Why Am I Still Connected to BFS?

Reflections From Betts Slim

Throughout fall and winter, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Betts Slim. Betts has worn many hats in the BFS community over the years—adding Current Great-Grandparent this year! When asked why she has maintained her strong connection to, as well as support of, BFS, the following was her response:

Ona sunny afternoon in the spring of 1983, I climbed the small hill from the lower parking lot for an interview with three teachers (Peter Pearson, Linc Merwin, and Steve Bernardini). I was applying for the job of 7th Grade homeroom instructor and English and Social Studies teacher for the 7th and 8th Grades. The three men didn’t know (but I did) that in all my teaching experience 7th graders were my favorite group of learners.

I must have conveyed that during the interview, because I was selected for the job—and here it is forty years later, and at age 91 I am as devoted as ever to “The Old Red School House in Lahaska,” the fictional name for BFS in a story written by teacher Elizabeth Lloyd in 1895.

Other teachers from the past became silent mentors as I learned the rhythm of teaching in a small Quaker school.

Isabel F. Randolph became principal (and teacher) in 1934. She helped the School grow intellectually and led cultural trips to Philadelphia for students. My favorite story about Isabel was told to me by Jacqueline Stilwell ’39. Jackie had misbehaved and was meted the punishment of planting one hundred daffodil bulbs along the front of the School, thinking as she dug about how she could have acted differently. The daffodils are still there today, spreading their yellow beauty among the trees in early spring.

Betty Haines taught at BFS for 30-some years, retiring 17 years before I joined the faculty. Stories about Betty were legendary, though, and I felt her presence. She once took her students on a walking excursion that left Buckingham Friends at 5:30 a.m. After crossing 202 in front of the School, they traversed a number of fields to end up at Bowman’s Hill Nature Preserve several hours later. Betty knew the names of every flower and tree along the way, so it was a botany lesson for her students. They arrived back at school before dark, having a day full of memories.

There were many ways that BFS was a special place for me as a teacher. I could bring creative touches to my teaching. Around

Halloween we acted out “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe. The shades were drawn, darkening the room to match the mood of the story, and there was always a student drummer eager to provide the thump-thump rhythm of the beating heart. Eighth Grade students acted out many scenes from Romeo and Juliet, helping to capture the essence of the play. Young people like Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio came alive to the students.

Time spent outside the classroom was another opportunity to cement classroom learning for my students. They called me “Trip-Slip Slim” for good reason. With parental help, we went to Philadelphia to see classic theater. Model Congress fit in with our study of government, and although each school was encouraged to bring to the Trenton Courthouse only its best students, all of my 8th graders went as a class. Preparations for the event were thorough, and BFSers won many accolades for bill preparation and debating skill.

George Price, our bus driver, and I hiked the Appalachian Trail with Upper School students. Skiing was a lifelong passion for me, having grown up in Vermont, and at BFS, Linc and I offered overnight ski trips to Upper School students every year. The rustic lodge on top of Shawnee Mountain holds many memories of laugh-filled evenings as we warmed up inside after a long day on the slopes.

Linc and I also shared the fun of the Williamsburg trip for 8th graders for many years. After Williamsburg we traveled to Mount Vernon and Luray Caverns. On trips such as these, docents often commented on the maturity of our students and their attentive responses to learning outside the classroom. Wallops Island, the 7th Grade trip, ties in with science, so Mr. B and I shared that event fourteen times. A highlight was always the swale, where students were allowed to experience the mud firsthand.

Foreign travel with students, of course, ranks high in excitement for me. I shared time abroad with students five times on trips to Mexico, New Zealand/Australia, Ecuador, Australia again, and Russia. JEM trips offer students a wider worldview while young, and each of these destinations would almost rank as a “trip of a lifetime” experience for me.

Reflecting back on my years at Buckingham Friends, I’d say that my time there touched every aspect of me as a person. First, stories of teachers from the past inspired me. Second, the opportunity to teach my classes using my hands-on style worked well. Third, the chance to know students in so many settings outside the classroom itself had special value.

I grew immensely through teaching in the community that is Buckingham Friends School. For that reason, I will support and stay connected to “The Old Red School House in Lahaska” for the rest of my life. •

P.S. I love to hear from former students and their parents so please drop me a line to share a memory or keep me up-to-date on your current lives.

Email: bettsslim@gmail.com

Reference: Buckingham Friends School. A History:1794-1994

Alumni Reflection

draw flowers maybe even a puppy dog’s