Character School at FSC
Character School is the name adopted by Fountain Street Church’s Sunday school programming during the 1950’s when it engaged in a then ground-breaking practice of Character Education. The exact practice has evolved but the name has endured and it’s still pertinent to much of what we do here – aiming not to save souls, but to shape them and to provide opportunities for learners of all ages to explore issues of depth and meaning to them.
Like our other learning ministries, we are particularly interested in fostering religious literacy (facts and concepts about religion), spiritual fluency and engagement (spiritual practices and disciplines such as prayer, meditation, and movement), and moral competence (how to make difficult decisions based on your religious convictions).
We ask that all grown-ups complete a registration form for children in their family who are participating in the learning ministries of the church. Please register either as a VISITOR if you are checking us out or use the Character School REGISTRATION FORM if you would like to stay a little longer. These forms help us track our attendance and have accurate emergency and contact information. If you would like additional information, please contact our Character School Director, Lydia Stubbs, at either (616) 459-8386 ext. 226 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Character School News!
February is an interesting month. Living in Michigan, we will have snow on the ground, many lakes will be frozen, and people are engaged in outside winter activities. Living in this society, we are also reminded that it is the "month of love", with Valentine's Day on the 14th. Loving and caring for others is a wonderful thing, maybe we can tame the advertising part of this a little and focus on the message. To view the list of 2011-2012 community-building events, please click HERE.
We will engage in a little loving and caring ourselves. Mark your calendar for February 12th, time to make some Valentine's cards for our FSC elderly and shut-ins. There will be pizza by the slice and lots of paper, glue, and glitter to let lose your creativity!
During February, the 3-year olds will take the lead and investigate feelings. The children have a chance to think about being happy, angry, mad, and loving. Many books and craft activities are on hand to help with this exploration. The Pre-K room continues to explore differences in people, emotions, and abilities. It is a fun way to discover that we are all wonderful human beings with many different talents. Multiple classrooms tap into the story of Moses and how he traveled in a basket along the river. Then the children explore his life in a palace and how he eventually led people out of Egypt. We will examine the story through art and cooking projects, drama, and building. The 3rd and 4th Grade children are investigating the Old and New Testament and how the stories relate to them in today's world.
The children voted last year to increase the cooking activities in the Character School. This month's Social Action Project will feature the little chefs in the kitchen, making cookies, and dessert bars for Memorial Services, shut-ins, and shelters in downtown Grand Rapids.
We have another full month ahead - let's dive in, it is great to be alive!
We would like to invite all congregants to come and join us! The children love to see your talents. Do you like to sing? Dance? Read stories? Build things? We would enjoy your company!
To view the Curriculum for 2011-2012, please click HERE.
This year the Character School will be investigating a different country, learning about Human Rights and collecting old shoes, gently worn clothes, and new/used toys for the "Blantyre Malaria Project" in Malawi, Africa. The Blantyre Malaria Project is dedicated to decreasing the malaria-associated deaths in children by conducting research, supporting training and providing patient care. Items donated will be used as incentives to patients and their families to return to the malaria clinic for follow-up care and as "prizes" when the pediatric patients in the clinic are required to undergo especially painful or scary procedures. Our donations will not only supply these families with basic needs, but they will also allow them to use their sparse financial resources for things like transportation to follow-up care and nutritious food, so necessary for a positive outcome. Please see what you can spare and our Character School children will have a chance to get to know a little about life in Africa.
Character School children love animals and have decided to help out the Humane Society. Please check your closets for old towels and bring them to Church. This will be a year-long project, so please keep the kids in mind as you replenish towels throughout the Church year. Collection cages are set up on the 2nd and 3rd Floors.
Social Action Sundays...
The Character School Social Action Team has been busy planning wonderful projects for the children! The theme this year will correspond to the Sanctuary theme of "Human Rights". Why should children be concerned about human rights? We feel that the subject is evident in many different ways and we try to narrow the projects down to hands-on ways for the children to make a difference in the world. Some of this year's projects we started last year with great success and others are new, but all are exciting and help children understand some of the issues some families are facing. New this year is our presence at Kids' Food Basket. We will have a chance to visit the organization and help at their site.
February 12 - Cooking and Valentine's card-making
March 11 - Child-chosen project and Kids' Food Basket
April 15 - Child-chosen project
April 22 - Child-chosen project
April 29 - Kids' Food Basket
May 5 - Hunger Walk
May 13 - Mother's Day pancakes
Our Character School Year Is In Full Swing...Come Join Us!
What is the schedule like on a regular Sunday?
- Families come to FSC around 9:25 a.m. if they are participating in Junior Choir.
- They might come around 9:40 a.m. if they are part of the Multi-Generational Worship Service or if they are in 7th or 8th grades.
- Or they come around 10:45 a.m. for the start of the Character School.
11:00 a.m. Character School:
- We ask that adults sign their children in and out of their respective classrooms.
- After children enter the room, they will be greeted by the Classroom Leaders and encouraged to participate in free play with their friends.
- A short while later, the children and Leaders gather in the circle to light the candle, say the opening prayer, and conduct Roses & Thorns, (our way of sharing the good and bad stuff of the week).
- The topic of the day will be introduced at that time, and for the older children, often a discussion will follow; whereas the younger children will dive into the investigation right away.
- Many of our explorations are hands-on. We might cook, build, decorate, or act out various topics.
- At some point, the children will receive a small snack and discuss the findings of the day
during the closing circle.
What do you teach the children?
Check out the links on the right side of this page for the various ages. You will find the calendars of the year here, as well.
Places for Children & Youth:
Room 203 - Childcare, 9:30-10:45 a.m.
Choir Room, 2nd Floor - Junior Choir, 1st-6th Grades, 9:30-10:10 a.m.
Choir Room, 2nd Floor - Cherub Choir, 3-5 Year Olds, 10:15-10:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Character School:
Room 206 - Nursery
Room 201 - 3-Year Olds
Room 203 - Pre-K
Room 204 - Kindergarten
Room 305 - 1st Grade
Room 302 - 2nd Grade
Room 303 - 3rd Grade
Room 404 - 4th Grade
Room 401 - 5th and 6th Grades
Room 405 - Tower Club, 7th and 8th Grades, 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Room 205 - Fountain Club, 9th-12th Grades, 2:45-4:45 p.m.
Our Character School is a wonderful, exciting, and interesting place to be...come join us! For a list of our Character School volunteer opportunities, please click HERE.
