In the Grades 1-3 class children were intoruced to Hinduism through the exploration of various deities in The Little Book of Hindu Dieties. They watched a video of Javanese stick puppets and created their own Hanuman the Monkey King stick puppet.

Grades 4-6 participants finished their unit on Islam by learning about Ramadan, the Islamic Holy month of fasting. They made delicious date nut balls. The prophet Muhammad broke his fast with dates.

In Grades 1-3 the class read the book Sitti’s Secrets about an American girl who misses her Palestinian grandmother. The children explored Islamic culture through geometric art. This was their last session on Islam, next class they begin learning about Hinduism.

Participants in the Grades 4-6 class learned about the Hajj- the pilgrimage to Mecca through video, guided imagery, and discussion. The class played Islam Jeopardy and were able to answer every question about what they’ve learned so far. In their next class will be the final session on Islam.

In Grades 1-3 participants read The Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Florence Parry Heide. This is a story about young Ahmed who lives in Cairo, and has a donkey and a cart. Readers accompany Ahmed as he delivers bottles of fuel and prepares to tell his family his secret- that he has learned to write his name. The class explored the Arabic alphabet and calligraphic art.

The Grades 4-6 class continued learning about Islam. They had a discussion of the varying roles of men and women. Together they read about the life of the prophet Muhammad. The class had the chance to explore the Qu’ran and prayer postures.

Coming Up…. October 10 is our multi-age apple activity during the first service! Classes will resume again on October 17. don’t forget to RSVP if your child will be participating in our apple activity.

The PreK-K class talked about friendships and had time for free play. Next week the class will learn about Ramadan and will explore diversity.

The Grades 1-3 class learned about Ramadan by reading the story Fasting and Dates by Jonny Zucker. The group talked about fasting and made date balls as an example of a food that is eaten to break the fast. The date balls were delicious and food preparation is always a big hit in RE.

The Grades 4-6 class learned about the 5 Pillars of Islam. Are you familiar with the 5 Pillars? The class reviewed what they already know about Islam and why it’s important to learn about the Muslim tradition. Next week the class will learn about the Prophet Muhammad.

The PreK-K class started off the year learning about how each one of us is important and special. They talked about ways Unitarian Universalist kids act so that everyone would know classroom expectations, joined in learning classroom rituals- lighting the chalice and saying the opening and closing words, created self-portraits, and designed an altar cloth to be used throughout the year. Next class will be all about friends!

The Grades 1-3 class read the book Sacred Places by Philemon Sturges as an introduction to world religions. They also participated in learning the opening and closing rituals, creating a collage of sacred spaces, and designing an altar cloth. The next class will mark the beginning of the introduction to Islam by learning about Ramadan.

The Grades 4-6 class viewed the Sacred Places slideshow as an introduction to their study of world religions. They learned the opening and closing rituals, designed an altar cloth, and began to write a classroom covenant. In the next class participants will begin to learn about Islam through the introduction of the 5 Pillars.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll be doing for the year:

• PreK-K: This class will be using the curriculum Celebrating Me and My World. In this curriculum children celebrate the wondrous qualities in themselves, their families, their church, other cultures, and nature. There will also be a special emphasis on the holidays of the major world religions in conjunction with what the children in the lower and upper elementary classes will be learning.
• Grades 1-3: In the first half of the year this class will be using Picture Book World Religions to explore Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions through stories. In the second half of the year the class will use Super Heroes- Bible People to learn about our Judeo-Christian heritage through the stories of people who have acted with wisdom and courage in the Bible.
• Grades 4-6: For the first half of the year this class will explore Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions through stories, arts and crafts, and games. This class will learn about our Judeo-Christian heritage in the second half of the year through Bibleodeon an experiential program introducing UU children to the stories of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
• Grades 7-12: Our youth group will be participating in a Coming of Age program to learn what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Participants will discuss and clarify personal religious beliefs, explore our UU tradition, participate in a service project, and create and lead a worship service on June 5th.

4/18- Children that sign up will assist in handing out the elements of the earth day communion. During the sermon the children will plant herbs for their kitchen windowsills in the community room.

4/25- The Green Sanctuary Committee has organized a nature field trip to learn about salamanders. The children will be leaving the church at 9:20 and returning at approximately 10:40. Advance sign-up and permission slips are required.