Friends campus is buzzing with activity! To view more photos of campus events, visit the School's website, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
Friends Welcomes New Staff
Look for other features, Director of Admissions, Nisa Bryant, and Dean of Studies, Hassan Wilson, in next month’s issue. Meet our new Associate Head of School and Dean of Faculty below.
Associate Head of School, Devan Ganeshananthan
"The concept of bringing about a world that ought to be goes hand in hand with stewardship.”
What about a Quaker school appealed to you?
The values of the school as well as the SPICES, overlap with my core values.
What are you most excited about in coming to Friends?
I’m excited to be part of a mission-driven community in which developing students into changemakers in the world is a central point of focus. I’ve met so many different people in the School community over the last several weeks, and they have all been open-minded, student-centered, and creative!
How would you describe your approach to leadership?
I would describe my approach to leadership as collaborative and empowering. I think that these are two key components that we want to develop in students, and I see school leadership as broadly similar. Everyone in schools is or should be working with other people, all ultimately with the end goal of supporting students. I believe in consensus-based leadership where goals and objectives are defined and ultimately reached by the entire group or community.
What are your strengths as a leader?
I think I’m a good listener, and that I do a good job in terms of synthesizing a number of different points of view in terms of decision-making. I like learning about how culture drives and informs a community, in terms of how leadership can shape and build a school, and this takes time. I think that I am skilled at building teams and also in harnessing the nuances of empathy-based leadership and systems-based leadership.
How do you plan to be an advocate for students and families?
I plan to be an advocate for students and families by creating meaningful and impactful relationships, by learning about students’ and families’ hopes and dreams for their time at Friends, and by learning about and improving how the school can support these aspirations. I am a parent myself, and this particular lens informs how I work to support students and their families.
At Friends part of our mission is to help prepare students to engage in a world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be, how do you plan to support this?
First, I am keen to learn about how this mission-driven work is taking place at Friends, from a K-12 context. I am interested to learn about what has worked in the past, where there might be opportunities for growth, and how we can work together to move this work forward. We have a responsibility to guide our students to have the skills, courage, and empathy to improve the world that they will inherit, and I am looking forward to this work.
Dean of Faculty, Trupti Patel
“Building relationships with students, their families and colleagues. Finding points of connections. I plan on being an advocate for teachers. Teachers work very hard, they need to be supported and appreciated..”
What are you most excited about in coming to Friends?
I am really excited about joining this vibrant, inclusive and welcoming community. In my first communication to the faculty, I shared that I was struck by the palpable sense of community and belonging here. That impression has strengthened during my first few weeks, and I am grateful for the warm welcome and support of my new colleagues, students and families.
How would you describe your style of leadership?
I would definitely say that it is a collaborative style. I thrive on working with others and exchanging ideas. I am grateful to be on an experienced and supportive leadership team where ideas are discussed, everyone's input is carefully listened to, and decisions are made together.
How do you plan to be an advocate and support faculty?
The most important first step is to build connections with the faculty and to learn about them as people and as educators. Building trusting relationships where I am listening to the faculty, hearing their needs, advocating for them at meetings where decisions are made and supporting teaching practices in classrooms is vital in my work with my teaching colleagues. And supporting professional development on an individual, divisional and all-school level is another important way to support the faculty.
What is your definition of good teaching?
I believe that the heart of good teaching, at every level, is connecting with and knowing our students. Establishing relationships with them so that they feel safe and seen and heard is critical to their sense of belonging in school. Being knowledgeable in our disciplines, collaborating with colleagues and demonstrating to students that we educators are lifelong learners are also crucial to good teaching.
At Friends part of our mission is to help prepare students to engage in a world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be, how do you plan to support this?
In addition to being the Dean of Faculty, I also teach one section of Grade 6 English. As teachers, we help shape young minds in teaching them how to think, see and appreciate different perspectives, think critically, and show empathy and respect towards others. When we as adults model these and other positive qualities for our students, we hope that this is how they will show up to help create a more just, equitable and empathic world.
F.L.I.N.G. - Grade 9 Students Give Back
On Sunday, September 10, Grade 9 students and their families participated in F.L.I.N.G. (Freshmen Lead in National Giving). This Upper School event is a tradition held on the National Day of Service and Remembrance and is designed to honor through acts of volunteerism those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, the first responders, and the everyday citizens who, amongst the chaos, reached out to help their fellow citizens. F.L.I.N.G. has also served through the years to provide an opportunity to connect new ninth graders and their parents to one another, and to orient them to our School’s foundational commitment to community engagement.
