Among Friends - Winter 2012 (Campaign Special Edition)

AMONG FRIENDS Special Issue -Winter 2012

NEW Classroom Building To Be Named Hartman Hall

In This Issue: Math is Everywhere • All About Robotics

2011-12 School Committee Naoji Moriuchi ’94, Clerk Philip Lippincott, Assistant Clerk John Latimer, Treasurer Ed Hovatter, Recording Clerk Grace Blackburn Sandy Hoeppner Brown Toni Proffitt Brown Peter Cronk Meridee Duddleston Mindy Holman Louisa Wright Khanlian ’63 Mark Mitchell ’86 Dan Seeger Drew Smith Nick Smith Stephanie Zarus Ken Zekavat ’80 Louis Matlack ’53, Emeritus Laurence R.Van Meter ’68, Ex-Officio

2011-12 Development/ Campaign Committee

Dear Members of the MFS Community, This special issue of Among Friends brings important news from MFS. We are excited to announce that the new classroom building on the Greenleaf property will be named Hartman Hall for former faculty member Neil Hartman. Neil taught at MFS from 1952 through 1985 and served on the School Committee from 1997 to 2005. The School Committee’s resolution to name the new classroom building for Neil is featured on page 3.

Great Classrooms for Great Kids - The Math and Science Campaign is an effort to raise $6 million to fund Hartman Hall and new science labs in the Middle and Upper School building. The campaign will have a powerful impact on the school’s math, science and robotics programs. This issue of Among Friends includes in-depth articles about the math and robotics programs at MFS, as well as a recap of the capital campaign’s key initiatives.

To date, more than $5 million has been secured for Great Classrooms for Great Kids from trustees, parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty and staff during the quiet phase of the campaign. The start of 2012 marks the beginning of the public phase of the capital campaign. The School Committee, Development/Campaign Committee, and Development Office staff will be inviting the entire MFS community to support the capital campaign and be part of the success of this endeavor. Supporters of the quiet and public phases of the campaign will be listed in the 2011-12 Annual Report of Donors.

We are excited that the capital campaign will strengthen the school’s academic programs by providing new classrooms and labs. We are proud to recognize the importance of our faculty by honoring the teaching commitment of Neil Hartman. We are eager to have you be part of this effort that touches today’s students and establishes a legacy for future students.

Thank you for considering a commitment to support Great Classrooms for Great Kids.

Cordially,

Stephanie Zarus, Clerk Toni Proffitt Brown Kristy Embrack Albert Fox Barbara Kreider Kate Latimer Judy Hurst Loane ’71 Sam Mathew Naoji Moriuchi ’94 Matt Nierenberg Annik Smith Nick Smith Janet Stevens ’77 Beth Stouffer Laurence R.Van Meter Steve Zakroff

Naoji Moriuchi ’94

Laurence R. Van Meter ’68

Stephanie Zarus

AMONG FRIENDS Special Issue - Winter 2012

MOORESTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057 (856) 235-2900, www.mfriends.org Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68 Published By The Development Office

Contents New Classroom Building To Be Named Hartman Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 School Committee Resolution Naming Hartman Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Neil Hartman Photos and Memories . . . . . . . . .4

Director of Development Stephen Zakroff

Math Is Everywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Assistant Director of Development Beth Stouffer

Critical Thinking, Ingenuity and Resilience Mark Robotics Program . . . . . . . . . .9

Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck Director of Parent and Alumni Programs Matt Nierenberg

Great Classrooms for Great Kids – The Math & Science Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions . . . .17

Director of Annual Giving Kristy Embrack Development Office Staff Sue Giacchetto, Elaine Parellada, Michelle Wartenberg Freelance Writer Margaret O. Kirk Photo Credits Curt Hudson, Mario Morgado, Mike Schlotterbeck Graphic Design Alison Judah ’86, Hypno Design Moorestown Friends School admits students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, or sexual orientation.

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All photos are identified from left to right unless otherwise indicated.

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Join the Moorestown Friends School Alumni page for up-todate information, events and networking with fellow alumni.

Printed on recycled paper.

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Neil Hartman with Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68 in front of the Hartman Hall construction site.

New Math Classroom Building To Be Named Hartman Hall Neil Hartman Taught at MFS for 33 years On December 12, the School Committee approved a resolution to name the school’s new classroom building on the Greenleaf property for former faculty member Neil Hartman.

