Friends School Haverford’s Mission & Philosophy, a nursery through grade 5 school in Haverford, PA.

Mission

Guided by Quaker principles since its founding in 1885, Friends School Haverford provides an intellectually rich program to a diverse school community. We promote 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.

Philosophy

Friends School Haverford was founded as a co-educational, Quaker, elementary school. The School remains under the care of* Haverford Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers) and serves nursery school through grade five.

Our program is rooted in academic challenge, intellectual vigor, artistic expression, service, and kindness. We encourage children’s curiosity, creativity, and joy of discovery as they grow intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

We foster 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. We emphasize 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 our School and in Meeting for Worship.

We teach our 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.

Friends School Haverford graduates possess the intellectual and spiritual skills necessary to envision and create successful and meaningful lives.

Definitions of Quaker terms used in this document are from Faith & Practice, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 1997.

*Under the Care of describes the relationship between Friends School Haverford and Haverford Monthly Meeting. The Meeting takes responsibility for, and oversees the School.



** That of God, sometimes called The Light Within or The Inner Light, is Quaker parlance for that which is precious and unique in each person.