The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Religious Exploration (More or Less) Weekly Updates

May 1, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 5/4
   Big Sunday Social Justice project in RE for K-5th grades (see announcement below)
Sunday, 5/11
   Super Camp Sunday youth camp signup at UUCCSM (see announcement below)
Sunday, 5/18
   Coming of Age Sunday service
   Annual Meeting
Sunday, 6/1
   RE Sunday service
Sunday, 6/8
   Final day of RE classes for 08-09 church year
Sunday, 6/15
   UUCCSM church retreat at Camp de Benneville Pines!
   First Sunday of summer schedule – ONE SERVICE ONLY
    “Swing Day” in RE – Game Day for all ages
Sunday, 6/22
   Summer RE Program Kickoff!
     · Preschool & Rising Kindergarteners: Summer of Seuss
     · Elementary and Up: Our Wonder-full World

Reminders:

RE Program Assessment – Please participate!
The RE Council and I have generated a survey for RE parents that we hope everyone will take the time to fill out. It will give us very valuable feedback about many aspects of our program, which we’ll use to help us plan our RE program for the 2008-2009 church year. Hard copies of the survey will be available in Forbes Hall during coffee hour starting this Sunday, or you can fill out the survey online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=QUfJxZ91R0s8edk5w_2bouSg_3d_3d. Your thoughtful response to the survey questions is very much appreciated! Deadline for responding is May 11th.

De Benneville Pines Summer Youth Camps: Flyers and registration information for this year’s Summer Camps at our district’s lovely camp in the mountains are now available online.

o Elementary Camp 7/6-7/12/08: They Blinded Me with Science (youth completing grades 2-6)
o Junior High Camp 7/13-7/19/08: Global Summit (youth completing grades 6-9)
o Senior High Camp 7/20-7/27/08: FocUUsing Our Faith (youth completing grades 9-12)

There is an early registration discount for those who register by Sunday, April 20, 2008. In order to ensure that your registration is received in time to receive the discount, the forms are available from the de Benneville web site at http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierYouthS08.pdf.

Registration forms and information for both the Counselor-In-Training Program (ages 15 – 18 during Elementary Camp 7/6 – 7/12/08) and the new Adult Advisor/Counselor-in Training Program (ages 18+ during Jr High Camp 7/13 – 17/19/08) are also available to download from http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierCITS08.pdf. Both youth and adult CIT applicants should submit their registration forms before May 25 to be considered for the programs.

For assistance with registration or questions about the PSWD Summer YoUUth Camps programs, please call the camp office at 909-794-2928 or e-mail caroline@uucamp.org.

We will be holding our Super Camp Sunday signup at UUCCSM on Sunday, May 11th after each service in Forbes Hall. Parents who sign their children up for camp that day will receive a $35 discount!

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “People Teach Me.” We’ll read some special stories about teachers and then take part in an “association game” craft!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Who are some people who teach you? Are there people who teach you things who aren’t always called “teachers”? What do you know how to teach someone else?

Social Justice Sunday for K-5th – This week’s Social Justice Sunday for elementary RE is a big one! We’ll be participating in this year’s Big Sunday, a day when individuals and groups from all over Los Angeles come together to support our local communities. Learn all about Big Sunday at www.bigsunday.org. Our group will be helping to plant a garden at the VA Hospital on Wilshire Blvd., and here’s what the website has to say about this particular project: “Participants will be helping our neighbors at the V.A. Hospital by building a beautiful and peaceful garden. It will be a lovely spot for both veterans and their families and friends to enjoy. And on Big Sunday they're going to need a bunch of people with green thumbs (or strong backs) to help make this garden grow.” This project starts at 10:00 am, and we will be making one full-morning trip. Participants will need to come to the 9:00 service for carpooling to the site; we anticipate returning to UUCCSM by 1:00 pm. We especially need some adults who are willing to be drivers for the event. Families, this is a great project to take part in together – everyone ages 5 and up are welcome (minimum age set by site for liability reasons)! If you’re going to join us, please do not register yourself for the project; we have already registered our group. Families are also welcome to meet us at the site itself, provided you let us know ahead of time that you’re planning on attending. All participants in Big Sunday get a Big Sunday t-shirt! And this year there were so many projects available that Big Sunday is starting a day early; there are many opportunities for participating on Saturday the 3rd too! In fact, our very own church will be an e-waste collection site on the 3rd as part of the weekend-long Big Sunday festivities. Check the Big Sunday website for more information. Please reply to this email or call me to rsvp for this special project; it will be very helpful to have a head count ahead of time! There will be an alternate activity at church during each service for those who choose not to participate in the Big Sunday project.

6th-7th grade will continue their study of Humanism today.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How do you think Humanism is related to Unitarian Universalism? Is there anything you learned today about Humanism that you particularly liked? Or anything that you particularly disagree with? What do Humanists have in common with other religions you’ve studied?

Boston Heritage Trip for UUCCSM Youth:
Did you know that the high school youth group is heading to Boston in July (2nd-6th) for a trip around the hotbed of historic Unitarian Universalism, with our very own Rev. Judith Meyer as our tour guide? We’ll tour the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters, walk the Freedom Trail, visit King’s Chapel (the first Unitarian church in America) and Arlington Street Church (served by Rev. William Ellery Channing from 1803-1842 and featuring stunning Tiffany stained glass windows), celebrate the 4th of July with the Boston Pops, attend a Sunday service at a historic UU church, and more! Many UU churches sponsor such trips for their youth, but this is the very first time we’ve offered this exciting opportunity for our teens. We have ELEVEN youth signed up to go, along with a number of enthusiastic adults serving as chaperones (and eager UU history students, to boot)! And as excited as we are about the gaggle of teens we’ve got heading off to Beantown, we’re also aware that it takes a lot of beans to get such a large group transported and housed. You may have noticed our youth and their parents selling sandwiches, t-shirts, jewelry, calendars and more in Forbes Hall over the past few months as part of their fundraising efforts, and I hope you will consider supporting them over the coming weeks. But we’re also putting the word out that donations toward the travel fund for the youth will be joyfully accepted as well. Would you like to help sponsor our youth group’s heritage trip?

April 18, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 5/4
   Big Sunday Social Justice project in RE – more details to come soon!
Sunday, 5/11
   Super Camp Sunday youth camp signup at UUCCSM (see announcement below)
Sunday, 5/18
   Coming of Age Sunday service
   Annual Meeting
Sunday, 6/1
   RE Sunday service

Reminders:

De Benneville Pines Summer Youth Camps:
Flyers and registration information for this year’s Summer Camps at our district’s lovely camp in the mountains are now available online.

o Elementary Camp 7/6-7/12/08: They Blinded Me with Science (youth completing grades 2-6)
o Junior High Camp 7/13-7/19/08: Global Summit (youth completing grades 6-9)
o Senior High Camp 7/20-7/27/08: FocUUsing Our Faith (youth completing grades 9-12)

There is an early registration discount for those who register by Sunday, April 20, 2008. In order to ensure that your registration is received in time to receive the discount, the forms are available from the de Benneville web site at http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierYouthS08.pdf.

Registration forms and information for both the Counselor-In-Training Program (ages 15 – 18 during Elementary Camp 7/6 – 7/12/08) and the new Adult Advisor/Counselor-in Training Program (ages 18+ during Jr High Camp 7/13 – 17/19/08) are also available to download from http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierCITS08.pdf.

Both youth and adult CIT applicants should submit their registration forms before May 25 to be considered for the programs.

For assistance with registration or questions about the PSWD Summer YoUUth Camps programs, please call the camp office at 909-794-2928 or e-mail caroline@uucamp.org.

We will be holding our Super Camp Sunday signup at UUCCSM on Sunday, May 11th after each service in Forbes Hall. Parents who sign their children up for camp that day will receive a $35 discount!

Announcements:

RE Program Assessment – Please participate!
The RE Council and I have generated a survey for RE parents that we hope everyone will take the time to fill out. It will give us very valuable feedback about many aspects of our program, which we’ll use to help us plan our RE program for the 2008-2009 church year. Hard copies of the survey will be available in Forbes Hall during coffee hour starting this Sunday, or you can fill out the survey online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=QUfJxZ91R0s8edk5w_2bouSg_3d_3d. Your thoughtful response to the survey questions is very much appreciated! Deadline for responding is May 11th.

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “My World Has Trees.” We’ll explore the wonder and beauty of trees this morning with two special stories and a “family tree” craft!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What kind of trees do you like best? Do you know what kind of food comes from trees? What are some ways we use trees? How can we help take care of trees?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be exploring a story called “Grandad’s Prayers for the Earth” in honor of Earth Day.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did Grandad tell the boy in the story about the way the earth prays? How did the story make you feel? What is your favorite thing about the earth or nature? What do you think you and I could do to help take care of the earth?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Making a Difference,” which includes an adaptation of a Thai folk take called “It’s Not My Problem,” a magic wand-making craft, and the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What do you think is the most important lesson from we can learn from the parachuting cats? What is Why did the queen in the story think that the things that happened were “not my problem”? Can you think of a time when you helped someone instead of decided that “it’s not my problem”? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to add some gems to the “gems of goodness” jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will continue their study of religions with an introduction to Humanism.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How do you think Humanism is related to Unitarian Universalism? Is there anything you learned today about Humanism that you particularly liked? Or anything that you particularly disagree with? What do Humanists have in common with other religions you’ve studied?

