PANDEMIC ERA NOTICE: First Day School is continuing to meet via online conferencing (i.e., Zoom). Contact the Children Religious Education Committee for additional information and the Zoom link.
Contact: children@annapolisfriends.org
We gladly welcome babies and children of all ages at the 11 am Meeting for Worship. This is not available during the 8 am Worship Meeting.
The Nursery area is for our youngest Friends, those not yet in kindergarten. Our Sunday School program (which we call First Day) provides religious education for children and teens, kindergarten through high school.
All children meet in the classroom from 11:00 – 11:45, then join their families in the Meetinghouse for the last 15 minutes of Meeting for Worship.
Nursery Care
We recognize our youngest friends as a blessing to our community. Parents are welcome to bring their youngest with them into our Worship room being mindful that we practice silent worship.
We also offer nursery care. We recognize that parents may need a time of silent worship when they can be in the silence, knowing that their children are in a safe place. To that end, nursery care is available during the 11 am meeting for worship throughout the year.
Our nursery care program offers children time to play and enjoy a snack. If the weather is fine the group may choose to spend time in our children’s Play Area. Care is provided by our community, including Young Friends (13 and older), parents, and other adult Friends who enjoy spending time with our youngest. If you are able to add to the pool of these caregivers – once a month or every other month – your participation is welcomed and encouraged, but it is not required.
Sunday School (what we call First Day School)
Our program grows out of Meeting for Worship in providing more formal guidance for our younger friends. Friends feel that specific instruction in religious topics is vital in the preparation of the human spirit for a whole life. Our goals are:
- To lovingly promote Young Friends’ spiritual growth. To strengthen their awareness of the presence of God and encourage them to find and follow the Light within themselves and in others.
- To give Young Friends experience in Quaker practices. To foster fellowship among their Young Friends peers, as well as with adult members and Meeting attendees.
We offer First Day School classes for all school-age Young Friends. The curriculum includes a foundation of Quaker history and practices, Bible studies, an introduction to other faiths, and additional topics as we are led to explore.
Resources for Families
First Day School Library:
We have a great Young Friends’ library. Young Friends or their parents are encouraged to check out books on a wide variety of topics, including Quakerism, other religions, diversity, families, and nature.
Play Area and Meadow:
Our Play Area provides a lovely setting for supervised outdoor fun. It includes a climbing structure, sandbox, bench and picnic table in a shaded area near the meetinghouse. The meadow adjacent to the Play Area is available for games.
Community Participation and Involvement:
Service projects form a strong component of our Young Friends program. It offers opportunities for Young Friends to plan and participate in projects designed to strengthen our neighbors both near and far.
Camps and Conferences:
Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) is the larger Quaker organizational and regional body to which we belongs. BYM offers a wonderful summer camp program for children ages 9 and up (www.bymcamps.org), where campers can enjoy outdoor and arts activities in a fun, caring, and uniquely Quaker environment. Financial aid is available through the meeting to help make summer camp possible for all of our Young Friends.
BYM also offers weekend conferences for those in high school (Young Friends) or middle school (Junior Young Friends). Information about upcoming conferences is available at (https://www.yf.bym-rsf.net). Annapolis Friends Meeting supports the participation of our Young Friends in these programs, helping to arrange carpooling, and paying registration fees through the Young Friends Opportunity Fund.
Youth Safety at Annapolis Friends Meeting:
We have a concern for the safety of our youth. With that in mind, we have developed a Youth Safety Policy, which is posted on the bulletin board outside of the large classroom and available for parents and guardians. This policy explains the supervision standards—which include two teachers or caregivers per classroom for nursery and elementary age—and the other general safety precautions.