David's Blog

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS

2010-12-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

We are excited to share the following news related to the Capital Campaign for the Upper Division expansion. The Campaign has been underway for more than 3 years during very difficult economic times. Many of our families and friends have made significant contributions to help us realize our dream of both renovating the Upper Division campus and constructing the Arts & Athletics Center, which will benefit the entire NGFS community.

The financing for the Upper Division expansion has always envisioned a significant loan in addition to contributions. Rather than obtaining a loan from financial institution-no small feat in this time of tight credit and difficult underwriting-Bob Page & Dale Frederiksen will stand in the place of the bank and provide a loan to finance the project at a rate substantially below what is available in the market, and that also avoids significant bank fees.

This capital investment, funded by Bob & Dale, is the most significant in the school's history and will enable us to move forward in 2011 with the expansion. By sharing their resources in this creative way, Bob & Dale are enabling us to move forward with the expansioin now-during a time when market pressure has forced construction costs to record lows. This investment has also allowed us to purchase 12 acres of land adjacent to the Upper Division campus for future expansion-bringing our total land ownership to 27 contiguous acres.

Bob & Dale are making this significant financial investment to secure the future of New Garden Friends School. These actions reflect their tremendous love and support of our school community and the importance it plays in educating all of our children. NGFS is thrilled to accept this offer of generosity and to be associated with the Page/Frederiksen name, and that of Replacements, Ltd., which reflect the values of fairness, equality and justice in our community that we treasure.

Bob extends his deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the Capital Campaign. "Moving forward with this important expansion wouldn't be possible without the many contributions of generous donors, past, present and future."

Does this mean that our Capital Campaign is over? No. We must raise an additional $500,000, and our goal is to raise approximately half of that prior to groundbreaking. The Capital Campaign team and our community leaders are working furiously to ensure this happens. By accepting Bob & Dale's gift, we galvanize our commitment to raising the necessary funds. We won't slow down on our fundraising efforts.

Bob & Dale's gift is a vote of confidence for the future of New Garden Friends School. We are incredibly moved by and grateful for the faith and generosity this investment displays. Groundbreaking is expected to take place in February 2011, and completion of the new facility is anticipated approximately nine months later.

In Peace & Gratitude,
David

Quaker Schools & Spirituality

2010-10-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

I am fortunate enough to be at Pendle Hill with about 50 other heads of Friends Schools for our annual gathering. I have been coming to this event for close to 20 years and I always find it rejuvenating. I am always amazed at, though our schools vary in size, history, location, etc, we have so much in common.

During this trip I have been a part of conversations across almost all areas of administration. We have talked about making our education affordable, especially for our younger families in our preschools and kindergartens. We have talked about ways to have our older students and younger students be in the same places on our campuses and benefit from one another. We have talked about, no matter how elite each or our schools may be perceived to be, we don't get enough kids into the "right" colleges. And we talked about working diligently with colleges and students and families to get our kids into the RIGHT college for each of our students. We discussed what positions we need to add to our staff and which ones we need to let go. We discussed what education is going to look like in the next 5, 10 , 50 years regardless of what our economy does.

Most importantly, we discussed that when we are in the position to have these difficult conversations and we then proceed to make the best decisions our schools can make; we greatly benefit by bringing our sense of Quaker spirituality to the decision. It doesn't make these decisions easy, but we can then make them with more confidence and calm. It is a gift that we have as educators in Quaker schools. We beleive that listening to that still small voice within is worthwhile. Our students can use this, our teachers, our staff, parents and trustees. Again it is a gift and we must always be mindful of this.

A Day (& more) of Peace at NGFS

2010-09-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our annual Community-wide Peace Picnic at our Pleasant Ridge campus. This has become a tradition at NGFS. It allows us to "lift up" for one day what we live throughout the year at our school. That is that resolutions, small and big, come best through peaceful methods. We stress throughout each day, and each year and our history the importance of thoughtful listening and reflection to work out solutions together, not by physical strength or majority rule.

We say in our Statement of Quaker Beliefs, about Peace: Friends are committed to settling differences in all human relationships in a peaceful manner.

So we do as a school community live this each day. Coming to non-violent resolution is not the easy way often, but we are convinced it is the right way. Therefore, we celebrate this Day of Peace as one component of the bigger picture at NGFS. We do encourage all in our community to take a moment next Tuesday, September 21 (the official International Day of Peace) to think about how you can create more peace in your life, in the life of your family and community.

