in the Prairie Crossing Charter School classrooms behind their gymnasium and the barn where we hold our services. Children attend RE after the Story of all ages at bout 9:20am and do not return to the barn until 10:30am. Nursery care is offered weekly from 9am in the small building to the right of the barn. The Religious Education Committee and Director of Religious Education along with parents and teachers have met laying out next year’s curricula as follows:

4 year olds +K-1^st grade: It was suggested by the committee to utilize some of the resources we have drawn from in the past for this age group along with introducing them to lesson plan packages which includes stories and practices from religions around the world. The curriculum DRE will be drawing from “God Images” by Mary Ann Moore. The ancient stories will be drawn from “Timeless Themes” text by Nannene Gowdy, Mary Ann Moore and Marjorie Skwire.

2^nd through 5^th graders: This age group we will be focusing on world religions as well, however also with a strong emphasis on Unitarian Universalist principles and concepts.  We will be using resources that have been useful from drawing from in previous years such as the developed lesson plans included in,”Walking the Rainbow Path: Celebrating all the colors of love” by Rev. Laurie Bushbaum and “Carry the Flame: A Self Discovery and Religious Identity Program” by Lori Berger McDermott and also drawing from “Articulating Your UU Faith” by Barbara Wells and Jaco B. Ten Hove.

6^th & 7^th graders: This age group is for junior high school students. DRE will be choosing already-developed lesson plans from “Neighboring Faiths: Exploring Religions with Junior High School Youth” by Christine Reed and Patricia Hoertdoerfer created by the Unitarian Universalist Assocation.

The Religious Education Committee and Director of Religious Education are also spearheading PCUUC’s first High School age Youth Program. This will involve the following:

• 1. Classroom learning. Recent youth who completed our first Affirmation program and any other teenagers who are high school age will have the opportunity to attend a high-school based curriculum once per month beginning in September 2011 taught by Julie Palumbo alternating with Laura Franz. Lesson plans will be drawn from the “Truth and Meaning: Questions about the western religious heritage Unitarian Universalism for High School Youth” curricula by Jeff Liebmann as well as the “Sacred Threads, Revised Edition: An asian Religions Curriculum for High School Youth” by Jeff Liebmann.  DRE will also draw from text, “What do you stand for?: For Teens. A guide for building character.” By Barbara A. Lewis which deals with getting along with others and developing a whole sense of self.
  2. Religious Exposure. Inge Crowley, parents, the DRE, RE committee chair and the RE committee has offered to bring youth once per month to various places of worship, meeting with various worship leaders to expand the youth’s experience of world religious practices.
  3. Community Service. We will be spearheading getting the youth involved with assisting in needs-based activities in the community such as PADS meals, etc. ideally once per month. The next Youth PADS meal serving will be scheduled for the third Sunday in October.
  4. Worship service involvement. Some of the youth expressed interest in getting more involved in worship services. Intergenerational services are not the only exception. They expressed interest in doing readings or providing music. DRE and Worship committee chair will coordinate this with service leaders/minister.
  5. Socialization. The youth have expressed interest in meeting either 1x/wk or 1/mo. to do have fun social activity time, ie. basketball, bowling, ice skating, etc. Events will be posted. Also family all-ages events will be posted through out the year as done so in the past.
  6. RE Leadership. Some of the youth are interested in guiding the younger PCUUC youth as co-leaders on special Sundays of interest in RE program. DRE will explore with them specific ways they can get involved.
  7. Book Club. Our youth suggested they might be interested in developing their own book club.
  8. PCUUC involvement. The youth will be volunteering their time through out the year helping with PCUUC events such as our annual picnic in September and annual Fundraiser in November. See posting related to jump right in!

We are approaching a new school year for the Religious Education Program at PCUUC! At this time the RE committee and DRE will be conducting a teacher orientation for all members and friends of PCUUC who are interested in volunteering to teach one of our three age groups during the coming school year. Every Sunday there is a sign up sheet on a clip board at the barn next to the RE board.  The orientation will consist of what to expect on a given Sunday, including our opening and closing rituals, code of conduct, content covered & design and overall goals intended for the program. We value your input and hope to see as many people as possible. You may attend the orientation even if you are unsure of signing up at this time. We look forward to your participation to assist our youth in their spiritual and personal growth in an ever so changing world!! This event will be held after the service on August 28th in the gymnasium (or barn if available) from 10:45-11:15am.

Please email Julie Palumbo, DRE at RE@priariecircleuuc.org for more information