Next Thursday, 11th February, Lent will have begun. Lent, like Advent, is a season of waiting. It spans the days from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Lent is a season of quiet and reflection and giving.
During Lent, worship will be a little different. The children will draw pictures after hearing the story each morning. In order for this to happen well, there are a few things we will ask.
- Since parent conferences I have been delighted to see most children playing in our classroom before I ring the chimes at 8:27. We need for the Rocks class children to be settled in their places before the singing starts at 8:30am.
- Most importantly, Lent at our school is a season of quiet. You will see what a beautiful gift the quiet is for the children (and for the adults) each morning while the children are drawing. This quiet drawing happens for other grades too throughout the school so, after worship, we will ask for a quiet good-bye time. Your children are ready for a very quick hug or wave as we separate. Then parents can silently exit through the back stairwell so that all of the classes on our floor may have silence for drawing and thinking. Please pass on this information to anyone who brings your child to school in the morning.
If you have a young child who is in a wiggly stage or a baby who has a lot to say, you will probably need to be prepared to start to leave worship as the singing ends. What works well is to let your preschool child know that you will be in worship during the singing and then you and his or her sibling will leave. Say good-bye before you go into worship, not during worship. If you would like ideas about how to do that or have any questions, please ask.
Save the date for Tuesday 22nd March when the Rocks Class will help tell part of the Easter story in worship and you are invited to a small reception afterwards.
Thank you.