Roots & Connections

2010-09-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

Three events in the recent history of the school lead me to write this blog: a workshop I co-led at our staff retreat looking at the history of the school to help us build the curricular future, my first class with the upper division Quaker seminar students about the history of NGFS, and the work of the Diversity Action Group of the Board to connect with our first home, Persimmon Grove AME Church on Dolley Madison Avenue.

There are so many incredible people and places involved in the history of New Garden Friends School, but I would like to highlight the congregation of Persimmon Grove AME Church today. Back in 1971 when NGFS was just an idea, with many people trying to make it a reality, the congregation of Persimmon Grove AME Church opened its arms and its doors to provide NGFS with an initial home. Without this gift, who knows whether our school could have ever found its feet - to get to the place now where our students are able to soar.

What trust and faith the Persimmon Grove community had to welcome a new school into its facility and into its collective heart and conscience. NGFS was only there for a brief period, wanting at that time to be more centrally located in downtown Greensboro. But what a great start this provided the school.

Now, almost 40 years later, both communities are working to reconnect. On September 14th we will welcome friends from Persimmon Grove for a visit to our Guilford and Pleasant Ridge campuses and to have lunch with a group of our students. We are excited about this event. We hope to do more with the congregation in late October as a part of their "Friends & Family" celebration.

I want to thank the Persimmon Grove community for giving NGFS its start. Those roots are so vital now to our ongoing growth. I hope that our reconnection will be one that is long lasting, and that this part of our history will become a part of our future.

Gratitude and Grandparents

2010-04-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today is our celebration of grandparents and grandfriends at NGFS. This is a tradition that goes back a dozen years or so at the school; I guess fairly new as traditions go. I have come to see this as one of the most special days in our school calendar.

Why? There are many reasons.

Every year, on this day, our campuses are so full of joy and appreciation for each individual: students, staff, parents, volunteers and our cherished grandparents and grandfriends. This year we had over 100 grandfriends spend the morning with us.

In American culture, where we seem to separate elderly adults from children, we have lost much of what can be given from a lifetime of wisdom. This day at our school symbolizes the importance of each day being a day lived intergenerationally -when you blog you get to make up new words =). There is so much to be learned from our grandparents and grandfriends. There is so much rejuvenation to be given from our students.

Mostly, though, is the value simply of the relationship itself between grandchild and grandparent. There is no other relationship quite like this one throughout one's life. It is one based singularly on unconditional love, incredible joy on just time spent together, with very little reason for stress and tension to ever enter the relationship. Well maybe that is too utopian, but that's how I remember my grandparents and it is the hope I have for our current students as they get to live their relationships with their grandparents.

Thanks to our community, all the volunteers and the students who led worship and the teachers who created special schedules and to our grandfriends for an exceptional day!

Where Has the Year Gone

2010-03-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it is already spring break. When we come back to school it will be April. Trips will begin, then graduation and Camp Carefee Day and Magic Penny and another school year will be complete.

However, what a school year it has been for us so far. From my perspective curriculum and vertical continuity have never been stronger. Our teachers are finding ways to balance the age old lessons of being a community member (citizenry) with the newest of skills needed for todays's world, ie, analyzing data, agility and adaptability, initiative, imagination, collaboration, etc.

Our community events have been outstanding, from the pancake breakfast and workday, to the Peace Potluck, Fall Unity Festival, Fiesta de los Ninos and the Lyndon Street Art and Music Exhibit. We are all looking forward to Many Friends, Many Voices on April 25th-this concert will be a new and exciting way for NGFS to provide the arts to our greater community.

We have a group of students and adults who are travelling to Cuba over Spring Break to do service work in that community. How many schools can offer that for its students! Many thanks to Robb for all the hard work involved in making this trip possible.

I could ramble on much longer, but in a nut shell that is where we have been and where we are going. With a quarter of the year remaining our enrollment is strong and the immediate future for the school looks great. Thanks to all of you: parents, staff, trustees, students and friends of the school for making NGFS the incredible learning community that it is.

I hope everyone has an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate over break, and hope everyone comes back energized so that we have a strong finish to the 09-10 school year. Safe travels to all of you on the road or in the air over break!

Celebrating and Honoring Diversity

2010-03-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Wow!, what a program that was put together for our annual Diversity Day celebration. Thanks so much to the staff and parents that worked so hard to put this together. This is such an important event for our school community. It is one outward manifestation of our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive community.

