Quaker Faith and Practice

Quaker beliefs and values are important to many people who enroll their children in CFS. Affiliated with Friends Meeting at Cambridge, CFS is one of about eighty schools in the United States founded and operated by the Religious Society of Friends.

The Friends Council on Education, a national organization, helps to nurture and support these schools’ Quaker identity.

Quakers believe that there is that of God—the inner Light or Spirit within—in every person. This is the foundation for our faith in the worth and potential of each student.

At Cambridge Friends School, this belief is reflected in the classrooms, on the stage, in the studio, and on the playing field. We encourage our students to discover and pursue their individual talents, and to recognize that growth in others. This development is nurtured in a cooperative atmosphere of self-discovery, intellectual growth, and academic, artistic, and athletic achievement. Students learn to define their accomplishments through a growing understanding of their own potential, rather than by seeking to surpass other students.

Silence

Silence is an integral part of the life of our school, and its use arises from the Quaker practice of silent worship. Just as the spaces between notes - rests - are an essential part of music, periods of quiet time are an essential part of teaching and learning at CFS.

Much of the educational process is by nature busy and noisy. Teachers use silence as a balance to the busy-ness and rush, to provide a time to contemplate together. We hope that all students will learn to value and use silence in their lives.

Most meetings begin and end with silence. We use silence as a means of centering and preparing ourselves to approach the task before us in a worshipful manner. Beginning with silence allows us to set aside preconceived ideas, prepare to listen to the thoughts of others, and become disposed to move forward as a group. The use of silence helps ease the transition between one activity and another. Sometimes during a meeting for business we will use silence to help refocus ourselves and the meeting.

Meeting for Worship

In the noisy rush of modern life, we need periods of quiet when the soul may feed in peace on that which shall nourish it for action. John Wilhelm Rowntree

Every Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. we dim the lights, turn off the phones, close our classroom doors, and settle into silence for Meeting for Worship. We also gather in the gym for all-school Meetings for Worship about six times during the year. Parents and guardians are most welcome to attend weekly Meeting for Worship in the library as well as the all-school Meetings. In Meeting for Worship there are no officiating clergy, and anyone who feels moved by the Spirit is welcome to speak. Everyone in the school participates and we don’t schedule any appointments or other activities during this time. Meeting for Worship lasts for approximately thirty minutes.

In the Friends Council on Education pamphlet, The Mystery of Meeting for Worship, Lee Quinby describes the purpose of Meeting for Worship:"We gather in silence to seek a deeper understanding of what lies in our hearts, a greater awareness of the spirituality of life, and a clearer sense of direction for our lives."

For some younger members of the community, sitting in silence might mean simply practicing being quiet. For others, it is a time for deeper reflection, contemplation, or prayer.

The developmental needs of children require different strategies to achieve a still place, both individually and as a group. Classroom teachers might read a poem or query, show a picture, or recall a specific current event. Children learn how to "center down" by counting their breaths or focusing on a natural object in the center of the circle. Younger children might be given a ball of clay or small soft toy to hold.