Lessons of Loss – We Need Your Opinion:
Parents and teachers, we need your feedback about the Lessons of Loss curriculum presented in all of our classes in January 2007. The RE Council and I are considering instituting Lessons of Loss in our program once every two years (and feel it would be particularly valuable to our community in a year with as much change and transition as 2008-2009 will bring us), and we’d like to hear from you about your experience with the program when we last offered it. We are especially eager to hear from those of you who were RE teachers and taught Lessons of Loss at various levels of our program. Please contact Catherine.

Summer RE Program:
Can you believe that it is only two months until our summer term begins? We’ll be sharing lots more detail about our summer programs with you soon, but I’m so excited about what’s in store that I wanted to share it with you right away. Our preschool class will be reprising the very popular Summer of Seuss program last offered in 2006. And for elementary and up, we’re very pleased to be offering a brand new summer program focused on exploring “Our Wonder-Full World”! Each week will have a different theme: some weeks we’ll focus on exploring the natural world (learning about bugs and creepy-crawlies, or plants native to Southern California, or ocean life or endangered animals or maybe even stars and planets and our great big universe), and others weeks we’ll focus on what it means to be “green” (exploring recycling or ways to reduce energy consumption or pollution or learning about any number of other ways each one of us can help take care of our earth). Sound exciting? Do you have a particular passion or expertise related to “Our Wonder-Full World” that you’d like to share with our kids for one Sunday morning this summer? Or would you enjoy celebrating one of the many delightfully silly Seuss stories with the preschoolers? We’re in the market for church members who would like to sign up to lead or assist one time each over the summer. FMI or to volunteer, contact Catherine .

RECREATE - 2008 All-Church Camp at deBenneville Pines 6/13-15:
Limited space is still available as UUCCSM members and friends head to beautiful Camp deBenneville Pines, located in the San Bernardino Mountains just 100 miles east of Santa Monica, for a fun-filled and relaxing weekend together. This year's annual retreat weekend is June 13-15, 2008. Singles, couples and families young and old enjoy clean mountain air, lots of activities, great food and fellowship. Rustic heated cabins are clean and comfortable, with indoor plumbing and hot showers, for "roughing it, gently". Registration for the weekend (generally under $150/person with discounts for kids) includes two nights lodging, meals Friday night through Sunday lunch and all kinds of activities from archery to canoeing, yoga to mindfulness meditation, dam building to singalongs, adult hot tubbing and a pool with a lifeguard. Please contact Margot Page, deBenneville Weekend Registrar, 310-821-5169, with any questions. Or contact Jacki Weber, deBenneville Weekend Program Dean, and Amy Lacombe, Vice-Program Dean. More information on deBenneville is at uucamp.org.

April 2, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 4/6
   K-1 OWL parent/child orientation (see reminder below)
Sunday, 4/13
   K-1 OWL class begins
Sunday, 5/4
   Big Sunday Social Justice project in RE – more details to come soon!
Sunday, 5/18
   Coming of Age Sunday service
   Annual Meeting
Sunday, 6/1
   RE Sunday service

Reminders:

K-1 OWL Parent/Child Orientation:
The mandatory parent/child orientation for families interested in enrolling their children in Kindergarten-1st grade OWL is this Sunday, April 6th, from 3:00-5:30 pm in the cottage. For more information contact Beth Rendeiro.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “I can Hear.” We’ll explore music and rhythm together this morning with a special noisemaker craft.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What kind of sounds you do like best? What kind of sounds do you not like at all? What is your favorite musical instrument? What is your favorite song to sing?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from the Hindu tradition this morning with the story of “How Ganesh got his Name” at 9:00, and “How Ganesh got his Elephant Head” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) How did Ganesh get his name? Have you ever taken part in a race or contest and won? How did that feel? Have you ever taken part in a race or contest and lost? How did that feel? (11:00) Can you tell me the story of how Ganesh got his elephant head? Have you ever done something because you thought it was right, even if other people disagreed with you? How did that feel?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Footprints: Treading Softly on the Earth,” which includes a true story about the parachuting cats of Borneo as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What do you think is the most important lesson from we can learn from the parachuting cats? What is something you can do to help keep the earth in balance? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to add some gems to the “gems of goodness” jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will conclude their study of earth-centered and Native American traditions today with a trip to the 10th annual All Nations Powwow at El Comino College.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What was the most interesting part of your trip today? How did it feel to attend the Powwow as an observer? Why do you think traditions are important for so many religious and cultural communities? What traditions do we have in Unitarian Universalism?

RE Program Assessment – Coming Your Way Soon!
We will be distributing a survey this month to all RE families to gather feedback about our current programs and how they are serving your children, which will help us determine our program structure and curricula for the 2008-2009 church year. It is very important that we hear from everyone, so please make sure to participate! There will be more information in next week’s UUpdates email.

De Benneville Pines Summer Youth Camps:
Flyers and registration information for this year’s Summer Camps at our district’s lovely camp in the mountains are now available online.

o Elementary Camp 7/6-7/12/08: They Blinded Me with Science (youth completing grades 2-6)
o Junior High Camp 7/13-7/19/08: Global Summit (youth completing grades 6-9)
o Senior High Camp 7/20-7/27/08: FocUUsing Our Faith (youth completing grades 9-12)

There is an early registration discount for those who register by Sunday, April 20, 2008. In order to ensure that your registration is received in time to receive the discount, the forms are available from the de Benneville web site at http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierYouthS08.pdf.

Registration forms and information for both the Counselor-In-Training Program (ages 15 – 18 during Elementary Camp 7/6 – 7/12/08) and the new Adult Advisor/Counselor-in Training Program (ages 18+ during Jr High Camp 7/13 – 17/19/08) are also available to download from http://www.debenneville.org/youth/WebFlierCITS08.pdf. Both youth and adult CIT applicants should submit their registration forms before May 25 to be considered for the programs.

For assistance with registration or questions about the PSWD Summer YoUUth Camps programs, please call the camp office at 909-794-2928 or e-mail caroline@uucamp.org.

March 14, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals & Friends Dance 5-7 pm
Sunday, 3/23
   Easter Sunday – special all-RE program during services
Sunday, 4/6
   RE teacher/advisor meeting between services, 10:20-10:50
   K-1 OWL parent/child orientation
Sunday, 4/13
    K-1 OWL class begins
Sunday, 5/4
   Big Sunday Social Justice project in RE – more details to come!

Reminders:

Intergenerational Party March 15:
On Saturday the 15th, from 5-7 pm in Forbes Hall, all UUCCSM members and families are invited to come to our St. Patrick’s Day-themed intergenerational dance and potluck dinner. We’ll have an unveiling of our Secret Pals participants’ identities as part of the festivities, but you don’t have to be a Secret Pal to come to the celebration! Wear your best green outfit and your dancing shoes, and bring a dish to share that will serve at least 8 (extra points if it’s green too!). Please contact Catherine to rsvp.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “I can Wait.” We’ll explore patience with stories and a special “rainbow yarn” project.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Do you ever have to wait a long time for something you want? What does that feel like? What are things you think you could do to make waiting easier? How did you make your rainbow yarn today? How long did it take?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from our Jewish and Christian heritage this morning with the story of “The Flood” at 9:00, and “The Exodus” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Was the story of Noah one you have heard before? Why do you think this story is important to some people? Noah and his family had a big hope when they were on the Ark – what do you think that hope was? Do you have big hopes of your own? (11:00) Was the story of the Exodus new to you? Why do you think this story is important to some people? Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a situation and didn’t know what to do? How did you feel? How did you get out of that situation? What do you think freedom meant for Moses and the people who went with him?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Doing Unto Others,” which includes the story of the Good Samaritan as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Why do you think your class talked about the Good Samaritan story today? What do you think it means to be a “neighbor” to someone (or a good neighbor)? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the “gems of goodness” jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will conclude their study of Taoism today with an integration of last week’s visit to the Great Tao Foundation.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did you learn about Taoism this month that you liked the most? Were there are parts that reminded you of our church or our values? Why do you think our church encourages people to learn about other religions?

National Interfaith Call-In Day to Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education – Rob Keithan, of the UU Association’s Washington Office for Advocacy, sends the below announcement:
On March 17, 2008 join people of faith from across the country in support of the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act (H.R. 1653; S. 972). The REAL Act would create federal funding for age-appropriate, medically-accurate sexuality education programs. These programs would be required to stress the value of abstinence without teaching or promoting religion. The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations is one of more than 125 organizations supporting the REAL Act. The 2007 UUA General Assembly approved a statement specifically urging Congress to pass the REAL Act. Call your Members of Congress on Monday, March 17th! Print out a flyer here (https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1272/images/Call-in%20Day%20Flyer%202008-03-04.pdf) and encourage the members of your congregation to call-in in support of comprehensive sex education. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for your Representative or Senator (www.house.gov; www.senate.gov). For more information, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice or contact Grace Garner, 202-296-4672 x13, ggarner@uua.org.

Easter Sunday in RE
Next week, March 23rd, preschool-5th graders will be learning about and celebrating three spring holidays: Easter, the Spring Equinox, and No Ruz! We’ll start out in the center room of the cottage together, and will move from space to space for each of our holiday observances. Parents are welcome to join us for the festivities! And in fact, we’d love to have several more assistants to help shepherd the children; please contact Catherine to volunteer or for more information about our plans. (Please note: we will not be holding a free-for-all egg hunt after the services this year, as we have in past years. Our celebration will take place during the service time and we will be focusing on activities that are less prone to fostering competition and disappointment for the little ones.)

