Having been in education most of my life - as a student, mom, teacher, or religious educator - my year has long begun in September. There is a particular morning each August when I know summer is ending. As I step outside, there's an indescribable, but undeniable, smell and feeling in the air. "This is it," I say to myself. I feel melancholy. I want to hold on to summer. At the same time there's a wonderful sense of anticipation for the possibilities each new year brings.

I haven't smelled that morning yet (it's still early August as I write this), but by the time you are reading this I'm sure I will have. And from all the activity in the RE office, there's no doubt that the new year is fast approaching. Teacher recruitment and training are well underway. New crayons and markers are piled in the workroom, ready to find their way into classroom cupboards. The classrooms are being readied for the new curricula and a fresh group of teachers and students. The copier churns out revised Teacher Handbooks and the RE brochure.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, generally falls in September, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, 10 days later. The High Holy Days are a time for Jews to reflect on the past year, forgive those who have wronged them, ask for forgiveness and make amends for the wrongs they have committed. The slate is wiped clean and they move forward with new resolve. I liked that idea.

Our Homecoming Sunday is September 7. The RE Committee and staff are resolved to make this the best year yet in the Learning Community. May I suggest some "New Year" resolutions for you to help us do that?

How can you make the children's RE year a success?

1. Register your children for the Learning Community as soon as possible. If needed, request new forms through the office or get them at the RE Table in the Parish Hall. Teachers who receive registration forms ahead of time can better welcome your child and meet his or her needs. Scholarship are available; call Bobbie Rhodes¸ 228-6389, ext. 16, to arrange one. If you have already registered, you may be wondering if you got your first choice of time. The answer is Yes, unless you've heard otherwise from the RE office.
2. Take time to read the newly updated RE brochure for 1997-98. We mailed this canary yellow booklet to RE families earlier this month. Inside is a year's calendar of RE events, our Mission Statement and Behavior Guidelines, and statements of philosophy from the RE Directors and the RE Committee chair. A description of each grade's curriculum goals is included, plus other opportunities for your family to become involved in the life of your church.
3. Bring your calendar on Homecoming Sunday so you'll know what days you can parent help and bring snacks for your child's class. Then sign up for one or more Sundays. The Learning Community is a cooperative, and the teachers value and depend upon your assistance.
4. Make a commitment to have your children attend church school regularly (as family circumstances allow), especially the first month or two. Our teachers will be spending the first three to five Sundays on group building and creating an emotionally safe environment. This is the time for children and teachers to become comfortable with one another and the class routine.
5. Minister to children and youth as a Learning Community teacher, room parent, childcare provider, library assistant, or Coming of Age mentor. Classes without a committed teacher and teachers who don't have teaching partners at the year's beginning have a poor success rate. This is an exciting ministry and a place to meet people who share your values. We offer many opportunities to serve, with the greatest need being for Jr. High, Kindergarten, and Preschool teachers.