The Importance of Being Known - Media Providence Friends School

Th i s s pe c i a l i s s ue in c lu d e s o u r An n u a l Re p o r t o f Gi vi ng
Fall 2012
Narratives of the Magic of MPFS
The Importance of Being Known
Citing a letter from 15 Delco school
district superintendents to Pennsylvania’s
Secretary of Education, a recent Daily
Times article opened with the following
sentence: “Students who headed back to
[our] public schools will spend nearly
60% of their classroom time this year
taking, retaking and practicing for
standardized tests.” 1 The superintendents
went on to condemn the excessive
testing, acknowledging that, while
it might produce good test-takers, it’s
not preparing students for meaningful
adult lives.
All that test prep and testing is
accomplished at the expense of teaching
for deep understanding and what’s often
characterized as “non-essential” nonacademic instruction– that which speaks
to children’s social and emotional selves.
But here’s the rub… study after study
has affirmed that resilience, motivation,
and optimism, the core aims of socialemotional learning programs, are vitally
important to academic outcomes. In fact,
they’re as crucial as raw I.Q. to success in
school, and in life.2
Resilience is what helps us to rebound
from adversity to meet future challenges,
academic or otherwise throughout life.
When considering the whole child
as MPFS does, effective education is
grounded in resiliency-building. The
essential “must have” indicator for
resiliency, you ask? Being Known. A
survey of adolescents commissioned
by Congress, the largest ever of its
kind, confirmed that the most important
protective factor in schools is “feeling
connected”.3 It’s caring relationships in
schools that foster connection and the
desire to learn.
Having grown up here together, through
years of shared experiences, classmates
become a “second family”. This sense
of comfort with one another enhances
students’ accountability and alters the
classroom dynamic: learners use each
other’s strengths as resources and learn
from one another. In this way, being
known begets knowing.4
“Getting To Know You, Getting to
Know All About You”
MPFS’ size affords teachers the ability
to know each student while its Quaker
ethos provides the mandate to do so. As
instructors, mentors, role-models and
advisors in class, on the playground and
even at lunch, teachers are continually
interacting with students. Coupled with
authentic coursework, such exchanges
beget the intimate knowledge of students’
backgrounds, strengths, interests and
needs that helps teachers to engage each
child. Whether it’s an intense interest in
zebras, a passion for cartooning, family
history or unique travel experiences,
teachers leverage openings like these as
launching points for discovery because
engagement is what sets the stage for
profound learning. In turn, students
who are known by their teachers develop
a sense of trust and feel safe to participate
in their own learning. That’s the first step
on the pathway to mastery, independence
and purpose.
“I Get By With a Little Help From
My Friends”
MPFS’ small size also contributes to
students’ sense of community, supporting
their ability to make and keep friends.
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“Know Thyself”
When students have a sense of belonging
and safety, they don’t have to waste
precious energy coping with stressors but
instead are free to learn… and to learn
about themselves as learners. Knowing
their own motivations, attitudes, talents
and challenges, they can be guided by
teachers to develop capacities for problem
solving, self-advocacy and autonomy.
Self-reflection, and the balance it brings,
is key in fostering meaningful learning.
It makes perfect sense that a closeknit, caring school environment would
breed happier, motivated people. Being
known and knowing one’s self illuminate
one’s sense of the possible. Hmmm…
developing optimists equipped to make
a difference…why, you could say that’s
a positively transformational kind of
education. (And we do!)
1. Wisely, Laura. “Delco Superintendents Decry Amount of
Time Spent on Testing.” delcotimes.com, 9/19/12. Web.
9/23/12.
2. Brooks, David. “The Psych Approach.” NYTimes.com.
9/27/2012. Web. 9/28/12.
3. Henderson, Nan. “Resiliency-Building ‘Hidden’ Predictors
of Academic Success.” Resiliency In Action. Ed. Nan
Henderson. Ojai, CA: Resiliency In Action, Inc., 2007.
39-44. Print.
4. Thompson, Kate. “Fostering Resiliency and Positive Youth
Development in Schools: If Only Schools were like Baseball
Teams.” Resiliency In Action. Ed. Nan Henderson. Ojai,
CA: Resiliency In Action, Inc., 2007. 45-50. Print.
Virtus in Media Stat
MEDIA-PROVIDENCE
FRIENDS SCHOOL
125 West Third Street
Media, PA 19063
610.565.1960
www.mpfs.org
HEAD OF SCHOOL:
Earl Sissell
[email protected]
ADMISSIONS:
Francy Strathmann
[email protected]
BUSINESS:
Fred Keffer
[email protected]
COMMUNICATIONS:
Janice Peterson
[email protected]
DEVELOPMENT:
Cynthia McGoff
[email protected]
Dawn Greenlaw
[email protected]
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2012-2013
Donna Allen
Michael J.J. Campbell
Jennifer Conway ‘86
Shannon Davidson
Susan Elliott-Johnson
George S. Forsythe ‘41
Donn Guthrie
Brian R. Harris
Susannah Henderson ‘88
John R. James ‘47
Eugene Jarrell, Clerk
Dana Mancini
Ann Murray
Susan Rhile
Lisa Slager
Ken Scott
Harry Shreckengast
Parker Snowe
Debra Will
This Newsletter is a publication of MPFS. If you have
moved recently or are planning to move, be sure to give us
your new address so that you can continue to receive
uninterrupted mailings.