March 7, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   Neighboring Faiths trip to Great Tao Foundation
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
   K-1st OWL parent orientation, 3:00-4:30 pm
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm
Sunday, 3/23
   Easter Sunday – special all-RE program during services
Sunday, 4/6
   RE teacher/advisor meeting between services, 10:20-10:50
   K-1 OWL parent/child orientation
Sunday, 4/13
   K-1 OWL class begins
Sunday, 5/4
   Big Sunday Social Justice project in RE – more details to come!

Reminders:

Secret Pals continues this Sunday!
This week is the LAST Sunday of our Secret Pals program, so make sure to leave some special hints in your pal’s bag! We’ll wrap the program up with our special Secret Pals Dance on Saturday, March 15, 5-7 pm in Forbes Hall. Secret Pals participants are particularly encouraged to attend, but ALL are welcome. Bring the whole family, as well as a dish to share for our potluck dinner!

Kindergarten-1st Grade OWL:
The Our Whole Lives sexuality education program for K-1 will begin in April, and all parents interested in enrolling their children in the program are urged to come to a mandatory parent orientation this Sunday, March 9th, from 3:00-4:30 pm in the cottage. For more information or to RSVP contact Catherine.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “I can Listen.” We’ll be sharing a story called “Nobody Listens to Andrew,” and making some special puppets to take home.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: If you listen really hard right now, what is the farthest away sound you can hear? Do you ever feel like people aren’t listening to you? How do you think people can show others that they’re really listening?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from our Jewish and Christian heritage this morning with the story of “The Exodus” at 9:00, and “The Flood” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Was the story of the Exodus new to you? Why do you think this story is important to some people? Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a situation and didn’t know what to do? How did you feel? How did you get out of that situation? What do you think freedom meant for Moses and the people who went with him? (11:00) Was the story of Noah one you have heard before? Why do you think this story is important to some people? Noah and his family had a big hope when they were on the Ark – what do you think that hope was? Do you have big hopes of your own?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Seeing Others with Awe,” which includes a folk story called “A Messiah is Among You” as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What happened in the story you heard this morning when the children were told a messiah was among them? Do you think people would treat one another differently if they thought that the other person might be a messiah? What do you think it means to be a messiah? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the “gems of goodness” jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will attend the YRUU Sunday service at 9:00 and then head out at 10:00 for a visit to the Great Tao Foundation in El Monte.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did you think about the senior high service this morning? Do you think you will enjoy participating in a Sunday service when you’re in Coming of Age? What is the most interesting thing you learned about Taoism on your trip today? What role do martial arts play in Taoism? What is the symbolism of the yin and yang?

Intergenerational Party March 15:
On Saturday the 15th, from 5-7 pm in Forbes Hall, all UUCCSM members and families are invited to come to our St. Patrick’s Day-themed intergenerational dance and potluck dinner. We’ll have an unveiling of our Secret Pals participants’ identities as part of the festivities, but you don’t have to be a Secret Pal to come to the celebration! Wear your best green outfit and your dancing shoes, and bring a dish to share that will serve at least 8 (extra points if it’s green too!). Please contact Catherine to rsvp.

February 28, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Friday, 2/29-Sunday, 3/2
   UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout
Sunday, 3/2
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
   K-1st OWL parent orientation, 3:00-4:30 pm (see announcement below)
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm
Sunday, 3/23
   Easter Sunday – special all-RE program during services
Sunday, 4/6
   RE teacher/advisor meeting between services, 10:20-10:50
   K-1 OWL parent/child orientation

Volunteer Opportunities:

Easter Program:
Easter Sunday is March 23, and we’ll spend the morning in an all-RE celebration of spring holidays from many traditions: Easter, No Ruz, Spring Equinox, and Holi (Hindu New Year). Each room in the cottage will be devoted to one celebration, and the children and youth will visit each space during the course of the morning. We’re in need of a lead coordinator for each of the celebrations, as well as assistants for the morning. Can you help? To volunteer, or for more information, contact Catherine.

Reminders:

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:
We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime. We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op. The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date. The church will facilitate parents joining. It's up to the parents to make up the schedules. Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “My World Has Fish.” Children in our preschool classes will explore the wide world of fish through stories and a special project with our new preschool RE teacher Wendy!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Do you think you would enjoy being a fish? How are we a little bit like fish? How are we different? Can you tell me about the fish that you made?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from two different traditions this morning, with a classic Buddhist story about Ryokan and “Gifts for the Robber” at 9:00, and a story from the Islamic tradition, “Nasruddin and the Stolen Smells,” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Who is Nasruddin? Can you tell me the story of the stolen smells? Do you think the man who stole the smells was really stealing? Was the judge fair? Was Nasruddin’s solution fair? (11:00) Who was Ryokan? What did Ryokan do when he saw a robber in his house? Can you think of a time when you did something nice for someone even though they weren’t being nice to you?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum on “forgiveness,” which includes a story called “Mussa and Nagib” as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What happened to Mussa and Nagib in the story you heard this morning? What kinds of things would you like to write in sand? What things would you write in stone? What are Gems of Goodness? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will continue their exploration of Taoism.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: In what part of the world did Taoism originate? Are there things you learned about it that remind you of other religions you’ve studied? What was the most interesting thing you learned about Taoism today?

Kindergarten-1st Grade OWL:
The Our Whole Lives sexuality education program for K-1 will begin in April, and all parents interested in enrolling their children in the program are urged to come to a mandatory parent orientation on next Sunday, March 9th, from 3:00-4:30 pm in the cottage. Childcare is available if requested by Wednesday March 5th. For more information or to RSVP contact Catherine .

February 21, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 2/24
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
   Social Justice Sunday for Kindergarten-5th – Field Trip to Turning Point (see announcement below)
Friday, 2/29-Sunday, 3/2
   UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout
Sunday, 3/2
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
   K-1st OWL parent orientation, 3:00-4:30 pm
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm
Sunday, 3/23
   Easter Sunday – special all-RE program during services

Volunteer Opportunities:

Easter Program:
Easter Sunday is March 23, and we’ll spend the morning in an all-RE celebration of spring holidays from many traditions: Easter, No Ruz, Spring Equinox, and Holi (Hindu New Year). Each room in the cottage will be devoted to one celebration, and the children and youth will visit each space during the course of the morning. We’re in need of a lead coordinator for each of the celebrations, as well as assistants for the morning. Can you help? To volunteer, or for more information, contact Catherine.

Reminders:

RE Social Justice Sunday for K-5th THIS SUNDAY:
This week children in our elementary RE program are invited on our first social justice field trip of the year, a visit to the Turning Point transitional housing shelter for a tour and to prepare lunches for the residents. Be aware: we will make one full-morning trip, leaving after the story in the first service at 9:20 am, and returning by noon. If you would like for your child to participate in the trip, please make sure to come to the first service, or meet us in Forbes Hall at 9:20 for the walk to the shelter, located about five blocks from UUCCSM at 1446 16th street. There will be alternate activities offered during each service for children who choose not to participate in the trip. Parents, we need several more adults to accompany us on the trip; if you would like to join us, please contact Catherine so we know to count you in! Also, the shelter is always in need of donations of personal care supplies such as toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, etc. and we will be collecting items this Sunday (the 17th) after both services as well as on the day of the trip during the first service only (so we can take them along with us). Please consider bringing some to donate!

Secret Pals continues this Sunday!
Don’t forget to bring something to put in you pal’s bag this Sunday – it’s disappointing for anyone to have an empty bag! If you will not be at church on a Sunday during Secret Pals, we would be more than happy to help you make alternate arrangements so you pal isn’t left empty-handed – just let us know ahead of time! Questions? Contact Catherine.

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:
We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime. We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op. The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date. The church will facilitate parents joining. It's up to the parents to make up the schedules. Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “My World Has Animals.” Children in our preschool classes will explore animals as pets as well as wild animals through stories and a special homemade play dough project with our new preschool RE teacher Wendy!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What is your favorite animal? Why do you think some animals are pets and other are wild animals? What animals did you make with your play dough? What do you think you and I can do to take care of animals?

Kindergarten – 5th grade will be taking part in a Social Justice field trip to Turning Point – see announcement above for details.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How did you feel about visiting a shelter that provides housing for people who are in need of a safe place to stay for a while? What did you learn about during your tour? Did you have a good time meeting the residents and sharing brunch with them?

6th-7th grade will continue their exploration of Taoism, began with a video last week, with an introduction to the faith and its practices.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: In what part of the world did Taoism originate? What does the yin/yang symbol mean? Are there things you learned about it that remind you of other religions you’ve studied? What was the most interesting thing you learned about Taoism today?

Introducing our new Nursery Caregiver:
I am extremely excited to announce to all of you that we are welcoming another new member of our UUCCSM staff this Sunday, who will be serving as a lead caregiver in our nursery program during the services as well as providing childcare for after-church meetings and events. Please join me in welcoming Liz Greenfield, who starts this Sunday! Liz, a UU herself, has a great deal of experience working with young children, including having worked at a nursery school that specialized in serving children with autism and other special needs. Liz recently moved to California and returned last September from two years in West Africa with the Peace Corps. We were quite impressed with Liz throughout the interview process and know that she will provide safe, loving care for the youngest members of our community.

