Exploring what it is that makes WFS a Quaker School

What: Exploring what it is that makes WFS a Quaker School
When: 4/30/2024, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Westfield Friends School LIBRARY

Dates / Times / Location:

April 16 -- 7:00-8:00 in the Library
April 30 -- 7:00-8:00 in the Library
May 15 -- 7:00-8:00 in the Library

**Child Care Provided**

Dear Families,

You chose Westfield Friends School for any number of reasons. This spring we will offer a three-part series exploring what it is that makes Westfield Friends School a Quaker School. In the first session, we will have a brief overview of the history of Quakerism from its origins in the English Protestant Reformation and Civil War, through to the present. In the second session, we will dig more deeply into what Quakers today believe (their faith, cosmology, etc) and how this shapes actions in communities, religious worship, and organizations. We will also consider the range of Quakers in the world today. In our third session, we will discuss what all of this means for this school and our approach to working with children. Each of the sessions will give you time to reflect on your values and bring them into a dialogue with other families.

Goals for the course:

Learn about Quaker beliefs, history, people, and schools
Nurture community with the school community
Nurture the spiritual lives of adults who care for and about children

Each of our three sessions will follow a similar format:

Opening Worship - 2-3 minutes
Reflection question - questions sent out in advance, you share your response, the goal is to develop community - 5-10 minutes
Presentation - content sharing - 15-20 minutes
Small group discussion - related to presentation, queries, quotes, and discussion starters will be provided - 15-20 minutes
Closing Worship

Whether you consider yourself a person with a religious home and membership, a spiritual person with no set affiliation, or a person with no religious beliefs, come join in this ecumenical opportunity to learn together.