This year the committee chose the topic, "Movement of Change-Overcoming and Moving Beyond Segregation in Our Society." In part, this was to honor the 50th anniversary of the Woolworth "Sit-ins" in Greensboro.

The committee even outlined goals for the day:
Students will understand difficulties other people in their own community might have experienced or are currently experiencing based on race, religion, gender, economic situation, disability, etc.
Students will have the opportunity to listen, discuss, ask questions and become involved in a workshop dealing with a specific topic related to the theme.
Students will be able to identify something they can do (at their own level) to make a difference in helping the lives of others.

We began this morning with the entire community coming together for meeting for worship. Logie Meachum, a dynamic storyteller and singer and also a long time friend of NGFS, shared stories and wisdoms around the theme of "A Long Walk in the Night."

After meeting for worship there were a series of age-appropriate workshops conducted for students either at New Garden Friends Meeting, our Guilford campus or our Pleasant Ridge campus.

I didn't, and couldn't, get to every workshop. But I did get to hear a few of them. One from the Horizon age group, one from Rainbow and two for upper division students. Each was incredibly powerful. One at the upper division was a presentation by a Tuskegee Airman. There are only a handful of these airmen still alive. His story was so moving, his drive to accomplish the goal of being a pilot was unweilding. I think all of us who heard him were moved.

The entire day was such a strong statement of the so many good things about our community. Again thanks to those who made today possible: the volunteers, the presenters, and our students who were so attentive throughout the day.

Celebrations & Special Occasions

2010-02-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

I have been at NGFS for a long time, 25 years to be exact. It is true what they say, whoever they are, time flies when you are having fun. I have gotten to do a lot at NGFS, I've taught some class to kids of every age at some point in my time here. I have loved being a head of school with Marty and now flying solo. And four years ago, the one thing that I had always said NGFS hadn't afforded me the opportunity to do, I finally got the opportunity to do; coach girls basketball.

When NGFS began its upper division program, varsity athletics came into existence; and I became a first year coach. (My 3rd, or 4th, or 5th-I lose count-dream job I've had at NGFS.) Our first year we truly began from scratch. I had kids who wanted to play basketball, who hadn't had a lot of experience. I was a coach who had always wanted to coach but never had. We only had the SAC for practices. We wouldn't have been described as very good, but the girls worked hard, learned and learned and learned, never gave up, had a great time and finally won a game late in the season.

The second year came and we improved and won 4 games. The third year came and we improved and won 6 games and learned to be competitive against almost everyone. We are now in our 4th year and we are good. We have experience and we could win 20 games. We are even hosting our own invitational tournament next week. Most importantly, we play-win or lose-with sportsmanship and class. Other teams compliment our girls after almost every game. They tell us we are not like most other teams they play and wish other teams were like us.

Throughout these four year two girls, Erin and Grace, have been there since day one. They have been leaders, captains, and starters from the beginning. They have established the foundation of a program NGFS can know honors the mission of the school. Tonight at 4 oclock they will play their last regular season home game. I celebrate their efforts and can say I am honored that they were willing to put up with me as an inexperienced coach and help me grow as they grew and as they helped the program grow. Thanks is not enough and yet I think it mostly simply and thoroughly captures my gratitude to these two incredible NGFS student-athletes. They will be missed but all they have done will only be built onto in the future. A coach, a program, a school could not ask for two better, strong founders of a program. Again thanks to each of you and thanks to both of you.

On February 24 NGFS will be co-sponsoring a concert by Quaker folksinger Carrie Newcomer. Carrie has performed in Greensboro before and came to NGFS to work with our students one other time in the 1990's. We are thrilled to be a part of bringing her back to Greensboro. Her concert will be at 7:30 in the meeting room at New Garden Friends Meeting. The concert is free but donations will be accepted to support NGFS and Friends Center at Guilford College. Come out and bring the kids, you will be thrilled you came. Any of us who have ever seen her in concert once, go back again and again.

To read more about Carrie and her latest release go to http://carrienewcomer.com/#Celebrated-Singer-Songwriter-Carrie-Newcomer-Releases-New-Album-Before-And-After-On-Rounder-Records-February-23-2010.html

On April 25th from 3 to 5 at the Carolina Theater NGFS and Replacements Ltd will present "Many Friends, Many Voices 2010; a celebration of the music of Greensboro. We hope this will become the first of a series that will promote the diverse and vibrant arts community of Greensboro. Many local artists will share their music this afternoon. We are also honord to have Joan Garry as our keynote speaker. She is a current leader in ongoing civil rights causes and has a special affinity for NGFS and the innovative education we provide.