Mr. Hartman is best known as a math teacher, but contributed in countless other areas to the school community inside and outside the classroom. Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68 and School Committee Clerk Naoji Moriuchi ’94 shared the news with Mr. Hartman in mid-December at Medford Leas, where Neil lives with his wife Marian. Mr. Hartman said, “I was amazed. I never dreamed of such a thing.” In early January, Larry Van Meter toured Mr. Hartman through Hartman Hall as construction crews buzzed.

The announcement of Hartman Hall was first shared with alumni, former faculty and parents of alumni at Medford Leas at a special reception there on January 18 hosted by Bud ’41 and Jean Barclay Robbins Stratton.

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“Neil Hartman was one of the larger-than-life teachers who made MFS a very special place in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. He had a huge influence on me and on an entire generation of Moorestown Friends students. Naming the new classroom building for Mr. Hartman is a fitting way to honor his memorable achievements and contributions as a teacher, coach and person.”

– Larry Van Meter, Head of School Hartman Hall will house eight math classrooms, a choral music suite, a faculty workroom, and a student lounge. The Middle and Upper School Math Department faculty will be moving to the new facility in April. Hartman Hall will also contain a new technology lab, conference room, office space and student lockers. Students will make the estimated oneand-a-half minute walk between Hartman Hall and the main MFS campus on a paved trail originating just outside the tennis courts near the Field House.

The official dedication of Hartman Hall will take place on the afternoon of Friday, May 4, to kick off Alumni Weekend.

Resolution to Name Hartman Hall The School Committee of Moorestown Friends School hereby resolves that the premises known as the “South Annex” on the former Greenleaf property, now part of the Moorestown Friends School campus, be henceforth known as “Hartman Hall,” in honor of former faculty member Neil Hartman, an iconic teacher, coach and exemplar of Quaker values for generations of MFS students.

Neil Hartman Neil Hartman joined the MFS community in the fall of 1952. In addition to teaching math, Neil taught scripture, science and coached tennis. His countless extra-curricular contributions to the school include acting in faculty-student productions, leading square dances, co-chairing the school’s Bicentennial Celebration, co-editing the school’s history published in 1986, being a mainstay at the Lobster Dinner and Dinner Among Friends, and teaching the May Pole Dance to scores of MFS students. Neil retired from the Math Department in 1985 after 33 years in the classroom. He served on the MFS School Committee from 1997 to 2005.

Neil is respected for his lifetime of witness as a convinced Quaker, from his experiences as a conscientious objector during World War II, which have been chronicled in books and in Public Broadcasting System and National Public Radio feature reporting, to his travel abroad in support of international understanding. Through his work with United Nations relief agencies and the American Friends Service Committee, he developed a special connection with Japan and with Tokyo Friends School.

A recipient of the Moorestown Friends Alumni Service Award in 2004, Neil’s influence as a teacher has inspired many alumni who have supported the current Great Classrooms for Great Kids campaign for Math and Science. On the occasion of Neil’s retirement from MFS, colleague John Caughey cited the Shakespeare quote which may be used to describe Neil as one who is “want to speak plain and to the purpose.” But as John, and many other colleagues and former students note, Neil also speaks with trademark humor.

Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68 has characterized Neil as one of the larger-than-life teachers who has helped make Moorestown Friends a remarkable school. Joining Larry in recognition of Neil, distinguished economist and Boston University professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff ’69, has called Neil Hartman “one of the pillars of the school, a fantastic role model, a master teacher, a witness for peace, an active member of the Friends community, all to our great benefit.”

Therefore, the School Committee of Moorestown Friends School resolves to name the school’s newest classroom building “Hartman Hall” in honor of the exceptional contributions to the community of Neil Hartman, which span over half a century.

-Approved by the MFS School Committee, 12 December 2011

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Neil Hartman has left an indelible mark on the MFS community… …coordinating Commencement logistics

… Head Coach of the boys tennis teams that captured back-toback state championships in 1977 (pictured below) and 1978.

…teaching in the math department from 1952-85, serving as chair for a number of years. He also taught in the Religion/Quaker Education department.

