Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Religious Education

Helping Children Deal with Death

2011-11-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

Family Resources: Mr. Rogers on Helping Young Children with Death

Helping Young Children with Death

Of all the stressful times that come to a family, death is one of the most difficult for us.

It’s not easy for any of us to accept the fact that all living things, including ourselves and those we love, will someday die. It’s hard for us to think about this, let alone talk about it with our own children.

If someone we love or a pet we love has died, our children need us for comfort and explanations. But, how do we begin?

Talking About Death

* It helps to use examples with words that children can understand, like “the dead fish can’t move or eat or swim – ever again.”

* Burying a dead goldfish in the yard gives you a chance to say that when bodies are dead, they are often buried in the ground. If we have prepared our children for death before an important human being in their life dies, they may be better able to cope when that time comes.

* Share your memories of your experiences and feelings when you were a child and a loved pet or person died. That gives your child an important way of knowing that feelings are natural and normal.

* Sadness doesn’t last forever. It’s frightening for children to think that the sadness they feel when someone they love dies may overwhelm them and never go away. There can be real comfort in hearing that “sadness doesn’t last forever,” and “the very same people who are sad sometimes are the very same people who are glad sometimes” – and that it’s true for all of us. It also gives them permission to laugh and have fun if that’s what they feel. Enjoying something isn’t a betrayal of the loved one’s memory. It’s a way to honor the loved one by appreciating life.

* While it may seem that, for the moment, you’ve put your child’s questions about death to rest, something may trigger the same or different questions later on. As with most challenging things in life, you’ll have many opportunities to help your children work through what death means to them.

* You may want to encourage your child to make a photo album or a storybook with memories of the person who died. It’s one way to keep the memories alive in us and to keep the relationship alive in our hearts and minds. Grieving isn’t about forgetting. It’s about coming to accept the death little by little and finding ways to enrich our family by continuing to remember our relationship with the person who has died.

* It can help to spend some quiet time with your child doing something together that you both enjoy, like reading a book or taking a walk. Adults and children who are grieving need extra comfort and attention, and those moments of being together can nourish both you and your child. If it means temporarily changing some of the routines, you’ll sense the best time to help your child gradually get back to “normal.”

* When a mother, father, sibling, or any other very close relative or friend dies, that can be one of the most difficult tragedies for any family to face. If you feel that you or your child needs professional help in living through such a tough time, look for a grieving counselor or support group. There are grieving centers that offer important support and information for families with young children.

The Funeral/Memorial Service

* Even very young children can benefit from participating in at least some of the rituals that attend death, so long as we prepare them for what to expect and can listen to their questions. Feeling excluded is much harder for children than feeling sad.

* Before going to the funeral, let your child know that there may be people crying. Mention, too, that there may also be people chattering away and even telling humorous stories. Help your child know that each person deals with death and funerals in his or her own way.

* If you take your child to the funeral home or church, you might want to have an adult friend (with whom your child is comfortable) stay close at hand. That friend can help if your child needs to take a break go, to the bathroom, or gets upset by the crying, crowds, or commotion.

* If your child really doesn’t want to go to the actual funeral, or if your own needs are such that you don’t feel that you can take your child along, there are other ways he or she can be included in this important time of grieving. You might arrange for a special “family only” time with you at the funeral home or cemetery, or suggest that your child help after the funeral by greeting guests or helping to serve whatever refreshments there might be.

* If your child is willing, just having him or her on your lap during the funeral service can give comfort to you, too. Having children nearby at a time like this reminds us that life goes on and on and on.

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

2011-07-22T09:39:00.001-07:00

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)can see. It's fun to watch the choir and service leaders!

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special event!

Tell them that you expect them to stay seated and enjoy the service, the pews make it hard to come and go.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your child's classmates and sit together.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Child noises are holy sounds, don't worry too much about it. At Westside we really love our children.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most important things our children and youth can learn. This Sunday is a great one to experience together!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation--Summer programming for kids!

2011-07-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation-Summer Program

Wondering just what's coming up this week? Check out the fun! (to be scheduled.....more with Keo, drumming with Christian and Diego, and fun stories with Steve Graves!) Don't miss the fun!

--------------------Four-Seven years -------------Eight to Twelve years

7/10/11	John Monahan --Makin’ Music	Ginger Brewer --Life in the village--partner church
7/17/11	Regina Brennan--Pet Rescue!	Steve Burrows--All about lasers!
7/24/11	Multi Gen Worship--”Being Raised to Raise a Ruckus!”	Multi Gen Worship--”Raised to Raise a Ruckus!”
7/31/11	Amy and Lorelei--Our Children’s Garden--let’s make a sign!	Regina Brennan--Pet Rescue!
8/7/11	Steve Burrow-- All about Lasers!	Carmen Ficarra--Magical Music
8/14/11	Multi Gen Worship--”Your True Colors--the courage to shine through	Multi Gen Worhsip--”Your True Colors--the courage to shine through”
8/21/11	Carolyn Mathews--To See the World	tbd
8/28/11	Christian Ramers--Rhythm for Rowdies!	Carolyn Mathews--To See the World
9/4/11	tbd	tbd

Westside Congregation, June 26th 2011

2011-06-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

This week in RE:

We’ll have nursery care for little ones through age 3 in the nursery
near the sanctuary.

*Children ages 4-7 will have class with a trained RE leader and our
guest speaker in the green classroom on the social hall level.

*Children ages 8-11 or so will have class with a trained RE leader
and
our guest speaker in the spirit play classroom.

*People going into 6th grade and older will attend the service
(although we are considering holding a low-key youth time in the
social hall for the middle schoolers--stay tuned)

This week the younger group will be making pinatas with a master
pinata builder

and

The older children will be makin' music! If you have a harmonica at
home to bring please do!

No program on July 3rd.

If you'd like to see the great things happening at the UUA General
Assembly, check out the live streaming! Great things to watch for::
The Synergy Worship, The Ware Lecture and the Sunday Worship!

http://www.uua.org/ga/2011/index.shtml

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation--Summer programming for kids!

2011-05-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Passport for Fun!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Summer 2011

Our summer will be filled with fun and adventure as we visit with guests from our congregation. Some people will share talents, some will share their stories and some will share music!

We’ll have nursery care for little ones through age 3 in the nursery near the sanctuary.

Children ages 4-7 will have class with a trained RE leader and our guest speaker in the green classroom on the social hall level.

Children ages 8-11 or so will have class with a trained RE leader and our guest speaker in the spirit play classroom.

People going into 6^th grade and older will attend the service.

As of today we have people scheduled to come in and talk about:

being a pet rescue volunteer
making mouth music
making pinatas
our partner church in Transylvania
and more!

Summer programming begins on June 19th and goes until September 4th.

Come join the fun!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs , May 22nd, 2011

2011-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Westside Families!

Our children will have regular age group classes this week.

The Spirit Play class will hear the Flaming Chalice story.

Our K-1 class learns about the story of Ruby Bridges.

The 2nd-3rd grade class learns about Moses and his sister Miriam and
resiliance.

The 3rd-4th grade group spends some time learning about women of the
bible.

And the middle school group learns more about the history of
Unitarians and Universalists.

Following the service we'll have a short break and then convene our
congregation wide annual meeting. There will be child care with movies
available for children up to 5th graders. We hope the meeting will be
brief with no controversy, but our care providers are ready to stay as
long as needed.

Upcoming Events
The last scheduled family potluck supper for this church year is this
Sat, May 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. It’s an opportunity for families of
elementary age students to get to know each other over a shared meal
and some games. Bring a dish to share, and your own beverages. The
dinner may move to Lincoln Park if the lovely weather holds. Contact
Lisa Maynard for the final word on location.

The youth group (6th-12th graders) will meet at 6pm on Sunday at the
Days. Please bring $5 for pizza! For more information contact Kari dre (at) wsuu.org

It's better with you here

2011-04-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation has been named a "Breakthrough Congregation" and will be honored at this summer's General Assembly of Congregations.

Have we grown like crazy in the past five years? Yup!

Did we buy a church home during the great recession? Yup!

But this is the real reason the church is a warm and loving place that continues to grow:

Blessings!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for Easter 2011

2011-04-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring, Happy Passover, Happy Good Friday and Happy Easter!

Are you struggling with a way to discuss this holiday season with your
children? Check out these resources for some ideas:

*Michelle Richards' parenting blog at the UU World

*A blog post written by a religious educator.

*And our ever present, always available "Between Sundays" section of
the Church of the Larger Fellowship's website
and here

This week we will hold regular age group classes, all of them will
discuss Easter and rebirth. The older children will discuss death and
afterlife. And they'll all have a chance for a little spring fun in
class, as well.

NEWS

We still need people to be "Guest Travelers" this summer for our
children's programming. Contact Kari Kopnick, our Director of Religious Exploration if you are able to help.

Two important "rites of passage" rituals are coming up:

On June 12th we'll celebrate our "Bridging Ritual".

And on June 19th we'll celebrate a "Child Blessing". Contact Rev. Peg
to participate in the child blessing ritual.

For more information please see the description on our website

And don't forget "Chalice Palace" tonight at 7pm. Family Fun for all
ages!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for April 10th, 2011

2011-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

We will have regular age group classes this week.

Have you seen the UU Parenting blog written by Michelle Richards? It's a great way to help us all remember that everything we do, including parenting, can integrate our religious values.

This week our nursery children will meet in their regular classrooms with their regular care providers.

The Spirit Play class will hear the story of the creation of life on earth (a very science based story).

Our K-1 class will learn a little about Buddhism, and will even have a chance to make sand mandalas.

The 2nd-3rd grade class will use the metaphor of a flashlight as the light of truth in Unitarian Universalism and learn about Unitarians who stood for justice during World War II.

Our 4th and 5th grade class will begin learning the story of Moses, complete with a special visitor! For a modern day take on the story of Moses follow go here.
And the middle school group may remember the service we had last year using the book "Hope for the Flowers", this week's lesson uses the same story which values questioning and interpersonal relationships and encourages us all to follow our callings.

News:

This summer our program will have a "Passport for Fun" theme We are asking people who like to spend time with kids and have had some fun experience in travel or other adventures to come and share it with the kids. There will be a trained RE volunteer on site to provide structure and classroom management. Contact Kari dre@wsuu.org if you wish to sign up, or look for the forms in the social hall.

The rummage sale needs volunteers for a number of tasks, some grandiose and some itty bitty. There are some jobs that are very family friendly! Please contact Shelby Gaynor if you and yours are able to pitch in.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for March 27, 2011

2011-03-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

This week we'll have regular age group classes for all our children.

The nursery children will be cared for in their regular rooms with
their regular care providers.

Our K-1 class is in for a fun surprise! (Shhh.....they'll have a
cupcake party to celebrate the great work they've done this year with
their "Gems of Goodness" project! We will have gluten free/dairy free
cupcakes. If your child has other food issues, please feel free to
slyly pass off a safe treat for them to the teachers. But please, help
us keep the secret!)

The 2nd 3rd grade class learns about the value of "love" in our faith.
For more information please follow this link.

Our 4th-5th grade hears the story of Joseph from the bible. We learn
these bible stories so that children have a cultural literacy about
stories from the bible, but this story especially helps us think about
things that may be true for us right now as well; sibling rivalry,
jealousy and forgiveness.

The middle school class will participate in one of the best lessons
that we ever present in RE in all the years a child may attend, we'll
talk about the Jesus Seminar and also carefully study everything that
the bible attributes to Jesus about homosexuality (spoiler....it's a
big show we make about presenting this but when we open our text, it's
EMPTY!)

We will have our last 7th-8th grade OWL class followed by a
celebration dinner. There will be NO youth group.

FAMILY CONCERT

Peter Mayer will be playing in our sanctuary tomorrow night, Saturday
March 27th! Peter has an engaging style and invites the audience to
join in many of his songs. He's a father to two young boys so has many
family friendly songs. He is one of our favorite Unitarian
Universalist artists. The concert is advertised for older children,
but you know your kids--if you think they can sit through a fun and
lively concert, come on down!

The song "Jamma Day"

MAKING MUSIC!

Liz Bucklew and Lisa Maynard are putting together a kids' group of
elementary students to sing the prelude on May 8 (Mother's Day) and we
hope your child would like to participate! We'll rehearse for half an
hour starting at noon on Apr 10 and May 1. If your child can't make
both of the rehearsals, we can probably work something out with him or
her on a separate Sunday to go over the tune. We'll also have a short
rehearsal around 10 am on May 8. Please let Lisa or Liz know if your
child is
interested so that we can figure out how big a room to reserve. Thank
you!

Tips for a Happy All Ages Service

2011-03-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)can see. It's fun to watch the choir and service leaders!

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special event!

