Have a wonderful summer, mates! I look forward to reconnecting with you all upon my return from Australia in late June.

Hi everyone! it's me, Rachel 👋🏼 (I'm breaking the fourth wall I know). Now that summer is finally here, I'd love to learn more about your experience with FriendsMail this year--what's working, what edits you'd recommend, what you want to see more of, etc. Please consider taking the short survey linked below to provide me with your honest (and anonymous) feedback. Your suggestions will help make next year's iteration of FriendsMail even better! 

We're so excited to highlight the recent achievements of 2 Friends School alums in the Wilmington area. First, Samin Bhan graduated Hoggard as the school's valedictorian and will head to Stanford in the fall with a full-tuition scholarship as a Cameron Impact Scholar. Samin and younger brother Atiksh (also an FSW alum) were previously named the winners of the 2022 Congressional App Challenge in North Carolina’s Seventh District for their development of Lookupp! Also making headlines this year is Minh Vu who was crowned as the 2024 Azalea Festival Princess! At New Hanover High, Minh is a member of the Lyceum Academy and is active in Beta Club, SAVE Promise Club, Student Council, and Porch Club. Outside of school, Minh enjoys traveling, language learning, and spending time with her family and friends. After graduation, she plans to major in Global Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Congratulations to these two incredible young scholars for their achievements! We're so proud you are part of our community! 

Plus, did you see last week's FriendsMail with a check-in on our graduating classes from 2016 and 2020? In addition to NC-based schools like UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC-Wilmington, Meredith College, East Carolina, and Guilford College, we also have FSW alums attending Savannah College of Art & Design, Virginia Tech, University of Miami, Mississippi College, University of Portland, Grinnell College, and New York University!

Tomorrow we will welcome 63 campers to campus for our first week of summer camp, and it's sure to be an amazing start to the season!

What's on the docket for these friends? Well, we have our full-day Fun with Friends camp which will focus on a "sports around the world" theme. Then there's Animal Architects with Karen and Julie, Peewee Mensa Club with Tatyana, and Makerspace with Eileen. Plus, we welcome back our community partners Soccer Shots and VAC Chess. And longtime friends Brooks Koff and LaVonda Howard will lead Art Potpourri and Flip, Flop & Roll.

Don't miss out the remaining 6 weeks of offerings! Check out what openings we have left by following the link below.

Well, folks, that's a wrap on PA meetings for the year, but that doesn't mean the calendar is empty! Thanks to Audrey Hammond's efforts in partnering with Good Shepherd Center, we are part of the monthly volunteer schedule, assisting in the kitchen to prepare dinner for up to 118 overnight guests.

Every third Thursday we meet downtown, with Audrey or Tony as Leader + 1 faculty/staff member + 1 member of Wilmington Friends Meeting + 2 FSW parents. We're still looking for 1 parent and 2 backups for the June 20th dinner, so please sign up below! 

Happy Pride Month

This month and every month, we at FSW are proud to uplift the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Quakers have a celebrated history of social activism as abolitionists, feminists, and environmentalists, and our core guiding principles uphold the equality rights of ALL people ALWAYS. We continue to stand in solidarity with marginalized groups, advocating for justice and inclusion across all areas of society. There is still much work to be done, but we take heart in the changemaking process and the roles our students and teachers take in the journey.

City of Wilmington Text Alerts

"With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starting June 1st, New Hanover County Emergency Management is encouraging all area residents to register for a new emergency alert system to stay informed and prepared for all emergencies. Residents can sign up to receive timely and critical alerts by texting READYNHC to 24639. This service will provide subscribers with essential information directly to their mobile devices, including updates on severe weather, hazardous conditions and safety alerts that could impact the area." Read more >>>

2024-2025 School Calendar

Summer may have just started, but that doesn't mean we aren't counting down the days to see you again! Our 2024-2025 school calendar is set and features transition from quarters to trimesters. Download now and get those holidays and breaks dates penciled in! 

City of Wilmington Juneteenth Celebration Calendar

Follow along with the City of Wilmington this month to recognize and uplift the history of Juneteenth and the important political work and cultural contributions of our region's Black community. 

We saw what graduation looked like from the lens of a professional photographer, but what about from the eyes of a graduate???

As this year’s virtual auction winner, the Tondeur Family won a social media takeover which means today’s IG is from rising 9th grader Phoenix’s perspective.

She’s an amazing artist, a carefree soul, bright and quick-witted with charisma for days. A fierce advocate for social justice and a friend to all, we were so lucky to have her as part of the FSW community for NINE years since her enrollment in Kindergarten.

In her own words, “I am a caterpillar  / Comfortable in my cocoon / I am ready to fly as a butterfly.” GLOW Academy, you’ve got an amazing high schooler heading your way!

"I just wanted to send a quick shoutout to let Mitch know how much I appreciate all the hard work he puts into running the care enrichment and summer camp programs. As a parent, it's such a relief knowing my kid is in good hands and having a blast thanks to his awesome leadership. Keep up the fantastic work!"

- Anonymous Friend

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Allyson Keating for her brilliant attention to detail and unwavering support of the school and its educational mission. As the true east to my west, I am exceptionally lucky to work alongside her as both a colleague and a friend."

- Rachel Presley