There are some exciting changes coming to Children & Youth RE this fall! Our program is growing – both in terms of numbers, and in the sense that our kids have gotten another year older and are ready for new experiences that will continue to nurture and challenge them. Starting in September, we will have three CYRE classes – Beginners, Middle Grades, and High School RE.
Beginners RE: for kids in Pre-K through 3rd grade (and kids of any age whose developmental needs will be best met by this curriculum!), will meet in the Cottage following the Time for All Ages, where we will learn through Spirit Play, a Montessori-inspired curriculum focused on hands-on learning. From September through December, we’ll play our way through lessons from the Religions of the World, lessons from the Animal World, and lessons inspired by Winter Holidays.
Middle Grades RE: will span from 4th-8th grade, and will also meet in the Cottage following the Times for All Ages. Middle Grades RE will learn about our UU history and values, and explore how we can use our knowledge and compassion to make positive change though our RE in Action curriculum. Each unit will culminate in a hands-on volunteer project, starting with a service day at the Westside Food Bank!
High School RE: for 9th-12th grade, will meet after the Sunday service in Room 4 on 2nd and 4th Sundays. This way students will have the opportunity to participate in Sunday worship in the morning, and get involved in the life of our congregation through other ministries on 1st and 3rd Sundays – like Women+, Peace & Social Justice, Lunches for Bunches, and more! The goal is for teenagers to become empowered members of our congregation, participating not just as passive onlookers, but as active participants helping to shape our community.
In addition to these weekly RE classes, we’re looking forward to many fun events for all ages – a “Witchy Halloween” party on October 25th where we will have fun learning about the Pagan holiday of Samhain, our annual Multigenerational Dia de los Muertos service on November 2nd, our Holiday Pageant on December 6th, and much more!
In January, we’ll be kicking off 2026 with OWL for 7th-9th grade! The Our Whole Lives sexuality education program goes beyond “the birds and the bees” to holistically address the emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of sexuality through age-appropriate and research-based curriculum. Registration will be coming soon, so if you have a student in this age range, stay tuned!
These programs are all made possible by our wonderful volunteers – thank you to everyone who has been involved with CYRE for a long time, and to those who are taking the leap to get more involved this year! If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out to me at dmre@uusm.org – all it takes is a background check and some simple volunteer training to get started! Even if you’re only available once in a while, you can have an incredible impact on the lives of children and youth who benefit from this caring and inclusive spiritual community.
