Admissions Viewbook

Moorestown Friends School

Moorestown Friends School is a communitydedicated to the pursuit of educationalexcellence for a diverse student body, withinan academically rigorous and balancedprogram emphasizing personal, ethical andspiritual growth.

Moorestown Friends School Mission Statement

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02 M o o r e s t o w n F r i e n d s S c h o o l Preschool through Grade 12

Founded in

For over 200 years, Moorestown Friends School has offered exceptional education: Smallclasses, academic rigor and quality teachers encourage children to achieve their potentialin a caring environment. This individual attention grows out of a Quaker value, respect forthe individual, which is at the heart of our enduring spiritual and ethical education.

03 Moorestown, New Jersey


At Moorestown Friends School, more than two centuries ofacademic excellence combine with Quaker values to create anempowering learning environment. Quakerism’s core belief, thatthe “light of God” exists in every individual, translates into adeeply respectful and warm school community. We believethat God’s truth is continuously revealed – which leads to an em-phasis on critical thinking skills and developmental learning.

Moorestown Friends School, like other Friends schools, viewsethical development as the foundation of our curriculum.Time-honored values, such as community, integrity, equality,harmony, simplicity and, most notably, peace, form our Quakerethos – there is no formal or rigid doctrine. We welcome stu-dents of all faiths; only a minority of our student body is Quaker.While many schools are transactional, Moorestown FriendsSchool is transformational: We help children develop into bet-ter people. Starting in preschool, students learn life skills,from listening, fair play and cooperation to critical thinking,conflict management and decision-making by consensus. Withthis training, our students grow into adaptive, intelligent andopen-minded adults.

And that is likely the reason our graduates include pioneerssuch as a leader in the women’s suffrage movement and a NobelPrize Laureate in physics. Virtually all of our graduates go tocollege. We produce ethical and resilient young people withstrong critical thinking skills. Graduates especially rememberthe Quaker Meeting for Worship in the Meeting House. Herethe school community gathers weekly for a period of silence.Here students – of all faiths – learn how quiet leads to clarity.And possibly, here they shape big dreams – of what they cancontribute creatively to their world.

“It’s a tribute to their timeless-ness that the principlesthat have guided the school forso many years remainabsolutely central today.”Laurence R. Van Meter, Class of ’68, Head of School

When he entered prekindergarten at Moorestown FriendsSchool in 1954, Laurence R. (Larry) Van Meter never imaginedhe would return one day as Head of School. As a graduate,Larry appreciates the Quaker focus on spiritual growth,critical thinking and community service. “We teach youngpeople to be true to their values in whatever form or shapethey may take,” he says.

Just as when Larry was a student, the school’s small classes,traditional academics and superb faculty continue to providean outstanding education. This blend of academic rigor andspiritual development leads to children Larry calls “intellec-tually motivated, emotionally secure and physically healthy.”

He also sees enormous value in the weekly Meeting for Wor-ship, even for the school’s youngest students. “In our fast,over-programmed world,” he says, “Meeting for Worship pro-vides a rare time to slow down and teaches us to rely upon theSpirit to guide us.” For Larry, Moorestown Friends School is“a happy confluence of bright and creative people,” an experi-ence he has found to be incredibly rewarding – whether as astudent or Head of School.


Acre Campus42


Enter the Moorestown Friends School campus and there is a decidedly tranquil feel:the intangible quality of a caring community. More than a school, it is the presence of peoplewho consciously connect with one another, their community and the world.From the Meeting House at the center of campus, our Quaker values circle outward.

Moorestown Friends School has a presence beyond its tradi-tional brick buildings: the strong sense of community. Andthat community extends beyond our campus. We’re commit-ted to service projects such as yearly food drives, service fairsand coat collection campaigns. These projects teach studentsthat compassion requires action. They also increase studentawareness of socio-economic differences throughout ourregion and the world. When our students discover that theycan have an impact on the greater community, they connectwith the personal rewards of social responsibility. UpperSchool students, who must complete 50 hours of service, typi-cally volunteer to perform many more.

Respect for others means we embrace the diversity of indi-viduals. For 35 years, our Camden Scholars program has en-riched our community with an impressive breadth of studentswho might not have otherwise attended the school. Today,over one-fourth of our students are non-white. Our Director ofMulticultural Affairs leads regular faculty seminars on issuesrelated to class, gender, race and sexual orientation. Studentsalso promote greater understanding through groups such as

the Martin Luther King, Jr. Club, the Jewish Culture Club andthe Gay-Straight Alliance; and our curriculum consistently ad-dresses tolerance and inclusion.