“I’m sure that the most important personal traits and

“I remember Neil Hartman, a math teacher who also

life skills that I gained while at MFS are a deep love

taught religion classes. One day in math class, he

for mathematics and science. Neil Hartman and

presented students with a particularly thorny problem

Wilbur Carr taught us math in a way that challenged

that had all of us struggling to find the answer. One

students to go well beyond the assigned work and

wise-guy student in the class decided to call upon his

enjoy doing it. Those school years introduced me to

Bible knowledge to get the solution. He called out to

the beauty and utility implicit in the basic laws of

Mr. Hartman, saying, ‘Ask and it shall be given to

mathematics and nature. I’ve never lost that feeling

you,’ to which Mr. Hartman, without missing a beat,

of wonder...”

replied, ‘Seek and ye shall find.’”

– Joe Taylor, Jr., ’59, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1993 4

– Janet Sawyer Thomas ’67

Math Is Everywhere

The MFS Math Curriculum Today

Math Department Chair Michael Omilian is eagerly anticipating the opening of Hartman Hall, the new math classroom building.

When is the arc of cool water flowing from a water fountain the basis of a quadratic equation? When do students run across the Oval as part of a math lesson designed to plot velocities by the slope of a line? When does a teacher write a math equation on a specially designed board and then, with the swipe of a pen, prompt an animated illustration that instantly puts into motion what the math equation represents?

And when does the renovation of a new classroom building turn into a multi-faceted math lesson that involves computations related to design, architecture, finance and physical space?

The answer to these questions is “every day” at Moorestown Friends School, where an exciting and innovative math curriculum keeps students engaged and curious about math from the moment they enter the school until the day they graduate.

And that message – that math can be every bit as engaging as history, English or science – is embraced by teachers and students alike throughout the school, starting with someone whose name is virtually synonymous with the MFS math experience since 1991: Michael Omilian.

“Math is exciting because it’s the language that’s used to describe what happens in the world,” said Omilian, Math Department Chair and a “Math is Everywhere” champion.

“Math is used everywhere, all the time – to describe the economy, to understand banking and finance, to create any kind of object that is built, to design a new building, to create a school fundraising campaign and to understand physics. In 6

“Math is exciting because it’s the language that’s used to describe what happens in the world.”

– Michael Omilian, Chair, Math Department

terms of describing things in physics, that’s why Newton invented calculus.”

To underscore these principles, Omilian and seven other Upper and Middle School teachers in the Math Department present a curriculum rich in classic mathematical principles combined with innovative applied math concepts and technology.

For a moment, consider once more that arc of cool water flowing from the water fountain. At MFS, Omilian uses the water fountain to help teach the difference between linear (linear equations form a line) and quadratic (quadratic equations form a curve) formulas. Omilian’s math students take pictures of the water stream (also known as a parabolic arc), print out the pictures on graph paper, plot the points of water and put those points into a calculator. Ta-da! “The curve is the same curve that Newton and Galileo described and the kids can find out the same equation,” said Omilian.

And what about kids running across the Oval, that beautiful grass lawn outside the entrance to Middle/Upper

School? That’s actually an Upper School Calculus class where students make a video of their running classmates, tracking how many seconds it takes for them to run 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet at a time. The students then take that data and plug it into a spreadsheet to produce graphs that help explain the math concepts behind distance vs. time, velocity vs. time and even acceleration vs. time using cameras, calculators and spreadsheets. It may look like a 100-yard dash, but the students are actually studying velocities by the slope of a line.

“Through the process of discovery,” said Omilian, “the students really appreciate where the math comes from. And by using math to model real-life situations – plotting the control of home thermostats or figuring out our double-period systems – students have the tools to learn instead of just memorizing equations or theorems that are in the book.”

At MFS, teachers and students alike are constantly exploring complicated subjects like math through the “process of discovery,” using what teachers like Omilian call “teachable moments” to help subjects come alive and make sense in today’s world. For instance, ever wonder how long it will take to walk to Hartman Hall, the new math classroom building on the Greenleaf property? That’s a math problem. In short, MFS students study math equations, memorize their mathematical tables, and do homework that includes math calculations. But they don’t stop there. At every level of the math curriculum, they take those black and white numbers and plug them into situations that require a broader understanding and knowledge of math concepts, both quantitative and qualitative.

“It’s a real gift that the teachers in our Math Department have – to make these complicated concepts come alive,” said Head of School Larry Van Meter. “We know that every student will not become a mathematician or scientist, and our teachers are able to deliver lessons that make math fun and interesting to all students—those with high interest in math and science as well as those who may have more interest in the humanities and the arts.”

