Good Shepherd Children & Nursery

Sunday School Information

"Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds." ~ Psalms 71:17

SUNDAY SCHEDULE:
Each Sunday during the second service, Good Shepherd offers a Sunday school program for children aged 3 years and potty-trained through 5th grade. Classes start promptly at 10:00 am, and are located in the basement of the church building. Since we have only a short amount of time to spend together, please do your best to have children arrive on time. Please be sure to take your children's personal belongings (such as coats, gloves, toys) upstairs with you to the Sanctuary. The children are divided into three classrooms: 3 years - Kindergarten Godly Play, 1st-3rd grades Godly Play and 4th-5thgrades Wild Truth Bible Lessons.. After approximately 1 hour, the children are brought upstairs during the Peace to rejoin their families & participate in the Eucharist (see Communion Policy attached). If children become restless, you can move out to the hall with them where there is a speaker & some baskets filled with children's activities.

CLASSROOM DETAILS We are excited to incorporate an expanded Godly Play program for our children aged 3 years and potty trained through third grade. It is an imaginative approach to working with children, an approach that supports, challenges, nourishes and guides their spiritual journey. In Godly Play, we enter into parables, silence, sacred stories and sacred liturgy in order to discover God, ourselves, one another and the world around us.

The 4th and 5th graders will continue to use lessons from a variety of books by Mark Oestreicher. Pictures of God is one such book which contains 12 Bible studies on the character of God and what it means for your tween.

For the well-being of all children, parents should only bring healthy children to a classroom. Any child who has experienced the following symptoms in the last 24 hours needs to stay home: *on antibiotics less than 24 hours; *fever; *diarrhea; *vomiting; *congested cough, *runny nose with a cold; *pink eye.

We have teams of volunteer teachers as well as occasional youth helpers to assist with classes. This team approach is helpful as it gives volunteers a chance to take turns teaching and therefore attend a full Sunday service on their "off" weeks. Our teachers have been through the Safeguarding God's Children training, and we strongly adhere to all diocesan rules regarding the safety of our children.

Our volunteers are central to the success of the Sunday school program. More volunteers are always needed and welcome; contact Sue LeFant to find out about current openings and learn more about our training policies. Parents/guardians are encouraged to volunteer at least one Sunday each year and are always welcome to visit classrooms.

Special note: On a regular basis, we celebrate The Feast during Godly Play. Please be sure to let us know if your child has any food allergies/restrictions and how we can best accommodate your child's needs so that all children can be included in the celebration.

LITTLE LAMB'S NURSERY Welcome to Little Lamb's Nursery! Your children are important to us and we strive to promote a loving and caring atmosphere. The nursery is available for both the 7:45 am and 10:15 am services and adult classes on Sunday mornings. The two nursery rooms are designed to accommodate infants through 18 months and toddlers up to age three. If your child is three years old, potty trained, and able to sit still for a lesson, please transition your child to our Sunday School Program.

NURSERY POLICIES When entering either nursery, please sign in your child(ren) and indicate any special need(s) which we should know about. There is a short form for first time visitors and also a permanent registration form for regular attendees. Please label diaper bags and bottles. To pick up your child(ren), a parent or guardian must come to the nursery and sign out the child(ren). We appreciate your help in assisting with these procedures. For the well-being of all children, parents should only bring healthy children to the nursery. Any child who has experienced the following symptoms in the last 24 hours cannot be accepted into the nursery:

On antibiotics less than 24 hours

Fever

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Congested cough

Runny nose with a cold

Pink eye