Kids hear every day of the interaction of the world’s great religions. Some of the news is inspiring; some is troubling. Most of it is confusing. How did we get to where we are? Besides looking at the basic precepts of the world religions, we will explore and discover how they came to be. Why do Hebrews, Christians and Muslims revere Abraham in common? How did Buddhism spread from India to the rest of southern Asia and beyond? What are the roots of our faiths and beliefs, how have they changed over history and why?
We will explore this school through the use of stories, myths, imagery, sounds and traditions from the worlds religions, along with some hands-on activities.

The natural world around us is full of marvels. Human beings have built an increasingly complex world through the exploration of nature and its laws. What discoveries in the past have led us to the commonplace miracles which shape our lives? The School of Spirit explores our relation to the spiritual. The School of Wonder will explore our relation to the physical. Both of these things have a profound effect on our daily lives. Explorations will include demonstrations of scientific principles, explanations of why things work the way they do and a look at some of the great pioneers in the history of natural science.

This school will explore our avocations. What do we do to fulfill our lives beyond our basic needs and wants? Members of the congregation and the surrounding community will be invited to present their avocations: their hobbies, their interests, the activities they engage in and subjects they have mastered simply for the sheer joy of doing so. This could be subjects as diverse as cycling, marine biology, coin collecting or digital art. Students will be invited to ask questions, see the tools or materials involved in people’s avocations and perhaps even participate.

We would like to give our students the chance to express themselves. In this school, the lessons would be focused on exploring their own creative expressions and relationship to the world. Similar to the School of Avocations, these sessions would emphasize developing their world of imagination in a supporting setting. The first activity of the School of Creativity will be the creation of the classroom.

Inevitably the opportunity will arise to study some subject or do some activity that doesn’t quite fit into the other schools. The School of Mystery will be different and surprising, every time.