2021-05-20

Religious Education: May 20, 2021

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Religious Education & Faith Development
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains
May 20, 2021
2020-2021 Religious Education (RE) theme: JUSTICE & EQUITY
Supporting our young people in understanding justice issues, articulating their values, and engaging in faith in action with CUUC Social Justice teams. Also, supporting youth in developing healthy self-esteem and relationships. 
Connecting in Community
Announcements and Resources
for Children, Youth, Young Adults, CUUC, LGBTQIA+ 
& BIPOC & Our Local Communities, Plus Summer Camps

Click Here for All Announcements & Resources

A Few Highlights Listed Below
Write Notes to Our Bridging Youth

What a year to graduate from high school and transition from youth into young adulthood! Please let our ten HS seniors know they have a faith community that loves and supports them. Submit a short note to be included in hymnals gifted by the congregation. These hymnals will be an enduring reminder of beloved music, words, and community. Click HERE to submit your notes. The form will be available until Sunday, May 30th. Thank you!


Westchester Youth Alliance Food Justice Activity

WYA invited you to join them this Saturday 5/22 from 1PM-6PM (rain date Sunday, 5/23) for their Work Day for Food Justice in the Garden of Hope at Willow Park in Yorktown. They are still accepting registrations. If you'd like to attend, fill out the registration form here. They need a lot of help! Contact: Nisa Geller, Executive Director, Westchester Youth Alliance, www.westchesteryouthalliance.org & Mobile- 917-861-1858.
The youth classes are discussing bullying and bystander intervention this Sunday. Below are two great resources all families can use to have your own discussion about being prepared to counter bullying. 

FREE Hollaback! Bystander Intervention Resources

 

Knowing how to safely intervene when you see harassment is a valuable skill. Hollaback! trainings offer methodologies in the areas of bystander intervention, conflict de-escalation, harassment prevention, and resilience. We encourage you to attend their FREE online trainings, listed on their website.  Trainings are great for all ages (your whole family can listen in together) and include Bystander Intervention 2.0: Conflict De-Escalation, How to Respond to Harassment for People Experiencing Anti-Asian/American Harassment, Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment and Xenophobia, Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian/American Harassment and Xenophobia, Stand Up Against Street Harassment.  Visit these great resources from Hollaback!

Countering Bias

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) Learning for Justice project (formerly Teaching for Tolerance) released a new short video designed to offer an age-appropriate way to talk with young people about what countering bias looks like in practice. The video, made for children, is great for all ages.

An original children’s story from author, educator and LFJ awardee Elizabeth Kleinrock, Min Jee’s Lunchwas published in the fall of 2020 in response to increased reports of racism around the coronavirus. You can watch Min Jee’s Lunch here [4:32]. Accompanying reader questions can be found here. In the story, a classmate announces that Min Jee’s Korean lunch is “how everyone got sick.” Min Jee and her friends must decide how to respond. We know young people face decisions like this every day. The organization Stop AAPI Hate recently announced that reports of hate incidents targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have increased dramatically this spring—including in schools. SPLC developed this short video, beautifully illustrated by Janice Chang and read by Kleinrock, to help start conversations about ways to push back against hate and speak up for what is right.

Sunday, May 23rd
Worship 10:00am  

Rev. Meredith Garmon, “Flowers!" Join us for our annual flower celebration service, featuring photos of flowers you submitted. 

During the Time for All Ages, we will hear the story of the first UU flower ceremony. 
 join Virtual Coffee HourAfter worship, 
Meeting: 336 956 2210 · Passcode: 468468

Click here to join our Sunday Worship Service 
Phone in (audio only): 646-876-9923 · Webinar: 761 321 991 · Passcode: 468468

Pressed Flower Art Activity

There is beauty blooming all around us and this Sunday we celebrate our flower ceremony. Enjoy these lovely time-lapse videos of pressed flower art: 

Click here for instructions for how to make pressed flower art at home. 
K-9th & Adult Classes This Sunday

All log into Zoom room 8428 then meet in separate breakout rooms. Room 8428 (password embedded). Phone (audio only): 646-558-8656 · Meeting ID: 817 388 428 · Passcode: 468468  

K-4th class meets 11:40am-12:15pm
5th-7th class meets 11:40am-12:40pm
7th-9th class meets 11:50am-12:50pm
Parents & Caregivers class meets 12:00-1:00pm

UU POP, All Children's Families (on your own schedule): Families continue using the online UU Parents of Preschoolers (POP) curriculum. You will learn to understand your child's spiritual development, to build rituals that support development, and to see yourself as a spiritual teacher. Each month, three short videos will be added to the POP website. CUUC purchased the curriculum for all children's families to use. Access the videos and worksheets at your own pace. Click HERE and enter password, YouGotThis2020 (case sensitive). 

Faith & Justice, K-4th Grade (11:40am): The children continue exploring our interdependent web, learning about water protectors, the Seven Generations Principle, and how access to clean water is a justice issue. Norm H and Nicole T are leading class. 

Healthy Relationships & Self-Esteem, 5th-7th Grade (11:40am) & 7th-9th Grade (11:50am): We are talking about bullying this Sunday. Incidents of bullying happen every day. Youth stay home out of fear of being bullied, and research indicates there are negative consequences for the bullied and the bully. While we cannot eliminate it, we can significantly reduce bullying and aggressive behavior if we work to change the culture of a school, neighborhood, or other community. Empowering bystanders is critical. Because bullying and victimization are social justice issues, we will explore bystander responsibilities. Participants learn that it’s insufficient to avoid being a bully; people with integrity and concern for others will also attempt to intervene or report bullying and support victims. Alex S and Christine H are leading the 5th-7th grade class. Seonaidh D and Monica D are leading the 7th-9th grade class.

Parents & Caregivers as Sexuality Educators, Adult RE (12:00pm): This is the last class (rescheduled from last week) and the topic is supporting youth in healthy decision making. As youth become ready for more independence, the stakes can feel high. While worry can tempt parents and caregivers to exert more control, efforts at control will not help a child develop their own decision-making skills. This session helps adults to prepare, support, and affirm young people. Adults are invited to have faith in their children’s maturation process and nurture an atmosphere of trust and communication at home to support a child’s developing decision-making capacity. Kate C and Jane P are leading. Classes are open to all adults, with or without youth participating, and intended to support conversations at home. Visit the class resources doc HERE. 

Read more here, including the full spring 2021 schedule
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains  
468 Rosedale Ave · White Plains, NY 10605-5419







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