February 14, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday 2/17
   Secret Pals Begins!
    NO OWL class today
Sunday, 2/24
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
   Social Justice Sunday for Kindergarten-5th – Field Trip to Turning Point (see announcement below)
Friday, 2/29-Sunday, 3/2
   UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout (see announcement below)
Sunday, 3/2
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
   K-1st OWL parent orientation, 3:00-4:30 pm
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm

Volunteer Opportunities:

Easter Program:
Easter Sunday is March 23, and we’ll spend the morning in an all-RE celebration of spring holidays from many traditions: Easter, No Ruz, Spring Equinox, and Holi (Hindu New Year). Each room in the cottage will be devoted to one celebration, and the children and youth will visit each space during the course of the morning. We’re in need of a lead coordinator for each of the celebrations, as well as assistants for the morning. Can you help? To volunteer, or for more information, contact Catherine.

Reminders:

Secret Pals starts this Sunday!
If you signed up, you will be getting the name of your Pal on Friday by email or via a phone call, with more details to come in the mail shortly. This Sunday is the day to start bringing notes, hints, etc. to put in your pal’s bag! All of the bags will be posted in Forbes Hall. Questions? Contact Catherine.

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:
We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime. We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op. The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date. The church will facilitate parents joining. It's up to the parents to make up the schedules. Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “My World Has Light.” We’ll be sharing a story about dawn and what animals do in the sunshine, talking about our own morning routines, and making beautiful translucent collages to take home.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Why is the light important? What is your favorite thing to do when you first wake up in the morning? How did you make your collage?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from two different traditions this morning, with a classic Buddhist story about Ryokan and “Gifts for the Robber” at 9:00, and a story from the Islamic tradition, “Nasruddin Feeds his Coat,” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Who was Ryokan? What did Ryokan do when he saw a robber in his house? Can you think of a time when you did something nice for someone even though they weren’t being nice to you? (11:00) Who is Nasruddin? Can you tell me the story of Nasruddin and his coat? Why did he feed his coat? What do you think you would do if you were treated the way Nasruddin was?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “In Another’s Shoes,” which includes a folk story from Scotland called “The Wounded Seal” as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What do you think about the Seal Hunter in the story you heard today? Why do you think he changed his mind about hunting? What did it feel like to be “in another’s shoes” in the class activities today? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the “gems of goodness” jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will hold an informal class session on this holiday Sunday, and will show a world-religions-themed video.

Introducing our new Preschool RE Teacher:
I am extremely excited to announce to all of you that we have finally hired our new preschool RE staff person and she starts this Sunday! Wendy Wegner comes to us with a wealth of experience working with young children, first aid and CPR certification, and a warm and welcoming presence with people of all ages. Judith, Melinda, the Personnel Committee and I were all highly impressed with Wendy throughout the interview process, and I cannot wait for our children and parents to meet her! Our preschool RE class will now have a consistent, highly skilled teacher each week, and we will continue filling the assistant role with volunteers from among the parents and members of UUCCSM. Please join me in welcoming Wendy to our community this Sunday. And bring the kids! A preschool RE family party with Wendy as the guest of honor will be scheduled shortly – be on the lookout for details coming soon.

RE Social Justice Sunday for K-5th Sunday 2/24:
Next week children in our elementary RE program are invited on our first social justice field trip of the year, a visit to the Turning Point transitional housing shelter for a tour and to prepare lunches for the residents. Be aware: we will make one full-morning trip, leaving after the story in the first service at 9:20 am, and returning by noon. If you would like for your child to participate in the trip, please make sure to come to the first service, or meet us in Forbes Hall at 9:20 for the walk to the shelter, located about five blocks from UUCCSM at 1446 16th street. There will be alternate activities offered during each service for children who choose not to participate in the trip. Parents, we need several more adults to accompany us on the trip; if you would like to join us, please contact Catherine so we know to count you in! Also, the shelter is always in need of donations of personal care supplies such as toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, etc. and we will be collecting items this Sunday (the 17th) after both services as well as on the day of the trip during the first service only (so we can take them along with us). Please consider bringing some to donate!

February 8, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 2/10
   Last chance for Secret Pals signups
   YRUU Boston trip informational meeting, 10:00
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday 2/17
   Secret Pals Kickoff
    NO OWL class today
Sunday, 2/24
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
   Social Justice Sunday for Kindergarten-5th
Friday, 2/29-Sunday, 3/2
   UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout (see announcement below)
Sunday, 3/2
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm

Volunteer Opportunities:

Easter Program:
Easter Sunday is March 23, and we’ll spend the morning in an all-RE celebration of spring holidays from many traditions: Easter, No Ruz, Spring Equinox, and Holi (Hindu New Year). Each room in the cottage will be devoted to one celebration, and the children and youth will visit each space during the course of the morning. We’re in need of a lead coordinator for each of the celebrations, as well as assistants for the morning. Can you help? To volunteer, or for more information, contact Catherine.

Reminders:

Secret Pals is Back – SIGN UP THIS SUNDAY!
The Secret Pals Program is a month-long event bringing together new friends from different generations through the exchange of letters and "clues". Once you sign up to be a Secret Pal, we will give you the name of the person in whose bag you will be leaving your clues. And someone else will be leaving clues for you! The matching is done so that every adult is leaving clues for a child, and each child is leaving clues for an adult. Signups will take place at coffee hour on February 3rd & 10th, and the program will kick off on February 17th. Then from February 17-March 9, make sure to leave clues, or letters, or photo hints (Baby photo? Extreme close-up of your eye? Be creative!), etc. in your Pal’s bag each week. And mark your calendars now for March 15th, 5-7 pm for our Secret Pals party, when all will be revealed! So, kids and grown-ups, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get to know someone new at UUCCSM! Be on the lookout for signup tables in Forbes Hall. For more information, contact Catherine Farmer at the church office.

2nd Annual UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout:
Ocean breezes. Good conversation. S’mores and chillin’ and good things grillin’. Hikes, off-key singing and camaraderie with fellow Santa Monica UUer’s… February 29 – March 2, Friday eve to Sunday midday. La Jolla Group Camp Site, only 30 miles from Santa Monica. Come for two nights, one night or just the day. Running water and flush toilets but no showers. All ages - all welcome! Cost is a mere $10 for both nights, $5 for one. That does not include meals. You’ll be asked to contribute to a meal or meals from one of our meal coordinators. Space for 50 people – this will sell out. Payment holds your spot. Check (UUCCSM) or cash to Melinda Ewen in the church office. For more info contact Chris Brown .

YRUU Sunday:
Due to a conflict with the available date for the Malibu campout, YRUU Sunday has been moved from its originally scheduled date (March 2) to the following Sunday, March 9th. Don’t miss it!

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “My World Has Air.” Story for the morning: “Gilberto and the Wind.” And don’t miss out on our special wind sock craft!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Why is air important? How do you use the air every day? Do you like when it’s windy? How can we take care of the air?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from the Islamic folk tradition this morning, with the story “Nasruddin Feeds his Coat” at 9:00, and “Nasruddin and the Stolen Smells” at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Who is Nasruddin? Can you tell me the story of Nasruddin and his coat? Why did he feed his coat? What do you think you would do if you were treated the way Nasruddin was? (11:00) Who is Nasruddin? Can you tell me the story of the stolen smells? Do you think the man who stole the smells was really stealing? Was the judge fair? Was Nasruddin’s solution fair?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Faith, Hope and Prayer,” which includes a story from the Jewish tradition as well as the continuation of our weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise – parents, please help your children recall good things they’ve done this week to share with us on Sunday!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What are the beads in your prayer necklace for? What was the story of the wooden sword? What are Gems of Goodness? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will wrap up their study of Sikhism with an integration of last week’s visit to the Ashram.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about Sikhism? What is something you’re still wondering about?

YRUU Boston Trip Meeting this Sunday:
This Sunday at 10:00 am in the cottage there will be an informational meeting about this summer’s youth trip to Boston (July 2-6). Parents and youth, please come to learn more about the trip, including expected itinerary, cost estimate, etc.

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:
We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime. We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op. The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date. The church will facilitate parents joining. It's up to the parents to make up the schedules. Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer.

January 31, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Friday 2/1 – Sunday 2/3
   RE Family Snow Weekend at de Benneville
Sunday, 2/3
   Signups for Secret Pals begins! (see announcement below)
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 2/10
   Last chance for Secret Pals signups
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday 2/17
   Secret Pals Kickoff
   NO OWL class today
Sunday, 2/24
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
   Social Justice Sunday for Kindergarten-5th
Friday, 2/29-Sunday, 3/2
   UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout (see announcement below)
Sunday, 3/2
   5th-6th Grade OWL, 1:00-2:30
Sunday, 3/9
   YRUU Sunday Service
   5th-6th Grade OWL Graduation, 1:00-2:30
Saturday, 3/15
   Secret Pals Dance 5-7 pm

Volunteer Opportunities:

One-time opportunity in Preschool classes:
Would you enjoy spending a morning with some of the youngest members of our church family? While we are in the process of hiring a preschool RE staff person, we are filling our teaching and assisting roster with one-time volunteer church members, similar to the way we organize our summer programs. We will provide the lesson plan and all supplies, and you’ll get to spend an hour with some of our favorite younglings! I am particularly in need of volunteers for the 11:00 service. We are especially looking for people whose children are not in the preschool class – wouldn’t those of you with older children enjoy spending a morning revisiting those younger days? Please contact Catherine to volunteer to help.

