UKV Youth

Correction

2008-05-14T05:51:00.001-07:00

Amanda corrected a few of the words in the song lyrics. Apparently, I had them wrong, and since she was 4-H song leader for 4 years, she should know! (Also, she showed me the book which I couldn't argue with. ;)

I already changed the previous post to reflect the corrections, so if you printed it before today, please reprint it with the correct lyrics. Thanks!

Also, Sky has asked me to record the tune, which I haven't done yet, so he can send out a cd to everyone. He would like for us to perform this for the congregation!

Opening Song

2008-05-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

There is a song that Amanda and I learned at 4-H camp. It is the song they sing when the fire is lit every evening. It's very peaceful and beautiful and we have been singing it when we light the candle at the beginning of Sunday School. Not all of the kids know the words and I have been promising to write them down.

So, here they are:

As the bright flame ascends to heaven
Oh, God of love and truth,
We would in thought with thee commune
In joy and love and youth.

The hills resound with our glad song
And echo back to thee
Our thanks received for work and health
And love and loyalty.

Sunday, May 4th

2008-05-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Willem, Amanda, Jeremiah, Daniel, Amos, Sophia, David, and David were present today. We did the third lesson in the Fair Play series about beliefs.

The kids had a chance to listen to a Chicken Soup story and discuss their thoughts about it. Then they wrote down their reactions to various belief statements and did a cooperative activity where they tried to work together using only one index finger per person to lower a hula hoop to the ground without anyone's fingers losing contact with the hoop.

This lesson wasn't as well-received as the previous one. It was a little dry. We maybe should have skipped the belief activity and added a game or a craft instead.

Summer Programming Partnership

2008-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to add that I spoke with Chris Higgins of the Unitarian Universalist church last Sunday at the bowling alley. He said that they are reconsidering the idea of having the middle schoolers mentor the younger students, and are considering setting up a separate room for them with projects/activities geared toward their age group.

I suggested that, maybe in addition to learning about the difficulties faced by persons in other countries, the middle schoolers could design and implement a humanitarian project of their choice--raising money for a well in Africa--running a book drive for the Sojourners Shelter library, etc... I think an activity like that would make them feel like they really can make a difference.

Does anyone else who has middle schoolers have any suggestions that they would like the committee to consider when we next meet?

Christy

Bible School Meeting

2008-05-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,
below are notes that I took in the meeting with Kathy from St. John's about their Bible School this year. It all sounds cool to me. Each room will have a different country with a different worldwide goal (for example, the African room will have drum music, mosquito netting and will deal with poverty, hunger,etc.).
The dates are from Tuesday, July 22nd - Thursday, July 24th from 5:30-7:45 ish pm.

Bible School Meeting – Tuesday, April 22, 2008 with Kathy Giltinan of St. John’s

Bible School is tentatively set for Tuesday, July 22^nd- Thursday, July 24^th from 5:30-7:45 pm. This is whole family event with people divided into small groups with various ages moving from station to station. Middle-schoolers will be the helpers. Volunteers needed to set up, be with the children, and to cook. The Outreach group from St. John’s will also help out.

Goal – is to understand how make a difference in the world.

Each night will start as one large group then split into the smaller multi-age groups. 5:30-6:15 food will be served. Each night, the food will be from a different country (ie, Mexican food on one night). 6:15-6:30 together as one large group. 6:30-7:30 rotating to stations in the small groups. At 7:30, we will meet back together as the large group for the ending. One of the stations will be a craft area. Another example of an area is Africa with drum music and mosquito netting, etc.

Children will be divided as follows: 0-2 years in the nursery

3-5 years in activities

K-5^th grade in the groups going to stations

6^th grade and up – helpers

Suggestions included : UU has a person who makes and works on AIDS quilts.

Light up banana boxes – St. John’s already has these. The boxes are created from the banana leaves by one of their members.

Large globe will be the center piece.

There is also a walled garden where an activity could take place.

Plan for 60-70 people.

Pre-registration is at the end of May.

Pam Hippler

2008-04-30T05:58:00.001-07:00

2008-04-29T08:48:00.001-07:00

KIDS! attended a Bowling Party at Galaxy lanes. We had enough kids to fill up four lanes - way to go. It was a fun time with Strikes, Spares and lots of B.O.O.M going on. The adults spent some time chatting with one another. What a great turnout - thank you to everyone!

Rumor is:
There could be a Gettin' Outa School Party coming up ...

UKV Youth Bowling

2008-04-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

We've scheduled Bowling at Galaxy Lanes for Sunday, April 27th from 12:30 to 2:30. When we get a little closer we'll do a more detailed announcement.

Kathy Dent

New Teaching Schedule

2008-04-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

April 6--Mindy

April 13--Lisa

April 20--Judy

April 27--Sharon (After church on this day, Pam will be planting flowers around the church with the kids.)

