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 month held many Calendar Connections that spanned many different variations of life: Interfaith, Unitarian Universalist, National & Cultural and fun on the fridge. We hope you have taken the time to click for more information or inspiration as all cultures have so many wonderful stories to share. Many pivotal points in history have also happened in the month of May. With businesses slowly opening up, how will you describe this day in time to friends and family 10 years from today? UU FamilyPlease complete the art box survey if you want your child to receive one. It takes all of 1 minute. Survey will close at 5pm, June 1st. Art Box Survey Boxes are made according to the age group of the child receiving it. There are some standard items such as crayons, markers, colored pencils depending on availability; however, a portion of the box contents is created for the individual child. WELCOME UU Friend The month of May is coming to a close. School has ended for summer break and our theme of the month is shifting. How are our UUSP family and friends doing? Each month of this year marked a theme to flow with the curriculum. Let's see if you can answer the questions below to refresh your memory on the themes of the month: "People of Thresholds .” Session 5 : The Door of Imagination Which month's theme pertained to 'Resilience'? January Select February Select March Select April Select 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! "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."

What Are Some of Our Kids Up To?? Rosalind and Jaide received their art boxes within the last week. Both of them were very excited to get the neat supplies that were inside! Rosalind even created a wonderful thank you message to Ms. Trish & Ms. Jeanay!

Religious Education Virtual Classes K-12th

Ms. Trish's K - 3rd Grade Class Session Goal: Reflect on the threshold of fantasy. Wonder Box:  a ball of play-dough~a threshold into imagination. Meditation: on the Doorway to your Imagination Reflect on your experience during in the visualization.  Story :  “ What If ..” by Samantha Berger - Read Aloud by Heather's Story Time Corner. What can YOU make? Please share via email/ on any pictures of your completed items. Sunshine connection: find “crafts” materials outside (twigs, leaves, grasses, stones) and make a collage or other art work with your natural materials. External links for previous videos and activities:   May 24th Lesson May 17th Lesson How to make an Origami Box Activity Activities : Use your imagination to create a craft piece or project using materials you have on hand. Ideas were completed in past classes: Origami box from 2019 calendar, shaker instrument from toilet paper tube, owl picture from fabric scraps. How many craft materials items do you have on hand?

Session Goal: Reflect on the threshold of fantasy Meditation : Imagine that you are walking up to the Doorway to your Imagination. What does it look like? Is it painted or natural wood door? Maybe it is made of something entirely different than any door you have ever seen. Is there a window in the door, a peephole? Is it a very heavy door, or a door with screens and light coming through? Spend a few moments imagining that doorway. Find the doorway to the imagination. May 24th Lesson May 17th Lesson The Video Story of "What If...?" by Samantha Berger Ms. Jeanay's 4th - 12th Grade Class Story/Video: "What If...?" “Creativity, the power of imagination, and the importance of self-expression are celebrated in this inspiring picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends. This girl is determined to express herself! If she can't draw her dreams, she'll sculpt or build, carve or collage. If she can't do that, she'll turn her world into a canvas. And if everything around her is taken away, she'll sing, dance, and dream....” Discussion: Finally completing the 2019-2020 school year! Theme Connection: Even if you had very little, you can still cross the Doorway of Imagination.

Calendar Connections

The holiday of  Shavuot  is a two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of Sivan and lasting until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan  (May 28–30, 2020) . In Israel it is a one-day holiday, ending at nightfall of the 6th of Sivan. Shavuot (Jewish) - May 28-30 What Shavuot Commemorates The word  Shavuot  (or  Shavuos ) means “weeks.” It celebrates the completion of the seven-week  Omer  counting period between Passover and Shavuot. The Torah was given by God to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai on Shavuot more than 3,300 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of God’s gift, and God “re-gives” the Torah. Source. Watch video here

"I sell the shadow to support the substance." -- Sojourner Truth. Carte de Visite, circa 1864, in the collections of the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/97513239/) source Born into slavery in 1797, Isabella Baumfree, who later changed her name to Sojourner Truth, would become one of the most powerful advocates for human rights in the nineteenth century. In 1827, after her master failed to honor his promise to free her or to uphold the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827, Isabella ran away, or, as she later informed her master, “I did not run away, I walked away by daylight….” After experiencing a religious conversion, Isabella became an itinerant preacher and in 1843 changed her name to Sojourner Truth. During this period she became involved in the growing antislavery movement, and by the 1850s she was involved in the woman’s rights movement as well. Learn more here... Sojourner Truth delivers “Ain’t I A Woman” speech - May 29, 1851 There is some controversy regarding Sojourner Truth's famous 'Ain't I a Woman?' Speech listed on this site . There are different versions of the speech. The popular 'Ain't I a Woman' Speech was first published by Frances Gage in 1863, 12 years after the speech itself.  Compare the speeches and decide yourself at the  Library of Congress   or at  The Sojourner Truth Project . [2] [1] This text is part of the   Internet Modern History Sourcebook . [2] This article first appeared on the  Women's Rights National Historical Park   website.

Mary was the model for Rockwell’s May 29, 1943 Mary was the model for Rockwell’s May 29, 1943, cover Rosie the Riveter. As Vicki Randle, a member of The Tonight Show band, sang the song “Rosie the Riveter,” Mary drilled several screws into a board making the drill sound at the end of the song. Mary was a 19-year-old phone operator in Arlington, Vermont, when Rockwell called and asked if she “wouldn’t mind posing for a painting.” She posed twice because the white blouse and shoes for the first sitting were not what he was looking for. Mary explains that yes, she did hold a ham sandwich while posing; she did have the white handkerchief that peeked from a pocket; she never saw Hitler’s book Mein Kampf; and the rivet gun was a lightweight fake. “I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘How did you ever hold that rivet machine?’ ‘Oh,’ I said, ‘it wasn’t too bad.’” source

“Completion of a school year signifies accomplishment, maturing and a personal sense of pride,” Melanie Ross Mills, Ph.D., a relationship counselor,  explained  to Business Insider. “Helping children and students gain some type of closure is paramount no matter what age or grade.”  Be sure your child knows you’re proud of their accomplishments, and take the time to reflect on them. Give them specific praise for skills they’ve improved upon or conditions they’ve coped with over the past few months. Helping Kids Cope With Grief At the End of the School Year As the end of the school year approaches, many children, parents, and educators are feeling a deep sense of sadness and disappointment about everything they’re missing due to the pandemic. The end of the school year is usually a time to showcase progress, celebrate accomplishments, and bond and reflect with classmates, teachers, and coaches. So how can we help kids get some of those feelings of closure without any of the usual events and traditions? Source

The Door of Imagination. “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. “  - Alice in Wonderland

Healthy Resources

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".

Please review this website for your local food locations for Pinellas County Schools. Schools are providing food pick ups during the summer time! Times of pick-ups have changed so please review the link to see the new times!

Sesame Street Just Made 110 Ebooks 100% Free Keeping cooped-up kids occupied as the coronavirus keeps their schools close is easier said than done. Entertaining them and helping them learn something along the way? That's practically Herculean, but it is possible if you have the right tools. ... Read more www.fatherly.com

"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

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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