Reminders:

2nd Annual UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout:
Ocean breezes. Good conversation. S’mores and chillin’ and good things grillin’. Hikes, off-key singing and camaraderie with fellow Santa Monica UUer’s… February 29 – March 2, Friday eve to Sunday midday. La Jolla Group Camp Site, only 30 miles from Santa Monica. Come for two nights, one night or just the day. Running water and flush toilets but no showers. All ages - all welcome! Cost is a mere $10 for both nights, $5 for one. That does not include meals. You’ll be asked to contribute to a meal or meals from one of our meal coordinators. Space for 50 people – this will sell out. Payment holds your spot. Check (UUCCSM) or cash to Melinda Ewen in the church office. For more info contact Chris Brown.

YRUU Sunday:
Due to a conflict with the available date for the Malibu campout, YRUU Sunday has been moved from its originally scheduled date (March 2) to the following Sunday, March 9th. Don’t miss it!

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “We Need the Rain.” Story for the morning: “Listen to the Rain.” And don’t miss out on our special bubble prints craft!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How did you make that picture? What does the rain sound like? Why do you think rain is important?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be experiencing stories from Greek mythology this morning: the story of Persephone and Demeter at 9:00, and the story of Prometheus at 11:00.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: (9:00) Who is Persephone? In the story, why did the earth grow cold in the winter? (11:00) What gift did Prometheus give to the people? Do you think people really have other gifts, too?

3rd-5th grade will be taking part in a lesson from our new Moral Tales curriculum called “Conscience: Hearing the Inner Voice,” which includes a story from the Buddhist tradition as well as the introduction to a weekly “Gems of Goodness” exercise.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did the wise teacher in the story you heard today teach his students? What are Gems of Goodness? What is something good you’ve done in the last week? What do you think you could do this week so that you’ll be able to ad some gems to the jar next Sunday?

6th-7th grade will continue their study of Sikhism with a visit to the Guru Ram Das Ashram.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What surprised you most about the service today? What happened that reminded you of what we do at UUCCSM? What is the most interesting thing you learned about Sikhism today?

Secret Pals is Back!
The Secret Pals Program is a month-long event bringing together new friends from different generations through the exchange of letters and "clues". Once you sign up to be a Secret Pal, we will give you the name of the person in whose bag you will be leaving your clues. And someone else will be leaving clues for you! The matching is done so that every adult is leaving clues for a child, and each child is leaving clues for an adult. Signups will take place at coffee hour on February 3rd & 10th, and the program will kick off on February 17th. Then from February 17-March 9, make sure to leave clues, or letters, or photo hints (Baby photo? Extreme close-up of your eye? Be creative!), etc. in your Pal’s bag each week. And mark your calendars now for March 15th, 5-7 pm for our Secret Pals party, when all will be revealed! So, kids and grown-ups, don’t miss out on this great opportunity to get to know someone new at UUCCSM! Be on the lookout for signup tables in Forbes Hall. For more information, contact Catherine Farmer at the church office.

Exiting the Sanctuary:
Starting this Sunday, it is time to reroute the preschool-5th graders up the aisle and out the front doors to the courtyard (and then over to the cottage) when they head out of the sanctuary after the story. It’ll take several weeks for us to get the kids acclimated to the change, but the walk to the cottage will be much easier on the children this way than walking all the way around the block from the Arizona doors. A suggestion: when you arrive before the service on Sunday, do a “practice run” from the chancel down the aisle to the doors with your children, and let them know that that’s the direction they’ll walk when leaving the sanctuary from now on.

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:
We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime. We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op. The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date. The church will facilitate parents joining. It's up to the parents to make up the schedules. Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer.

January 15, 2008

Calendar

Volunteer Opportunities

One-time opportunity in Preschool classes:  Would you enjoy spending a morning with some of the youngest members of our church family?  While we are in the process of hiring a preschool RE staff person, we are filling our teaching and assisting roster with one-time volunteer church members, similar to the way we organize our summer programs.  We will provide the lesson plan and all supplies, and you’ll get to spend an hour with some of our favorite younglings!  I am particularly in need of volunteers for the 11:00 service.  We are especially looking for people whose children are not in the preschool class – wouldn’t those of you with older children enjoy spending a morning revisiting those younger days?  Please e-mail or call Catherine to volunteer to help.

Reminders

Announcements

This Week in RE:

Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “Everyone is Afraid Sometimes,” as we explore the many kinds of emotions people feel, and talk about how to make our worries and fears smaller.  Story for the morning: “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything"
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church:  What was the Little Old Lady really afraid of?  What did she do?  What things are you sometimes afraid of?  What do you do to stop feeling scared? 

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will explore the values of kindness and compassion through a sacred story from our Judeo-Christian heritage, the story of the Good Samaritan.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church:  In the story today, what do you think it meant to be a neighbor to someone?  I wonder why your teachers shared that story with you.  I wonder what you think the lesson of the story was. 

3rd-5th grade will be exploring Martin Luther King Day, and the story of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, and reflecting on our UU belief in standing up against injustice.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church:  Why do you think your teachers shared the story of Rosa Parks with you today?  Is it a story you’ve heard before?  Why do you think it is shared with people year after year?  How do you think you could stand up against injustice?  What is an injustice that you’ve seen happen?

6th-7th grade will continue their study of Sikhism.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church:  What is the most interesting thing you learned about Sikhism today?  What tradition did Sikhism originate from?  What do you expect next week’s trip to a Sikh service to be like?

UUCCSM Babysitting Co-op:  We're looking to set up a UUCCSM babysitting co-op to offer pre-K and elementary kids the opportunity to get together outside of church and, of course, parents the opportunity to have some downtime.  We're putting together a Sunday afternoon co-op and a weekend overnight co-op.  The general idea is you host one co-op date, you get to drop your kids for another co-op date.  The church will facilitate parents joining.  It's up to the parents to make up the schedules.  Interested in the idea? Please contact Catherine Farmer .

2nd Annual UUCCSM Malibu Family Campout:  Ocean breezes. Good conversation. S’mores and chillin’ and good things grillin’. Hikes, off-key singing and camaraderie with fellow Santa Monica UUer’s… February 29 – March 2, Friday eve to Sunday midday. La Jolla Group Camp Site, only 30 miles from Santa Monica. Come for two nights, one night or just the day. Running water and flush toilets but no showers.  All ages - all welcome! Cost is a mere $10 for both nights, $5 for one. That does not include meals. You’ll be asked to contribute to a meal or meals from one of our meal coordinators.  Space for 50 people – this will sell out. Payment holds your spot. Check (UUCCSM) or cash to Melinda Ewen in the church office. For more info contact Chris Brown.

YRUU Sunday:  Due to a conflict with the available date for the Malibu campout, YRUU Sunday has been moved from its originally scheduled date (March 2) to the following Sunday, March 9th.  Don’t miss it! 

RE Family Snow Weekend:  The weekend is now fully booked; many thanks to Julie Kinsinger for organizing the trip!

January 10, 2008

Calendar

December 13, 2007

Calendar of upcoming events:

Saturday, 12/15
   Spirit Play teacher training, 8:30-11:30 am
Saturday, 12/22
   Friendly Beasts pageant rehearsal, 9:30-10:30 am
Sunday, 12/23
   Winter Holiday Pageant
Saturday, 1/5
   Spirit Play parent orientation, 10:00-noon
Sunday, 1/6
   Spirit Play program begins!
   Guest at Your Table boxes collected

Volunteer Opportunities:

Game Day in RE 12/30:
We’re looking for volunteer leaders for our all-RE game day during the single 10:00 am service on December 30th. Spend a morning getting to know the young people in our RE program! Can you help? Contact me at Catherine@uusm.org or 310-829-5436 x105.

Reminders:

Holiday Toy Drive:
If you signed up to bring a gift for this year’s Santa Monica Head Start program Toy Drive, please remember to bring it this Sunday! Gifts should be suitable for both boys and girls, and appropriate for 3-5 year-olds. We need about five gifts more than currently signed up for: if you haven’t brought one yet, please consider donating a gift this Sunday.

Friendly Beasts Rehearsal!:
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 23, at both services. We will rehearse on Saturday, December 22 from 9:30-10:30 am in the sanctuary.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “I Can Give,” with a story about the gifts we have to give others, and special candle craft.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Why do you think the boy in the story you heard today had a hard time figuring out what he had to give his mother? What are things you can give to other people? Did you make a gift for someone in class today?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be exploring the wonders of nature this week with a lesson called “We Learn and Grow Together.” We’ll take a short nature walk, make nature drawings, and explore several types of meditation.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What is your favorite part of nature? Can you show me how to meditate? What do you think we can do to take care of the earth?

3rd-5th grade will be exploring the Christmas story through the Mexican observance of Las Posadas.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How is the Christmas story told in Las Posadas familiar to you? What makes it unique? What celebrations are important to you at this time of year?

6th-7th grade will continue their study of Buddhism today, meeting during the 11:00 service only for a visit from UUCCSM member Bernie Silvers, who will talk with the group about his Zen meditation practice.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What was the most interesting thing you heard about Buddhism today? What do you think it would be like to be a Buddhist? Do you think meditation is easy or difficult? What does it mean to be “mindful”?

