Awana Sparks and T&T Parent Guidebook

Awana Sparks and T&T Parent Guidebook

Come to Parents Night. Check the club calendar and plan to visit on our Parent s Night Out. Be prepared for some fun songs and games! Of course, parents are welcome to observe and help out with Awana activities at any time.

Encourage proper attire. To come fully dressed to Awana means: 1. Wearing the complete uniform (Sparks in their vests, T&T clubbers in their shirts/jerseys). Theme night costumes may be worn in addition to the traditional Awana uniform, but awards will only be distributed to kids wearing their Sparks vest or T&T uniform. Every handbook contains a diagram on the last page to help place uniform awards and patches in the proper position. 2. Bringing a Bible and the Awana handbook. 3. Wearing tennis shoes. Clubbers without proper foot wear cannot fully participate in Game Time. Be prompt. Clubbers are rewarded for being on time activities start at 6:25pm sharp! It is especially important for parents to be on time picking up their clubbers when Awana is over at 8:15pm. Every parent must come to the designated Awana room to retrieve their child; no child will be allowed to leave their club room without a parent presenting their pick-up tag # to a leader. Sparks will dismiss from the Gym; T&T will dismiss from their handbook rooms. A map can be obtained from the Awana table in the lobby. Welcome to Sparks and T&T!!! Dear Parents, Thank you so much for choosing Awana for your family this year. Behind every club in Awana is a team of directors and leaders dedicated to helping your children learn to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. This booklet is designed to help answer questions you might have about how the Sparks and T&T clubs run. If there is anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to email one of us. In His Service, Commander: Heather Donmoyer Phone #: 717-274-2052 E-mail: tellonemore@gmail.com Sparks Director: Melanie Myer E-mail: myer1120@yahoo.com Co-Director: Charlie Knepp E-mail: charlieknepp@msn.com T&T Directors: John & Angela Foltz E-mail: jafoltz1@comcast.net

Theme Nights To Look Forward To: Awana Guidelines for Memory Verses The sections that entail Scripture memorization require the clubber to recite each verse word for word (including the reference) with no more than two helps. A help is a word, phrase, or gesture that prompts the child s memory. No helps are allowed during the review sections. The two helps guideline is for each section, not each part of a section. For older children, sometimes one section contains several questions and Bible verses for the child to memorize. The Parent s Role in Awana Foster achievement. Parent encouragement greatly enhances a clubber s success in the Awana program. It is especially important for handbook progress to be realized. By completing 2-3 sections per week, a clubber will stay on pace to finish his/her handbook by year s end. Short, but regular, review sessions at home will help memory work better than long, sustained study periods..

Learning Aides Awana provides free Sparks' CDs inside of every Sparks Book that contain actors reading all of the verses and a song listing the books of the Bible. You can also put the CD in a computer for free printable files. In T&T, there are cards at the back of each book that can be cut out and used to help clubbers memorize the books of the Bible. Optional Clubber Learning Aids for Purchase: Kids sometimes memorize scripture more easily when the verses are set to music. CDs ($10.00) with the verses from each handbook are available from Awana International. Flashcards also can be purchased. See the children s ministry desk on Wednesday night for ordering information Parent Handbooks Awana isn't just for kids! For each Sparks and T&T handbook there is a matching adult handbook. We will have a special segment of our closing ceremony especially for parents/ guardians and clubbers who finish their books together. Talk to a club secretary for details! Club time is broken down into 3 areas. - Large Group Time: A group lesson is taught. - Game Time: A high-energy time where games are played around the unique Awana Square - Handbook Time: A time for clubbers to recite their individual verses to their leaders and earn various handbook awards. What to Bring Each Club Night: - Handbook - Uniform - Bible If a clubber brings all three items they will earn one bonus share to spend in the Awana store (open 3 times a year). If they bring a visitor they can earn a second bonus share. Shares can also be earned for completing sections in the handbooks. Unlike Puggles and Cubbies, who all work on their books at the same time, Sparks and T&T work through their handbooks sections at their own pace. There is no set schedule and clubbers can say as many sections as they want while in Handbook Time. In order to earn all of the awards in the handbook, clubbers should prepare at least 2 sections every week.