More information will be coming very soon. We hope you will be able to come to this incredible event, the entire family will have a great time.

Pondering Forever

2010-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

In 1993 I received information about a Teacher's Seminar held at Westtown School outside of Philadelphia. It looked great, actually better than great; but it said attendance was by invitation only. With some combination of trepidation and courage I picked up the phone and called the seminar leader, David Mallery. I asked him how someone could get invited. He didn't know me from Adam's cat, but he said who do you want to invite? Sheepishly I replied, "myself." He signed me up immediately.

At Westtown, I learned that David was so much more than a seminar leader. He was a friend, a colleague, a mentor, I don't think it's too far to go to say he could be your hero. By the time the week ended he had connections with me that he had made over the previous 20 years through Guilford College and Friends Council and other places AND he had that with every one who particpated in this experience.

Over the years since 1993 I had the opportunity to go to 2 more of his seminars and to send a number of NGFS staff to various of his seminars. Each person always came back energized, excited, invigorated to teach, to teach better and to teach to each and every student they had. I was also lucky enough to stay in touch with David through my work at Friends Council. About once every year or two we would get together for breakfast in Philadelphia. David always called it our summit meeting. We would talk about NGFS, about Quaker education, about life and I always came away knowing education is truly the most noble and fulfilling profession.

Last week Carrie (who also went to a Westtown Seminar, just a couple of years ago) got word that David was very ill and likely not to live through the week. On Saturday a friend of mine, who I met at the Westtown seminar, called to let me know that David had passed away. My last summit with David came last April at a bakery in Germantown with Carrie there also. I certainly didn't know it would be the last, in fact I was planning to try to schedule another summit this April. We had a wonderful time, and hugged David when we left. Carrie and I were so happy to have gotten to spend a morning with David and have our reservoirs filled, even overfilled. We talked for a long time driving home about the difference David had made in our lives and in the lives of EVERYONE we knew that had ever met him.

Tracy Chapman has a lyric that reads, "I've seen and met angels wearing the disguises of ordinary people living ordinary lives." I don't know that anyone would describe David as ordinary, but he certainly was an angel in the lives of thousands and thousands of educators over his life. I have been left this week smultaneously feeling incredibly empty and incredibly joyful for having known David. I feel for his family during this time, but also know they have an extended family too large to count. And I've thought a lot about forever, if anyone can "live" forever, it is David. He touched so many in his life, who continue to give his gifts of grace, compassion and joy for life. I know how much I loved and love David, and I know so many colleagues who feel the same way. I know your life will continue through each one of us and we will each do our part to keep what you gave us alive.

David liked to ask his seminar participants to close their eyes and create a variety of images, maybe your favorite teacher, and then yourself as an adult encountering that teacher and painting what you would say and do given this chance. So, as a small part of paying forward what David gave to me, I ask you "paint a picture of someone who made a difference in your life, see them as you remember them and for all they did for you." Then if the opportunity presents itself, or maybe make the opportunity. Tell them. After all what better gift than to let someone know they made a difference in your life. I'm so glad I got to tell David that time and time again.

NGFS continues to go global

2009-12-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

NGFS Rainbow students, teachers and families have completed their 2nd round with Rock Our World. ROW provides an opportunity for students, teachers and their families to work with students teachers and families in other schools from all over the world to compose music, create videos and have conversations with one another. This round was focused on tolerance and each group of students had to create a project to become more tolerant of the world around them. Rainbow students tasted foods from around the world and then had an opportunity to come in one evening and meet with Japanese students to talk about foods from around the world and other topics. We hope NGFS will be invited to participate in future ROW rounds.

In January NGFS Upper Division students will have the opportunity to expand their class choices by over 200 classes because of a collaborative effort between NGFS and Virtual High School (VHS). Students are currently signing up for classes. Following is the press release that went out on Tuesday of this week. It's exciting to see the many ways that NGFS is preparing our students for their world, while remaining true to our core values of simplicity, harmony, integrity, community, equality and stewardship.