In Upper School, the mathematics program consists of two sequences – one is college preparatory and the other is an honors sequence. Both sequences include Geometry, Algebra I, Algebra II, Precalculus and Calculus classes. In addition, students may study statistics and finance and MFS is considering adding a course on economics. Students are required to take three math courses in Upper School, but many take four or more. Students from MFS have taken their math skills to college and majored in math, physics and engineering – and nearly every other subject as well. The school’s exceptional math culture and academic experience carries over into virtually any subject.

Omilian is especially proud of the “very strong Middle School program in math,” he said. Fifth and sixth graders study the basics of mathematical operations, including fractions and decimals, while seventh and eighth graders “dive so deeply into algebra that this helps them succeed later on in more advanced science and math classes.”

“It’s a real gift that the teachers in our Math Department have – to make these complicated concepts come alive.”

– Larry Van Meter, Head of School

Math in the Lower School is interactive and fun.

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“Kids are more math-driven now, and there is a wonderful cross-fertilization between math and physics and science.”

– Barbara Caldwell, Academic Dean and Associate Head of School

Middle/Upper School Math Teacher Ron Obermeier working with students.

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And MFS doesn’t wait until Upper and Middle School to make algebra, calculus and geometry exciting. Kelly Goula, Lower School Director, has recently worked to revamp the math curriculum for Lower School students. Today, students in kindergarten to fourth grade study math every day using manipulatives and applied math principles while also learning through memorization and the traditional study of algorithms.

“The program starts by being hands on, to develop conceptual understanding and the students are always excited by it,” said Goula. “At the point where they understand it conceptually by the third grade, they spend time doing multiplication and subtraction and addition – and this expands that into the fourth grade. By then, students are ready to problem-solve and talk through the problem on the page. We work out of what we call ‘discussion books’ and our teachers can project problems onto an interactive electronic whiteboard.

The students go up to the whiteboard and show different ways to solve the problems.”

A recent story in The New York Times highlighted the benefits of children playing with wooden blocks, and noted how active play with these time-honored manipulatives helps children become better math students as they grow up. Goula noted that MFS, which has a long-standing tradition of block play in the preschool, prekindergarten and kindergarten classes, continues to use blocks in the lower grades.

Barbara Caldwell, Academic Dean and Associate Head of School, notes that one of the strongest aspects of the MFS math program is its complete integration into other areas of study at the school – particularly physics and science. “Kids are more math-driven now, and there is a wonderful cross-fertilization between math and physics and science,” she said. “The robotics program, for instance, is technically a science program but so many of the same kids are interested in physics and math. With the collaborations and cross-departmental teaching that we have today, it’s really a neat thing to see.”

This spring, Omilian is looking forward to solving a math problem that he’s been working on for the past seven years: If Moorestown Friends School has eight math teachers in the Math Department, and the school only has three math classrooms, how many teachers don’t have a room to call their own? Over the years, only one answer stared back at Omilian: Five. But when the new two-story brick classroom building to be known as Hartman Hall opens this spring, Omilian will revise the answer to that equation as every MFS math teacher will have a classroom. Inside the 15,000 square-foot building, eight new math classrooms are now taking shape. “We are all very excited about the new building and what it means for the whole school,” he said.

When Omilian looks out of his current classroom towards Hartman Hall today, he sees the next phase of the school’s innovative math program – classrooms for every math teacher designed specifically so that individual and small group work can take place effortlessly, a place where students participate in state-of-the-art math lessons that incorporate sophisticated graphing blackboards and computer programs. “I just can’t wait,” Omilian concluded, “to get over there.”

Critical Thinking, Ingenuity and Resilience Mark Robotics Program

As music pulsates

through the competition

room, members of the

three Moorestown Friends School robotics teams –

the Foxes, the Falcons

and the Hawks – step up

to their first scrimmage of the season.

The initial round is pretty ugly.

The first MFS robot motors too fast down the ramp and instantly topples over, creating a rather pitiful sight as its wheels spin helplessly in mid-air for the rest of the 2.5 minute competition. On an adjacent 12-foot by 12-foot playing field, the second MFS robot drops a wheel, and its mechanical arm won’t grab the crate it is designed to maneuver. As the third robot goes into action, the robot’s entire motor drive comes unhooked, just as the Plexiglas sheet designed to help scoop up racquetballs and score valuable team points quits working, too.

Three disasters? Three teams crushed by the agony of defeat? Not at all, according to members of these three awardwinning robotics teams who represent MFS each year in the New Jersey FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge (FTC).

