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Fall 2012 Narratives of the Magic of MPFS
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This spec ia l i s sue inc ludes our Annual Repor t o f Giving
Citing a letter from 15 Delco school district superintendents to Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education, a recent Daily Times article opened with the following sentence: “Students who headed back to [our] public schools will spend nearly 60% of their classroom time this year taking, retaking and practicing for standardized tests.” 1 The superintendents went on to condemn the excessive testing, acknowledging that, while it might produce good test-takers, it’s not preparing students for meaningful adult lives.
All that test prep and testing is accomplished at the expense of teaching for deep understanding and what’s often characterized as “non-essential” non-academic instruction– that which speaks to children’s social and emotional selves. But here’s the rub… study after study has affirmed that resilience, motivation, and optimism, the core aims of social-emotional learning programs, are vitally important to academic outcomes. In fact, they’re as crucial as raw I.Q. to success in school, and in life.2
Resilience is what helps us to rebound from adversity to meet future challenges, academic or otherwise throughout life. When considering the whole child as MPFS does, effective education is grounded in resiliency-building. The essential “must have” indicator for resiliency, you ask? Being Known. A survey of adolescents commissioned by Congress, the largest ever of its kind, confirmed that the most important protective factor in schools is “feeling connected”.3 It’s caring relationships in schools that foster connection and the desire to learn.
“Getting To Know You, Getting to Know All About You”MPFS’ size affords teachers the ability to know each student while its Quaker ethos provides the mandate to do so. As instructors, mentors, role-models and advisors in class, on the playground and even at lunch, teachers are continually interacting with students. Coupled with authentic coursework, such exchanges beget the intimate knowledge of students’ backgrounds, strengths, interests and needs that helps teachers to engage each child. Whether it’s an intense interest in zebras, a passion for cartooning, family history or unique travel experiences, teachers leverage openings like these as launching points for discovery because engagement is what sets the stage for profound learning. In turn, students who are known by their teachers develop a sense of trust and feel safe to participate in their own learning. That’s the first step on the pathway to mastery, independence and purpose.
“I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends”MPFS’ small size also contributes to students’ sense of community, supporting their ability to make and keep friends.
Having grown up here together, through years of shared experiences, classmates become a “second family”. This sense of comfort with one another enhances students’ accountability and alters the classroom dynamic: learners use each other’s strengths as resources and learn from one another. In this way, being known begets knowing.4
“Know Thyself”When students have a sense of belonging and safety, they don’t have to waste precious energy coping with stressors but instead are free to learn… and to learn about themselves as learners. Knowing their own motivations, attitudes, talents and challenges, they can be guided by teachers to develop capacities for problem solving, self-advocacy and autonomy. Self-reflection, and the balance it brings, is key in fostering meaningful learning.
It makes perfect sense that a close-knit, caring school environment would breed happier, motivated people. Being known and knowing one’s self illuminate one’s sense of the possible. Hmmm…developing optimists equipped to make a difference…why, you could say that’s a positively transformational kind of education. (And we do!)
1. Wisely, Laura. “Delco Superintendents Decry Amount of Time Spent on Testing.” delcotimes.com, 9/19/12. Web. 9/23/12.
2. Brooks, David. “The Psych Approach.” NYTimes.com. 9/27/2012. Web. 9/28/12.
3. Henderson, Nan. “Resiliency-Building ‘Hidden’ Predictors of Academic Success.” Resiliency In Action. Ed. Nan Henderson. Ojai, CA: Resiliency In Action, Inc., 2007. 39-44. Print.
4. Thompson, Kate. “Fostering Resiliency and Positive Youth Development in Schools: If Only Schools were like Baseball Teams.” Resiliency In Action. Ed. Nan Henderson. Ojai, CA: Resiliency In Action, Inc., 2007. 45-50. Print.
The Importance of Being Known
For the past 12 years we’ve celebrated the International Day of Peace by participating in peace-building activities and considering what peace means. This year found students practicing mindfulness exercises and walking a large canvas labyrinth to encourage reflection and inner peace. (See more in the International Day of Peace album at mpfs.org/quicklinks/photo_video_gallery). The symbolism of the labyrinth had us contemplating the Latin phrase Virtus in Media Stat, meaning “virtue stands in the middle.” Perhaps nowhere else in the world does it have such nuance than here at MPFS…
For starters, literally there’s virtue in Media, PA. From its earliest days, before becoming “Everybody’s Hometown,” and home to The Media Arts Council, Transition Town Media, Media Fellowship House, TimeBank Media, and Friends of Glen Providence Park, Media was a well-known stop on the Underground Railroad, thanks in part to Providence Meeting (the Providence in our school name). Today, the town remains concerned with justice. In 2006, Media became America’s First Fair Trade Town, helping secure fair wages for farmers in the developing world through ongoing concerted promotion of products so-certified.