UUCCSM Calendars:
As a fundraiser for the YRUU youth group’s trip to Boston this summer, beautiful 2008 calendars featuring our very own church will be sold for $20 in Forbes Hall starting this Sunday. Get someone a wonderful gift, and support our youth while you’re at it! YRUU will also be selling lunches and bagels after services on Pageant Sunday, Dec. 23.

Sunday, Dec. 30, 9 a.m. to noon ¨Tree Dedication Mountain Planting in Malibu:
A few months ago, our church donated a grove of 20 trees through Tree People, in memory of George Armondo. On the 30th, there will be a special Tree Dedication Mountain Planting in Malibu for all the trees which were donated during the year. We will plant valley oaks in beautiful Malibu Creek State Park with the Mountains Restoration Trust in honor of those who have received Tree Dedications. To register, please contact Kristina Clark at kclark@treepeople.org or (818) 623-4846. Or contact Sandra Trutt at s.trutt@verizon.net about joining a group of UUCCSM members who will attend.

Guest at Your Table – Stories of Hope:
Each week through the holiday season I’ll include one of the “Stories of Hope” from the UU Service Committee, highlighting the work that is done with the money raised by congregations participating in Guest at Your Table each year. As you feel they are appropriate, please share these stories with your family as you fill your Guest at Your Table box at mealtimes.

Strengthening the Rights of Child Laborers - Living in a Nairobi slum isn’t easy — for anyone. But for a child, living in a Nairobi slum can be far more difficult. Conditions like overcrowding, disease, violence, lack of access to water, few economic opportunities, and lack of educational opportunities are just some of the obstacles a child faces. But the Rock Women’s Group, a UUSC program partner based in Nairobi, Kenya, is attempting to change this fact. The group, a coalition of over 20 primary school teachers who work in slums throughout the city, is engaged in a mission of strengthening the rights of the child labor force. And they are making headway in the lives of children there, despite challenging circumstances. Mary is one such girl. A 16-year-old living in a slum called Korokocho, Mary made it through eighth grade and passed the entrance exam to high school — a real feat. But, when her mother died, Mary became the chief breadwinner of her household, working every day alongside her grandmother in the local open-air market. She had to leave school and her dream of furthering her education. A member of the Rock Women’s Group worked in Mary’s school and noted her absence. She looked for Mary and, with the permission of her grandmother, Mary entered an informal high school in the evenings. The Rock Women’s Group is also helping Mary take on a hairbraiding apprenticeship, giving her a trade in addition to an education. Mary has a chance at a better life now. “If I pass in school,” she said, “I can go to college. If I don’t make it through school, I can join the cooperative of hair braiders. The teachers are helping me to go to school, and also learn a trade. I am happy.” Mary is just one of many children who have been helped through the informal education and training provided by the Rock Women’s Group. In their own words, “Slowly, creatively, and surely we will succeed.”

November 29, 2007

Calendar of upcoming events:

Saturday, 12/1
   Holiday Craft party, and concurrent parent workshop “Unplug the Christmas Machine”, 1-4 pm (see announcement below)
Sunday, 12/2
   Mandatory parent orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 12:30-2:00 pm
Saturday, 12/8
   Spirit Play teacher training, 9:00-noon
Sunday, 12/9
   Mandatory parent/child orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 3:30-6:00 pm
Saturday, 12/22
   Friendly Beasts pageant rehearsal, 9:30-10:30 am
Sunday, 12/23
   Winter Holiday Pageant
Saturday, 1/5
   Spirit Play parent orientation, 10:00-noon
Sunday, 1/6
   Spirit Play program begins!
   Guest at Your Table boxes collected

Volunteer Opportunities:

Game Day in RE 12/30:
We’re looking for volunteer leaders for our all-RE game day during the single 10:00 am service on December 30th. Spend a morning getting to know the young people in our RE program! Can you help? Contact Catherine.

Reminders:

The Return of the Friendly Beasts!:
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 23, at both services. Kris Langabeer will be visiting RE classes for about 10 minutes each Sunday to rehearse, starting with the preschoolers and then moving from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids (up to 5th grade). For more info, see the November church newsletter or contact Kris Langabeer.

“Unplug the Christmas Machine” Parent Workshop:
On December 1st, from 1-4 pm, we will be offering a workshop to help families plan a more rewarding holiday season. Based on the popular book, Unplug the Christmas Machine, this workshop helps people reduce their stress and increase their enjoyment by making simple changes in the celebration. Participants will be given a chance to examine their current practices, define their values, create a fantasy holiday celebration, then combine all their insights into a workable plan for the coming holiday season. We still have a few spots in this workshop, but sign up right away if you’d like to attend, by e-mailing or calling Catherine.

Holiday Craft Party 12/1:
Concurrently with the “Unplug the Christmas Machine” workshop, children, youth and adults of all ages are invited to a special holiday party where we’ll decorate cookies for our annual donation to the Santa Monica Headstart holiday party, as well as make all kinds of special holiday decorations, cards and ornaments using recycled materials. Bring the whole family! And parents, if you’re attending the Unplug the Christmas Machine workshop, bring the kids for crafts! This event is co-sponsored by RE and the Green Sanctuary Committee.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “Each of Us is Important and Special,” with a story about valuing yourself, and about being kind and fair to others, and a special placemat craft.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did you put on your placemat about yourself? What is something you can do? What is something you’re learning about? How did Arthur feel about his nose in the story you heard in class? What happened to Arthur?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be exploring our fourth UU principle with a lesson about searching for what is true. We’ll be using magnifying glasses in our search, and will be thinking about some of the big questions in life.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What were the three questions in the story you heard today? Why do you think it’s important to ask questions? How do you know if something is true?

3rd-5th grade will be have a lesson about “Putting Love and Joy into the Season.” We’ll talk about what is really important during the winter holidays, and will create some holiday decorations that will serve as reminders for us.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What do the decorations you made stand for? What do you think is most important about the holidays at this time of year? What wish do you have for yourself this year? What is a wish you have for someone else?

6th-7th grade will be beginning their study of Buddhism today.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What was the most interesting thing you heard about Buddhism today? How does Buddhism remind you of your study of Hinduism? What do you think it would be like to be a Buddhist?

Holiday Toy Drive:
We are collecting donations of new, unwrapped unisex toys suitable for 3-5 year olds for our annual donation to the Santa Monica Head Start program’s holiday party. We contribute one gift for each child, and this year there are 30 children who need gifts. Please consider donating one or more gifts for this year’s toy drive. Perhaps your children would enjoy helping to pick out a gift that a preschooler would enjoy! We’ll be taking signups starting this week, and will collect gifts for the following two Sundays – drop them off on the 9th or 16th in the “Head Start” box in Forbes Hall. If you would like to contribute a gift, please let us know so we can be sure that we’ll have enough; sign up by e-mailing Catherine or at the toy drive table in Forbes hall this Sunday.

RE Family Snow Weekend:
Our church has reserved Craigs Cabin at Camp de Benneville Pines for the weekend of Feb 1-3rd, 2008. There are 9 rooms available to reserve and the price can't be beat. If we get 9 families the price is $112 per family!! We can also bring in our own food or pay for food service which would be a small additional fee at the lodge. o For those of you who have never been, Camp de Benneville Pines is located at 6800 feet elevation, in the San Bernardino National Forest amidst towering pines, cedars, and oaks. It is owned and operated by the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association. Check out the camp at: http://www.debenneville.org/

Craig's Cabin provides more luxurious accommodations for Camp de Benneville program participant. In addition, the cabin is available for rent as a self contained program site. It will sleep up to 25 people in the 9 bedrooms. There are three bathrooms each with showers and one has handicap facilities. There is a meeting room with a fireplace, adjacent to the kitchen/dining area. A TV with VCR allows viewing video cassettes. Info on Craigs Cabin: http://www.debenneville.org/craig.html

We need to make a deposit so please send $25.00 non refundable to Julie Kinsinger. Please feel free to e-mail Julie with any questions.

Guest at Your Table – Stories of Hope:
Each week through the holiday season I’ll include one of the “Stories of Hope” from the UU Service Committee, highlighting the work that is done with the money raised by congregations participating in Guest at Your Table each year. As you feel they are appropriate, please share these stories with your family as you fill your Guest at Your Table box at mealtimes.

US Military Seek Peace and Justice - As Americans everywhere are finding their civil liberties curtailed as a result of policies instituted by the U.S. government after September 11, one UUSC program partner is helping to defend the right of U.S. military personnel to freedom of speech. Appeal for Redress has called for Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all U.S. military forces and bases from Iraq. The group has collected the signatures of nearly 2,000 active duty military personnel and presented them to Congress. In the petition, they state firmly that, “Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for the U.S. troops to come home.” Legal protection ensures that any member of the military can petition his or her member of Congress for any reason without fear or punishment. Yet some of these brave servicemen and women who have spoken up have been retaliated against by the military for asserting their First Amendment rights. Appeal for Redress cofounder Petty Officer Jonathan Hutto said, “Growing up in Atlanta, we were reinforced with the principle of peace and justice, and ensuring equality and fairness in society. Whether or not I’m in the military or teaching school or working in corporate America, I would totally have it in mind: peace and justice in society.”

