First Presbyterian Church of Knoxville

The Elementary School Program is a holistic approach, similar to the YMCA’s approach of mind, body, and spirit, through the study of hymns, liturgy, scripture, music theory and fundamentals, and fun and fellowship through organized recreation. The kids are broken into the 2groups, 1) Kindergarteners and First Grade and 2) Second, Third, & Fourth that rotate through stations (detailed below). Each kid that participates is automatically a part of a Covenant Choir with the goal to give each individual oppotunities to have fun, grow, learn, and actively partcipate in in the larger body of Christ during Sunday worship. Participation on Sunday mornings is completely voluntary. First Presbyterian is committed to encouraging ALL AGES to be actively involved in the life of the church.

The Kindergarten & First Grade group goes through the three 30 minute stations involving the 5 areas listed below. 

1. Bible Story/Study - The kids reanact the stories or do hands on activities that relate to the scripture(s) that will be used in worship for the upcoming Sunday.
2. Orff. Music - The Orff approach to music is very “hands-on” emphasizing the tactile or kinesthetics and the aural approaches to learning and growing. The Orff Methodology has the children move from speech to body rhythms such as clapping or tapping, to singing to body rhythms, and then finally to the playing of an instrument. The Orff instruments are first and foremost your body: patschen (patting or slapping the thighs), clapping (or a two finger clap), snapping (snap fingers), stamping (stomping or tapping your feet), and rests (hands outstretched forming a cross) and second percussion instruments: glockenspiels (the smallest metal instruments), metallophones (Larger metal instruments), and xylophones (wooden instruments).
3. Hymns & Liturgy - The teachers breakdown and simplify the hymns and liturgy for the upcoming Sunday’s worship to help the children appreciate and become familar with it. Also this time is used to to directly work on parts of the order of worship that the children may be helping with for the upcoming Sunday.
4. The Covenant Choirs (K-grade 4) are divided according to age and participate in Sunday morning worship with introits, choral responses, and anthems at the 9:00 a.m. Chapel Service or 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Service about once a month during the year. The choirs’ primary purpose is to equip children as both worshipers and worship leaders. The hymns and responses for worship are learned as part of the rehearsal. Younger children experience music from various traditions and languages and are exposed to Kindermusik, Orff, and Kodaly music concepts . Older children experience learning and growing through music, worship, and the arts through the RSCM Voice for Life program and the Alleluia Worship & Arts curriculum.
5. Recreation - A portion of the evening evening is devoted solely to having fun through gross motor games and activities in Fellowship Hall as the kids wait for their parents to pick them up.

The Second, Third, & Fourth group has the same stations as above except instead of an Orff Music station they have a Choir Chimes station.