“That’s the whole goal of these first scrimmages – to break the robot,” said MFS senior Sam Stratter of the Hawks, who joined about 30 Upper School classmates one recent Saturday morning to compete at a suburban Philadelphia high school.

“If we do that, we know what needs to be fixed so it won’t happen again.”

“When something doesn’t work, it helps you develop critical thinking skills and learn how to react on your feet to a situation,” said Emily Whitley, a senior and co-captain of the 10

all-girl Falcons team. Fellow Falcons’ co-captain Anehita Oribabor agreed. “The main point is to learn something each time and to be able to make changes,” said Oribabor, also a senior. “We never go to a competition and say, ‘our robot is perfect.’ We always learn something.”

“This is exactly what scrimmages and practice rounds are for,” said Gabe Hege, a senior and member of the Foxes. “It’s really about, ‘OK, let’s figure this out.’”

In the five years since it began, the MFS robotics program has created hundreds of these hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for students – opportunities that ultimately incorporate science, technology, engineering and math principles into an experience that encourages students to collaborate, problem solve, strategize and compete. And one more thing: they get to have fun, building a robot.

Two days later, back in Moorestown and inside the MFS physics classroom, the three teams work steadily to address the myriad of mechanical problems each team encountered at the competition. I think we tightened it so much we created a dent in it. . . It’s a conduction issue! If I make this out of copper . . .We have to fix the trap mechanism to flip the baskets, TODAY. . . Let’s not do what we did last year and break the axle . . .We are going to amaze our enemies!. . . To even an untrained eye and ear, it’s “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” and Quaker school collaboration at its finest,

Seniors Emily Whitley and Angel Mathew,

members of the all-female MFS Falcons team, work on their robot at a recent

competition.

and Upper School Physics Teacher and robotics team founder Tim Clarke wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s what they learn between and after the competitions that is so important,” said Clarke, who announced at the beginning of the class that two teams actually ended up doing quite well on Saturday, but that “all three teams have a lot to do” before the next competition in less than a week. After each FTC event, Clarke explained, “the students come back, regroup and figure out, ‘Hey, here is what we did wrong. Let’s fix this.’”

As he looked out over the jam-packed classroom – divided equally into one-half physics lab and one-half robotics lab, with students grabbing whatever available space they could find to pick through tool boxes stacked on and under tables – Clarke just shakes his head, but in a good way.

“Controlled mayhem,” he pronounces, smiling, knowing that the tight quarters will soon be a thing of the past. When the Math Department moves in the spring to Hartman Hall on the Greenleaf property, the second phase of the Great Classrooms for Great Kids campaign will create a spacious and brand new physics/robotics lab in the current Middle/Upper School – a place where team projects don’t have to be put away at the end of class and Middle and Lower School students can visit to get a true taste of what robotics is all about. This phase of construction is expected to be completed in September 2012.

The MFS robotics program traces its start to the spring of 2006, when Clarke first put robots and seven 10th graders together during an Intensive Learning experience. By the end of the week, Clarke was hooked on robotics, and so were the students. By the fall of 2007, two MFS robotics teams with four students on each team competed for the first time in the FTC program, a challenging, national robotics competition designed for high school students. The program provides competition rules, utilizes affordable robot building kits, and rewards students for what it calls “gracious professionalism – a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others and respects individuals and

the community.” In separate, competitive evaluation meetings with FTC judges, students learn the importance of good communication and presentation skills and the value of making eye contact, shaking someone’s hand and appearing confident – skills that ultimately impact a team’s scores.

In an unexpected result that still motivates Clarke and robotics team members, one of the school’s very first teams qualified to compete in the World Championship Competition in Atlanta in the spring of 2008. When they returned, the robotics teams started an outreach program that has since grown to include presentations and programs for Lower and Middle School students, as well as helping other schools in Camden and Philadelphia start their own robotics programs.

Team members regularly give robotics presentations to community groups, and Clarke is particularly proud that the “emphasis that FTC puts on outreach is consistent with the philosophy of MFS about service. Over the last three and a half years, the MFS robotics program has completed over 3,000 hours of outreach work.”

Every year, the MFS robotics teams continue to win regional, state and national awards, and two teams were invited to the FTC World Championship in Atlanta in April 2009. Clarke thinks that this year’s teams have a good shot at going, too.

“Over the last three and a half years, the MFS robotics program has completed over 3,000 hours of outreach work.”

