Since the opening of the first Friends School in Philadelphia in 1689, Friends education has steadfastly maintained that social, ethical, and spiritual development is just as important as academic excellence in the education of a child. Friends Schools stand as beacons for tolerance, love, and mutual understanding. A Friends School cares deeply about the type of individuals its students are becoming. Friends schools believe that the curriculum is enhanced if children from all walks of life (including all faiths) learn more about each other and come to respect and celebrate differences.
Bringing Friends Education to Fairfield County
Connecticut Friends School evolved from a home schooling program that began in 1994 as a cooperative effort of several Friends families. This program was taken under the care of Wilton Friends Meeting. Eventually the Meeting requested that a more formal institutional structure be developed, and Connecticut Friends School was born. The school's philosophy evolved as an interweaving of the best of established Quaker education and the best of home schooling. The founders purposefully put aside assumptions about generally accepted practices found in traditional American schools, choosing instead to mindfully examine each practice and adopting only those that had authentic value.
Officially opened in the fall of 1998, Connecticut Friends School had only one classroom teacher, five enrolled students, and the class met in the vestibule of the Meeting House. In 1999 Hastings Hall opened its doors on the 5-acre grounds of Wilton Friends Meeting, and in 2002 a second classroom building was set next to Hastings Hall. The school now serves approximately 50 students from grades K-8 and has a growing community of graduate alumni.
About Quakerism
The Society of Friends originated in mid-17th century England when founder George Fox and his followers came to believe there was that of God in each person and that direct access to the Divine Spirit was possible. This experiential element of an inner teacher eliminated the need for clergy, elaborate buildings, or a prescribed religious service. Quakers were troubled by mechanical participation in typical religious rituals and ceremonies and were more interested in authentic mystical communion with sacred Inner Light. Today the religion remains part of the Christian protestant tradition though it currently has a strong Universalist element.
Quakers reject the idea of creeds, believing in a more dynamic understanding of the Truth known as “continuing revelation,” but they do agree on certain principles:
· There is something sacred or a Divine Light in all people.
· Integrity—one's outer life reflects inner beliefs in striving for consistency and truth
· Equality—respect for different people and different ideas
· Peace—active opposition of all forms of violence while practicing conflict resolution skills
· Community—bringing people together, to connect and build mutually fostering relationships
· Simplicity—emphasizing and valuing spirit more than material objects
· Stewardship—trying to “walk lightly on the earth”
A Quaker education strives to be socially responsible and goals of social justice and celebrations of differences are held up in the curriculum. Resources and books reflect the broad spectrum of the global family.
Guided by Quaker values, Friends schools aim to do more than prepare students for the world that is; they help them bring about the world that might be.
