Happy February everyone!

I am getting ready to drive my eldest back to college tomorrow, and so I am feeling a little sentimental as January comes to a close. Having him home this month was such a delight– even the wet towels on his bedroom floor 😉 So, my advice should you want it? Snuggle up with your little ones and smell their heads. They will be out of reach, sharing their magic with the wider world too soon.

Have you registered for the RE program this year? If not, you can register by clicking here!

This Month… (follow the program links for more information)

• February 2nd– Worship at 10a- young people (preschool-5th grade) head downstairs for Children’s Chapel after the time for all ages (don’t forget to bring a small donation and your UU7 Challenge sheets!) 5th grade OWL– 9:30 at Court St- and 5th grade OWL parents: read this. 6th-7th grade Crossing Paths will meet at 10am to reflect on last weeks Quaker visit. Coming of Age (8th grade) meets at #73 Court st at 10a. 7th grade OWL will meet at 4pm at South Church, and Senior youth group will meet at 4pm at 73 Court St
• February 7th– Sparks and Purple Flames social groups will be playing a game called MURDER at South Church from 7-9pm. Please RSVP if you can join us!
• February 8th– Senior youth worship rehearsal and overnight.
• February 9th: Senior Youth will be leading worship at 10a- there is no upper grade programming this morning, in hopes that older children will attend the youth worship. The Nursery will be open and there will be Spirit Play, and Elementary age church programming after the Time for all ages. 7th grade OWL will meet at 4pm as usual. No Senior Youth group this week.
• February 15th: Families Tuugether 4:30-8pm. Remember to RSVP!
• February 16th: Worship at 10a. Spirit play for pre K-Kinder students and Elementary age Workshops for 1st-5th grade convene after the story for all ages.  6th-7th grade *tbd. Coming of Age (8th grade) meet with mentors at #73 Court st at 10a. 7th grade OWL will meet at 4pm at South Church, and Senior youth group will meet at 4pm at 73 Court St.
• February 23rd: Worship at 10a. Multi-age school vacation programming this week. No upper grade classes or OWL.
• March 2nd– Worship at 10a (led by Kirsten). Young people (preschool up to 7th grade) are invited to Children’s Chapel after the time for all ages (don’t forget to bring a small donation and your UU7 Challenge sheets!) Coming of Age (8th grade) meets at #73 Court st at 10a. 7th grade OWL will meet at 4pm at South Church, and Senior youth group will meet at 4pm at 73 Court St

Family and Parent Resources for exploring Resilience These resources help parents as they engage the question: “What does it mean to be a family of Resilience?”

Story To Read Together: Richard Right and the Library Card. Book here. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ4kZpi9EY4 “As a young black man in the segregated South of the 1920s, Wright was hungry to explore new worlds through books, but was forbidden from borrowing them from the library. This touching account tells of his love of reading, and how his unwavering perseverance, along with the help of a co-worker, came together to make Richard’s dream a reality ” – Amazon. Theme Connection: Richard Wright was a real person. A resilient African American man who had to have grit to get access to books in the library. From the hard times of racism, he rose to become one the most brilliant writers in the U.S.

Family Discovery: Laugh with Me Video (19 min) which we will be using in the meditation room this month. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkG3L79sL4 Engaging directions for different laughter exercises: Driving Laughter, Puppet Laughter, Blossom Laughter, Surfing Laughter, Laughter Cream, A Gentle Laughter Meditation.

Family Movie Night Idea: Odd Squad https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/odd-squad Theme Connection: Each episode sees kids confronted with a problem that must be solved with grit and determination.

For You (Support for Adults as Faith Formation Guides):

• Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance (Ted talk) Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success.
• How I Learned to Let My Kid Fail, by Diane Tavenner https://time.com/5687129/children-failure/