Hello, Parents and Guardians of First UU:

The congregational year begins this Sunday, September 7, with our multigenerational celebration of community, known as Water Ingathering. Each family is invited to bring a small container of water from a source that has meaning to you; and this could be your kitchen tap, your garden hose, the sprinkler in the park, as long as it's from you (and if you forget your little bottle of water you can pour some from one of our extra pitchers and that will be just fine). Children will be with their families in the Sanctuary throughout the service, but there will be several opportunities for participation and movement, including a short play featuring several of our young people! We'll close the service with a Glitter Blessing to mark the local celebration of Pride; a joyful contingent, anointed in glitter, will be heading straight out after the service to march in the parade.

Exploration groups for children and youth, as well as childcare for infants and toddlers, will begin the following week, September 14th.

This year children in PreK through 3rd grade will continue with Building UU Values in the Jordan Room on the lower level. We have a whole new set of great picture books to spark discussions and a cardboard and loose parts corner to create in, as well as other craft and building supplies, at the ready. Each session starts with a story circle and then moves into "work time" in which children are invited to reflect on the the themes through building and creating or to build community through play.

4th through 7th graders, meeting on the upper level in the SBA Room, will continue their exploration of the world's religions with a few more sessions of last year's Bible Stories Plus, mixed in with the Crossing Paths curriculum, which explores neighboring faiths. A parent meeting for this group will be held after the service on October 5th, when we hope to begin planning for visits to other house of worship later in the program year.

The YUUth exploration group has a new home in the Alcott Room on the lower level. 8th-12th graders will gather to connect with each other and our UU values. Guides suggest activities and offer prompts for discussion, but allow youth to direct the group’s trajectory when they are ready. A parent Meeting will be scheduled this fall to begin to discuss goals for this group, and special events, including a possible Boston heritage trip in the spring.

Monthly All-youth lunches are for the group above, but also for youth who prefer to stay in the worship service and youth who work for the congregation as tech staff or childcare providers. Pizza and ice cream with vegan options will be served on the first Sunday of the month, starting in October in the Alcott Room.

It is really the last call for 4th/5th Grade OWL this year! If you expressed interest in OWL for your child but haven't filled out the RSVP for the orientation on 9/21, please do it now.

I'm so excited to start another year in community with all of you!

Erika

FUUSB will once again take part in the annual Pride March this Sunday, September 7th in downtown Burlington! If you are attending the morning service, we will be gathering as a group immediately following the service to walk together to the lineup area. We should be lined up and ready to march by 11:30 am at the latest. The march begins at noon. You can also come directly to the lineup area and join the group on St. Paul Street between Main & College (same as last year). Enter the lineup area from the north via College Street. Our group number is 57. We will sing and carry our banner. Snacks will be provided. See you there!!

In order to offer the vibrant program that our children deserve we need many helping hands. I know that parents are busier than ever so it is hard to add one more thing to the list, but I also know that when people work alongside other members, that is often when they start to really feel a sense of belonging here; it stops being just an enrichment activity for your child and it becomes a community to which you belong, and contribute.

There are many ways to help, some that are one-and-done commitments and some that allow more time to build relationships. Today, I'm asking you to consider being an Assistant Group Guide and committing to be with the same group at least 5 times over the course of the year.

• This could be in your own child's group or another age level. Have young kids?Try working with teens!
• Assistants don't have to do any preparation in advance, just show up a few minutes early for the service, ready to support children and the lead guide.
• Yes, it happens during the service, but it doesn't mean missing the sermon every time. It is fine to spread out the commitment so it's never more than once a month.
• Do you have a child in OWL this year? Consider committing to help in group once a month when you have already committed to have your child here for OWL.

In order to work with children, volunteers need to have been active in the congregation for at least 6 months and be able to pass a criminal background check. Reach out to Erika by replying to this email for details.

Thank you for considering!

We are very excited to offer a warm welcome to two new staff members, Family Programs Assistant, Mia Bisagni and new Childcare Provider, Zina Peete-McChesney! Click on their names to learn more about them!

Mia will be assisting me, Erika, in making the magic happen in Faith Development, so you'll probably see us working together on Sunday mornings and may receive emails from her during the week.

Zina works with babies at her other job Monday through Friday, but still doesn't get enough! So, she'll be providing regular care (along with a teen helper) in our Nursery. That's right, a familiar, caring, face for your child to get used to, almost every single week!

An offering of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Woodlands is a monthly online gathering designed for trans children, youth, and adults—as well as the parents and caregivers of trans people. Each session will begin with a shared message and grounding ritual, followed by breakout rooms tailored to different communities within our circle, and we come back together for a release. Sessions will be about an hour and a half.

Each breakout room—co-facilitated by two chaplains—will offer space for meaningful check-ins where we can honor our grief, celebrate our joy, and support one another. The spirit of each room will reflect the people within it.

Link to Register

September 7:

10:00- Multigenerational Water Ingathering

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)

11:10- Leave to march in Pride Parade

September 14:

9:40- Childcare Available in the Nursery

10:00- Worship in the Sanctuary

10:15- Building UU Values, Crossing Paths, YUUTH

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)

September 21:

9:40- Childcare Available in the Nursery

10:00- Worship in the Sanctuary

10:15- Building UU Values, Crossing Paths, YUUTH

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)

11:15- OWL Lunch & Parent/Child Orientation

September 28:

9:40- Childcare Available in the Nursery

10:00- Worship in the Sanctuary

10:15- Chalice Choice

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)

October 5:

9:40- Childcare Available in the Nursery

10:00- Family Chapel in the Community Room

10:15- Building UU Values, Crossing Paths, YUUTH

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)

11:15- OWL Lunch

11:30- All-Youth Lunch

11:45- Owl Session, Crossing Paths Parent Meeting

October 12:

9:40- Childcare Available in the Nursery

10:00- Worship in the Sanctuary

10:15- Building UU Values, Crossing Paths, YUUTH

11:10- Coffee Hour (Outdoors, weather permitting)