– Tim Clarke, Upper School Physics Teacher/ Robotics Advisor But more important, according to Clarke, is the fact that the robotics spirit has spread into the Middle and Lower grades at MFS. First Grade Teacher Emily Traver, along with Academic Technology Coordinator Diana Day, teaches an afterschool robotics program for third and fourth graders, with assistance from robotics coaches Clarke and Barbara Q. Kreider, Ph.D., Chair of the Science Department. And this year, Traver convinced robotics team members to share their robotics experience with her first graders when they studied robots and how they are used in the space program.

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Jay Hiremath, a professional engineer and parent of MFS robotics team member Karan Hiremath, thinks the robotics program offers an invaluable educational and career component. “In the world of engineering, there are three disciplines – mechanical, electrical and computer science,” explained Hiremath, who volunteers as a referee and a judge at FTC competitions. “Each of these normally do not come together in one problem domain, but in robotics, believe it or not, they all come together. You have a problem you are trying to solve and you want to build a robot using a set of mechanical components – that’s mechanical. If you want to make the robot move, that’s electrical engineering. If you want to make it move to commands, that’s computer science and programming. It’s just wonderful, at such a young age, to be exposed to the elements of a career such as engineering and to be able to see and understand the components behind it.”

Robotics program founder and advisor tim clarke.

Seniors Trevor Heins and Sam Stratter and Junior Ben Herman.

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Reprinted from Fall 2011 Among Friends

“During this campaign, I have often taken inspiration from former Headmaster Chester Reagan. He laid the cornerstone for our Middle and Upper School building at the beginning of the Great Depression. It was a triumph of his determination and the faith the MFS community had in the future to complete the project and retire the debt during his years at MFS. We have been blessed with similar wonderful support during a difficult economic period, and with early donors to the campaign who understand the critical importance of this campus expansion.”

- Larry Van Meter ’68, Head of School

Great Classrooms for Great Kids, the largest capital campaign to be launched in over a decade, will dramatically increase the number of classrooms and labs and ease the current overcrowding in the Middle and Upper School.

The results of this effort will include: 1) The first new classroom building since the 1960s with the renovation of the former South Annex building on the Greenleaf property.

Scheduled opening: April 2012 2) A new chemistry lab, a new chemistry/ environmental science lab, and a new robotics/ physics lab in the Middle/Upper School building.

Scheduled opening: September 2012 Among the benefits of these projects to the academic program are: • All full-time teachers will have their own classrooms, providing valuable continuity and increased prep time for the faculty.

• Gathering the math faculty together in the same building will enable the department to experience the synergies of readily sharing ideas, pedagogy and curriculum.

• New labs will allow the Science Department to support long-term student investigations and provide critical space for expanded work in robotics.

• A large, specifically designed suite in the new building will provide a rehearsal space for the choral music program.

More Classrooms to Strengthen the Academic Program…

MFS has an exceptional academic program that continues to grow. With the introduction of Mandarin Chinese, robotics, and new Honors and Advanced Placement courses, plus scores of electives in every department, the program is varied, engaging and challenging. As enrollment and the academic program have grown over the last two decades, the school converted unused spaces and conference rooms into classrooms. But more classrooms and labs are needed.

While the school is very efficient with classrooms – each room is booked almost every period – the result is that Middle and Upper School faculty members are often unable to prepare in their own classrooms. There are numerous full-time faculty members who do not have their own classrooms and “float” from room to room. The School Committee has identified the classroom shortage as a serious concern that affects the academic program and the valuable interaction between students and faculty members.

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To better understand some of the problems created by the classroom shortage, imagine you are… …. an 11th grade student in Advanced Placement Environmental Science. Since teaching and storage space is limited in the lab, you do activities designed to be finished in one lab period and work with minimal scientific equipment.

While this reliance on short activities has not affected your achievement on standardized tests or success in extracurricular science contests, you have little experience with environmental science activities that take longer than 90 minutes. Last year’s Environmental Science Team won first place in the National Science League Competition and you want to help this year’s team repeat. Ideally your lab would be spacious enough to allow you to carry out longer investigations, particularly those of your own design. …. an Upper School math teacher. You have many professional development opportunities, attend the National Council of Teachers Math Conference and train on electronic whiteboards. But, you have not had your own classroom for seven years. You move from room to room all day. You teach in history or English classrooms, and rearrange the desks from a circle format to rows facing the whiteboard. Since you can’t store manipulatives or lab materials, you carry boxes of straight edges and compasses along with your books and

papers. You arrive to class at the same time as your students.