New Garden Friends School Expands Curriculum with 200 New Online Classes12-10-2009 GREENSBORO, N.C. – High school students at New Garden Friends School will start the New Year with the option to choose from more than 200 new classes on topics as diverse as American popular music and constitutional law. The expanded curriculum is made possible through a partnership with the Virtual High School, a pioneer in online learning. More than 6,000 students are enrolled in Virtual High School courses at 324 member schools in 27 states and 24 countries. New Garden Friends School is the only Triad educational institution offering Virtual High School courses and one of only five schools statewide. “Our affiliation with Virtual High School gives our students a way to explore new interests and to develop collaborative, online learning skills that are increasingly critical to success in college and in the workplace,” says David Tomlin, head of New Garden Friends School. “They will have new opportunities to build character, promote creativity and entrepreneurial aspirations, learn new problem solving techniques, practice communication skills, and test their teamwork and leadership capabilities.” Students will be able to select from Virtual High School courses in the arts, business, foreign languages, language arts, life skills, health, mathematics, science, social studies and technology. Each class will be delivered over the Internet as a complement to the rigorous curriculum taught by New Garden Friends School teachers. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers from around the globe who are enrolled in the same online classes. About New Garden Friends School Founded in 1971, New Garden Friends School is part of a centuries-old tradition of Quaker education and is committed to the Quaker testimonies of peace, equality, truth, integrity, simplicity, community and stewardship. An interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to learning is designed to help students uncover their strengths, express themselves fully and become active community leaders. New Garden Friends School serves pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It also is a member of the Friends Council on Education, an association of more than 80 Friends schools across the nation committed to excellence in education. For more information on New Garden Friends School, visit http://www.ngfs.org/.

Have a wonderful weekend, remember to purchase your BEAR WEAR before the holidays. Next Friday is a half-day for students, extended care is offered until 6PM as always.

On being thankful

2009-11-24T11:00:00.001-08:00

I will say this from the beginning, my blog is inspired by the message that David Bills gave at New Garden Friends Meeting this past Sunday on this exact topic. I'm also inspired by my love of having a day that gives us all cause to stop and give thanks.

I know each one of us has challenges and difficulties in our lives, some small and some monumentally large. That being said, I'm thankful for a day that causes me to stop and reflect on all I have to be thankful for. I hope I don't bore you too much with my list and I promise you it will just be the very beginnings of a list. I do hope it will encourage folks to stop and think of their own list.

I am thankful for a community that has supported me through 25 years as an educator and administrator. That has given me far more opportunities to learn than I have given the students that I have taught over those years. A community that more times than not celebrates me for what I do well and forgives me for my weaknesses.

I am thankful to have an incredible wife, Carrie, who truly loves being the wife of a head of school. This is a blessing, because often times her job is much tougher than mine. As an educator herself she helps me to continue to grow in my professional work, this is simply the icing on the cake.

I am thankful for parents who spoiled me as a child but also held me accountable for my actions. I know that if I hadn't been successful in my life it would have been my own fault. They provided me every opportunity to succeed and to be happy in my life.

I am thankful for innumerable friends who care about me no matter what. Who support me in my personal and professional life. I am especially grateful to my friends who keep me sane by getting me on my bike or out for a walk or to a getaway to the beach, etc, etc, etc.

I am thankful for the opportunity to work with our students through the Quakerism seminar I teach and through coaching girls basketball. Almost all heads of school know that being with the students makes them better administrators but not all schools afford this to their heads of school. Working with the students keeps me grounded in what is most important, energizes me by being around their own energy, and allows me to better empathize with our great staff through both their celebrations and trials in their own classrooms with their own students.

I am thankful for a staff that puts everything they have into providing the best and most current education for the students at NGFS. A staff that is consistently bringing new, more scientifically researched information that continues to allow us to offer the strongest curriculum from age 3 through 12th grade that we know to offer. And for a staff that truly cares for me far more than most heads could ever imagine. I can only hope they feel so cared for from me.

I am thankful for a parent community that is so incredibly supportive of the work and play of the students of NGFS, and so supportive of the time and energy of our staff as they work with our students. Our parents play a pivotal role in making NGFS as strong a community as it is.

I could continue on and on and on, but won't at this time. I hope each of you has time over Thanksgiving to be with family and friends and share thanks for all that is good in your world.

