In a recent issue of Language Arts, Mary Ann Cappiello and six colleagues shared the winners of the annual Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction: Grand Canyon by Jason Chin (Roaring Brook, 2017) – A fully illustrated exploration of the Grand Canyon from the rim to the deepest depths. Chef Roy Choi and the Street […]

One of my favorite books, first shared with me by a third grade teacher at Moses Brown School in Providence, RI, is Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children and Learning by Peter H. Johnston.  Published in 2004, this 86-page book quickly rose to the top of many of the top-books-for-educators lists.  Although the primary […]

Work to develop caring, loving relationships with your kids. Be a strong moral role model and mentor. Make caring for others a priority and set high ethical expectations. Provide opportunities for children to practice caring and gratitude. Expand your child’s circle of concern. Promote children’s ability to be ethical thinkers and positive change-makers in their […]

I invite everyone to join me and scores of community members at Fall Frolic this Saturday, Saturday, November 10th from 8AM to 4PM. Catch up with old acquaintances, meet new and past parents, and make new friends as we work together to complete outdoor projects and ready our magical campus and school gardens and grounds […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

(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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]