There will be First Day School on July 6th and July 20th
There will be a Field Trip to Kettle Pond at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge on July 13th 10:00 AM to Noon
Lesson Plan for July 6, 2025 – (John Schneider will be second adult presence)
SPICES – Learning Queries Thinking About Community
What does it mean to be part of a community?
How can we show kindness and care to others in our community?
What does it mean to be a good friend?
What makes you feel included and valued in a group?
What can you do when someone is new or feeling left out of your group?
How can we work together to solve problems in our community?
How do we listen to others in our community?
What are some things we can do together that we couldn’t do alone?
What can we learn from each other in our community?
How do plants and animals live together in community?
Activity – Create “Quilt of Belonging” draw on a square piece of paper what belonging feels like. This can belonging to your family, group of friends, school, sports team, etc. This drawings on will be placed together to form a quilt.
Lesson Plan for June 15, 2025 – Edie Morren will instruct the students in creating decorated beach stones to place around the new Peace Pole. These “Peace Stones” will be placed around the Peace Pole during the dedication ceremony at the rise of Meeting. I will ask the students to recite the Peace Pole text while placing their stone “May Peace Prevail On Earth”.
Lesson plan for June 1, 2025 – Start with the children being interviewed by David Madden to give them a sense of how one interviews someone. If time and interest permits the children will interview David.
This will be the beginning of FDS interviewing Meeting members and attendees which will provide information for a new section of the Monday Morning Newsletter which has a tentative title of “Kids Corner”.
What would be interesting to learn about children?
- How would you describe being a Quaker?
- What is First Day School?
- What subject do you enjoy learning about?
- What would like to learn in First Day School in the future?
- What is your favorite sport?
- What is your favorite activity?
- What is your favorite hobby?
- What is your favorite food?
- What superpower would you like to have?
What would be interesting to learn about adults?
- How would you describe being a Quaker?
- What book would you recommend to someone who enjoys reading?
- What is your favorite activity?
- What is your favorite hobby?
- What do you do to support your community?
- If you had the power what issue would you fix in your town?
Rainbow Allies by Nancy Churnin illustrated by Izzy Evans – reviewed by Cassie J. Hardee – May 1, 2025
Based on a true story, Rainbow Allies takes place in Natick, a quaint Massachusetts neighborhood where life is calm and quiet. Playful and dreamlike illustrations by Izzy Evans—of children riding bikes in the street, neighbors walking dogs, and lemonade stands in front yards—reflect “the secret that makes [Natick] shine: everyone is welcome; everyone is celebrated; everyone helps each other.” But that perception is tested when the home of a lesbian couple is vandalized and their rainbow pride flag that once hung on their porch is destroyed. The neighborhood children struggle to understand why someone would hate people who have shown nothing but love. Rainbow Allies takes an unpleasant story of hate and shows how everyone, regardless of age, can be an ally. As a Queer person who knows the anxiety and fear that comes with being openly gay in the Southern United States, I found this book to depict the world that I hope for and the one I believe is possible. Continue Reading
Lesson Plans for May 18, 2025 (Melissa French will be the second adult present)
We will be using the ‘Learning Queries’ below to explore ’Simplicity’ with FDS children and we will end the lesson creating drawings of simple objects verse ornate objects.
Simplicity – Twelve Learning Queries
If you could only keep three ‘things’, what would they be and why?
What is one small thing you can do today to help someone?
What are the most important ‘things’ in your life? Why?
What is something simple that brings you joy?
Are there ‘things’ you have that you don’t really need? How would it feel to share those with someone else?
What are the most important ‘things’ you need every day?
When have you felt joy from an experience rather than a ‘thing’?
What’s the difference between ‘things’ we want and ‘things’ we need?
What are some ways we can take care of the earth by using less or wasting less?
What can we share with others to make their lives better?
How can I show that I care more about people than about ‘things’?
How can we share what we have with others?
The Secret Elephant: Inspired by a True Story of Friendship – Reviewed by Karen Clark – May 1, 2025
Recommended for ages 4–8 – By Ellan Rankin – 32 pages, $18.99/hardcover; $6.99/eBook.
A young elephant’s days are full of discovery and fun as she forges a trusting relationship with a Belfast zookeeper. The zoo seems to be a lovely home—until World War II comes to Belfast and the loud noises of the night bombings scare the elephant. The keeper does her best to calm and soothe her friend, but when the zoo no longer seems safe, she begins to sneak the elephant out of the zoo to her own home. In addition to the simple, joyful text, Ellan Rankin’s illustrations set the scene beautifully. Young readers may take from The Secret Elephant a lovely story of friendship, while older readers will appreciate the two friends facing fearful moments together and the comfort they offer each other. Continue Reading
Lesson Plans for May 4, 2025 (Pat Gifford will be the second adult present)
We will begin with a short review of SPICES and definitions geared toward children.
This will be followed by reading a short story: The Tree House by Lois Lowry and Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
The Tree House is children’s story that brings forth how to play together and be friends in an engaging story and there are connections to some of the SPICES values that will we be discussing together.
Here is a link to the SPICES definitions that I have created. – https://westerlyfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SPICES-FDS.pdf
Here is a link to a copy of The Tree House by Lois Lowry and Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman – https://westerlyfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Tree-House.pdf
Here is a link to an audio of the author reading the story – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kchSdXcsG24
Lesson Plans for April 6, 2025 (David Madden will be the second adult present)
We will be using GROK* Feelings Cards that show a variety of feelings. Each child will have a turn picking a feeling card and expressing that feeling to see if others can guess the correct feeling. Another variation will be one child will guess the feeling the others be expressing the feeling.
We are trying to raise an awareness of others feelings by noticing their facial expressions. Theses games are designed to support understanding and connection rather than competition and winning.
*Martian meaning “to understand intuitively”, “fully get” or “be at one with another”
Lesson Plans for March 16, 2025 (Kurt Hansen will be the second adult present)
I am working on a series of thought provoking questions to teach and learn about the students Quaker understanding. The basis of this idea comes from a commercial product call Chat Pack and Chat Pack for Kids. A Chat Pack question might be “If you were 1” tall for a day what would you explore?”. I have developed ten questions focusing on discernment which I am calling “Learning Queries”:
- If you and your best friend really wanted to play different games at recess, how would you decide what to do? How can you make sure both of you feel happy?
- Imagine you’re the captain of a spaceship, and your crew can’t agree on which planet to visit next. How would you decide what’s fair and best for everyone?
- Imagine you’re picking a new class pet. How could you make sure everyone in the group feels heard?
- Why is it important to think about how others feel when making decisions?
- What do you do when you and a friend have different ideas about what to do?
- What can we learn from listening to others when making a decision together?
- If you and your friends couldn’t agree on what game to play, how would you decide what to do?
- If you were planning a special event for your class, how would you make sure everyone’s ideas were included?
- If you were in a student group, how would you help the group make a decision that feels good to everyone?
- What does it mean to listen carefully to others when making a decision together?
Lesson Plans for March 2, 2025 (Gunilla Norris will be the second adult present)
Gunilla saved the cards from the “What is a blessing” project some ten years ago. She thought the children could make some what is a blessing cards and then follow up hiding some cards in plain sight for Meeting participants look for at the potluck at the rise of Meeting. If some cards are not found then the First Day School children would take those cards and give them out directly. The adults who receive a blessing card can keep it or pass it on to someone else. Gunilla will explain all this at the rise of meeting announcements time.