• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to footer navigation

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE
Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

  • Home
  • About
    • Platform
    • From our Society’s President, Susan Lesh
    • FAQ
      • How does Ethical Culture make a difference in society?
      • What social life is there in Ethical Culture?
      • How is Ethical Culture religious?
    • Ethical Brew
    • Ceremonies
    • Philosophy
    • Constitution & Bylaws
    • Our Building Calendar
    • Contact Us
  • Ethical Kids
    • Sunday School
      • Primary Class
      • Elementary Class
      • Junior Class
      • Senior Class
      • Sunday school FAQ
    • Youth Group
  • Leader
    • Interim Leader Curt Collier
    • Leader’s Talks
    • Joe Chuman, Retired Leader
      • Speaking of Ethics: Living a Humanist Life
      • Wedding Officiant
  • Social Action
    • All Social Action Articles
    • Battling Racism
    • Environmental Action
    • Healthcare
  • Adult Ed
    • Job Club
    • Socrates Cafe
    • Do Tell!
    • Ethical Culture Review of Books
  • News
    • President Column
    • UN Report
    • Platform Addresses
  • Events

Congratulations to our Sunday School Graduates

June 12, 2013

GRADUATION – June 9, 2013
Three Sunday School students presented their Senior Projects at their Rite-of-Passage Ceremony at the Ethical Culture Society today. Lanue Hibbert, Izabella Repasky, and Hazel Henderson marked the completion of their educational program at the Ethical Culture Society.

With pride, we witnessed these young people leave their childhood and enter a new phase of their lives.

Their mentors stepped up to the podium to describe their own growth with their protogées and to laud them for their efforts and the people they are. David Bland’s testimonial included his observation that Lanue Hibbert is smart, funny, and charming. He was genuinely taken aback when Lanue offered to step up to pay for meals for their meetings and to assist moving household items at David’s home. Ginger Gordon stated that she was “elated” to be part of the process of mentoring a student this year. Her time with Izabella (“Bella”) Repasky was special to both of them. Bella was always ready to go to work on time and it was a learning experience for both of them. Diane Koszarski shared that it was a “gift” to her to be able to get to know Hazel Henderson better. She found her to be serene, aware, and sympathetic to the world around her.

All the parents shared their insights about their children. All stressed how each student had a strong bond with their family and their friends and each had an unwavering dedication to ethical values in their lives. What came across universally was the deep love and support each parent exuded when speaking about their child and realizing the development before their eyes.

Finally, the graduates presented their projects which were all designed via Powerpoint. All incorporated the 12 Core Values of Ethical Culture into their work.

Lanue Hibbert based his choice on a book called Gone by author Michael Grant. Lanue spoke of the story being reminiscent of Lord of the Flies where the setting involves a group of children 15 and under being cut off from the rest of civilization as some children attempted to preserve humanity by thinking of others before acting and other children who acted out of self interest, thereby degenerating into cruelty and anarchy. Lanue could easily see the themes of the Ethical Core values in this book, primarily that “The Golden Rule” is necessary for survival. His message is our choice of how and what we decide is always ours.

Izabella Repasky focused on how the Core Values relate to gun control. Primarily Izabella stated that every person is important and unique, and when a person dies, Society itself suffers a loss. Further, as a member of the World Community, Izella understands that this community depends upon the cooperation of all people for peace and justice. Unrestricted firearms works to disrupt and frustrate these goals and she wants to dedicate her life to helping to adopt more common sense gun restrictions into law.

Hazel Henderson’s project was “Peacemaking Through Music”. She found that the power of music itself can change the world. To demonstrate her premise, Hazel distributed the lyrics to two songs (Steve Wonder’s In Need of Love and Chester William Powers, Jr.’s Get Together) and played them. She talked about how both songs were about protest and peace, and more importantly about change. The words were powerful and the songs delivered the message. Hazel told all that Today is the best time to be alive and that as humanists, we all have the skills for peacemaking.

The graduation ceremony was planned by the Religious Education Committee and Sabine Salandy, the Director of Religious Education who MC’d this event. After Graduation, a celebratory luncheon replete with cake was offered.

The three graduates who will join the Sunday School staff as teacher assistants in Septement had this to say about the time they spend at the Society: “My ethical experience has been wonderful. It has guided me to make the right decisions and given me the opportunity to learn and grow” said Izabella . According to Lanue, “Ethical to me is knowing that I will always have someone under me pushing me up.” And Hazel expressed that “Ethical has helped to shape my perspective on the world, to give me a foundation for making the right decisions in life”.

Primary Sidebar

Sign up for our newsletter.

Upcoming Events

Fri 16

Mindfulness at Midday: Meditation, Movement, and Discussion Group

April 16 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Sun 18

Platform: Electing More Scientists to Congress

April 18 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sun 18

Job Club Workshop

April 18 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Mon 19

Conversemos (Let’s Talk)

April 19 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Fri 23

Mindfulness at Midday: Meditation, Movement, and Discussion Group

April 23 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

View More…

Being White

Society asks Teaneck to Make BLM Mural Permanent

About Us

Ethical Culture was founded to focus on community and good works, rather than personal salvation. Read more…

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Ethical Brew

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Connect with Us

Address: 687 Larch Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-836-5187
Email: admin@ethicalfocus.org

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: ‘The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West’ April 7, 2021
  • At Online YES Conference, 28 Teens Discuss Education March 25, 2021
  • What is the Commemorative Fund Committee? March 25, 2021
  • It’s Spring! March 23, 2021
  • Gathering in the Great Outdoors March 23, 2021

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Topics

atheism atheist church book review children civil rights climate change community compassion death democracy Doris Friedensohn Elizabeth Warren environment Ethical Brew Ethical Culture ethical dilemmas ethical education ethics everyday ethics Felix Adler global warming happiness healthcare humanism humanist humanists human rights Israel Joseph Chuman meetinghouse Middle East politics racism religion Robert Gulack Secular Humanism social action Socrates Cafe Sunday School Susan Golden technology Trump unemployment winter solstice world health

What We Do For Fun….

There's always time for play: celebrations, discussions (some in Spanish -- find Conversemos on our calendar on the fourth Tuesday of the month), hikes, picnics, cultural outings, and affinity groups like our monthly Men's Dinners and Women's Dinners.
Kids get into the act
Diane running the show

Important Links

  • Member of the American Ethical Union
  • Ethical Brew
  • Sanctuary Committee
  • BC Gun Violence Prevention
  • NJ Website Designer
© 2021 | The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Copyright © 2021 · Kreativ Pro On Genesis Framework · The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County · Log in

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE