Please read the Overview before using this Plan.

N n Letter N introduces Florence Nightingale, nursing and nurturing.

MATERIALS: Construction paper with hole punched in top, yarn for necklace

Snacks—Nuts, Nachos(cheese)

GETTING STARTED:

Welcome. After each person says his or her name, the group responds, “Welcome, (name).” For a child who is attending for the first time this year, add name to the letters that have been posted and to the attendance sheet, and make a nametag during or after the session. Leave an empty chair for someone who is not present or for someone who has not joined the group yet.

The Letter of the Day:

Talk about the Letter.
Give the Letter necklace to a person with that initial.
Talk about the things that the children have brought for the Letter, and/or Letter grab bag.

SPECIAL PERSON: Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)

Florence Nightingale was named for the city where she was born, Florence, Italy, but she grew up in England. Women did not go to school when she was growing up so, she was educated at home.

Have you ever been to a hospital? Where you visiting someone or were you there because you were sick or hurt? Did you notice how clean everything is in a hospital?

When Florence Nightingale was growing up, hospitals were terrible places, dirty and smelly. Only the poor went to hospitals; people who could afford to, had their care at home. Florence Nightingale's family was very upset when she wanted to work in a hospital! She read everything that she could about the conditions in hospitals and about how people become sick. She became an expert, and people asked her opinion in setting health standards in England.

When war started between England and Russia (The Crimean War), Florence Nightingale and thirty-eight other nurses went to take care of the soldiers. They set up kitchens and laundries to that there would be food and clean clothes and bedding. She was very particular about keeping things clean. We understand now that cleanliness keeps germs that make us sick from going from one person to another.

Florence Nightingale worked to raise money for hospitals and to open a school for women to become nurses. Now both men and women are nurses, and there are educational programs for many kinds of health care providers.

Florence Nightingale felt that learning about what made people sick and what keeps them well was important. We are still learning how to keep and get well. This includes continuing study -- called research. This includes looking at germs that are smaller than we can see with our eyes, and we use special equipment, such as a microscope.

Women came to Florence Nightingale's school from many countries to learn how to set up schools of their own. Many of the nursing schools that were started were run by religious groups, such as different churches. Florence learned to work with people from many religions. We need to work with people of different religious groups in our community to help everyone.

Florence Nightingale was raised a Unitarian in England.

AFFIRMATION: We help make the world better for everyone.

Florence Nightingale started schools for nursing. "Nursing" comes from the same root as "nurture," which means taking care of or helping someone or something to live and grow.

How do we nurture things? Suggestions: Talk about taking care of plants with the right soil, water, food, and light.

Or talk about nurture when talking about Animals.

Nurture for the children: What do they need ?

Start with basic things, such as food, shelter, clothes, sleep, feeling safe. Add other things, such as being loved, having fun, relationships, sense of something beyond self.

How do we help people with their basic needs? Include collection of food, helping at soup kitchens, or other activities done by the church.

THE LETTER N IN THE CHURCH

Noise: When can we be noisy? In church? When do we need to be quiet? Start with a whisper of a word, like "no," gradually increasing the volume as much as possible for the setting. Then decrease the volume. Sit quietly for a few moments.

A-B-C

Animals: Nightingale

Body (add to the Body Picture): neck, nose

Calendar: Night, noon, November

Note the date of the session and any special events for the day, including birthdays.
Note items beginning with that letter
Note events between today and the next session.

CLOSING: Gather around the Special Place where the things related to the letter have been placed. "We give thanks for the Letter N. We have shared and learned about special people and animals and ourselves and our church. May we leave in love and peace. Next week we will meet again. Our letter will be ____ and our leader(s) will be ____________________." Make sure that people take home things that need to go.

VARIATIONS FOR OLDER CHILDREN

Nursing: Have a nurse visit the group.

Needs: If there is a person or committee who coordinates services, such as a caring committee, invite a person to tell what is done to help people within the congregation. Note ways the group can help, and follow-up with specific actions.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Florence Nightingale, Ruth Fox Hume, Random House, 1960.