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Fall 2010 RE Refresher!

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

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Welcome Back!

Are you a returning RE volunteer?

Do you have previous hands-on experience with religious education for children and youth at UUCA?

If so, you’ve come to the right place!

This year, in lieu of our annual training, we’re trying something different: the RE Refresher!

The RE Refresher provides returning volunteers with a high-level overview of:

Key curriculum and resource changes

Online resources available to support RE teachers

Classroom supplies

Sunday morning logistics

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Table of Contents

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes

2. Online Resources

3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies

4. Sunday Morning Logistics

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1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Religious Education Curriculum

We’ll begin with our Religious Education curriculum.

This year, there are two sources for our RE curriculum:

First Sunday Team

UUA Tapestry of Faith Curriculum

The First Sunday Team works throughout the RE program year to develop lessons around the first Sunday sermon series.

Each week, you will receive an email from the RE Assistant, Michelle Bishop. This message will detail the month’s First Sunday lesson, including suggested activities and the materials that will be provided to you.

All emails will be

sent to your

designated email

address. If your

email address

changes, please let

Pat Kahn know.

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Tapestry of Faith is the curriculum for the remaining Sundays.

This widely-used lifespan curriculum was developed by the UUA and is available on line free-of-charge.

Tapestry of Faith lessons are designed for 60-minute class sessions.

We will use an adapted version of these lessons.

Each week, you will receive an email detailing that week’s lesson. The email will include suggested activities and required materials. You can view the full UUA version by following the email’s link to the Tapestry of Faith site. The UUCA version will be posted on the Links page of the UUCA-RE Yahoo group.

If you want to substitute an activity for one listed in the UUCA version of the lesson, contact Michelle Bishop no later than noon Wednesday.

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Religious Education Curriculum, cont.

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Important: Review the Lesson Plan!

It is important that you carefully review the lesson prior to the Saturday before class, including the Spiritual Preparation component.

This will enable you to:

Become familiar with the learning objectives

Fully plan class activities

Determine the tasks that you may want to delegate to your classroom helper

Identify opportunities in your class for special Music or Art volunteers

Contact Michelle to request materials for alternate activities

Many members of

the UUCA

community have

volunteered to

provide one-time

help with art or

music classroom

activities. For a list

of these volunteers,

see the Files

section of the

UUCA-RE Yahoo

group.

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This year, each class session will have at least one classroom helper.

Classroom helpers are volunteers drawn from throughout the UUCA community – not just parents of RE participants.

The teaching team each Sunday will consist of one RE teacher and at least one classroom helper. You will work with a different classroom helper each RE session.

RE teachers will lead the class, and classroom helpers will assist.

Classroom helpers will not receive the weekly curriculum email, and will not be familiar with the lesson content prior to class.

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Classroom Helpers

Because classroom helpers will not be familiar with the lesson plan, it is important that you are prepared for your class. Be sure to review the lesson plan in advance!

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During the RE registration process, each family selected service opportunities for the 2010 – 2011 RE year.

Families that selected classroom helper will be required to choose dates that they’d like to volunteer.

Families that do not select dates will be assigned dates by Pat or Michelle.

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Parents as Classroom Helpers

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Last-minute volunteers are another source of classroom assistance.

If someone offers to help, please say “Yes!” If you can’t use an extra set of hands in the your class that day, please direct the last-minute volunteer to the RE staff.

Remember: This year’s last-minute volunteer may be next year’s RE teacher!

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Last Minute Volunteers as Classroom Helpers

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This year, we’re implementing a new floating RE teacher team.

Floating RE teachers will be available for:

Last minute substitutions

Classroom helper fill-ins

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Floating RE Teachers

Floating teachers

will be available to

provide last-minute

classroom coverage.

If you know you will

be absent, please

schedule a

substitute in

advance.

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1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Setting and Changing Your Teaching Schedule

Teaching schedules are maintained online, in Google documents. We’ll review online resources in the next lesson.

For now, we’ll focus on what to do if you know in advance that you will be unable to teach on your scheduled day.

First, coordinate with the other RE teacher assigned to your class.

