Interim Head of School

Plymouth Meeting Friends School (PMFS) is a Quaker school founded in 1780 by members of Plymouth Monthly Meeting. While PMFS has evolved during its 244-year history, it remains firmly rooted in its commitment to a strong education guided by Quaker principles and a learning environment that instills a sense of wonder in our world. 

Plymouth Meeting Friends School provides an education based on the Quaker belief that there is that of God in everyone. Through its nurturing environment, the school offers an intellectually challenging and creative academic program to a diverse student body. Supported by adults who model respect and understanding, students reach toward individual strengths as responsible members of a community of learners. 

PMFS currently enrolls 82 Pre-K through 6th grade students from Philadelphia and its suburbs, offering them each a unique and stimulating education. Students learn that every individual in the community brings a unique gift: a voice and a perspective that will be valued. These differences are lifted up as the core of what brings richness and diversity to PMFS and there is a continuous seeking of ways to learn from one another and grow together. 

PMFS is located three miles outside Philadelphia, on a main artery that runs northwest from the city. The school is minutes from the confluence of three Interstate highways and readily accessible from many directions as well as via public transportation. While PMFS families hail from across the area, the majority live within a five mile radius around the school and many reside in the Mt Airy, Roxborough and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods.
 

The school is situated on a verdant 11-acre campus that includes the historic Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse and burial ground. The campus includes a mix of historic and more modern buildings which house classrooms and facilities for the arts and athletics. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the campus is its natural accessibility to the outdoors.

Community of the School 

Plymouth Meeting Friends School describes itself as a close-knit and diverse community, where everyone knows everyone. The unmistakable warmth on the campus and the care between adults and children, as well as children for one another, is evident. Children are greeted by name by every adult who works at the school. PMFS is a nurturing and safe environment committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and the school is welcoming and sensitive to all. 

Students 

Plymouth Meeting Friends School captures the hearts of its students. As a school that thoughtfully cares for each individual student, each child is taught that who they are is enough and that their unique inner light is important to share with others. Students develop responsibility for their communities through leadership and engagement opportunities both on and off campus. Students learn about themselves and their place in the world through various subjects and activities. All subjects are taught with a strengths-based approach that connects classroom learning to the world beyond and nurtures a love of learning. Experiential learning is at the forefront of our curriculum. Students develop confidence and independence through capstone events like the Fourth Grade Circus, overnight trips beginning in second grade, and our fifth grade Mexican Exchange program. A school wide “buddy system” pairs younger students with older students across various grades. These relationships shape a cohesive student body in which older children gently engage their younger counterparts, and younger children comfortably reach out to older ones for friendship and assistance.
 

PMFS students come from 26 different zip codes and are a diverse group. 49% identify as children of color, 10% come from LGBTQ families and 5% percent come from adoptive families. 6% have blended families and 5% come from Quaker families. PMFS prioritizes affordability and economic diversity, with 56% of students receiving tuition assistance. 

PMFS faculty are deeply committed to the school’s mission and to the personal growth of their students. Faculty develop and provide engaging curriculum that prepares students for future academic success, while kindling curiosity and excitement for learning. Lead and Assistant teachers collaborate within and across grades. Specials teachers enrich learning with science, Spanish, art, music, drama, library, and physical education. All teachers are sensitive to the social emotional needs of their students and are committed to ensuring a supportive relationship amongst them and with the adults on campus. Professional development occurs throughout the year and focuses on a variety of topics, including: social emotional learning, relationship building, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

PMFS has a Learning Support Coordinator who provides learning strategies and specialized instruction for students who benefit from additional support in language arts and math. Learning Support happens in collaboration with classroom teachers and in alignment with the philosophy and instructional practices of PMFS. The Learning Support Coordinator also writes and assists with the implementation of PMFS Care Plans for individual students who need academic support. The LS Coordinator facilitates a team approach to student support by working closely with families and caregivers and collaborating with external tutors and providers. 

In addition to Learning Support, PMFS has a School Counselor who provides support to faculty, students and their families as it relates to the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. This is done in collaboration with classroom teachers to support the social emotional learning of students. The School Counselor also works closely with families and caregivers of students who require support and/or Care Plans, and collaborates with external therapists. The School Counselor is a 3-day contracted position. 

In addition to the Head of School, the Administrative team includes three full-time administrators: the Director of Development, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management, and the Office Administrator. The Director of Operations, Development Coordinator, and Bookkeeper round out the team as part-time members of the administration. A business management firm supports administration with the financial operations of the school. As in most small schools, non-teaching staff wear many hats and there is great collaboration between departments. 

Parents 

The parent body is diverse (see the student statistics above), with a good number being alumni themselves. PMFS is proud to have a long tradition of parent involvement and feels that this mutual cooperation fortifies our community. The school has an active PTO, which leads the parent community by coordinating events during the year and raising funds for the school. The year culminates each June, with our annual Strawberry Festival. All parents volunteer in order to make the Strawberry Festival a successful fundraiser and “friend-raiser.” Since Covid, there has been a desire to rethink how the school’s PTO can best reflect both the needs and limits of young families. Current and past PTO leaders are working together to create a balanced and sustainable plan for the future.

As with many Friends schools, PMFS is in a care relationship with Plymouth Monthly Meeting and is governed by an independent School Committee. Current by-laws allow for a maximum 23 School Committee members. The membership may include a maximum of Ten (10) at large Quakers and Ten (10) at large members. Additionally there are three ( 3) board seats reserved for members of Plymouth Monthly Meeting that may be filled at the discretion of the Meeting. Ex-officio roles are held by the Head of School, one (1) faculty representative, and one (1) PTO representative. Currently there are 15 active School Committee members and recruitment is ongoing. The School Committee is very supportive of PMFS, with 100% participation in Annual Giving. School Committee members maintain careful oversight of the school’s mission, vision, financial health, budget, and general well being. 

