Each year, as a school, we focus more closely on one of the values. This year, we are focusing on the value of community
Our Friends Gathering for Racial Justice (FGRJ) event is one of the places where our learning, reflection, and action becomes visible. This gathering deepens our understanding of our values and invites the community to join in our reflection.
The Value of Community
Our school has created resources to help us frame each value/testimony (a.k.a. each S.P.I.C.E.S. value).
A Guide to Quaker Practice for Friends School of Minnesota is one of those resources.
In A Guide to Quaker Practice for Friends School of Minnesota, the value of community is defined this way:
Among Quakers, community refers to how we as a group can nurture and sustain the light within each person. When we live in right relationship, we are fair, honest, and caring. Community helps members understand how they are led to be of service in the world.
Quakers believe that worshiping together is the source of a deep sense of community.
What community looks like at FSMN:
Building community is consciously fostered at Friends School of Minnesota. Every Wednesday all students and faculty join for silent meeting for worship in the manner of Quakers, as noted earlier. Community is created throughout the school experience in all kinds of ways, through all-school recess, buddies, scheduling, common projects, traditions, conflict resolution, work, and play.
We Reflected on The Quaker Value of Community During a PD Day
In October, we reflected together as a staff.
- How do we define community?
- What is our Friends School community? How do we interact with the broader community beyond Friends School?
- At FSMN, where do we see the idea of community playing out really well and where do we do we have work to do around community?
- How is community expressed in my classroom or in my work at Friends School?
Here are some things that came up during our reflection:
Over this year, teachers are reflecting with students about community. What will they discover? What will be meaningful to them?