Media-Providence Friends School is a PreK-8 Quaker day
school which provides a rich educational experience where
academic challenge is combined with the teaching of values.
For the past 12 years we’ve
celebrated the International
Day of Peace by participating
in peace-building activities
and considering what peace
means. This year found students
practicing mindfulness exercises
and walking a large canvas
labyrinth to encourage reflection
and inner peace. (See more in
the International Day of Peace
album at mpfs.org/quicklinks/
photo_video_gallery). The
symbolism of the labyrinth
had us contemplating the Latin
phrase Virtus in Media Stat,
meaning “virtue stands in the
middle.” Perhaps nowhere else
in the world does it have such
nuance than here at MPFS…
For starters, literally there’s
virtue in Media, PA. From its
earliest days, before becoming “Everybody’s Hometown,” and home to The
Media Arts Council, Transition Town Media, Media Fellowship House, TimeBank
Media, and Friends of Glen Providence Park, Media was a well-known stop on
the Underground Railroad, thanks in part to Providence Meeting (the Providence
in our school name). Today, the town remains concerned with justice. In 2006,
Media became America’s First Fair Trade Town, helping secure fair wages for
farmers in the developing world through ongoing concerted promotion of products
so-certified.
MPFS, Media’s only Friends school, is right in the middle of all this virtue,
standing tall, philosophically, for virtue. The fundamental Quaker belief that
there is an “Inner Light” within every person is central to the values we embrace:
Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship. These ideals
infuse our curriculum and inform our actions in every grade and subject, and have
for more than a century.
The translation “virtue exists in the center” gives rise to the notion of “a place of
coming together” or “a meeting of the minds”. At MPFS’ physical center is the
Meeting Room we share with Media Meeting. It’s also our spiritual center. It’s
where we celebrate School life and come together as a community, representing
myriad faith traditions, to reflect in silence and “center”. That’s right, center is also
a verb, meaning “to focus on the here and now, to find balance and calm”. Virtue is
within all of us when we are centered.
So, if you’re seeking virtue, we welcome you to join us on Mondays at 8:40 for
all school Meeting for Worship. You may just find it as you center yourself in the
physical and spiritual center of Media-Providence Friends School, in the middle of
Media, in which Virtus Stat.
Printed on recycled paper.
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Annual Giving Report
D
Media Friends School circa 1927
ear Friends of MPFS,
This summer, faculty, staff, Board members
and I read A Quaker Book of Wisdom by
Robert Lawrence Smith, and explored the
how the ideas it presented speak to us in our
work in school and in our own lives outside
of school. The author, a Quaker and the
former Head of School at Sidwell Friends in
Washington, DC, writes, “[It’s not enough
to] focus on turning out academically wellprepared graduates who will be accepted at
colleges of their choice or enter the workforce
with excellent prospects for advancement. Formal
education is only a jumping off point for a lifetime of
learning and doing, and what concerns good schools and
good teachers is how students apply the learning they
acquire to living their lives.”
with their hearts as well as their minds. For us,
being different is a good thing.
I am deeply grateful to all of you who supported this
transformative philosophy of education which says that
“OK is not enough.” The remarkable things that happen
here all year long wouldn’t be possible without you.
MPFS is just such a school and we have those kinds
of teachers. We are compelled to do more than teach
students how to write a proper paragraph, memorize their
multiplication facts and pass a test. At MPFS, learning is
meaningful… it’s inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative,
challenging, experiential, exciting and dynamic. Here, we
view learning as a journey and it’s a different journey for
every student. When our students graduate, we want them
to be more than just FINE or OK. We want them to stand
out, to be leaders, to be different – we want them to lead
In Friendship,
W. Earl Sissell
Head of School
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Annual Giving Report
Our students go on to be life-long learners
because they are given the opportunities to take
responsibility for their own scholarship. They
go on to be leaders who engage meaningfully
with others and the world because, here,
they’re called to use their knowledge for the
greater good. They go on to put values into
action because they’ve experienced their own
capacity to be the change they wish to see in the world,
right here at MPFS. Truly, experiences in the formative
years shape the adults our students become.
Board Welcomes New Trustees
2012 Annual Fund
Participation
Trustees = 100%
Teachers = 100%
Parents = 48%
Help us achieve 100% participation
all ‘round in 2013!
