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GEORGE FOX
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From the HeadChoosing the right environment for our children is not always an easy task. We want the best we can provide for our families. We want our children to be nurtured yet learn independence. Finding the school which provides that perfect balance between academic excellence and creative play requires careful thought and investigation. The George Fox Friends School is a place where your child can have the opportunity to develop a positive view of the world. Values such as integrity, honesty, hard work and peaceful conflict resolution lie at the heart of our educational philosophy. Your child will enjoy the freedom to recognize the Light within him/herself and others. At the George Fox Friends School your child will be immersed in an environment within which ideals of body and mind and spirit can be cherished and strengthened. As a parent I know that choosing the right place for your child is important, and I also know that being a student at the George Fox Friends School will be a rich and rewarding experience for your child. With friendly regards, Linda S. Uberseder, Head of School The George Fox Friends School has a racially non-discriminatory policy. The George Fox Friends School admits students of any race, color, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate to applicants and/or students on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, creed, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other School-administered programs.
PhilosophyThe George Fox Friends School, located in lovely, rural Cochranville, Pennsylvania, is a Quaker school in the finest tradition of Friends. It is a community of learners where teachers and staff work closely with parents to see that the needs and interests of each child are well served. The philosophy of the School is rooted both in principles of the Religious Society of Friends and in sound principles of child development, which view each child as a whole person. Intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth are all equally important in a child’s total development. George Fox Friends School focuses on the unique worth of each individual, recognizing that children grow in different dimensions and at different rates.
Curriculum
The curriculum at George Fox Friends combines knowledge with nurturing, providing students with the support and security to grow at their own pace. We want our students to grow to be socially responsible, effective citizens, free of incompetence, ignorance and intolerance. At the center of our curriculum is the belief that there is the light of God in everyone, and that all God’s creatures — connected as they are in the same sacred circle of life — are worthy of respect. Our Language Arts program emphasizes both phonics and literature. Whether responding through the social environment of the classroom or writing in individual journals, we want our students to be able to see who they are and how they interact with the world. Through reading about the wider world, they will learn to understand and accept the similarities and differences between us all. Our Math program provides students with the opportunity to develop their own problem-solving strategies, learning to share ideas and to see how mathematics interlaces with their daily lives. The Social Studies and Science programs connect students to all aspects of living: community, society, nature, life processes, utilization of energy, and the diversity and continuity of life. We want our students to use resources in our world environment wisely. Music, Art, and Physical Education are also emphasized to involve students in thinking, seeing, feeling and sensing their world in ways that teach them to be creative adults. Spiritual life is an important aspect of the curriculum. Once each week, students, staff and parents attend an unprogrammed Friends Meeting for Worship in which all seek for the leadings of the inner spirit through quiet reflection. Respect for others is emphasized, as is an appreciation of cultural and religious diversity. We strive to be broad enough in our approach to spiritual truths that persons of many religious persuasions can share our values.
EnrollmentApplication forms are available on request from the School. The Application Fee for processing is $40.00, and should be made payable to George Fox Friends School, and submitted along with the completed application form to: George Fox Friends School After the application and interview processes have been completed, enrollment may take place. A non-refundable Registration Fee of $200.00 must accompany the completed enrollment contract when it is returned to the School at the above address. This fee will be applied against the tuition due. The School’s moderate annual tuition may be paid using one of several plans. If the entire annual tuition amount is paid at the beginning of the school year, there will be a 5% discount allowed. The tuition may also be paid in three installments over the course of the school year; or, with a 5% surcharge, tuition may be paid monthly in ten installments. Ask for details.
Parental InvolvementGeorge Fox Friends School welcomes parental involvement. We believe that, together, parents and teachers are allies and advocates for all our students. Parental interest and support are important predictors of student success, and they are strongly encouraged at the School. The cooperative spirit helps keep tuition down, gives children a sense of community spirit, and encourages parental involvement with the educational process. Each family is asked to contribute volunteer hours to the School. We are hopeful that all parents will become actively involved in the co-op program; however, if after careful consideration, parents feel unable to donate their time, they will be expected to pay a co-op fee.
Friends WorshipThe Friends (Quaker) signature method of worship springs from the turbulent times of the Cromwellian revolution in England. Among the spiritual seekers of that time was one named George Fox, who had a revelation that led to the founding of what now may be called the Religious Society of Friends. His insight led him to recognize that all persons have within themselves the capacity to know the will of God. Friends believe that there is Light within each of God’s creatures — a direct revelation of God speaking to the individual. Fox called Christ the “true Teacher within”, saying that “God was come to teach his people himself.” Many Friends gather and worship in silence, without a pastor or a program for the meeting. In such a silence, any individual may receive an insight and then, perhaps, be led to share it aloud with the company of worshippers. Also distinctive of Friends belief is that the revelation of truth is not an occurrence that was completed hundreds or thousands of years ago. Rather, revelation is granted yet today, to those who ask and listen.
George Fox School
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