MPFS, Media’s only Friends school, is right in the middle of all this virtue, standing tall, philosophically, for virtue. The fundamental Quaker belief that there is an “Inner Light” within every person is central to the values we embrace: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship. These ideals infuse our curriculum and inform our actions in every grade and subject, and have for more than a century.
The translation “virtue exists in the center” gives rise to the notion of “a place of coming together” or “a meeting of the minds”. At MPFS’ physical center is the Meeting Room we share with Media Meeting. It’s also our spiritual center. It’s where we celebrate School life and come together as a community, representing myriad faith traditions, to reflect in silence and “center”. That’s right, center is also a verb, meaning “to focus on the here and now, to find balance and calm”. Virtue is within all of us when we are centered.
So, if you’re seeking virtue, we welcome you to join us on Mondays at 8:40 for all school Meeting for Worship. You may just find it as you center yourself in the physical and spiritual center of Media-Providence Friends School, in the middle of Media, in which Virtus Stat.
MEDIA-PROVIDENCE FRIENDS SCHOOL
125 West Third Street Media, PA 19063
610.565.1960 www.mpfs.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL: Earl Sissell
ADMISSIONS: Francy Strathmann
BUSINESS: Fred Keffer
COMMUNICATIONS: Janice Peterson
DEVELOPMENT: Cynthia McGoff
Dawn Greenlaw [email protected]
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2012-2013 Donna Allen
Michael J.J. Campbell Jennifer Conway ‘86 Shannon Davidson
Susan Elliott-Johnson George S. Forsythe ‘41
Donn GuthrieBrian R. Harris
Susannah Henderson ‘88John R. James ‘47
Eugene Jarrell, Clerk Dana ManciniAnn MurraySusan RhileLisa SlagerKen Scott
Harry Shreckengast Parker Snowe
Debra Will
This Newsletter is a publication of MPFS. If you have moved recently or are planning to move, be sure to give us
your new address so that you can continue to receive uninterrupted mailings.
Media-Providence Friends School is a PreK-8 Quaker day school which provides a rich educational experience where
academic challenge is combined with the teaching of values.
Printed on recycled paper.
Virtus in Media Stat
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Annual Giving Report
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This summer, faculty, staff, Board members and I read A Quaker Book of Wisdom by Robert Lawrence Smith, and explored the how the ideas it presented speak to us in our work in school and in our own lives outside of school. The author, a Quaker and the former Head of School at Sidwell Friends in Washington, DC, writes, “[It’s not enough to] focus on turning out academically well-prepared graduates who will be accepted at colleges of their choice or enter the workforce with excellent prospects for advancement. Formal education is only a jumping off point for a lifetime of learning and doing, and what concerns good schools and good teachers is how students apply the learning they acquire to living their lives.”
MPFS is just such a school and we have those kinds of teachers. We are compelled to do more than teach students how to write a proper paragraph, memorize their multiplication facts and pass a test. At MPFS, learning is meaningful… it’s inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative, challenging, experiential, exciting and dynamic. Here, we view learning as a journey and it’s a different journey for every student. When our students graduate, we want them to be more than just FINE or OK. We want them to stand out, to be leaders, to be different – we want them to lead
with their hearts as well as their minds. For us, being different is a good thing.
Our students go on to be life-long learners because they are given the opportunities to take responsibility for their own scholarship. They go on to be leaders who engage meaningfully with others and the world because, here, they’re called to use their knowledge for the greater good. They go on to put values into action because they’ve experienced their own
capacity to be the change they wish to see in the world, right here at MPFS. Truly, experiences in the formative years shape the adults our students become.
I am deeply grateful to all of you who supported this transformative philosophy of education which says that “OK is not enough.” The remarkable things that happen here all year long wouldn’t be possible without you.
In Friendship,
W. Earl Sissell Head of School
Dear Friends of MPFS,
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Media Friends School circa 1927
Board Welcomes New TrusteesJennifer Payne Conway’s passion for education was kindled as a student at MPFS. “Great high school teachers at Providence Friends like Donna Noonan [Allen] and Dave Thomas inspired me to become a teacher,” declares the Class of 1986 alumna. After attending Neumann University and student-teaching at MPFS, Jennifer began teaching Kindergarten at Willistown Country Day School. She now teaches 1st-4th Grade and serves as vice principal there. “It’s not a job, it’s a love,” she enthuses. In addition, Jennifer enjoys sports, travel, and
relaxing with family and friends.
