Friends Seminary
Encyclopedia
Friends Seminary is an elite
private day school
in Manhattan
. It is owned and controlled by the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
. The school, the oldest continuous coeducational school in New York City, serves 694 college-bound day students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school's mission is to prepare students “not only for the world that is, but to help them bring about the world that ought to be.” It is guided by a service mission statement and a diversity mission statement. Friends is a member of New York's Independent School Diversity Network, and diversity is a key part of its educational philosophy.
Currently, Robert (Bo) Lauder is principal, the school's 35th. Lauder came to Friends in the fall of 2002 after serving as Upper School Head at Sidwell Friends School
in Washington, D.C.
, whose members are known as Quakers, was founded in 1786 as Friends' Institute through a $10,000 bequest of Robert Murray, a wealthy New York merchant. It was located on Pearl Street in Manhattan and strived to provide Quaker children with a "guarded education." In 1826, the school was moved to a larger campus on Elizabeth Street. Tuition in that year was $10 or less per annum, except for the oldest students, whose families paid $20. (By 1915, tuition had risen to $250.) The school again moved in 1860 to its current location and changed its name to Friends Seminary.
In 1878, Friends Seminary was one of the earliest of schools to establish a Kindergarten. In 1925, it was the first private co-educational school to hire a full-time psychologist. M. Scott Peck
, who transferred to Friends from Phillips Exeter in late 1952, praised the school's diversity and nurturing atmosphere. "While at Friends," he wrote, "I awoke each morning eager for the day ahead ... [A]t Exeter, I could barely crawl out of bed"
In recent years the school has increased its endowment to the level of other New York City independent school
s such as The Dalton School and The Brearley School and engaged in an ambitious and controversial renovation of its buildings. In 2011, based on recommendations made in 2005 by the Trustees of the New York Quarterly Meeting after completion of a study, consideration of incorporating the school and the New York Quarterly Meeting separately was under consideration but consensus had not been reached by the meeting. After separation it was contemplated that the school program would continue to incorporate Quaker values and that its board of directors be controlled by Quakers.
nasium and cafeteria
, library
and media center
, a language lab
oratory, science
laboratories, art studios
, a photography dark room, computer laboratories, a music room and classrooms for all grades.
Attached to the school is the historic Meetinghouse and The Fifteenth Street Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends. The Meetinghouse plays an integral part in student life at Friends Seminary. Outside the front doors of the Meetinghouse is the courtyard
used for recess and other activities.
In 2001, the school purchased and renovated a former German Masonic Temple located on 15th Street. The new building, called "The Annex", incorporates "green technology
" to create a building with less of an ecological footprint than many other buildings in the city. The Annex includes more science labs, as well as three multi-use classrooms, and the offices for the Upper School.
The Meetinghouse, located on 15th and Rutherford, serves both as a place of worship and, traditionally, as a performance space, although the school has opted as of 2011 to perform in the Vineyard theatre across the street. The Meetinghouse also serves as a home for the school's music program.
$32,870.00. In addition, there are fees for meals, technology resources, etc., in combination with the expense for books for grades 9-12, that would add approximately $3,000-$4,000 to the cost of attendance.
25% of all students receive some form of financial aid.
American upper class
See: millionaire for more details-Millionaires:See also: MillionairesHouseholds with net worths of $1 million or more may be identified as members of the upper-most socio-economic demographic, depending on the class model used...
private day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. It is owned and controlled by the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
. The school, the oldest continuous coeducational school in New York City, serves 694 college-bound day students in Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school's mission is to prepare students “not only for the world that is, but to help them bring about the world that ought to be.” It is guided by a service mission statement and a diversity mission statement. Friends is a member of New York's Independent School Diversity Network, and diversity is a key part of its educational philosophy.
Currently, Robert (Bo) Lauder is principal, the school's 35th. Lauder came to Friends in the fall of 2002 after serving as Upper School Head at Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
in Washington, D.C.
History
Friends Seminary, established by members of the Religious Society of FriendsReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, whose members are known as Quakers, was founded in 1786 as Friends' Institute through a $10,000 bequest of Robert Murray, a wealthy New York merchant. It was located on Pearl Street in Manhattan and strived to provide Quaker children with a "guarded education." In 1826, the school was moved to a larger campus on Elizabeth Street. Tuition in that year was $10 or less per annum, except for the oldest students, whose families paid $20. (By 1915, tuition had risen to $250.) The school again moved in 1860 to its current location and changed its name to Friends Seminary.
In 1878, Friends Seminary was one of the earliest of schools to establish a Kindergarten. In 1925, it was the first private co-educational school to hire a full-time psychologist. M. Scott Peck
M. Scott Peck
Morgan Scott Peck was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author, best known for his first book, The Road Less Traveled, published in 1978.-Biography:...