Welcome Home

2009-11-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

I'm humbled to write today's blog about a man I consider a friend and a mentor. Without his vision, energy and collaborative work NGFS would have not come into existence. You see, in 1969 Bruce Stewart took a group of Guilford College students to the Philadelphia area to visit Friends Schools there. From that visit the vision arose to create a Friends School in the Greensboro area. Through Bruce's hard work and the hard work of others including another founder of the school and current trustee Jim Newlin, New Garden opened its doors in 1971.

Bruce continued his service to Guilford College for many more years. In fact, that is where I first met him, when I was a student at Guilford. A little known fact, Bruce and I ran on the same 5K relay team race contested by Guilford students and staff and sponsored by the college. After his tenure at Guilford, Bruce served as head of school first at Abington Friends School, in Jenkintown PA. AFS is one of the oldest Friends Schools in the country, having opened its doors in 1697. He left Abington to become head of Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. At Sidwell, Bruce would tell me he had to be so careful with his words and any statistics or data he shared publicly because of the Washington press. Yet he led Sidwell with such incredible vision and concern for all things Quaker.

Through the years I have had many opportunities to visit with Bruce. We always have had time to get together at Friends Schools Heads Gatherings and we served on the Friends Council on Education Board of Directors. Each time I see Bruce, all he wants to talk about is NGFS and how this community is doing. He has said he never imagined NGFS having the staying power to become such a strong, educational institution in the Triad area. That he thought it might live for 10 years, and having served its mission, closed its doors. He is thrilled that we continue to serve that initial mission of educating kids in a caring, supportive, challenging environment.

Bruce cares deeply about the NGFS community and has for longer than the school has existed. We are fortunate next week to welcome Bruce home for a day. He and his wife Andra will be visiting NGFS on Wednesday, November 18. At 5:30 PM he will be speaking in the Commons at the upper division campus. All NGFS community members are invited to this event and we hope you will come out' share with friends that you think may be interested also. Bruce is a dynamic, visionary speaker. He will share about "The Importance of Friends Education for the 21st Century." If you can come please RSVP to Beth Brooks at bbrooks@purringtonmoody.com. We are offering child care at the Guilford campus in the extended care room.

I hope to see many of you at this special event. It will be a great time to say thanks to Bruce, hear him speak about a topic near and dear to his heart, and welcome him home.

NGFS staff community and collegiality

2009-10-30T04:18:00.001-07:00

Each year the staff of NGFS begins the year with a retreat. We study new educational information, making sure that when we make changes to our dynamic curriculum, these changes are sound scientifically and allow for consistency from one level to the next. We also have time to play and just spend quality time together. It is a great way to begin the year. Historically we then go through the year with very few extended opportunities to renew ourselves as an entire community, sharing and learning from one another.

Last year it was suggested by a person on staff to have a few opportunities throughout the year to come together as a staff for an extended time. Certainly this was an idea whose time had come. That's why in this school year calendar we have 3 early release day for students: today, March 8 and May 3. On these afternoons our entire staff will come together professionally to further study important educational trends and also just have time to be with one another.

Today we will be continuing our conversation of what makes us the best education for a 21st century student. More and more research shows a consistency of skills that students today need to have, some of these are the ability to: write and speak eloquently, access and analyze information, and be creative and imaginative.

As we work together today as a staff, we will spend time thinking about what skills and traits a person needs to succeed in the world after formal schooling. This helps us see when and where to initiate and build these skills within our students. We will also have time to discuss how we transform units of study so that we maintain critical and interesting content, but allow our students to use the tools of the day, and be considering the tools of tomorrow. This will be a wonderfully useful opportunity for all of us on staff as we work to give our students the best we can give them for the world they will live in.

Friends School Heads Gathering

2009-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

What an amazing event when roughly 50 heads of Friends Schools from all across the country get together! There are new Friends Schools and ones over 300 years old. There are nursery schools only, schools that go through 6th or 8th, and schools that go through 12th grade. And once a year the heads get together. Never, outside of the NGFS community, am I more surrounded by professionals more committed to there work than at this event. This year's event was co-hosted by Newtown Friends School and George School in Newtown, PA.

What do we spend our time on at such a conference, well the themes will probably sound familiar. We discuss the the idea that Friends Schools are well positioned for the 21st century because friends have always moved away from fear and toward opportunity. We talked about collaborative inquiry leading to innovation. We talked about our commitment to have each individual student in all our schools have the chance to learn who he/she is as an individual and to respect and learn about their peers. And we talked about the importance of hope and that Friends Schools teach hope.

