Guided by Quaker principles since its founding in 1885, Friends School Haverford mission is to provide an intellectually rich program to a diverse school community. Friends School Haverford promotes academic scholarship, creativity, respect, integrity, and self-awareness with a commitment to creating a culture of stewardship and kindness. Friends School Haverford graduates are uniquely prepared to move forward with boldness of intellect and character. Founded as a co-educational, Quaker, elementary school, Friends School Haverford serves nursery school through grade five.
Friends School Haverford's program is rooted in academic challenge, intellectual vigor, artistic expression, service, and kindness. Friends School Haverford encourages children’s curiosity, creativity, and joy of discovery as they grow intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Friends School Haverford fosters an atmosphere in which students learn to work independently and in cooperation with others. They are challenged to question, explore, reflect, reason, and communicate effectively.
Friends School Haverford cultivates a community characterized by diversity in belief, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic background. With an emphasis on the Quaker tenets of integrity, service, simplicity, equality, community, peaceful conflict resolution, stewardship, and sustainability, students are encouraged to listen inwardly and to learn to recognize that of God in themselves and others. These shared values are reflected in the daily life of their School and in Meeting for Worship. Friends School Haverford teaches students to be contributing members of the community, to grow and to change with flexibility and courage, and to treat others with care and understanding.
Graduates of Friends School Haverford possess the intellectual and spiritual skills necessary to envision and create successful and meaningful lives.
Toddler and Parent/Caregiver Art Exploration Program
Our process-based art program gives the youngest learners the opportunity to socialize, explore materials, and play in a carefully designed toddler classroom. Children increase their art literacy, develop problem-solving skills, and build confidence as they engage creatively with peers, parents and caregivers.
Curriculum
Friends School Haverford's curriculum is play-based, child-centered, and progressive. Indoor and outdoor spaces are crafted to serve the social and emotional development of children and to support content-rich programming. Thematic studies and the exploration of topics that reflect children’s interests build internal motivation, create lifelong learners, and give children the tools they need to ask questions and develop critical thinking skills. Children actively learn through role-playing, dramatic play, puppetry, and storytelling.
Social and Emotional Learning
The Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship (SPICES) are the bedrock of the social curriculum and are reflected in the words and actions of students and teachers alike. Community and self-respect are taught and promoted through age-appropriate opportunities for reflection, spiritual growth, and mindfulness. Children learn to make friends and be friends. Self-awareness, increased independence, and resilience are taught. Individual goal setting and direct instruction in regulating emotions, asking for help, and empathizing with others are key aspects of the emotional curriculum.
Language and Literacy Development
Pre-reading skills are developed daily through the use of literature, environmental print, body language, and verbal communication. Children are read to multiple times daily, in groups and individually. Literature enriches thematic study, is child-centered, and is chosen to support “teachable moments.” Children are assessed and brought forward in their language development accordingly.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression
Numbers and operations are approached through observation, inquiry, and hands-on experiences. Children practice counting to 10 by using manipulatives and interacting with the natural world. Children also have opportunities to learn to match, recognize, and represent quantities through 20. They are encouraged and supported through counting songs, rhymes, and chants. Calendar work and attendance are regular contexts for mathematical concepts. Children compare and contrast quantity and size by measuring, pouring, and scooping.
Scientific Thinking, Exploration, and Discovery
Biological, physical and Earth sciences provide contexts for scientific study. Children use their five senses and tools for exploration such as magnifying glasses, insect jars, nets, and pails to conduct investigations and sort living and nonliving matter. Energy flow and the requirements of plants and animals (food, light, and water) are studied through the care of classroom plants, pets, bird feeders, and chickens, and ant farms. Seasons and weather changes are observed during regular walks around campus.. Investigations, such as planting in different soil conditions and identifying characteristics of various types of moving water nearby are undertaken. Children regularly visit the pond, creek, and arboretum at Haverford College.
Language and Literacy Development
Literacy is authentically and meaningfully woven into all parts of the school day. Friends School Haverford's goal is to encourage a love of reading and writing as students begin a more academic program in kindergarten. Teachers select texts and writing projects that inspire students’ creativity, encourage their interests, and provide the children with opportunities to build their emerging literacy skills. Literacy instruction at Friends School Haverford is intentional, research-based, and cross-curricular.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression
Kindergarten mathematics capitalizes on the natural curiosity and wonder about the world around them that is so much a part of the life of children this age. Through experiential learning, independent exploration, and cooperative investigation, students become knowledgeable about the world and versatile in the way they use the language of mathematics to explain situations of quantity in their everyday lives.
Social Studies
Social studies is at the center of the kindergarten program. Students are given intentional opportunities to examine who they are, their cultures, the environment, and what it means to be a positive leader. They also are encouraged to begin to critically examine the world around them using tools such as maps and graphs to tackle the idea of needs versus wants.
Scientific Thinking, Exploration and Discovery
Exploring and experimenting in the world around them is a powerful way for children to learn science. Time spent outdoors affords each child opportunities to problem solve, expand their creativity, take appropriate risks, and persevere. Learning about the natural world in an authentic and hands-on way is extraordinarily effective.
Friends School Haverford
851 Buck Lane, Haverford PA 19041
Phone: 610.642.2334
E-Mail us here.
