September 2011

Dear New River Parents:

The volunteers in the New River grow Zone are gearing up for a fun new year. We are continuing some old traditions and introducing some exciting changes. We hope this letter addresses everything you need to know about the Grow Zone but don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions!

What is “The Grow Zone?”

The Grow Zone is where kids from age two through grade 5 come to learn from God’s Word (the Bible). We meet every Sunday morning while the adults are in the Celebration Service. We have curriculum especially designed for each age group. Each week the kids study an important Bible truth through story, games, crafts and other activities (except as noted below, under Communion Sundays.)

When does the new Grow Zone year kick off?

The new year kicks off with our Open House, Sunday, September 11. From 9:30am -10:00am; the week after Labor Day. You and your children can visit the classrooms and meet all the Grow Zone teachers, fill out the registration forms and enjoy some coffee, juice, and donuts.

What’s new this year?

This year we are introducing a significant change to the Grow Zone format. Beginning on 9/11, all children ages four and up will start the morning in the service with their parents. After participating in worship songs and offering, Doug will dismiss the children to their classrooms with their teachers. Our goal is to teach our children early that they are part of the community of worship we enjoy as a church family. Refer to the following section to see how this changes the sign in procedure.

Do we have to sign them in and out?

All children from infant through grade 5 must be signed in and out by an adult. Please, note that this is a change from previous years when we allowed older siblings to sign out children. With the exception of toddlers who still must be signed in at the classroom, the sign-in sheets will be available on a table in the lobby. Please sign in your child before you head into the service. When Pastor Doug dismisses the classes, the teachers will wait at the back and lead the children to the classroom. Parents or adult guardians must come to the classrooms to sign out he children.

Who will be teaching my kids?

To make sure that all our teachers get a chance to participate regularly in the Celebration service, we have a rotational team teaching approach. The teachers for each age group are coordinated by the following team leaders:

• Toddlers ( ages 2 and 3): Team Leaders, Paul and Lynne Pepper

• Pre-K, Kindergarten (age 4 through Kindergarten): Team Leader, Tina Eaton

• Grades 1-2: Team Leader, Open

• Grade 3: Team Leader, Maria Pearce

• Grade 4-5: Team Leader, Genaro and Karen Adrian

What about Communion Sundays?

New River celebrates communion on the first Sunday of each month. We will be continuing the tradition of having children from first grade up remain with their parents for the entire service in the gym.

What do the kids need to bring?

Starting in the first grade kids should come with their Bible. Any version is fine as long as it is a complete Bible and not a Children’s Bible storybook. Even if your child can't read yet they can start learning their way around the Bible. Let us know if you need a Bible for your child or if you would like a recommendation on a version. We also collect an offering each week. Ideally, this should be a meaningful offering for them, e.g., from their allowance or from money they have earned.

Where does the offering go?

This year our Grow Zone offering is going to a clinic Nicaragua.

What about my children in Grades 6-12?

On the second and third Sundays of the month students in grades 6-12 will meet in a classroom setting during our service hour. Stacey Ruitto leads our Jr. High group, and Tom Walker leads our Sr. High group. Students in Jr. and Sr. High will join the Celebration service on the others Sundays of the month.

We here in the Grow Zone are very excited about the upcoming year. Let us know if you have questions or concerns about our program or if you would like to become involved. God bless you and your children as you enjoy the rest of your summer and head back to school.

Sincerely,

Linda Gorman, Grow Zone Coordinator