Change--Change--Change for 2011

These are the most noteworthy changes that have been made by the Primary General Board and will affect how you plan for next year. If confused regarding these changes and how they will affect your calling, counsel with your bishop and ward council to make sure the needs of each child will be met.

How has the Primary schedule changed? 

• Opening or closing exercises are eliminated. Sunday Primary is normally held for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Children in the nursery stay in their nursery class for the entire time. The other children attend two sessions. In one session, children meet together for 50 minutes for sharing time. In the other session, they divide into smaller classes for 40-minute lessons taught by their Primary teachers. The children and teachers who attend sharing time and classes have a 10-minute break between the two sessions. (See Handbook 2, 11.4.1.)

Do we still have quarterly activity days? 

         No. They are no longer part of the program. The quarterly activity days referred to on page 18 in the Faith in            

         God guidebooks are no longer a part of the program.

Link to Frequently Asked Questions

PDF of Teaching No Greater Call

CLICK HERE FOR:  On-line version of Teaching No Greater Call

Teacher Initiation Documents

1.  Teacher Orientation--for Ward priesthood auxiliary leaders

2.  Teacher Job Chart--for teacher

3.  Counseling with Teachers--for auxiliary counselor responsible for teachers


**Documents created by Lenexa Stake Sunday School Presidency--2010

Teaching No Greater Call

**These TNGC references appear in the 2011 Sharing Time Guide

2011 Outline for Sharing Time--I Know the Scriptures are True

-----Teaching, No Greater Call references:  (TNGC)-----

2011 Challenge--Throughout the year, give children opportunities to share what they have learned from their scripture reading. This will give children a chance to share their experiences and help motivate others to read their scriptures at home.

Consider ways to help all of the children in your Primary have success in reading their scriptures throughout the year. For example, children who do not have support at home could be given opportunities to read at church and then add their names to paper chain.

Scriptures:  Reading directly from the scriptures can help children feel comfortable with scriptural language. Make sure to define difficult words or ideas (TNGC 50-51)

Inviting children to learn from the scriptures will help them develop a lifelong love for the word of God. plan ways each week to invite the children to use and learn from their scriptures.  Here are some ideas to teach using the scriptures:
1.  Memorizing scripture can help teach children the doctrines of the gospel
2.  Invite the children to point to each word as you read a scripture out loud. Ask younger children to listen for a specific word or phrase and raise their hands when they hear it.
3.  Reading directly from the scriptures can help children feel comfortable with scriptural language. Make sure to define difficult words or ideas


General Teaching Principles
Preparation:  As you plan your sharing times, first read through all of the lessons for the month. Then balance the activities you plan to use according to the time you have and the needs of your Primary. For example, you could complete half of a longer activity one week and finish it the next week or repeat shorter activities to help the children review.  (TNGC 98-99)

---Object Lessons help the children understand ideas in a simple and familiar way (TNGC 164)
---Focus the children’s energy through appropriate movement to keep them actively engaged.
---Children are more likely to apply doctrines if they come up with their own applications. Children also feel love and validation as their ides are repeated by the teachers and other children.
---When teaching the children a song, use your hand to show them the melody. Raise and lower your hand as the pitch changes (TNGC 174)
--It is often easier to understand a gospel principle when it is expressed as part of a scriptural story (TNGC 55)
--Using children in visual demonstrations will get their attention and prepare them to learn.
---You may need to adapt activities to the needs of your Primary. For example, if your Primary is large, you may have the guest speakers move from group to group instead of moving the children from one speaker to another (TNGC 179)
---Children will learn more effectively when a variety of teaching methods are used.
---Inviting Responses: Children are more likely to respond to questions if the are given time to ponder. Consider telling them that you will give them time to think before asking for responses. (TNGC 69)
---Stations are places where smaller groups of children participate in various learning experiences (TNGC 179) In large Primaries, stations can be as simple as teachers moving between groups.
---What will the children do to learn?  Asking this question as you prepare activities will help the children learn through participation.
---Using pictures or other visuals helps children a principle or doctrine to an image in their mind, which increases their ability to understand and remember what they have learned.