It’s a challenge to implement new teaching ideas when you can’t prepare the classroom ahead of time. …. an eighth grade student who loves robotics. Inspired by your older brother’s FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) Tech Challenge Robotics team which competed at the World Championships in Atlanta, you’ve joined the Middle School robotics team that meets after school.

Unfortunately, there is precious little space for you and your classmates to work. While you have built a new robot, your group spends most of its time setting up and breaking down the test area. There is no place to keep your project up and running day to day. …. a seventh grade student. You are new to MFS, but can see that the teachers are interested in getting to know you.

Last night’s homework was challenging, and you want to ask your teacher a few questions. Unfortunately, your teacher is not in the room where you have class. Another class is in there. Luckily, you finally track down your teacher, who is happy to answer your questions as you both juggle your books on your laps sitting on a hallway bench.

“We anticipate that there will be many intangible benefits from the expansion of our footprint. In addition to giving MFS more of a ‘campus feeling,’ the

800 717 700

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creation of physically linked math and science centers will ignite possibilities for greater collaboration.

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Perhaps most importantly, giving all our full-time 574

600

teachers their own classrooms for teaching, planning

531

and conferencing with students will enhance what is 500

already the strongest feature of our program – highquality student-teacher interaction.”

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1992

1997

2001

2006

2011

MFS enrollment has grown steadily over two decades.

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– Barbara Caldwell, Academic Dean and Associate Head of School

How has the space shortage What’s the status of the former Acme?

impacted the Science Department?

“A shortage of lab space has shrunk an important aspect of science education. Specifically, we have gradually lost our ability to give students the opportunities to carry out long-term investigations. Longterm investigations are a vital part of the scientific method as such investigations demonstrate change over time."

- Dr. Barbara Quinn Kreider, Chair, Science Dept., MFS faculty member since 1998

The former Acme at 123 Chester Ave. was acquired late in 2006. In 2007 and 2008, the school developed plans for that building to help address the space crunch. The plans changed when the opportunity to secure the contiguous four acre Greenleaf property emerged. The Greenleaf provides a better solution for three reasons: 1) it is on the same side of the street and is contiguous to campus; 2) there are fewer regulatory issues in the municipal planning process; and 3) it is less expensive to renovate. The School Committee continues to closely evaluate numerous options with the former Acme location. Accordingly, the board’s Property Committee is working with real estate professionals to pursue a tenant for the former Acme.

How has the space shortage impacted the Math Department? “ Five of the eight math teachers have not had their own classrooms for the last seven years. The number of lessons that can be taught using manipulative and other lab materials is reduced as there is no place to store them or time before class to set up the necessary equipment. Some topics require the use of special instructional aides like computer programs, graphing calculator programs or even a graphing blackboard. The other classrooms do not have these items installed, which reduces the effectiveness of the lesson.”

- Michael Omilian, Chair, Math Dept., MFS faculty member since 1991, handles scheduling for the Middle and Upper School

How will the Capital Campaign and the Greenleaf Property help to solve these challenges?

In October 2008, MFS purchased the former Greenleaf Friends Home, a four-acre property that is contiguous to campus, for $4.0 million utilizing a line of credit. Established in 1896, the Greenleaf discontinued operations in June 2008 due to a decline in the number of residents.

MFS and Voith & Mactavish Architects developed plans to transform the 15,000 square-foot former South Annex facility into a new classroom building, providing eight classrooms for the Math Department, and a Choral Music Suite. The new building will be air-conditioned, utilizing a geothermal heating and cooling system, and will earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification through the Green Building Council. A 200-yard path from the tennis courts to the new building will be installed.

With the Math Department moving to the new building, the school will be able to expand science labs. MFS partnered with TAO, a Moorestown architecture firm, to plan for a newly renovated chemistry lab (installed in the summer of 2009), a new chemistry/environmental science lab, and a new robotics/physics lab. The new world languages classroom, completed in the summer of 2010, was also designed by TAO.

Construction Kickoff Celebration The MFS student body traveled down Main Street on Friday, May 6 to celebrate the kickoff of construction on the new classroom building on the former Greenleaf property, scheduled to open before the end of the 2011-12 school year.

The former South Annex will contain eight math classrooms, a choral music suite, a technology lab and office space. It will be linked to the current campus by a landscaped path originating near the tennis courts.

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A sketch of the new classroom building.