As in year’s past, 30 Grade 9 students and their parents/caregivers partnered with the nonprofit Earth Matter on Governors Island. Earth Matter seeks to reduce the organic waste misdirected into the garbage stream by encouraging neighbor participation and leadership in composting. Despite the inclement weather, the Friends community remained enthusiastic and dedicated to the mission of Earth Matter. Families helped with pruning the Community Lavender Field, making signs to encourage composting and sustainable actions and helped to maintain the maize fields.
Friends is proud to celebrate their 12th year of F.L.I.N.G. The Upper School event hallmarks the Friends community’s work toward the common goal of furthering peace, equity and justice.
CPEJ Kicks Off Latine/LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month
The CPEJ team coordinated a trip to the 92nd Y for a historic, multilingual gathering of major and emerging Caribbean and Latine writers from the new anthology “Daughters of Latin America” — including Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, acclaimed memoirist and screenwriter Esmeralda Santiago, and others. Spanning time, styles, and traditions, the anthology was expertly curated by Sandra Guzmán, wife of poet Willie Perdomo '85 and past contributor to the School’s magazine, “Meetinghouse.” “Daughters of Latin America'' is a dazzling collection of essential works from 140 Latine writers, scholars, and activists.
Weeding Yields Growth in the Library
Story by Rebecca Holmes
A revamped library greeted patrons in September. With nearly 10,000 titles, the library is now organized to better serve their needs and reflect the school’s Quaker values. The growing Adult and Young Adult collection is now in the center of the Library, a popular gathering place for Upper School students. “Now US students are surrounded by books for them,” comments Adrienne Almeida, Director of Middle School & Upper School Library Services. “Previously the collection was behind a closed door, which felt restrictive. At a time when books are being challenged and banned, it’s essential that the library is accessible and reflects our values.”
The collection for Grades 2-6 was moved to the north side of the library, while the Elizabeth Claster Collection of picture books for early readers in K-1 remains in its dedicated space.
Last year Adrienne and Lower School Librarian Paula Zamora Gonzalez assessed circulation numbers to understand what students were checking out. Books that no longer met students’ needs were given a new life at the Little Free Library in Stuyvesant Square Park. Adrienne adds, “We need to make the most of limited space but also recognize there are certain books that should be part of any Quaker library like Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement about Bayard Rustin.” Worn-out copies of popular books were replaced with fresh ones.
Over three days in June, a team of student volunteers moved books, worked on displays and created fun, original signage. Adrienne explains, “For the first time there is space on our shelves to display popular titles and showcase others that can be overlooked. Students [choose] which books to display, a responsibility they take very seriously and make thoughtful decisions. Student involvement throughout this process is right and gives us confidence that we are meeting their needs.”
Class of 2024 Senior Retreat
The Class of 2024 attended the Senior Retreat last month. The day-long trip to the Picnic House in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, provided an opportunity for the class and their teachers to bond as the school year got underway.
OWL Sports Roundup
Varsity Girls Soccer
On Friday, 9/22, Girls Varsity Soccer headed to Randall’s Island where they went head to head with the Grace Church Griffins. Friends looked to generate offensive opportunities but fell short in a final score of (5-1). Brooklyn Friends Panthers met the Friends Seminary Owls in a Quaker matchup on Wednesday afternoon. The Owls found success early and continued to dominate the game as they headed back to their “nest” with a much needed (6-1) victory!
Click here to view more OWL Sports Roundups. For the most up-to-date sports news, follow Friends Athletics at www.instagram.com/friendsathletics for weekly team and senior features!
Former Faculty and Staff News
NORMAN’S COUSIN & OTHER WRITINGS by Ron Singer
Ron Singer’s 21st published book, NORMAN’S COUSIN & OTHER WRITINGS was recently published. Click here to read more.
Social Emotional Learning Remains at the Forefront
The increased focus on the social and emotional needs of students that began in 2022-23 will continue in 2023-24. With the support of Dean of Faculty Trupti Patel and the Associate Head of School Devan Ganeshananthan, all Lower and Middle School teachers and advisors will have Responsive Classroom training through the Center for Responsive Schools. This training will help strengthen consistent practices, routines, and expectations across the K-8 learning experience for students. Head of Lower School Erin Gordon comments, “Responsive Classroom training is a natural extension of the work we did last year with IFSEL. It also directly targets many of the areas we know need more support, growth and collaboration.”