Parent Information
about Religious Education at All Souls
I value coming to All Souls because of what I learn here, because of the friendships I’ve made, and because of the music I get to be a part of. I’ve learned a lot in RE over the years. In 1st grade, taught by my friend’s mom, I was introduced to the Civil Rights Movement. In 3rd grade, we learned about the Bible through reading great stories (oh, and ate George’s treats!) In 4th grade, we talked - a bit awkwardly - about, umm, Owls. And now this year, visiting other places of worship has opened up new paths I didn’t know about.
First Hour Religious Education (10:00 - 11:00 am)
The Sunday morning “First Hour” RE program offers curriculum-based opportunities to help school-aged children develop morally and spiritually, grounded in Unitarian Universalist heritage, values and traditions. Each Sunday, a committed and enthusiastic team of teachers, parents and program staff create a safe space at All Souls for children and youth to explore liberal religious life with creativity, curiosity and openness.
The Sunday morning “First Hour” RE program offers curriculum-based opportunities to help school-aged children develop morally and spiritually, grounded in Unitarian Universalist heritage, values and traditions. Each Sunday, a committed and enthusiastic team of teachers, parents and program staff create a safe space at All Souls for children and youth to explore liberal religious life with creativity, curiosity and openness.
10- First Hour
Nursery playtime Room 4B
Pre-school Chalice Children Room 4A
Kindergarten Spirit Play Room 3B
1st/2nd Grade Picture Book Room 2A
3rd Grade Timeless Themes Room 2B
4th/5th Grade Spirit of Adventure Room 3A
6th Grade Neighboring Faiths Ware Room
7th/8th Grade Heeding the Call Chapel
11:15- Second Hour
Nursery playtime Room 4B
Pre-k/K Room 4A
Drama 2B
Community Time Ware Room
Choir Chapel
Nursery playtime Room 4B
Pre-school Chalice Children Room 4A
Kindergarten Spirit Play Room 3B
1st/2nd Grade Picture Book Room 2A
3rd Grade Timeless Themes Room 2B
4th/5th Grade Spirit of Adventure Room 3A
6th Grade Neighboring Faiths Ware Room
7th/8th Grade Heeding the Call Chapel
11:15- Second Hour
Nursery playtime Room 4B
Pre-k/K Room 4A
Drama 2B
Community Time Ware Room
Choir Chapel
Curriculum Taught at 10:00
Nursery | Infants through Age 2
Our nursery program provides loving care and supervised activity for infants and toddlers in a child-friendly space on the fifth floor of Wiggin House. The environment is respectful of the child as an individual and encourages discovery. Childcare is available from 9:45 a.m. until 12:15pm. For the safety of the children, we ask parents to pick up their children from the classroom in person.
Preschool | 3 and 4 year olds Chalice Children
For the preschoolers, we work from two Unitarian Universalist curriculums. Chalice Children is designed to help young children learn about their church and congregation,
Kindergarten Spirit Play
Where did we come from? What are we doing here? How do we choose to live our lives? Spirit Play provides children with a creative introduction to the building blocks of a Unitarian Universalist belief system. This intentional learning environment encourages independent thinking through storytelling and wondering questions. The stories are strongly connected to the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism, and are sourced from our UU history and tradition, wisdom from the world’s religions, our Judeo-Christian Heritage, Social Justice themes, and inspiring times in the history of All Souls UU Church.
First/Second Picture Book Unitarian Universalism
This Katie Covey curriculum is based on 36 of the best picture books for teaching young children about love, reason, tolerance and good works that are values of our Unitarian Universalist faith. Geared toward young learners, this year long curriculum teaches our children the art of self-expression, to value individuality, to think for themselves and simplify their lives, and to understand that everything is connected – in fact, radically related. They will hear about people whose novel ideas and discoveries helped to transform our faith – people like Maria Mitchell, Henry David Thoreau, and Fannie Farmer.
Third Grade Timeless Themes: Stories from the Hebrew and Christian Bibles
How do sacred stories from Christianity and Judaism inform our faith? Third graders and teachers explore stories from the Judeo-Christian traditions of meaning to Unitarian Universalists. Discussions include historical perspective. With games, conversation, and creative activities, sacred stories come alive as we weave them into our lives and our living tradition.
Fourth/Fifth Grade Spirit of Adventure
This Katie Covey Unitarian Universalist Identity curriculum draws from our seven principles, the sources, and our history. Through the themes of medicine, food, science, buildings, exploration, and the web of life, our children expand their UU identity by using reason, being creative, kind, and generous, as well as trying new things.