Tell them that you expect them to stay seated and enjoy the service, the pews make it hard to come and go.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Child noises are holy sounds, don't worry too much about it. At Westside we really love our children.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most important things our children and youth can learn. This Sunday is a great one to experience together!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for March 13, 2011

2011-03-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

Don't forget daylight savings time! Spring ahead!

This week our littlest ones will have good care with their regular care providers.

Our Spirit Play children will hear the story "The Anteater and the Fox".

The K-1 class learns about perseverance and courage as a Unitarian
Universalist value. For more information please follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/moralta...

The 2nd 3rd grade class continues exploring how humor helps to make
the rough edges smooth in life. For more information please follow
this link: http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolbox...

Our 4th and 5th grade class learns about the people of the bible, this
week focusing on Jacob.

The Middle School class will begin learning about Jesus and will watch
part of the millennium (1999) version of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Next week the children will stay for the Spring Equinox service, and
there will be no age group classes. We will have nursery care.

Westside News for Families

Making Music!

Liz Bucklew and Lisa Maynard are putting
together a kids' group of elementary students to sing the prelude on
May 8 (Mother's Day) and we
hope your child would like to participate! We'll rehearse for half an
hour starting at noon on Apr 10 and May 1. If your child can't make both of the
rehearsals, we can probably work something out with him or her on a separate
Sunday to go over the tune. We'll also have a short rehearsal around
10 am on May 8. Please let Lisa or Liz know if your child is
interested so that we can figure out how big a room to reserve. Thank you!

Good Stewardship, and a good time!

Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Westside Unitarian
Universalist Auction to be held at Westside UU Congregation on April
2, 2011. Our goal this year is to raise $35,000 for our church. This
money will be used to support our capital and operations budgets as we
grow in our new building. Reaching our goal depends on the generosity
of the friends of Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation:
families, businesses and community members.

Donate: The procurement deadline is March 15, 2011. Download a form http://wsuu.org/labor_of_love.php. Donations submitted by 3/15, along with their donors, will be prominently acknowledged in the auction catalog. All auction attendees will receive a copy of the catalog.

Thank you in advance for your support in making this year's auction a
great success! If you have any questions, please contact the church
office. Staff will connect you to the committee.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for February 27th, 2011

2011-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

We'll have regular age group classes this week.

Our nursery children will be cared for in their regular spaces, by
their regular care providers.

The Spirit Play class hears the story "The Anteater and the Fox".

Our K-1 class continues their lesson on Islam from earlier in the
winter.

The 2nd and 3rd grade class learns more about the Unitarian
Universalist value of listening. For more information please follow
this link: (note, this lesson has been taken from a different
curriculum than the one we're using, the children's lesson has been
formatted to match the "Toolbox of Faith" rituals that they are used
to following) http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/windows...

Our 4th and 5th grade class will be talking about Abraham from the
bible--so important to our understanding of what is happening in the
context of world religions today.

The middle school group continues last week's lesson about sacred
texts.

We do have Our Whole Lives for 7th and 8th grade at 5pm followed by
youth dinner at 6:30 and youth group at 7.

Upcoming Family events at Westside:

WSUU Moms' Theatre Night Out: April 1st, 6 p.m. - 9:30ish. Join
other WSUU mom's for the ArtsWest Theatre production, "Distracted." The ArtsWest
website describes it like this, "Jesse is nine. Jesse can't focus.
Mama helps. Dad ignores. The teacher scolds, the neighbors gossip, the
psychiatrists prescribe, the audience laughs, but.NO ONE LISTENS.
Welcome to Lisa Loomer's (The Waiting Room) darkly comic Distracted, a story
about a multi-tasking mom taking on the culture of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. Fast paced, disarmingly funny, and direct from a wildly
successful run on Broadway, this is a riveting gaze at parenting,
childhood, and looking for fast answers in the age of Ritalin." RSVP by March 6.
Contact Roseanne Lorenzana,

A great resource for families in the Pacific Northwest:

http://riteofpassagejourneys.org/about

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, February 13th, 2011

2011-02-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

This week we'll have regular age group classes for all ages.

Our nursery and Story time nursery will have fun with their regular care providers in their regular spaces.

The Spirit Play class will have a work day with plenty of time to use lots of our great materials.

Our K-1 class will learn about making a difference and hear a great
story from Thailand. For more information please follow this link.

The 2nd and 3rd grade class explores the idea of believing in
yourself, and hears the story of Lewis Latimer. For more information
please read this article

Our 4th and 5th grade class will try to solve the mystery with a "real
life" crime scene from the story of Cain and Abel. They'll see this
video

The Middle School group will have a scavenger hunt through the bible,
a fun way to familiarize themselves with how the bible is formatted,
and to begin to understand how it came to be that it is a cornerstone
of some people's faith. For more information on why UUs study the
bible, please read this good blog by my colleague the Rev. Dan Harper

We do have 7th and 8th grade Our Whole Lives at 5pm (topic--
contraception) followed by youth dinner at 6:30 provided by the Ehret
family with a youth group meeting for 6th-`12 graders at 7 PM.

Upcoming Events

TOMORROW! WSUU families of 2nd-5th graders, you are invited to a
family potluck supper this
Sat, Feb 12, from 5:30-7:30 pm in the social hall. It's an opportunity
for parents and kids in our elementary classes to get to know each other over a shared meal.
Bring a potluck dish, your own beverages, and maybe a game your family likes
to play (especially a movement and/or cooperative game). We'd be grateful for
your help with set-up or clean-up. Kids of all ages are welcome!

February 24th 5pm--Teen feed at Orion Center (http://www.youthcare.org/
index.php/services/orion) Contact Kari (dre@wsuu.org) if you are
interested in volunteering. To accommodate our many families, you may
only be able to serve every other month. Appropriate for children who
can really cook and clean, but not for young kids.

RE Council meeting, 12:30 in the Cloud Room.

Link to affordable and beautiful Chalice Jewelry

Children and Youth Bulletin, February 6th, 2011

2011-02-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

This week most of our children and youth will have regular age group
classes, but our Middle School class will stay for the service since
they were part of the inspiration behind the service: “You’re Darn
Right It Matters!” Rev. Peg Morgan. Our middle schoolers just polled
us on our view of God. How does what we believe matter in our lives?
How does what other people believe affect our lives? Can we agree on a
religion for our time?

For other classes:

The nursery children will be cared for by their regular care providers
in their regular spaces.

The Spirit Play class hears the story "Wanda's Roses" learning about
optimism and hope.

Our K-1st grade class will spend this week learning a little about
Islam. For more information please follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/creatinghome/session15/index.shtml

The 2nd and 3rd grade class explores some of our Universalist history and learns about the courage and conviction of our 19th century circuit riding women ministers. For more information please follow this link: http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/session10/sessionplan/activities/109744.shtml

The 4th and 5th grade class hears the story of creation from Genesis and begins to explore what the word "God" means to different people.

And our OWL class and the youth group will meet on Sunday evening; OWL at 5, youth dinner served by the Breidford/Reinhardt family at 6:30 followed by youth group at 7.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH and FAMILIES

FAMILY POTLUCK SUPPER

Sat, Feb 12 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm
If you have kids in 2nd through 5th grade, please come to a potluck supper in the social hall on Sat, Feb 12. It's an opportunity for parents and kids in our elementary classes to get to know each other over a shared meal.

Bring a potluck dish, your own beverages, and maybe a game your family likes to play. Questions? Talk with Lisa Maynard Ruth Herman-Dunn, or Jane Wainwright. Let us know also if you can help with set-up or clean-up. Kids of all ages are welcome!

MARCH 5th--SAVE THE DATE!
RE Social Action Project--street clean up at 10 followed by cocoa and treats at church. Watch for more details!

April 2nd Family Friendly Church Auction: Labor of Love (or LOLA)

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, January 30th 2011

2011-01-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Our Children....

Seek Justice, Use Reason, Find JOY!

We hope you plan to attend the RE Summit, this Sunday January 30th at
12:30 in the sanctuary. Childcare will be provided, bring a sack lunch
for your family. Join the Religious Exploration Council and Rev. Mark
Newton to share your hopes and dreams for the future of our children
and youth programs.

This week in RE Classes:

Our nursery children will have loving care with their regular care
providers.

The Spirit Play class hears "My Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss.

Our K-1 class explores non-violence, for more information please
follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/moraltales/session11/sessionplan/123544.shtml

The 2nd-3rd grade class continues their exploration of "The Spirit of
Life" for more information please follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/session9/sessionplan/109718.shtml.

Our 4th-5th grade class begins to hear stories from the Hebrew bible
in their exploration of the bible. For more information about why UUs
would study the bible please follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/publications/pamphlets/theologicalperspectives/151245.shtml

The Middle School group explores what the theology of our congregation
means in our church life. For a thought provoking essay about UU
theology please follow this link: http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/36941.shtml

And we do have 7th-8th grade Our Whole Lives, youth dinner and youth
group this Sunday evening!

The Rev. Phil Lund, Program Consultant for the Prairie Star District
of the UUA has a new blog out about building a UU homelife:
http://philontheprairie.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/building-a-uu-home-caring-conversations/

Westside Children and Youth for 1-16-11

2011-01-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will have regular age group classes for all ages, but
our Spirit Play (4 and 5-year-old) classroom is under construction,
so they will meet in the social hall using the classroom dividers we
used to use when we rented space at the Masonic Hall. It is sure to
remind us how lucky we are to have our own building with room-like
spaces for all of our groups!

This week:

The nursery (0-2) and Storytime (2 and 3) nursery will meet in their
classrooms with their regular care providers and teachers.

The Spirit Play (4 and 5-year-old) class hears the story "The Great
Mystery" this week and will meet in the social hall during
construction to their classroom.

Our K-1 class learns about generosity and hears a story about giving
during a time of need. For more information please follow this link.
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/moraltales/session9/sessionplan/123462.shtml

The 2nd-3rd grade class hears the story of Unitarian minister Theodore
Parker and his powerful stand for justice for all. To read the story
please follow this link:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/session8/sessionplan/activities/109673.shtml

Our 4th-5th grade class comes together to begin learning about the
Hebrew and Christian bible and how we as Unitarian Universalists may
need to learn about the stories in the bible, both as a place to learn
about important values and morals and as a way to understand the
culture we live in.

The Middle school group follows up on their survey of the congregation
from last week to learn more about the theology of the members of our
congregation.

Save the Date! January 30th The RE Council invites you to a Summit on
the Religious Exploration program: Dreams for Our Future, facilitated
by Mark Newton. 12:30-2pm in the sanctuary. Reserve child care by the
26th (office @wsuu.org).

And don't miss the upcoming Peter Mayer concert, March 26th, 7pm. Many
Unitarian Universalist families are raising their children to a
soundtrack of Peter's music. It supports our deeply thoughtful faith!
Tickets $15 presale, $18 at the door. Older children welcome.

Westside Children and Youth for 1-2-11

2010-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Westside Families,

On the threshold of the new year, I am reminded of the profound gift
of this faith community, the Westside Unitarian Universalist
Congregation. The children, parents, grandparents, teachers, leaders
and staff of our church bring deep care and joy to their work
together. The past year has held more transitions than we could
possibly have imagined, and our path has not always been smooth, but
we've traversed the obstacles together. To me it's an affirmation that
with care and grace this group of dear people can do absolutely
anything.

Thank you for being a part of this community, it truly is a blessing
to be together.

In deep gratitude,

Kari Kopnick
Director of Religious Exploration

This Week:

Nursery, Storytime Nusery, Spirit Play and Middle School will hold
regular classes.

All Kindergarten through 5th grade children will share a game day and
learn a little more about their new classes and teachers. (K-1,
2nd-3rd, and 4th-5th with a few new teachers)

Upcoming Events:

January 9th 9:00, RE Teacher continuing education meeting, childcare
provided

January 9th 7th and 8th grade OWL resumes (3pm start with parent
meeting)

January 28th RE Summit meeting at 12:30--come share your vision for
the Westside RE Program, childcare provided

Teen Feed with the youth group

2010-12-23T22:11:00.001-08:00

It was a busy, busy night at Orion Center!

With:

40 pounds of potatoes

1 gallon of gravy

3 turkeys

and the best crew of volunteers ever!

Merry Christmas!

Come on in.....there is room in the stable for everyone

2010-12-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the beautiful set for our Nativity Pageant "Would You Like to Hold the Baby?"

We have a stable.

And we have the star of Bethlehem.

Here's what it looks like from "inside" the stable.

The stable is made from real wood and real rope.

It's going to be a beautiful pageant. Don't miss it! Sunday December 19th at 10:30.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Programs for December 12th, 2010

2010-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

This week most of our classes will be holiday themed:

Our nursery and Story time nursery children will have loving care in
their regular spaces.

The Spirit Play class hears the story "The Rooster Who Couldn't Crow"

Our Early Elementary class learns more about Jesus of Nazareth.

The Older Elementary class hears stories of Festivals of Light from
around the globe. For some at home resources about this please click.

