The Strawberry Fields Alternative High School
Community
Morning Meeting:
Out of Silence Comes Commitment
Morning meeting is an integral part of The Strawberry Fields Alternative
High School. On Thursday mornings the students, staff and visitors
gather in silence at the Peacemakers Table at the Peace Abbey in
Sherborn. There we experience and share a quality of peace that
comes when people of kindred spirits gather.
Value is placed on the Quaker tradition of meeting in silence and
witnessing one's beliefs. What occurs in the hearts and minds of
the participants during silence is brought to bear  in
our commitment to translate awareness into action. Daily, the students,
teachers and steady stream of attendees join in a gentle tradition
of hand washing, followed by 5 to 15 minutes of silence and, when
times allows, the recitation of the names of peacemakers whose names
line the sides of the large pine table.
Following the litany of peacemakers whose lives we examine to identify
archetypes that lie within, the faculty and students turn their
attention to current syncronicity in our lives and ethical dilemmas
that may need some clarity. The meeting ends with commendations
to those present for actions taken on behalf of others. By being
of service to one another, our students bring about more loving
and meaningful lives for themselves and for others.
Afternoon Vigil:
Commemorating the Day of Prayer for World Peace
Each afternoon before the school day ends, students and staff who
wish to to recite prayers for peace of the twelve major religions
gather at The Pacifist Memorial which is located in the school yard.
The recitation of the prayers offers those present an opportunity
to nurture an awareness and kinship with those of different faith
traditions from around the world. The prayers are sometimes shared
around the outdoor fire place or around the Gandhi statue while
kicking a ball from person to person. Vigil allows members of the
School/Abbey community to join together before departing for the
day.
The Conference Center:
Where a Unique Peace Curriculum is Offered
The Abbey Conference Center has been described as a three dimensional
text wherein students, faculty, and the ever increasing number of
visitors from near and far, gather to experience its many meanings
and messages.  As
you walk through the building, erected and dedicated as a public
library in 1914, one is touched by the artistic messages of peace
and justice everywhere you turn.
Bronze statues of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Samantha Smith, Oscar Romero and others who have left their mark
as peacemakers, surround the meeting table in the center room. Photographs,
posters, pieces of artwork, tapestries, quilts, and the colorful
flags of all nations of the world inspire the student body and faculty
to commit themselves to peacemaking. The schoolhouse imbues those
who enter with a heightened appreciation for peacemaking as a way
of life.
Millis and Sherborn:
Two Towns, One Campus
The Strawberry Fields Alternative School is fortunate to have two
entire New England communities for its campus. Centrally located
in turn-of-the-century historic landmarks, students are within walking
distance of the commercial village, town libraries, and municipal
offices and just a short drive to town ponds where students enjoy
the clear water beach with local residents. Throughout the year,
students receive vocational training at local businesses, town offices
and in homes. Millis and Sherborn have become more than locations
of the school; they are truly our home, with all that this implies.
"Everyone of us, and every group with
which we live and work, must become the model of the era which we
desire to create." - Ivan D. Illich
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The Strawberry Fields