First Day School

Sundays during Meeting for Worship
11:10am – 12:15pm

The First Day Program seeks to nurture young people’s connection to their inner Light and the Meeting community, within a safe and welcoming setting. The program helps young people build friendships and grow in skills of relationship and responsible community life. We remain awake to inner guidance, and trust that children and youth are also guided to receive that which nurtures their lives.

Believing that people learn when curiosity and creativity are engaged, we teach through story, art, group discovery, discussion and service that may nurture that of God in each. We show respect for each participant by supporting differing needs, abilities, emotional development, and learning styles. Each class is taught by two adult Friends who are centered in Quaker life. We believe our lived example is a profound way of passing our tradition along.

We began the 2025-26 FDS year on Sunday, September 14th.
Summer activities with children and youth are currently taking place. We gather downstairs in the Meetinghouse and on the back patio for summer games, crafts, stories, and play. A nursery is also available for infants and toddlers ages 0-3.

Classes for 2025-26

  • Ages 0-3: Children engage in unstructured play in our nursery room. Parents are welcome to stay or attend Meeting for Worship.  
  • Ages 4-6: Children will explore “Stories That Teach: Parables and other Fables from Around the World” through the Godly Play curriculum and fables from around the world. 
  • Ages 7-11: Friends Committee on National Legislation’s #Love Thy Neighbor (No Exceptions) campaign is the inspiration for this year’s curriculum. Through stories, games and food our students will learn who their neighbors are by being introduced to a different ethnic community each month.
  • Ages 12-18: Youth will learn how current and former members of MMM led their lives through the lens of their Quaker faith. They’ll also put their own faith into action through a year-long project that will be decided by the class.

Upcoming Activities:

Sunday, December 7: Rehearsal for Holiday Sharing program
Sunday, December 14: Holiday Sharing program
Sunday, December 21: Nifty Gifty holiday craft and gift making event
Sunday, December 28: Making and baking gingerbread shapes for an upcoming gingerbread building activity in January

Past Activities:
Sunday, October 26: Campfire and pumpkin carving and painting event at the meeting house.
Sunday, October 19: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF party. We spent the morning playing fun Halloween games (with prizes!) then after meeting for worship children and youth went “trick-or-treating” amongst Friends in the meeting house to raise money for UNICEF.
Sunday, September 14: Pancake breakfast from 9:30-11am
Sunday, August 17: Annual boating on Lake Wingra to celebrate the upcoming First Day School year
Sunday, July 20: Sunday Splash event after rise of meeting. We gathered for a potluck then played outdoor water games
Sunday, June 8: Ice Cream Social after rise of meeting
Sunday, June 1: Teacher Appreciation Potluck to celebrate all our educators in First Day School
April 20: Easter Egg Hunt for children and youth during First Day School
April 13: Environmental Justice with Children: Action and Appreciation versus Anxiety, parent and grandparent workshop
March 16: Making Social Media Safe, parent and grandparent workshop given by representatives from the Office of Children’s Mental Health (WI)
February 16: Conflict Resolution in the Family, given by John and Robin Greenler from Madison Friends Meeting
February 2 – March 2: Mystery Friends, an intergenerational pen pal activity
Jan. 31, 2025: Game night at the meeting house
Dec. 29, 2024 – Jan. 19, 2025: Porch Bin Collection. We collected items for Open Doors for Refugees.

For more information, email the Children’s Program Coordinator at FDSprogram@madisonfriends.org.

First Day School Registration Form
You can also receive a hardcopy at the Meetinghouse. See our program coordinator for more information

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