Friends Central Lower School begins the year with some kind of shared unit of study. Children's work fills the hallways and classroom, broadening every child's knowledge of the subject while creating a strong sense of one school. Moorestown Friends School does a similar shared study in its three divisions and some school-wide projects. Kids run around outside until a teacher blows a whistle. Then, in silence, the entire group must make a perfect circle.
Discussion follows about what it takes to work well together.
We know that each child brings different skills, anxieties and hopes to school each day and that many children worry about their worth when they have academic or social struggles. We also know that every person has something to offer others, often in ways a teacher might not anticipate. Friends Select Lower School uses the child of the week. While the child is sharing, the teacher takes notes and creates a poster about the child, including a small photo if available. The idea is not to create competition to bring in expensive items but to value the wide array of interests, talents and hobbies in the group and how each child can help others.