Income
100
Jennifer Payne Conway’s passion for education was
kindled as a student at MPFS. “Great high school teachers
at Providence Friends like Donna Noonan [Allen] and
Dave Thomas inspired me to become a teacher,” declares
the Class of 1986 alumna. After attending Neumann
University and student-teaching at MPFS, Jennifer
began teaching Kindergarten at Willistown Country
Day School. She now teaches 1st-4th Grade and serves
as vice principal there. “It’s not a job, it’s a love,” she
enthuses. In addition, Jennifer enjoys sports, travel, and
relaxing with family and friends.
Donna Allen, now an MPFS Trustee, also inspired Jennifer’s reconnection to
MPFS. “I was thrilled and honored to be asked to join the Board,” Jennifer states.
“I hope to help as many children as possible to have the kind of education that
I had.” Her background in education and strategic planning are certainly very
welcome skills!
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Although new to the Board, Shannon Davidson quips
that “having three children at the school for three years
adds up to nine years of experience!” By our calculations,
Shannon’s parental perspective is a real plus, as are her
professional credentials in the film industry. “My film
background is really about communication,” she asserts.
“I want to bring the day-to-day feedback I get from my
kids and their peers to the trustee experience and apply it
to broader goals.”
Other 4%
Interest Income 0.2%
0
Contributions 10%
20
Tuition & Fees 79%
40
Auxiliary Programs 7%
60
Expenses
100
At Dartmouth, Shannon worked with Ken Burns and has since become an
accomplished film editor, director, and producer in her own right. Her role as
associate producer on the documentary Mother Nature’s Child allowed her to
focus on “the vital role nature plays” in child development, an interest that likewise
informs her volunteer involvement with the Friends of Glen Providence Park.
The Davidson’s road to MPFS was “definitely influenced by friends who love the
school dearly,” Shannon acknowledges. (She and T. Holly comprise two-thirds of
the must-see vocal group Me3.) “I love the school’s size, the sense of community
and care from the faculty,” she continues. “There’s an intimacy here that’s
wonderfully coupled with rigorous education.”
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0
General & Administrative 4%
Plant Operations 5%
Auxiliary Programs 4%
20
Financial Aid 16%
Annual Giving Report
40
Instructional & Student Support 70%
60
Equally well-versed in literary and monetary matters,
Dana Mancini is a professional financial advisor
in whose office at Edward Jones resides an unlikely
document: a copy of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Born
and raised in Media, Dana attended MPFS in the 1980s.
She’s a graduate of Bryn Mawr, where she majored in
English Literature with a specialty in medieval lit.
Active in and on the board of the Rotary Club of Media,
she reconnected with MPFS via fellow Rotarian and
Development Director Cynthia McGoff. The product of an academic household
(her mother is a dean at Haverford College), Dana “believes in education more
than anything else” and she’s excited to serve MPFS. “I’m happy to be able to
share my skills with a school that gave me a lot,” she states.
In her “spare time”, Dana enjoys hiking, running, reading, and cooking. An ItalianAmerican, she studied abroad in Florence in college and speaks Italian.
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Funding Financial Aid
When parents choose an MPFS education for their child, they’re
investing in the future. They’re joining a community that values
education as they do, opting for exceptional teachers, small classes,
a vibrantly diverse student body and a transformative academic
program. It’s a choice that entails a substantial investment, but it’s
among the most important they’ll make for their child.
MPFS’ financial aid program, funded in part by generous donors,
philanthropic foundations and area Meetings, enables the enrollment
of talented, well-qualified students who contribute to and benefit from
the education here regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
Aid is awarded according to demonstrated financial need, and any
family needing assistance is encouraged to apply. Currently, we provide
support for more than one third of the student body.
DNB First is a faithful EITC supporter
Increasingly each year, our financial aid budget is supplemented by area businesses who support need-based scholarships via
Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. EITC offers corporations and partnerships the opportunity
to make donations to MPFS for need-based scholarships and receive up to a 90% tax credit. Effectively, it costs a dime to donate a
dollar (and that dime's likely deductible on Federal returns, so it's simultaneously a win-win and break-even proposition!).
Participation is simple: businesses complete a one-page application and, if approved, they can redirect up to $400,000 in tax
payments from Harrisburg to MPFS where 100% of their donation will help provide for children's education.
In 2011-12, corporations collectively contributed $58,058 toward MPFS’ financial aid fund by way of this innovative program.
MPFS parents Kevin and Lisa Mullarkey own Alliance Business Systems, a full-service print
production and mailing services company. They learned of the program and eagerly signed on.
“It was so easy to help MPFS through the EITC program. It only took a few minutes, helped
improve educational opportunities for students, and allowed our company to utilize a tax break.”
Hawkins Technologies, LLC designs, installs and supports corporate computer networks and
provides services for home computer users. MPFS parents and principals Lisa and Randy
Hawkins recognized EITC as “A great way for us to support a wonderful school with no
impact on our corporate net tax liability.”
