December 14, 2020
FRIENDS COUNCIL NEWS
New this year!
Educators New to Quakerism for Administrators
"I have a much better understanding about the Quaker nature of my school."
"I learned new aspects of Meeting for Worship that I can practice with my class."
These are just a few things participants share about the impact of Friends Council's Educators New to Quakerism Workshops, affectionately known as ENTQ. This year Friend Council is offering ENTQ in a revised virtual format, including a new version for Friends School administrators. In two 90-minute ENTQ retreat sessions via ZOOM, the workshops provide learning and discussion on Quaker history, beliefs and practices, the inclusion of testimonies in the Life of Friends Schools, Meeting for Worship in Friends Schools, Quaker-based Decision-making and using the clearness process for problem-solving in community. Lead by executive director Drew Smith and associate director Deborra Sines Pancoe, ENTQ for administrators is a new offering we hope to do again soon.
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HEADS ASSISTANTS PEER NETWORK (HAPN)
Every Steady, Ever Strong!
The Heads' Assistants Peer Network - or "HAPN" as they are affectionately known - is happening in more ways than one!
This is the group of Friends school educators that serve as right-hand people to heads of Friends schools. Not only do they know what is happening, they help make it happen! Spearheaded by Friends Council's April Diop, about 12 folks gathered on Zoom for a virtual "happy hour" at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. The group came together to touch base with each other and offer much needed camaraderie and support in this very unusual year. A few were sitting in their school offices, with masks at the ready, and provided us with a zoom-view of their surroundings. Others were working from home. Each person shared the challenges of school life in the time of COVID-19 and how much they are looking forward to the day when the whole school community can return to campus for the warmth and connection that we crave.
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SPARC
Spirited Practice and Renewed Courage Cohort 2019-2022
In early December, SPARC - Spirited Practice and Renewed Courage - on Zoom opened with some centering time and the sights and sounds of a babbling stream. SPARC participants shared selections from "Teaching with Fire" - a collection of poetry selected by educators and with brief commentary for each selection. Gathering together for support and nourishment is the primary goal of this group. Our next meeting will focus solely on the Clearness Process.
Friends Council's SPARC program is a leadership development program based on principles from Parker Palmer's "Courage to Teach" work. Together, over a two-year cycle, the group explores personal and professional growth through critical reflection, dialogue, and feedback. Teachers and administrators are selected to take part in this learning community and use collaborative inquiry and reflective tools for self-directed professional development.
SPARC is in its ninth cycle, and the ripple effects of this spiritual leadership program are gaining strength. Over 170 Friends school educators have now experienced this unique program, with many schools sending teams of two or more faculty members to participate.
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Community Conversation on Race - November 19, 2020
Continuing the work of racial justice - interrupting racism
Addressing racial justice and to finding ways to dismantle systems of institutional racism is on our minds. Friends schools have long included working for equity and justice in their missions. Community Conversations on Race help to create a place for ongoing conversation in order to build skills for anti-racist activism and cultural competency. Participants engage in discussion and reflective activities in order to lean into courageous conversations, both in our sessions and in their own lives. Since March 2020, conversations are held in the virtual setting and attendance has grown. Friends Council, along with Abington Friends School, Friends Select School, and The Race Institute for K-12 educators, will continue to co-sponsor Community Conversations on Race and the work of racial justice through interrupting racism. November's Community Conversation on Race was the third session this fall.
The next Community Conversation on Race will be held in the New Year 2021. Stay tuned for details!
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Please be sure to visit our website calendar regularly, as well as the Programs section of our website for new additions and updates!
ONGOING
- Heads Gathering - Monday morning, weekly
- Early Childhood Heads Gathering - Thursday, weekly
- Virtual Meeting for Worship, Wednesdays weekly, 4:30pm EST
COMING IN 2021
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FRIENDS COUNCIL MEETING FOR WORSHIP
Friends Council
Meeting for Worship Zoom-style
Wednesdays at 4:30pm EST
We hope to see you!
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STUDENT VOICES MATTER!
The Bridge Film Festival (BFF), founded in 2000, provides a voice for students attending Quaker schools and Quaker Meetings worldwide.
BFF invites creative and socially conscious students to produce films that focus on messages through a Quaker lens. Listen to what acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns says about us. Read about last year's winners.
There are four categories for telling stories: Narrative, Documentary, New Media, and Public Service Announcement (PSAs). The Narrative, Documentary, and New Media entries must be ten minutes or less in length and PSAs run 30 or 60 seconds.
The deadline to submit is March 12, 2021.
The judging and screenings will air online globally in the Spring of 2021.
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Calling all middle school and high school students!
Friends Journal 8th Annual Student Voices Project
Friends Journal welcomes submissions from all students (Quaker and non-Quaker) at Friends schools and also Quaker students in other educational venues, such as public schools and homeschooling.
A selection of the submissions will be featured in the May 2021 issue, reaching thousands of readers living on every continent. Honorees will also receive a free one-year digital subscription and will be recognized
by Friends Council on Education for their work.
2020-2021 THEME: LEARNING FROM 2020
Prompt: What have you learned about yourself and your community in the past year?
It's been quite a year since the coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down. In March 2020, everything about daily living seemed to change or shut down, including schools and meetinghouses. From remote learning and virtual worship services to Black Lives Matter protests and racial justice work to the worsening climate crisis and divisive U.S. politics, there's a lot to process on a daily basis. Meanwhile, we're staying home more, being more intentional about connecting with others (thank you, technology), recommitting to our faith communities in new ways, and generally missing the relative ease of life before this whole mess started. Let's write about it.
Submission Guidelines
• One submission per student.
• Must have an original title, and it must be typed.
• Word count: between 300 and 1,500 words.
• Submit individual entries via Submittable (link at Friendsjournal.org/studentvoices).
• Deadline: February 15, 2021.
New this year! Join a virtual writing workshop co-hosted by Friends General Conference in December with FJ's associate editor, Gail Whiffen. More details on the website.
Friends Council on Education
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