Second, contact Michelle Bishop (RE assistant) as soon as possible the week before you are scheduled to teach. Michelle will assign a floating RE teacher or other volunteer to your class.

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1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes:Last Minute Sunday Substitutes

If you need a last minute Sunday substitute, please call and email both Michelle Bishop and Pat Kahn as early in the morning as possible.

When you call, be sure to leave a message in their individual voice mailboxes – do not leave a message in the UUCA mailbox.

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Table of Contents

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes

2. Online Resources

3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies

4. Sunday Morning Logistics

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2. Online Resources:Important: Confidential Information

We’ll begin this review of online resources with an important reminder:

Confidential information about RE participants is not posted online.

Before the RE year begins, Pat Kahn or Michelle Bishop will contact you directly with Information about your class members, including severe allergies, learning differences, or other concerns.

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2. Online Resources:Join the UUCA-RE Yahoo Group!

Non-confidential information is posted to the UUCA-RE Yahoo group. Group memberships have been configured for all RE teachers.

Please click this link now to visit the UUCA-RE Yahoo group’s homepage. If you are not a member, click the Join this Group button on the group’s homepage, or contact Pat Kahn.

It is important you are able to access this resource.

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2. Online Resources:Yahoo Group Home Page

This is the UUCA-RE group’s home page as it displays for members.

Note that RE-related global emails sent to teachers are also posted here.

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2. Online Resources:Yahoo Group Files

Follow the Files link to view to links to required forms and documents, including the background check form.

Other resources available here include links to:

Class calendars

First Sunday curriculum

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2. Online Resources:Yahoo Group Links

Visit the Links page to view links to several important resources, including the classroom helper schedule.

Additional resources include:

Links to Google documents – this is where you will enter and change your teaching schedule and view your class rosters.

Links to the UUCA version of the Tapestry of Faith curriculum.

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2. Online Resources to Support RE Teachers:Links to Thirteen Ed Sites

Thirteen Ed provides overviews of key education concepts that you can apply in your RE class.

Scroll to the bottom of the UUCA-RE Yahoo group’s Links page, or click the links below and bookmark these sites for later reference.

Multiple Intelligences

Constructivism

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Table of Contents

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes

2. Online Resources

3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies

4. Sunday Morning Logistics

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Important: Nuts and Allergens

This year, UUCA is expanding the “no nuts” policy to include the entire building.

This act of hospitality helps make UUCA a welcoming place for people with life threatening allergies.

Again this year, Puffins will be our RE snack – no other food is to be brought into the classroom.

If a child or parent brings “outside” food to class, ask that they save the food for later or finish their snack in the social hall before joining the class.

When you serve snack, take a moment to talk to your class about the importance of offering something that everyone can safely enjoy.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Outdoor Space

RE participants enjoy venturing outdoors during class. If you take your class to Fern Creek, the butterfly garden, or the playground please remember these simple rules:

Leave a sign on the door to let parents and the RE staff know where you are.

Come back no later than 15 minutes before the end of the class (10:30 and 12:15).

Do not go outside if a child in your class has severe allergies, unless the parent or other responsible adult is there too.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Shared Space

This year, all RE classrooms except 103, 104 and the Youth room are shared with the Atlanta Progressive Preschool (APP).

APP classroom items, including toys and supplies, are for APP use only.

At the end of the school week, each classroom will be cleaned and configured in preparation for Sunday RE.

If your classroom is not clean, please let Michelle or Pat know.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:The RE Cabinet

Each classroom has a RE cabinet. The cabinet has been organized to enable you to find the materials that you need each week.

Each class has its own shelf, to be used to store class-specific materials such as journals or other items.

A chalice and matches will be located on the shared craft supplies shelf.

If the classroom is used by OWL, there will be an OWL-specific shelf while the class is in session.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Supplies in the RE Cabinet

At the beginning of the year, each RE cabinet is stocked with the following supplies:

Construction paper

Scissors

Crayons, markers and colored pencils

Glue (bottles & sticks)

Staplers

Glitter

In addition, the RE cabinet will also contain the offering basket and a first aid kit.

