From Our Director of Religious Education For Children and Youth

What Will Happen in Religious Education – 2022-2023? 

Religious Education programs are on summer break but will return in September. There will be multiple components of the upcoming year in Religious Education. To the extent that our volunteer resources can support these components, they will include: 

– An experimental, multigenerational monthly community dinner on the first Wednesday of the month – dinner provided – with after-dinner choir practice and other 45-minute programs –  An experimental, multigenerational monthly community social action project (days and times to be announced) 

– Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education programs for the following groups: o upper elementary – 10 session program o junior high – 25 session program o high school – 12 session program  Junior high youth group to meet monthly

– Senior high youth group (with exploration of the possibility of a 2023-2024 big trip) 

– Continued iterations of in-service and after-service programming Plans will be adjusted as attendance numbers vary and as we learn our way through the year! 

Volunteers Needed!

Religious Education plans, including Our Whole Lives programming, will depend on volunteer availability in the coming year. However, it is still important to match the people with the right volunteer roles for them. If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to dre at danbury dot org with the following information:

–  Frequency: How frequently are you interested in volunteering (once or twice during the year; three or four times during year; once or twice per month; most Sundays)? 

– Type: What inspired you to reach out? Are you interested in helping with planning, preparation, or committee work, or is your preference to work directly with program participants? 

– Style: What is your preferred style of interaction (for example, do you prefer to be in charge, or are you more interested in mutuality; do you like to have structure or do you prefer to interact in more flexible ways)? 

– Age: Is there a particular age group with whom you are best suited to work? 

– Skills: Do you have a special skill you can offer the children’s community in either behind-the-scenes or direct work (some examples might include making music, telling stories, creating props and sets for stages, art of any type, etc.)? 

–  Connections: Do you have a connection to a community organization with which we could partner for social action events?

Save the Date Notices for Religious Education Families with children and youth, please mark the following dates on your family calendar: 

In addition to the monthly community community dinner, we will have an experimental monthly multigenerational social action activity on dates and times to be determined. 

2022-2023 Religious Education Registration 

Please click here to register your children and youth for 2022-2023 Nursery Care or Religious Education. The nursery will open in August. Religious Education programming will begin in September. 

Nursery and Childcare Reopening August 7th

As Covid vaccines become available for young children, we are thrilled to announce that our nursery will reopen on August 7th. Parents of children ages 0-5 are welcome to keep their children with them in the service or bring their children to the nursery for care. Sunday morning nursery hours will be 9:50am-11:10am (opening 10 minutes before the service begins and closing 10 minutes after the service ends), though please don’t worry if a service runs long. The nursery will remain open until the end of the service for any service that runs long. Additionally, when you need childcare for a child of any age in order to attend a meeting or participate in an event at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury from August-June, please contact the Director of Religious Education for Children and Youth at dre@uudanbury.org

Religious Education Summer Office Hours In July and August, we will have a Religious Education vacation. Sierra-Marie will: 

– Be out of the office for much of July due to professional development obligations and will not have an opportunity to read emails sent during that month. Phone calls will be returned for emergencies only. 

– Be happy to meet with community members through most of August. Online appointments are available throughout the week. In-person appointments are available on some Sundays. Please email dre at uu danbury dot org to schedule an appointment. 

Sierra-Marie Gerfao