The Bryn Mawr Trust Company has been underwriting need-based aid at MPFS through
EITC for 3 years. Chairman and CEO Ted Peters remarks, “Media-Providence blends a superb
educational experience with traditional Quaker values. We’re proud to support the School.”
This year, Pennsylvania has augmented its assemblage of advantageous acronyms: the state’s brand-new Opportunity
Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program now also awards tax credits to businesses that contribute to approved
organizations like MPFS. OSTC contributions are restricted for need-based tuition assistance to students who reside
within the boundaries of a low-achieving school… one
Businesses authorized to do business in
determined by the PA Department of Education as ranking in
Pennsylvania can apply for inclusion in the OSTC
the bottom 15 percent of public schools based on combined
and EITC programs. Development Director
PSSA math and reading scores. MPFS can use contributions
Cynthia McGoff is happy to help business
to assist eligible students already attending our school, as well
owners and/or their accountants with the process!
as new students, provided both meet annual household
610.565.1960 x106 or [email protected]
income eligibility requirements.
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Annual Giving Report
The EITC contributions of these corporations, along with those of DNB First, Philip Rosenau Co., Inc., The MCS Group Inc.,
Unbound Medicine, Universal Health Recovery Center, Universal Health Services, Inc., Zoll, Inc. and a generous anonymous
corporate donor, offset financial aid expenses that normally would come from the school’s operating budget.
We thank the following donors for their contributions – unrestricted, restricted and
gifts-in-kind – received between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
While every effort was made to
include all donors, if we have
omitted your name, please contact
us so that we can make corrections
in the next issue.
ALUMNI/AE
Anonymous
Robin Morley Bernstein
Peter Checchia
Rahman Connelly
Rachel Lindley D’Alonzo
Tracy Kathryn Davis
Nancy Fitts Donaldson
Lucretia Wood Evans
James T. Forsythe
George S. Forsythe
Barbara Darlington Garrett
Cyril H. Harvey II
Thomas Haviland
Susannah Henderson
Donald Hoffman
Richard Hoffman
Chris Hoover
Mark Hoover
Bruce Everett Hunt
Timothy Hunt
Eleanor Houghton Hurd
Willard Hurd
Joplin James
John R. James, JR.
Malik Kamara
Steven Linvill
Gwyneth Elkinton Loud
Bryn Mawr Trust Company
Cameron Memorial Fund
Camp Family Fund of the Maine
Community Foundation
DNB First
Elizabeth Taylor Fund Distribution
Committee
ExxonMobil Foundation
GE Foundation
General Mills
Grainger Matching Charitable Gifts
Hawkins Technologies LLC
Morgan Stanley
Nina Abrams Fund
Philip Rosenau Co., Inc.
Sam and Jane C. James Foundation
Temple Inland Foundation
The MCS Group Inc.
The Media Rotary Foundation
Unbound Medicine
Universal Health Recovery Center
Universal Health Services, Inc.
Verizon Foundation
Pamela Haines and Charles Esser
Rosamond J. Hannum
Cyril H. Harvey II
Thomas Haviland
Dorothy Haviland
Sandy and Sue Heath
Susannah Henderson
and Ryan Dunne
David L. Hewitt
Peter and Peggy Hewitt
In Memory Of Coke Hewitt
Donald Hoffman
Christine and Bruce Howells
Sandy Howze
Greta Hudak and Wayne Peischl
Bruce Everett Hunt
Margot Hunt
Patricia D. Hunt
Eleanor Houghton Hurd
Willard Hurd
Joplin James
Juliet Grey Kelsey
Bruno and Nancy Kersten
Deborah and Brian Knox
Michael and Judith Marcus
Bill McDevot
Cynthia and Brian McGoff
Ellen Fitts Millick
Phyllis and Manley Mincer
Ann Murray
Paul Ness
Lynn and William Oberfield
Andrea Packard and Jay Dahlke
Ken and Donna Park
Aidan Peterson
Janice and Philip Peterson
William D. Ravdin
In Memory Of Marian D. Elkinton
Ellen Fitts Millick
Dana Mincer
Richard Oakey
Jillian Oberfield
Annual Giving Report
Haley Peterson
Emily Richardson
Aaron Rogachevsky
Paul Scheibe
Cecilia Bradbeer Sibinga
Toby Snedecor
Roger A. Sternfeld
Ruth Whitson Stokes
Matthew Sullivan
CLASS OF 2012
Giulia Acchione
Khariya Archer
Jordan Blair
Kaitlyn Botak
Anthony Candelori-Moraglia
Elizabeth Carney
Autumn Dozier
Omar Gloistein
Jacob Harris
Lea Hart
Jeff Himelstein
Branden Hughes-Vaughan
Alex Mitchell
In Honor Of T. Karen
Anna Musewicz
Sam Veith
CORPORATIONS/FOUNDATIONS
Advisor Lab
Alliance Business Systems
Anonymous
Boeing Gift Matching Program
In Memory Of Mary Herndon Ravdin
Dorothy Reichardt
Paul Richard Restall
In Honor Of Lynn W. Oberfield
FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL
Donna Noonan Allen and Bob Allen*
Anonymous
Dr. Allen T. Bonnell
Ann and Bob Bridges
Paul and Billie Brink
Sam and Barbara Rose Caldwell
David and Margaret Camp
Ginny Christensen
Jared W. and Nancy D. Darlington
Nancy DeMis
and Bruce Turetsky, M.D.
