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A Letter from Rebecca
Dear Reader, We are delighted to share this edition of the newsletter for grandparents with you. As always, we hope it offers a window into life at Friends — where learning, creativity, and curiosity are guided by Quaker values. As we approach the mid-point of the academic year, it’s inspiring to see the School's Quaker values in action. In this issue, you'll read about students engaging with art, literature, and global perspectives; faculty fostering brave spaces for dialogu
Shining a Light on Philanthropy
During the week of November 10th, the Advancement Team hosted National Philanthropy Week to showcase the power of philanthropy in the world and at Friends. A highlight of the week included a keynote address to the Upper School by Neil Blumenthal '98 (P'29, '33), the co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand focused on vision for all. Neil, who was a member of Men's Varsity Soccer, Basketball, and Tennis teams and served on the Agenda Committ
Dancing the Night Away
On November 13, the Friends community enjoyed a performance of the Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center. For the second year in a row, the Project Manager of the Polaris Project, Elisabeth Robert '91, facilitated a memorable evening that included a pre-performance reception on the Promenade. The mission of Polaris is to create arts education opportunities for a wide range of community organizations and schools through the lens of Paul Taylor’s works. It seeks to foste
Make a Gift in Honor of a Loved One this Holiday Season
This holiday season, consider honoring someone special – a student, a teacher, or a friend with a gift to the Fund for Friends. This gesture honors the person and strengthens Friends Seminary. Your special person (or family) will receive a thoughtful acknowledgement from the School. Every year, gifts to the Fund for Friends advance the School’s Quaker mission by supporting innovative programs, experiential learning, and faculty professional growth opportunities that ignite cu
PHILANTHROPY AT FRIENDS
Peace Week 2026
Peace Week is a special moment in our school year—a time to pause, reconnect with our Quaker testimony of Peace, and consider how each of us can help create a more compassionate and just world. Peace Week 2026 will be celebrated from January 20–23, and this year’s theme, Grounded in Spirit, Growing in Peace , invites us to draw strength from our inner Light as we nurture peace within ourselves and extend it to others. We are delighted to welcome Willie Perdomo '85 as our 2026
Leading the Way: A Living Classroom in the Skyspace
This year, Leading: The James Turrell Skyspace has become even more deeply woven into daily life at Friends—serving as a sanctuary, a classroom, and a point of connection with the wider world. Friends’ commitment to sharing the Skyspace beyond our own community also continues to grow. Public ticketed programs regularly sell out, with guests traveling from across the city—and beyond—to experience Turrell’s exploration of light and perception. Schools, colleges, and cultural in
Parents Learn Together
The Parents Association is dedicated to building community across all areas of the school. This year’s PA-sponsored Tech Talks initiative is no exception. Tech Talks brings this spirit to increasing shared knowledge and understanding of the impact of technology on young people. It recognizes that navigating technology is not just a matter of rules and restrictions, but a shared and ongoing process of discernment. Tech Talks include divisional and grade level sessions for Gra
Hands That Hold: Art, Allyship, and Quaker Practice in Grade 4
Grade 4 students recently created a striking installation of sculpted hands, each one unique in shape and gesture, yet unified in a radiant rainbow—a visual metaphor for community, allyship, and the power of collective action. This interdisciplinary art and ethics project, led by Lower School Visual Arts teacher Andrea Aimi, invites students to reflect on a core Quaker tenet: community. The process begins with observational drawings of their own hands—carefully studied for sh
Bringing Literature to Life
On a sunny and mild November day Grade 8 English students visited Central Park to retrace the steps of Holden, the protagonist and narrator of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. They visited a few of the book's iconic sites like the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, the duck pond and the carousel. The objective was to expand their understanding of the text by imagining what it is like to be Holden. One student commented, “Maybe Holden was grumpy because it
Sora Bingo: A Digital Reading Adventure at Friends
The Friends Seminary Library is always evolving to meet students where they are—and one of the most engaging tools in our collection today is Sora , a digital library platform that brings reading to students’ fingertips anytime, anywhere. This fall, Lower School students dove into the world of digital reading through a playful activity called Sora Bingo. Designed by Librarian Megan Gaffney, the bingo board introduced children to the many interactive features Sora offers—searc
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