Donna Allen, now an MPFS Trustee, also inspired Jennifer’s reconnection to MPFS. “I was thrilled and honored to be asked to join the Board,” Jennifer states. “I hope to help as many children as possible to have the kind of education that I had.” Her background in education and strategic planning are certainly very welcome skills!
Although new to the Board, Shannon Davidson quips that “having three children at the school for three years adds up to nine years of experience!” By our calculations, Shannon’s parental perspective is a real plus, as are her professional credentials in the film industry. “My film background is really about communication,” she asserts. “I want to bring the day-to-day feedback I get from my kids and their peers to the trustee experience and apply it to broader goals.”
At Dartmouth, Shannon worked with Ken Burns and has since become an accomplished film editor, director, and producer in her own right. Her role as associate producer on the documentary Mother Nature’s Child allowed her to focus on “the vital role nature plays” in child development, an interest that likewise informs her volunteer involvement with the Friends of Glen Providence Park.
The Davidson’s road to MPFS was “definitely influenced by friends who love the school dearly,” Shannon acknowledges. (She and T. Holly comprise two-thirds of the must-see vocal group Me3.) “I love the school’s size, the sense of community and care from the faculty,” she continues. “There’s an intimacy here that’s wonderfully coupled with rigorous education.”
Equally well-versed in literary and monetary matters, Dana Mancini is a professional financial advisor in whose office at Edward Jones resides an unlikely document: a copy of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Born and raised in Media, Dana attended MPFS in the 1980s. She’s a graduate of Bryn Mawr, where she majored in English Literature with a specialty in medieval lit.
Active in and on the board of the Rotary Club of Media, she reconnected with MPFS via fellow Rotarian and
Development Director Cynthia McGoff. The product of an academic household (her mother is a dean at Haverford College), Dana “believes in education more than anything else” and she’s excited to serve MPFS. “I’m happy to be able to share my skills with a school that gave me a lot,” she states.
In her “spare time”, Dana enjoys hiking, running, reading, and cooking. An Italian-American, she studied abroad in Florence in college and speaks Italian.
2012 Annual Fund Participation
Trustees = 100%
Teachers = 100%
Parents = 48%
Help us achieve 100% participation all ‘round in 2013!
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Expenses
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Income100
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& Fees 79
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When parents choose an MPFS education for their child, they’re investing in the future. They’re joining a community that values education as they do, opting for exceptional teachers, small classes, a vibrantly diverse student body and a transformative academic program. It’s a choice that entails a substantial investment, but it’s among the most important they’ll make for their child.
MPFS’ financial aid program, funded in part by generous donors, philanthropic foundations and area Meetings, enables the enrollment of talented, well-qualified students who contribute to and benefit from the education here regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. Aid is awarded according to demonstrated financial need, and any family needing assistance is encouraged to apply. Currently, we provide support for more than one third of the student body.
Increasingly each year, our financial aid budget is supplemented by area businesses who support need-based scholarships via Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. EITC offers corporations and partnerships the opportunity to make donations to MPFS for need-based scholarships and receive up to a 90% tax credit. Effectively, it costs a dime to donate a dollar (and that dime's likely deductible on Federal returns, so it's simultaneously a win-win and break-even proposition!).
Participation is simple: businesses complete a one-page application and, if approved, they can redirect up to $400,000 in tax payments from Harrisburg to MPFS where 100% of their donation will help provide for children's education.
In 2011-12, corporations collectively contributed $58,058 toward MPFS’ financial aid fund by way of this innovative program.
MPFS parents Kevin and Lisa Mullarkey own Alliance Business Systems, a full-service print production and mailing services company. They learned of the program and eagerly signed on. “It was so easy to help MPFS through the EITC program. It only took a few minutes, helped improve educational opportunities for students, and allowed our company to utilize a tax break.”
Hawkins Technologies, LLC designs, installs and supports corporate computer networks and provides services for home computer users. MPFS parents and principals Lisa and Randy Hawkins recognized EITC as “A great way for us to support a wonderful school with no impact on our corporate net tax liability.”
The Bryn Mawr Trust Company has been underwriting need-based aid at MPFS through EITC for 3 years. Chairman and CEO Ted Peters remarks, “Media-Providence blends a superb educational experience with traditional Quaker values. We’re proud to support the School.”
