On November 13, the Friends community enjoyed a performance of the Paul Taylor Dance Company  at Lincoln Center. For the second year in a row, the Project Manager of the Polaris Project, Elisabeth Robert '91, facilitated a memorable evening that included a pre-performance reception on the Promenade. The mission of Polaris is to create arts education opportunities for a wide range of community organizations and schools through the lens of Paul Taylor’s works. It seeks to foste

This holiday season, consider honoring someone special – a student, a teacher, or a friend with a gift to the Fund for Friends. This gesture honors the person and strengthens Friends Seminary. Your special person (or family) will receive a thoughtful acknowledgement from the School. Every year, gifts to the Fund for Friends advance the School’s Quaker mission by supporting innovative programs, experiential learning, and faculty professional growth opportunities that ignite cu

Dear Reader, We are delighted to share this edition of the newsletter for grandparents with you. As always, we hope it offers a window into life at Friends — where learning, creativity, and curiosity are guided by Quaker values. As we approach the mid-point of the academic year, it’s inspiring to see the School's Quaker values in action. In this issue, you'll read about students engaging with art, literature, and global perspectives; faculty fostering brave spaces for dialogu

Please join us for the 2025–2026 Art of Teaching Lecture, featuring Dr. Brian Levels, Middle and Upper School Performing Arts Teacher and recipient of this year’s Teri Hassid Art of Teaching Award.   Dr. Levels’ dynamic teaching brings a powerful blend of passion, professionalism, and purpose to the music program at Friends. In his talk, he will explore how music education extends far beyond the curriculum—cultivating belonging, inspiring creativity, and nurturing a lifelong

As a member of the Friends community, you are cordially invited to experience the magic of the Paul Taylor Dance Company  on Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 PM  at Lincoln Center.  There will be an exclusive Friends reception on the Promenade from 6 PM. Click here  to reserve your place or contact Rebecca Holmes . Seating is limited and reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.  The School is grateful to the Polaris Project Manager Elisabeth Robert '91, at

This fall, Friends Seminary introduced Friends Foundations, a new required course for all ninth graders that places Quaker values at the center of the Upper School experience. Conceived by the Center for Peace, Equity and Justice (CPEJ) and led by Kara Kutner and Kirsti Peters, the class is designed to help students begin their high school years by engaging deeply with the principles and practices that shape life at Friends. Although not a traditional history class, Friends F

Friends Seminary’s Middle School educators are stepping boldly into a two-year professional learning journey focused on interdisciplinary teaching through a Project Based Learning (PBL) lens. Building on the division’s work in differentiated instruction, this initiative supports teachers as they continue to design learning experiences that are rigorous, collaborative, and deeply connected to the world beyond the classroom. PBL empowers students to make choices, pursue their i

For the past three years, the Lower School has been engaged in a collective effort to refine and reimagine how reading is taught. What began with curiosity about the evolving science of reading—and how best to align instruction with the latest research—has grown into a shared, division-wide approach that reflects both evidence and the School’s child-centered values. Rather than adopting a single model, Friends’ work is informed by current research and responsive to new thinki

The Upper School Club Fair showed off 40 student-led clubs at Friends. From new options like Mahjong, Ping Pong, Music Production, Girls Rock, Medicinal Chemistry, Fashion Marketing, and Video Game Club to the many groups already part of school life, there’s a club for every interest — arts, culture, science, sports, and more.

Friends Seminary’s first Anchor Grant & Lighthouse Award gallery walk on Monday, September 29, 2025, showcased a culture of open sharing and sustained innovation across the curriculum. Conceived and launched by K-12 Dean of Studies  Hassan Wilson, the initiative will continue annually, creating a dependable rhythm for faculty to bring summer work into public view and into conversation with colleagues. Over the summer, talented educators researched, designed, and prototyped n

Front row: Adam Owett, Nancy Hessol, Harrison Weisner, Francesca Bruno, Gilbert Fleitas,  Back row: Delice Boltin, Jean Scheinert, Julie Fenster, Sara Johns Griffen Friends Seminary is deeply grateful to the Class of 1975 for their gifts and pledges made to the endowment in 2024-25 in honor of their 50th Reunion Celebration. More than $214,000 has been committed or received, with more than half designated to the   Class of 1975 Fund for Financial Aid . The idea to make a clas

The end of 2025 may offer a unique opportunity to maximize the tax efficiency of your charitable giving before new, less favorable rules take effect in 2026. The recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act  (OBBBA), signed in July 2025, has made several significant changes to charitable deduction rules that will go into effect on January 1, 2026. For many, particularly those who itemize, it may be advantageous to make charitable gifts by December 30, 2025. Given the complexities of tax