Princeton Friends School

I'm a teacher at Princeton Friends School, and it is by far the most amazing school I've worked at. All of my colleagues are extremely dedicated to giving the best education possible to our students, both academically and socially. Our academics are top-notch: students learn how to use their voice in English through storytelling, poetry writing, and memoir; they explore the outdoors in science by traveling to the Institute Pond or the Stony Brook and building bike paths in the woods; they tackle hard topics in social studies like justice in America; they learn how to become problem solvers in math; and they express their creativity in art and music. We make time each week to focus on social-emotional learning and to build students' sense of responsibility and character. We weave Quaker testimonies such as peace, integrity, equity, and stewardship into our curricular programming, and we build our community of learners through whole-school activities each Friday. I hope you will join us!

Both my children have attended this school and my daughter continues to have positive experiences she could not get in a public school setting. My child is 2e, both gifted and disabled. She is exceptionally bright but struggles with social skills. She has learned so much about how to be kind to others while being true to herself at PFS. The school nurtures her natural curiosity and provides a safe space for her to grow and learn. I especially appreciate school traditions like Storytelling night, where students perform stories for an audience, the Day of the Dead celebration to honor loved ones who have passed, and the Blairstown retreat. The school is small and close knit and I only wish it went through high school!

What Can I say, From the moment stepping foot on to the campus, I felt a sense of close community that most schools have simply not been able to achieve. The warm welcoming atmosphere, friendly smiles, and wonderfully knowledgeable faculty help to provide days filled with the sounds of excitement and joy. Working for the Facilities side of things, I am proud to say PFS provides a very unique and safe environment, as the grounds hold acres of woods for the children to learn in and explore.

It's my first year at PFS and I couldn't be happier. The whole school environment, from administration to staff to teachers, are welcoming and comforting. My kids are excited to go to school in the mornings and rarely want to leave in the afternoons. Their education is the same as their prior public school, but the small class sizes allow the teachers to spend more time on topics and really go into a depth that I rarely, if ever, saw the kids' classes go to in their old school. I love the focus on building a whole community member and not just a student of academia. The kids learn what it means to be a local and global citizen through the Taking Care initiatives and community education. The Family Association (Friends' version of a PTA) keeps parents active and as involved as they'd like to be and provides ample communication regarding in and out of school activities. I'd recommend PFS to anyone.

I've had the pleasure of working at Princeton Friends School (and its summer camp) for the last 13 years. Over those 13 years, I've held various titles and filled a myriad of roles, having the opportunity to observe and experience the school from different angles and perspectives. Initially, the thing that drew me in most was the ways in which the students and campers interacted with one another - genuinely putting the needs of others before their own, leading with integrity, and emphasizing peace in moments of disagreement.Throughout my years, I've gotten to see - and have had the honor of taking part in - teachers guiding students to become the inquisitive, caring people we know them to be. I've witnessed teachers taking time to see the students for who they are - not just academically, but socially, emotionally, and mentally. The sense of community is nearly palpable, and students know that the adults at school are all in their corner, eager to help them find their personal successes and meet their goals.From a career standpoint, I find myself grateful to work among genuinely warm and kind colleagues who support one another deeply. Princeton Friends School is the only place I have ever worked, and I am grateful to be here each and every day.

All Categories Rating 5 out of 5 Princeton Friends School is a truly amazing learning community. My son has been enrolled for two years now, and we plan to stay until he moves on to high school. Ever since he started as a Pre-K student, he has made leaps and bounds in his social-emotional skills and has begun to develop academically along the way. I value individualized instruction, attention to the learner as a whole being, and a variety of opportunities outside of the classroom to get dirty in the garden and art studio, move his body in yoga and circus squad, and develop music and language skills. Of course, being outside is a must, and there`s plenty of that, too, through nature hikes and open play. I am confident that as he grows, whatever his interests and needs are, he`s in a community that will support him. And a bonus is an amazing group of diverse and relatable parents and families to experience it all with!Parent2 months ago overall ExperienceReportStart Your Review of Princeton Friends SchoolRating 5 out of 5 Both of our children are at Princeton Friends and we could not be happier with our experience. PFS has caring, competent teachers who collaborate with one another to offer a terrific inter-disciplinarian academic program. Our children, one in the lower school and one in the upper, both enjoy learning on the historic campus and appreciate that the faculty use the grounds as their classrooms. PFS fosters a love of nature and learning. The Head of School cares deeply about the children and their successes. We highly recommend this school!

I like that my son gets a dose of progressive Quaker education every day at PFS. He's encouraged to find his voice through writing, story telling, and theater. He's exposed to interdisciplinary thinking through the school's Central Study program, learns to collaborate and take risks, and, because it's a Friends school, attends silent meeting once a week and exercises and implements our best instincts through a commitment to social justice. He reads and discusses literature, does math past my understanding, and wades into the Stony Brook in science lab. I'm proud of the young man he's becoming and I think the school has a lot to do with it.

We live in a highly-rated public school district and I am always asked why we choose a private education. We found that Princeton Friends School provides an equivalent level of academic challenge and rigor as our public school but exceeded our expectations in equipping our daughter with the necessary self-knowledge and EQ skills. Social-emotional development is on equal footing with academic accomplishments at PFS, which is so critical in order to thrive in this increasingly complex, polarized, multi-cultural, risk-filled 21st Century. The student body is diverse; class sizes are small and our daughter has become an empathetic, curious community member. We could not be happier.