A long-held tradition among Quakers is silent meeting. During this time, community members come together and settle into a shared silence. During the silence, everyone tries to connect with their innermost best self and enjoys a shared sense of fellowship. If someone is moved to speak to the group, they may do so and the…
Saturday is Earth Day. In connection with our Trash and Treasure theme, we discussed which of earth’s resources are valued, and how we can protect and conserve them. We read the book, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, and discussed what happened to the community as trees were cut down. We then discussed ways to help…
On Thursday, Meghan and I read two books to our combined classrooms. The Dot by Peter Reynolds is about a girl named Vashti who insists she “just CAN’T draw.” Her teacher encourages her to “make a mark and see where it takes you.” From there, Vashti realizes that the dots she draws are in fact…
For the past few weeks, we have been talking about the Quaker value of equality in community meeting. One query that has come up is, “Does equality always mean that people are treated the same? Does everyone have to get the same thing for it to be fair?” At the elementary age, students have a…
This week, my class finished and sent off our pen pal letters to Westbury Friends School in New York. We had so much fun writing these letters, and we are anxiously awaiting replies. Before this project, most of the students didn’t know what a pen pal was, but they quickly grew excited about the idea…
Every day before snack and lunch, all classes engage in quiet reflection time. Usually, the topic for reflection has to do with the specific Quaker idea we have discussing during community meeting on Monday mornings, such as peace, integrity, community, etc. Sometimes, the reflection is more tailored to issues or topics that have come up…