Nursery (Newborn to 3 years old)
We offer nursery care at all Sunday services.
Children who turn three after September are encouraged to remain in the
nursery until the following year. The nursery is located at the back of
the sanctuary by the Garrett Street entrance. Members of the
congregation who enjoy being with and caring for babies volunteer to
staff the nursery on a rotating basis. Parents are asked to sign their
children in on the clip board and provide the nursery staff with a
diaper bag, clearly marked with the child's name. Any special
instructions about diet or care should be communicated to the nursery
staff. Children with allergies may bring their own snack, if desired.
Otherwise, please refrain from sending your child with food.
Parents, if you see that the nursery has more than three babies or 5
children, please offer your assistance to help manage the nursery. A
remote speaker is located in the nursery so parents can listen to the
service. Please pick up your child promptly after the service and
assist with clean up as needed. Our nursery care providers enjoy having
coffee with the rest of the congregation.
Preschool/Kindergarten
For children 3-5 years old. Children should be three by September.
This class is offered at the 11:00 service and at 10:00 on the first
Sunday of the month. We have chosen Celebrating Me and My World for this
year's preschool/kindergarten curriculum. This curriculum begins by
celebrating the wondrous qualities of the children and expands outward
to the things and people around them. The lessons provide preschoolers
and kindergarteners with experiences and opportunities to grow in their
sense of trust and caring and to develop their self-identity and sense
of connectedness with all life.
Dedicated volunteers from the congregation team-teach, or guide, the
preschool/kindergarten class in their year long exploration. The
Religious Exploration committee will ask you to provide snack from time
to time and be a parent helper as needed during the year.
In addition to the regular curriculum, this class will participate in at
least one service project during the year. They also will participate
in the Deck the Halls celebration in December and an Earth Day fair in
the spring.
Parents, please remember to pick up your children from class promptly at
the end of the service and stay to help clean up, if needed. Our
volunteer guides also enjoy being able to join the congregation for
coffee.
First and Second Grade
For children 6-7 years old. Children should be 6 by September.
This class is offered at the 11:00 service and at the 10:00 service on
the first Sunday of the month. This year the first and second grade
class will again use the popular Treasure Hunt - Take Two as their
curriculum. The theme, treasure hunting was chosen as a way to let
children experience excitement while searching for age appropriate
meaning in their life. Some of the treasures that this class will
discover include the importance of each person, the joy of friendship,
the fragile harmony in nature, the interdependence of life and the
Unitarian Universalist heritage. Each lesson is tied to one or more of
the UU principles.
Dedicated volunteers from the congregation team-teach, or guide, the
first and second grade class in their year long exploration. A member of
the Religious Exploration committee will ask you to provide snack and be
a parent helper as needed during the year.
In addition to the regular curriculum, this class will choose, organize
and implement at least one service project during the year. They also
will participate in the Deck the Halls celebration in December and an
Earth Day fair in the spring.
Parents, please remember to pick up your children from class promptly at
the end of the service and stay to help clean up, if needed. Our
volunteer guides also enjoy being able to join the congregation for
coffee.
Third and Fourth Grade
For children 8-9 years old. Children should be 8 by September
The third and fourth graders will use lessons from Timeless Themes this
year. Our primary purpose in presenting this curriculum is to introduce
8 and 9 year olds to some of the best known stories in the biblical
literature. These are stories that they will hear referenced throughout
their lives. We also hope to illustrate a connecting link between the
writers of these stories and current third and fourth graders.
Unitarian Universalist values will be discussed and students will have
an opportunity to think about issues in the stories that relate to our
principles.
Dedicated volunteers from the congregation team-teach, or guide, the
third and fourth grade class in their year long exploration. A member of
the Religious Exploration committee will ask you to provide snack and be
a parent helper as needed during the year.
In addition to the regular curriculum, this class will choose, organize
and implement at least one service project during the year. They also
will participate in the Deck the Halls celebration in December and an
Earth Day fair in the spring.
Parents, please remember to pick up your children from class promptly at
the end of the service and stay to help clean up, if needed. Our
volunteer guides also enjoy being able to join the congregation for
coffee.
Fifth and Sixth Grade
For children 10-11 years old.
Traditions with a wink! will be the curriculum that the fifth and
sixth grade students use this year. The goal of this curriculum is to
teach Unitarian Universalist traditions in a fun and creative way that
allows students to connect with the topics and stay enthusiastic about
their experiences at BUUF. Some of the UU traditions discussed will be
our purpose and principles, our tradition of good works, the place of
science and reason, and the different ways UUs create community.
Dedicated volunteers from the congregation team-teach, or guide, the
fifth and sixth grade class in their year long exploration. A member of
the Religious Exploration committee will ask you to provide snack and be
a parent helper as needed during the year.
In addition to the regular curriculum, this class will choose, organize
and implement at least one service project during the year. They also
will participate in the Deck the Halls celebration in December and an
Earth Day fair in the spring.
