Friends School of Charlotte is a private Quaker school in Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, USA. It offers classes from kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 through 4th grade. The school uses the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as a roadmap of learning goals and objectives.

Philosophy

The philosophy of Friends School of Charlotte is rooted in the tenets 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 Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and service are daily habits and actions, which are incorporated into all aspects of school life. Each of these values influences how the school operates–from making decisions, to approaching conflict, to developing curriculum. Through these values, students learn that each person can be an agent for positive change in the world. The school values the diversity of ideas, religions, races, cultures, abilities and economic backgrounds represented within our world community, and is committed to representing and serving the multifaceted nature of humankind.

Peace, as a central testimony of the school community, is cultivated within individuals and in interactions with others. By teaching and practicing non-violent conflict resolution, students learn to view conflict as an opportunity for growth and change. Through honest, caring exchanges with each other, relationships founded on trust are nurtured and differences are accepted.

General information

Base Religion: Quaker

Grades: K-5

Hours: 8:00am – 2:00pm (Kindergarten); 8:00am – 3:00pm (all other grades)

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Classroom Structure: Multi-grade; 14-18 students and two teachers

Grading: Non-traditional, narrative-based assessment

Admissions Policy: Open and rolling admissions. FSC welcomes families of all races, nationalities, creeds, religions, sexual orientations, and social and economic backgrounds.

Web site: http://www.friendsschoolofcharlotte.org

Academics

Friends School of Charlotte (FSC), which is an independent school with an independent Board of Trustees, participates in the Friends school model of education, which serves more than 20,000 students in 81 schools across the United States. Friends Schools have existed in the United States for over 300 years and have a global reputation for quality. In the Friends school tradition, Friends School of Charlotte offers an educational experience that is grounded in nurturing and developing the whole child while cultivating a mastery of academic subject matter. The aim of the school is two-fold: first, through a challenging academic program students learn various modes of self-expression and come to understand the world around them from multiple perspectives. Secondly, through time for both individual and group periods of reflection, students develop their inner life as a prime resource in their decision making. The style of education, which uses the NC Standard Course of Study as a guideline, incorporates multiple elements. These include:

• A program that teaches to appropriate developmental levels for each child
  * Multi-age classrooms,
  * Lessons that are experiential in design
  * A curriculum that is integrated across subjects
  * A social curriculum that includes peaceful resolution of conflicts and service learning, and
  * The cultivation of a non-competitive learning atmosphere thatemploys narrative-based assessment rather than traditional grading

Mission

"Friends School of Charlotte, grounded in the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and service, is dedicated to providing an educational experience that integrates the head, the hand, and the heart, resulting in a unique balance of academic excellence and spiritual depth. It is a learning community where each individual is treated with respect and where his or her uniqueness is honored. Friends School of Charlotte strives to teach students to listen within and to others, to express themselves, to think critically, to take responsibility, and to make a difference in their world. We expect our students to develop the skills, values, and confidence that support a lifetime of learning, leadership and service."

External links

• Friends School of Charlotte website