November 21, 2008

Calendar of upcoming events:

Sunday, 11/25
   Social Justice Sunday in elementary RE
Saturday, 12/1
   Holiday Craft party, and concurrent parent workshop “Unplug the Christmas Machine”, 1-4 pm (see announcement below)
Sunday, 12/2
   Mandatory parent orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 12:30-2:00 pm
Saturday, 12/8
   Spirit Play teacher training, 9:00-noon
Sunday, 12/9
   Mandatory parent/child orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 3:30-6:00 pm
Saturday, 12/22
   Friendly Beasts pageant rehearsal, 9:30-10:30 am
Sunday, 12/23
    Winter Holiday Pageant
Saturday, 1/5
   Spirit Play parent orientation, 10:00-noon
Sunday, 1/6
   K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade classes begin Spirit Play program!
   Guest at Your Table boxes collected

Volunteer Opportunities:

Social Justice Sunday for Preschool-5th grades:
This Sunday we’re preparing some cookies for our decorating project the following Saturday. We’re in need of several helpers during class time, as well as for people to bring sugar cookie dough (or mix) for us to use. We’ve got plenty of holiday cookie cutters, but could also use an extra rolling pin or two. Can you help?

Reminders:

The Return of the Friendly Beasts!:
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 23, at both services. Kris Langabeer will be visiting RE classes for about 10 minutes each Sunday to rehearse, starting with the preschoolers and then moving from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids (up to 5th grade). For more info, see the November church newsletter or contact Kris Langabeer.

“Unplug the Christmas Machine” Parent Workshop:
On December 1st, from 1-4 pm, we will be offering a workshop to help families plan a more rewarding holiday season. Based on the popular book, Unplug the Christmas Machine, this workshop helps people reduce their stress and increase their enjoyment by making simple changes in the celebration. Participants will be given a chance to examine their current practices, define their values, create a fantasy holiday celebration, then combine all their insights into a workable plan for the coming holiday season. This workshop will be limited to twenty participants, so sign up right away after the service on Sunday or by e-mailing or calling Catherine.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschool – 5th grade will be taking part in our second Social Justice Sunday of the year, helping us make sugar cookies that we’ll be donating to the Santa Monica Head Start program’s holiday party, and to Daybreak, a shelter in Santa Monica which provides transitional housing and services for women with mental illnesses.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Who will the cookies you made today be given to? Why do you think we are sending them cookies? What shapes of cookies did you make? (Warning - shameless plug for Dec. 1st event ahead:) Would you like to go to the holiday craft party this Saturday so you can decorate the cookies you made today?

6th-7th grade will be continuing their study of Buddhism today with a video and discussion about the Dalai Lama.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What was the most interesting thing you learned about Buddhism today? How is the Dalai Lama different than you expected he would be?

We Have Occupancy!
The cottage is now officially ours to make use of, though there are some final bits still getting finished up. My office has moved over, and the YRUU youth began meeting in the Northeast room as of last Sunday. Over the next several weeks we will be preparing the other rooms for our preschool and elementary RE classes, which will begin meeting there as of the first of the year. Come by on Sunday morning and check it out! We’ve very excited to have our lovely new building ready.

Guest at Your Table – Stories of Hope:
Each week through the holiday season I’ll include one of the “Stories of Hope” from the UU Service Committee, highlighting the work that is done with the money raised by congregations participating in Guest at Your Table each year. As you feel they are appropriate, please share these stories with your family as you fill your Guest at Your Table box at mealtimes. If you didn’t pick up a GAYT box last Sunday, they will be available this week in Forbes Hall following each service. This week, we start with a story from Tanzania about one of the most basic needs of people everywhere: clean drinking water.

Protecting the Right to Water - Fifteen-year-old Amina lives in Tabata, a neighborhood of 28,000 people in the drought-stricken Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam. When Tabata did not receive aid from international institutions such as the World Bank, they worked with UUSC program partner the Tanzania Gender Networking Program to campaign for international funds. The campaign paid off — in water and much more. Enough aid poured in to dig a borehole well and buy a pump. Residents laid pipes throughout the neighborhood and established the Tabata Residents Water Committee (TRWC). Today, the TRWC administers the system (now grown to three wells), and establishes rates based on ability to pay. The community built a school, which gets its water free, and also launched a revolving loan fund to promote small businesses run by women. Amina graduated from the school’s vocational training program with a seventh grade education and now works for the TRWC as a water seller, collecting fees. She is able to support herself while making a positive contribution to her community. And the Tanzania Gender Networking Program continues to campaign for the right to water — safe, affordable, accessible, and sufficient water for each person’s needs.

Holiday Craft Party 12/1:
Concurrently with the “Unplug the Christmas Machine” workshop, children, youth and adults of all ages are invited to a special holiday party where we’ll decorate cookies for our annual donation to the Santa Monica Headstart holiday party, as well as make all kinds of special holiday decorations, cards and ornaments using recycled materials. Bring the whole family! And parents, if you’re attending the Unplug the Christmas Machine workshop, bring the kids for crafts! This event is co-sponsored by RE and the Green Sanctuary Committee.

* This year we will be asking people to bring already baked sugar cookies in for decoration rather than baking at the church. If you would be willing to bring a batch, please let me know so we know how many cookies to expect. And we’ve got lots of holiday cookie cutters to lend!

* We also have a whole list of items we’re gathering for our recycled crafts. Do you have any of these things to donate? They can be dropped off at the church on Sundays or during office hours on weekdays. We need:

• CDs (surplus, unwanted, damaged, etc.) – we could use quite a few of these!
• old holiday cards -- Xmas, Hanukah, Divali, Eid, New Years, Winter Solstice, etc.
• old holiday wrap and scraps of wrapping paper from this year's presents, miscellaneous holiday decorations
• paper with music or music notes or instruments or ... on it.
• scraps of ribbon, string, raffia, cord, etc.
• scraps of aluminum foil (clean)
• holiday ornament hangers
• Legos
• egg cartons
• CLEAN used lunch bags or fast-food bags
• the cotton which comes in vitamin and pill bottles which you'd otherwise throw away
• diabetes test strip bottles, very small pill open mouth pill bottles and 35 mm film canisters
• wood blocks or small pieces of wood (smooth and sanded) to use as bases for things, including menorah
• empty spools of thread
• leftover birthday candles, hanukkah candles, kwanzaa candles (3 red, three green, 1 black), tea lights.
• stickers and decorations and small figurines/plastic toys, etc.
• small adornments -- buttons and beads and costume jewelry and small scraps of pretty ribbon and small artificial flowers, jingle bells, baby pine cones, old holiday-themed floral picks, etc.
• old calendars, magazines, post cards, catalogues, etc. with pictures, art, words that could be cut out for decoration and decoupage
• scraps of contact paper, leftover scrapbooking supplies
• leftover glitter and colored paint and markers and ....
• green Mountain Dew or Sprite bottles and clear plastic bottles.
• stryrofoam packing peanuts
• pieces of wood from Christmas tree lots that could be used for Yule logs.

Contact Katie Malich if you want to volunteer to get these; she has some specifications and advice.

Please limit donations to items on this list (or call Katie if you have something else you think would be useful before bringing it). We're limited on storage space.

November 15, 2007

Calendar of upcoming events:

Saturday, 11/17
   Thanksgiving Potluck (formerly Pilgrim’s Feast)
Sunday, 11/18
   Guest at Your Table kickoff
Sunday, 11/25
   Social Justice Sunday in elementary RE
Saturday, 12/1
   Holiday Craft party, and concurrent parent workshop “Unplug the Christmas Machine”, 1-4 pm (see announcement below)
Sunday, 12/2
   Mandatory parent orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 12:30-2:00 pm
Saturday, 12/8
   Spirit Play teacher training, 9:00-noon
Sunday, 12/9
   Mandatory parent/child orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 3:30-6:00 pm
Saturday, 12/22
   Friendly Beasts pageant rehearsal, 9:30-10:30 am
Sunday, 12/23
   Winter Holiday Pageant
Saturday, 1/5
   Spirit Play parent orientation, 10:00-noon
Sunday, 1/6
   K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade classes begin Spirit Play program!
   Guest at Your Table boxes collected

Volunteer Opportunities:

One-time opportunity in Preschool classes:
Would you enjoy spending a morning with some of the youngest members of our church family? While we are in the process of hiring a preschool RE staff person, we are filling our teaching and assisting roster with one-time volunteer church members, similar to the way we organize our summer programs. We will provide the lesson plan and all supplies, and you’ll get to spend an hour with some of our favorite younglings! I am particularly in need of volunteers for the 11:00 service. We are especially looking for people whose children are not in the preschool class – wouldn’t those of you with older children enjoy spending a morning revisiting those younger days? Please email or call me to volunteer to help.

Reminders:

The Return of the Friendly Beasts!:
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 23, at both services. Starting this Sunday, Kris Langabeer will be visiting RE classes for about 10 minutes to rehearse, starting with the preschoolers and then moving from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids (up to 5th grade). For more info, see the November church newsletter or contact Kris Kris Langabeer.

“Unplug the Christmas Machine” Parent Workshop:
On December 1st, from 1-4 pm, we will be offering a workshop to help families plan a more rewarding holiday season. Based on the popular book, Unplug the Christmas Machine, this workshop helps people reduce their stress and increase their enjoyment by making simple changes in the celebration. Participants will be given a chance to examine their current practices, define their values, create a fantasy holiday celebration, then combine all their insights into a workable plan for the coming holiday season. This workshop will be limited to twenty participants, so sign up right away after the service on Sunday or by e-mailing or calling Catherine.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers will be taking part in a lesson called “People Help Me,” with a story about a girl who got a little too much help from a few too many people, and culminating in a special painting project that takes two people to make! § Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How did you make your painting today? What are things you need help with sometimes? What are things you do that help other people?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be exploring our third UU principle (acceptance and encouragement to spiritual growth) in a lesson in which we’ll explore the beauty of diversity, with a special story about all the colors of the rainbow.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What happened to the colors in the story you heard in class? What would the world be like if everything were the same color? What if all people were the same? Why did you choose the things you put on your collage?