Scott Davidson
and Karin B. Gustafson
Anjali and Paul DelPrato
Nancy Fitts Donaldson
John and Merril Dutton
Jessica and Gifford Eldredge
Susan Elliott
Lucretia Wood Evans
Vickie and Gerrit Fedele
James T. Forsythe
George S. and Carole Forsythe
I n Honor Of Andrew & Nancy Forbes,
James & Susie Forsythe, Garrett &
Sue Forsythe
Leslie Friedman and Parker Snowe
Barbara Darlington Garrett
Susan Garrison
and Michael J.J. Campbell
Ward Goodenough
In Memory Of Paul and MaryAnn Restall
Carol Sabersky
John Scardina and Lucille Ravin
Michelle and Paul Scheibe
William Scull and Becky Martin-Scull
Cecilia Bradbeer Sibinga
Ruth Whitson Stokes
Summer Synergy Camp
Sally Tallmadge
Phillip and Pat Turberg
In Memory Of Ramsay R. Turberg
Anne and Richard Umbrecht
Bob Vitalo and Jacqueline Montras
Paul and Rhoda Weisz
Althea and Doug Whyte
Debra Will and Dave Thomas
Claire and Glen Wilson
William and Ann Windsor
Teresa Winte
Jo-Ann Zoll
GRANDPARENTS
Nancy and Clark Allison
Anonymous
Richard and Patricia Bence
Fran and Carol Bradley
Aeolys and Henry Brooks
Shirley Collins
Joan Cooley
In Honor Of Matthew and Grace Rhile
Bob and Alice Crowner
In Honor Of Maggie and James Crowner
Bob and Joan Dainton
Pam and Rob Davidson
Leonard and Christina Deane
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eldredge
In Honor Of Peirce and
Daisy Eldredge
Bruno and Lynn Fedele
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Fichandler
Eloise and Ernest Giddiens
Leslie Glick
In Honor Of Elena and Margot Sissell
Dr. Paul Glickman
In Honor Of Rebecca & Molly Marcus
Bob and Leonor Gloistein
Susan Greco
Donald and Irene Greenhall
In Honor Of William &
Family Chressanthis
Dr. M. Jean Greenlaw
Rose Grelis
Donald and Carol Guthrie
Dorothy Haviland
Bob and Ann Hays
Sandy and Sue Heath
Morgan Himelstein
In Honor Of Jeffrey Himelstein
Nancy and Neil Hoffmann
John Jaeger
Herb and LaVerne Kirkwood
Anne and Wib Knox
Barbara Laska
Jim and Shirley Love
In Honor Of Drew Slager
Mary Murphy
Jeanne Musewicz
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In Honor Of Anna M. Musewicz
Margot Hunt
Patricia D. Hunt
Shirley Wright Kamara
Bill Kashatus and Jackie Butler
Grace F. King
Cindy Lentz
William Levy
Jairo Lora and Margaret Wheatley
Robert and Phyllis Manley
Michael and Judith Marcus
Robert P. and Joy C. Marshall
Phyllis and Manley Mincer
Donald and Theresa Much
Janet Roeser Nordberg
Kandance Weems Norris
and Ronald Norris
Joy and Richard Oakey
Lynn and William Oberfield
Marjorie H. Ogilvie
Marti Ohmart
Andrea Packard and Jay Dahlke
Larry and Pam Phelan
John Pollard and Susan Sherr-Pollard
Hugh and Eileen Richards
Kenneth Scott
Susan and Harry Shreckengast
Scott and Karen Sandlin Silverman
Linda and Robert Small
Michael and Joyce Spellman
Fred and Francy Strathmann
Marsha and Jonathan Swezey
Ken and Laura Taylor
Anne and Richard Umbrecht
Sandra and Bruce Vermeychuk
Arthur Weisfeld
and Virginia Brabender
Paul and Rhoda Weisz
Pat Whitaker
Drs. Pratap and Rekha Yagnik
Charles and Diane Zack
In Honor Of Jake
and Mackay Greenlaw-Scully
Rosa Packard
Josephine Parham
In Memory Of Woodrow Parham
Dorothy Peischl
Albert and Sharon Riess
Mrs. Jason Robards*
Rev. William Sissell
Amy Solipaca
Miriam Stamm and Stan Rosner
In Honor Of Elena and Margot,
In Memory Of Marty Stamm
Phillip and Pat Turberg
Victoria Viglione
PARENTS
Adrienne Abdus-Salaam
