JEAN PARTRIDGE

THE GENTLE STRENGTH OF A CONSUMATE EDUCATOR

Jean Partridge, who first joined the BFS faculty in 1996, embodies the very spirit of Buckingham Friends School. Throughout her 24 years as an educator and community leader, her contributions to our culture and to the successes of others have been remarkable, and they are greatly appreciated.

Before becoming our beloved Kindergarten teacher— a role she has held and defined for twenty years— Jean worked at BFS as a math specialist, assisted in the library, and served as the After School Director. During the past six years, Jean has served as the Lower School Coordinator, and for many years she has assisted with Kindergarten and First Grade admissions. She also trained as a yoga teacher, organized and ran the FEEN conference three years ago, served as a faculty rep to the School Board, actively and enthusiastically participated in the JEM program, served as a class parent, attended PTAC meetings as a faculty representative, organized Fall Frolic, ran the school auction, received an award from Honey Hollow Environmental Center for caring for the environment, and was the Assistant Director of the Summer Camp program.

Jean is a consummate independent school and Friends school educator. She has compassion and a deep regard for children, and clearly values each child’s inner Light and promise. She has left an indelible mark on BFS and on the educational and personal lives of a generation of students, their parents, and her colleagues. With integrity and kindness, Jean has exemplified our mission and served as a model for others. With her masterful teaching, gentle strength, steadfast determination, and sincere interest in others, Jean has taught scores of children the beginning skills they needed to succeed in school and in life while bolstering their confidence and excitement about all that they were learning. Surely, Robert Fulghum consulted with Jean when writing “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”

Jean’s collective contributions to BFS are truly immeasurable, and her daily presence on campus will surely be missed.

I always loved Mrs. Partridge and appreciated her gentle way of being. She taught by example, being patient and supportive with all of her children. I am a teacher now, trying to be a caretaker for students in uncertain times. I remember Mrs. Partridge as a kind and brilliant woman. As kids, none of us had any idea what we were doing. She gave us purpose, showed us how to be creative, and encouraged us to trust our imaginations. In the early ‘00s, the Long family took a brief hiatus from the East coast. Each time someone asks me now, “why did you become a teacher?” I think back to the pretend school my siblings and I set up in our basement. The most salient part of those memories? All teaching was done in a British accent. Each time I return to BFS, I make my way to the Lower School in search of Mrs. Partridge’s glowing smile and warm embrace. She’s a Friend in the truest sense of the word and the light she shared, a blessing. - George Long '09

Jean, Sydney, and I all had children in the Class of 2003. Former U.S. English teacher Betts Slim also had her twin granddaughters in that class, so it was loaded with “facbrats.” It was a wonderful class, and many of the class members and parents remain friends to this day. Whether on a class camping trip, tramping through the pathways of Honey Hollow, or watching a Summer Camp production that featured our kids, Jean has always been ready to make things happen and have some fun. She has been a dear friend and colleague, and I will miss her at BFS. – Nancy Sandberg Academic Coordinator, Secondary School Placement Coordinator, alumni parent