The EITC contributions of these corporations, along with those of DNB First, Philip Rosenau Co., Inc., The MCS Group Inc., Unbound Medicine, Universal Health Recovery Center, Universal Health Services, Inc., Zoll, Inc. and a generous anonymous corporate donor, offset financial aid expenses that normally would come from the school’s operating budget.
This year, Pennsylvania has augmented its assemblage of advantageous acronyms: the state’s brand-new Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program now also awards tax credits to businesses that contribute to approved organizations like MPFS. OSTC contributions are restricted for need-based tuition assistance to students who reside within the boundaries of a low-achieving school… one determined by the PA Department of Education as ranking in the bottom 15 percent of public schools based on combined PSSA math and reading scores. MPFS can use contributions to assist eligible students already attending our school, as well as new students, provided both meet annual household income eligibility requirements.
Funding Financial Aid
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DNB First is a faithful EITC supporter
Businesses authorized to do business in Pennsylvania can apply for inclusion in the OSTC and EITC programs. Development Director Cynthia McGoff is happy to help business owners and/or their accountants with the process! 610.565.1960 x106 or [email protected]
While every effort was made to include all donors, if we have omitted your name, please contact us so that we can make corrections in the next issue.
ALUMNI/AEAnonymousRobin Morley BernsteinPeter ChecchiaRahman ConnellyRachel Lindley D’AlonzoTracy Kathryn DavisNancy Fitts DonaldsonLucretia Wood EvansJames T. ForsytheGeorge S. ForsytheBarbara Darlington GarrettCyril H. Harvey IIThomas HavilandSusannah HendersonDonald HoffmanRichard HoffmanChris HooverMark HooverBruce Everett HuntTimothy HuntEleanor Houghton HurdWillard HurdJoplin JamesJohn R. James, JR.Malik KamaraSteven LinvillGwyneth Elkinton Loud In Memory Of Marian D. ElkintonEllen Fitts MillickDana MincerRichard OakeyJillian Oberfield In Honor Of Lynn W. OberfieldHaley PetersonEmily RichardsonAaron RogachevskyPaul ScheibeCecilia Bradbeer SibingaToby SnedecorRoger A. SternfeldRuth Whitson StokesMatthew Sullivan
CLASS OF 2012 Giulia AcchioneKhariya ArcherJordan BlairKaitlyn BotakAnthony Candelori-MoragliaElizabeth CarneyAutumn DozierOmar GloisteinJacob HarrisLea HartJeff HimelsteinBranden Hughes-VaughanAlex Mitchell In Honor Of T. KarenAnna MusewiczSam Veith
CORPORATIONS/FOUNDATIONSAdvisor LabAlliance Business SystemsAnonymousBoeing Gift Matching Program
Bryn Mawr Trust CompanyCameron Memorial FundCamp Family Fund of the Maine Community FoundationDNB FirstElizabeth Taylor Fund Distribution CommitteeExxonMobil FoundationGE FoundationGeneral MillsGrainger Matching Charitable GiftsHawkins Technologies LLCMorgan StanleyNina Abrams FundPhilip Rosenau Co., Inc.Sam and Jane C. James FoundationTemple Inland FoundationThe MCS Group Inc.The Media Rotary FoundationUnbound MedicineUniversal Health Recovery CenterUniversal Health Services, Inc.Verizon Foundation
FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOLDonna Noonan Allen and Bob Allen*AnonymousDr. Allen T. BonnellAnn and Bob BridgesPaul and Billie BrinkSam and Barbara Rose CaldwellDavid and Margaret CampGinny ChristensenJared W. and Nancy D. DarlingtonNancy DeMis and Bruce Turetsky, M.D.Scott Davidson and Karin B. GustafsonAnjali and Paul DelPratoNancy Fitts DonaldsonJohn and Merril DuttonJessica and Gifford EldredgeSusan ElliottLucretia Wood EvansVickie and Gerrit Fedele James T. ForsytheGeorge S. and Carole Forsythe In Honor Of Andrew & Nancy Forbes,
James & Susie Forsythe, Garrett & Sue Forsythe
Leslie Friedman and Parker SnoweBarbara Darlington GarrettSusan Garrison and Michael J.J. CampbellWard Goodenough