No independent school can afford to remain complacent and rest solely on past practice. PMFS is well poised to review its current programming to ensure that it is responsive to the current student body and that it prepares its students of every age to be engaged, curious, and responsible citizens of a rapidly changing world. PMFS is supported in this work by recommendations from its accrediting body, Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS). Incorporating feedback from their recent PAIS evaluation, faculty and administration are working on articulating and updating the English Language Arts Program. Faculty Development is intentional and on-going. 

PMFS seeks to articulate the importance of its commitment to the elementary years and the unique value of what it offers young children. With many new faculty members, it is essential for PMFS to rearticulate its pedagogy among the faculty, staff and parent communities and proudly continue to offer its unique and transformative educational experience to children and their families. 

Plymouth Meeting Friends School has a rich program that balances support for the social/emotional growth of its students with academics. In keeping with the Friends’ belief of “that of God in everyone,” the school lifts up individual student identity and agency, whether in a 3-year-old or a 12-year-old. PMFS believes that this grounding forms a critical basis for learning and growth, including social/emotional, cognitive, and physical. The school also nurtures student independence in a variety of ways as children grow. 

The co-curricular subjects – art, music, drama, gym, science, and library, are also strong and well-integrated in the overall academic program. Art Fest, which premiers in the spring, is an opportunity for students of all ages to showcase their special pieces of art for the whole community to see. Gym classes place an emphasis on physical development and coordination,

along with the acquisition of skills that will likely translate into team sports at the secondary level. 

For more detailed information about the program, please visit the Program section of the PMFS’ website: www.pmfs1780.org 

Thanks to its small size and elementary-only focus, PMFS has pioneered certain experiences that are unique among this age group. Parents, students, and alumni often describe them as deeply impactful, experiences that carry through into adulthood. 

Mexico Exchange: 53 years ago, PMFS began an exchange program with students at Colegio Williams, a school in Cuernavaca, Mexico (pausing only for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic). For two weeks in January, the fifth graders at PMFS host their counterparts from Mexico in home stays; soon after, the class travels to Mexico for two weeks to reciprocate the experience. This is a signature program at the school, and as far as is known, the only elementary school exchange program of its kind in the area. Immersion in the culture and language of Mexico is transformational for many of the PMFS students, with lasting relationships, memories, and skills in a foreign language. 

Circus: The fourth grade creates and performs an annual circus that is a highlight of the year for the whole school, and one of several capstone experiences at PMFS. There are three performances in March, each to a packed house, in which fourth-graders unicycle, juggle, walk a wire, perform on a trapeze, and more. Even more remarkable, the fourth grade oversees the performances with little adult assistance, stepping in to help classmates when needed, shift props, and, essentially, run the show. The planning and execution of this themed event is an extraordinary experience for every child in the class. 

Sixth Grade Performance: The Sixth Grade Performance is another long-standing tradition in which all sixth graders participate in a variety of ways with their drama teacher to write, choreograph and act out a script that is reflective of them. Results are unique and spectacular and it is a capstone experience for the students and their families. 

Overnight trips: Beginning in second grade, all classes participate in gradually lengthening overnight trips. These trips serve, in part, as preparation for the Mexican Exchange but also as “experiential education” in their own right. Second grade participates in a camping trip for one full day and night. The third grade spends three days at Wallops Island in the Chesapeake, studying environmental science. The fourth grade travels to Washington, D.C. for four days in the Spring. All trips encourage cooperation and independence at an early age. 

The school’s enrollment has been in decline but seems to have stabilized at the 70-85 student range. PMFS is working hard to analyze the reasons for the decline, both internal and external. Regardless of the reasons, and along with working to retain families, the incoming Interim Head of School will be asked to focus on strengthening and communicating PMFS’s appeal to prospective families. 

The decline in enrollment has led to a decrease in spending, thus leading to difficult but necessary decisions in an effort to reduce costs. The school is highly dependent on tuition and annual giving and does not have an endowment that can fund general expenses. Over the long-term, the school is seeking primarily an increase in enrollment, and additional strengthening of non-tuition based revenue streams. 

The Development department at PMFS oversees fundraising, special events, and the Alumni Relations program. PMFS is highly tuition dependent and currently has one endowment for the Mexican Exchange program. The school is actively working towards building a stronger Annual Giving program and growing additional fundraising initiatives with the support of school community constituents. The Development department has also increased its focus on grant writing in order to defray some of the operating and program expenses. 

Plymouth Meeting Friends School is one of the twenty-two partner schools in The Friends Collaborative; an organization that raises funds for scholarships at Quaker schools through EITC and OSTC contributions, allowing donors to support by using their Pennsylvania state tax liability. Over the long term, PMFS would be well served to have a more robust non-tuition revenue stream, including fundraising and auxiliary programs. 

As with many Friends Schools, “marketing” has traditionally been outside the culture. It has become evident, however, that PMFS needs to better articulate the school’s value to both current and prospective families (many of whom have a variety of school options and are increasingly discerning about tuition investments). With strong local public schools, it is crucial that the value of a PMFS education is clear and well-defined. 

Clarifying messaging will require a greater public emphasis on the comprehensive nature of the program, encompassing the affective, cognitive, physical and spiritual domains. Additionally, the school needs to highlight testimonies of their effectiveness in preparing students for secondary education. The entire school community must ensure that PMFS’s powerful messages are clear and consistent, and that these narratives are shared early and often- especially with current families, who are the school’s best advocates.

PMFS faces attrition at certain grade levels where public school entry points exist, specifically at the entry to kindergarten and sixth grade. Special efforts are needed to retain as many pre-kindergarten and fifth grade students as possible.