Of course this year most of us have had economic and enrollment concerns, however it seems most of us are doing very well with enrollment and we have been creative with budgets to make the most out of an economy where people have less. One particular area of goodness, is that we all feel that there is an abundance of creativity, wisdom and optimism in our communities that will help us through the current times and better prepare us for hopefully better economic times ahead.

I am always filled with a sense of joy to be with these colleagues, who are more freinds than friendly acquaintences. I look forward to this gathering and always come back with ideas and energy that hopefully helps the NGFS community. I hope that I am able to share ideas and energy that others can take back to their communities.

I look forward to being back in NC tomorrow and greatly looking forward to the Fall Unity Festival next Friday. Hope to see you there.

Opportunities

2009-10-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning I have the first Breakfast with David event of the year. This one was held at New Garden Friends Meeting near our early school--A Child's Garden. Last night we had a dinner for our middle school families to learn what comes next at NGFS, in other words a time to find out about 9th grade. What I realize from these two events, hosted on two of our three campuses is that both were about opportunities.

A good school should provide its students with worthwhile learning and life opportunities and prepare its students to take advantage of opportunities that arise for her/him outside of school and certainly as she/he moves into adulthood. Of course I believe NGFS is a good school and that we do offer many opportunities to our students.

In talking with parents of our younger students, we talked about what is available to those students now and looking forward. We talked about collaborative events such as when ACG students come up to do PE with middle schoolers and Charles. We shared the importance of our ACG students getting to visit with their friends at Friends Homes and make that intergenerational connection. Throughout the morning we discussed many of the opportunities that exist for these students, and that exist for the adults in the community. Such that, our parents can be involved in the life of not only their children but the life of the school.

At our "Find out about 9th grade" program, once again we talked a lot about the opportunities that exist for our 9th grade and older students. Although I live these opportunities everyday with our students I am still amazed what exists for these students. Our students have the chance to do honors work in all core subject areas and international language. This allows our students to take on the next challenge of learning when appropriate. Students have the opportunity to take quarterly electives on Fridays from 10-12. These electives cover a wide range of subjects from core subjects to the arts to outdoor activity. Many of our 8th graders are now taking some of these electives also. Our 8th and 9th graders are participating in a Toastmaster's Club where they are learning public speaking skills and can also learn about forensics, as in debate. At the upper division we even begin each morning with a brief community time to hear announcements and have the chance to further build community. I could go on and on, but will save other opportunities for later blogs.

These two events just brought to focus all the opportunities our children have across all of our levels. At our youngest levels opportunities from the teddy bear picnic, moving to incredible units on castles or the Anasazi to the first overnight trips to wonderful places within North Carolina and the chance to be in dramatic performances exist. In our middle division, students have their first chance to play organized sports for the school, they get to go on multiple night trips out of the state as part of the curriculum, along with the opportunity to learn guitar just to name a few.

This is an exciting place for our students to grow, to learn and to take advantage of many, many opportunities that are provided.

A week in the life of ...

2009-09-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

At first I considered writing about some of the work our staff did this summer and during staff retreat that we hope will positively impact each and every student this year, but the longer I thought, the more I realized I just needed to share all the amazing things I see going on here in a week.

Though school has started we still have families contacting us about enrollment for this current school year. Just this Monday we had a new student start at ACG, we are meeting with families interested in Sunrise and we have a new student starting at Upper Division on Monday. We also had our first open house for next year and had four families come to visit.

Rainbow had its parent meeting this week and parents had the opportunity to see what choice time is like in Rainbow and also to respond to journals that children had written to their parents. Sunrise will have their parent meeting next week, at which time all levels will have had their beginning of the year parent meeting. Rainbow also had two skype conferences with students in Poland and Canada. This a part of the Rock Our World program focusing on tolerance.

Parents have been very active around our campuses preparing for the Fall Unity Festival. This is always a wonderful afternoon and it is so exciting to see the work being done to get ready for this event. If it's not on your calendar, it will be held on October 16 from 3:30 to 6:30 at the Guilford campus of NGFS.

We have also had staff and parents and students helping to prepare for the NGFS Golf Tournament next Friday at Oak Hollow Golf Course. Hey, its not too late to sign up either, come on out and have a great afternoon.

On Wednesday approximately 25 upper division students, all of whom are in honors history to hear Father Elias Chacour, archbishop of the Galilee. He spoke about Palestine and Mar Elias, the school that he is head of there. He specifically talked to our students about being grateful for the school and opportunities they have and to use them well in the future.

