Michael Gary Speaks: Fall 2025
As I reflect on a new school year at Friends Select,
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I’m struck by a fundamental truth that guides our educational philosophy: learning should be joyful, purposeful, and deeply engaging. |
When I am asked what it is we teach at Friends Select, I distill my response to agency and voice, from pre-K to 12th grade.
These aspects of a Quaker education may show up differently in lower, middle, and upper school, but they are the heartbeat of our educational approach in all three divisions. Friends Select students aren’t passive recipients of information; they are active participants in their own learning journey.
Student leadership, voice, and agency are visible both inside and outside the classroom. For example, in Helping Hands, our upper school student-led service club, students are empowered to pair their interests with meaningful volunteer opportunities. Likewise, the recently published Algebra in Context textbook—created by Friends Select’s math department chair and middle school math teacher, Satoia Wright, in collaboration with students—demonstrates how learning and student voice intersect.
Our faculty are providing academic challenges while fostering agency, encouraging critical thinking, and helping students find their unique voices. It is the dedication of our educators that influences every aspect of the Friends Select experience. From ensuring both joy and rigor are present in their curricula to supporting student growth beyond the classroom, our educators model a lifelong love of learning that we aim to instill in our young learners. Friends Select remains committed to supporting our faculty with professional development, continuing education opportunities, and wellness initiatives. Caring for those who nurture our students benefits our entire community.
Above all, Friends Select continues to adhere to its Quaker values: respect for all, simplicity, the peaceful resolution of conflict, and a constant search for truth. We continue to prioritize inclusivity, helping to ensure that all members of our community feel safe and a sense of belonging at Friends Select. We pride ourselves on being a Quaker community that welcomes and supports members of all religious faiths, races, gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, and nationalities.
From lower to upper school, we’re creating environments that support individual growth while maintaining our core values. Our academic programming and our daily interactions are designed to support each student’s educational journey through their years at Friends Select and for “the whole of life.”