Pamela Haines and Charles EsserRosamond J. HannumCyril H. Harvey IIThomas HavilandDorothy Haviland Sandy and Sue HeathSusannah Henderson and Ryan DunneDavid L. HewittPeter and Peggy Hewitt In Memory Of Coke HewittDonald HoffmanChristine and Bruce HowellsSandy HowzeGreta Hudak and Wayne PeischlBruce Everett HuntMargot HuntPatricia D. HuntEleanor Houghton HurdWillard HurdJoplin JamesJuliet Grey KelseyBruno and Nancy KerstenDeborah and Brian KnoxMichael and Judith MarcusBill McDevotCynthia and Brian McGoffEllen Fitts MillickPhyllis and Manley MincerAnn MurrayPaul NessLynn and William OberfieldAndrea Packard and Jay DahlkeKen and Donna ParkAidan PetersonJanice and Philip PetersonWilliam D. Ravdin In Memory Of Mary Herndon RavdinDorothy ReichardtPaul Richard Restall In Memory Of Paul and MaryAnn RestallCarol SaberskyJohn Scardina and Lucille RavinMichelle and Paul ScheibeWilliam Scull and Becky Martin-ScullCecilia Bradbeer SibingaRuth Whitson StokesSummer Synergy CampSally TallmadgePhillip and Pat Turberg In Memory Of Ramsay R. TurbergAnne and Richard UmbrechtBob Vitalo and Jacqueline Montras Paul and Rhoda Weisz
Althea and Doug WhyteDebra Will and Dave ThomasClaire and Glen WilsonWilliam and Ann WindsorTeresa WinteJo-Ann Zoll
GRANDPARENTSNancy and Clark AllisonAnonymousRichard and Patricia BenceFran and Carol BradleyAeolys and Henry BrooksShirley CollinsJoan Cooley In Honor Of Matthew and Grace RhileBob and Alice Crowner In Honor Of Maggie and James CrownerBob and Joan DaintonPam and Rob DavidsonLeonard and Christina DeaneMr. and Mrs. Charles Eldredge In Honor Of Peirce and Daisy EldredgeBruno and Lynn FedeleMr. and Mrs. Bruce FichandlerEloise and Ernest GiddiensLeslie Glick In Honor Of Elena and Margot SissellDr. Paul Glickman In Honor Of Rebecca & Molly MarcusBob and Leonor GloisteinSusan GrecoDonald and Irene Greenhall In Honor Of William &
Family ChressanthisDr. M. Jean GreenlawRose GrelisDonald and Carol GuthrieDorothy HavilandBob and Ann HaysSandy and Sue HeathMorgan Himelstein In Honor Of Jeffrey HimelsteinNancy and Neil HoffmannJohn JaegerHerb and LaVerne KirkwoodAnne and Wib KnoxBarbara LaskaJim and Shirley Love In Honor Of Drew SlagerMary MurphyJeanne Musewicz In Honor Of Anna M. Musewicz
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We thank the following donors for their contributions – unrestricted, restricted and gifts-in-kind – received between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
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Carlos and Loretta Orpilla In Honor Of Jake
and Mackay Greenlaw-ScullyRosa PackardJosephine Parham In Memory Of Woodrow ParhamDorothy PeischlAlbert and Sharon RiessMrs. Jason Robards*Rev. William SissellAmy SolipacaMiriam Stamm and Stan Rosner In Honor Of Elena and Margot, In Memory Of Marty StammPhillip and Pat TurbergVictoria Viglione
PARENTSAdrienne Abdus-SalaamRossano Acchione and Laurie SbrollaAnonymousBharti Asnani and Francis BrahmakulamTobin and Heather BickleyNancy and Jerome BlankJustin Blum and Cynthia AlleyCharlene BollingS. Geoffrey and Chrissy BotakKelly Bradley-DoddsChristoper CarneyCheryl and Patrick ClarkinJeff and Samantha CohenBrian and Katherine CrownerLisa and Steve DaintonBrent Davenport and Stephanie TriggianiPaul and Anjali DelPratoAngela DiMaria and Matt LaneBrian S. and Carolyn DozierJessica and Gifford EldredgeSusan ElliottStefanie and Brad ErnstVickie and Gerrit FedeleRandall and Stephanie GaboriaultMateo and Crystal GloisteinDawn Greenlaw and Shawn ScullyJoseph and Colleen GrelisDonn and Holly GuthrieJames and Philitsa Hanson In Honor Of Eliana HansonCheryl Harner and Malcolm McHargBrian R. and Nancy E.G. HarrisLinda and David HartJames and Lisa HawkinsTerrine and Ardeshia HaynesRima and Andrew HimelsteinHolly and Richard HoffmannGreta Hudak and Wayne PeischlAlison JaegerEugene F. and Tracey JarrellMarianne Jurgaitis and Sogyal LakarMary Kelley, Judea and Marcia WhiteAllison Kerry and Wendell EvansDeborah and Brian KnoxShaji Koshy and Betty JacobMichael Kostal and Ina LiAdam Kradel and Melissa Wilcox In Honor Of T. Heather