Our 6th through 8th grade group learns some history of Christmas and
hears about the historical Unitarian influence on the way we celebrate
Christmas today. For more information we invite you to read this
article from the UU World.

The high school group will attend the service about Pete Seeger.

There will be an Our Whole Lives class, youth dinner and a youth group
meeting on Sunday night. OWL at 5, dinner at 6:30, youth group at 7.

Christmas Pageant: Would You Like to Hold the Baby?

We’ll have our second rehearsal this Sunday at 11:45. Children will be
excused from classes at 11:30 and given a snack of apples, rice
crackers and string cheese—if your child is in the pageant or choir
and cannot have any of those foods, please let Kari know. Rehearsal
goes until 12:30 The final rehearsal will be on December 19th at 9am.

Coming Up:

Family Games Night 6 to 7:30 pm on Friday, December 10: We will be making popcorn in the kitchen and setting up the games out in the Social Hall. Any age can come and have fun. For more information,
contact Bruce Gaynor

Baby/Child Blessings
On Christmas Eve at the 5 pm Family Service we
offer an opportunity for children to have a blessing. To learn more
or to reserve space, contact Rev. Peg.

Family Circle Suppers
January 8, February 12, March 12 at 5 pm.
Circle Suppers are dinners for 3, 4 or 5 families at the home of a
church member or friend. The host provides the main dish. The guests
are assigned side dishes and desserts. If you are interested in the
family circle suppers, please contact Scott Iverson.

Westside Game Night--Friday December 10th, 6pm

2010-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

We must finally be settling into our new church home! It's time for the very first all ages game night!

It's happening this FRIDAY NIGHT at 6PM.
All ages are warmly invited.

Come join with your church family for some relaxing games and a good hot bowl of popcorn! Some games and puzzles are available at church, but you are also welcome to bring your own.

This event is hosted by the Membership committee, for more information get in touch with Bruce Gaynor.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, December 5th 2010

2010-12-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

This week we'll have regular age group classes:

The nursery and Story time nursery children will be lovingly cared for
in their regular classrooms by their regular teachers.

The Spirit Play class hears the story "The Weight of a Snowflake"

Our Early Elementary class has a special lesson to learn about
Christianity.

The Older Elementary class learns about the democratic process, our
fifth UU Principle. For information about the class please follow this
link

Our Middle School class will discuss images of God in our Western
culture.

And the High School group will be discussing this potential learning
opportunity and what we mean when we say "Interfaith" To see more
follow this link

RE NEWS
Rehearsals for our Christmas pageant "Would You Like to Hold the
Baby?" will be held December 5th 12-12:30, December 12th, 12-12:30 and
December 19th 9am to 10. We'll be presenting the pageant on December
19th. The parts are all taken, but we do have room in the choir for
adults or children.

Don't forget to continue to welcome a Guest at Your Table! For more
information, please follow this link: http://www.uusc.org/files/2010-2011_Stories-of-Hope-Booklet.pdf

This Sunday there will be a soup lunch following the service. These
soup lunches are offered by our children and youth and their families.
We use the funds to support our work with Orion Center in our monthly
teen feed for homeless youth. Funds also supplement our RE budget. If
you are able to join in this great effort that supports our work and
can bring soup or bread or help set up, serve or clean up please
contact our Associate Director of Religious Education, Shannon Day. The RE program hosts these lunches every first
Sunday.

We still have many, many unclaimed folks on our Giving Tree. We can
even ask friends, family and neighbors if they can share a little love
and care during this cold, dark winter. If you can't make it in to
church before the December 14th deadline, contact our Giving Tree
coordinator Kristina Surface and she will help you make Christmas
magic real.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, November 28th, 2010

2010-11-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

This week we have regular age group classes! And all of the classes
will end at noon instead of ending when the adults are finished.

Our nursery and Story time nursery have loving care with their regular
care givers and teachers.

The Spirit Play class hears a story and has their regular work time.

Our Early Elementary class hears a story about a spirited classroom
and a rabbi's solution
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/moraltales/session7/sessionplan/123382.shtml

The Older Elementary class will use a paintbrush as a symbol of
artistic creativity and it's connection to our soul, and they hear the
story of the Cellist of Sarajevo.
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/session6/sessionplan/109610.shtml

The Middle School group talks about our attachments to knowing and
learning and how they can evolve over time.

And the High School group attends the service.

If you wish to participate in the Christmas pageant, please stop by
the RE bulletin board between the two RE classrooms on the lower
level. We also need some help with costumes, sets. We need people of
all ages to play parts in our tableau, adults, too!

RE Calendar

Today NO OWL or YOUTH GROUP
12/5 and 12/12 Rehearsal for “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?”12-12:30
12/19 Rehearsal for “Would You Like to Hold the Baby?” 9-10 AM
12/19 All Ages Christmas Pageant "Would You Like to Hold the Baby?"
12/24 Family Christmas Eve Service 5PM (no childcare)

Resources:

UUWorld Parenting Blog http://blogs.uuworld.org/parenting/?h3

Tips for a Happy All Ages Service

2010-11-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Tips for a Happy All-Ages Service

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)
can see well.

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special event! Tell them with a smile that you expect them to sit with you or another trusted adult and enjoy the service together.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air. The quiet room in the balcony might be a good choice for little ones.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most important things our children and youth can learn.

REMEMBER! At WSUU we really, really love our children, and dancing, happy children are a joy to all of us. Some child noise is simply a part of our chorus of life!

Let's Make It Better

2010-11-15T13:36:00.001-08:00

We Are Committed to Helping Make it Better Now from UUAYaYA on Vimeo.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, November 14th, 2010

2010-11-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Our Children…

Seek Justice-Use Reason-Find Joy!

This Week:

The nursery and the Story time nursery will have fun and good care in
their regular classrooms.

Our Spirit Play class hears the story "What is Eternity?"

The Early Elementary and Older Elementary classes come together for a
Chalice Chapel about the "Big Questions" followed by some activities
from the book "The Kids' Book of Awesome Stuff." http://www.thegreatstory.org/
http://www.thegreatstory.org/awesome-stuff-star.pdf

And the Middle School and High School classes will take over a "youth
pew" in the sanctuary to stay for the service.

News:
Next week our service is a Multi-Generational for all ages.The service
will be interactive and joyful; filled with stories and meaning. The
nurseries will remain open--littles near the music office and the
Cloud room-Story time class.

On November 28th we'll begin holding Religious Exploration classes
until 12:00. We ask parents and caregivers to pick up Early Elementary and younger children at 12.

Hidden Treasures
Did you know that we have a lovely little quiet room in the balcony, complete with rocking chair and quiet toys? It’s available for anyone who needs a quiet space, and especially nice for parents of wee ones!

The Big Show!
Sunday after the service we’ll have a meeting about the December 19th Sunday service, and cover the different roles children can take in the service. We also need some help with costumes, sets and we need people of all ages to play parts in our tableau. We’ll meet in the back of the sanctuary right after the service. Here's a taste http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1lZEz2qs70&feature=related

Resources:
Healthy sexuality information for parents and other adults with
children in their lives. http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=21805
And a christian based "take what works for you and leave the rest"
resource about talking with your kids about porn. http://www.theporntalk.com/home.asp

RE Calendar
November 14th Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday—The Big Questions

November 14th Our Whole Lives for 7th and 8th grade; 5PM GLBTQ guest panel, 6:30, dinner, 7PM Gender Identity (NO YOUTH GROUP)

November 21st Multi-Generational worship service; “So Many Riches”

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, November 7th, 2010

2010-11-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Children and Youth Bulletin, November 7th 2010

Our Children…
Seek Justice-Use Reason-Find Joy!

This Week
This Sunday we’ll have regular age group classes! We also have a soup lunch hosted by the Religious Education Council; donations offered will benefit the monthly teen feed at Orion Center and other needs for our children and youth.

Hidden Treasures
Did you know that we have a lovely little quiet room in the balcony, complete with rocking chair and quiet toys? It’s available for anyone who needs a quiet space, and especially nice for parents of wee ones!

Paper work—stop by the RE table downstairs
Stop by the RE table to register your kids for the Religious Exploration program sign-up for soup lunches and other great volunteer opportunities. It takes a whole village to create dynamic relevant programming for our children and youth!

RE Calendar
Sunday Regular Age Group classes and Soup Lunch
November 14th Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday—The Big Questions

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org RE Blog: http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Children and Youth Bulletin, October 10th 2010

2010-10-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Our Children…
Seek Justice-Use Reason-Find Joy!

This Week

We have a special Pet Blessing for children and youth this week! We'll bless all our beloved animal friends both alive and no longer with us. Bring photos or mementos of your furry (or scaly) friends for our altar. Then we’ll create pet toys and treats to sell during social hour—proceeds to go to PAWS animal shelter.

We Are the Church of the Helping Hands
Have your children been in the RE program for six months? Have you been wondering what you will do to fulfill your volunteer role in RE? We have lots of options, and not all of them involve Sunday mornings (especially for you busy choir members!). Contact Kari Kopnick or Shannon Day for help finding just the right fit for your family. Our program runs on love, care and lots and lots of helping hands.

Watch for new procedures and policies for the very busy nursery nursery and coming soon.....a class for 2 and 3 year-olds.

SAFETY ALERT!
After the service children are the responsibility of their families! Please watch your children and keep them close by. No children are allowed in the balcony except during the service AND with a responsible adult. Everyone in 2nd grade and younger must be signed out from their classroom after service—don’t forget to pick up your little one!

RE Calendar
Today Pet Blessing, Chalice Chapel—All Ages together
October 28th Orion Center, Homeless Teen Feed

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Children and Youth Bulletin September 26th

2010-09-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Children and Youth Bulletin, September 26th, 2010

Our Children…
Seek Justice~~Use Reason~~Find Joy!

This Week
This week our children have age group classes. Out middle school group is off at a conference, so any 6th through 12th grade youth attending today will have a youth pew reserved for them! Reading this and want to find the youth pew? Ask an usher, they’re here to help! Questions about where your children’s class is located? Look for the “class key” with descriptions and the color coding.

SAFETY ALERT!
After the service children are the responsibility of their families!! Please watch your children and keep them close by! There will be toys available on the stage. No children are allowed in the balcony except during the service AND with a responsible adult.

RE Rules: Our RE rules are: walk only walk, come to class with empty hands and empty pockets and stay with your class. That’s it!

RE Calendar
This Week Age group classes, youth in the service in the “Youth Pew!”
Last day of the Middle School Youth “Con” youth home about 3.
October 10th Pet Blessing, Chalice Chapel

Great Games for Kid's to Play

2010-09-17T16:29:00.001-07:00

Great Games for Kids to Play

Class falling apart? Sermon running over by 20 minutes? Snow day and you only have five kids of all different ages? Emergency Congregational meeting called with no plan in place? Board forgot to tell you about a big event before the service that had "child care provided" announced?

Don't worry! Games are always appropriate curriculum! I shamelessly stole, I mean lovingly lifted most of these games from Cathy Cartwright's excellent curriculum called "Dr. Seuss Changed My Life", which is also an excellent "all ages kids programing in a box" resource to have on hand!

Red Handed

How sneaky can you be?

Everyone forms a circle, the person who is “it” (oldest student?) stands in the center. “It” closes her eyes and the other players pass a small object (small stone or marble) from person to person.

A good way to pass the stone is to hold the marble in one fist, palm down, and drop it into the palm-up hand of the next person. Then he passes it from one fist to the next and to the next person.

The person who is “it” raises her hand to signal that she is about to open her eyes. Then when she opens her eyes she tries to discover who has the stone. Lots of fake passes, lots of distractions make for a fun guessing time. When “it” guesses right who has the stone, then that person is the new “it”!

Chute Ball

Have everyone hold a parachute around the edge, like a fireman’s net—toss in a foam ball. With a few tries and coordination you’ll be able to send it flying. With a little more practice you’ll be able to catch it and send it flying again. You can also try to roll it around the edge by “doing the wave” around the circle.

Hula Hoop Game

Objective: To pass a Hula Hoop around a circle without letting go of hands.

Have people join a big circle holding hands. Put a Hula Hoop over one of your arms and join the circle.

“Now without letting go of anyone’s hands, let’s see if we can pass this Hula Hoop around the circle!” Try to have shorter and taller kids mixed together.

This is a Weeble

Gather a number of common items from the craft cupboard or the kitchen. A spoon, a pencil, a stone etc… Sit in a circle. Explain that you will be passing around an item, which will go around the entire circle, but it must be done in the “proper” way only!

Say: “Let’s practice. This is a weeble” and hand one item to the person on your right.

Kid on the Right “A what?”

Leader: “ A weeble”

The prop is passed to the next person on the right saying “This is a weeble” They must reply “A what?” this same reply goes all the way around the circle and comes back to the leader who says “A weeble” passing that information once again so the prop can go to the next person.