May 4--Christy

May 11--Mindy

May 18--Lisa

May 25--Christy

June 1--Christy

June 8--Judy

June 15--Sharon

June 22--Lisa

June 29--Mindy

Teacher's Meeting Report

2008-04-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

UKV is a place where kids of all ages are empowered to figure out who they are, and to become who they were born to be.

1. Reviewing new curriculum and deciding who will teach which lessons and when.

Everyone took a book to work from and Mindy and Sharon agreed to share the "Self-Image" booklet. We will work our way through them one lesson at a time, except for the Sundays when another topic calls out to us and we create our own lesson.

2. Set up new teaching schedule.

The new schedule is still in revision. I will post it when it is finalized. Mindy will begin it by teaching next Sunday.

3. Schedule teacher training workshops, and arrange to have them videotaped for new teacher training.

A workshop is tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 25th during the kids' bowling night with Sky.

4. Plan how to get feedback from the kids.

A list of questions for parents to discuss with the kids will be posted on the blog in the near future.

5. Plan activities to help the kids find community with each other.

Kathy Dent has agreed to coordinate outside activities. She has tentatively scheduled a bowling night for Friday, April 25th and she is checking with the Kanawha City bowling alley for availability. Sky would like to use this time to get to know the kids better and to get feedback from them about how UKV is meeting their needs.

6. Find someone to teach the younger children.

Sky and the board have been working on that. We discussed possibly having two people who will altnerate. Mindy will locate simple Unity-based activities for the child care providers to use with the younger children.

7. Plan and provide safe ways for the kids to be active after church.

It was suggested that the child care provider go over safety rules with the children for after church activities and the board is hiring the provider through 1:15 to accommodate after-church activities.

8. Implement background checks for everyone who works with the children.

It was agreed that we need to have background checks for all volunteers and employees who work with children, and Pam and Christy are checking into the simplest way to accomplish this.

Other ideas suggested were: Lisa suggested that we start a youth group. (Sabrina indicated an interest in facilitating at one time.) Kathy suggested that we attend Unity workshops and retreats. Mindy expressed an appreciation for having so many children of different ages in the church.

If I have forgotten anything else, I apologize and please remind me!

Christy's Report for March 30

2008-03-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Willem, Elizabeth, David, Nathaniel, Amanda and Conner were present at Sunday School. We used the first lesson in the "Fair Play" book of the Uniteen Life Issues curriculum which went really well with the lesson we did last week. This lesson was about how preconceived ideas can limit our experiences.

The kids blindfolded themselves, then each held onto a large piece of string and tried to make various shapes. In order to make the shapes, they had to communicate with each other and compromise, which often meant letting go of their preconceived ideas of how the shape should be. The first shape they made was a square, which they all reported was fairly easy. The next shape was a triangle and they were asked to draw what it would look like and where they would be in it before they tried to make it. No one ended up where they thought they would, and no one had predicted the final shape, although they did manage to make a nice triangle. The next shape was a TREE! Elizabeth was very frustrated and perplexed that there were no further directions. She knows how to make so many kinds of trees that she didn't know which one to choose. The kids brainstormed and it was suggested that they make a Christmas tree, which would be easier to make. Then Conner and/or Nathaniel (I'm not sure which one said it first, but I'm sure they do so you can ask them if you want. :) suggested making a triangle Christmas tree with a square base. Everyone was excited about this suggestion and although it took a lot more direction and compromise, they succeeded in making a Christmas tree with string while blindfolded!! (I keep telling everyone how brilliant they are!)

Between tries and after the last one, we discussed how it felt to compromise and let go of preconceived ideas. We talked about their preconceived ideas of "popular", "nerd", "funny", "straight-A student" and more. Amanda has negative ideas about what it means to be popular because in her school, it usually means snotty or cliqueish. However, she really likes Elizabeth who we learned considers herself popular because her idea involves being yourself, being friendly to everyone as much as possible and having lots of friends.

We all had a lot of fun and we learned from each other, which is always exciting to me. I really enjoy facilitating this learning community because I always feel like I learn as much as the kids do!

Christy's Report for March 23

2008-03-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah, Conner, Amanda, Rachel, David, and Nathaniel were present at Sunday School. My proposed topic was the negative effects of "putting God in a box" or failing to notice God's guidance and blessings that are all around us. Amanda stated that she does not believe that it is possible to put God in a box because if there is something that we need to know or have, she believes that God will continue to make it known and/or available to us in more and more noticeable ways until we "get it". After a lively discussion, the kids reached a consensus that, while we agree that we cannot restrict God from taking care of us, we can help God do so more efficiently if we remain open to all of the miracles that surround us and try to refrain from limiting our experiences with our own ideas of how things "should be".

