We treasure the Meeting’s children and young people, and we welcome new families with children. However, we also recognize the reality that silent unprogrammed worship is not always appealing to children.
What we offer:
We have an active “First Day School”* program for children from preschool through high school. This is comparable to Sunday School that you might find in other denominations.
*Early Quakers objected to the common names of days of the week and months of the year, because they are named after pagan gods, so they spoke of first day, second day, third day, instead of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. Although this usage has largely disappeared, vestiges remain in special terms like "First Day School".
How it works:
Children begin their morning with First Day School at 10 a.m.. At 10:40, children will enter the meeting room and join those with whom they came, for the final 20 minutes of worship. We are very tolerant of the occasional fidgeting of young children, and find that most children quickly gain an appreciation for the silence, at least in small doses.
The classes:
From September through early June, First Day School is divided into several classes based on school grade (preschool, K-2, 3-5, middle school, high school), while during the summer there is one activity for all ages. For the youngest children (usually up to age 3) nursery care is available for the entire hour of Meeting for Worship. There is also childcare for all ages during the hour after Meeting for Worship (to allow parents to attend forum or Meeting for Business), but children must be signed in by a parent.
Currently, there is no children's program or childcare at the 8 a.m. Meeting for Worship, so the above applies only to 10 a.m. worship. If you have questions about the children’s program, or the curriculum of First Day School, please ask to speak to a member of the First Day School Committee.