Please note needed supplies on the Class Happenings sheet.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Shared Craft Supplies in the RE Cabinet

At the beginning of the year, each RE cabinet is stocked with craft supplies that will be shared by RE and OWL classes.

These supplies include:

Construction paper

Scissors

Crayons, markers and colored pencils

Glue (bottles & sticks)

Staplers

Glitter

Please note needed supplies on the Class Happenings sheet.

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3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies:Reuse and Recycle

Recycling is an important expression of our 7th Principle.

Paper recycling bins are located in each classroom. These bins are shared with APP.

Plastic, glass and aluminum recycling bins are located in the kitchen.

The butterfly garden is home to APP’s compost bin.

Broken supplies that cannot be recycled should be thrown away.

Another expression of our 7th Principle is our use of washable cups and plates for RE snacks.

At the end of each class, bring your used dishes to the tub near the RE office.

The dishes will be washed and returned to the RE cabinet.

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Table of Contents

1. Key Curriculum and Resource Changes

2. Online Resources

3. Classrooms, Snacks and Supplies

4. Sunday Morning Logistics

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Preparing for Class

The following will ensure a smooth start to your RE class.

Arrive at least 15 minutes early, and go to your classroom

RE supplies specific to the day’s lesson are located in the white laundry basket that Michelle places in each room. All grades through 7 will have a basket.

Do a quick inventory of the basket to ensure that all lesson-specific supplies are there.

Missing items? Look in the RE cabinet first, and then contact Michelle.

At 9:40 and 11:25, go to the Social Hall with your class sign.

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Welcoming RE Visitors

UUCA welcomes new families throughout the RE year.

The Welcome Team is new families’ first contact with RE at UUCA. The Welcome Team will greet newcomers and provide visitor forms for their completion.

These forms are color-coordinated with the sign that identifies RE classes in the Social Hall.

Parents will bring the completed visitor form with them, and accompany their child from the service to the Social Hall, and then to the classroom (so they’ll know where to pick up their child).

If a new child joins your class in the Social Hall without a visitor form or parent, see Pat or Michelle. Visitor forms are essential because they provide contact information that can

be used to follow-up with families. In addition to extending an additional welcome via a letter, contact information enables us to inform parents of exposure to illness or other classroom concerns..

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Class Binders

Class binders located in the basket, along with supplies for that day’s lesson.

Attendance sheet with roster (updated weekly)

Blank visitor forms, color coded for that class

Blank name tags, color coded for that class

Blank registration forms

Class happenings sheets

Blank incident reports

Master schedule of lesson plans

Note for teachers (if something special is going on)

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Taking Attendance

You will take attendance using the roster in the class binder.

Taking attendance is a priority and should be done early in the class.

Taking attendance early lets you know who is there in case of an emergency, and to welcome visitors at beginning.

When taking attendance, list each visitor’s first AND last name on the roster.

Place the original visitor form (completed by parent) in pocket in front of the binder.

If the child arrives without a form, give the parent a blank visitor form.

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Class Happenings and Incident Reports

There are two important forms in the RE binder - Class Happenings and Incident Reports.

Class Happenings should be completed by the RE teacher each Sunday.

This is your opportunity to provide feedback about the lesson.

You can also request materials such as Puffins and additional craft supplies.

Incident Reports are used to provide details about specific class events. In addition to completing the incident report, be sure to email Pat.

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Emergency Procedures

It is important to be prepared in case of an emergency.

UUCA implemented new emergency procedures in the 3rd quarter of 2010.

As part of these procedures, this fall we will have a fire drill.

You will receive further instructions regarding the fire drill, including dates and gathering locations for each class.

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4. Sunday Morning Logistics:Conflict Resolution

At UUCA, Religious Education is a collaborative effort between staff, RE teachers, other volunteers, parents, and children.

As we work together this year, it is important to be mindful three pillars that help us support one another:

UUCA Covenant

Classroom Covenant

Principles and Purposes

If you need assistance, please contact Pat Kahn.

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Thank You!

Thank you for completing the RE Refresher!

The RE Refresher provided an overview of:

Key curriculum and resource changes

Online resources available to support RE teachers

Classroom supplies

Sunday morning logistics

With your help, we are looking forward to a dynamic RE year!