Get started making sure everyone is clear, then stop the action and pass a “Worgle” (a new prop) to your left. Start up the “weeble” again. The fun comes when the items pass each other and the “a what’s?” are flying. You can add a few more items.

Charades

If you are not familiar with the game, look it up online, Wikipedia has a good description. For church classes it’s suggested to have one person acting out a word or phrase that they come up with rather than teams and pre-determined items. You could act out the principles or UU things like chalice, altar, flame, but simple things like football, movie titles and books might be best.

Who is the Leader?

The objective of the game is for one person to guess who the “leader” is in the circle.

Have one person leave the area and turn their back to the group. The remaining children form a circle and choose a leader. Decide on a simple motion to do in rhythm like clapping hands, patting knees and finger clicking. Talk about how the leader will change motions. Practice so it’s difficult to tell who the leader is.

Have the person come back to the group and stand in the middle of the circle, trying to guess who the leader is. Once they have guessed, the leader goes out and the game begins again!

Duck Duck GOOSE

Although where I come from, we called this game Duck, Duck, Grey Duck.

Energy Breaks

Tone Singing

Have each person close their eyes release sound on a

different tone. (“Om” or “Oooooooo”). Hold the tones as

long as possible, taking staggered breaths so that the

sound is constant. Listen as the voices come into

harmony with each other.

Group Sneeze

Sneeze out all the negative energy with this one. Divide

the group into 3 sections. Assign the word “Russia” to

one, “Prussia” to another, and “Massachusetts” to third.

Have everyone sneeze their word loudly at the same

time.

Zoom

Form a standing circle, then have everyone hold hands

and squat down. As they slowly come up to standing,

have them say “zzzzzzzzzzoooooooooooooom!” (or any

other joyful noise or word) and end with a jump in the

air.

Oomwah!

Have the group spread out in the space. Tell them to

relax their bodies. As the say “Oooooom” have them

clench every muscle in their bodies; hands, tummy,

faces; until they are in scrunched up little balls. Then,

on “Wah!” have them release all of the tension and

sprawl out on the floor.

Acorn/Tree

Form a standing circle. Have everyone gradually

crouch down, making themselves as small as possible.

As they do this, have them say, “Acorn, acorn, acorn...”

getting softer and softer. Then, simultaneously jump

up into the air and say “TREE!!” with enthusiasm. Do

this one several times to energize a tired group.

Social Justice Stretching

“Reach down to get power from the grassroots (touch

your toes)

Reach up to the sky for inspiration (reach your arms up

in the air)

Stomp out injustice (stomp feet on the floor)

Move in the winds of change (with arms out to your

side twist your torso from left to right)”

Repeat with a faster pace and repeat until you can’t go

any faster

Shake by Numbers

Tell the group that once they catch on to copy you.

Start by shaking your right arm and counting to ten,

kind-of quickly. Then shake your left arm and count to

ten. Next shake your right leg and count to ten, then

shake your left leg and count to ten. Continue in this

order but for each set count only to nine, then eight,

etc. (think B-I-N-G-O-style) and hopefully quicken the

counting each time. Continue until you run out of

numbers.

And for slightly older kids and for youth, check out the entire compilation of games called Deep Fun!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Sunday September 19th, 2010

2010-09-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Our Children…
Seek Justice~~Use Reason~~Find Joy!

URGENT! HELP NEEDED!
Saturday 10-4, is our last Saturday work party and much of the work that needs to be done is in the RE Classrooms. Come add your time and care to the rooms our children and youth will use for decades to come! RSVP by replying to this email.

This Sunday
We have our first day of age group classes today! Our children and youth will learn about their teachers, their classrooms and they’ll become familiar with the curriculum they will use this year. Please remember, parents/caregivers have to pick children up from Spirit Play and Early Elementary classes, so if your child is in second grade or younger, be sure to go to their classroom after the service and before coffee hour. We’re so excited to begin together!

Spirit Play—or four and five-year-olds, (three year olds on a trial basis). This will be our fourth year of using this wonderful “learn through play” program http://www.spiritplay.net/.

Early Elementary---for Kindergarten through 2nd grade children, will be using “Moral Tales” an online curriculum from the UUA’s “Tapestry of Faith” http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/moraltales/introduction/123074.shtml

Older Elementary—for 3rd through 5th grade will be using “Toolbox of Faith” an online curriculum from the UUA’s “Tapestry of Faith” http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith/toolboxfaith/introduction/109377.shtml

Middle School—6th through 8th grade will be using “Compass Points”, the very best UU curriculum, co-authored by the UUA’s parenting blogger; Michele Richards. http://www.shancarpublications.com/Compass_Points.html

High School—9th through 12th grade will be meeting twice a month (1st and 3rd Sundays) for RE classes. The class will be discussing which curriculum to use this year, some options: http://www.pitt.edu/~jdl1/UUcurric.htm

SAFETY ALERT!
After the service children are the responsibility of their families!! Please watch your children and keep them close by! There will be toys available on the stage. No children are allowed in the balcony except during the service AND with a responsible adult.

RE Rules: Our RE rules are: walk only walk, come to class with empty hands and empty pockets and stay with your class. That’s it!

RE Calendar
Sunday First day of age group programming in our brand new classrooms!
Our Whole Lives for 7th and 8th grade (must have attended parent orientation) 5pm -6:30
First Youth Group meeting! Dinner at 6:30, youth group at 7
October 10th Pet Blessing, Chalice Chapel

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education.

Ribbon Cutting at Westside Congregation

2010-09-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Noisy Church--Homecoming Sunday 2010

2010-09-12T23:29:00.001-07:00

Once there was a lovely little church on a lovely little hill filled with lovely people. In fact it was so lovely that lots of people wanted to be a part of the church. Now the minister always said “There’s always room for one more” and warmly welcomed each and every person—even a whole extra congregation-- into the church. But eventually it got so that one person’s knees were on the next person’s back during the services and the children had to have their Religious Education classes in the bathrooms!

The people decided that they needed to find a bigger building; they needed to find a home of their own.

So they searched and searched and finally they found a building that was just right. Of course it was also on a lovely little hill, but it was filled with lots of not-so-lovely stuff and it needed lots of lovely work.

Even though the people of the church loved each other very much, each one had a different idea about what was the very most important thing to fix up in the new church.

Two crazy ladies who spent all of their time on the top floor thought that every square inch in the new church should be for children’s classes. They could just hear the children laughing “hee hee hee, hee, hee hee!” and they spent lots of time fixing up rooms with bulletin boards and wee chairs for the children.

One man who always had a pun on the tip of his tongue just knew that the most important thing in the new church would be the pews, after all, if the lovely people didn’t have a place to sit during the services, what on earth would they all do? So he spent all his time fixing and sawing the pews……And the saw sounded just like this. shhhhrup-shhhhrup, shhhhhrup, shhhhhrup.

There was a whole crew of people who thought that without healing gardens, the whole church wouldn’t mean anything to the lovely people—not really anyway. And so they spent all of their time digging and planting and watering the lovely new gardens. The watering sounded just like this:Whoosh, whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Some people thought that the kitchen was really the heart of the whole lovely little church and so they scrubbed and scraped and washed and organized organized organized the whole thing to be just right for the coffee hour and soup lunches and all the times the lovely people would break bread together. As they organized it sounded like this……shdup shdup shdup shdup.

Now some people thought that dirty old paint was unappealing and so they decided to spend every spare moment that they had for weeks and weeks painting and painting and painting so that all the lovely people could look upon shiny clean walls and doors. And the painting sounded like this…….swish swoosh, swish swoosh, swish swoosh.

And there was even more going on! Some of the lovely people thought that fabulous music was the most important thing and so musicians practiced and the sound system was tuned and tuned again. And that sounded like this: la la la la la la laaaaaa.

And one person who must have really lived at the new church all the days and all the nights thought that clean dishes were the most important thing and so he trekked all over the whole city from hill to hill searching out the right parts to make the dishwasher work just right to clean all the dishes the lovely people would use. And that sounded like this: clomp clomp clomp clomp.

Now remember, the people of the lovely churched loved each other very much, but sometimes the new church was so noisy what with everyone working on what they thought was the most important that sometimes it was actually hard to hear yourself think in the new church! What with all the hee hee hee hee, and the shhhhrup-shhhhrup, shhhhhrup, shhhhhrup. And the Whoosh whoosh whoosh. And the shdup shdup shdup shdup. And the swish swoosh, swish swoosh, swish swoosh. And the la la la la la la laaaaaa. And the clomp clomp clomp clomp.

But finally, there came a morning. Well, not just any morning. It was THE morning. The morning that all the people would sit in the beautiful sanctuary and sing the opening hymn and worship all together in the lovely little church. Now believe me, there was a lot of noisy church leading up to this morning. What with all the hee hee hee hee and the la la la la la la laaaaa, and everything else. And everyone was worried about the part that they thought was the most important. Would the bulletin boards be just right? Would the sound be OK? Would the coffee brew just right?

But……as they sat down together and breathed for just a moment everyone realized something amazing.

It was all the most important thing. Each and every thing that had happened to get that church ready to open its doors was the very most important thing. It all mattered. How lovely.

And there was something else all the lovely people noticed. For the very first time. It was very very quiet.

And everyone, each and every lovely person smiled.

The noisy church had become very, very quiet. And it had clearly become…. a church of peace. Amen.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Programs for Children and Youth

2010-09-11T23:53:00.001-07:00

Curricula for 2010-2011

Nursery (Ages 6 weeks to about 3)
Our youngest members and friends learn about Unitarian Universalism being the church of the loving heart and welcoming hands through loving care with our nursery care provider. The nursery is located near the sanctuary for easy access and adjustment for the child and parents. Quiet babies in arms are welcome in the service and there is a quiet room in the balcony as well.

Spirit Play Class (4-5)
Children join together in a fun-filled active time, led by specially trained volunteers. This group uses a Montessori based approach called Spirit Play. Each week the children will see a story presented in a specific way. Following the story the children will choose to play out one of the stories from previous weeks, or to create some art, or another activity available on our shelves. The class ends with a closing ritual. Children who are nearing four may attend this class on a trial basis, with an evaluation after about one month if it’s a good fit for both the class and the child.

Early Elementary (K-2)
Our focus for these growing children is nurturing their spiritual and religious growth through connections to their ever-widening environment. They explore selves, friendships, families, church, nature, and religious and cultural days. Through ritual, sharing times, quiet times, crafts, activities, singing and music, games and movement, stories and talks, they learn to appreciate the worth of each person, to express feelings, to celebrate human diversity, and to feel part of their faith community.

Older Elementary (3-5)
This class will engage our older children in exploration of self that is designed to help them seek and begin to develop their own answers to deep life questions about human faith and the web of all existence.

Middle School (6-8)
The Unitarian Universalist faith comes from a long tradition of questioning and searching. We also come from a long tradition of loving kindness and good works. We have powerful stories and visions of hope. Using a core Unitarian Universalist curriculum, our teachers will share this living history with our middle school class as they begin the process of shaping their own faith.

High School (9-12)

The high school group will have class led by an adult teacher on the first and third Sundays of the month. This class will be about learning and exploring religious life in a fun and energetic atmosphere. On the second Sunday of the month the Sr. Youth are invited to attend the Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday that the children and Jr. Youth participate in. Or they can attend the regular Sunday morning worship service. On the fourth Sunday of the month the youth will attend the worship service, a special pew will be reserved for them. When there is a fifth Sunday in the month, the youth will head down to Café Ladro for conversation and social time.
Youth Group (6-12)

Our youth are invited to participate in a fantastic opportunity to grow and learn within our youth programming. Social activities combine with social action, spiritual growth, learning together and positive youth and adult interaction to form a strong youth group. Contact our Director of Religious Education for more information about youth group meeting times dre(at)wsuu(dot)org

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation.....introducation to the program for children and youth

2010-09-11T23:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
We are so glad you're here!

I am honored to serve this congregation as the Director of Religious Exploration for children and youth. Westside is a vibrant, active congregation that is a great place to raise children.

Family life today is full of a huge variety of activities. We all stay extremely busy. But there is something special about being a member of a church community. Here, we agree about the big things in life; everyone is worthy of our respect, we should respect our earth, everyone should get a say in how things go, and that the search for truth and meaning is a journey that we can all take together. There is no other place in our daily lives that offers us such an affirming community.

If this sounds like a good fit for your family, please take some time to explore our website and also these other resources about Unitarian Universalist families and kids.

www.uua.org
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/children/index.shtml
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/families/index.shtml

Pick a Sunday that sounds interesting and come join us. We hope you’ll find, in Westside Congregation a wonderful spiritual home.

Blessings!

