While schools are certainly intended to be places where people believe the old adage that “any question is a good question,” there seems to be one question in particular that I get asked over and over.
What is your vision for Friends Academy?
I must admit that I’m glad people are asking that question so often. It says to me that they’re thinking carefully about a major decision that they have made as a family for their children. That they are evaluating whether or not Friends will be the right fit for them. And better yet, that they’re committed to playing a role in supporting the direction of the school.
It’s also a question that, for me, has a relatively simple answer.
I believe—I truly believe—that in great schools it all boils down to The Four P’s.
The first P is PEOPLE, and in my opinion it’s the single most important factor in determining the value of a Friends Academy education. My vision for Friends is to have outstanding teachers—the very best this area has to offer—engaged with students in every classroom, on every court and playing field, and at every exhibit and performance. A great teacher speaks to your children in ways that a textbook cannot possibly reach them, inspires them to be curious and to take risks, and supports them when they inevitably stumble along the way. Great teachers are role models from whom your children will draw strength for the rest of their lives. They are, in a word, priceless.
Once the team has been assembled, I maintain that you can take them anywhere and find success because, as Jim Collins states in his best-seller Good to Great, “they are compulsively driven to do the best they can because it’s simply part of their DNA.” PROGRAM, the second P, naturally derives from here. Certainly, we want to be sure that our graduates are prepared to take on the academic challenges presented by even the most rigorous secondary schools. However, what must always remain our primary goal is to prepare our graduates to find success far beyond high school. We want them to grow into adults who are compassionate and empathetic, resourceful and creative, responsible and disciplined. And, at every turn, our program at Friends—from the creation of the Peace Garden in the Preschool through the trip to New York City in eighth grade—needs to instill in them these qualities. Our ability to be flexible and cutting-edge with our program allows us to separate ourselves from other educational environments; best of all, it enables us to connect with the students, to make a unique and poignant impression that can last a lifetime.
What initially draws many families to Friends is the notion that their child will be in a cozy, intimate classroom setting where the curriculum and its experiences can be brought directly to them. At Friends Academy we have the ability—and the desire—to seek out each student wherever they may be on the learning continuum, to challenge them appropriately, and to make sure they know that there is a hand to help them when times get tough. The PERSONALIZATION, the third P, of our program establishes what many come to see in Friends as an extension of their own home—a supportive environment that speaks specifically to each child’s needs and interests, whether academic or emotional.
This extension of the home cannot be effective, though, unless there is heavy involvement and support from the PARENTS, the fourth and final P. When a child sees that his or her parents and teachers are on the same page—that they are united in their efforts—the lessons learned at each step are far more profound and enduring. Friends Academy must be a place where parents feel welcome and encouraged to be present and to appropriately voice their opinions on matters involving their children. Friends is a school that has been around for 200 years because of its ability to constantly reflect and evolve, and the perspective that parents bring to the mix is essential to consider if we are to remain a healthy, open-minded, great school.
As we approach our bicentennial celebration in 2010—something very few schools can boast—I see Friends Academy and have so many reasons to be proud of what we’ve accomplished. But I have even more reason to be excited about what is happening right now—and what is soon to come. Through my years in education, I’ve traveled to schools all over this country, visiting colleagues and observing their communities, and there’s one thing that I can say with great certainty: when it comes to The Four P’s, Friends Academy is right up there at the top of the list. And we’re getting stronger every day.
Andrew M. Rodin
Headmaster |