After the discussion we used a "NASA" approved (I learned it at a NASA workshop anyway ;) modular origami technique to make a box out of different colored paper squares. By the way, all participants should see Amanda for the correct way to put the box together. She discovered that I was doing it wrong. Apparently, there is a way to put each piece together so that all of the flaps are tucked into one of the outside parts of the other pieces, rather than some of them being tucked inside the box. Her way looks cooler because there are more colors on each square and the box is much sturdier. (All of you grown ups want to make one now, don't you? :) I'm sure Amanda would be happy to show you, too.)

Youth Sunday--Great Job, Everyone!

2008-03-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Youth Sunday was a big success! The kids all did a great job, and the congregation had very enthusiastic things to say about the experience. They were very impressed with your level of knowledge of Unity principles and with how professionally you handled yourselves on stage. I heard from at least one congregation member that they wished we would do it more often!

Here is what the final program looked like. Thanks to Mindy, Anna and Kathy for putting it together! Also, Thanks again to Mindy and Lisa for running rehearsal and helping with set up, snacks and program order on Youth Sunday. We couldn't have done it without you!

If you would like to let the kids know how much you enjoyed the service, please leave comments below!!!

Greeters: Anna Hamilton Schles, Daniel McKnight and Nathaniel Beck

Hymnals: David Schwartz

Master of Ceremonies for 1st Half: Nathaniel Beck

Lighting of the Christ Candle: Mikayla Dent

Song Leader: Amanda Schwartz
Surely the Presence sung by the Youth Choir
Weave sung by the Youth Choir and the congregation pg. 67

Daily Word Reader: Kyle McKnight

Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh read by Elizabeth Allenger

Musical segment: Amanda Schwartz
Stand By Me written and sung by Amanda Schwartz

Lesson: Anna Hamilton Schles and Connor Beck

Lord’s Prayer: Read by Daniel McKnight

Master of Ceremonies for 2nd Half: Willem Nadas

Meditation: Willem Nadas

Musical segment: Make New Friends sung by the Youth Choir

Offering Prayers: Conner Beck

Ushers: Kayla McKnight and Rachel Beck

Music Segment: Sung by the Youth Choir and the congregation joining in on the 2nd time
Magic Penny pg. 179

Program Cover design by Anna Hamilton Schles
Eggs by Conner Beck and Willem Nadas
Homemade Refreshments provided by Alina Frieberg
Artwork provided by the Youth of Unity of Kanawha Valley

Report from Sharon for April 24

2008-02-29T05:25:00.001-08:00

Willem and Brianna were the only two children present. We discussed affirmations and I showed them Louise Hay's beautifully illustrated book, You Can Heal Your Life. Using the illustrations as inspiration, we wrote our own affirmation on a puzzle pieces greeting card that I brought. We colored the cards with colored pencils and then they broke the puzzle in pieces and put them in an envelope.

Report from Sharon for April 24

2008-02-29T05:25:00.000-08:00

Youth Sunday! It's a go for March 16th

2008-02-11T03:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks for all the positive responses about Youth Sunday! It's a go for March 16th, so please be here the two Sundays prior(March 2nd and 9th) so the kids can plan and rehearse. We'll do it during Sunday School.

Thanks, Lisa for helping the kids do some planning for that today. My kids reported that they really enjoyed it! The chosen them is "The Future/New Beginnings" since it will be the week before Easter and they already have some snack ideas and ideas about the service. So, kids please be thinking of more ideas to bring to our planning session on the 2nd!

Can everyone meet after church on March 9th? It's the Sunday that the kids will be rehearsing. Please let me know.

Christy

Leadership Report from Christy

2008-02-11T03:55:00.000-08:00

Sharon and Sky and I had a very productive discussion after church today about the future of the children's program, and we agreed that we need to have a meeting with all the parents and/or teachers to plan where to go from here.

Some things that we need to talk about are:

1. Trying out and choosing a new curriculum so that teachers feel more supported in planning lessons and there is more continuity for the kids.

2. Possible teacher training workshops to help us all feel more comfortable using a child-centered teaching style--Sky says that Lindsey Mainland has written a book on the subject and might be willing to help us with that.

3. Finding a regular mechanism to get feedback from the kids to help us all reflect on how well we're meeting their needs and how we can improve.

4. Choosing and planning activities to help the kids find community with one another, maybe even just having fun activities some Sundays in lieu of a lesson.

5. Finding and paying someone who will teach the younger children. It has been suggested that they use the Unity lessons we already have.

6. Finding a safe way for the kids to be active during after-church discussion groups and meetings--maybe installing some playground equipment?

That's a lot to discuss, but I know we can do it! Sharon suggested that I write a couple of "Vision Statements" (Unity versions of Mission Statements :) about the Children's Program and I am working on those. For now, let's just focus on the theme of "Empowering Children" as we formulate ideas to bring to the discussion. Some examples are giving them active and engaging learning experiences that help them construct their own spiritual values, and creating a dynamic learning community where every child feels that he or she has something valuable to contribute.

Can everyone meet after church on March 9th? It's the Sunday that the kids will be rehearsing. Please let me know.

Thanks and Peace,
Christy