Andrea and Steven LinvillPaul and Michele MarcolongoFitz and LaToya MartinCynthia and Brian McGoffPhilip H. and Hoa Le McLeanHeather McLoughlinRuss and Katie MillerKevin and Lisa MullarkeyTherese Musewicz and Frank HubbardNoreen P. O’Neill and Richard WeberAnthony and Lisa PalmieriJanice and Philip PetersonMark ProdoehlChristine Ray and Kevin PorterSusan D. and Michael R. RhileDaniel and Salome RicklinAlbert and Deborah Riess In Honor Of Parker RiessMaribel and Jason RodriguezMaria Santos and Oscar SantosBrian and Christina SchmidtAlexander ShawSunka Simon and Michael HayseEarl Sissell and Sonia StammKurt Sjoblom and Kendra BenceChris and Lisa SlagerGopal Subramanian and Raelyn HarmanMatthew Sullivan and Stephanie WalkupGeoff VeithCheryl and Kenny West
PAST PARENTSDr. Wilbur and Judith AmandMarna Barrett and Doris TiradoJoseph and Patricia BeckerLetitia C. Biddle In Honor Of Phyllis MincerKeith Brown and Patricia Flores-BrownKurt and Carol BrunnerSam and Barbara Rose CaldwellDavid and Margaret CampKaren and Geoffrey CarbuttSelena and Ira CarlePeter and Mimi ChamberlainAnthony P. ChecchiaGinny ChristensenBill Coneghen and Kate ThompsonDennis and Regis CroninRobert and Margaret DeMentoNancy DeMis and Bruce Turetsky, M.D.John and Deborah EhleiterLillian EmoryJune Evans In Memory Of Wayne EvansSusan Garrison and Michael J.J. CampbellSidney W. and Patricia R. GilfordPamela Haines and Charles EsserMichael HanrahanNicole and James L. Hardy, Jr.Dorothy HavilandDavid L. HewittChristine and Bruce HowellsSandy HowzeConnie Hughes
Margot HuntPatricia D. HuntShirley Wright KamaraBill Kashatus and Jackie ButlerGrace F. KingCindy LentzWilliam LevyJairo Lora and Margaret WheatleyRobert and Phyllis ManleyMichael and Judith MarcusRobert P. and Joy C. MarshallPhyllis and Manley MincerDonald and Theresa MuchJanet Roeser NordbergKandance Weems Norris and Ronald NorrisJoy and Richard OakeyLynn and William OberfieldMarjorie H. OgilvieMarti OhmartAndrea Packard and Jay DahlkeLarry and Pam PhelanJohn Pollard and Susan Sherr-PollardHugh and Eileen RichardsKenneth ScottSusan and Harry ShreckengastScott and Karen Sandlin SilvermanLinda and Robert SmallMichael and Joyce SpellmanFred and Francy StrathmannMarsha and Jonathan SwezeyKen and Laura TaylorAnne and Richard UmbrechtSandra and Bruce VermeychukArthur Weisfeld and Virginia BrabenderPaul and Rhoda WeiszPat WhitakerDrs. Pratap and Rekha YagnikCharles and Diane Zack
QUAKER MEETINGS & ORGANIZATIONSChester Monthly Meeting Friends Council On EducationMedia Monthly MeetingMoorestown Monthly MeetingPhiladelphia Yearly MeetingProvidence Monthly MeetingTyson Memorial FundWillistown Friends Meeting TrustWyatt Wistar Brown Fund
TEACHER/STAFFNancy AllisonErica L. BaechtoldDaryl BalloughDavid CampKaren CarbuttLisa DaintonAngela DiMariaMerril DuttonStefanie ErnstHarry GambrillDawn GreenlawJennifer Gregory
Olga GretoJames L. Hardy, Jr.Christine HowellsShirley Wright KamaraC. Frederick KefferGrace F. KingChrista KrumbhaarBecky Martin-ScullCynthia McGoffHeather McLoughlinJean MenaldinoLisa MoralesVan NguyenDeb OllerJoe PayneBetty PedittoJanice PetersonEmily RichardsonCalperta ScottEarl SissellMichael SpellmanRoger A. SternfeldFrancy StrathmannLaura TaylorChristine Vroome Claire Wilson
TRUSTEESDonna Noonan AllenMichael J.J. CampbellJessica EldredgeGeorge S. ForsytheDonn GuthrieBrian R. HarrisSusannah HendersonHolly HoffmannJohn R. James, JR.Eugene F. JarrellAnn MurrayKen ParkSusan D. RhileKenneth ScottHarry ShreckengastLisa SlagerParker SnoweDoris TiradoDebra Will
* deceased
Alumni News Introducing Our Newest AlumsIn June came the commencement of our 135th Class! One grad’s speech called to mind the lyric which concludes every Meeting, “May the kindness which we learn, light our hearts ‘til we return,” when he remarked, “If I were to re-live my life, I would have come to MPFS sooner… I love this school, the teachers, my classmates, and even some of the homework! But most of all, I love the memories this school gave me. I’m about to leave this campus, but the spirit of Media-Providence Friends School will never leave my heart. Thank you MPFS for the happiest 2 years of my life.”
