It's Not About...

IT’S NOT ABOUT…

> It’s

not about teaching to the test.

IT’S ABOUT TEACHING.

• 8-1 student-faculty ratio • 64% of faculty with advanced degrees • a profound commitment to each student’s success

> It’s

not about making friends or winning the game.

IT’S ABOUT DOING BOTH.

• recent successes include several league and regional championships and appearances in state semifinals and finals • most MFS athletes play multiple sports

> It’s

not about great opportunities for the best students.

IT’S ABOUT GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE.

•a ll students take art and music and do senior internships, intensive learning projects, and community service •a ny student can start a club, propose an independent study, launch a service project, and become a leader

> It’s

not about all the facts you have to remember.

IT’S ABOUT ALL THE EXPERIENCES YOU’LL NEVER FORGET.

• c limb the Great Wall and help teach English language classes in China, build a playground at a school in rural Costa Rica, or repair a church in Cuba • create a robot, an original film, or a handmade electric guitar

> It’s

not about sending a few kids to famous schools.

IT’S ABOUT HAVING 88% OF SENIORS ACCEPTED INTO U.S. NEWS TOP 100 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

• the highest SAT scores in South Jersey • one college guidance counselor per 36 students

> It’s

not even about all you can learn and do here.

IT’S ABOUT THE PERSON YOU CAN BECOME. At Moorestown Friends, we help our students discover and develop their full range of talents— all our students. We inspire them to take risks and try new things, to pursue their passions, to do their best. Young people graduate MFS primed for lives of achievement and meaning, ready to make the most of every opportunity they find.

WWW.MFRIENDS.ORG

AN OVERVIEW

We believe Moorestown Friends stands out as the best school in South Jersey. It combines academic challenge and a personal approach to learning with an enormous range of opportunities, in the classroom and beyond. From children’s earliest years, the school nurtures not only intellectual growth, but also growth in character and spirit. We welcome students into a diverse community, guiding them as they develop integrity, responsibility, and kindness. Graduates leave MFS prepared to do well—and to do good.

EARLY CHILDHOOD Preschool, Prekindergarten, and Kindergarten As young children move through critical years in their cognitive and social development, Beginnings at MFS immerses them in a stimulating environment in which to grow.

Highly qualified teachers shape a developmentally appropriate learning experience. This does not mean accelerated academics. It does mean tapping children’s natural curiosity, presenting them with a rich array of material to explore, and guiding them as they learn through play. The result is students who love school and are more than ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

• Intimate class settings with a ratio of 1 teacher to just 7 or 8 students.

• Music, art, science, library, and P.E. with specialist teachers.

• Spanish language instruction starting in Preschool.

• Varied school days, with “investigation centers,” story time, special-area classes, and plenty of outside play.

• A focus on service learning, community, and caring for others.

• Special events like Arts & Literature Week, Family Service Day, Grandparents Day, and the Winter Concert (in which all children perform).

• Flexible Preschool options: full-day or half-day and three or five days per week.

• ESF Vacation Camps offer coverage on non-school days (vacations, in-service days, conferences).

• Early Care (beginning at 7:15 a.m.) and After Care (through 6 p.m.).

• Small classes with qualified teachers, many of whom have advanced degrees.

• A strong focus on literacy skills, featuring excellent children’s literature and instruction in the process of writing.

LOWER SCHOOL Grades 1-4 The MFS Lower School is a place of active and interactive learning. Students read, write, explore, interview experts, conduct experiments, take field trips, and share their findings. They are taught to think critically and precisely, to gather complete information, and to use sound problem-solving skills. The school is full of thriving, multi-talented children, each one a reader and an author, a scientist and a linguist, an artist and an athlete.

• Theme-based units connecting ideas from different subjects meaningfully.

• Art, music, Spanish, P.E., computers, and library—plus many performance opportunities and special events.

• Hands-on science classes take place in the Lower School Science Lab. • Enriching opportunities such as overnight trips, reading partners from different grades, robotics projects with Upper Schoolers, and community service.

• ESF Vacation Camps offer coverage on non-school days (vacations, in-service days, conferences).

• Early Care (beginning at 7:15 a.m.) and After Care (through 6 p.m.).

“ WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR CHILD IS NOT TO CHECK BOXES, BUT TO LOVE LEARNING DEEPLY. MFS WORKS WITH US TO FOSTER THAT.” ANNIK SMITH, LOWER SCHOOL PARENT

“ AT MFS, SOMEONE IS GOING TO TAKE AN INTEREST IN YOUR CHILD. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE THEIR ACADEMIC PASSIONS.” MICHELLE STERN, MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT

• A strong foundation in English, mathematics, science, and history.

• World languages including Latin, Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Grades 5-8 The MFS Middle School brings together rigorous challenges with a love of learning. As students move through years of self-discovery, the school offers them many options to explore—in the arts, athletics, and service learning. It welcomes them into a close, supportive, and structured community. And it introduces them to the Examined Life program, which focuses on critical thinking, ethical behavior, spiritual growth, and resilience in the face of challenges.

• Visual art, music, theater, and woodshop for all students, with extracurricular music and drama groups.

• Interscholastic athletics starting in sixth grade, with a no-cut policy.

• Clubs such as Newspaper, Chess Club, Ceramics, and Wind Ensemble.

• Overnight learning and communitybuilding trips to Mystic Seaport and wilderness areas.

• Intensive Learning—weeklong experiences outside the classroom exploring topics like environmental education, musical theater, or zoo design.

• 16 Advanced Placement courses allowing exceptional students to explore areas of interest in depth.

• Some 50 electives—from Textiles to Design Technology, to Anatomy & Physiology.

UPPER SCHOOL Grades 9-12 Upper School provides a superb college preparatory experience. It combines rigorous coursework with many special options and opportunities—from extensive choices in the arts, to the chance to play multiple varsity sports. As a result, each student graduates with a unique record of achievements, reflecting his or her interests and goals. Students value the school’s close sense of community and the lasting ties they form with teachers. They benefit from a highly personalized college guidance program.

“ AT MOORESTOWN FRIENDS, YOU FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE AND THEN BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.” JESS GREENBERG, CLASS OF 2005

• Senior Projects—four-week off-campus internships for all students.

• 18 varsity sports, with 70 percent of students taking part in at least one.

• Honors in academic competitions ranging from Model UN and MATHCOUNTS to Science Olympiad and History Bowl.

• An active Service Learning program, with trips in recent years to New Mexico, China, Costa Rica, and Cuba.

• Dozens of clubs, from the Film Club and Environmental Club to the Gender Equality Forum.

Moorestown Friends School IDENTITY: A coeducational Quaker day school, welcoming families of all

background and faiths, MFS is the oldest three-division school located on its original site in the United States.

LOCATION: Moorestown, NJ, drawing students from across South Jersey.

ENROLLMENT: 727 students in Preschool through Grade 12.

FACULTY: 80 full-time and 10 part-time faculty, most holding advanced

degrees, a student-to-faculty ratio of 8-1.

CAMPUS: 48 acres in the heart of historic Moorestown, with extensive

playing fields, three gyms, and a field house; Hartman Hall opened in 2012 and is home to eight math classrooms, a choral music suite, and more.

DIVERSITY: 33 percent of the student body is African-American, Hispanic,

Asian, Middle Eastern, or multiracial.

Kelsh Wilson Design www.kelshwilson.com

SATs: A total average SAT score of 1862 for the Class of 2014—

the highest in South Jersey by a significant margin.

110 E. Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949 (856) 235-2900 www.mfriends.org

WW W. M F R I ENDS.ORG