Third Graders lead workshop on Quakerism

For their Lower School Signature Experience, third graders invited their parents/caregivers into their classrooms for a student-led workshop on Quakerism. In their classrooms, students shared hand-made books, diagrams, and drawings they produced about Quaker history and the significance of a Meeting House; and they provided a collective presentation on Meeting for Worship and its essential role in our school community. Third graders then led their visitors silently across Duck Pond Road to the Matinecock Meeting House for a programmed Meeting for Worship. The route the students used to escort their family is the same route that students have walked since the founding of Friends Academy in 1876.

There, the students shared some historical milestones about the Matinecock Meeting House, including its construction in 1725, fire in 1985, and reconstruction in 1986. Third graders also explained the process of settling into silence during Meeting for Worship and shared a Query (an open-ended question that Quakers use to guide worship and decision-making) for all to consider – How can we include rest in our everyday life? Where and how do you rest? 

Five students spoke to the query out of the silence and a common theme emerged about feeling more restful when they were outside in nature connected to family, rather than sleeping in bed. The experience offered students and families a warm and peaceful start to their day and a feeling of connectedness within the Friends community.

PHOTOS BY MARGARET PEGNO/FRIENDS ACADEMY