Presenting MPFS’ Class of 2012: (front) Khariya Archer, Giulia Acchione, Katie Botak, Liz Carney, Anna Musewicz, Lea Hart, Alex Mitchell, Autumn Dozier, (rear) Omar Gloistein, Branden Hughes-Vaughan, Jordan Blair, Sam Veith, Jacob Harris,. Anthony Candelori-Moraglia and Jeffrey Himelstein. The graduates are attending Abington Friends, Church Farm School, Friends Central, Interboro, Penncrest, Shipley, Strath Haven and Woodlynde.
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The Class of 2007: Oh The Places They’ve GoneEach year, 8th Graders send care packages to MPFS alumni during their first year of college. The most recent batch went out to the class of 2007: Marcus Bonner is at Earlham College majoring in Journalism & International Politics; Sarah Cullinan, Muhlenberg College - Musical Theatre; Asha Deane, Emory University - Spanish & Education; Rachel Fishman, Muhlenberg College - Psychology & Elementary Education; Andrew Hendricks, The Citadel - Electrical Engineering; Calynd Johnson, West Chester University - Undeclared; Sarah Nivala, Sarah Lawrence College - Literature & Poetry; Samantha Shelton, Penn State University - Communication Science; Molly Schonfeld, McDaniel College - Undeclared; Austin Shoenkopf, Connecticut College - Philosophy; Julia Shreckengast, Tulane University - Business & Dance; Mallory Spencer, West Chester University - Communications; Zach Summers, Penn State University - Undeclared.
Alumni Spotlight: Will StrathmannA Senior at Bates College majoring in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy, Will Strathmann ‘05 spent his Spring semester abroad with Emory University’s Tibetan Studies program studying Tibetan culture and Buddhist philosophy in Dharamsala, India, the intellectual, cultural and political capital of the Tibetan exile community. While there he lived with a Tibetan family, travelled to cultural and religious sites, Kerala in Southern India and Amritsar along the India-Pakistan border, trekked the foothills of the Himalayas, conducted independent research on the Monastic education system, and met the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama chose the occasion of the Emory group’s audience to speak about the role of education in creating a peaceful society, noting the importance of teachers cultivating the heart into the mind. “His Holiness talked about how a mind without a pure heart has the capacity to do devastating things… how Hitler and Gaddafi were very intelligent men but had ‘a problem with the heart’. He reminded us that wisdom requires both knowledge and compassion. It was truly inspiring and it made me think about how teachers at MPFS exemplified that and how they worked to impart it to all of us every day,” shared Will.
Good egg that he is, Will took Flat Dazzle along on his journey and managed to have him blessed by the Dalai Lama, along with a number of personal items and gifts for his family. Pretty heady times for our friendly green dragon!
Alumni, visit our new Alumni Portal to find alumni news and profiles, see if you can find yourself in our alumni albums, and submit your news and photos! It’s all at mpfw.org/alumni
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Each 6th, 7th and 8th grader received a new Pad this year as part of MPFS’ new “classrooms without walls” initiative. Made possible with grant funding from Willistown Friends Meeting Trust and Tyson Memorial Fund, and generous underwriting from the Palmieri, Barrett-Tirado and Henderson-Dunne families, the tablets are integrated into all aspects of middle school curriculum and provide real-time access to up-to-date, interactive academic r esources in every classroom, all day long. And, because students take them home each evening, they’re also a tool used for schoolwork and learning off campus.