We provide our students with the best possible facilities:A Field House complex features gyms, five tennis courts and afitness and weight training center. A five-kilometer cross-country course is also located on campus. The renovated ArtsCenter includes an updated theater, wood shop, art studio,photography lab and a music computing center with 18 MIDIworkstations. The Diller Library is equipped with 16 comput-ers for student research. Our library also houses two computerlabs containing 20 computers each. However, within this tech-nological environment, the “heart” of our campus is still the1802 Moorestown Monthly Meeting House, where we cometogether to reflect on Quaker values that have sustained ourcommunity for over 200 years.


“At Moorestown FriendsSchool, learning doesn’tstop once students leavethe classroom.”Parker Curtis, Middle and Upper School Social Studies Teacher, Coach

Coaches are thoughtful guides who teach the importance ofplaying well. Parker Curtis fulfills that role. A Middle andUpper School social studies teacher, he coaches junior varsitybaseball and Middle School basketball. As a teacher and a coachParker gets to know MFS students from varied perspectives.

“Students learn a different side of you when you’re in a sportsenvironment,” he says. “There are so many teaching moments,too.” Upon arriving at MFS, Parker immediately felt the Quakerethos present in the athletic program. “The kids at MFS learnhow to play sports the right way and that’s a direct reflectionof the school’s mission,” he says. “In addition to the sport-specific coaching and instruction, there is a heavy emphasison sportsmanship.”

More than once he has received compliments from opposingteams. “It’s great getting a compliment from an opposing coachor athletic director telling you how well your athletes con-ducted themselves,” he says. “Our students are very good atapplying what they learn, whether it’s in the classroom or onthe playing fields.”


Faculty Members90


Moorestown Friends School faculty members never stop learning and growing: They speak atprofessional conferences, publish academic papers and help one another create classroomprojects. Our teachers know this school as a place where they can develop professionally and,at the same time, enhance students’ educational experiences.


Our faculty members are broadly educated, knowledgeableteachers, advisors and coaches who have a superb rapport withstudents. Students respond to faculty with trust and admira-tion. What makes our teachers unusual? They are guides, notadversaries, who understand that the quality of classroom dis-course is as important as the knowledge gained. They are amix of different ages and teaching styles. What they have incommon is a dedication to helping students embrace their ownintellectual potential.

First and foremost, our teachers are accessible to students.In the Middle School, each student meets with an advisor dailyand, in the Upper School, students meet biweekly with theiradvisor. Small classes, individual focus and the caring Quakerenvironment mean that a network of concerned and involvedadults truly knows each child. A constant presence, teachersalso work on community service projects, on committees thatdeal with school topics such as events and facilities, and asathletic coaches and club sponsors.

Genuine enthusiasm for their area of expertise further charac-terizes Moorestown Friends faculty. To give a topic depth,teachers go out of their way to arrange class trips to placessuch as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Consti-tution Center or New York Stock Exchange. A summer sab-batical program encourages faculty to engage in creative andchallenging travel: One Art teacher toured Impressioniststudios in France which enabled him to share his real-lifediscoveries in the fall. As a result, students heard a firsthandaccount of places such as Monet’s garden and the Bateau-Lavoirin Paris where Picasso painted. This constant exchange of ex-perience and insight gives our faculty an unusual degree ofvitality. The low turnover rate tells us that teaching at MoorestownFriends School is rewarding for both teachers and students.

“There’s such camaraderieamong teachers here. We lovethe small classes and studentswho are caring, inquisitiveand motivated to achieve.”Val Franz, Spanish/French Teacher


Having also taught in public schools, Val Franz sees a hugedifference in private education. “Small classes allow us tocover our curriculum and encourage oral participation,” theSpanish/French teacher says. “At Moorestown Friends School,I find students are cooperative and inquisitive, the parentalsupport is phenomenal, and teachers are truly accessible.”

Val, like every teacher, volunteers on school committees andparticipates in school food drives and community serviceprojects. Val particularly enjoys the Service Fair, in whicheach Middle School homeroom sets up its own booth and themoney collected goes to a charity selected by students. “There’salways some exciting event happening at school,” she says.

