Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting

Religious Education Update

by WebPost | Aug 25, 2022 | Announcement

The Religious Education Committee and Teachers are excited for the start of the new school year! We would like to share some of what we look forward to in the coming months.
First Sundays of the month, the children will gather in an all-ages group for a variety of activities. Wendy Wadsworth has kindly agreed to coordinate these sessions, which include nature-themed activities with Mary- Fran Hughes MacIntyre, sing-a-longs with Kelly Kennedy and Ruth Morrison, yoga with Katy Will, cooperative games with Wendy and Frances Stewart, and other moving fun. We are grateful to the Friends that have agreed to lead any of these sessions, and invite you to contact Wendy if you are willing to lead one Sunday activity in the future!
Second and Fourth Sundays, the children will meet in age-level, small group classes. We previously referred to them by school level, but our preschoolers are moving into elementary school (etc.)! One of the first activities the classes will have is naming themselves utilizing Quaker process for business. We will share those names when they have been determined.
On each Third Sunday, during Business Meeting, the Faith & Play trained teachers will lead Faith & Play for all ages. Kathryn Beaton will coordinate these sessions.
We have many returning teachers, and some new ones! Joe Ball will lead the oldest group of children, with assistance from Beth Morrison and Julia Hebner. Tera Yoder will lead the middle elementary group, with assistance from Noah Slattery and Tracy Cain. Monica Shaw will lead the preschool/kindergarten class, with
the assistance of Pearl Ball and Janet Thoroman. Marjorie Bertolino will continue to oversee the nursery, staffed by Mari Wadsworth and volunteers. We are very grateful to all of the Friends who volunteer in our nursery!
Shannon Garrett will begin clerkship of the RE committee in September, as Monica Shaw transitions to her role as lead teacher. Shannon has been a member on the RE committee since January 2021 and co-led the preschool class last school year.
We anticipate some of the RE committee members ending their terms in January, and are recruiting new members; please speak to anyone on RE or Nominating Committee if you feel led to join us.
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We are also excited to share that the children will be taking an active role in recognizing the International Day of Peace in September. On the two Sundays prior, the children will be creating signs and banners, and learning a song to bring and sing during the Peace Walk at 6:30 pm on Sept 21. We are especially grateful to two talented Friends, Michael Pierce and Kelly Kennedy DiPasquale who will help channel these creative endeavors