RE Weekly Newsletter:  May :Thresholds

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM Follow us here! . PARENT RESOURCES Learn more about Soul Matters curriculum guides . JOIN OUR RE FACEBOOK PAGE Here . This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, a time when we remember the men and women who lost their lives in war. Often, people place flags where service men and women are remembered, like on gravestones and memorials. The theme this week is the Door of Courage . Service men and women crossed the threshold of the Door of Courage They didn’t know where they would be deployed yet, and what would happen to them. They had to have courage to go into the unknown. UU FamilyPlease complete the art box survey if you want your child to receive one. It takes all of 1 minute. Survey will close on May 29th. Art Box Survey WELCOME UU Friend The theme connection: flows with our Calendar Connection this week: Memorial Day (May 25th), we remember the service of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in war. We cross the courageous door threshold into the sacrifice and loss when someone dies in a war and for the families who remain. We are also in the last week of school! Way to go parents for learning how to home-school your kiddos. It wasn't much of a choice but! I have heard some inspirational stories of parents who are pulling it through. Huge pat on the back. Don't forget your own self care as well! You deserve it! "People of Thresholds .” Session 4 : The Door of Courage Session 5 : The Door of Imagination The theme of thresholds is perfect for the closing session’s focus on taking what we learned and using it to pass over into a more mature and self-selected UU identity.  "Each month, I feel that this opens up a deep connection to all of you, no matter how much space separates us. May that feeling of "connecting doorways" also be a blessing you encounter this month." - Katie, DRE for SoulMatters Caring & Connected Newsletter We are continuing to send out the e-newsletter  “Caring & Connected”  to help sustain our UUSP community during uncertain times. Click  here  to read it and learn “how can I help?” and "how can I stay connected?” during the church closure.  -  Sharon Winters , from the Communications Team Learn more about our own UUSP History Here!

What Are Some of Our Kids Up To?? The Scogna Twins have been doing okay. They are losing teeth, learning how to ride bikes, swim and learning to stay positive! They are the youngest in Ms. Trish's class but fun fact: They read at a 4th grade level!! Talk about wonderful news! They received their art boxes the other day for the first shipment and couldn't wait to dig in those crafts! Thank you Scogna Family!

Religious Education Virtual Classes K-12th

Ms. Trish's K - 3rd Grade Class Session Goal:   Exploring the threshold of courage to go into the unknown. Wonder Box : An American Flag to introduce the Door of Courage and, those who fell in the line of duty and Memorial Day. Meditation :  Listen to the tune of “Taps” with the lyrics of “Day is Done.” Reflection on meditation. Story :  “The Wall,” A story of a young boy and his father as they visit the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, DC.  Theme Connection : Entering a guarded threshold is hard yet the day you find the courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone, is the day the door might become a welcoming door. External links for story and previous videos:   May 17th Lesson May 10th Lesson Story : “The Wall”  A story of a young boy and his father as they visit the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, DC. Activities : Make an American flag. Other suggestions: make a red, white and blue snack; make a “Thank you” card and send it to a previous or active member of the service; draw a flag in chalk on the sidewalk. Flag coloring page

Session Goal:  Exploring the threshold of courage to go into the unknown. Meditation : Let yourself relax. Take in a nice, slow, deep breath. And then let it out. Breathe in. And out. Deep. Slow. Breathing in. And breathing out. Taps is a tune played in military funerals and in memory of fallen service men and women. It is also part of a song used by Scouts and Guides at the end of a day. The words to the Scout song are: “Day is done, gone the sun, From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.” The Door of Courage is closing, the sun is setting. May 17th Lesson May 10th Lesson K'NAAN's “Wavin’ Flag” has become an international anthem. Its powerful words of hope have crossed generations and borders and have made K’NAAN an international star. Ms. Jeanay's 4th - 12th Grade Class Story : When I Get Older: The Story behind "Wavin' Flag"  Discussion : How does the song by K'NAAN make you feel? Theme Connection: On Memorial Day, we remember the service of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in war. We cross the courageous door threshold into the sacrifice and loss when someone dies in a war and for the families who remain. Below is the video song for "Taps".

