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This year marks my 30th year in Quaker education, and my first year at Friends Seminary. I am overjoyed to join you on your educational journey at a school I love and feel deeply committed to. I hope this is the first step in your connection with this historic and iconic educational institution, where for over 240 years, thousands of students have been provided a joyfully rigorous academic program coupled with a grounding in Quaker values and approaches to teaching and learning.
As a newer member of the community, I have been so pleased and impressed with the depth and quality of the teaching at Friends Seminary. In each classroom I have visited, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, I have witnessed teachers delivering expertly designed lessons, and accordingly, students happily embracing the challenge. At Friends, students are expected to think deeply, write persuasively, solve complex problems, and engage thoughtfully with ideas and one another. The community embodies a sense of discovery, complexity, and excitement for learning individually and collectively. As a school culture, this is a deep source of strength for balancing innovation with tradition, discernment with action, and perspiration with celebration.
For four centuries, Quaker schools have refined our pedagogical approaches so that inquiry, creativity, listening, scholarship, research, and reflection are central to the learning process. The result is a school prepared to educate for the 21st century and beyond. Students are deeply connected in our hallways so that they can explore globally; teachers are intentionally supported so that they can craft courses and lessons with great freedom; and families are welcomed into the school, creating a partnership that provides a springboard for students’ growth and independence.
As you peruse our offerings, you will see an extraordinary community of students doing superb work, all supported by the expertise of talented faculty. Whether students are serving in the city, competing on athletic teams, performing on stage, conducting research, traveling abroad, or leading clubs, they are continually encouraged to discover their strengths and contribute to something larger than themselves. Underlying these experiences are questions that sit at the heart of a Friends education: Who am I, what do I think, and how can I hone my skills? Who are you, how do I see you, and how do I connect with you? Who are we, and how will we work together in productive and transformative ways?
During Meeting for Worship, which takes place in our historic 15th Street Meetinghouse, the community gathers in silence to reflect. Meeting for Worship can be seen as the kernel of what we do well: we wait in expectant silence together, all trusting that someone might be moved to speak and share wisdom with the group. Believing that your peer, teacher, or neighbor might have deep insight creates a ripple that is felt in our classrooms and programming. This hopeful stance fosters a culture in which listening is valued, diverse perspectives are welcomed, and learning becomes a shared endeavor in pursuit of excellence.
Through collective seeking and rigorous intellectual engagement, Friends students develop the habits of mind and character that will serve them throughout their lives. They learn to think critically, act with integrity, approach others with empathy, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. These qualities—cultivated through challenge, reflection, and practice—prepare our students not only for success in college, but for lives of purpose and impact. (Learn more about what it means to be a learner in the Friends community by exploring our Portrait of a Learner.)
In closing, Friends Seminary is a school firmly grounded and on the move. If you are looking for a school where students are challenged and championed, where families are partnered with and supported, and where the faculty are experts and caring, this may be the place for you and your child. We look forward to welcoming you to campus.
Chris Singler
Head of School
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