Kari Kopnick
Director of Religious Exploration

One condition for religious freedom is exposure to more than one way of thinking and believing. The ability to grant such freedom requires in the educator a respect for children's ability to think and a trust in the power of truth. ~ Sophia Lyons Fahs

What to Expect for Children and Youth at Westside UU Congregation

2010-09-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

What to Expect

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s young members and friends will find an active, educational and spirit filled experience every time they join with friends at church. Our kids are divided by ages; 0-3 in the Nursery, quiet babies in arms are welcome in the service; 4-5 year-olds in the Spirit Play class; Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade in Early Elementary and 3rd through 5th grade in Older Elementary. The divisions are flexible for homeschoolers, kids with different learning styles or special needs.

The Youth of our congregation are involved in a deeper exploration of their values and beliefs. This is a great time to learn about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, when values and beliefs are becoming solid. Middle school/junior youth meet each Sunday during the service, high school/senior youth meet on the first and third Sundays for class and are invited to attend worship on the second and fourth Sundays.

As the children and youth of our congregation grow, we honor some significant milestones with a number of rites of passage ceremonies including Infant/Child Blessing, Chalice Lighters/Age of Reason at 7, Coming of Age in the middle years and Bridging to Adulthood at about 18.

We welcome visiting children and youth to join us in whatever way feels comfortable to them. Most Sundays follow a regular pattern. The children and youth join the older members of the congregation for the first 15 minutes or so of the service. During this time there is usually some music, an inspirational reading welcoming us together, and a Story for All Ages. After the Story for All Ages, the children and youth head downstairs as a group where they sort out into class groups, visiting kids will have a colored dot on their name tag that matches the color of the flag their teacher holds.

On the second Sunday of the month we have a Children’s Worship called “Chalice Chapel” followed by a Service Sunday including kids of all ages working together on a specific service project. At the end of the adult service, children go with their adult(s) to enjoy coffee hour together as a family. Parents and guardians are welcome to join their younger folks in classes at any time.

Children and Youth Bulletin, September 12, 2010

2010-09-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Children and Youth Bulletin, September 12^th, 2010

Our Children…

Seek Justice

Use Reason

Find Joy

This Week
Second Sundays are Chalice Chapel and Service Sundays! Today our Chalice Chapel or children’s worship will include our Water Communion ritual bringing us together after busy summer days. Then we’ll hear the history of the Unitarian Universalist flaming chalice symbol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Communion

The Service Sunday project will include taking care of ourselves so we’re ready to do good work in the world. We’ll start by making things that our church needs to be ready for the church year. We’ll also write cards of care and concern for members and friends of our church. As we say in our unison affirmation… “service is our prayer”.

RE Calendar

September 12th Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday, All Ages in the social hall

Junior High Our Whole Lives parent orientation, 5pm

September 19^th First day of age group programming in our brand new classrooms!

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick.

How it all started.....A HOME OF OUR OWN!

2010-09-02T16:49:00.001-07:00

Westside Congregation Youth Group Schedule 2010

2010-09-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

September19th 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

September 19^th7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

October 3^rd 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

October 3^rd 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th -12^th grade.

October 17^th 6-7 Kitchen Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

October 17^th 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

November 7^th 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

November 7^th 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

November 21^st 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

November 21^st 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

December 5^th 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

December 5^th 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

December 12^th 6-7 Kitchen/Social Hall Youth Dinner 6^th-12^th grade

December 12^th 7-8:30 Youth Room Youth Group 6^th-12^th grade

Dinner: families will sign up to make dinner with the youth who are not in OWL, then the OWL kids, the youth group leaders and any OWL leaders and random parents can sit down to a nice dinner together, then the leaders will take the youth off to youth group!

Youth group: a more casual gathering led by youth group leaders focused around UU identity, social justice and being a supportive community.

Westside Congregation Youth Programs 2010-2011

2010-09-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Youth Programs

YRUU

Youth Religious Unitarian Universalists

Why Are You, YOU?

High School Program—Sr. Youth (9^th -12^th grade)

Sunday Mornings

The Sr. Youth will have a class led by an adult teacher on the first and third Sundays of the month. This class will be about learning and exploring religious life in a fun and energetic atmosphere. On the second Sunday of the month the Sr. Youth are invited to attend the Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday that the children and Jr. Youth participate in. Or they can attend the regular Sunday morning worship service. On the fourth Sunday of the month the youth will attend the worship service, a special pew will be reserved for them. On the occasional fifth Sunday the youth will head down to Café Ladro for conversation and some hard core hanging out.

Middle School Program—Jr. Youth (6^th-8^th grade)

Sunday Mornings

The Jr. Youth will have a class led by an adult teacher using the “Compass Points” curriculum. Topics include Unitarian Universalist identity and faith formation, world religions, spiritual development, decision making skills and indentity. On the second Sunday of the month the Jr. Youth will attend the Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday.

Jr. and Sr. Youth Program (6^th-12^th grade)

Sunday Evenings

Our youth group welcomes both the Jr. Youth and the Sr. Youth. We will meet on specific prescheduled Sunday evenings. There will be a simple dinner at 6:30 followed by a youth group meeting facilitated by youth group leaders. The topics will vary and will be about the experience of growing up and what it means to be a mindful young person in our culture.

Social Justice

Our youth have a long tradition of serving dinner to homeless teens at Orion Center once each month. This year we’ll be serving on the fourth Thursday each month. We show up at 5, serve and 6 and are out by 7.

Our Whole LivesThis year we will offer Our Whole Lives, sexuality curriculum for 7^th and 8^th graders, or ages 12-14. This is a comprehensive values based education about life long healthy sexuality. The OWL class will meet on specifically scheduled Sunday evenings from 5-6:30 with an occasional alternate meeting date. Most OWL classes will be followed by a youth dinner and our youth group meeting. Registration deadline Sept 13^th.

Dates

Septembe 13^th OWL Registration Deadline

September 19^th First OWL Class

September 23^rd Orion Center teen feed

September 24^th- 26^th Middle School Con (registration deadline Sept 8^th)

October 22^nd-24^th Youth Con (senior youth active in the congregation)

Westside Congregation, Children and Youth Bulletin 5-2-10

2010-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

May 2^nd, 2010

This Week

Our nursery class will have good care with their regular teacher. The rest of the children and youth will split their time between an art experience day and visiting the rock and gem show. This will be the last year that we lose a huge section of our class space to this event, but, the rock and gem folks have always been very kind to our kids, and our kids really love visiting the show. Maybe next year we’ll have to take a field trip to see the show!

SAVE THE DATES—Upcoming OWL Classes!

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Classes for children finishing Kindergarten and 1^st grade, July 26^th -30^th, day camp style. See Shannon for information. May 23^rd parent information meeting, 12:30 at Hisatomi’s.

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Classes for 7^th-9^th graders next fall—we know there will be a retreat October 8^th-10^th at Camp Long. And we’re considering class on Sunday afternoons. See Kari for information.

RE Calendar

This Sunday Art Experience/Rock and Gem show

May 9^th Multi Generational Worship/Child Blessing, see Peg to participate

June 6^th Kinesthetic Parenting class following the service

June 13^th Transitions Service—bridging service, don’t miss this one!

"Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
— Mary Oliver

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Congregation, Children and Youth Bulletin 4-25-10

2010-04-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

April 25th, 2010

This Week

Our nursery and Story Time classes will have good care with their regular teachers.
Our Spirit Play class will hear a story about “Creation of Life on Earth”.
The Early Elementary class will continue talking about death with “What Happens To People And Animals When They Die” using some age appropriate books, please let Kari know if this might be an especially sensitive subject for your child.
The Older Elementary class talks about identifying their core beliefs.
And the Middle School group will continue compiling the fabulous responses from the survey the congregation completed on Easter.

Big news!

If you haven't heard, everything is final on the purchase of the
building and it's now OURS! You are invited to stop by (with vacuum
cleaner in hand if you wish) on Sunday following the service. We'll
begin readying the office area and sorting things left in the
building. And we'll just get to put our feet on the soil that is ours!
What a joyful time!

Other news:

Upcoming OWL Classes!

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Classes for children finishing Kindergarten
and 1st grade, July 26th -30th, 9-12, day camp style .
Topics include: Our Wonderful Bodies, Healthy Bodies, Safe Bodies,
Families, Families and Feelings, Babies and Families, Birth of a Baby,
Celebrations!

***K-1 Parent Information meeting on May 23rd, 12:30 see Kari for location

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Classes for 7th-9th graders next fall—we
know there will be a retreat October 8th-10th at Camp Long.

More information on our faith based sexuality curriculum:
http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/

RE Calendar

April 23-25 Middle School “Mini Con” in Port Townsend

May 9^th Child Blessing, see Peg to participate

June 6^th Kinesthetic Parenting class following the service

June 13^th Transitions Service—bridging service, don’t miss this one!

Cooperation is simply religion being worked out in life.
~J. HENRY CARPENTER

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick,

Westside Congregation, March 21th 2010

2010-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

March 21st, 2010

This Week

This Sunday is a Multi Gen Service! That means we all share the service together! The nursery will be open for our littlest ones, and there are a few extra things available to keep our hands busy. Going to a church service is one of the most important things that we teach our children how to do here at Westside. If children go to classes every Sunday they never see what happens after we sing them out, and they don’t necessarily feel a part of the larger congregation. Here at Westside, we will not let that happen! We are a whole community.

Don’t Forget!

Guest at Your Table Boxes are due back!

RE Calendar

Sunday All Ages Service “Vernal Equinox: Swinging with the Great Pendulum” Kids stay in the service.

April 23-25 Middle School “Mini Con” in Port Townsend

A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body.
~Margaret Fuller

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org RE Blog: http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

2010-03-18T20:12:00.001-07:00

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)
can see and don't have to turn in their chair.

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special
event! Tell them that you expect them to stay seated and enjoy the
service.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their
own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that
the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger
knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship
service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your
child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys
available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't
hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most
important things our children and youth can learn. This Sunday is a
great one to experience together!

Blessings to you all!

Kari

Westside Congregation, March 14th 2010

2010-03-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

March 14th, 2010

This Week:

On the second Sunday of each month we take a break from regular age group classes for a multi-age children’s worship followed by a service project. This month we’re focusing on our Seventh Principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. This week we’ll focus on clean water. The nursery and Storytime class will have regular care with their regular providers.

Don’t Forget!

Guest at Your Table Boxes are due back! Forgot? It’s OK, we’ll take them through the end of the month. And you are welcome to drop a check by the UUSC/GAYT table downstairs, as well, make the check out to UUSC. http://www.uusc.org/guest_at_your_table

Parenting Blog

Have you seen the new parenting blog hosted by the UU World website? It’s a great resource for people raising UU kids! You can go to the UU World Website and click thru the links, or search UU Parenting blog in your favorite search engine. http://blogs.uuworld.org/parenting/

RE Calendar

This Week Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday

UUSC Guest at Your Table boxes are due back

March 21^st All Ages Service “Vernal Equinox: Swinging with the Great Pendulum” Kids stay in the service.

April 23-25 Middle School “Mini Con” in Port Townsend

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside UU Congregation,January 3, 2010

2009-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

January 3^rd, 2010

This Week

There will be regular nursery care and a Story time class for our 2-3-year-olds. Our Spirit Play class covers The Promises lesson, learning about the Unitarian Universalist seven principles. Our Early Elementary class talks about the fourth principle “We Search for What Is True and Right”. And the Older Elementary group discusses the ways we come to personal beliefs as Unitarian Universalists. The Middle Schoolers will be learning about James Reeb, a UU minister who was killed during the civil rights movement.

Coming Up:

Our Religious Education program will be offering Our Whole Lives to three different groups. For 4^th and 5^th grade children we’ll hold classes beginning this March. For Kindergarten and first grade children we’ll have a one week camp style class the last week of July. And for our 7^th-9^th grade youth, we’ll begin classes next fall. Our Whole Lives is a sexuality education program developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ to foster healthy sexuality for people of all ages. For more information, see Kari.

RE Calendar

This week Regular classes

January 10^th Special all ages programming

January 12^th Orion Center--teen feed, arrive 5pm, serve 6pm out by 7pm

January 17^th Multi Generational worship

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre (at) wsuu.org

Westside UU Congregation, December 20th, 2009

2009-12-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

This week at WSUU: We have regular age group classes. Nursery, Storytime and Spirit Play will have regular classes. The Early Elementary and Older Elementary groups learn a little more about Christmas. The Middle School group will talk about Hanukkah and even play the dreidl game. There is a child blessing happening this week. When Rev. Peg offers the touch of water, she'll use the water (although sterilized and filtered!) that the children brought in from far and near for our water communion this fall. What a beautiful way to remind us all how very connected we are!

Christmas Eveervice

Everyone is welcome at our Christmas Eve service! Bring family and friends

This service is both festive and reverential. It begins with Christmas Carols, and "Twas The Night Before Christmas." Then there is a special singing of Jingle Bells. This is followed by a quieter reflective time of readings, musical performance and a short homily. During this quieter time, children who wishcan go downstairs for some fun activities, or they can stay cuddled with their families. Children who go downstairs will rejoin their families after the readings and homily.

