THIS WEEK! TRYOUTS f. BYE BYE BIRDIE (Upper Cast only)

Choose one day to tryout, and plan to be at Tryout for approx. 90 minutes.

NOTE: Everyone will be given a part in the play. Parts announced Sunday, the 14^th.

THURS, Sept 11: Rehearsal for everyone: 3:30-4:40 TRYOUTS 4:30 -6:30

FRIDAY, Sept 12: TRYOUTS 3:30-5:30 

Sunday School Program Notes

Children must be registered to attend Sunday morning religious education classes. Thank you to the 70 families, who have already registered 113 children, you have made planning for fall classes so much easier! If you haven't had a chance to register yet, please follow this link to our online registration system: http://uubelmont.org/childrens-re/.

     Sunday morning classes end at 10:15am and 12:15pm. Children in grades 3 and above will be released from class at those times. Children in grade 2 and younger must be picked up promptly by a parent at the end of classes.

     Nursery, preschool and Kindergarten-aged children begin in their classrooms at 9 and 11 o'clock. Children in grades 1 through 8 begin in the Sanctuary for the first portion of the service and then move to their classrooms at about 9:20 or 11:20am. On the first Sunday of each month they will gather in the Library instead of attending service in the Sanctuary.

September Sunday School Schedule

Sunday morning classes began on September 7 for Nursery through Kindergarten-aged children, while grades 1 and above attended the multigenerational Water Communion Ingathering Service.

     On September 14, for those not at Sandy Island, there will be regular class for Nursery through Kindergarten and community games for grades 1 through 8.

     Regular classroom lessons for grades 1 through 8 will begin on Sunday, September 21. The fall/winter term curriculum will focus on World Religions, followed in the winter/spring term by Social Action beginning in February.

New teachers

All new volunteer teachers will need to complete background check authorization forms and to sign code of conduct forms prior to teaching. Access forms via this link: http://uubelmont.org/coriandsori/. We will be contacting you directly about scheduling for the orientation session.

Calling all parents of 7^th and 8^th graders

Our 7^th and 8^th grade youth participate in the Neighboring Faiths program. This program is offered during the 11 o'clock service only. It spans all of 7^th grade and continues through the fall of 8^th grade. It involves learning about various faith traditions and then going on visits to experience worship in other faith communities.

     If you are a parent with a youth enrolled in Neighboring Faiths, you will be contacted by a Neighboring Faith Coordinator. Families must complete a permission form for each child. Parent volunteers are needed to drive to and from the visits. Volunteers must have background checks and must fill out volunteer driver forms. Access forms via this link: http://uubelmont.org/neighboring-faiths/.

Looking ahead to Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education Spring 2015 - OWL will be offered to 8^th grade youth beginning on January 11, 2015; the Grade 8 OWL Parent Orientation will be 12/7/14 at 6:45-9:00 pm.

     Grades 5 & 6 OWL begins in March 2015; the Parent Orientation for Grades 5 & 6 OWL is scheduled for 2/8/15 from 7-8:30 pm.

Congregation-wide theme this year is Environmental Stewardship

Therefore the children will explore this theme on Sundays scattered throughout the church year. Families may wish to do the activities related to geology in the Fall 2014 issue of the UU World's Family Pages as one way to engage with the Environmental Stewardship theme.

- Charlotte Lehmann, Acting Director of Children's Religious Education

Introducing Charlotte Lehmann, Acting Director of Children's Religious Education

Charlotte is a 2012 graduate of Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. She recently served as a full-time Ministerial Intern at the UU Congregation of Binghamton (NY). Previously she completed a 2-year part-time internship at DuPage UU Church in Naperville, IL. Charlotte is a Candidate for UU Ministry and will interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) in early December.

     Charlotte is a life-long UU and has many years of congregational leadership experience encompassing all aspects of church life, from buildings and grounds to finance, from life-span faith development to worship and music, in several UU congregations.

     Charlotte completed her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She received a Certificate in Mediation Training from the University of Southern Maine. In addition to the M.Div., she has both a B.A. and a M.S. in Geological Sciences. Charlotte's reflections on being a geologist and Unitarian Universalist appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of the UU World's Family Pages.

     Charlotte's interest in alternative spiritualities has taken her to Peru, France and Scotland. She is a Sundoor Breathwork Practioner and Master Certified Firewalk Instructor. Charlotte is a strong advocate for environmental justice, reproductive justice, sexual orientation and gender equality, civil rights and anti-oppression work. Charlotte has described her theology as emergent, humanistic, religious naturalism; she resonates strongly with process theology and Michael Dowd's creatheism.

     In her spare time, Charlotte engages in several spiritual practices, a number of outdoor activities, artistic and cultural interests, cooking, reading and watching movies, to name a few favored past-times.