More of our staff had an opportunity to continue work with Carl Hobert and his Axis of Hope curriculum on Monday at staff meeting. His hope is that we work with him to develop his curriculum through all levels of our school and then help other schools learn how to use the curriculum. We are excited about this vision for the future.

Just this week alone we have 3 middle division soccer games, by the way congrats on the win against High Point Friends School, a great game for both teams and a fun "Friendly rivalry;" 3 varsity volleyball games-our girls played a great game against St. Mary's for their 2nd win of the season and have another "Friendly rivalry" game against Carolina Friends School, and two cross country meets--most of our runners ran personal bests at their meet on Tuesday and the boys wone their home meet against Salem Baptist on Thursday.

Our middle school and upper division play has been cast and the actors have begin reading scripts and will get into more intensive practices soon. This year's play is Shakepeare's "As You Like It." We also have a Lego League team that has already begun practicing for their event later in the year.

The first Friendly Getaway heads out on Friday for a weekend of fun in the Smoky Mountains. These getaways are optional field trips offered periodically through the year to middle division students.

We had a wonderful Meeting For Worship this morning. During the "Carnation Ceremony" 12th graders welcomed Sunrisers to the new school year. Students from Sunrise through 12th grade were moved to speak about Peace in response to the story that was read.

Obviously, this doesn't begin to include all that is going on in each classroom, nor even all the special events occuring around the entire school. I think it is just amazing to see in one snapshot view some of what is going on at this amazing school. I know we are not a perfect community but it is joyful to see so much that is positive going on for our kids, parents and staff.

Honoring the NGFS statement of Peace

2009-09-18T04:23:00.000-07:00

Honoring the NGFS statement of Peace
Along with the video updates that I have begun the year with, I will be keeping a regular blog to our community. As a staff we are growing in our use of all that is available to us and I feel this is a more interactive mechanism in which to share with the community. I hope to update this regularly and update the video regularly. I hope you are finding these useful in getting more of the overall flavor of all that goes on at NGFS and that the "What's Going on at NGFS" email is giving you the specifics about events that you need. Again hope that your child(ren) are working hard in the classroom, feeling challenged, and being joyful to be at NGFS.

What an exciting week at NGFS! Saturday we found out that NGFS had been selected from applicant schools all over the world to participate in Rock Our World. Others schools selected to participate in this project are located in Italy, Peru, Zambia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Japan. Students in Rainbow and Horizon will have an opportunity to participate. Activities will include creating collaborative songs with students in other countries and video conferencing. The theme for this round of Rock Our World is tolerance, which will tie in well with our studies of peace and equality.

On Monday, One Voice came to speak to Upper Division students and 8th graders in the Commons on the Upper Division campus. One Voice is a group of Palestinians and Israelis that are committed to bringing peace to that area. Our students heard from 3 members of this organization and had a chance to ask questions. I was amazed at the insightfulness of the questions our students asked: ranging from asking about serving in the Israeli military, to understanding the state of life for Ethiopian Jews in Israel, to what is like to travel through Palestine as a Palestinian dealing with checkpoints every few miles.

On Thursday, all classes heard stories of peace of learned of individuals who worked for peace during their lives, this will continue on Monday as well. Monday is officially International Day of Peace. We also had our annual Peace Potluck with the entire NGFS community. Though we had to move this event, but can we complain-the rain is so needed, to the Guilford campus this was a wonderful evening of fellowship for all.

Finally on Friday, we fully establish our relationship with Carl Hobert and Axis of Hope. He will be training many of our staff--all divisions of the school will be represented--and some invited guest to use this curriculum with our students, thus making us the hub school for Axis of Hope.

As a Friends School, the testimony of peace is at the heart of what we do. From our handbook we state, "Friends are committed to settling differences in all human relationships in a peaceful manner..." Carl, through his Axis of Hope Foundation, is working internationally with young people and educators to teach international conflict analysis, management and prevention skills. By teaching them to develop trust, compassion, and empathy for one another Axis of Hope seeks to change the landscape of conflict, and create the prospect of future peace, beginning today. The missions of the two organizations mesh together beautifully. We are so excited about this relationship and the immediate work that will begin with our upper division students and that will eventually take place in middle and lower divisions of the school.

It is truly exciting to see all that goes on in a week at NGFS that furthers not just the academic growth of our students but their growth as human beings as well.