March 22, 2026

Friends!!! Long time, no chat. Getting re-adjusted to the school schedule is always a challenge after Spring Break, but nevertheless, we are back and already in full-swing!

It's been a couple weeks since our last newsletter so this one is JAM-PACKED with information. Before getting too deep into reading, I suggest you find a quiet corner, grab your morning bevvy, and perhaps your planner and a pen. There are crucial dates below that you will not want to miss! 

Have a beautiful, warm Sunday everyone 🌞

As a joyous culmination of our first week back from Spring Break, we gathered for our monthly Meeting for Worship on Friday afternoon. This particular Meeting was extra special because it happened on Alumni Day, and we were lucky enough to host several dozen of our former FSW students. 

In a way so fitting, we pondered the queries: 
"What is a moment when you were most proud to be a member of the FSW community?"
and
"What are you going to take with you when you leave FSW?"

This week, 3rd Grade teacher Eileen taught our 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Graders the George Fox song and paused on one curious line, “You can’t kill the devil with a pistol or a sword.” That simple sentence created an opportunity for Eileen to ask students about what it means to be a Quaker school in a world filled with conflict. Our students are learning that “the devil” in this song is not a person or a country, but the hatred, fear, and injustice that live in human hearts and systems. Weapons may silence people, but they cannot heal those roots of violence.

From the earliest days of Quakerism, George Fox and other Friends came to believe that the spirit of Christ could never lead them to take up weapons against another person. They spoke of “that of God” in everyone, which means that no life is expendable and no group of people should be labeled the enemy. This conviction is why Quakers have historically opposed all wars. When we say, as a Quaker school, that we are against the war in Iran, and against any war, we are not choosing one side over another. We are standing with ordinary people on all sides who suffer loss, trauma, and displacement whenever violence escalates.

At the same time, our beliefs do not allow us to turn away from injustice. Quaker faith holds human rights and social justice at its core. We care deeply about those who live under repression, discrimination, or the constant threat of violence, whether in Iran or anywhere else in the world. The hard question for us is this: how do we defend human rights and oppose oppression without relying on tools that inevitably harm innocent people? Our tradition challenges us to seek nonviolent paths. Diplomacy, solidarity, truthful witness, intentional listening, and persistent work to change the conditions that give rise to war.

Brighter Days coffee cart will be parked on campus Monday morning!

Consider giving the gift of ✨caffeination✨
to our wonderful faculty & staff

Join us in the cottage on Wednesday for our monthly PA meeting! 

April Moonick is the first of the month! 

A long-standing, favorite tradition we have is Night of Friends, a most festive gathering and also our biggest fundraiser.
Every year, the parents, faculty, and staff gather for an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeurves, music, trivia, and good times!

Oh yeah! That night is also the debut of our Silent Auction, in which you have the chance to bid on exclusive offerings from people in our community.
Past winnings have included Head of School for the day, renaming school-signs, private lessons with in-house connoisseurs of many different topics, boat excursions, and even a tropical getaway!

All proceeds from the auction go directly toward our annual fund, which you can learn more about here.

Have a special skill or asset you'd like to share? Follow the link below to fill out our donation form. 

Stay tuned for more information and the launch of ticket sales. 

What's better than receiving a giant load of garden soil?  A ready supply of helping hands to shovel and spread it! This week we welcomed 9th grade visitors from Sandy Spring Friends School who are spending time in the Wilmington area.

Four of their students stopped by to visit with our students and also help distribute the topsoil and compost mixture across our 1600 sqft garden area at Longleaf Center. We will begin planting spring seeds in the coming weeks! 

Pictured below are 9th grade students Kaiden, Riley, Clementine, Pete + their teacher, Ebe (Learning Specialist at SSFS) and Tony, too!

Thanks to our visitors for providing service work at our school! 

Spring is in the air and birds are busy building nests all around the Wilmington area. Kindergarten students took a deep dive into nest diversity this week as they studied a variety of songbird nests built by the American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Wren, Barn Swallow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Finch, Northern Cardinals and others.
They examined the differences in nest sizes, structure, and materials, observing that some bird nests are relatively simple while others feature soft grasses, mud, and even animal hair. After their nest studies, students practiced spelling and writing skills to record their observations in journals. 

*All active nests of native birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The nests in the Friends School teaching collection were gathered after the nesting season and are maintained under a Special Use - Salvage Permit from US Fish and Wildlife.*

Coming next week...To increase nesting habitat across our campus, we are excited to install five new bluebird boxes donated by Loblolly Garden Club and the Hoenig family. This will expand our "Bluebird Trail" to eight nest boxes. Stay tuned for more info and photos coming soon!

On a beautiful winter day in February, sixth grade students from Friends School and DC Virgo joined together on a memorable outing at Halyburton Park where they studied the longleaf pine ecosystem and created cyanotype prints with guidance from photographer James Farley. For the next two weeks, these prints will be featured at Cameron Art Museum as part of the Mountains to Sea exhibit. We hope everyone is able to visit CAM and see these collaborative pieces on display.

Thank you to CAM, Halyburton Park, UNCW, and teachers at FSW and DC Virgo for making this project possible.
Our Friends School team included Amy McGlinn, Jennifer Barfield, Skip Walter and Karen Linehan

Click on the image to be taken to the registration page

We're always looking for volunteers to help with our monthly dinner shifts at Good Shepherd Center! Follow the link HERE to sign up for any of the upcoming shifts, now through August!
We serve on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:30-7:00 PM at 811 Martin Street.
Come lend a hand and be part of this meaningful community effort! 

Click on the image-link above or scan the QR code.
Use your current login or create an account to enroll in our auxiliary programs