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rotational sunday school

What is Rotational Sunday School?

Rotational Sunday School is a series of lessons that are reinforced with hands-on experiences.  The same Bible story is studied in all of the workshops for four or five weeks.  Each Sunday the children rotate to a new workshop.  Topics are selected to provide a foundation of the Bible and help students understand how these stories relate to their own faith development.

When did it start?

The concept has been in existence for many years and St. Mark Lutheran Church adopted it in 2002.

What is the basis?

Rotational Sunday School works because teachers and students concentrate on one Bible story for each rotation.   The approach recognizes that children learn in different ways.  Rotational Sunday School provides children a lasting understanding of the Bible content.  The multi-media approach is calculated to take advantage of our student’s God-given thirst for multi-modal learning. 

What age group?

Rotational Sunday School is based on grade level and not age group.  The audience is for students in grades 1-8 with two grades in each class.  Currently, first and second grade are in one class, third and fourth in another, and so on.

 What is a typical class schedule?

Sample Rotation, #1: Jacob

What are the topics for this year?

2007-2008 Sunday School Year
Sept./Oct. Oct./Nov. Dec./Jan. Jan./Feb. Feb./Mar. Apr./May May/June	Jacob The Prodigal Son The Nativity The Good Samaritan Easter Peter Guideon

Who makes it happen?

The curriculum team develops the lessons and activities for each rotation.  Each class has a homeroom teacher for the year to develop a one-on-one relationship with the students.  The rotational content teachers may change from one rotation to the next.  The content teachers share the same lesson, with age-appropriate activities, with each of the different classes during the rotation.  Opportunities are always available for volunteers for these positions!

With so much repetition, how do the children stay engaged and not be bored?

Although the Bible story stays the same for several Sundays, it is taught differently each time.  The different activities avoid boredom while reinforcing the lesson to improve long-term understanding.

Where is the class taught?

The class is taught in various rooms throughout the building depending on what rotation the grade level is participating in on a particular Sunday. Typically, classes are held in rooms 108, 110, 114, and 115.  For specific locations, each week -- check the kiosk near the front doors of the church for a map or tri-fold.

When is the class taught?

The class is taught every Sunday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. from September to June.

Where can I get more information?

Ask the teachers in the room or contact the Sunday School superintendents, Karen and Brian Taminger, via e-mail at sundayschool@stmark-elca/org.  The church office also has the committee chair information.