Notes Head of School, Earl Sissell, “Our 1-to-1 iPad program opens up the world for students, letting them connect with people who live lives very different from their own, discover communities of learners and non-traditional teachers that would otherwise be invisible to them, and take responsibility for their own learning. For us, learning must be about discovery and be inquiry-based, because our aim is for kids to be meaningfully engaged so they ultimately lead purposeful lives.”
Middle School faculty received their iPads last Spring and have embraced the new technology. Humanities teachers Nancy Allison and Aura Gersenson both remark on the iPads’ impact upon students’ research skills, “We want kids to learn how to be learners, so it’s a boon for each one to have immediate access to the Internet. We can investigate topics on the spot, retrieving the most current information, pretty often with compelling, multimedia elements. When students find conflicting information, it affords a chance to teach them how to assess content critically.”
In Art and Music the iPads are a platform not only for creative expression, but for centering and focus; in Spanish, they’ve prepared students for Skype exchanges with middle school peers in Bogota, Columbia; in Science, they’re enabling paper-free lab submissions as well as self-paced web quests.
Perhaps nowhere is the impact more significant than in Math. Using the iPads, Khan Academy, and video recordings of his own lectures, teacher Roger Sternfeld has “flipped” his Math classes. “Before, class was centered around me, standing at
the front of the classroom, teaching,” says T. Roger. “Now kids are learning to take responsibility for their own learning. They have the tools to dive into concepts and practice at home, and then come to class each day knowing what they plan to work on, seeking the support they need from me or, at times, from other students in order to get there. At this point, 7th and 8th Grade Math is 100% individualized. Students are working at their own pace to master each topic – working hard – and I function more as their coach and advocate.”
Naturally, the most enthusiastic iPad supporters are students! Says one 7th Grader,“We’re starting a cool group Quakerism project where we’ll do research then use iMovie to create videos for the ‘If I Had a Trillion Dollars Youth Film Festival’ [sponsored by the National Priorities Project and American Friends Service Committee]. We’re comparing our priorities to the budget priorities of the U.S. government and showing how we’d spend a trillion dollars. It would be awesome if one of our films won!” Another, elaborating on individualized Math remarks, “It was easier before, being told
exactly what to do. But using Khan Academy as a learning tool has helped me feel in charge of my math learning. I can learn without barriers and work at my own pace. I don’t have to wait for people if I’ve mastered something, but I can watch a video if I’m stuck or need review.”
T. Earl affirms that MPFS’ philosophy hasn’t changed with the advent of the iPad initiative. “Even as we leverage new teaching and learning opportunities like this one, the academic and moral foundations upon which MPFS is built will not change. Our core values, pro-social curriculum, the hands-on exploration that our students engage in, the lively classroom discussions, and the caring relationships that students and teachers have with each other… none of this changes because of the iPads. These characteristics will continue to distinguish an MPFS education.”
To Each His Own iPad
You can find our iPad FAQ online at mpfs.org/parents/resources
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Meet Norbert: Our New-to-Us BusMeet Norbert, MPFS’ gently used 30-passenger bus! During our 2011 Annual Spring Auction, just over $23,000 was donated by many folks who kindly raised their paddles to fund the purchase of a new-to-us ‘small bus’. “Puff", our previous little bus had nearly outlived its productive lifespan and we were seeking a replacement with a bit more room and better fuel economy.
Having buses ensures that MPFS students can experience off-campus educational opportunities that enhance classroom curriculum and expand their world view. During his first year of service, Norbert shuttled students to the Brandywine River, Bear Creek Camp in Wilkes Barre, the Philadelphia Museum of
Art, The Franklin Institute of Science, the National Liberty Museum, the Friends School 4th Grade Mold Symposium, Ashland Nature Center, the Chesapeake, historic Philadelphia, the Renaissance Faire, Hillside Farm CSA, Linvilla Orchards, Echo Hill Outdoor School, athletic fields at Friends Select, St. Peter’s School, Philadelphia School and Mullica Hill Friends, Kennett Square Migrant Head Start Center, Cradles to Crayons service warehouse, Swarthmore and Tyler Arboretums, Ridley Creek State Park and Longwood Gardens. We’re grateful to be able to continue to provide for these learning opportunities, thanks to all who were so generous!
IMPORTANT DATES: PreK Family Sing: Dec. 11 • K-1st Winter Concert: Dec. 12 2nd-5th Winter Concert: Dec 13 • Family Skating Party: Jan. 13 • Winterfest: Feb. 8