What Parents & Guardians Can Expect

Families are the Primary Religious Educators. As the church community and you form a partnership in nurturing faith development, let us be patient with one another and with our children and youth as we all grow to understand this adventure of learning and grow with each other. Your presence and participation are appreciated -- all of our children learn about religion from the actions of the adults important to them.

The RE Program could not operate without volunteers. With support from the MRE, the RE Coordinator, and the Youth Programs Coordinator, volunteers teach classes, organize events, and serve on RE Committees. The dedication of these volunteers gives witness to the importance UUCA families attach to RE and act as an incredible source of energy and ideas for the program.

When registering your child here, you are joining a partnership. As a parent or guardian, you agree to work co-operatively with the RE Program to enhance the ethical and spiritual development of your child. To fulfill this agreement, each registered family is expected to contribute a major effort such as teaching every other year. Only through such a commitment by you and the more than 300 other families now enrolled can our large and growing program continue to offer a quality educational experience.

Volunteers contribute time, energy, ideas, and talent! Besides the major responsibility of teaching, volunteers also:

• plan and lead worship
• assist with clerical tasks during the week
• drive for field trips
• organize the logistics for special events
• serve on the RE Council & committees
• assist with classroom and chapel music
• maintain the lending library
• evaluate and select curricula.

Parent Snack Helpers

Active growing children get very hungry. Each family is asked to sign the parent snack helper sheet posted outside each classroom door. On that Sunday, please arrive 15 minutes early, bring a snack for the session (cups, napkins, and something nutritious like juice and pretzels), and plan to stay in the classroom for the entire session to assist the teacher if requested. As a parent helper you will have the opportunity to interact with some interesting children and observe your own child's group experience. This gives our teachers (many of whom are parents just like you) some added assistance AND gives you the opportunity to see what’s happening in your child’s learning group.

Teaching Teams

After a family’s first year at UUCA, we’ll ask you to be a teacher in your child’s or another learning group, or otherwise contribute your time to support our programs. We form teams of four teachers per learning group, and provide user-friendly curricular resources and supplies.

Our volunteer teachers are the way our congregation provides ministry to our children, youth, and families. Sunday after Sunday, each year over 160 volunteers bring life to the program. Luckily teaching and learning, and supporting our programs, are fun and spiritually enriching. Many adults say that they didn’t really understand their own beliefs until they explored them with a learning group.

Congregational Stewardship

We encourage everyone – child, youth, and adult – to share in the ministry of UUCA by making generous financial contributions to the church. We give so that this ministry may be sustained and grow.

Office Managers and Greeters

Every Sunday volunteer Office Managers help to set up and disassemble the classrooms, assist teachers and parents with immediate needs, provide coffee, tea, and snacks for the teachers, and collect and distribute information such as attendance and notices of events. Parents (and children) also serve as Greeters. On Sundays, please do not hesitate to ask a question of the Office Manager or Greeter.

RE Committee

The policies that guide our programs of learning at UUCA are formulated by a volunteer Religious Education Council who work closely with the Minister of Religious Education to ensure oversight, evaluation, and implementation of the various activities which carry out this ministry. The council is made up of, and strives to be responsive to, members of the UUCA community. If you have any questions or concerns about the RE Program, please search out a Council Member or come to a Council meeting.

The RE Council appoints task forces and committees to help carry out their work. The Council and its groups welcome, and try to incorporate, the views of all RE families, and to help make use of the different gifts we have to share.

RE Committee members 2011-12

• Pat Bodnar (Chair)
• Barbara Locklin
• Susan Young
• Fred Stokeld
• Barbara Buzzell
• Kathleen Fugle

RE Staff

Three paid staff members serve the RE Program:

• The Rev. Linda Olson Peebles, Minister of RE, Rev.linda.peebles@uucava.org
• Sana Saeed, Director of Youth Ministry, sana.saeed@uucava.org
• Nikki Jones, Religious Education Coordinator, reasst@uucava.org

Please get to know our staff and let them know how the program can best meet your needs!

Parents & Guardians

• Overview

• Registration & Attendance

Learning Groups for Kids

• Infants to Four-Year-Olds

• Elementary School Age Kids

• Middle School Age Kids

• High School Kids

• For kids in elementary through high school grades: Learning Outside The Classroom