Religious Education News: Sun Feb 24

In spite of the fact there were no RE classes, students who came to CUUC with their families last Sunday enjoyed a morning full of high spirits, good food, and a celebration of music from our children’s music director, Lyra Harada.

An animated group of children came to room 41 ready for a full session with Lyra but anticipating, "what are we going to do?" A few looked pensive, some perhaps a tad bored, but for the most part, curious. Lyra took charge immediately and enthusiastically explained the two-part lesson. The first part had two teams answering questions or statements about musicians of color in honor of Black History Month. Using a flip chart, Lyra asked the group to identify their favorite performers of color, and before you knew it there was a cacophony of answers shouted out, from Aretha Franklin to Beyoncé, Michael Jackson to Gladys Knight. To further tease the participants, Lyra asked them to identify short snippets of the performers' music. All the students "got into the action," answering true or false by standing in the section of the room labeled as such. It really became a fun game!

At the completion of this segment they settled down to enjoy snacks while Lyra played a number of musical pieces and students tried to identify the name of the song and what movie or play it was from. It was a credit to Lyra to see how the kids jumped up and down with pride when they got an answer right and shouted over each other to produce a healthy competition. Certainly those people sitting in the lobby could attest to the fun going on in the room, judging by the voices emanating up the stairwell.

Our Fun Sunday was a delight as it showcased Lyra's thoughtful music presentation in the form of a fun, engaging activity. The kids related to the music, showed off their singing ability (one older student sang all the words to a Hamilton song - impressive to say the least!), and one first grader recognized a song by Phil Collins. (I don't think the child had even been born when the song came out - amazing!)

They say music is the universal language, and so the music with the kids transcended all ages and brought out the exuberance that only young people can demonstrate!

Michele Rinaldi
RE Coordinator

Looking ahead...

RE This Sunday, Feb 24
All ages are in Fellowship Hall for Alvin Ailey Dance Sunday.

2019 Variety Show, Sat May 4, 5:00pm
SAVE THE DATE: Our Annual Variety Show is always one of the most FUN fundraisers at CUUC, and the event where everyone, children to adults, pitch in and create meaningful ties to a social justice cause. Sign up in the RE lobby and get ready to rock! HELP WANTED: The Variety Show requires all hands on deck. PLEASE help by signing up to be our Bake Sale Director, or Head of Donations, or Pizza Dinner Coordinator. Learn more HERE. Contact Liz Suvanto (elizabethsuvanto@hotmail.com). When the big jobs are filled, the smaller details fall into place and the fun can begin! ~ The Variety Show Team