November 16, 2025

As we move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday, it's important to remember that November is Native American Heritage Month, and keep in mind the significance of our nation's authentic background. This month invites us not only to celebrate traditions, languages, and achievements, but also to deepen our understanding of the true history that has shaped Native American communities and the land we share today. 

For more information, education, and guidance on being an ally, check out any of these wonderful resources:
Indigenous Peoples Movement
Native Organizers Alliance
NCAI

After spending the last few weeks learning about Dia de los Muertos, Middle School Spanish students created their own Ofrendas to memorialize loved ones, pets, and famous people who have impacted their lives. Stop by Ethan Hall this week to check out this awesome display! 

The question came up again at this week’s Parents Association Meeting: When will we start a high school? It’s a question we hear often, and one that comes from a deep place of trust and pride in what our school community offers young people.

Starting a high school from scratch is an enormous endeavor. It requires not only space and funding for classrooms and labs, but also a long-term commitment to staffing, accreditation, diverse academic programming, and college counseling. Most importantly, it requires a community that can sustain such growth, financially, spiritually, and organizationally, over many years. These are not obstacles, but realities; careful stewardship is part of what ensures Friends education remains rooted and strong.

And yet, while we have not taken that step, our middle schoolers are already preparing for success wherever they go next. Through their Friends education, they live the values that make any high school experience meaningful. Integrity, curiosity, respect for every voice, and a steady sense of purpose. They learn how to ask good questions, to listen deeply, and to approach challenges with reflection rather than reaction. Those habits of mind and spirit travel with them into public and private schools alike, where they flourish as grounded, compassionate, and capable learners.

In this way, our middle school does far more than prepare students for high school, it prepares them for life. The Middle School team, led by Amy, is committed to working with our families to find the best fit after FSW. Throughout the year many of our alumni return to share their positive experiences. Also there are multiple information sessions for families to learn more about the opportunities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information.

THANK YOU for the tremendous support during the food drive this past week!!!

The way our community came together in service is truly inspiring and greatly appreciated. We took two van loads of food over to the NourishNC warehouse and our school donated approximately 920 lbs of food!! WOW!

Special thanks to Chelsea Bradshaw for transporting everything to the warehouse!

In lieu of having a toy swap this year, we have decided to partner with an amazing local organization called the Free Christmas Shop of Wilmington. At the end of last school year, we donated a large amount of gently loved toys to this organization and they were incredibly gracious, and loved the support from our school.
Free Christmas Shop of Wilmington is one of the few local organizations that accepts gently loved items, and their impact on the community is undeniable. Last year they helped over 500 families by providing a free holiday shopping experience, and they are expecting similar numbers this year. We will be helping in multiple ways-

Jacket and Toy Drive:
Starting Monday, November 17 through Wednesday, December 10th, we will be collecting gently loved kid and adult jackets and gently loved (or new) toys amongst other items. Please check out the flyer for the full list of needed items. If you have any questions regarding what kind of items being accepted, please email pa@fsow.org 

Holiday Stocking Service Learning Project:
Another way we will be supporting the Free Christmas Shop will be collecting and stuffing holiday stockings. The PA is working with FSW Leadership on making this a service learning opportunity for the students. A Sign-up Genius will be sent out next week requesting items to support this event. 

Volunteering:
Finally, the Free Christmas Shop is always looking for volunteers. The organizer did indicate that kids over 7 years old can also volunteer with their adult. They have numerous different types of tasks that need coverage, so follow the link below to the Sign-up Genius if you have the capacity to help this year.

A friendly reminder that Friday, November 21 will be a half-day of school. The morning will be filled with classroom traditions on campus, and gates will open for all events. If you are joining us please park on Francisco Field (near the edge of the basketball court).

Students in Stepping Stones should be picked up by 11:15 a.m., Stargazer students by 11:30 a.m., with Lower and Middle School dismissal beginning at 11:50 a.m. There will be no AfterCARE on this day. In the afternoon, our staff will be engaging in professional development, and the campus will be closed to the community.

We are grateful for our amazing community, and hope you all have a safe and joyful break. 

Follow the QR code or click on the image-link to order yours today. 

We are excited to offer another series of our beloved caregiver/child nature class in December on Monday mornings: 12/1, 12/8 & 12/15 from 9:00 - 9:45am. Sign up for one or more classes to receive a discount! Classes are held at Longleaf Center on the campus of Friends School of Wilmington. 

Use the link below to sign up, or create a new account if you have not signed up for one of our auxiliary programs before. 

Hope to see you soon along the trails!

Congratulations to three of our Class of '22 alumni who have made it to the State Championship level this fall in their respective sports! Way to go Friends!!!
Pictured left to right: Andy McIntosh (soccer), Jameson Zapple (soccer), Aedon Schroeder (cross country)

On a recent Friday morning, Stepping Stones students invited Marsha's daughter, Sophia Rouse, to see the seedlings in the Native Tree Nursery. Sophia graduated from Friends School in 2020 and is a sophomore at Meredith College in Raleigh. 

We are getting excited about our upcoming tree give-away in a few weeks on Thursday, November 11th -- the same day as Night of Peace. Stay tuned for more information coming soon about the kinds of species that will be available. 

Earlier this week on a chilly morning, Richard and Jane Lawrence returned to Longleaf Center for more trail work and invasive plant removal. Several significant cuts were made to thick Chinese wisteria vines that have thrived in the woods for years! Wisteria sinensis causes major disruptions to native ecosystems and kills trees by gradually girdling trunks and blocking sunlight. Late summer and autumn are ideal times to tackle wisteria vines as the plants are ferrying sugars and other nutrients into root systems to store during winter dormancy.

Thanks to Richard, Jane, and Tuck Criswell for their dedication to removing invasive plants at Longleaf Center. 

School Pictures are in!

Thank you to our photographer, Kathryn McRea, for capturing our smiling faces!
Photo albums have been emailed home. Note that the last day to purchase digital images is Thursday, November 20. If you have any questions, you can email Kathryn at kathrynmcraephotography@gmail.com

Good Shepherd Sign-Up Link

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 January!
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!