Sixth Grade Neighboring Faiths/Crossing Paths
The sixth-grade curriculum deepens understanding of the traditions, beliefs and practices of world religions. These studies are combined with visits to neighboring houses of worship in the community such as a Jewish synagogue, mosque, Catholic Church, Muslim Mosque and a Buddhist temple. We introduce worship to our class time with an opening reading and the lighting of candles. We study the history of Unitarian Universalism, while exploring the similarities and differences between our faith and the “faiths across the street.”
Seventh and Eighth Grades | Amazing Grace and Heeding the Call
First Half: Amazing Grace helps students understand right and wrong and act on their new understanding. Its purpose is to equip them for moving safely and productively through the middle- and high school years, when they will be continually tugged toward both ends of the ethics continuum. Through their involvement in Amazing Grace, youth will come to recognize and depend on their Unitarian Universalist identity and resources as essential to their movement toward understanding, independence, and fulfillment of personal promise. Second Half: Heeding the Call encourages youth to view themselves as agents of change in the world as they develop qualities crucial to justice work. They reflect on their own lives while making connections to the lives lived by others, building self-awareness while growing as leaders. Includes a Justice makers Guide to help youth track their activities outside the workshop and a long-term Faith in Action project to lead youth, step-by-step, in becoming allies to marginalized communities.
Ninth Grade Coming of Age
Coming of Age is the Unitarian Universalist curriculum for youth, age 14, who are expected to assume responsibility for their religious journeys. The program offers a safe place for spiritual exploration and deep questioning. Youth are encouraged to actively participate in classes, lead worship, and travel to Murray Grove and Boston to learn more about our denomination’s history. The year culminates in the presentation of each participant’s credo statement to the congregation at the spring Coming of Age Service.
All Souls Youth Groups (grades 9-12)- Aspyre
Activate your faith! Our High School Youth Group is a youth-led social and service group. Supportive and inclusive, each week we share deeply about our lives. The youth group also: leads chapel for the children two to three times a year; participate in youth cons; participate in a Social Justice/Mission trip; leads a Youth Service for the congregation; usher; leads Guest at Your Table; participates in the UU-UNO conference each April; overnights at All Souls; youth worship. The All Souls Youth Group offers numerous leadership opportunities and creates supportive and fun community. New members are always welcome!
Our nursery program provides loving care and supervised activity for infants and toddlers in a child-friendly space on the fifth floor of Wiggin House. The environment is respectful of the child as an individual and encourages discovery. Childcare is available from 9:45 a.m. until 12:15pm. For the safety of the children, we ask parents to pick up their children from the classroom in person.
Preschool | 3 and 4 year olds Chalice Children
For the preschoolers, we work from two Unitarian Universalist curriculums. Chalice Children is designed to help young children learn about their church and congregation,
Kindergarten Spirit Play
Where did we come from? What are we doing here? How do we choose to live our lives? Spirit Play provides children with a creative introduction to the building blocks of a Unitarian Universalist belief system. This intentional learning environment encourages independent thinking through storytelling and wondering questions. The stories are strongly connected to the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism, and are sourced from our UU history and tradition, wisdom from the world’s religions, our Judeo-Christian Heritage, Social Justice themes, and inspiring times in the history of All Souls UU Church.
First/Second Picture Book Unitarian Universalism
This Katie Covey curriculum is based on 36 of the best picture books for teaching young children about love, reason, tolerance and good works that are values of our Unitarian Universalist faith. Geared toward young learners, this year long curriculum teaches our children the art of self-expression, to value individuality, to think for themselves and simplify their lives, and to understand that everything is connected – in fact, radically related. They will hear about people whose novel ideas and discoveries helped to transform our faith – people like Maria Mitchell, Henry David Thoreau, and Fannie Farmer.
Third Grade Timeless Themes: Stories from the Hebrew and Christian Bibles
How do sacred stories from Christianity and Judaism inform our faith? Third graders and teachers explore stories from the Judeo-Christian traditions of meaning to Unitarian Universalists. Discussions include historical perspective. With games, conversation, and creative activities, sacred stories come alive as we weave them into our lives and our living tradition.
Fourth/Fifth Grade Spirit of Adventure
This Katie Covey Unitarian Universalist Identity curriculum draws from our seven principles, the sources, and our history. Through the themes of medicine, food, science, buildings, exploration, and the web of life, our children expand their UU identity by using reason, being creative, kind, and generous, as well as trying new things.
