May 17, 2019
Last Friday was a memorable day for my family and me. Knowing I had out-of-town family waiting at my house in the afternoon, I hoped to excuse myself from duties a little early. But a handful of administrators kept approaching me with increasingly detailed questions, preventing me from my planned departure. Little did I know that Erin and Cynthia, in cooperation with many accomplices, had planned a surprise with 247 children as the attraction. Too busy to analyze their ulterior motives, I fell right into the trap of our entire school lining the Lower School hallway, singing a joyous song.
Friday evening at the National Arboretum, with faculty, parents, and former and present trustees, was an opportunity to celebrate and express gratitude. Having my family—especially my wife, sons, and grandchildren—present was especially important. My sons, Ben and Andrew, spent 10 years with me in a previous private school; being the son of the Assistant Head and disciplinarian was not always easy for them. They deeply appreciated the perspectives of parents, teachers, and friends of our community.
Thank you to Maka Gabelia (parent of 2nd grader Christopher Brennan and 6th grader Michael Brennan) and Molly Brose (parent of Kindergartener Oliver Brose and 3rd grader Sam Brose) for organizing both of the meaningful events last Friday.
After 11 years at Friends Community School, I, too, have much to be thankful for. The hard work of our administrative staff has enabled our shared vision to become a reality. Our teachers work tirelessly helping children develop academic, physical, artistic, and personal/social skills to share with the world. Our parents are remarkably supportive, and our Board’s notion of stewardship has enabled FCS to grow into responsible adulthood. We should all celebrate the part that we have played in shaping FCS into the gem it has become.
In Peace,
Larry
Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