, who transferred to Friends from Phillips Exeter in late 1952, praised the school's diversity and nurturing atmosphere. "While at Friends," he wrote, "I awoke each morning eager for the day ahead ... [A]t Exeter, I could barely crawl out of bed"
In recent years the school has increased its endowment to the level of other New York City independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s such as The Dalton School and The Brearley School and engaged in an ambitious and controversial renovation of its buildings. In 2011, based on recommendations made in 2005 by the Trustees of the New York Quarterly Meeting after completion of a study, consideration of incorporating the school and the New York Quarterly Meeting separately was under consideration but consensus had not been reached by the meeting. After separation it was contemplated that the school program would continue to incorporate Quaker values and that its board of directors be controlled by Quakers.
Organization
The school is divided into three sections:- Lower School - Kindergarten through fourth grade
- Middle School - fifth through eighth grades
- Upper School - ninth through twelfth grades
Facilities
The campus comprises eight buildings. The largest building, built in 1962, holds classes for the entire Middle School, most of the Lower School and some of the Upper School. The building contains a basement-level gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium and cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and media center
Hybrid library
Hybrid library is a term used by librarians to describe libraries containing a mix of traditional print library resources and the growing number of electronic resources.-Overview:...
, a language lab
Language lab
The language laboratory is an audio or audio-visual installation used as an aid in modern language teaching. They can be found, amongst other places, in schools, universities and academies. Perhaps the first lab was at the University of Grenoble. In the 1950s up until the 1990s, they were tape...
oratory, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
laboratories, art studios
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
, a photography dark room, computer laboratories, a music room and classrooms for all grades.
Attached to the school is the historic Meetinghouse and The Fifteenth Street Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends. The Meetinghouse plays an integral part in student life at Friends Seminary. Outside the front doors of the Meetinghouse is the courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
used for recess and other activities.
In 2001, the school purchased and renovated a former German Masonic Temple located on 15th Street. The new building, called "The Annex", incorporates "green technology
Environmental technology
Environmental technology or green technology or clean technology is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of...
" to create a building with less of an ecological footprint than many other buildings in the city. The Annex includes more science labs, as well as three multi-use classrooms, and the offices for the Upper School.
The Meetinghouse, located on 15th and Rutherford, serves both as a place of worship and, traditionally, as a performance space, although the school has opted as of 2011 to perform in the Vineyard theatre across the street. The Meetinghouse also serves as a home for the school's music program.
Cost
Tuition for the 2010-2011 school year for all grades is U.S.United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$32,870.00. In addition, there are fees for meals, technology resources, etc., in combination with the expense for books for grades 9-12, that would add approximately $3,000-$4,000 to the cost of attendance.
25% of all students receive some form of financial aid.
Notable alumni
- David AlleeDavid AlleeDavid S. Allee is an American photographer.Allee received an undergraduate degree in economics and government from Cornell University in 1991, and his MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts...
, photographer - Peter BartPeter BartPeter Benton Bart is an American journalist and film producer. He perhaps best known for his lengthy tenure as the editor of Variety, an entertainment-trade magazine....
, film producer, journalist and writer - Malcolm BrowneMalcolm BrowneMalcolm Wilde Browne is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and photographer. His best known work is the award-winning photograph of the self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức in 1963.- Early life :...
, journalist and photographer - Noah BuschelNoah BuschelNoah Buschel was born May 31, 1978 in Philadelphia and grew up in Greenwich Village.Nominated for Breakthrough Director Gotham Award for The Missing Person .*Writer/Director of Bringing Rain starring Adrian Grenier and Paz de la Huerta...
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, writer - Mel CumminMel CumminMelville Porter Cummin , popularly known as Mel Cummin, was a magazine illustrator and a newspaper staff artist; a notable cartoonist in the early decades of American comic strips; and a Golden Age comic book artist and art director. He was active in the Society of Friends...
, cartoonist - Wylie DufresneWylie DufresneWylie Dufresne is the chef and owner of wd~50 restaurant in Manhattan. Dufresne is a leading American proponent of molecular gastronomy, the movement to incorporate science and new techniques in the preparation and presentation of food.-Early life:...
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, art critic - Hilary KnightHilary KnightHilary Knight is an American writer-artist who is the illustrator of more than 50 books and the author of nine books. He is best known as the illustrator of Kay Thompson's Eloise and others in the Eloise series....
, cartoonist - Matthew Lenski, director
- M. Scott PeckM. Scott PeckMorgan Scott Peck was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author, best known for his first book, The Road Less Traveled, published in 1978.-Biography:...
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