RE Calendar

This week Child Blessing

Dec 24^th Christmas Eve service, children welcome

Dec 27^th All Ages Game Day, no regular classes

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

WSUU Religious Education 12-06-09

2009-12-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

December 6th, 2009

This Week

Our littlest ones ages (0-2) are cared for in the nursery by their regular care provider. The Story Time class (ages 2-3) is learning about letting their own little lights shine with their regular teacher. The Spirit Play class is hearing the story “The Weight of a Snowflake” which highlights the importance of each action we choose to take. Our Early Elementary class learns about the third principle—“We accept each other and learn from our differences”. The Older elementary class talks about winter holidays of different faiths, and the Middle School group uses abstract art to symbolize our seven guiding principles.

About the Seven Principles

We teach the Seven Principles as a tool for our children and youth to understand the Unitarian Universalist faith. But we try to impress that they are not a creed that all Unitarian Universalists must believe. Rather, they are a set of guidelines that we as a congregation in relationship with the UUA covenant to affirm. For a funny take on this topic, read Rev. Meg Barnhouse’s latest column in the online UU World http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/153287.shtml

RE Calendar

This Week Soup lunch, congregational meeting, child care provided

Dec 8^th Jr and Sr Youth serve dinner at Orion Center/Youth Care

Dec 13^th Service Sunday and Chalice Chapel; The Christmas Story

Dec 20^th Child Blessing (see Rev Peg by Dec 13 to participate)

Dec 24^th Christmas Eve service, children welcome

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

__________________________________________________

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Religious Education11-29

2009-11-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

This week:

Our nursery children are lovingly cared for by their regular provider. The Story Time class continues the theme of "This Little Light of Mine". Our Spirit Play children hear the story "A little Blue, A Little Yellow", about how coming together we're something unique. The Early Elementary group explores how we make choices; a beginning discussion of values. Older Elementary learns about the diversity of beliefs within the Unitarian Universalist faith. And the Middle School group discusses the birth legends of Buddha, Confucius and Jesus.

Religious Education Calendar:

Dec 5th 10AM, walk through of potential new church home

Dec 6th Soup lunch, congregational meeting following the service, child care provided

Dec 13th Service Sunday and Chalice Chapel

Dec 20th Child Blessing (see Rev Peg by Dec 13 to participate)

Dec 24th Christmas Eve service, children welcome, nursery care available

Great way to get to know some of the great people involved in our congregation:

Sign up for Winter Circle Suppers! Circle Suppers are small dinners for 6-10 people on the second Saturday of each month. The host provides the main dish and the guests bring the rest. This is a wonderful way to be with your church friends in a casual, intimate setting. This is fun and always delicious! Winter suppers: January 9, February 13, March 13. Sign up for one or all three. Deadline for sign-ups is December 10. See Viv Monahan at coffee hour or

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 11-22

2009-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will celebrate all we have to be thankful for with an All Ages service; all our members and friends can enjoy the service together. There will be fun music, a great play that weaves through the service and some chances to participate in different ways. We will have nursery care and there will be care for 2-3 year-olds who just don't want to stay in the service, but this is a Sunday we fully expect some happy (and sometimes some un-happy!) child sounds and some extra moving in and out of our chairs.

We hope children will dance to the music, join in the story time and feel warmly welcomed into the larger community.

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren) can see and don't have to turn in their chair.

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special event! Tell them that you expect them to stay seated and enjoy the service.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.
Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most important things our children and youth can learn. At WSUU we really love our children and families. This Sunday is a great one to experience together!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 11/01/09

2009-10-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

November 1st, 2009

This Week

This Sunday we’ll have regular age group classes. The Story Time class is having a “Mister Rogers Interlude” watching a video about feelings and pounding on purple playdoh. The Spirit Play class will hear the story “All People Need a Vote” Our Early Elementary and Older Elementary classes talk about equity and fairness. And our Middle School group talks about loss memorial services.

Join your WSUU family at the march to support “Approve Rep. 71!” Sunday at the junction from 1-2. What a great way to teach our children about social justice!

RE Calendar

This Week Soup Lunch following the service

November 8^th Kinesthetic Parenting Refresher Course (contact member Caroline Goodell)

Service Sunday project and Chalice Chapel

November 22^nd Thanksgiving Feast

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

West Side Unitarian Universalist Congregation October 18th, 2009

2009-10-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

October 18th, 2009

This Week

Sunday, we’ll have regular age group classes. The Storytime class is talking about feelings, and Spirit Play will hear the story “The Carrot Seed.” Our Early Elementary class uses drama to explore our first principle “We all are important” while the Older Elementary class explores class and “haves” and” have-nots” and prepares for trick-or-treat for UNICEF. And the Middle School group will be exploring other UU congregations by taking a cyber tour.

Join your WSUU family at the march to support “Approve Rep. 71!” today at the junction from 1-2. What a great way to teach our children about social justice!

Next Week

Don’t miss next week! Nationally touring singer-songwriter Ellis will be performing the prelude and the story for all ages. She is a fantastic musician and a lovely human being; your kids will love it!

Ellis live at a UU Church:

And then there was the post about Ellis...

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

West Side Unitarian Universalist Congregation October 11th, 2009

2009-10-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

October 11th, 2009

This Week

This week we’ll have our first Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday of the year. This is an all ages time for our children 4 and older, which happens on the second Sunday of the month each month. This month we’ll celebrate the special role of pets in our life with an animal blessing and do a service project to benefit animals in need.

Rules: We have only three hard and fast rules in the RE Program

Walk, only walk
Come to class with empty hands and empty pockets
Stay with your class

RE Calendar

Today Chalice Chapel Pet Blessing and Service Sunday

October 11^th RE Council Meeting 4:30 at Hisatomi’s

October 11^th Youth Group Dinner 6:30

October 13^th Youth Group Serve Dinner at Orion Center5:00

http://www.youthcare.org/index.php/services/orion

October 16-18 Youth Conference (9^th-12^th grade)

WSUU Religious Education 9/27/09

2009-09-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

The Gifts of Faith

September 20th, 2009

This Week

Our children meet for age group classes; the Storytime class will be learning about angry feelings and sad feelings, Our Spirit Play class will hear the story “Love You Sun, Love You Moon”, the Early Elementary class will begin exploring our UU Principles and the Older Elementary class will start talking about the mysteries of life. Most of our Middle School class is attending the Middle School Conference this weekend, so any middle schoolers here today will be staying for the service.

Rules: We have only three hard and fast rules in the RE Program

Walk, only walk
Come to class with empty hands and empty pockets
Stay with your class

News

Don’t miss the Quarterly Parent Meeting next Sunday following the service.

Hear about what’s going on with classes this year
Find out more about upcoming learning opportunities and classes for our kids
Come together with other adults in our congregation to talk about the wonderful journey of raising UU kids

Button Button Who’s Got The Button?

Please turn in your registration forms. When you do, your child(ren) get an eco friendly, permanent, and very cool, pin for their name tag!

Updates

Visitors please fill out a visitor card with your contact information.
Are you getting weekly emails about what’s happening in RE? If not, let Kari know dre@wsuu.org.
Keep up with what’s happening in Family Ministries at WSUU with our blog. http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

RE Calendar

September 27 Age group classes

September 25-27 Middle School Conference, Camp Sealth

October 4^th Quarterly Parent Meeting, following the service

October 11^th Chalice Chapel Pet Blessing (pictures ONLY please!) and Service Sunday benefiting rescue pets

October 16-18 Youth Conference (9^th-12^th grade)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside UU Congregation Religious Education 9/20/09

2009-09-18T15:46:00.001-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith

September 20th, 2009

Today

We are excited to begin age group classes for the 2009-2010 church year. We have six age group classes, each led by a team of dedicated people who commit to the children for the whole year. Nursery for ages 0-2; Storytime for ages 2-3; Spirit Play for ages 4-5; Early Elementary for grades K-1, Older Elementary for grades 3-5 and Middle School for grades 6-8. Our high school group meets outside of Sundays. For more information please see our website at wsuu.org or pick up a prospectus from the RE table.

Rules: We have only three hard and fast rules in the RE Program

Walk, only walk
Come to class with empty hands and empty pockets
Stay with your class

News

Button Button Who’s Got The Button?

Please turn in your registration forms. When you do, your child(ren) get an eco friendly permanent, and very cool, pin for their name tag!

Updates

Visitors please fill out a visitor card with your contact information.
Are you getting weekly emails about what’s happening in RE? If not, let Kari know dre@wsuu.org.
Keep up with what’s happening in Family Ministries at WSUU with our blog. http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

RE Calendar

Today Age group classes begin

September 19 Congregational Picnic 5-7, Lincoln Park, shelter #4

September 25-27 Middle School Conference, Camp Sealth

October 4^th Quarterly Parent Meeting, following the service

October 16-18 Youth Conference (9^th-12^th grade)

WSUU Children and Youth 9-13-09

2009-09-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

The Gifts of Faith
September 13th, 2009

This Week
Welcome to the launch of the 2009-2010 Religious Education year! It’s a very special day with a Chalice Chapel service for children that includes a Water Communion ceremony. This is a special ritual for many Unitarian Universalist churches. Over the summer families collected water from the places they spent their time. Today we’ll mingle our waters together as a symbol of our community coming back together. We also have water that can be “symbolic” of things from the summer for anyone wishing to participate. Following the Chalice Chapel we’ll have Service Sunday project with all ages of children and youth making chalices to take home or donate to the Labor of Love Auction. Nursery and Storytime classes will be in session for 0-2 and 2-3 year-olds.

News
Regular age group classes begin next week. If you have questions about classes, check out our website (wsuu.org) or pick up a program prospectus at the RE Table. Or check with Kari Kopnick, Shannon Day or any member of the RE Council.

Updates
• Please turn in your registration forms. When you do, your child(ren) get an eco friendly permanent, and very cool, pin for their name tag!
• Visitors please fill out a visitor card with your contact information.
• Are you getting weekly emails about what’s happening in RE? If not, let Kari know dre@wsuu.org.
• Keep up with what’s happening in Family Ministries at WSUU with our blog. http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

RE Calendar
Today Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday
September 19 Congregational Picnic 5-7, Lincoln Park, shelter #4
September 25-27 Middle School Conference, Camp Sealth
October 16-18 Youth Conference (9th-12th grade)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Tips for a Happy All-Ages Service

2009-06-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)
can see and don't have to turn in their chair.

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special event! Tell them with a smile that you expect them to sit with you and enjoy the service together.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most important things our children and youth can learn.

REMEMBER! At WSUU we really, really love our children, and dancing, happy children are a joy to all of us. Some child noise is simply a part of our chorus of life!

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Religious Education 6/14/09

2009-06-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught…It’s CAUGHT!
June 14, 2009

Today

On RE Celebration Sunday we honor our children, youth, families and our teachers with a service devoted just to them. We also honor some significant milestones in the lives of our beloved children and youth with a bridging ceremony.

News

When we resume regular age group classes next September the children and youth will have a water communion ceremony. This is a special ritual for many Unitarian Universalist churches. Over the summer collect a little water in an old spice jar or baby food jar—maybe from the sound or Fauntleroy creek or anyplace you may go this summer. When we come back together after our busy summers, we’ll have a lovely ritual during a Chalice Chapel (the children’s worship time) and mingle our waters all together as a symbol of our coming back together.

Summertime, and the Religious Education is eeeeaaasy!

Beginning June 21st, our RE Program morphs into a family style program with low key, UU centered programming. The curriculum is based on the books of Dr. Seuss and will be led by our Religious Education Staff Team primarily our current Storytime teacher, Rose Fitzpatrick. The nursery will still be available to children from birth to about three. And as always, we are flexible about age cut offs for class. There are great sermons and programs coming up, paired with great Religious Education programming. Stop on by!

RE Calendar

Today RE Celebration Sunday
June 21st -- September 6th Family Style children’s programming (ages 4-12)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Religious Education 6/7/09

2009-06-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!

June 7th, 2009

This Week

Our Nursery and Storytime classes will have fun and fellowship with their regular classes. The Early Elementary and Older Elementary classes will have an end-of-year party to celebrate a great year of learning and fun. Our Associate DRE, Shannon Day and RE Council member Amy-Hance Branchati will lead the combined class and show a movie of Pixar shorts. The Middle School class will stay for the service.

RE Service

On June 14^th we will have our annual Religious Education Celebration Sunday: “Turning”. Don’t miss the great celebration of our children, youth and families!

Summertime

Beginning June 21st, our RE Program morphs into a family style program with low key, UU centered programming. The curriculum is based on the books of Dr. Seuss and will be led by our Religious Education Staff Team primarily our current Storytime teacher, Rose Fitzpatrick. The nursery will still be available to children from birth to about three. And as always, we are flexible about age cut offs for class. There are great sermons and programs coming up, paired with great Religious Education programming. Stop on by!