T&T clubbers will be divided into teams and can earn points for their team by bringing their handbooks, wearing their uniforms, bringing their Bible, completing handbook sections, and various other ways. Expenses Registration: $20 per clubber. This $20 registration fee helps cover your child's handbook, uniform, and a club-specific bag to store them in. Please make your payment to the Awana secretaries as promptly as possible. Checks should be made out to LAEFC. Handbooks: The first handbook is included in the price of registration. Clubbers who complete more than one handbook per year must purchase successive ones for $10.00. T&T Ultimate Challenge Each 5th grade clubber may choose from a variety of patches to place on their soccer style uniform for each of the 8 Challenges completed. 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders can also earn extra pins for their uniform by participating in the Passport Program. For every 2 Club Sponsored service projects completed, clubbers earn one pin. Complete any 1 T&T Book: Alpha Award (a medal) Complete any 2 T&T Books: Excellence Award (a trophy) Complete all 3 T&T Books: Challenge Award (a trophy) LAEFC does not want any child to be excluded from full participation in an Awana program because of cost. If a family s financial situation makes it difficult to pay Awana fees, please contact Commander Heather or your club director to ask about available scholarships. Transfers Clubbers who move to LAEFC from an Awana program in a different town or state may continue in their existing handbooks without starting over. Please have a copy of your children s permanent record from your former church sent to LAEFC.

T&T Ultimate Adventure Handbook Sequence: T&T Rank Badge and Stickers: A plastic dog bowl is earned after the first chapter of each handbook is completed. On this rank badge clubbers can earn colored dog bones which represent the progress of a clubber through each group of eight sections (called Discoveries). A bowl for Book 2 can be added to the T&T uniform as handbooks are completed. If a 4th grader completes Ultimate Adventure Book 1 before the end of the program year, he/she may opt to skip the review activities and extra credit cards and move to Book 2. We hope that each child will complete at least one handbook per year, but he/she is not required to do so. If a 3rd grade clubber does not complete a handbook before Awana adjourns for the summer, he/she may continue in that handbook the following club year. Handbook Sequence: Sparks Every Kindergardener-2nd grader begins the Sparks program with Flight 3:16 (a folded paper booklet) then continue through the following progression: HangGlider (K, 1st, and 2nd graders) WingRunner (1st and 2nd graders only) SkyStormer (2nd graders only) If a Sparks clubber completes the handbook for his/her grade before the end of the program year, there is a sequence of review activities and extra credit cards for additional challenge. 1 St & 2 nd grade Sparks can skip these and move on to the next Sparks handbook We hope that each child will complete at least one handbook per year, but he/she is not required to do so. Ribbons are earned after finishing each of the first two books and a special plaque is earned by each Sparks child who completes all 3 handbooks before finishing 2nd grade. If a kindergarten or 1st grade Sparks clubber does not complete a handbook before Awana adjourns for the summer, he/she may continue in that handbook the following club year.

Handbook Translation LAEFC uses the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Bible and Awana handbooks. Achievement Awards: Sparks: Rank Patch: Correlating with the name of the handbook (HangGlider, WingRunner, Sky- Stormer), rank is earned when the first chapter in each handbook is passed. Each rank patch is sewn on the Sparks vest as it is earned. A diagram at the back of each handbook illustrates positioning of the three rank patches on a Spark vest. Wings: A set of pilots wings displays the jewels earned in each handbook. When the first red jewel in each handbook is earned, a child will receive his/her wings. Additional jewels are added as progress through the handbook is achieved. As a clubber completes each handbook, he/she should wear each set of wings. Jewels: Red & Green Jewels are awarded for memorizing Bible verses or the books of the Bible. Each Sparks handbook alternates between Red Jewels and Green Jewels. A clubber should complete each award in the order it appears in the book. Please do not encourage your child to skip around in his/her handbook. Blue jewels are awarded for attendance in Sparks. Our club year is divided into four periods of 8 weeks each. If your child has no more than one unexcused absence per period, he/she will receive the blue jewel for that period.