Rossano Acchione and Laurie Sbrolla
Anonymous
Bharti Asnani
and Francis Brahmakulam
Tobin and Heather Bickley
Nancy and Jerome Blank
Justin Blum and Cynthia Alley
Charlene Bolling
S. Geoffrey and Chrissy Botak
Kelly Bradley-Dodds
Christoper Carney
Cheryl and Patrick Clarkin
Jeff and Samantha Cohen
Brian and Katherine Crowner
Lisa and Steve Dainton
Brent Davenport
and Stephanie Triggiani
Paul and Anjali DelPrato
Angela DiMaria and Matt Lane
Brian S. and Carolyn Dozier
Jessica and Gifford Eldredge
Susan Elliott
Stefanie and Brad Ernst
Vickie and Gerrit Fedele
Randall and Stephanie Gaboriault
Mateo and Crystal Gloistein
Dawn Greenlaw and Shawn Scully
Joseph and Colleen Grelis
Donn and Holly Guthrie
James and Philitsa Hanson
In Honor Of Eliana Hanson
Cheryl Harner and Malcolm McHarg
Brian R. and Nancy E.G. Harris
Linda and David Hart
James and Lisa Hawkins
Terrine and Ardeshia Haynes
Rima and Andrew Himelstein
Holly and Richard Hoffmann
Greta Hudak and Wayne Peischl
Alison Jaeger
Eugene F. and Tracey Jarrell
Marianne Jurgaitis and Sogyal Lakar
Mary Kelley, Judea and Marcia White
Allison Kerry and Wendell Evans
Deborah and Brian Knox
Shaji Koshy and Betty Jacob
Michael Kostal and Ina Li
Adam Kradel and Melissa Wilcox
In Honor Of T. Heather
Andrea and Steven Linvill
Paul and Michele Marcolongo
Fitz and LaToya Martin
Cynthia and Brian McGoff
Philip H. and Hoa Le McLean
Heather McLoughlin
Russ and Katie Miller
Kevin and Lisa Mullarkey
Therese Musewicz and Frank Hubbard
Noreen P. O’Neill and Richard Weber
Anthony and Lisa Palmieri
Janice and Philip Peterson
Mark Prodoehl
Christine Ray and Kevin Porter
Susan D. and Michael R. Rhile
Daniel and Salome Ricklin
Albert and Deborah Riess
In Honor Of Parker Riess
Maribel and Jason Rodriguez
Maria Santos and Oscar Santos
Brian and Christina Schmidt
Alexander Shaw
Sunka Simon and Michael Hayse
Earl Sissell and Sonia Stamm
Kurt Sjoblom and Kendra Bence
Chris and Lisa Slager
Gopal Subramanian
and Raelyn Harman
Matthew Sullivan
and Stephanie Walkup
Geoff Veith
Cheryl and Kenny West
PAST PARENTS
Dr. Wilbur and Judith Amand
Marna Barrett and Doris Tirado
Joseph and Patricia Becker
Letitia C. Biddle
In Honor Of Phyllis Mincer
Keith Brown and Patricia Flores-Brown
Kurt and Carol Brunner
Sam and Barbara Rose Caldwell
David and Margaret Camp
Karen and Geoffrey Carbutt
Selena and Ira Carle
Peter and Mimi Chamberlain
Anthony P. Checchia
Ginny Christensen
Bill Coneghen and Kate Thompson
Dennis and Regis Cronin
Robert and Margaret DeMento
Nancy DeMis and Bruce Turetsky, M.D.
John and Deborah Ehleiter
Lillian Emory
June Evans
QUAKER MEETINGS
& ORGANIZATIONS
Chester Monthly Meeting
Friends Council On Education
Media Monthly Meeting
Moorestown Monthly Meeting
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Providence Monthly Meeting
Tyson Memorial Fund
Willistown Friends Meeting Trust
Wyatt Wistar Brown Fund
TEACHER/STAFF
Nancy Allison
Erica L. Baechtold
Daryl Ballough
David Camp
Karen Carbutt
Lisa Dainton
Angela DiMaria
Merril Dutton
Stefanie Ernst
Harry Gambrill
Dawn Greenlaw
Jennifer Gregory
In Memory Of Wayne Evans
Susan Garrison
and Michael J.J. Campbell
Sidney W. and Patricia R. Gilford
Pamela Haines and Charles Esser
Michael Hanrahan
Nicole and James L. Hardy, Jr.
Dorothy Haviland
David L. Hewitt
Christine and Bruce Howells
Sandy Howze
Connie Hughes
7
Olga Greto
James L. Hardy, Jr.
