Parents, board members, faculty, and staff of Buckingham Friends School (BFS) gathered at Honey Hollow Education Center on Sept. 20 to celebrate the start of the school’s 225th year.
Founded in 1794 in Lahaska, the campus and buildings have gone through many updates and renovations during the past two centuries.
Under the leadership of new school head Paul Lindenmaier, BFS has seen an almost 20% increase in enrollment during the past two years. The faculty, board, and current and extended community worked with strategic planning consultant Christina Drouin to restate the school’s mission, articulate its core values, and develop a set of strategic initiatives to ensure the school’s success and continued relevance.
The plan, “Realizing the Promise,” includes expanding and enhancing its community, continuing to adapt and develop innovative new programs to optimize student achievement, and stewarding all of its resources – financial, talent, and the facilities on the school’s 44-acre wooded campus – for a sustainable future.
Value-added programs such as wood shop, art, music, mindfulness, and the Joint Environmental Mission (JEM) programs continue to thrive and evolve. New JEM Director Laura Downs, will lead nine students on an educational trip this November to Goa and Belgaum, India, to visit BFS’ partner school, learn about different cultures, study alternative energy sources, and visit UNESCO World Heritage sites.
While firmly rooted in its rich 225-year history and Quaker values, Buckingham Friends School and its engaged community continue to have their eyes on the future – both for this school year and many hundred more to come.
Buckingham Friends School is a coed independent Friends school for grades K-8. Learn more online or by calling (215) 794-7491.
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