In this Section

Does my child need to be a Quaker or convert to Quakerism to attend Friends Schools?

No, there is no prerequisite to be a Quaker to attend any Friends School.  As a matter of fact, the majority of students and faculty are not Quakers.  Quakers do not prostyletize, so there is no expectation that your child would ever become a Quaker.  Quakers do not promote religious doctrine and encourage an environment that cultivates religious as well as ethnic and cultural diversity

What is Meeting For Worship?

Every week, the entire school (grades 1-12) gathers for Meeting for Worship.  This is a half an hour in which we sit in silence as a group.  It’s a time where a Quaker, or any other person, can relax in peace to think about the good that is within them, and to think about the world.  It is a time to come together and to feel welcome.  Meeting For Worship extends the connection between the inward and outward life that is unique in Quaker education.

How is Quaker education different from any other educational program?

At Friends’ Schools, the emphasis is on critical thinking skills.  Work on individual skills and knowledge is balanced with group learning, in which each person’s unique insights contribute to a collective learning.  Quakers believe in strong encouragement of the individual.  Students who graduate from a Quaker school walk away with a strong sense of self.  They are better prepared to deal with adversity and they understand the need to promote harmony in their quest for knowledge.  Students are challenged to develop inner resources for discipline and achievement.  Each student’s gifts and talents are honored.

What if my child is “Gifted” and needs additional resources?

Our classroom teachers are aware of the different academic abilities inherent among students.  Although many of our teachers use a “Gifted” curricula for all their students, adaptations and changes evolve to accommodate the needs of each child.  Small classroom settings ensure that the teachers are able to monitor the needs of each student.  Every class is scheduled for music, art, pottery, drama, P.E., and spanish.  Lower, Middle and Upper School classes participate in many field trips and in-house programs.

It is not surprising that students who have never been identified as “gifted” may show signs of  improved academic prowess once they are immersed in our program.  This indicates that your child is appropriately placed at our school and the program is working for your child.

Is our family’s support of the military incompatible with the Quaker belief in Peace?

No, absolutely not.  The Quakers certainly have a Peace Testimony and as a community, our first reaction to solving our problems is always through peaceful means.  Whether it be negotiating, mediating or other creative problem solving, the bottom line is that the conscience of the individual is still the ultimate judge.

We believe that everyone is guided by their own inner truth.  How that truth is manifested in the real world, is up to the individual.  We trust each other to be responsible for our own decisions.  We have many military families enrolled in our school and we support those families as we would any other.

Do you have after school programs?

Yes, each division may provide some form of after school enrichment.  The Early School program focuses on age-appropriate unstructured play on our new playground..  Many of the Lower School enrichment programs can be offered to Early School students who are developmentally ready.  The Lower School may offer any of the following after school programs for a small fee:  karate, african drumming, yoga, drama, forensics, dance/gymnastics & private music lessons.

Do we have boarding facilities for students?

No, we are a day school.

What factors determine my child’s placement in a particular class?

Our placement policy is based on the developmental readiness of the child, not age. The Admissions Director will schedule an appointment for your child to visit the class with his/her peers.   

Early School students are observed for readiness to integrate with a group.  A few examples of how we assess our students in Early School are:  Can your child detach from you at drop off?  Can your child follow directions?  Can your child understand safety rules and abide by them? Can your child listen to a story in a group setting?  Can your child focus and complete a task?  Can your child solve problems with peers? 

Lower, Middle and Upper School applicants spend two days visiting with their class.  Assessment testing is done during the two day visit.  Teachers from all levels write an evaluation and a recommendation for appropriate placement   In addition to the visit, student records and transcripts are acquired as part of the application process.  Once the visit is completed and the records from the previous school are received, a meeting is scheduled with the Admissions Committee, which is made up of one teacher from each division, the admissions director and the head of school.  The committee not only decides if our school is the appropriate placement, but they also recommend the grade to which the student will be placed.  Additional recommendations may also be included, such as outside tutoring or re-evaluating for new classroom placement outside the normal schedule for such evaluations. 

Our goal is to place the student in the environment that is most likely to bring harmony and academic growth for the student.  Even with our careful attention to placement, we occasionally misjudge a student’s ability to settle with their new class and may opt to move the child to a different environment if we feel it is in the best interest of the child.

How long have you been in business?

We have been at the same location since 1955.

My work hours are different than the school hours.  How will my child get to school if my job requires my presence before the start of school?

Friends School has an early arrivals and late departures program.  The Early and Lower school students can arrive as early as 7:00 a.m.  The Early, Lower and Middle school students can stay as last as 6:00.

In addition to that, we have a carpool list arranged by zip code for families who wish to carpool.

I love your school, but can’t afford the tuition!  What are my payment options?  Is there tuition assistance?

We have several payment options, one of which is a 10 month plan.  We do not charge interest on any of our payment plans.  Secondly, we have a tuition assistance program.  Awards are made based on need.  The Admissions Office can walk you through the application process.  The program is first come, first serve and applications are filed in the spring for fall enrollment. 

If our family moves or we decide our child needs to leave your school, are we still responsible for making the remaining payments on the contract?

The Tuition Protection Plan is mandatory for all families who choose not to pay all their tuition by July 1 of the school year.  In the event that your child needs to leave the school for any reason, the remainder of your contract will be covered by the tuition protection plan.

Can we enroll or transfer our child to your school in the middle of the school year?

Several factors affect the success of a mid-year transfer.  If there is space available, we would start the application process and if your student is a good match for our program, we would more than likely offer a contract.

What if my child has a learning disability, an IEP or is receiving other educational services?  Does your program offer those kinds of services?

No we do not have IEPs, resource teachers or special programs for children with learning disabilities.  This does not mean that Friends school would not be a good match for your child.  Most people have a weakness they need to address or learn to manage.  Our goal is to work with those students who we believe are appropriate for our program.  Our small class sizes and close community can oftentimes minimize the academic weaknesses of a child with LDs.  The application process will usually reveal whether or not our program is appropriate for your child.