May 24, 2026

It's the final countdown!! 3.5 school days left, with 8th grade Graduation finishing out our week. Campus will be closed tomorrow, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We hope you all have a sunny, safe, and relaxing rest of the weekend. 

On Wednesday of this past week, we held our final Meeting for Worship of this school year. This particular MFW was extra special because it doubled as our annual Haikus & Gratitudes ceremony! This unique tradition honors our graduating 8th graders, their long-time friendship with their 3rd grade buddies, and the faculty and staff within our community that have directly shaped each graduate's experience at FSW. 

As Memorial Day approaches this Monday, we pause as a community to remember and honor the women and men who have given their lives in military service to our country. Their courage, sacrifice, and commitment to something larger than themselves call us into a deeper reflection on the cost of conflict and the meaning of service.

As a Quaker school, we are guided by a longstanding testimony of peace. We believe in seeking nonviolent paths, nurturing understanding, and working toward a more just and compassionate world. At the same time, we hold deep gratitude for those who have made extraordinary sacrifices, often in the midst of circumstances not of their own choosing.

This day invites us to live in that tension with humility: to affirm our commitment to peace while honoring the lives given in its name. We remember not only the loss, but also the humanity, dignity, and love that each person carried.

May we carry forward a spirit of remembrance, gratitude, and renewed dedication to building a more peaceful world.

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As the school year winds down, we are taking stock of our Native Tree Nursery and cleaning out several air-pruning boxes. We're excited to share that two of our boxes will soon be transported to Peace Rose Montessori so they can begin their own tree nursery program in the fall! One or two more boxes will go to School of Wonder. It has always been our plan to share some of our boxes with other schools and we are thrilled to begin this next step. At least six boxes will remain on our campus for more planting next year.

The photo below shows Tuck Criswell (father of Usoa in 3rd grade) removing soil from one of our boxes. Tuck will be our bridge between FSW and other schools to help them prepare their boxes with the right soil mix and decide what native seeds they would like to plant later in the school year. 

What's next for our young trees at FSW? We will leave some trees in the nursery through the summer and plant them next fall in microforest areas. If you are interested in taking a tree before the school year ends, please contact Karen at karenl@fsow.org. We still have bald cypress, several species of oaks, longleaf pines, hickories, and a few sweet bay magnolia. Keep in mind that late spring is not an ideal time to plant trees since their need for water increases in the warmer months. However, if you are able to water consistently through October, a young tree has a good chance of survival. 

Thanks again to our tree nursery volunteers who helped plant more than 400 young trees with students at Peace Rose Montessori and also supported our tree give-away days this past winter! We're excited to continue this important program in the years ahead. We will share more info soon about how teachers and parents will work together to support our tree nursery next school year. 

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!