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 Peace Studies and Health
The purpose of this course is to explore what peace and social justice mean to us as individuals, as a community and in the world; and to learn the practices used in this community for communication, conflict resolution, and leadership. We begin by studying peace and social justice as movements and practices in the US and in other cultures. Using the multiple perspectives gained there, we then discuss and practice a variety of processes for personal and community use, focusing on those developed and used here at The Meeting School and by the wider Society of Friends (Quakers). The goal is for each student to come to a current understanding of peace and justice for her/himself, define that and express it as a course project. Other course assessments include journaling, and demonstration of communication and clearness/leadership skills learned. Senior Peace Studies includes segments on leadership in the School's community life, and analysis of social and political issues in US society, in other countries, and in international relations. The senior course includes readings by Gandhi, Robert Greenleaf, Chris Ravendal, Lisa Delpit, Jan Hoffman, Patricia Loring, Carol Gilligan, and others; seniors help to determine the content of the syllabus.
The Health & Sexuality course is offered in two parts. The first part is taken by students new to The Meeting School. Students take the second part as seniors. We address the traditional topics found in a health curriculum (safer sex, sexual development, etc ... ), but will also venture into broader aspects young adults may face, such as habits and addictions, depression, establishing appropriate boundaries and relationship skills. A strong emphasis is placed on developing life skills that serve young adults for community life and beyond, such as communication techniques with peers and parents, dealing with stress and identifying aspects of emotional/ spiritual/ physical health that need nurturing. Students are asked to reflect on their roles in the relationships they are involved with, most importantly the relationship with Self. We practice dialogue in regards to dealing with difficult situations, ranging from awkward to dangerous.
To cover both cooking and nutrition we split our time between the classroom and the kitchen each week. In the classroom we discuss and discover the basics of nutrition and its effect on our daily life, food systems and sustainable food, the issue of world hunger, etiquette, and several cuisines from around the globe. While we’re in the kitchen we explore several different cooking techniques through hands on, video, and podcasting. We use these skills to create various dishes for the community. This class has homework most nights, both reading and writing. There is a large project at the end of the term. Choosing a country or region of the world, each student researches the foods people from this place eat and grow. Where does their food come from? How do they prepare their foods? What are some traditional recipes from the region? These are some of the questions we set out to answer in this project. The final product includes a 2-3 page paper, 5-10 minute presentation to the class, and the planning and preparation of a meal for the school community.
Come celebrate and learn the mysteries of baking. This class covers a wide range of baking techniques - from apple pies to zucchini cake and many delicacies in between, we take turns leading the group in making our favorite recipes or ones we want to learn. A highlight will be the queen of bread doughs - sourdough - in its many forms and variations. We explore vegan options as well as traditional recipes and theories about the health benefits of the recipes we choose. Each student is responsible for researching and leading the cooking of at least two or three recipes and introducing them to the community, including nutritional information and how the ingredients work together to make the recipe unique. Students taking the course for an Art credit need to discuss with the instructor the artistic elements that will be their focus. They may also choose to photograph, draw, or paint pictures of some of the foods, or add another artistic approach to the course.
This course provides an opportunity to learn a variety of meditation practices and a basic understanding of the traditions from which they have come. Meditation practices include sitting, walking, eating, chant, prayer, guided visualization, perhaps drumming, singing and art. Asian, Western, traditional and contemporary meditation all be considered. We take some time to reflect on our experiences.
Gardening is a year-round educational opportunity at The Meeting School. Students learn all aspects of garden planning, seed ordering and starting, transplanting, planting, harvesting and food storage. Students care for and use the farm’s fruit trees as they learn how to prune, mulch, and harvest them, as well as how to make cider, sauces, jams, pies and crisps. Classes emphasize the best practices of organic agricultural philosophy, including permaculture and edible forest gardening.
This course allows students with interest in culinary and medicinal herbs and/or wildcrafting to explore the identification and traditional uses of a wide variety of plants. We focus on plants native and/or common to New England, studying and practicing the gathering of plant material, drying or use of fresh plants, preparation of salves, lotions, herbal oils, teas and tinctures. Students should have sufficient interest to read, do research, present in class and work independently or in pairs. Though this is not a gardening class there will be some opportunity to learn care of herb plants in gardens and containers. Each student will be expected to choose a particular focus, research and do a project {e.g. a short paper and series of drawings or photos) approved by the teacher. | ||||||||||
