Dear Parents, Children, and Youth, 

I hope you all had a terrific and relaxing summer! I’m sure your family is settling into the fall routine and making plans for the autumn. I am excited to hear about your summer adventures and share with you the wonderful program that we have planned for families this year at First Presbyterian Church. 

On Sunday, September 19, Emily Scott, Director of Family Music Ministries will lead a Homecoming program for children and youth. This “one room schoolhouse” will be a fantastic way to begin the year and we hope you will plan to join us. 

CHURCH SCHOOL REGISTRATION is ongoing. Please download a registration form, fill it out and mail it or drop it off at the church. Send to: First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, Ian Gibbs, 12 West 12^th Street, New York, NY 10011 or e-mail to igibbs@fpcnyc.org. 

The first day of Church School will also be on September 26; all children 3 years old and older begin worship with their parents in the sanctuary. After the Children’s Prayer, children go to their church school classes and/or children’s choir rehearsal. Children should be picked up in their classrooms or at children’s choir rehearsal, depending on their age. Parents are encouraged to accompany younger children to their classrooms—a list of classes, teachers and room assignments can be found here.                                                                                                                       

There are many exciting programs planned for this year. Please print your family a copy of the Family Ministries Calendar and plan to join in the fun! 

Emily Scott, our Director of Family Music Ministries also has an energetic program planned for children and youth. Please click here to read a welcome from Emily! 

Do not hesitate to call me (212-675-6150) or email me, bdavis@fpcnyc.org, or e-mail Heide Valero, Chair of Family Ministries, heidechavez@yahoo.com, if you have any questions. I am looking forward to celebrating another exciting year of church school with you. 

In Peace, 

The Rev. Barbara E. Davis, Minister of Education

Dear Parents, 

Welcome families! Sunday morning child care will continue to be held in three rooms (rooms 303, 304, and 306) on the THIRD FLOOR of the Mellin-Macnab Building on a drop-off basis for children under three so that parents may attend the worship service.  Vibrating pagers will be available in each room to summon you from the sanctuary should your child need you.    

Our childcare rooms are staffed by quality workers from a well-respected childcare agency, Babysitter’s Guild. Crystal Rocco will also continue her work as part of our team of staff who provide care for our children. Please remember that in addition to our staff, we do depend on parents to volunteer, especially when attendance is high. 

The first day of child care for the fall is Sunday, September 12th. You are invited to visit the child care rooms, meet the child care workers and other families with young children at our Welcome Back Gathering at 10:15 a.m. before church that day.  We’ll be serving juice, bagels and muffins and would love to see you there. 

So that you and your child can have the best experience with us as their church home, I am including several additional resources to help explain what happens on Sunday mornings and throughout the year.

• Read more about our childcare on Sunday mornings and find some general guidelines about how to help when you signed up to volunteer in your child’s room.
• The Family Ministries Calendar tells about many events happening for families at the church—look especially for baby and toddler gatherings!
• The Family Ministries Brochure gives an outline of everything that Family Ministries has to offer, from child care, to church school, to a youth group, to a children’s music program!
• Registration form helps us get to know your family 

I look forward to seeing you again soon; if you have any questions about our ministry to families, please do not hesitate to contact me in the church office at 212-675-6150, by email at bdavis@fpcnyc.org, or Heide Valero, Chair of Family Ministries, at heidechavez@yahoo.com. 

Peace, 

The Rev. Barbara E. Davis, Minister of Education

I wanted to let you know that on Sunday, April 25, 2010, the 3^rd and 4^th grade church school class will be learning about the sacrament of communion in preparation for staying in worship on May 2 for worship which includes the sacrament of communion.  Their church school teachers, along with several other church leaders, will be talking with them about the meaning of communion and they will learn how communion is prepared in our congregation.

I am attaching a pamphlet titled “Children and Communion” that I believe you will find useful in preparing for this important day with your children. It will be helpful to them to hear from you about your experiences of communion; this pamphlet has suggestions of how to have these conversations along with other helpful information.

Also, please be sure and pick up a children’s bulletin on Sunday, the ushers will have these available for all children this week. In addition, Barbara Brazong, who normally ushers at the north front corner of the sanctuary will have booklets for third and foruth graders that are titled “What every Presbyterian should know about the Sacrament the Lord’s Supper,” if you would like one, please see Barbara directly and tell her that your child is in the third or fourth grade and would like a communion booklet. We have a limited number of these, so they will only be given out by request.

Please remember the process of learning about communion is an on-going one, and while your children may not grasp all the concepts around it immediately, the practice of being in worship for communion is important in and of itself and they will learn a lot by observing and being part of the congregation on Sunday. May 2.

Finally, I love follow-up questions as much as preparation questions, so if you or your children have questions after before or after these activities, please do not hesitate to contact me.

In peace,

Barbara E. Davis

Minister of Education

4/15/10

Parents of 3rd and 4th graders are encouraged to mark their calendars for Sunday, April 25 for their children to attend a special Church School program on the meaning of Communion.  3rd and 4th graders will remain in worship on Sunday, May 2 and take Communion with the congregation.

As we continue to pray for the people of Haiti, I thought you might find these resources and weblinks that have come across my desk this week helpful at home or in church school.

http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/talking_kids_about_world_natural_disasters

Parent Guidelines for Helping Children after an Earthquake

Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after an Earthquake

Please feel free to contact me if I can offer any assistance to your family or if your children have questions you are unsure how to handle.

peace, barbara

The Rev. Barbara E. Davis

Minister of Education

The First Presbyterian Church in New York City

12 West 12th Street

New York, NY 10011

212-675-6150

I am committed to creating an environment of nurture and encouragement where the children of First Presbyterian will be warmly invited into music-making.  An atmosphere of learning, challenge, and love goes a long way to help a child find his or her singing voice.

But as I think we all know, Psalm 100 is not just directed toward children!  Adults often carry deep insecurities about using our voices to make music.  Maybe someone once told you that you couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.  Maybe a choir teacher asked you just to mouth the words at the school concert.  These memories have a deep impact on our ability to make a joyful noise.  Perhaps you have a voice in your head that urges you toward silence rather than song.  May you hear God’s voice more loudly and more clearly!  God is calling you to sing a song to the Lord.

Children learn by example: just one reason that it is important that the parents and adults in our congregation sing joyfully!  I encourage each of you to follow God’s call to “make a joyful noise.”  Pick up a hymnal and pick out the tune of a hymn during Sunday morning worship.  Dr. Entriken and the choir are wonderfully attentive each week to supporting congregational song.  Teach your child the sung table grace you sang when you were growing up—they may teach it to their children one day.  Your courage will pave the way for the children of this congregation as they explore and discover their voices.

Emily Scott, Director of Children’s and Youth Music