Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - February 16

Dear Friends,

One of our new library books is Can Sophie Change the World by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. In the story, Sophie’s grandfather asks her to change the world as his birthday gift. Sophie wonders how one small girl can take on this huge task. At the end of the day, she tells her grandfather of the small kindnesses she did for those she was with. Her grandfather helps her see how each seemingly small act was big in the life of the person she helped. At Westfield, we see kindness every day. 

The amazing Fourth Grade NJ Symposium was awesome because each student helped their peers find great resources, write great speeches, memorize those speeches, and celebrate each other’s success. 

As I walked through the hall this morning, I witnessed a first-grade student helping a friend solve a tricky math problem, I watched a Preschool 3 student help a friend pick up the kitchen area so that they could go outside together. A sixth-grade student, celebrating their birthday, made sure to have a favorite treat for Teacher Molly.

Westfield students extend kindness to the wider community. Students have made beautiful hearts for hospice this week. I am amazed by the color combinations and care students have taken to create these gifts for people here in South Jersey who are grieving the death of a beloved family member or friend.  

The Middle School students have engaged in a thoughtful process of discernment deciding what to do with the money they earned from their recent bake sale. They had reached unity in using the funds to support a regional organization, Women Against Abuse. Just as they were about to confirm their decision, the horrific earthquake in Turkiye and Syria struck. Middle School students decided that it would be rightly ordered to split their available funds between UNICEF’s children-focused earthquake work and Women Against Abuse.

We have many Turkish American families in our community, I hope each of us checks in with them and considers a relief effort donation to an organization such as UNICEF or the American Red Cross. 

Queries for February Meeting for Worship - 

• How does our worship nurture all worshippers, creating a deeper sense of community?
• Does worship enhance my capacity for attentive, nonjudgmental listening to others?
• How does participation in Meeting for Worship contribute to my lifelong spiritual journey?

This past Wednesday 3rd grade students shared their thoughts on this month’s queries:

• “I love Meeting for Worship . . .I love hearing what others have to say” HH
• “Being in Meeting for Worship makes us feel connected by an invisible string that goes everywhere and doesn’t break” DS
• “When you walk into the meeting house, it feels different there then when you are with the same people somewhere else” CB

Announcements:

• Saturday, February 25th from 2-3:30 PM is our school-wide playdate and service project to benefit a local animal shelter. 
• Save the date, Saturday, April 22nd is a Taste of Our Towns, plan on attending our spring community fundraiser. Enjoy time with friends, taste selections from surrounding restaurants, and bid on auction items.  
• Save the date, Friday, April 28th we are bringing back Grandparents Day. Look for more information before spring vacation. 

Warmly,

Margaret