Christine Howells
Shirley Wright Kamara
C. Frederick Keffer
Grace F. King
Christa Krumbhaar
Becky Martin-Scull
Cynthia McGoff
Heather McLoughlin
Jean Menaldino
Lisa Morales
Van Nguyen
Deb Oller
Joe Payne
Betty Peditto
Janice Peterson
Emily Richardson
Calperta Scott
Earl Sissell
Michael Spellman
Roger A. Sternfeld
Francy Strathmann
Laura Taylor
Christine Vroome
Claire Wilson
TRUSTEES
Donna Noonan Allen
Michael J.J. Campbell
Jessica Eldredge
George S. Forsythe
Donn Guthrie
Brian R. Harris
Susannah Henderson
Holly Hoffmann
John R. James, JR.
Eugene F. Jarrell
Ann Murray
Ken Park
Susan D. Rhile
Kenneth Scott
Harry Shreckengast
Lisa Slager
Parker Snowe
Doris Tirado
Debra Will
* deceased
Annual Giving Report
Carlos and Loretta Orpilla
Alumni News
Introducing Our Newest Alums
In June came the commencement of our 135th Class! One
grad’s speech called to mind the lyric which concludes every
Meeting, “May the kindness which we learn, light our hearts
‘til we return,” when he remarked, “If I were to re-live my
life, I would have come to MPFS sooner… I love this school,
the teachers, my classmates, and even some of the homework!
But most of all, I love the memories this school gave me.
I’m about to leave this campus, but the spirit of MediaProvidence Friends School will never leave my heart.
Thank you MPFS for the happiest 2 years of my life.”
Presenting MPFS’ Class of 2012: (front) Khariya Archer,
Giulia Acchione, Katie Botak, Liz Carney, Anna Musewicz,
Lea Hart, Alex Mitchell, Autumn Dozier, (rear) Omar Gloistein,
Branden Hughes-Vaughan, Jordan Blair, Sam Veith, Jacob Harris,. Anthony Candelori-Moraglia
and Jeffrey Himelstein. The graduates are attending Abington Friends, Church Farm School, Friends Central, Interboro,
Penncrest, Shipley, Strath Haven and Woodlynde.
The Class of 2007: Oh The Places They’ve Gone
Each year, 8th Graders send care packages to MPFS alumni during their first year of college. The most recent batch went out
to the class of 2007: Marcus Bonner is at Earlham College majoring in Journalism & International Politics; Sarah Cullinan,
Muhlenberg College - Musical Theatre; Asha Deane, Emory University - Spanish & Education; Rachel Fishman, Muhlenberg
College - Psychology & Elementary Education; Andrew Hendricks, The Citadel - Electrical Engineering; Calynd Johnson,
West Chester University - Undeclared; Sarah Nivala, Sarah Lawrence College - Literature & Poetry; Samantha Shelton, Penn
State University - Communication Science; Molly Schonfeld, McDaniel College - Undeclared; Austin Shoenkopf, Connecticut
College - Philosophy; Julia Shreckengast, Tulane University - Business & Dance; Mallory Spencer, West Chester University Communications; Zach Summers, Penn State University - Undeclared.
Alumni Spotlight: Will Strathmann
A Senior at Bates College majoring in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy, Will
Strathmann ‘05 spent his Spring semester abroad with Emory University’s Tibetan
Studies program studying Tibetan culture and Buddhist philosophy in Dharamsala,
India, the intellectual, cultural and political capital of the Tibetan exile community.
While there he lived with a Tibetan family, travelled to cultural and religious sites,
Kerala in Southern India and Amritsar along the India-Pakistan border, trekked
the foothills of the Himalayas, conducted independent research on the Monastic
education system, and met the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama chose the occasion of the Emory group’s audience to speak about the role of education in creating a peaceful
society, noting the importance of teachers cultivating the heart into the mind. “His Holiness talked about how a mind without
a pure heart has the capacity to do devastating things… how Hitler and Gaddafi were very intelligent men but had ‘a problem
with the heart’. He reminded us that wisdom requires both knowledge and compassion. It was truly inspiring and it made me
think about how teachers at MPFS exemplified that and how they worked to impart it to all of us every day,” shared Will.
Good egg that he is, Will took Flat Dazzle along on his journey and managed to have him blessed by the Dalai Lama, along with
a number of personal items and gifts for his family. Pretty heady times for our friendly green dragon!
Alumni, visit our new Alumni Portal to find alumni news and profiles, see if you can find yourself in our alumni albums,
and submit your news and photos! It’s all at mpfw.org/alumni
8
To Each His Own iPad
Each 6th, 7th and 8th grader received a new Pad this year
as part of MPFS’ new “classrooms without walls” initiative.
Made possible with grant funding from Willistown Friends
Meeting Trust and Tyson Memorial Fund, and generous
underwriting from the Palmieri, Barrett-Tirado and
Henderson-Dunne families, the tablets are integrated into
all aspects of middle school curriculum and provide
real-time access to up-to-date, interactive academic r
esources in every classroom, all day long. And,
because students take them home each
evening, they’re also a tool used for
schoolwork and learning off campus.
the front of the classroom, teaching,” says T. Roger. “Now
kids are learning to take responsibility for their own learning.
