The First Day School’s Corner of the World: February 2024
Head of First Day School, Charlotta Koppanyi
Connecting
I love Zoom and the opportunities it provides. During and after the lockdown, much of our lives together were, and still are, on a virtual platform. Zoom has maintained a presence in our lives, continuing the opportunity to connect across geographic distances. In January, the Friends General Conference held its conference Changing Times and I had the opportunity to attend, via Zoom. I have always wanted to attend FGC but each year the timing, distance and cost as well as other logistics kept me away. Imagine how thrilled I was to finally attend while still being at home.
Francisco B, the Executive Director at Pendle Hill, was the plenary speaker for Friday with the message Empower, Support, Cross-Fertilize, and Encourage. Francisco B also facilitates spiritual retreats and lectio divina sessions. As a De La Salle Christian Brother for almost ten years, serving in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, where he also is an attendee, he had much to offer. FYI: he is leading a trip and retreat to Costa Rica in May of this year. He is soft spoken and one of the more reflective and sincere persons I have heard speaking. The workshop Restorative Quaker Design with Rashid D, FGC Associate Secretary for Communications and Outreach, was very interesting and brought new perspectives. If interested, you can find much of his take on things on his YouTube channel.
The economic and sociologic context of contemporary Quaker experience and how it informs our future presentation by Barry C, Friends General Conference General Secretary, made a strong impact. I have asked for a copy of this PowerPoint, as I would like to share it. Among other things, he addressed the challenge of changing demographics, which is not unique to Quaker Meetings, but also for most religious, service and membership organizations, especially those who rely on volunteers and donations, and the impact changes in family structure and lifestyle has as well.
One of the younger speakers addressed the issue of transportation to and from a Meeting. Even in Evanston, or Chicago, getting around on public transportation on a Sunday morning in January can provide an excellent opportunity to practice patience and test your faith. The workshop voiced how different Meetings had addressed and solved some of their challenges, and that while organized religion in general is losing ground, the search and interest, not to mention the need, for a spiritual community and place to connect is considerable. People are looking for new places, for different places to connect, and this is where Quakers and Meetings can, and do, provide an opportunity to offer an oasis in the increasingly stressful and loud world.
Sunday included the presentation Speak and Be Heard: Voices of Younger Friends and was maybe the most honest, inspiring, hopeful, to the point, clear-minded, and down to earth segment of the conference. Some spoke about how they finally had found a place where they could talk and reflect over God, or being accepted as they considered themselves Quakers and atheists; others the challenges of being the “token youth”; how to welcome members of the LGBTQ community; and some of the importance of a website with correct information, or a building with disability access etc. with ages ranging from 16 years and up.
I wish and hope our students, current as well as former, will in one form or another stay within the Quaker community and find a space to connect as they move out of the geographic boundaries of Evanston. I would highly recommend our students to attend a conference, in person or virtual. I also hope we, at EFM, with our amazing building, great location, and beautiful yard, can arrange some sort of gathering across generations and Meetings, opening our doors and offer a place to connect, for new and old in age and friendship.
In RE, we will be looking for a few guest teachers in March and May as our beloved and dedicated volunteer teachers will be out a few Sundays. I will be reaching out to some of you for an opportunity to spend some time with our students, and getting to know them, and to share our Quaker faith together. We will also be recruiting for next year, as Liz K is taking a well-deserved break from teaching. Let me know if you are interested in being a part of our future Quakers lives.
We have had a new family visiting us recently, and one of our preschool students just became a big sister. Liz and the Primary students are moving along with the stories. Our full Intermediate class keeps Steven R and Michael P busy, and I cannot wait to get in there and work on our village, set in the time of the Bible stories, with the students. Our Middle School students are growing up and I am so proud of them!
The RE Committee and I have talked about how we can provide more intergenerational opportunities and programs and events for our students. The challenge, in which we are not alone, is time and priority. One way of overcoming that is finding out what our students, families and friends want and need, and are willing to give the time for. Please let the RE Committee and me know of any suggestions you might have.
Save the Date
Sunday, March 31, Easter Sunday
Traditional Egg Hunt in the Yard
