Children's Religious Education (RE)

Children’s RE from A-Z.

Attendance. Consistent attendance helps children build on previous experiences and develop rapport with classmates and teachers. Because of this and in order to facilitate our growth to three RE sessions, we’re asking that families commit to attending their registered RE session through January. At that time, you’re welcome to reconsider your choice. If for some reason you can’t attend your usual morning session on a Sunday, please attend the 5:00 p.m. session – not the opposite morning session. Children in 1st – 6th grades are always welcome to attend the 5:00 p.m. Young Bright Unitarian Universalists (YBUU) group in addition to their morning RE class. To help us accurately record attendance, please sign in babies and toddlers on the classroom attendance sheet for each session.

Calendar: For a complete schedule of children's events, click here.

Curriculum & Classes: A complete list of our RE options is available here.

Field Trip Permission Form: A standard Field Trip Permission Form is available here.

Dismissal & Pick-Up. For the safety of our youngest children, only those in third grade and higher will be dismissed at the end of the class period to join their families in the Leenhouts Common Room. Children in the nursery through second grade must be picked up promptly at the end of the class period (10:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.) by a parent or guardian. If someone other than a parent or guardian will be retrieving a child from the class room, permission must be given in writing to the DRE or one of the class teachers to keep on file. Some of the classes may ask you to sign your child out. Important! One parent or a designated adult must be in the building during class time.

Moving? If your address or phone number changes during the church year, please notify the Director of Religious Education (DRE). This helps ensure that you’ll continue to receive classroom updates and information about special events.

Registration. Please complete an annual registration form and submit payment for a materials fee: $50 per child if one parent is a church member or $75 if neither parent is a member. To receive a full or partial waiver, please contact the Director of Religious Education (DRE). Please note that our 8:45 a.m. classes have a registration cap. Speak with the Director of Religious Education (DRE) to find out if there is an opening for your child, or to be put on the waiting list.

Safety. The safety of your children is important to us. To ensure their well-being, our volunteers are screened, monitored and supported by professional staff. A copy of our code of ethics is posted on the RE bulletin board. First-aid supplies are readily available in the RE kitchenette, nursery, pre-school and the DRE’s office. In case of an emergency requiring us to evacuate the building, teachers and assistants will escort the children down the sidewalk along Ogden Street in front of the historic row houses just east of the church. Parents should NOT come downstairs for their children, but meet them at the drop-off point.

Visitors. Welcome! Visitors should seek out the RE Assistant, who will introduce you and your first-time visiting children to classroom teachers. Please fill out a Visitor Information form.

Volunteers. We request that each parent who attends the church volunteer in some capacity to serve the RE program. Please complete and submit our RE Volunteer form.

Waiting List. We generally have a waiting list for RE classes during our first Sunday Service. If space becomes available, children will be invited to join the class based on the date they were placed on the waiting list.

Worship. Time for reflection, silence and celebration is an essential element of our Religious Education program. We offer several opportunities for children and youth to participate in and lead worship with peers and adults.

Family Sunday Services are held approximately every four to five weeks, generally on the first Sunday of each month. For those services, kindergarten through senior high children attend the initial portion of the service with their families in the sanctuary and then proceed to class. Family Sundays are announced in the church newsletter, and signs are posted on those Sundays. NOTE: Preschoolers are welcome to attend the service, but parents may choose to have them go straight to class.
Intergenerational Sunday Services are offered during many major holidays. Children attend the entire service, and child care is available for infants.
Children’s Chapel Services are a way for young people in different classes to experience a larger children's community and to reflect upon and celebrate the spiritual side of Unitarian Universalism together each week.

For questions or more information, contact:

Beryl Aschenberg, Director of Religious Education

414.273.5257

beryl@uumilwaukee.org