Registration & Permission Slips

For non-pledging families, we require a per child fee of $100 with a family cap of $200 (checks made payable to The Unitarian Church in Westport). If you are a pledging family, there is no RE fee.

Click here for the Camp Jewell 2008 registration form.
Reservations must be paid in full by April 27

Get information about the COA Boston Trip 2008 in a downloadable PDF format

Get the Permission Form for the COA Boston Trip 2008 in a downloadable PDF format

Get the RE Registration form ONLINE.

Get the Religious Education Behavior Policy form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Driving Policy for the 7th Grade Neighboring Faiths Class form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Parent Field Trip Permission Form for the 7th Grade form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Trip Information Sheet for the 7th Grade Neighboring Faiths Class form in a downloadable PDF format

Get the Unitarian Church in Westport Safe Congregation Practices And Policies document & form in a downloadable PDF format

When, where does religious education take place? Religious education takes place on Sunday morning, holy days of the year, at workshops, or youth conferences. It takes place when we rise in the morning. It takes place when we choose how to live today, and when we reflect upon our choices. A religious education emerges out of a relationship. It sneaks up on us when we reflect on joy and sadness or speak deep hopes and fears. Religious education takes place anytime, anywhere, and can be found in everything. We are all religious educators on Sunday and every day. We are always in the midst of realizing our faith for ourselves, and with those we love.

Our program is a cooperative effort between our Ministers, Director of Religious Education, Religious Education Council members, volunteer teachers, and parents. Except for our nursery child care providers, all of our teachers are adult and youth volunteers. The Unitarian Church in Westport's RE program is a cooperative. Each parent is expected to contribute in some way. Within our RE curriculum, children explore their own spiritual lives in meaningful ways, with the active involvement and support of caring adults who participate in a variety of roles as teachers, workshop facilitators and guides, creative arts leaders, social action leaders and more. While each parent is expected to contribute in some way, it is our hope that all congregants will also participate in our RE program in ways that will be spiritually rewarding and fun. Classes covenant together with the children and youth to create an atmosphere of trust and respect. Our religious education program invites each child and family who comes through our door and into our sanctuary and classrooms to find his or her special place within our congregation.

Our Mission:

The RE program engages children, youth and adults in experiential learning that explores diverse religious beliefs, promotes a sense of community and interconnectedness and facilitates the practice of our UU values, Principles and Purposes.

Our Program strives to offer children and youth the opportunity to develop their own life enhancing religious philosophy/theology.

Our community seeks to have caring adults support and encourage the growth of trusting, challenging, honest, caring, curious, joyful and justice-seeking children and youth.

Our curricula are rooted in the UU Principles and Purposes.

Unitarian Principles and Purposes (Children's Version)

1. We believe that each and every person is important.
2. We believe that all people should be treated fairly.
3. We believe that our churches are places where all people are accepted and where we keep on learning together.
4. We believe that each person must be free to search for what is right and true in life.
5. We believe that everyone should have a vote about the things that concern them.
6. We believe in working for a peaceful, fair and free world.
7. We believe in caring for our planet Earth.

For more information see specific topics below or call:

Perry Montrose, Director of Religious Education -

Jamie Forbes, Director of Youth Outreach-

Jason Kiska , Youth Program Director-

Except for our nursery child care providers, all of our teachers are adult and youth volunteers. The Unitarian Church in Westport’s religious education (RE) program is a cooperative. In the children’s RE program, each parent is expected to contribute in some way. Children explore their own spiritual lives in meaningful ways, with the active involvement and support of caring adults who participate in a variety of roles as teachers, workshop facilitators and guides, creative arts leaders, social action leaders and more. While each parent is expected to contribute in some way, it is our hope that all congregants will also participate in our RE program in ways that will be spiritually rewarding and fun.

Volunteers do not have to have previous experience in teaching to be involved in RE Ministry. We provide curriculum, materials, and a volunteer orientation in the fall. Parents also plan special events, lead children’s chapel services, review curriculum, etc. Volunteer choices are listed on our registration form.

Our congregation takes seriously the responsibility of assuring the safety of our youth. Workshop Facilitators, Group Guides and teachers must complete Safe Congregation forms, sign and return them to our Perry Montrose - , Director of Religious Education (DRE.)

Get the Unitarian Church in Westport Safe Congregation Practices And Policies document & form in a downloadable PDF format

• Nursery through 4th grade meets in the chapel and downstairs classrooms.
• 5th/6th grade (11:00am only) meets in the Meeting House
• 7th grade Neighboring Faiths (11:00am only) meets in the East Wing unless on a visit
• 8th grade OWL (11am only) meets on the 3rd floor of the Meeting House
• COA (early 9th grade) meets off-site at a congregant’s home
• 9th-12th grade meets in the lower level of the Meeting House

Nursery – 4th grade parents must sign their child(ren) in and out of classes. If you are new please find Perry or anyone from the RE Council in the RE foyer and we will be happy to direct you and your children to the right locations.

The first Sunday of each month children in grades K-6 begin upstairs in the Sanctuary with their families. After the story for all ages, the children are sung out of the Sanctuary to their classes

Lessons on Community and UU Identity drawn from multiple curricula
Our Pre-K class focuses on getting to know one another and our church. In addition to community building, the children explore concepts such as friendship, how we treat one another and their connection to nature. There is an emphasis on experiential learning inspired by a sense of wonder.

