April 19, 2026

Someone brought to my attention the other day that we only have 6 weeks left of this school year and I was shocked. We never realize how fast time goes by until we're nearing the end, and with the many events we have scheduled for the next few weeks, this time could flash by in the blink of an eye. While we're still together, let's think of how much we have to be grateful for.

I'll start . . . the warm sun, this loving community, the growth of our students . . . who's next???

Somewhere over the rainbow . . . is the sweet sound of joy that rings throughout FSW campus.
We've got Spring Fever in all the ways, but that won't stop our students and teachers from finding pockets of peace in each day. 

I have written before that my personal values and beliefs no longer fully align with the Catholic Church, the religion of my childhood and much of my early professional life. Even so, I hold deep respect for the leader of a faith followed by approximately 1.3 to 1.4 billion people worldwide. The teachings of the Popes in my lifetime; John Paul II, Benedict XVI,
Francis and now Leo XIV, have consistently elevated themes that resonate strongly with Quaker testimonies: peace, social justice, and a call to recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person.

It is for this reason that I find it both troubling and inappropriate when any political leader dismisses or diminishes the beliefs or moral voice of Pope Francis. One need not share a particular faith, or any faith at all, to recognize the global significance of a figure who influences well over a billion people. The Pope’s voice carries weight in conversations about peace, poverty, migration, and human dignity. To disregard that influence is not only disrespectful to those who follow his leadership, but also dismissive of an important force for dialogue and stability in our world. At a time when thoughtful, compassionate leadership is urgently needed, voices that call for peace and justice deserve careful consideration, not casual dismissal.

WANTED: New PA Co-Clerk! *deadline extended*

For the 2026/27 School Year

Thank you for your interest in the PA Clerk leadership transition process. As Tim concludes his term at the end of the year, we are seeking new leadership to guide the Parent Association with thoughtfulness and care. 

As a Quaker school, we follow a Quaker process to reach consensus on our next leaders, ensuring that those stepping into these roles are aligned with our values of collaboration, service, and community engagement.

We invite you to nominate yourself or another community member for the PA Clerk role or to serve on the Clerk selection committee. Nominations will be reviewed through a spirit-led process, and all nominees will be contacted to discuss their interest and availability.

Please submit your nomination by Friday, April 24th.

April Teacher Appreciation

In honor of our wonderful faculty and staff, the Parent Association has generously organized a
Taco Wednesday Lunch!

Lunch will be provided from Moe’s Taco Bar this Wednesday, April 22nd.

Thank you, parents!!!

Ticket sales are now live for our long-standing, favorite tradition of Night of Friends, and the Silent Auction bidding has commenced! 

Each year the parents, faculty, and staff gather for an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeurves, music, trivia, Silent Auction, and good times! You know you want to be there. 

Click the button down below to grab your ticket, then check out our Silent Auction website to get a feel for what you might like to bid on.
Silent Auction ends at midnight on 5/16.

Keyword: fswauction26

We are excited to host our 4th annual Earth Day Festival at Longleaf Center on
Friday, April 24th at 12:50 PM - 2:15 PM!
This year we are featuring eight learning stations led by area environmental educators as well as FSW faculty and staff. 

As in years past, we are seeking parent volunteers to assist station leaders during the event. We also need help setting up for the festival on Friday morning (8:00 AM - 9:15 AM), greeting station leaders and volunteers, and taking down stations after the festival (2:15 PM - 2:45 PM).

Please check out our Signup Genius form to review the volunteer slots. Thank you for considering!

Parents are also welcome to attend the festival. Parking for this event will be near the basketball court. Camellia Gate will close by 12:30 PM, but Peiffer Gate will remain open during the afternoon. We will send more details about parking next week. 

Thanks to our faculty Environmental Stewardship Committee (Skip, Julie, Patrick, Caroline, Landis, Marsha, Michaela, Martina, and Karen) for planning our festival and recruiting our amazing station leaders!

Our Varsity Science Olympiad team spent the weekend proudly representing Friends School at the state tournament in Raleigh. We are incredibly proud of their dedication, teamwork, and the way they represented our school. 

Eighteen students attended Friday’s opening ceremony at NC State’s Reynolds Coliseum, followed by a full day of competition on Saturday. They tested their skills across 25 science and engineering events, competing against 40 of North Carolina’s top teams.

Tune in next week for a full competition report, including results!

This week our school corn snake named Candy Corn passed away in his tank in the hall of our preschool building. He was 17 years-old. In recent months, Candy Corn appeared to be slowing down and was not eating regularly. During a recent checkup at Paws and Claws, a veterinarian wondered if he might be experiencing some kidney issues. Nevertheless, we were so surprised and sad to lose our dear serpent friend.

Throughout his life, Candy Corn was a gentle educational ambassador who helped children understand the interesting features of snakes -- their graceful movements, flicking tongue, beautiful scales, exceptional swallowing skills. He frequently tolerated touching and handling and didn't seem to mind eating thawed rats in front of a rapt audience of young children. Over the years, he participated in many classroom lessons and attended several summer camps. 

This week, Landis and Karen visited Stargazer classrooms to lead celebrations of Candy Corn's life. His hallway tank is now a growing memorial of pictures and words. Soon the preschool team will begin to think about a new animal ambassador for the hall. Will it be another snake or perhaps a lizard? We all look forward to learning more. 

We are especially grateful to Susan Willis who has been Candy Corn's devoted assistant observing his daily behavior, checking his water, making sure his light was on. Thank you, Susan, for your care of our peaceful, slithery companion during the later years of his life.

RIP Candy Corn, 2009 - 2026 💚🐍

As many Wilmington residents know, PFAS contamination is an issue of critical importance to our community. On Thursday, FSW parent Meghan Sweeney (mom of Henry Laudadio) joined the 8th grade class at Longleaf Cottage to teach a lesson about PFAS contamination and to share the "PFAS zines" that her UNCW English students recently made for a young adult audience. 

Zines are small, handmade booklets that can convey important issues in a personal way. Eighth grade students studied the zines created by UNCW students for their content and also for artistic inspiration. Next week, they will work with Skip and Amy to make PFAS zines of their own. Next Friday, they'll share these zines with Friends School students at our Earth Day Festival on April 24th. Our whole school community benefits from this passing along of knowledge from UNCW students to 8th grade students to all of our FSW students. Thanks to Meghan, Skip and Amy for facilitating this meaningful UNCW - FSW collaboration. We look forward to seeing the 8th grade zines at our Earth Day Festival next week!

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! 

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