Cambridge Friends School554

Grades: PreK-8
Enrollment: 220
Class Size: 15 (average)

As the only Quaker school in Massachusetts, Cambridge Friends School educates 250 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. They believe that the future depends on children who have a vision of a just and peaceful world, and the academic skills and confidence to create it.

In child-centered classrooms, teachers focus on developing competence and confidence in analytical, critical, verbal, creative, mathematical, aesthetic, physical and spiritual areas. Teachers design curriculum to be challenging, interdisciplinary, experiential, collaborative and reflective. Each homeroom works to become a close community of learners and to realize its connections to the wider community of the school and beyond.

Students in 1st through 5th grades take art, music and physical education twice a week. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten have regular classes with the art, physical education, and music specialists. All students in the school have library class once per week, with extra times on ad ad hoc basis. The school science specialist coordinates the Lower School science program. Teachers work together in teams to plan curriculum and coordinate activities within the grade.

The Lower School meets for assembly twice each month and joins the Middle School for assembly once a month. Each Lower School class is paired with another class in the school in a yearlong buddy program. Community service is integrated into the curriculum, as well as in special projects throughout the year.

Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have regular homework, and they learn to take increasing responsibility for following through on their own assignments as well as for working together in cooperative ways. Classroom meetings, which take place each day, are often dedicated to group discussions of social issues, as well as to sharing discoveries, stories, and projects. Class meetings also provide an important structure for students to participate in the process of consensus decision-making and problem solving.

The Middle School begins each day at 8:15am with a five-minute period of silence and a homeroom meeting. The use of silence as a means for gathering one's thoughts and preparing for the tasks at hand is an important aspect of life at CFS, and especially in the middle school. The 6th grade includes an on-going emphasis on critical thinking skills, problem analysis, investigation, and experimentation. Students in these grades vary greatly in their cognitive, social, and emotional growth, yet, within a supportive environment, they all respond well to a challenging program. There are five academic courses: English, math, science, history, and Spanish. Art, drama, technology, and physical education are central parts of the students' experience. The instrumental music and dance programs offer opportunities for private and group lessons.

The Afterschool Program begins each day with student check-in at 3pm and ends with pick-up at 5:45pm. The afternoon includes outdoor play and/or gym time, snack, activity time, and clean-up/quiet time. The school also provides a time and space for the older children to do homework.

Afterschool activities include arts and crafts (e.g., woodworking, clay, painting, weaving, sewing, recycle sculpture, papier maché), drama, cooking, science experiments, building life-sized structures, playing board games, and experimentation with construction materials. In the gym, activities range from organized mixed-age group games to free play and skills practice. The music room, library, and art room are occasionally available for special activities.