CHRONICLES OF
Quaker Education
FA L L 2 0 1 4
Composite im age of Friend s Seminary st udents in 1896 and 2011, crea ted to help cele brate the scho ol’s
325
225th annive rsary.
of Quaker education
Friends schools across the country celebrate In the summer of 1689, William Penn, the Pennsylvania provisional government, and the Philadelphia Friends Meeting appointed the first teacher and founded the Philadelphia Friends’ Public School. Fast-forward 325 years to 2014 and Quaker education in the U.S. and around the world is alive and thriving. As we continue to mark the 325th anniversary of Quaker education in America, Friends schools are celebrating that milestone as well as their own anniversaries and unique histories. This issue of Chronicles of Quaker Education features some of their stories. In honor of the 325th anniversary celebration of Quaker education in America, Friends Seminary (New York, NY) presented an exhibit in the school’s Rosenquist Art Gallery this past September. The exhibit featured historic images of Quaker educational institutions throughout the country. Contributing schools included Haverford College, George Fox University, Swarthmore College, and William Penn Charter School. The school also recently celebrated its 225th anniversary during the 2010 – 11 school year. The celebration culminated with a number of events on February 25, 2011, including a visit from then Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He delivered a speech in the historic 15th Street Meetinghouse, which celebrated its 150th anniversary that same school year. Mayor Bloomberg also read part of a proclamation declaring February 25 as “Friends Seminary Day” in New York City. Woolman Semester and John Woolman School alumni participate in a Global Issues class activity during their recent anniversary reunion.
In August 2014, more than 150 people gathered at Sierra Friends Center in Nevada City to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the John Woolman School and the 10th anniversary of The Woolman Semester School (Nevada City, CA). The Woolman Semester School is the only Quaker semester program and grew out of the John Woolman School, the first Quaker high school on the West Coast. Alumni of all ages reconnected with old friends and shared stories with each other of how the school changed their lives. The reunion was the beginning of a new era as alumni from both the John Woolman School and The Woolman Semester School shared their common bond: a lifelong commitment to the land, the school, and the community that is Woolman.
Mary McDowell Friends School (Brooklyn, NY) is celebrating its 30th anniversary during the 2014 – 15 school year. Opened in 1984 with five students, the school’s current enrollment stands at 354. June 2014 marked an historic milestone as the school’s first senior class of 25 students graduated. MMFS is the first K – 12 school in Brooklyn exclusively dedicated to educating students with learning disabilities and the only Quaker K – 12 school for students with learning disabilities in the United States. Each fall, the entire school participates in a study of a Quaker testimony. The focus this year is diversity. The fundamental Quaker belief in the light within every individual recognizes the importance of inclusion and equity as a testimony. Several events last year set the tone for this examination of diversity, including legendary civil rights activist Julian Bond addressing the school’s first graduating class.
Mary McDowell Friends School Chamber Chorus performing at the school’s benefit gala in May 2014.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Carolina Friends School (Durham, NC) has announced a yearlong “50 Years of Friends” celebration that includes special events, alumni gatherings, and historical highlights. The celebrations began on September 13 with a silent meeting for worship at the Durham Friends Meeting, marking the first day of the school’s first kindergarten class, held at the same location on September 13, 1964. The yearlong celebration will culminate in a weekend-long extravaganza in April that will include an afternoon of FriendsFest, a music festival highlighting alumni bands. The school also is developing its first archives collection, and plans to publish an anthology of essays, short stories, and poems entitled 27 Views of CFS. In addition, they are putting together a 50th Anniversary Celebration Community Quilt. CFS families also are participating in a community service project this fall. (continued on page 2)
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