3rd-5th grade will be learning about a Unitarian sculptor named Daniel Chester French (who created the statue in the Lincoln Memorial) as we explore our first UU source, “the sense of wonder we all share.” We’ll even get to create some special sculptures of our own!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: Who is Daniel Chester French? Why do you think we talk about him in our RE classes? Why do people make sculptures? What did you sculpt today?

6th-7th grade will be beginning their study of Buddhism today.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What was the most interesting thing you heard about Buddhism today? How does Buddhism remind you of your study of Hinduism? What do you think it would be like to be a Buddhist?

Guest at Your Table begins this Sunday:
Every year UUCCSM supports the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee by participating in the annual UUSC Guest at Your Table program during the holiday season. This year’s GAYT program will begin this Sunday, November 18th. For more than 30 years, UU communities nationwide have participated in Guest at Your Table. They have come together for this special tradition to give thanks, celebrate UU values, and partner with UUSC to change the world. This year, Guest at Your Table participants are celebrating the work of UUSC and its program partners to strengthen workers’ rights; protect the right to safe, affordable water; defend civil liberties and democratic processes; and preserve the rights of vulnerable people after disasters. Guest at Your Table is our UU tradition for educating our communities about human needs and human rights, and sharing our blessings. After our kickoff on Sunday, November 18th, we invite you to place a Guest at Your Table box where you have your meals and keep it there for several weeks. During that time, share the Stories of Hope — stories drawn from UUSC’s human rights work which we’ll send to you in our weekly UUpdates emails — to imagine a different guest at your table with you each week. As often as you can, insert coins or bills in the box. Then bring your box, or write a check to UUSC, on one of the first two Sundays in January, when we’ll be collecting them and sending our congregation’s contribution to UUSC.

Holiday Craft Party 12/1:
Concurrently with the “Unplug the Christmas Machine” workshop, children, youth and adults of all ages are invited to a special holiday party where we’ll decorate cookies for our annual donation to the Santa Monica Headstart holiday party, as well as make all kinds of special holiday decorations, cards and ornaments using recycled materials. Bring the whole family! And parents, if you’re attending the Unplug the Christmas Machine workshop, bring the kids for crafts! This event is co-sponsored by RE and the Green Sanctuary Committee. * This year we will be asking people to bring already baked sugar cookies in for decoration rather than baking at the church. If you would be willing to bring a batch, please let me know so we know how many cookies to expect. And we’ve got lots of holiday cookie cutters to lend! * We also have a whole list of items we’re gathering for our recycled crafts. Do you have any of these things to donate? They can be dropped off at the church on Sundays or during office hours on weekdays. We need:

• CDs (surplus, unwanted, damaged, etc.) – we could use quite a few of these!
• old holiday cards -- Xmas, Hanukah, Divali, Eid, New Years, Winter Solstice, etc.
• old holiday wrap and scraps of wrapping paper from this year's presents, miscellaneous holiday decorations · paper with music or music notes or instruments or ... on it.
• scraps of ribbon, string, raffia, cord, etc. · scraps of aluminum foil (clean)
• holiday ornament hangers
• Legos
• egg cartons
• CLEAN used lunch bags or fast-food bags
• the cotton which comes in vitamin and pill bottles which you'd otherwise throw away
• diabetes test strip bottles, very small pill open mouth pill bottles and 35 mm film canisters
• wood blocks or small pieces of wood (smooth and sanded) to use as bases for things, including menorah
• empty spools of thread
• leftover birthday candles, hanukkah candles, kwanzaa candles (3 red, three green, 1 black), tea lights.
• stickers and decorations and small figurines/plastic toys, etc.
• small adornments -- buttons and beads and costume jewelry and small scraps of pretty ribbon and small artificial flowers, jingle bells, baby pine cones, old holiday-themed floral picks, etc.
• old calendars, magazines, post cards, catalogues, etc. with pictures, art, words that could be cut out for decoration and decoupage
• scraps of contact paper, leftover scrapbooking supplies
• leftover glitter and colored paint and markers and ....
• green Mountain Dew or Sprite bottles and clear plastic bottles.
• stryrofoam packing peanuts
• pieces of wood from Christmas tree lots that could be used for Yule logs.

Contact Katie Malich if you want to volunteer to get these; she has some specifications and advice.

Please limit donations to items on this list (or call Katie if you have something else you think would be useful before bringing it). We're limited on storage space.

November 8, 2007

Calendar of upcoming events:

Saturday, 11/17
   Thanksgiving Potluck (formerly Pilgrim’s Feast)
Sunday, 11/18
   Guest at Your Table kickoff
Sunday, 11/25
   Social Justice Sunday in elementary RE
Saturday, 12/1
   Holiday Craft party, and concurrent parent workshop “Unplug the Christmas Machine”, 1-4 pm (see announcement below)
Sunday, 12/2
   Mandatory parent orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 12:30-2:00 pm
Saturday, 12/8
   Spirit Play teacher training, 9:00-noon o Sunday, 12/9
   Mandatory parent/child orientation for 5th-6th grade OWL participants, 3:30-6:00 pm
Saturday, 12/22
   Friendly Beasts pageant rehearsal, 9:30-10:30 am
Sunday, 12/23
   Winter Holiday Pageant
Saturday, 1/5
   Spirit Play parent orientation, 10:00-noon
Sunday, 1/6
   K-2nd and 3rd-5th grade classes begin Spirit Play program!
   Guest at Your Table boxes collected

Volunteer Opportunities:

One-time opportunity in Preschool classes:
Would you enjoy spending a morning with some of the youngest members of our church family? While we are in the process of hiring a preschool RE staff person, we are filling our teaching and assisting roster with one-time volunteer church members, similar to the way we organize our summer programs. We will provide the lesson plan and all supplies, and you’ll get to spend an hour with some of our favorite younglings! I am particularly in need of volunteers for the 11:00 service. We are especially looking for people whose children are not in the preschool class – wouldn’t those of you with older children enjoy spending a morning revisiting those younger days? Please email or call Catherine to volunteer to help.

Reminders:

The Return of the Friendly Beasts!:
Once again, our preschool through elementary-aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, Dec. 23, at both services. Kris Langabeer will begin rehearsing the preschoolers this Sunday for about 10 minutes in their classroom after the Children’s Story. Beginning Nov. 18, she’ll rehearse the preschoolers and then move from classroom to classroom rehearsing the older kids (up to 5th grade). For more info, see the November church newsletter or contact Kris.

Announcements:

This Week in RE:
Preschoolers at 9:00 will be taking part in a lesson called “Wondering About Stars,” with a story that helps us wonder about the stars and the night sky, and a special “shooting star” project!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: When have you seen stars? Do you ever wonder about the stars? What would the sky be like if there weren’t any stars at night?

Preschoolers at 11:00 will be taking part in a lesson called “I Can Question,” with a story about finders answers by asking questions, a fun activity where we’ll “go fishing” for questions, and create designs of our own with some unusual building blocks.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What kind of questions did people ask in class today? What’s your favorite question to ask? What’s a question you’d like to ask me?

Kindergarten – 2nd grade will be exploring our fifth UU principle (the right of conscience and use of the democratic process) in a lesson about making decisions and choices about important things, and how our beliefs can help us make them. For the craft project for this week we will need lots of egg cartons; can you bring some with you on Sunday? If so, please contact me so I know to expect them.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How do you make choices about what is right and what is wrong? What do your egg carton insects have to do with today’s lesson? Can you think of a time when it was hard to make a choice about something? What helped you make a decision? How did it turn out?

3rd-5th grade will be learning about famous UU architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and his work to build structures that exist in harmony with nature. We’ll be experimenting with making cantilevers and will construct some fabulous graham cracker and frosting structures of their own!
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: How could buildings be in harmony with nature? How did Frank Lloyd Wright use nature in his designs for houses? What did you learn about how to make structures that will stay standing when you were making your graham cracker house?

6th-7th grade will be wrapping up their study of Hinduism and integrating their experiences at the Malibu Hindu Temple and the Hare Krishna Temple.
Questions parents might ask on the way home from church: What did you (or the class if your child wasn’t able to go on the trip) think about your visit to the Temple? How was this visit different from the Malibu Hindu Temple? What did the members of this community do to make newcomers feel welcome? Did you notice anything that reminded you of our church? What was really different than anything you’d experienced before?

“Unplug the Christmas Machine” Parent Workshop:
On December 1st, from 1-4 pm, we will be offering a workshop to help families plan a more rewarding holiday season. Based on the popular book, Unplug the Christmas Machine, this workshop helps people reduce their stress and increase their enjoyment by making simple changes in the celebration. Participants will be given a chance to examine their current practices, define their values, create a fantasy holiday celebration, then combine all their insights into a workable plan for the coming holiday season. This workshop will be limited to twenty participants, so sign up right away by contacting Catherine.

Holiday Craft Party 12/1:
Concurrently with the above parent workshop, children, youth and adults of all ages ar