The Head's Perspective
Join me for periodic updates from Moorestown Friends School through The Head's Perspective. I hope to connect you with the exciting learning that is taking place every day on our campus, as well as reflections on leadership and education.
The Power of Community
Quaker education is built on a foundation of guiding principles. Although there are many values and Quaker testimonies that are central to our mission at MFS, we often lift up the SPICES as a way to remember some of the most important ones: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. In this installment of the Head's Perspective, I'd like to highlight the importance of UNITY in Community.
I was recently talking with a friend of MFS about what makes Friends education different from other schools. He reminded me that schools like MFS teach students to think for themselves but to also communicate across differences. At MFS, he celebrated the rich diversity of perspectives and life experiences we have in our school, and he reminded me that Quakers have always been committed to the idea of UNITY.
In Quaker communities, the concept of “reaching unity” does not mean that everyone holds the same views, but it does require that individuals care for one another and act together as a collective. By its definition, though, unity does not mean unanimity. By honoring and respecting the various perspectives of others, we are able to better listen with intentionality and seek common ground.
In these polarizing times, reaching unity can sometimes seem like an insurmountable challenge. But as a school committed to the growth of individual students as well as to the broader community, we know that what may seem hard at first is often where the greatest growth and learning can take place. Unity allows us to clarify our own views, while finding a collective way forward. Unity also requires deep empathy and care for others.
You may notice mosaics throughout our campus, from the signature fox mosaic to student projects in our hallways. Mosaics represent what is special about learning in a Quaker community – lifting up the value and importance of each individual, while recognizing that we are stronger and carry a different meaning in community. See how many mosaics you can find at MFS.
SPICES Around Campus
Walking through campus, one can see signs of Quaker SPICES in action. The next time you find yourself dropping off your child or at a campus event, look for evidence of the Quaker testimonies that ground our daily work with students.
SPICES
Quaker Tree of Life
You may appreciate this mosaic tree from afar, as you enter the Lower School building. But have you ever looked up close to see the Quaker SPICES imprinted on the leaves? Try a “look and find” game with your children to see how many SPICES you can identify. Each circular cluster of leaves represents one of the Quaker SPICES.
Peace
The Peace Pole
The Peace Pole has always been a place for silent contemplation, solidarity in community, and the commemoration of special events. This year, faculty/staff and students gathered by the Peace Pole on the International Day of Peace (September 22) to worship in community and to stand up for nonviolence around the world. Can you name the languages represented on the Peace Pole?
Community
Advisory Program
Students in our Middle and Upper School participate in the Advisory Program. These groups of students meet regularly throughout the school year to provide support to each other and to reflect on school topics or other issues beyond MFS. The goals set by each MS advisory group this fall (pictured here) remind us that being true to self while being open to others and building community is an important value at MFS.
Stewardship
Sustainable Practices
As part of our ongoing commitment to stewardship and to making better choices for our environment, our faculty/staff Environmental Stewardship Committee has installed dish basins throughout campus to encourage students, faculty, and staff to choose reusable dishes instead of single-use plastics. We also continue traditions like Water Wednesdays to raise community awareness.
Community Moments
Scroll to enjoy this selection of community-building moments from the school year so far. We have so much to be grateful for.
Features
Curriculum Spotlight: Books & Bots
In each Head’s Perspective, I hope to share a Curriculum Spotlight that captures how we think about learning and teaching and the ways in which we connect our students with the real world. Just before Thanksgiving our first and second grade students worked on an interdisciplinary project called the Book and Bot Parade. A collaboration between Coding Teacher Rachel Kaplan and Head Librarian Ruth Malwitz, the Book and Bot Parade allowed students to bring a beloved book (Balloons Over Broadway) to life through robots that they designed, built, and coded themselves. Younger students created buildings with personal touches to add to the scene, and students from across the Lower School celebrated the display of student work while watching the robots in action. The students even received a letter from the book’s author, Melissa Sweet, which added special meaning and an authentic audience to their work. She congratulated the students on their collaborative efforts and encouraged them to continue creating and exploring. The project was a wonderful way to bring the learning community together and usher in the Thanksgiving vacation, as many of them planned to watch the NYC Macy's or the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parades on television.
Strategic Plan Update
We recently launched the new Strategic Plan for MFS: A Compass for Our Future. I invite you to check out the website to learn more. In the coming year, we plan to reintroduce Spanish in the Lower School curriculum, as well as strengthen global offerings for Upper School Intensive Learning. Working with our partners at Harvard’s Making Caring Common, we will conduct a community-wide culture and climate assessment to better understand how MFS creates a culture of care and belonging. Our Middle School students are working on a Humans of MFS series (based on the Humans of New York project) to encourage empathy building, as we get to know members of our own community. We are also designing a long-term vision and plan for environmental sustainability at Moorestown Friends. We will update the website regularly to inform you of upcoming projects as we enhance learning opportunities and supports for our students to meet the demands of a dynamic and changing future.
Meeting House Construction
I hope you were able to see the exciting roof replacement that took place in September on the 1802 portion of the Moorestown Friends Meeting House. Students watched in amazement as cranes hoisted new beams to be paired with the original roof beams for added strength. What appeared to be the original roof shingles were revealed under layers of roofing from over the years. The Meeting House construction committee will now move towards interior improvements to reinforce the balcony, improve the flooring, and address heating challenges, among other projects. Construction is expected to continue until early Spring. I invite you to check out the album below for more photos from the roof replacement.