Sixth Grade Neighboring Faiths/Crossing Paths
The sixth-grade curriculum deepens understanding of the traditions, beliefs and practices of world religions. These studies are combined with visits to neighboring houses of worship in the community such as a Jewish synagogue, mosque, Catholic Church, Muslim Mosque and a Buddhist temple. We introduce worship to our class time with an opening reading and the lighting of candles. We study the history of Unitarian Universalism, while exploring the similarities and differences between our faith and the “faiths across the street.”
Seventh and Eighth Grades | Amazing Grace and Heeding the Call
First Half: Amazing Grace helps students understand right and wrong and act on their new understanding. Its purpose is to equip them for moving safely and productively through the middle- and high school years, when they will be continually tugged toward both ends of the ethics continuum. Through their involvement in Amazing Grace, youth will come to recognize and depend on their Unitarian Universalist identity and resources as essential to their movement toward understanding, independence, and fulfillment of personal promise. Second Half: Heeding the Call encourages youth to view themselves as agents of change in the world as they develop qualities crucial to justice work. They reflect on their own lives while making connections to the lives lived by others, building self-awareness while growing as leaders. Includes a Justice makers Guide to help youth track their activities outside the workshop and a long-term Faith in Action project to lead youth, step-by-step, in becoming allies to marginalized communities.
Ninth Grade Coming of Age
Coming of Age is the Unitarian Universalist curriculum for youth, age 14, who are expected to assume responsibility for their religious journeys. The program offers a safe place for spiritual exploration and deep questioning. Youth are encouraged to actively participate in classes, lead worship, and travel to Murray Grove and Boston to learn more about our denomination’s history. The year culminates in the presentation of each participant’s credo statement to the congregation at the spring Coming of Age Service.
All Souls Youth Groups (grades 9-12)- Aspyre
Activate your faith! Our High School Youth Group is a youth-led social and service group. Supportive and inclusive, each week we share deeply about our lives. The youth group also: leads chapel for the children two to three times a year; participate in youth cons; participate in a Social Justice/Mission trip; leads a Youth Service for the congregation; usher; leads Guest at Your Table; participates in the UU-UNO conference each April; overnights at All Souls; youth worship. The All Souls Youth Group offers numerous leadership opportunities and creates supportive and fun community. New members are always welcome!
All Ages Chapel: 11:00 to 11:15
Chapel takes place every Sunday but the first Sunday (we meet in the Sanctuary, instead, for the Story on the first Sunday of each month.) Chapel is led by our Asst. Minister of Lifespan Faith Formation, Rev. Tracy and an occasional guest. Chapel services are based on the Soul Matters themes and include a story, music, and a time for sharing. The chapel is for children first grade through 6th grades and their parents, grandparents, caregivers, and friends. Adults in the congregation are also welcome to worship with the children.
Second Hour Religious Education and Workshops (11:15am - 12:15pm)
(See class locations above)
Drama for kindergarten and up
Choir for fourth grades thru high school led by James Backmon (sings first Sunday)
****Requires a serious commitment and involves field trips****
Our Whole Lives (more info on our OWL page) Times Vary
Community Time- crafts, games, conversation
Youth Group (Aspyre) and Coming of Age- may meet second hour. TBD
Monday Night Hospitality- cooking and making sandwiches on Holiday Sundays
(See class locations above)
Drama for kindergarten and up
Choir for fourth grades thru high school led by James Backmon (sings first Sunday)
****Requires a serious commitment and involves field trips****
Our Whole Lives (more info on our OWL page) Times Vary
Community Time- crafts, games, conversation
Youth Group (Aspyre) and Coming of Age- may meet second hour. TBD
Monday Night Hospitality- cooking and making sandwiches on Holiday Sundays
Parent Coffee Hour takes place in The Ware Room each Sunday during the second service (11:15-12:15). All parents and caregivers are encouraged to come together to share, network, talk, and enjoy fresh coffee. Occasionally, we will have an educational forum or a storyteller or a music event for all ages during this time as well. Parents will be notified of such events.
our Ministers are Available to You
From time to time, we all could use a listening ear. This is as true for kids as it is adults - sometimes more so. At All Souls, we're a multi-generational community. That means that Revs. Galen, Audette, Tracy and Pamela serve our youngest to our oldest. Our ministers are here for our All Souls children and youth in times of struggle or celebration. Help us get to know your whole family!