Small Groups--Participating in small groups gives more children the opportunity to participate. Class groups could be used for small groups and teachers could help ensure participation and maintain reverence.

Strengthen understanding:  When children share what they learn in Primary with others, it strengthens their understanding. Give them opportunities to share and encourage them to do so.

Adapt Activities to the ages of the children in your Primary.

Reverence: Children are more likely to be reverent when they are involved in learning. (TNGC page 82-83)

Songs:  Singing about a doctrine helps children learn and remember it. Children also learn better if they see a visual or perform an activity in conjunction with the music. (TNGC 172-175)
Primary songs teach gospel truths in such a way that children will remember them throughout their lives.

Object Lesson:  can be used to create interest, focus the children’s attention, or introduce a gospel principle (TNGC 164)

Different Age Groups:  Plan your sharing times to engage both older and younger children.

Sharing feelings:  Give children opportunities to share their feelings about the gospel. This will invite the Spirit and strengthen the children’s understanding of how the doctrine applies to their lives (see TNGC 63-65)

Repetition: Children learn through repetition.

Drawing: If you plan to draw on the chalkboard, practice your drawings ahead of time. DO NOT apologize for your lack of artistic ability. Apologizing will only draw attention to that particular aspect of your drawing. If you are uncomfortable drawing, ask someone to help (TNGC 162-163)

Writing:  Inviting a child to write on the board will make him or her feel  valued. It will also help hold the interest of the other children.

Show Love:  Look for opportunities to show your love to each child. As you show love for those you teach, they become more receptive to the Spirit and more enthusiastic about learning. (TNGC 31)

Variety:  Planning activities that involve the children in a variety of ways enhances understanding and application.

Review:   Connecting a doctrine to a physical activity or visual will help the children remember it (TNGC 182-183)

Guest Speakers:  When inviting guest speakers to Primary, remind them to keep their messages simple so the children will understand. All guest speakers should be approved by the bishopric.

Teach by Example:  how to show love and respect for others (TNGC 18-19)  Minister to the teachers in your Primary by offering encouragement and support. Then help the children see how they  can love and encourage one another.

2011 Primary Challenge Ideas

2011 Challenge - Find opportunities for children to share what they have
read in the scriptures

Ideas:
1) Charts or bulletin board postings
2) Bring our scriptures weekly
3) To encourage scripture memorization put a monthly scripture on a
card on a ring that they can keep. Each month add a new card to the
ring. To help younger kids put pictures on the back side of the card to
jog their memory.
4) When children are assigned talks in primary encourage them to talk
about what they have read and learned in the scriptures.
5) Weekly scripture bookmark
a) select a verse or two (you may select a theme for the week) for
each day of the coming week
b) formulate a question regarding the passage
c) using 3 columns to a page you can create 3 bookmarks per page
EXAMPLE:
PRAYER
Sunday -
Alma 5:46
Helaman 3:35
When?

Monday -
Moroni 7:48
How?

Tuesday -
1 Nephi 15:11
How?

Wednesday -
2 Nephi 3:8-9
Who wants us to pray?

Thursday -
Alma 37:37
What do you pray about?

Friday -
Alma 13:28
Why pray?

Saturday-
Moroni 10:3-5
Why pray?
I had the kids put their name on the bookmark and fill in the answers
with simple 2-3 words and then bring them back to me at primary the
following week for a reward. I targeted the Senior Primary. I also
challenged the teachers to participate.
6) Choose scriptures to read during the week. Have the children keep a
"scripture journal" and write what they learned. Have the children
bring their journals each week. Select a few (or one child) to share
during opening or closing exercises.
7) Progress poster to show child participation
8) Culminate effort in a quarterly activity in the fall. One ward had
a water balloon fight in August with squirt guns and shields. The kids
had a blast!
9) Involve the teachers by having them track scripture reading progress
in class rather than taking time to do it in sharing time.
10) Encourage teachers to have children read scripture passages as one
of their teaching methods
11) Encourage teachers to assign children scriptures to read to prepare
for the next week's lesson.