The Capital Campaign - The campaign goal is $6 million.

During the campaign’s “quiet phase,” $5 million has been raised thanks to lead gifts from the School Committee, Head’s Council members, as well as individual alumni, parents and alumni parents. The campaign will fund the renovation of the former South Annex as well as classroom and lab improvements on the main campus. The Capital Campaign Committee hopes to secure the remaining $1 million by June 30, 2012. Beginning in 2012, the Capital Campaign Committee will be reaching out to the entire MFS community requesting campaign commitments, payments for which can be spread over several years.

A rendering of the new chemistry/environmental science lab.

“It is exciting to see the tangible results that this capital campaign will have for our students and faculty. As a parent, trustee and campaign contributor, I am inspired to be part of this historic endeavor that will literally change the landscape of the school and provide opportunities for the growth of the academic program for decades to come.”

– Stephanie Zarus, MFS Trustee since 2008.

A rendering of the robotics/physics lab.

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Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions Why does Moorestown Friends need to raise money?

Almost all independent schools rely on philanthropic support to enhance their educational, extracurricular and financial aid programs. Tuition alone does not cover the full cost of an MFS education. This year 85% of the school’s operating budget will be funded with tuition dollars. The rest is covered by endowment income, facility rentals, and the Annual Fund. MFS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and contributions to the school are tax deductible.

What do gifts to the Annual Fund do for MFS? The Annual Fund plays a key role in supporting faculty, financial aid, athletics, the arts, the Camden Scholars program, service learning and so much more. The Annual Fund is the school’s top philanthropic priority as it provides the resources to enable MFS to excel.

The school’s fund-raising fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends on June 30.

Who is asked for an Annual Fund gift?

All members of the MFS community are asked to contribute – parents, parents of alumni, alumni, grandparents, faculty and staff, trustees and friends of the school. All contributions are recognized in the school’s Annual Report, which is mailed to the community every fall in the Among Friends magazine.

What is the difference between gifts to the Annual Fund and gifts to a capital campaign like “Great Classrooms for Great Kids - The Math and Science Campaign”?

Annual Fund gifts are solicited and given every year to help fund current operations. Capital gifts are generally larger – often made over a 3 to 5 year period – and support construction, renovation or endowment projects.

What have prior capital campaigns supported at MFS and when have they taken place?

In the 1950s, a Building Fund Campaign provided for new classrooms in the Middle and Upper School building and

new gymnasium (which is now the Red Gym). In the late 1970s, a capital campaign was held to endow the Chester Reagan Chair in Faith and Practice. In the mid-1980s, the Toward Our Third Century Campaign funded the construction of Stokes Hall and the Diller Library on the top floor of Stokes Hall. Starting in 1996, Campaign 2000 funded the construction of the Dining Hall Commons, two new science labs, and the Endowment for Faculty Support.

The Campaign for Arts, Athletics and Endowment, which began in the late 1990s, funded the new Field House, the renovation of the Arts Center, and established 19 new individual endowment funds.

Will I be asked to give to both the Annual Fund and the capital campaign?

The Development/Campaign Committee invites all members of the MFS community to support both the Annual Fund and the capital campaign.

However, because the Annual Fund supports immediate operating expenses, the school asks that the Annual Fund be your first priority. The generosity of those who participate in both the Annual Fund and capital campaign is deeply appreciated by the school as these efforts support today’s students and teachers.

Is there an anticipated gift amount?

The Development/Campaign Committee hopes that each family, each alumnus, each member of the community can find a way to participate, according to their means. Every gift makes a difference to MFS. When will I have the opportunity to contribute to “Great Classrooms for Great Kids”?

A special mailing will be sent to the school community in late February sharing news on the capital campaign and inviting members of the community to give. Donors to the capital campaign who make their commitments by June 30, 2012 will be listed in the 2011-12 Annual Report.

How can I learn more about giving to MFS? Visit www.mfriends.org and clicking on the “Support MFS” tab or contact Direct of Development Steve Zakroff at 856914-4411 or szakroff@mfriends.org for questions about the capital campaign.

Contact Director of Annual Giving Kristy Embrack at 856-914-4410 or kembrack@mfriends.org for questions about the Annual Fund for MFS.

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cinnaminson, NJ Permit No. 81 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949

Construction in Progress Progress continues each day on Hartman Hall. In recent weeks, a new roof and windows have been installed and considerable progress has been made on the building’s new main entrance.