They have the tools to dive into concepts and practice at
home, and then come to class each day knowing what they
plan to work on, seeking the support they need from me or, at
times, from other students in order to get there. At this point,
7th and 8th Grade Math is 100% individualized. Students are
working at their own pace to master each topic – working hard
– and I function more as their coach and advocate.”
Naturally, the most enthusiastic
iPad supporters are students!
Says one 7th Grader,“We’re
starting a cool group Quakerism
project where we’ll do research
then use iMovie to create videos
for the ‘If I Had a Trillion Dollars
Youth Film Festival’ [sponsored
by the National Priorities Project
and American Friends Service
Committee]. We’re comparing our
priorities to the budget priorities of
the U.S. government and showing
how we’d spend a trillion dollars.
It would be awesome if one of our
films won!” Another, elaborating on
individualized Math remarks,
“It was easier before, being told
exactly what to do. But using Khan
Academy as a learning tool has helped me feel in charge
of my math learning. I can learn without barriers and work
at my own pace. I don’t have to wait for people if I’ve
mastered something, but I can watch a video if I’m stuck
or need review.” Notes Head of School, Earl Sissell,
“Our 1-to-1 iPad program opens
up the world for students, letting
them connect with people who live
lives very different from their own,
discover communities of learners
and non-traditional teachers that
would otherwise be invisible to
them, and take responsibility for
their own learning. For us, learning
must be about discovery and be
inquiry-based, because our aim
is for kids to be meaningfully
engaged so they ultimately lead
purposeful lives.”
Middle School faculty received their iPads last Spring and
have embraced the new technology. Humanities teachers
Nancy Allison and Aura Gersenson both remark on the iPads’
impact upon students’ research skills, “We want kids to
learn how to be learners, so it’s a boon for each one to have
immediate access to the Internet. We can investigate topics on
the spot, retrieving the most current information, pretty often
with compelling, multimedia elements. When students find
conflicting information, it affords a chance to teach them how
to assess content critically.”
T. Earl affirms that MPFS’ philosophy hasn’t changed with
the advent of the iPad initiative. “Even as we leverage new
teaching and learning opportunities like this one, the academic
and moral foundations upon which MPFS is built will not
change. Our core values, pro-social curriculum, the hands-on
exploration that our students engage in, the lively classroom
discussions, and the caring relationships that students and
teachers have with each other… none of this changes because
of the iPads. These characteristics will continue to distinguish
an MPFS education.”
In Art and Music the iPads are a platform not only for creative
expression, but for centering and focus; in Spanish, they’ve
prepared students for Skype exchanges with middle school
peers in Bogota, Columbia; in Science, they’re enabling
paper-free lab submissions as well as self-paced web quests.
Perhaps nowhere is the impact more significant than in Math.
Using the iPads, Khan Academy, and video recordings of his
own lectures, teacher Roger Sternfeld has “flipped” his Math
classes. “Before, class was centered around me, standing at
You can find our iPad FAQ online
at mpfs.org/parents/resources
9
Media - Providence
Friends School
125 W. Third Street
Media, PA 19063
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
Media, PA
Permit No. 842
Meet Norbert: Our New-to-Us Bus
Meet Norbert, MPFS’ gently used 30-passenger bus! During our
2011 Annual Spring Auction, just over $23,000 was donated by
many folks who kindly raised their paddles to fund the purchase
of a new-to-us ‘small bus’. “Puff", our previous little bus had
nearly outlived its productive lifespan and we were seeking a
replacement with a bit more room and better fuel economy.
Having buses ensures that MPFS students can experience
off-campus educational opportunities that enhance classroom
curriculum and expand their world view. During his first year
of service, Norbert shuttled students to the Brandywine River,
Bear Creek Camp in Wilkes Barre, the Philadelphia Museum of
Art, The Franklin Institute of Science, the National Liberty Museum, the Friends School 4th Grade Mold Symposium, Ashland
Nature Center, the Chesapeake, historic Philadelphia, the Renaissance Faire, Hillside Farm CSA, Linvilla Orchards, Echo Hill
Outdoor School, athletic fields at Friends Select, St. Peter’s School, Philadelphia School and Mullica Hill Friends, Kennett
Square Migrant Head Start Center, Cradles to Crayons service warehouse, Swarthmore and Tyler Arboretums, Ridley Creek
State Park and Longwood Gardens. We’re grateful to be able to continue to provide for these learning opportunities, thanks to all
who were so generous!
IMPORTANT DATES: PreK Family Sing: Dec. 11 • K-1st Winter Concert: Dec. 12
2nd-5th Winter Concert: Dec 13 • Family Skating Party: Jan. 13 • Winterfest: Feb. 8