Events & Traditions

Events

    The school year is marked by celebrations and events with their beginnings in the founding of the school. The Goods and Services Auction, the Fun Fair, and the JuneYard Sale are parent fundraising events that contribute to our General Scholarship Fund and create our strong sense of community. Classes raise money for trips and charities and culminate their curricular studies through events such as Pasta Night, the Colonial Dinner, the T-Shirt Sale, and Pies for Peace.

    Theme Week is an interdisciplinary curricular study of an idea such as Light, Trees, Bridges, Diversity, and Energy. Halloween transforms our school into the eerie den of Baba Yaga, who encourages each class to run in the halls and scream. It's all in good fun and with a sense of humor that appeals to kids and adults alike. Our Thankful Tuesday and Winter Holiday Gatherings bring our community together to celebrate the holidays with class presentations, community singing, and performances by our Peace Choir.

    The school takes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day "on" in a big way with a play, singing, workshops and seminars focused on the life and work of Dr. King, the civil rights movement, and peacemaking. In early March we host our K-8 Science Fair in which 70 or more students create and present their projects to classmates during the day and parents and friends at night. Throughout the year, our Quaker Life Committee hosts Quakerism Seminars discussing topics such as pacifism, simplicity, and our school's practice of Friends's values. Grandparents, Friends, and Families Day brings together our extended community with visits to classrooms, lunch together, and musical performances. The Camping Trip is an all-school overnight at the end of May. Eighth Grade Graduation honors our students and families and brings our school community together one last time to celebrate the year before summer vacation.

Friends School Traditions

    Every Friday the school gathers for Meeting for Worship, a time of collective silence, inclusive of all faiths and without religious instruction, in which each person has time for reflection, thought, composure, and if so led, a vocal sharing. When our community and world experience profound tragedy or blessing, we often come together for Meeting for Worship to create an opportunity for us to seek understanding and comfort from each other. It is common for classroom teachers to start their day with a centering, quiet time and check-ins. We enjoy traveling to the Meeting House on East Prospect Avenue for Meeting for Worship. This special place is our original school home and brings back fond memories for our teachers and older students.

    Valentines Day is not just about candy at Friends School. Our tradition is to offer each other written Affirmations of respect and appreciation.

    During all-school events, we enjoy our Spiral Dance, which starts us in a circle and weaves us into a spiral, each dancer passing and greeting each other, and brings us back to our circle again, all the while singing "Peace is the world smiling, peace is a gentle dove, peace is sharing, peace is caring, peace is filling the world with love."

    During the colder months of the school year, our students wear Slippers and line their winter boots up along the classroom entrances. Pajama Day and Crazy Hair Day help make our school building feel like our home.

    A strong tradition in Friend's education is Community Service. Our older students work weekly at the Centre County Food Bank. Our students help with Chores inside and outside our school. Classes take on projects that support organizations such as Heifer International and American Friends Service Committee, and P.A.W.S. Annually, our school sponsors projects to assemble Blankets and Health Kits for victims of war, disease, and natural disaster.