Director of Ethical Education Blog
Thank you so much to all of you who signed up to bring something for Darwin Day! Keep an eye out for an email this morning reminding you of what you signed up for. If you aren't able to bring it, please let me know and I'll plan to go to the store in the evening to pick up anything outstanding.
I think it's so valuable for the kids to see us all chip in to make this successful. They're ready to do their part on Sunday!
Next Sunday, February 12, is Darwin Day! The Sunday School students are bringing back their tradition of serving banana splits after platform so I hope to see many of you there. This Sunday, I'll have a sign-up sheet at the front table in case you'd like to bring any ice cream or toppings. We'll provide bowls, napkins, utensils, and anything that doesn't get claimed.
I'm always happy when we're able to bring the NoVES membership and Sunday School together. NoVES membership is always so supportive of our Sunday School, and I really appreciate all of your help and support!
This Sunday, some Ethical Societies across the country will be sharing how their students put ethics into action. I wanted to take this opportunity to share how our own students have helped the community in the past several months.
As you may know, our students do a service activity each month. This year, I've focused on bringing student choice into the activities and sharing the impact with the kids to help them understand the value that these activities bring to the community.
Did you catch Elliot's interviewing debut last week? It was so much fun to listen to him interview Betty-Chia and Hank about their experiences in the Civil Rights Movement! I want to take a moment to extend a huge "thank you" to Elliot for taking on the role and for all of the work (and Betty-Chia and Hank!) did to prepare.
In case you want to learn more about some of the events that we discussed, links below!
"We are not makers of history; we are made by history. Longfellow said, "In this world a man must either be anvil or hammer," meaning that he is either a molder of society or is molded by society. Who doubts that today most men are anvils and are shaped by the patterns of the majority?"
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day platform holds a special place in our hearts at NoVES. We make sure that this time is spent learning about ongoing racial injustice and inspiring our members to continue the work that needs to be done to build a more equitable society.
This year, I'm thrilled that our Sunday School gets to participate in the tradition by hosting a conversational interview with our own makers of history, Betty and Hank! Join us to learn about the connections between Ethical Culture and the Civil Rights Movement and hear stories about participating in actions big and small to fight for equality.
I took some time in December with the students to talk about what they'd like to see in the upcoming year. These conversations made me reflect on my own religious education. I played piano and sang at my local church, and in order to do that I had to attend Sunday school. I dreaded it every week and mostly remember the feeling of guilt, sitting there in class trying to get through it without anyone realizing that I was just going through the motions.
In talking to the students, I felt so grateful that we have a space where they can learn about what it means to live ethically and, even more importantly, ask big, tough questions. I know that my Sunday mornings would have been much more valuable if I was able to challenge my teachers and argue a little bit.
Now that we have settled back into our in-person rhythm, it’s time to experiment a bit. In 2023, we’ll focus on finding the right balance between providing a structured experience and allowing for more student-led learning and exploration. After all, ethics begins with choice!
It's that time of year again! As we change the calendar to a new year, we're often encouraged to think about what we resolve to do differently in the new year -- how will we improve ourselves or fix our myriad flaws?
Personally, I do find some value in taking advantage of the change in calendar to do a little retrospective and set some goals. But there are a few different ways to look at New Year's Resolutions and they can have a huge impact on how we view ourselves.
Finding the right approach is especially important when we talk to our kids about resolutions. This is a great time to talk about growth mindset and how we frame our mistakes and failures.
Are you or your kid interested in diving in deeper? There are a bunch of resources on growth mindset available on Khan Academy for all ages!
Back in September, I posted about the different types of rest. I want to revisit that not because I just entered "holiday mode" and am low on ideas (I am), but because it's a reminder that I think we could all use right now.
During Holiday breaks, I often feel like I'm going to get a lot of things done. By the end I always feel like all I did was marathon-watch a new show while trying to avoid eye contact with the messy corner of my living room.
This break, I'm going in with a different attitude, especially because Josie is home from school for most of it and that redefines what "break" means. As we make our grand plans for day trips or cookie baking, we'll also talk about what our bodies and our brains need. Do we need a break from other people? Do we want to feel inspired by nature or art? Do we want to do something kind for someone else to create a connection? My goal this break is to define its success by how well we meet these needs rather than the number of items donated or books read.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been enjoying seeing my friends sharing their holiday traditions. I’m lucky that my own traditions are fairly flexible, largely free of family or cultural pressures. That freedom allows me to choose every year what traditions serve me and what traditions we can do without.
I appreciate this opportunity for choice, and I’ve been thrilled to see how members celebrate this season in their own ways based on their own traditions and values.
In the remaining two weeks that we meet this year, we’ll be working on a service project to make no-sew blankets for a local shelter and the Every Day is Earth Day students will make some homemade recyclable wrapping paper. Both activities focus on giving and sharing what we have, embracing some of the best traditions that we encounter this time of year.
Most things are hard to learn without experience. Baking a cake is different than reading a recipe or watching a video. Even 16 years of riding in cars is little preparation for your first driving practice. That's why I love our tradition of bringing our Comparative Religion students to visit houses of worship.
Tonight, our students had their first visit! We joined the Family Shabbat Service at Temple B'nai Shalom in Fairfax Station.
Part of our Comparative Religion class is identifying themes across religions and tying those themes to our own Ethical Culture. During our visit we saw plenty of differences between our platforms and the service, but we also saw some similarities, noting the lighting of candles and language that reminded us of our own Commitments.
On Sunday, we will spend a few minutes reflecting on our visit. I encourage the parents who attended to do the same and talk to your kids about the experience. What was surprising? What did they recognize and what felt different? I can't wait to hear your reactions on Sunday!
