We are so thankful for your willingness to love, serve, teach, and minister to these wonderful primary children.
Thank you for joining us in Primary!
Listed below are notes and information we hope will be useful to you as you begin and continue your service in primary. Please always feel welcome to reach out to us with any questions, concerns, or recommendations. Also, please check back to this page frequently, as we will update information as it becomes available to us. Thank you.
Please remember, YOU are vital to this great work! YOU have been chosen by the Lord! YOU have been set apart for this very sacred purpose:
To help Children...
💛Feel their Heavenly Father’s love and learn about His plan of happiness.
💛Learn about Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly Father’s plan.
💛Learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
💛Feel, recognize, and act on the influence of the Holy Ghost.
💛Prepare for, make, and keep sacred covenants.
Protecting Children Training (First Priority if you are new to Primary)
Every member of the ward interacting with Primary Children or Youth in any way must complete the training every three years. If it's been a while, please feel free to complete the training again to refresh your memory. It's very simple and takes less than 30 minutes.
*There is a link below or here is the website: ProtectingChildren.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
The 2025 Schedule
Regular Primary Schedule
Sacrament Meeting 9:00 – 10:00am
10:05am – 10:30am - JR Primary – Opening Exercises & Singing Time
SR Primary – Class Time
10:30am – 10:35am – passing time
10:35am – 11:00am – JR Primary – Class Time
SR Primary – Opening Exercises & Singing Time
Junior (JR) Primary = Sunbeams, CTR 4, CTR 5, CTR 6, and CTR 7
Please begin your class with an opening prayer.
Senior (SR) Primary = Valiant 8, Valiant 9, and Valiant 10.
Please conclude your class with a closing prayer.
If we are having a Combined Primary Schedule, indicating the teachers will be in another meeting second hour, all the primary children will be directed to the Primary room immediately following Sacrament Meeting and the Primary Presidency or other Presidency and our Music Leaders will be teaching the children for the entire second hour.
*Activity Day Leaders, we will continue to plan for two activities per group per month. The days and times of those activities will still be up to you and the families of the children whom you serve. Please collaborate with each other and parents as needed to determine a schedule which works for your activity group. Please visit with Sister Katie Krueger about any questions, concerns, needs, updated group lists, and budget for your activity group. Thank you!
Quarterly Teacher Council Meetings
Teacher Council Meetings are such a blessing! They are one of my favorite meetings to attend because I always learn so much, and for that I am so grateful. President Esplin and his Presidency are top notch and have some great, uplifting, really useful and inspiring thoughts to share with you from Teaching in the Savior's Way. (Link below) The new updated version of this manual is now available online and on the Church Library app. These manuals will be utilized during the teacher council meetings; however, they are a wonderful resource for you to become familiar with at any time - really a wonderful guide for every member of the Church.
*Activity Day Leaders, you are also invited to attend these quarterly teacher council meetings. We appreciate your participation!
Celebrating Birthdays and Welcoming Friends in Primary
With the revisions in the Church handbook has come the admonition to omit singing “welcome and birthday songs during singing time”. This is a little hard for my heart to take, as we all know how much the kids enjoy this tradition. However, with the shortened Sunday Church schedule these days, it is completely understandable why we must reduce and simplify; There just simply isn't enough time.
We feel every child needs to be celebrated, and their birthday seems to be a great time to individually recognize them. So, although we will no longer be singing welcome or birthday songs during singing time, YOU MAY sing to them in your classroom if you would like to do so as you are setting up for class time. We will still provide a birthday gift bag for each child the beginning of their birthday month. If you have a visitor, please do let one of the presidency members know. We would enjoy saying hello and appreciate the opportunity to inform our Music Leader of any visitors. Thanks!
*As of April 2023, Church Headquarters has now updated the Church's Tools App to allow all teachers access to their respective class lists. This Class List will include the child's name, gender, age, birthdate, and phone number. Teachers and Leaders can access this list by opening the tools app and clicking on the "organizations" tab at the bottom of the screen. Then, select "Primary". Then, select your class name. If you have any trouble accessing your class list, please contact a member of the Primary Presidency. If you would like a printed list or you would like us to email your list to you so you can print it at home, please give one of us a call. We are happy to help. Thank you!
Ministering
It's all about relationships.... We greatly welcome and encourage you to minister to the children in your class throughout the year. Feel free to do something on your own to celebrate their birthday. Drop something off at their house. Call to check on them when they are sick or absent from class. Find out about their favorite things. Have a class party or play date. Primary teachers, music leaders, and activity leaders have the potential to absolutely change lives. I know that to be true, and I encourage you to take that opportunity to develop beautiful, lasting friendships with these amazing kids!
We are eager to see what primary adventures await in 2025! Thank you for all your time and talents, your energy and your effort, your dedication and your testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. These children will be greatly blessed by your presence in their lives. We love you and appreciate you! Enjoy!
The Wedgewood Ward Primary Presidency
Allison Smith, Jessica Spencer, Katie Krueger, and Chelsea Cooper
Click here for information and training. It is required that every adult serving with the youth or primary children must complete the protection training. Thank you for helping us keep our children safe.
To access the current Come Follow Me Manual, for Primary, click here. (This is the manual we use for teaching the children in Primary each week.)