Workshop Rotation
Using our Seven Principles as pillars for Religious Education, our children will explore their UU identity, values, heritage and faith traditions through many different modalities (see previous page for Principles and Purposes.)

Workshop Rotation is a multidimensional approach to religious education based on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Each lesson is presented in several workshop forms, allowing children to experience and interact with the topic in a variety of ways. A workshop might consist of art, music, games, drama, nature, movement, etc…This experiential learning creates a greater degree of understanding and retention.

Students are grouped by grade level and rotate through 4 different workshops over a 5 week period. This creates multiple opportunities for adult volunteer participation in short-term commitments.

A typical Sunday consists of children coming together in the downstairs Chapel for worship and rituals. Following, each grade attends a separate workshop where they have sharing time and workshop activity. The groups return to the Chapel for recap and closing circle.

Bibleodeon
Bibleodeon introduces Hebrew and Christian scriptures by presenting the best-known Hebrew and Christian stories with such props as the Bibleodeon microphone and such interactive challenges as the Cain-Abel crime scene. The children will act in 11 amusing playlets with characters like the Fatted Calf, illustrate a time line, keep doodle books, give awards to outstanding biblical women and more. They explore connections between biblical events and Unitarian Universalist principles, between biblical ideas and their own lives. They experience the Bible as one of the many wonderful UU sources.

Neighboring Faiths
This curriculum explores the diversity of religions in our world. Children, advisors and parents visit other faith communities and worship with them. They experience other traditions as they are practiced in our surrounding communities. The children clarify their values and beliefs in the context of Unitarian Universalism and an increased familiarity with the world’s religions.

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive human sexuality curriculum. OWL is led by trained volunteers from our church community. These adults help our youth make informed responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. OWL equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health and society/culture. In addition to providing facts about anatomy and human development, OWL helps participants to clarify their values and build interpersonal skills. They gain an understanding of the spiritual, emotional and social aspects of sexuality.

Upon completion of the OWL program, usually in mid-spring, the Coming of Age (COA) program commences. This marks the next important step along their spiritual journey. COA extends from spring of 8th grade through the fall of 9th grade. During COA, each youth will intentionally reflect upon his/her personal religious beliefs and their sources. They will learn about Unitarian Universalism and visit its historic sites in Boston with our senior minister. Other highlights of this important program are an adventure program held during our all-church spring weekend at Camp Jewell, as well as a District Junior High Conference in April. In early fall (9th gr.) the group will engage in a service project as part of the requirement for COA. The Coming of Age Ceremony is held in November.

Offered for 1st and 6th graders, Our Whole Lives is a positive, comprehensive and age appropriate educational program that promotes sexual health. The curriculum helps children gain the knowledge, life principles, and skills they need to express their sexuality in life-enhancing ways. It also helps create a meaningful partnership with parents to provide positive and responsible sexuality education.

Our church has a vibrant and active youth program under combined youth/adult leadership. We meet in the lower level of the Meeting House on Sundays at 11 a.m. and at other times to be determined for special events and workshops. We endeavor to provide as diverse a program as that which reflects our high school youth.

We strive to create a safe place where youth can learn about themselves on their journey toward adulthood. The youth program attempts to achieve a balance between community building, leadership, worship, learning, social action and integration with the larger congregation. Our youth are active in offsite events such as district leadership, campout retreats, community service and conferences with other UU youth throughout the Metro New York District

Click for info on Youth Odyssey

There are several special events and specific holidays that are celebrated throughout the RE year such as:

• Halloween Haunted House
• Thanksgiving Family Service
• Christmas Pageant
• Festivals of Light
• Diwali Celebration
• Easter Sunday egg hunt
• Intergenerational Seder
• RE Sunday Service and Cook-out

Related Programming and Events

Social Justice
The Social Justice Council (SJC), working with the Social Justice Director, initiates, coordinates and supports the congregation's efforts to advocate, educate, organize, serve and witness for social justice. The goal of the SJC is to establish The Unitarian Church in Westport as a beacon of social justice in our community. The Director of Youth Outreach coordinates social justice opportunities and programs for our youth. In addition, the younger children are involved in various social justice activities.

Click here for more info on Social Justice.

Church Choirs
Anyone interested in music, from professional singers to those who just love music will find a place to get involved in Westport. Choir rehearsals for youth, teens and adults are held most Thursday evenings from September through June in the sanctuary.

Click here for more info on our music program.

Registration& Permission Slips

For non-pledging families, we require a per child fee of $100 with a family cap of $200 (checks made payable to The Unitarian Church in Westport). If you are a pledging family, there is no RE fee.

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Click here for the Camp Jewell 2008 registration form.
Reservations must be paid in full by April 27

Get information about the COA Boston Trip 2008 in a downloadable PDF format

Get the Permission Form for the COA Boston Trip 2008 in a downloadable PDF format

Get the RE brochure for more details.

Get the RE Registration form ONLINE.

Get the Religious Education Behavior Policy form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Driving Policy for the 7th Grade Neighboring Faiths Class form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Parent Field Trip Permission Form for the 7th Grade form in a downloadable PDF format.

Get the Trip Information Sheet for the 7th Grade Neighboring Faiths Class form in a downloadable PDF format

Get the Unitarian Church in Westport Safe Congregation Practices And Policies document & form in a downloadable PDF format