by Cheré Coen, R.E. Administrative Assistant

All RE students worked hard in March to create items for the upcoming UCBR Auction on Saturday, April 9. The preschool and elementary age children decorated papier maché eggs for a tabletop springtime display and the Middle and Senior Youth painted a variety of objects, including wooden chairs (see photo, below) a rocking horse, stool and picture frames.

The RE Council formulated plans for the Summer RE Program and we have exciting curriculums lined up. What we need to make this awesome summer program work are volunteers helping out as teachers, with the schedule open for individual summer vacation plans. If we have four teachers per class, for instance, the jobs can be easily rotated out throughout the summer leaving volunteer schedules flexible. Please consider volunteering this summer as an RE teacher — or in other capacities.

And if you want to help out now, we are in need of hall monitors and classroom specialists. Hall monitors watch the RE hallways during services, allowing teachers to send children to the bathrooms without the teachers having to leave their classrooms. Specialists visit classrooms and offer talks on their specialties, usually relating to the story that day. In the past we’ve had specialists give yoga classes, offer multi-media talks on peace and lead craft lessons.

 Upcoming events include:

• Sunday, April 24 – Easter services. We will return to a traditional egg hunt where children turn in found eggs for treats. Canned goods will still be collected to donate to the food bank so please bring those canned goods! We are also in need of plastic eggs.
• Sunday, May 1 – May Day Celebration after services, with children’s activities planned.
• In preparation for music on May 15, Marie Flowers will be rehearsing the middle/senior youth classes after the second service on May 1 and May 8. They will be singing "Seasons of Love" from "Rent." Parents please encourage your middle and senior youth to participate in the 30-minute rehearsals on May 1 and 8, and the services on May 15. The classes will perform at BOTH services on May 15.
• May 21–22 – Helen Zidowecki will visit for meetings on Saturday regarding the creation of a Youth Branches program. She will also be a guest in our pulpit on Sunday morning and provide a workshop for all of our Branches leaders on Sunday afternoon.

The Middle and Senior Youth have taken it upon themselves to administer and perform their own 60/60 program of community service. Last month, about 26 youth visited BREC’s Independence Park and picked up trash for two hours. There are more plans in the works, and we’re very proud of them for taking the initiative and working hard.. 

There will not be a summer camp this year at UCBR due to the ongoing search for a permanent Director of Religious Education. Many of our students and parents have asked about Hogwarts summer camp for 2011; therefore, while UCBR will not be hosting one this year, Jessica Gray will be having a camp in Baton Rouge  June 6-17. You can go to her website for more information: www.imaginedcollective.org .

At the February RE Council meeting, it was discussed that smaller teams on individual aspects of RE might be in order. Larger parental meetings would still be held from time to time to gather input from families but the planned teams established are:

• Parent Programming – Coordinates programming for parents, such as our recent “Who Would Jesus Bully?” workshop.
• Curriculum Support – Provides assistance with curriculum and classroom materials planning
• Volunteer Management – Teacher support, recruitment and recognition.
• Special Events/Parties – Coordinates plans, materials and volunteers for special events and parties such as Halloween and Tree Decorating.
• Youth – Work with Middle and Senior Youth to strengthen their programming and events.

 If you are interested in being a part of one of these teams, please let someone from the RE Team know..

 RE Leadership Team :  Shannon Cavell, Diana Dorroh, Marla Elsea & Danielle Gurt