Cub Scout Leader Specific Training on-line!

I am glad to announce that the Cub Scout Job Specific training is now live online at MyScouting!

 

To access the training, go to www.scouting.org, click on MyScouting on the right end of the blue bar at the top, log in (or create an account if you do not already have one), click on E-Learning under the Training tab on the left, scroll down to the gray tabs and click on Cub.  This will show you a list of all the trainings that apply to Cub Scout leaders.

 

This addition will now give you three options to complete job specific training:

   1.  Complete job specific online.

   2.  Complete job specific at an in person scheduled class.

   3.  Request an in person training event for your entire pack.  What better way to get everyone on the same page?

 

Your District Training Team is committed to helping you become a 100% trained unit.

 

Don't forget that all leaders MUST complete Youth Protection training BEFORE they register or participate in activities with the youth.  As you recruit new leaders this fall, they must complete Youth Protection and attach a copy of the completion card or certificate to their membership application to get registered.  Also, every registered leader in your unit MUST have completed youth protection within the past two years to be rechartered in December or January, so make sure you don't have surprises when recharter time rolls around.

 

Every boy DESERVES a trained leader and, as a reminder, all Cub Scout Leaders much complete the following to be considered trained:

     Fast Start Training for their registered position

     Youth Protection Training

     Job Specific Training for their registered position

     This is Scouting

 

Judy Yeager

NT District Registrar

Priesthood Preview

Planning for the Priesthood Preview for your oldest primary-aged boys should be on your agendas for the Fall.

I am curious to learn what plans you are making for this special event and how many boys you anticipate attending.  

For further assistance in planning, please refer to this LDS site:

Priesthood Preview

Sharing Time POSTERBOARD

If you wish to use this helpful board for an upcoming sharing time, it is NOW stored in the Overland Park Building library.  Contact Stephanie Bishop to use.

Cub Scout Documents

This link contains files for introducing a cub to the Cub Scout Program, cub budgets, and other documents handed out at the LDS Regional Cub Training in November 2009.

http://public.me.com/sebishopmobile

Password: lenstakeprimary

TAX EXEMPT FORMS

The new Kansas Tax Exempt form, and the Missouri Tax Exempt form, are both out on our Stake and Ward Website -- Stake Home Page, then click on "News and Information".

They are towards the bottom of the long list of documents shown there, and yes, any Ward can use them.

Everything you could ever want is out there on that website.

The Missouri form can be given to merchants to prove Tax Exempt status, BUT the merchant is NOT obligated to honor it. It is the merchants choice whether he wants to mess with it or not.

NOTE: The NEW Kansas Tax Exempt is now MUCH Simpler to use - no need to restrict it's use to $500 or more.

Using these forms, I recently set up a TAX FREE account at Office Max. I have a number that I use when I purchase supplies for the Primary at Office Max. At Costco, using a BUSINESS membership ($100), I have a TAX exempt # printed directly on my membership card. When I purchase supplies for the church, I simply refer to the number on my card and my purchase is tax exempt.

Both of these accounts took about 20 minutes to set-up, depending on the line! WELL worth the time spent.

CubMaster Training

When calling and sustaining new CubMaster/ScoutMaster in your units, please keep in mind that new guidelines have been issued by the BSA.

The following applies as of 2010:

In order to submit an official BSA application for new CubMaster/ScoutMasters, a leader needs to provide PROOF of training. As a Stake Primary, we have offered LDS specific CubMaster Training on a yearly basis--usually in the late Fall. The BSA usually offers monthly training.

In addition, their are official BSA training links on this site at the RIGHT.

11-year-old Scout Information

Information for 11-yr-old leaders, those who might need a review of the program, and primary counselors over 11-year-old, the information on this LDS Scouting Web Site is helpful.

http://www.ldsscouting.org/11yearolds/11yearolds.html

This link will provide some answers to the confusion regarding changes the General Primary Presidency has made for Class Names and Fifth Sunday Sharing Time for 2010

I apologize for not getting this to you sooner as many of you have already addressed and solved the issues.

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7701-1,00.html