Parents, please remember to pick up your children from class promptly at
the end of the service and stay to help clean up, if needed. Our
volunteer guides also enjoy being able to join the congregation for
coffee.
Junior High Youth Group (12-13 years)
Jr. High Youth meet every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. (10:00 a.m. on
first Sundays) Mary McGown, Dick Sevier and Pam Woodiesserve as advisors
to this group.
The goal of the youth group is to create community and respect for one
another through weekly discussion points and lessons that will be taken
from the Neighboring Faiths. Regular attendance on Sunday
mornings is strongly encouraged and required fro the biennial trip to
Boston, MA.
On the first Sunday of each month (one service only at 10:00), the
Sunday Services committee has chosen as the sermon topic, a theme that
considers our youth and helps them to understand the role of the
Unitarian Universalist faith in our lives. This Sunday is known as
"Youth Sunday" and Jr. High youth will provide all the Sunday volunteer
duties that support the Sunday service (collecting offertory, reading,
greeting and making coffee). Jr. High youth will also attend the
service during this Sunday. This will be the sixth year that we have
offered a youth Sunday, and it has increased the exposure of the youth
in our congregation as well as giving them a sense of what a Unitarian
Universalist service is all about.
Our Whole Lives - A Sexuality Curriculum (OWL) written by Pam
Wilson, a nationally known sexuality educator and speaker, will be
offered beginning in October 2007. This will be the fourth time we have
offered this important program. UU Trained facilitators, Robert
Stevahn, Kendra Bridges and Cherie Forster, will guide the group through
this 26-week class which will take place on Wednesday nights. A parent
orientation will be scheduled in the fall of 2007. It is mandatory that
a parent attend this orientation to review and sign consent forms for
OWL. Youth may not drop in on OWL classes. They must be registered and
have parental consent to take part in this class. This program will be
offered on alternate years of Coming of Age/Boston Pilgrimage.
Coming of Age is an important rite of passage for young Unitarian
Universalists and will be offered in the fall of 2006. This program
invites our youth to be more active as a participant in the general
congregation. Youth interested in participating in the Coming of Age
program will be matched with adult mentors. Mentors and youth are
encouraged to spend time together getting to know one another and their
adult mentors throughout the year. Elizabeth Greene and Jennifer
Thrall-Thomas will meet with Coming of Age youth and their mentors on
the second Wednesday of each month beginning October 11 to discuss
spiritual topics and answer questions regarding the writing of a faith
statement or personal credo that will be presented to the congregation
at a special Coming of Age service May 13, 2007. To participate in this
program, you families must contact to DRE. This program also allows for
an opportunity to discuss life's "big questions" such as "Why are we
here?" "What happens when we die?" and "How can I live a worthwhile
life?" This program will be offered on alternate years of Our Whole
Lives (OWL).
Boston Pilgrimage
In conjunction with the Coming of Age program, The Jr. High group will
fundraise and make a pilgrimage to Boston. The trip is led by the DRE
and with several adult chaperones from our congregation. June 2007 is
the date for the next trip. Primarily parents are expected to lead
fundraising activities led by fundraising coordinator Carol Sevier for
the Boston pilgrimage. Fundraising meetings will begin the fourth
Wednesday of each month beginning September 27.
Boston is the center of Unitarian Universalist history. The Unitarian
Universalist Association is located there. Boston is the place to get
sense of the larger movement of which we are a part and UU history so
intertwines with American history.
Senior High Youth (14–18 years old)
Sr. High Youth meet weekly at 11:00 on Sunday mornings. Two Sundays a
month the youth attend the adult service. Advisors Val Duffy and Steve
Thomas advise and guide this group of young people grade 10-12. This
group is mainly self-guided in their activities and the program evolves
as the youth contribute and help to plan their Sunday morning
discussions and fellowship. Many activities and projects will be
offered at varying times of the year to build community. This year, the
group will assist in sponsoring the all-church Habitat for Humanity
Interfaith building project.
It is a goal of the Religious Education Committee, DRE and minister to
involve the Sr. High group in Pacific Northwest District activities.
This year, members of the Sr. High will be encouraged to attend the
district annual meeting in Portland in February.
Sr. High Dream group: (9th–12th grade) will meet in two
sessions beginning in October 2006. Watch the October newsletter for
details. The group began in 2001 and is led Judy Frederick and Sheryce
Davis. The purpose of the group is to discuss dreams and their meanings
while building friendship and in a safe and caring environment.
Participants will learn how to keep a dream journal and how to interpret
dreams. This has been a highly successful offering for some Sr. High
Youth, giving them an opportunity to share difficulties and
accomplishments in their lives with their peers.
Sr. High Bridging: Each spring youth age 18 have the opportunity
to participate in Sr. Bridging activities and a service that honors them
as they pass from youth to young adults in the congregation. Youth
graduating or turning the age of 18 this year should indicate to the DRE
their desire to take part in the Bridging activities. Watch for
information in the BUUF newsletter.