News

When we resume regular age group classes next September the children and youth will have a water communion ceremony. This is a special ritual for many Unitarian Universalist churches. Over the summer collect a little water in an old spice jar or baby food jar—maybe from the sound or Fauntleroy creek or anyplace you may go this summer. When we come back together after our busy summers, we’ll have a lovely ritual during a Chalice Chapel (the children’s worship time) and mingle our waters all together as a symbol of our coming back together.

RE Calendar

This week Salad Lunch and Kinesthetic Parenting Class

June 14^th RE Celebration Service: “Turning”

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Religious Education 5/31/09

2009-05-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!

May 31^st, 2009

This Week

Our Nursery children will be snug in their regular space with their regular care provider this week. But Storytime and Spirit Play classes will have fun and fellowship meeting together and weather pending; outside! We’ll have a small fenced off area with many hands helping and eyes watching. The rest of our children and youth will have a short “Energy Free” worship outdoors, followed by a neighborhood clean-up. We will stay on the block that we can walk without crossing a street, and we will find much trash to collect!

News

Summertime, and the Religious Education is eeeeaaasy!

Beginning June 21^st, our RE Program morphs into a family style program with low key, UU centered programming. The curriculum is based on the books of Dr. Seuss and will be led by our Religious Education Staff Team primarily our current Storytime teacher, Rose Fitzpatrick. The nursery will still be available to children from birth to about three. And as always, we are flexible about age cut offs for class. There are great sermons and programs coming up, paired with great Religious Education programming. Stop on by!

RE Calendar

This Week Early El and older: Energy Free Worship and Neighborhood Clean-up.

June 7^th Regular Classes, Salad Lunch, Kinesthetic Parenting class following the service, child care is available.

June 14^th RE Celebration Service: “Turning”

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 5/24/09

2009-05-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
May 24th, 2009

This Sunday
Our Nursery and Storytime classes will have fun and fellowship with their regular classes. The rest of our children and youth will have a short time together including; a chalice lighting, a reading, joys and sorrows and some music followed by a fun game day.

News
If your child will be moving to Kindergarten, Middle School or High School next year they are invited to participate in our annual bridging ceremony on June 14th at the RE Celebration Service. We honor our children’s rites of passage with a special presentation, and the actual crossing of a small bridge to symbolize the passage from one stage to another. If your child is in this age group and you have NOT heard from Kari about the ceremony, please let us know right away!

RE Service
On June 14th we will have our annual Religious Education Celebration Sunday: “Turning”. Don’t miss the great celebration of our children, youth and families! If your child would like to participate with music or by being a part of the service please let Kari or Shannon know by May 26th.

RE Calendar
This Week Holiday Weekend Game Day!

May 31st Storytime and Sprit Play together in the large upstairs classroom, Middle School in the green class room and Early El and Older El outside for an energy free worship and neighborhood clean up. (Rock and Gem Show this day, our downstairs space is not available)

June 7th Regular Classes, Soup Lunch, Kinesthetic Parenting class following the service, child care is available.

June 14th RE Celebration Service: “Turning”

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 5/17/09

2009-05-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
May 17th, 2009

This Week
Our Nursery and Storytime classes will have fun and fellowship with their regular classes. The Sprit Play class will be hearing the story “Life on Earth”. The Early Elementary is using the curriculum The Awesome Book of Kids’ Stuff, this week hearing “The Awesome thing about poop and pee and dead stuff that rots”. The Older Elementary has a “special request class” on the Flying Spaghetti Monster which will touch on religion and religious freedoms. The Middle Schoolers have a specifically designed class for them on Religion and Dietary Restrictions.

News
If your child will be moving to Kindergarten, Middle School or High School next year they are invited to participate in our annual bridging ceremony on June 14th at the RE Celebration Service. We honor our children’s rites of passage with a special presentation, and the actual crossing of a small bridge to symbolize the passage from one stage to another. If your child is in this age group and you have NOT heard from Kari about the ceremony, please let us know right away!

RE Service
On June 14th we will have our annual Religious Education Celebration Sunday. Don’t miss the great celebration of our children, youth and families! If your child would like to participate with music or by being a part of the service please let Kari or Shannon know.

RE Calendar
Today Regular Age Group Classes and Annual Meeting following the service, child care available
June 7th Chalice Chapel—outdoor energy free worship and Clean-up day
June 14th RE Celebration Service

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 5/17/09

2009-05-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 5/1009

2009-05-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
May10th, 2009

This Week
Our Nursery and Storytime classes will have fun and fellowship with their regular classes. The Sprit Play class will be hearing the story “I Love You Sun, I Love You Moon”. The Early Elementary is using the curriculum The Awesome Book of Kids’ Stuff, this week hearing “You Are Saved by Something Green”. The Older Elementary class is using Native American Stories this week hearing about the moon and experimenting with dry ice. The Middle Schoolers will learn more about our focus “Ethical Eating” with a field trip to Pike’s Place Market.

News
If your child will be moving to Kindergarten, Middle School or High School next year they are invited to participate in our annual bridging ceremony on June 14th at the RE Celebration Service. We honor our children’s rites of passage with a special presentation, and the actual crossing of a small bridge to symbolize the passage from one stage to another. If your child is in this age group and you have NOT heard from Kari about the ceremony, please let us know right away!

RE Service
On June 14th we will have our annual Religious Education Celebration Sunday. Don’t miss the great celebration of our children, youth and families! If your child would like to participate with music or by being a part of the service please let Kari or Shannon know.

Enrichment Opportunity
Did you miss the class on Kinesthetic Parenting? You have another chance!
Where: Masonic Lodge, upstairs room
When: Sunday June 7th 12:30-2 CHILD CARE AVAILABLE!
Cost: $30 ($45 for both parents)
Register: Online at www.instituteforbodyawareness.com

This class highlights the value of raising children with kinesthetic, emotional awareness and introduces specific skills that will help your children to:
• Calm down and internally organize when they are over-stimulated and out of control
• Respond with resilience when they encounter negative behavior in others
• Withstand peer pressure when they are older
• Cultivate physical and emotional awareness
• Develop confidence and self-esteem
Open to the public, Proceeds to benefit WSUU

Stay
For the annual meeting on May 17th following the service. Child care is available.

RE Calendar
This Week Regular Age Group Classes
May 12 Youth Group serving dinner at Orion Center
May 17th Annual Meeting following the service, child care available
June 14th RE Celebration Service

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org RE Blog: http://westseattlereligiouseducation.blogspot.com/

Ten Real Things You Can Do About the Flu:

2009-05-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ten Real Things You Can Do About the Flu:

Our young ones are being greeted at school with people in masks, squirting 'hanitizer' on their hands, they're hearing about a dangerous illness that has something to do with swine--aren't those pigs? Their parents are making them wash their hands ALL the time. Clearly, something is up.

A friend shared a story from her childhood, her mother told her that the croaking out in the pond was coming from frogs.....and my friend was convinced that it was one really huge frog out there in the pond making all that noise. She was terrified! What we adults see as facts and precautions can be scary for our young ones.

How can we help our young ones feel safe? How do we walk the line, not inciting fear but acknowledging feelings?

Here's a start:

1) Teach your child how to wash their hands to get the most germs off: lots of soap, warm water, and rubbing the suds on your hands for as long as it takes to sing the ABCs. (My grandmother used to say make the suds so thick it looks like white kitten paws.)

2) Do you have a family emergency plan? Use this as a good excuse to make that plan. Taking action empowers us and a confident parent helps a child feel safe.

3) Keep family routines as constant as possible. Don't have family routines and rituals? Create some!

4) Be informed! Check out the CDC website and your local Health Department website.

5) Listen. Play with your kids whether that means play-doh or X-Box, spend time together and listen for clues to what's going on with their inner lives.

6) Laugh. Watch funny movies, play Mad Libs, buy silly string. Laughter relieves stress.

5) Talk. Get support from friends and family and your faith home if you are having big fears about a pandemic.

6) Make it fun. Watch this video, play dracula sneeze or sneeze-in-your-shirt!

7) For older kids, try this comic book about pandemic flu.

8) Buy cool tissue holders and send kids out the door with a couple of loose tissues tucked into pockets.

9) ....and you can make funky 'hanitizer' bottles, too. (thanks Little Birdie Secrets!)

10) And the most important thing? Hold your kids close, or as close as those teenagers will let you and let them know that we adults will do everything we can to keep them safe!

Chalice Camp at Eastshore Unitarian Church!

2009-05-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

East Shore Unitarian Church

Chalice Camp 2009

Monday, August 10 – Friday, August 14, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Ages 6 – 12

Energetic Daily Worship

Creative Arts

Unitarian Universalist Theater

Cooperative Games

Chalice Camp deepens children’s identity as Unitarian Universalists and expands their

knowledge of Unitarian Universalism and their capacity to be articulate about their faith.

If you would like more information about Chalice Camp, leave a voicemail at 425-606-4942 or email chalicecamp2009@hotmail.com.

For Information about the curriculum click here.

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 5/3/09

2009-05-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
May 3rd, 2009

This Week:
We share worship and work with our Children’s Chalice Chapel and Service Sunday. We’ll be making fleece blankets for families in need, and collecting diapers for Westside Baby. Our Chapel service will focus on May Day and Beltane. A soup lunch will be served following the service, proceeds to benefit WSUU Religious Education.

Stay
For the annual meeting on May 17th following the service. Child care is available.

Enrichment Opportunity
Did you miss the class on Kinesthetic Parenting? You have another chance!
Where: Masonic Lodge, upstairs room
When: Sunday June 7th 12:30-2 CHILD CARE AVAILABLE!
Cost: $30 ($45 for both parents)
Register: Online at www.instituteforbodyawareness.com

This class highlights the value of raising children with kinesthetic, emotional awareness and introduces specific skills that will help your children to:
• Calm down and internally organize when they are over-stimulated and out of control
• Respond with resilience when they encounter negative behavior in others
• Withstand peer pressure when they are older
• Cultivate physical and emotional awareness
• Develop confidence and self-esteem
Open to the public, Proceeds to benefit WSUU

RE Calendar

This Sunday Service Sunday benefiting WestSide baby, last day of diaper drive
May 10th Child Blessing, see Rev. Peg if you wish to have a child blessed

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Community Resource--Transracial Adoption

2009-04-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

Film Screening of Adopted
Saturday, May 9, 1pm

From the Wing Luke Asian Museum:

Join us in watching, Adopted, a film that reveals the grit rather than the glamour of transracial adoption. Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion and a Q & A session with co-producer, Nancy Kim Parsons. Tickets: $15 general admission / $12 for members. Call (206) 623-5124.

Wing Luke Museum

Adopted the Movie

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation 4/26/09

2009-04-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
April 26th, 2009

This Week
This week we’re back to regular age group classes for all the children and youth.

Following the Service
The Un Birthday Party! Find the table for your birth month, eat cake, get to know other adults and if you’re lucky, children, who share your birth month.

Coming Up
Our May Service Sunday project will benefit Westside Baby, and we need many, many diapers to help us keep local babies warm and dry! Please bring packages of any size of disposable diapers next Sunday! Babies all over Seattle will appreciate it.

Enrichment Opportunity
Did you miss the class on Kinesthetic Parenting? You have another chance!
Where: Masonic Lodge, upstairs room
When: Sunday June 7th 12:30-2 CHILD CARE AVAILABLE!
Cost: $30 ($45 for both parents)
Register: Online at www.instituteforbodyawareness.com

This class highlights the value of raising children with kinesthetic, emotional awareness and introduces specific skills that will help your children to:
• Calm down and internally organize when they are over-stimulated and out of control
• Respond with resilience when they encounter negative behavior in others
• Withstand peer pressure when they are older
• Cultivate physical and emotional awareness
• Develop confidence and self-esteem
Open to the public, Proceeds to benefit WSUU

Helping Hands Needed:
• Donate soup or bread for next week
• Helping Hands for Service Sunday on May 3rd and June 7th
Please contact Kari or Shannon if you can help!

RE Calendar
Sunday Un-Birthday Party, following the service and regular classes
May 3rd Service Sunday benefiting WestSide baby, last day of diaper drive
May 10th Child Blessing, see Rev. Peg if you wish to have a child blessed

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick

Don't Forget to Wear Your Easter Bonnet This Week!

2009-04-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

All are invited to wear a hat this week to celebrate our Easter Service!

Westside UU Congregation Religious Education 4/12/09

2009-04-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
April 12th, 2009

Today
Each class has a special age appropriate lesson about Easter and the cultural roots of the holiday. There is more to the holiday than candy and the Easter bunny, and here at WSUU our kids get to hear the whole story.

Next Week
Our children and youth will celebrate Earth Day with a special service downstairs. This will be an interactive child and youth led service spanning the time after the story for all ages upstairs continuing until the end of the service time. Please help children be aware of the change in the regular routines.

