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No Religious Education classes in the summer: See you in September!
Welcome To Religious Education at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Weymouth. Our RE Mission is to provide, through the participation of parents and other members of this congregation, guidance for our children and youth in their personal, ethical, and spiritual exploration, in a safe, nurturing, inclusive, and engaging environment. Our RE Vision is to continually evolve toward a multi-generational community of aware, involved individuals who live the values of our faith. Our Seven Rainbow Principles: Children's Version 1. Respect the importance and value of all beings 2. Offer fair and kind treatment to all 3. Yearn to learn and grow throughout life 4. Grow by exploring ideas and values together 5. Believe in your ideas and act on them 6. Insist on peace, freedom and justice for all 7. Value our interdependence with nature 
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AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MORAL TALES CURRICULUM
Every day our children go forth into a complex world where they are often faced with difficult decisions and situations. Moral Tales aims to provide children with the spiritual and ethical tools they will need to discern what is right and true, to hear and follow the call of Love, and to turn their moral beliefs and ethical concerns into concrete action. Each session has a central story that draws upon many of our Unitarian Universalist Sources and Principles, portraying moral dilemmas and paths to goodness and justice through a variety of cultural and religious lenses. In this way students will develop an awareness and understanding of other religions as they strengthen their own identity as Unitarian Universalists. Each session begins with a ritual of sharing opening words, lighting a chalice, and centering in silence before hearing a story. After the story students engage in a hands-on activity that provides an opportunity for them to reflect on and participate in the story they’ve just heard. Ritual and craft activities help students relate to each other and the characters in the story. The first five sessions are part of the Seeking Truth/ Discernment Unit of Moral Tales. Students are encouraged to draw upon inner resources such as conscience, intuition, and empathy; spiritual resources such as faith, prayer, and forgiveness; and external resources that include wise teachers and the larger community. The next six sessions constitute the What Would Love Do Unit of Moral Tales. These sessions focus on the ways love calls us to act in the world with humans, other living beings, and the Earth. Students receive an introduction to spiritual practices grounded in love that include generosity, welcome, and nonviolence. The last five sessions introduce tools and attitudes necessary to bring about goodness and justice in the larger world. Students explore responsibility, courage, persistence, and cooperation as they begin to build their own moral compass grounded in an ethic that reflects our Unitarian Universalist values and practices. |
Religious Exploration
Spring is a time of transformation and there is no greater evidence of spring this year than in our classroom at church, known as The Brush Room (named in honor the Brush family)! If you haven’t seen our classroom lately, I invite you to stop by on your way to Fellowship Hall. It has undergone a major transformation with fresh paint on the walls, new curtains, a huge bulletin board, and all the supplies necessary to create an environment conducive to learning.
The classroom includes a story telling corner, a worktable for craft activities, and open floor space for physical activity. Each class session included three rituals to create sacred space, encourage self-reflection and expression and provide closure. The class begins with lighting a Chalice and reciting these Opening Words posted on the wall:
We gather together
To remind ourselves
To be kind to all beings
Because we are one big family
To take good care of the earth
Because it is our home
To live lives of goodness and love
Because that is how we make the world
The best it can be!
The students then participate in a ritual called Gems of Goodness. Each child selects three gems (colorful stones) from a bowl and places one in a vase for each act of goodness they performed or witnessed that week. It’s a wonderful exercise that reminds us of all the different ways we can be kind to each other. After sharing their acts of goodness the children listen to a story that teaches a particular lesson and includes a craft activity that helps the child reflect on the lesson. At the end of the class the children sing This Little Light of Mine (see words below) as the Closing Hymn.
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine (x3)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go
I’m gonna let it shine (x3)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Thank you to the members of the Religious Education Committee – Jeanne Morretto and Sue Donovan – for bringing this classroom to life. Also thanks to our teacher volunteers thus far this year – Jeanne Morretto, Sue Donovan, Janet Brady, Sue Burkard, Ed Krasnow, and Alison Gavin – for bringing this curriculum to our children. We could not do this without you!
Spring is a time of transformation and there is no greater evidence of spring this year than in our classroom at church, known as The Brush Room (named in honor the Brush family)! If you haven’t seen our classroom lately, I invite you to stop by on your way to Fellowship Hall. It has undergone a major transformation with fresh paint on the walls, new curtains, a huge bulletin board, and all the supplies necessary to create an environment conducive to learning.
The classroom includes a story telling corner, a worktable for craft activities, and open floor space for physical activity. Each class session included three rituals to create sacred space, encourage self-reflection and expression and provide closure. The class begins with lighting a Chalice and reciting these Opening Words posted on the wall:
We gather together
To remind ourselves
To be kind to all beings
Because we are one big family
To take good care of the earth
Because it is our home
To live lives of goodness and love
Because that is how we make the world
The best it can be!
The students then participate in a ritual called Gems of Goodness. Each child selects three gems (colorful stones) from a bowl and places one in a vase for each act of goodness they performed or witnessed that week. It’s a wonderful exercise that reminds us of all the different ways we can be kind to each other. After sharing their acts of goodness the children listen to a story that teaches a particular lesson and includes a craft activity that helps the child reflect on the lesson. At the end of the class the children sing This Little Light of Mine (see words below) as the Closing Hymn.
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine (x3)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go
I’m gonna let it shine (x3)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Thank you to the members of the Religious Education Committee – Jeanne Morretto and Sue Donovan – for bringing this classroom to life. Also thanks to our teacher volunteers thus far this year – Jeanne Morretto, Sue Donovan, Janet Brady, Sue Burkard, Ed Krasnow, and Alison Gavin – for bringing this curriculum to our children. We could not do this without you!