United Friends School
Encyclopedia
United Friends School was founded as a cooperative school in 1983 by a group of parents seeking an education for children based on the Quaker
principles of care for one another, such as truthfulness, simplicity, community, and peaceful settlement of disputes. The founders envisioned a school that would provide a nurturing environment where children would be encouraged to reach their full and unique potential through an extensive and flexible academic program. They sought to create a school where parent involvement would not only be welcomed, but expected.
The founding parents of United Friends School also envisioned a school where children learn
by experience
. They valued opportunities for children to learn, not only from their teachers, but from one another. They envisioned small classes allowing teachers the opportunity to interact effectively with children of different ages and abilities.
Consistent with Quaker values, United Friends School seeks to emphasize the Light of God
within each individual. The school fosters the practices and principles of Quakerism as an experiential part of school life, focusing on the testimonies of Simplicity
, Peace
, Integrity
, Community, Service, and Equality
. Students build this by attending Meeting for Worship, studying the history of Quakerism, participating in service and outreach projects, practicing non-violent conflict resolution techniques, making decisions by consensus, and participating in Meeting for Worship for Business. In this way, the school nourishes spiritual growth within each child and inspires a greater sense of self-worth and respect for others.
The school is located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
.
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
principles of care for one another, such as truthfulness, simplicity, community, and peaceful settlement of disputes. The founders envisioned a school that would provide a nurturing environment where children would be encouraged to reach their full and unique potential through an extensive and flexible academic program. They sought to create a school where parent involvement would not only be welcomed, but expected.
The founding parents of United Friends School also envisioned a school where children learn
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
by experience
Experience
Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event....
. They valued opportunities for children to learn, not only from their teachers, but from one another. They envisioned small classes allowing teachers the opportunity to interact effectively with children of different ages and abilities.
Consistent with Quaker values, United Friends School seeks to emphasize the Light of God
Inner light
Inner Light is a concept which many Quakers, members of the Religious Society of Friends, use to express their conscience, faith and beliefs. Each Quaker has a different idea of what they mean by "inner light", and this also varies internationally between Yearly Meetings, but the idea is often...
within each individual. The school fosters the practices and principles of Quakerism as an experiential part of school life, focusing on the testimonies of Simplicity
Testimony of Simplicity
Testimony of Simplicity is a shorthand description of the actions generally taken by members of the Religious Society of Friends to testify or bear witness to their beliefs that a person ought to live his or her life simply in order to focus on what is most important and ignore or play down what...
, Peace
Peace Testimony
Peace testimony, or testimony against war, is a shorthand description of the action generally taken by members of the Religious Society of Friends for peace and against participation in war. Like other Quaker testimonies, it is not a "belief", but a description of committed actions, in this case...
, Integrity
Testimony of Integrity
Testimony to integrity and truth, refers to the way many members of the Religious Society of Friends testify or bear witness to their belief that one should live a life that is true to God, true to oneself, and true to others. To Friends, the concept of integrity includes personal wholeness and...
, Community, Service, and Equality
Testimony of Equality
Testimony of equality is a shorthand description of the action generally taken by members of the Religious Society of Friends towards equality, arising from Friends' belief that all people are created equal in the eyes of God. The word testimony describes the way that Friends testify or bear...
. Students build this by attending Meeting for Worship, studying the history of Quakerism, participating in service and outreach projects, practicing non-violent conflict resolution techniques, making decisions by consensus, and participating in Meeting for Worship for Business. In this way, the school nourishes spiritual growth within each child and inspires a greater sense of self-worth and respect for others.
The school is located in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
.