Why No Grades – At Friends, we do not use a grading system as we do not wish to reduce a student’s performance to a number or letter on a transcript. While our teachers provide a rich variety of feedback on quizzes, quests, tests, papers, projects, performances, and more, the goal of the robust academic program at Friends is to empower students to be in control of their own learning, and not to be ranked according to grades. Our faculty at SFFS understand that their job is not just to evaluate students’ skills and knowledge, but also to support students in pressing further, digging deeper, and asking more questions. Grades discourage the kind of risk-taking that real learning requires and diminish curiosity and internal motivation. Real learning is difficult. It’s leaning into confusion, tangling with a skill or concept that is hazy, being unsure. To truly learn, one must risk failing. At Friends, teachers carefully cultivate classroom cultures that value questions as much as answers, and earnest attempts as much as easy successes. Teacher feedback emphasizes the value of process, approach, strategy, and problem-solving. At Friends, learning, not grades, is at the center of a child’s experience. Teachers consistently assess students’ skills and understanding, provide feedback to help them grow, encourage them to take the risks that real learning requires, support their internal motivation to learn, and report on progress to parents in written reports and conferences. Grades would be a distraction to this authentic learning.
Off Campus Education On off-campus education during the 2021–2022 school year: The health and safety of our students and teachers are always a top priority for us. While these trips are important aspects of our program at SFFS, we always consider a variety of factors as to if/when we should embark on them. Weather, accessibility, and transportation are just a few of the variables we evaluate. With regards to COVID-19, we consult with various agencies and organizations and do a thoughtful and thorough risk assessment, focused on the health and safety of our students and staff. While we hope to run off campus education programs this school year, we will continue to monitor and evaluate the ever-changing landscape of the virus, and communicate as often as we can about our thinking and decision-making. Field Trips – Each grade level takes several field trips each year, including local trips (to museums, cultural events, the library, or various service learning projects) and trips further afield to the beach, the woods, or a farm. We’ll send home permission slips for any excursion that involves parent-‐driven carpools or a school bus—please be prompt in
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