Upcoming Opportunities for UU Families Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting Thursday, April 16, 7– 9 PM in the upstairs classroom, led by member Caroline Goodell. See the flyers on the RE Table.

Helping Hands Needed:
• Donate soup or bread, or help set up or clean up on Soup Lunch Sundays
• Bake a Cake for the Un-Birthday Party
• Helping Hands for Service Sunday on May 3rd and June 7th
• Bring Diapers for the Diaper Drive, last day May 3rd

See Kari or Shannon to volunteer

RE Calendar
Today Age Group classes “What IS Easter?”
April 19th “The Lorax”, Earth Day Service for Children and Youth
April 26th Un-Birthday Party, following the service and regular classes
May 3rd Service Sunday benefiting WestSide baby, last day of diaper drive
May 10th Child Blessing, see Rev. Peg if you wish to have a child blessed

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org

Easter Information for Liberal Religious Folks

2009-04-07T15:26:00.001-07:00

By Gail Forsyth-Vail: Stories in Faith: Exploring Our UU
Principles and Sources Through Wisdom Tales,

By Cyberminister Lynn Ungar at the Church of the Larger Fellowhsip

Pagan origins the goddess Oestre

More? Have a good one? I'll add to them as we get closer!

Religious Education Westside UU 4/5/09

2009-04-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
April 5th, 2009

Today

We launch our spring curriculum pillar: Environmental Action! We’ll have a Chalice Chapel downstairs talking about the earth and growing food and how it becomes a part of our body. Then we’ll take action “service is our prayer” creating cleaning kits that are environmentally friendly and make signs to remind people to turn off lights and use less water.

Upcoming Opportunities for UU Families Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting Thursday, April 16, 7– 9 p.m in the upstairs classroom, led by member Caroline Goodell.

Spring Pillar
As we move into the spring season our curriculum shifts to “Environmental Action”. This year we will be focusing on food and it’s impact on our earth and our bodies. This follows the Congregational Study Action Issue voted on by the delegates at last years General Assembly. http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissto ues/ethicaleating/55648.shtml

RE Calendar
Today Service Sunday and Chalice Chapel
April 5th Sr. Youth, Young Women’s Group—9th to 12th grade
April 12th Easter Lesson in all age group classes, What IS Easter?
April 19th “The Lorax”, Earth Day Service for Children and Youth
April 26th Un-Birthday Party (five more cakes needed!)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org

Day One

2009-04-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

End of Day One. Today was exhausting. We spent a good portion of the day talking about the changes to UU University. For those who don't know, UU University (UUU) is a program where UU leaders can meet and gain valuable skills to take back to their congregations. In the past, UUU has happened in the days before GA, however, this year UUU happens during Thursday and Friday of GA. This presents some unique problems, because UUU ends up being about 9 hours long, which means we have six fewer program slots, so we struggled with that a good deal. Tomorrow, we get to check out the Salt Lake City convention center, a.k.a. the "Salt Palace". Sounds exciting.

Hello from Salt Lake City

2009-04-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm now in the land of salty lakes, mountains, skiing, and mormons. Its actually pretty nice so far, the hotel has free wi-fi that actually gets a decent signal in my room. Important stuff happens soon, and I'll keep y'all posted here!

Westside UU Congregation RE March 29 2009

2009-03-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
March 29th, 2009

Today
Today we have regular age group classes for all. Our nursery and Story time classes will have fun with friends and their regular teachers. The Spirit Play class will review one of their favorite stories from earlier this year. The Early Elementary class will hear the bible story of Job to talk about how we deal with hard times. The Older Elementary class learns about the fast growing Baha’i Faith and the Middle School class discusses dreams and how they can help us set our goals and guide our lives.

Upcoming Opportunities for UU Families Compassionate Action Network meeting, Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30 PM. Contact member Kristen Whittemore for more information. Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting Thursday, April 16, 7– 9 p.m in the upstairs classroom, led by member Caroline Goodell.

Spring Pillar
As we move into the spring season our curriculum shifts to “Environmental Action”. This year we will be focusing on food and it’s impact on our earth and our bodies. This follows the Congregational Study Action Issue voted on by the delegates at last years General Assembly. http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/currentissto ues/ethicaleating/55648.shtml

RE Calendar
Today Regular Age Group Classes
April 5th Sr. Youth, Young Women’s Group—9th to 12th grade
April 12th Easter Lesson in all age group classes, What IS Easter?
April 19th “The Lorax”, Earth Day Service for Children and Youth
April 26th Un-Birthday Party (five more cakes needed!)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org

Sunday Morning with Jim Scott

2009-03-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

This week our children, youth and adults will all share the Sunday
Service together! What a gift! UU singer, song writer and composer Jim
Scott will be with us for a lovely morning of song and celebration.
(http://www.jimscottsongs.com/) Jim is the author of many beloved
songs that we UUs sing when we come together--"Gather the Spirit",
"May Your Life Be As a Song" and others.

When I was a little girl, my UU church hosted Ric Masten, author of
"Let it Be a Dance" for an evening concert. I will never forget
hearing him sing in person. Your children may well remember that they
got to hear Jim Scott in person when they are old and gray, too!

We will have nursery care and the Story Time class available, or those
young ones may stay for the service. All other age groups will stay
for the service.

Tips for A Happy All-Ages Service:

Sit in the main seating area, close to the front, so your child(ren)
can see and don't have to turn in their chair.

Dress up a little, let children know that this is a very special
event! Tell them that you expect them to stay seated and enjoy the
service.

Bring money for children to contribute to the offering, maybe their
own money.

Have quiet toys or activities in reserve, but set the expectation that
the service will hold their attention. Good choices would be finger
knitting, a small doodle pad, or beeswax to mold.

Leave electronics at home. They simply don't belong in a worship
service.

Some children enjoy worship more when they are with peers, find your
child's classmates and sit together.

The RE Council members are on site to help. We'll have some quiet toys
available.

If your child is really having a hard time sitting quietly, don't
hesitate to step out for a drink of water or a breath of fresh air.

Learning to go to a Sunday morning church service is one of the most
important things our children and youth can learn. This Sunday is a
great one to experience together!

Blessings to you all!

Kari

WSUU RE 3/22/09

2009-03-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!

March 22nd, 2009

This Week

We have a chance to enjoy a service all together, with all ages sharing the morning together! What a gift!

We do have regular nursery care and a Story Time class for 2 and 3-year-olds, but those little ones are also welcome to stay for the service if they’d like.

Some child noise is to be expected during a service with all ages present, but if your child is disrupting the people around you repeatedly, please use some of the “quiet” activities offered at the RE Table or ask an RE Council member to take them for a walk in the lobby or “help check on the babies” sometimes a little walk with a friend makes sitting and enjoying the service a little easier. We are here to help!

Upcoming Opportunities for UU Families

Dinner with Gini Courter, find out what is happening in our greater UU movement, March 24^th 6pm, Tibbits Methodist—dinner served, RSVP to Peg. Compassionate Action Network meeting, Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30 PM. Contact member Kristen Whittemore for more information. Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting Thursday, April 16, 7– 9 p.m in the upstairs classroom, led by member Caroline Goodell.

Earth Day Production

On April 19^th we’ll be having our own worship service downstairs during the service time. Part of the service will be a play. Anyone interested in performing should let Kari know by March 22^nd. That’s This week!

RE Calendar

This week Jim Scott, musician at the Sunday Service

April 5^th Sr. Youth, Young Women’s Group—9^th to 12^th grade

April 12^th Easter Lesson in all age group classes, What IS Easter?

April 19^th “The Lorax”, Earth Day Service for Children and Youth

April 26^th Un-Birthday Party (five more cakes needed!)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick, dre@wsuu.org

WSUU Event--Don't Miss Out!

2009-03-19T21:50:00.001-07:00

Don't miss a fantastic opportunity to meet with a leader in our greater Unitarian Universalist movement.

Gini Courter will be in West Seattle on Tuesday evening, March 24th to chat with us about the work she does with the UUA, the things she sees traveling the country and talking with many different UU Congregations, and her take on our future as a denomination.

Gini serves as the Moderator of the UUA, a powerful and volunteer position at the UUA. See more about what that means here. And she writes the blog "Just Gini" a favorite of mine.

Gini is also simply a delightful and insightful person to spend an evening with, and would love to see some of our children and youth and hear what they have to say about their experience as young UUs. The kids will love her.

We are TERRIFICALLY lucky to have this chance to spend an evening with Gini. Go! You will not regret it!

When: Tuesday March 24th 6pm
Where: Tibbits Methodist (info here)
Who: All members and friends from WSUU--ALL AGES WARMLY WELCOMED!
What: Dinner and fantastic information about our UU movement
Why: Because you simply will not regret it! And, dinner's taken care of!

Please contact Rev. Peg to RSVP pegmorgan (at) comcast.net

Parenting Seminar April 19th

2009-03-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Save the date for a great afternoon of information for parents! Parenting Beyond Belief Seminar, April 19th, 1:30-5 at Edmonds UU Church.

WSUU Older Elementary World Religions--The Baha'i Faith

2009-03-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1DYJq3Rurs

Community Resource: Compassionate Action Network

2009-03-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

Compassionate Education Meeting

Wednesday, April 1st at 6:30 PM

Central Area Senior Center

500 30th Ave S -- one block south of Jackson
Seattle, Washington

Please join this monthly meeting.

We'll deepen our network connections, share news of what we're up to,
and begin to define our mission, goals, and objectives for 2009.
With the new administration in Washington, a fresh breeze is blowing.
New conversations are beginning about how to reform the educational
system in our country to do better at supporting children, families
and communities, encouraging empathy and promoting compassionate action.

Our purpose is to:

-----gather information about what people are doing currently related to
Compassionate Education
-----what people hope to do/want to do/ plan to do
-----build network of existing resources
-----build network of community of people working in this arena
-----cast a wide net (e.g., tap into network of people inspired by Seeds of
Compassion).

Special focus of the April 1st meeting:
What does our education network need to succeed?

We'll discuss how we'll make decisions, how to be a successful
learning community for educators, parents, and activists, and
how to make a practical difference. We'll talk about the
communications tools we need, and talk about how we can fit
into the larger activities of the Compassionate Action Movement
in 2009.

For more information see the
events page of The Compassionate Action Network.

WSUU Class: An Evening of Kineshetic Parenting

2009-03-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

WSUU presents:
Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting
with Caroline Goodell

Where: Masonic Lodge, upstairs room
When: Thursday, April 16, 7– 9 p.m.
Cost: $30 ($45 for both parents)
Register: Online at www.instituteforbodyawareness.com

Open to the public, Proceeds to benefit WSUU

Evening of Kinesthetic Parenting highlights the value of raising children with kinesthetic, emotional awareness and introduces specific skills that will help your children to:

• Calm down and internally organize when they are over-stimulated and out of control

• Respond with resilience when they encounter negative behavior in others

• Withstand peer pressure when they are older

• Cultivate physical and emotional awareness

• Develop confidence and self-esteem

By learning to listen to their bodies, children can develop skills to trust their instincts, manage their emotions, present themselves with confidence and feel secure in who they are.

Caroline Goodell, Founder and Director of the Institute for Body Awareness, holds a BFA degree in Performing Arts from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She is a certified Rosen Method practitioner, a Registered Counselor, a Licensed Massage Practitioner in Washington State and mother of two teenagers. Caroline has taught and supervised bodyworkers and psychotherapists for over ten years. She has been in private practice as a bodyworker and counselor in Seattle since 1987. For a complete bio visit www.instituteforbodyawareness.com

WSUU Religious Education 3-15-09

2009-03-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

WSUU Children and Youth Bulletin

Our Religion Isn’t Taught….It’s CAUGHT!
March 15th, 2009

Today
Our youngest ones will enjoy time with their care providers in the Nursery and Story Time classes. The Spirit Play class hears a story about Maria Mitchell, woman, astronomer and Unitarian. Our Early Elementary continues learning stories from the Hebrew bible hearing about Jonah and the large fish. The Older Elementary class has a brief overview of Islam. And the Middle School class discusses evil, and temptation and how our fifth principle “the right of conscience” can work in our real, everyday lives.

Spring Pillar
As we move into the spring season our curriculum shifts to “Environmental Action”. This year we will be focusing on food and it’s impact on our earth and our bodies. This follows the Congregational Study Action Issue voted on by the delegates at last years General Assembly.

Earth Day Production
On April 19th we’ll be having our own worship service downstairs during the service time. Part of the service will be a play. The parts are very simple and can be memorized for non readers or read off note cards. Anyone interested in performing should let Kari know by March 22nd.

RE Calendar
Today Regular Age Group Classes
March 22nd Jim Scott, musician at the Sunday Service
April 5th Sr. Youth Young Women’s Group—9th to 12th grade
April 26th Un-Birthday Party (six more cakes needed!)

Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Kari Kopnick