Calendar Connections

Unitarian Universalist Association, religious organization in the United States formed in May 1961 by merger of the  Universalist Church of America  and the  American Unitarian Association . American Unitarian Association founded May 25, 1825  The American Unitarian Association was founded in 1825 as the result of a gradual development of  Unitarianism  (the denial of the Trinity) within  New England  Congregationalism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Universalist Church of America developed from an 18th-century movement in the eastern United States among those who believed in universal salvation. The first Universalist Church was formed in 1779, and in 1790 the Universalists adopted a doctrinal statement and plan for church government at a convention in Philadelphia. Learn more..

Memorial Day, and the long weekend that it creates, is generally seen to mark the beginning of the  summer  season (while  Labor Day  marks the end). See also  Veterans Day  and  Armed Forces Day  2020 calendar  showing all US federal holidays. Further reading:  Memorial Day  on Wikipedia Memorial Day (May 25th) Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday, commemorating those who have died in military service to their country. It is observed annually on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day - an occasion to decorate the graves of the war dead - and was created in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Observances are held at military graveyards, cemeteries and memorials, and military themed parades are held across the country. The holiday is also associated with the Indianapolis 500 car race which is held on the Sunday preceding Memorial Day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Birthday (May 25th, 1803) Emerson's Faith “Emerson and the Transcendentalists are probably more relevant now than they were in their time,” said the Rev. Suzanne Meyer, associate minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta. “They speak out of our UU tradition to a postmodern mindset that is tired of scientism and reductionism, just as they were reacting against the Enlightenment rationalism of their day. They offer us a naturalist spirituality, a naturalist mysticism, without metaphysics and supernaturalism .” She has found, for example, that Emerson speaks to young adults who want to awaken a reverence for nature. (Another young man, Henry Thoreau, once said that Emerson’s “influence upon young persons is greater than any man’s.”) “I think Emerson is appealing today because UUs want an authentic Unitarianism,” said Meyer, who teaches adult religious education courses on his work. “We’re tired of borrowing from other traditions. We’ve tried everything else. Now we want an authentic Unitarian Universalist spirituality, one embedded in our own history as a movement.” Learn more...

The Door of Courage. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” William Faulkner

Healthy Resources

Marcile Powers and Keevy McAlavy run Kenwood Organic Produce. What began as a brick and mortar has become a booming mobile business, offering local produce directly delivered to your door. Offering seasonally appropriate locally grown produce and a variety of organic produce, Kenwood Organic Produce is a great alternative for those looking for less potential contact. You can order one time boxes, Monthly and weekly subscription boxes are available.  www.kenwoodorganic.com

Please review this website for your local food locations for Pinellas County Schools. Schools are providing food pick ups until the end of the school year May 29th! Click on the flyers below to expand.

"I have used this program with my daughter and it has helped with her behavior tremendously. I strongly recommend this program for any parents that simply need a hand with better understanding their children." - Jeanay Visit the website PACE for Young Teen Girls

Community Health Centers of Pinellas will be offering free COVID-19 testing at the Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. starting this Monday, May 11th. Everyone will be tested regardless of exhibiting symptoms. They will take drive-ups and walk-ins, but they highly recommend scheduling an appointment. For more information please call 727-824-8181 and select option "0".

Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg is not affiliated nor a sponsor of the community events posted on our UUSP RE e-newsletters. The information is derived from PeachJar.com, The Parent's Guide Magazine and City of St. Petersburg Events page, PlayLargo.com and various applications for family engagement strictly for informational purposes only. The information posted is not for profit or for monetary gain unless specified to contribute to a fundraiser in whereas the donations are to UU and/or UUA affiliates such as UUSC. If you have any questions or concerns about this statement, reply to this email. Stay Connected! If you have any submissions for the RE weekly newsletter, please submit your information to email  the Editor  by noon every Tuesday to have it posted to the newsletter for Friday's e-print. This E-Newsletter is put together by Jeanay Johnson, Re Coordinator.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF ST. PETE | 100 Mirror Lake Drive Saint Petersburg, Fl 33701 UUStpete.org

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