The mood in the Sydney Fox’s woodshop is always purposeful and productive as students in First Grade through Eighth Grade industriously invest in designing, constructing, and completing a range of projects from toolboxes to clocks to tables to doghouses, and more. Few classes develop every learner’s mind, body, and self-esteem quite like woodshop. The principal […]
Caring for and talking with children about tragic events
Dear Buckingham Friends School community members, I have to believe that this weekend’s tragic news of yet another shooting, this time at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, was as difficult for you to hear as it was for me. There is a great deal to try and hold and understand, and I recognize […]
Trustee reflections after Board Visiting Day
Yesterday, many of our Buckingham Friends School Trustees attended “Board Visiting Day.” This was an opportunity for them to tour the entire campus, to visit classes in action, and to witness first-hand the outstanding education that is provided each day here at BFS. They were able to speak directly with the faculty me, and to engage […]
Planting Seeds of Empathy
(The following summary of a recent article in Educational Leadership, originally titled “Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy,” was written by Kim Marshall and shared in this week’s edition of The Marshall Memo. I share it as it reminds me of the mission, the intentions and commitment of our faculty, and the relevance of a Friends […]
Parent-Teacher Conferences: The Essential Conversation
I have had the distinct honor of meeting, and attending lectures and retreat workshops presented by, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot a few times over the years. Dr. Lawrence-Lightfoot is the Emily Hargroves Fisher* Professor of Education at Harvard University. She is a sociologist who examines the culture of schools, the broad ecology of education, and the […]
Witnessing How Students Nurture Our Culture at BFS and the Value of Meeting for Worship as a Friends School
“I consider Meeting for Worship to be the central experience at Friends schools. It is where each individual can learn to listen, reflect, and ultimately share their unique voice as a contributing community member and where a culture of respect, trust, and advocacy can be built.” (from my statement of educational philosophy – shared with […]
BFS earns its first ENERGY STAR certification!
This summer, we learned that our entire campus had earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy performance. In our first application, BFS achieved a score of 91, indicating that our energy performance was better than 91% of our peer group. ENERGY STAR certified buildings and plants are verified to […]
what we cannot do for our children
I cannot recall how many times that I have referenced Dr. Michael Thompson’s book, Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow since it was published in 2012. While a majority of the book focuses on the value of summer camp experiences, chapter one presents a series of things that Dr. Thompson […]
Introducing the Head of School’s Blog!
Dear Buckingham Friends School community members and friends of BFS, I am excited to launch my new Head of School’s blog. From time to time, posts will be created and published and an email will be sent to you with a link so that you can access and read it if you choose. My intention […]