Mid-Week Worship at WFS

Ms. Connie

Our Wednesday mid-week Worship is a special time for everyone in our school – children, teachers, paras, and administrators.  Everyone gathers in the front office at 9:25 and pairs up with walking-buddies to walk across the field to Heartland Friends Meetinghouse.  The morning air is filled with joyful chatter and exclamations of 40+ young children who are simply happy to be together and out in the sunshine. 

Upon arrival at Heartland, children find a good place to sit on the pews in the meeting room, and we center in silence for a few minutes.  Ms. Connie and Mr. Aaron lead our worship time, usually assisted by Mr. Aaron’s classroom therapy dog, Kuumba.  Worship begins with three deep “balloon breaths,” a calming and centering practice from Conscious Discipline, our classroom social-emotional curriculum.  After a minute or two of quiet, we sing songs about God, Jesus, Spirit, Love and Thankfulness.  Mr. Aaron has composed some of our favorite songs like “Friends, Friends,” “I Will Lift a Thankful Voice,” and “Hold It Up to the Light.”

After a few songs, everyone settles again into some quiet.  This is a time when anyone may “speak out of the quiet” to share a thankfulness.  Seeing young children grow in confidence enough to speak out of the quiet warms all the teacher-hearts in the room.  Then, we sing more songs, often closing our worship with a short prayer and singing All God’s Critters.  After giving Kuumba a quick pet, everyone finds their walking buddy, and we return across the field to the school … just in time for a morning snack and recess before settling into academic focus in the classroom.

From a teacher’s perspective, seeing older and younger children pair up as walking buddies and listening to their conversations as we walk across the field is delightful.  Friendships are formed, and our older students enjoy “taking care of” their “Little One.” 

We extend an open invitation to parents and grandparents to join us any Wednesday morning at 9:25 for our Worship time.  It is a special experience of community and friendship.