Quaker Values in Action

During Term 3, a number of Primary School year levels have attended Gatherings with their buddy classes. This has been a wonderful opportunity for older students to model for their younger buddies the practices of entering the Meeting House in silence, listening to the contributions of others and sharing thoughtfully into the silence. When Prep students joined Year 5 for a Gathering, their reflections afterwards showed what a powerful learning experience this was for them.

“I wondered why they had great ideas.” – Artemis

“I noticed they took a bit of space when they spoke to think.” – Harvey

“They weren’t talking over the top of each other.” – James

“They took care of us.” – Hannah

“When one person talked, they had a silence before someone else talked.” – Willa

“They were listening to each other.” – Zelda

We have noticed that, since joining the Year 5 students for a Gathering, the Prep students have shared more thoughtful ideas and allowed more silence between speakers in their own Gatherings, showing that they have been able to transfer this learning in a meaningful way. This is a beautiful example of our theme in action: ‘Listen In; Lean In … as the Way Opens.’

Jess Dundas - Gathering Advisor E-9

Mark Macleod - Quaker Advisor