Val keeps language learning hands-on and fun with iPods, oralpresentations, interactive DVDs and games. She loves that for-eign language is a major subject at the school: Fifth graderstake a year of Latin, sixth graders take a unit each of French,Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese, and seventh graders thenchoose a language that they will pursue through high school.“I believe anyone can learn another language,” Val says. “I liketo tell my students, ‘You’ve learned one all ready, right?’”


18Students per Class

Small classes create a dynamic educational experience. In this informal atmosphere, facultymembers are able to “teach to” each student within a class. Trust develops and theadventure begins: Teachers and students learn spontaneously from one another, examiningand inquiring into the full richness and complexity of a subject or idea.

The Lower School’s strong academics are based on experien-tial learning: We know that children learn best through whatthey experience. That’s why learning in the Lower School feelsmore like discovery – developmentally appropriate activitieschallenge children to stretch themselves, leading to naturalachievement – whether it’s writing a book in kindergarten, play-ing violin in second grade or exploring algebra in fourth grade.Hands-on learning and frequent field trips enrich a creativecurriculum featuring language arts, mathematics and scienceas well as physical education, library and computer skills.Art and music teach students to appreciate the process of pro-ducing creative work and sharing it with others.

Our nurturing environment encourages children to take risks.Caring and enthusiastic teachers listen to, affirm and encour-age each child as a daily demonstration of respect for the indi-vidual, a key Quaker value. Inspired by the Quaker belief thata divine spark exists in everyone, our teachers are committedto helping each child find and express his or her unique voice.They help children identify, develop and embrace their gifts.

Social and spiritual growth starts early in a Friends education:Our three-year-olds play alongside a Quaker Education coor-dinator who models fair play. Each year thereafter, a QuakerEducation component teaches diversity and tolerance, conflictmanagement and respect for the individual. In fourth grade,students receive training in peer mediation. Peer mediatorspossess a useful life skill and are available to help classmatesachieve peaceful resolution of playground or classroom conflicts.

The weekly Meeting for Worship, 15 minutes of reflectivesilence, enhances the sense of a spiritual community by pro-viding a quiet center to a busy week. In ongoing school-widecommunity service projects, students also learn the value ofcompassionate action. The Lower School, often described asa caring community, gives students an understanding of thepowerful behaviors that go into creating it.

16 M o o r e s t o w n F r i e n d s S c h o o l Lower School Preschool through Grade 4

“Meeting for Worship isa calm place to go because it’svery quiet. I’ve also learnedto use words instead of bodyparts to settle conflict”Eamon Niedermayer, Class of ’19

Eamon Niedermayer ’19 is fascinated by the sciences. He andhis classmates used their imagination to create “new species”of animals by combining body parts from different animals.“We used the claw of a crab, legs from a butterfly, wings ofan owl, eyes of a spider and more,” he says. “We created mu-tant animals.”

This and other wonders are unfolding for Eamon in first grade.His class recently wrapped up a unit on the senses. “We learnedabout senses: sniffing, touching, seeing, hearing and tasting,”says Eamon. He adds: “We taste tested all different kinds offruit. I really liked the strawberries.” His senses fuel an imagi-nation that enjoys writing, art and design.

“I like poetry” Eamon says. A recent acrostic poem he wroteused the letters of his name: “E is for eyes like a hawk, A is foractive, M is for mannerly, O is for older brother, and N is for‘No, No!’” which he is used to saying to his younger sistersand brother. He then lets on to his true career aspiration:“I want to be an architect. I have an Etch-a-Sketch and it’s nottoo hard to design houses.”



9:1Student to TeacherRatio

Our teachers are ever-present guides in the learning process: As expert educators, advisorsand athletic coaches, they are accessible to students throughout the day. In these roles,our teachers create an adult culture where students feel safe to grow spiritually and emotionally.Every student-teacher relationship is informed by this deep mutual respect.

In the Middle School, increasingly sophisticated studies fuelthe self-discovery that begins in Lower School. Students startto look at complex issues from different perspectives and toapply critical thinking skills. Studies feature a year of Latin,exposure to French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, and in-struction in the earth, life and physical sciences. Social stud-ies areas covered include civilization and the ancient world,the Middle Ages, the Atlantic world and topics in U.S. history.In addition to English and Mathematics, students pursue Art,Music, Woodshop and Health. Non-academic clubs, knownas activities, meet during the school day four out of six days.

We provide a safe atmosphere that nurtures an adolescent’sgrowing individuality. Each student meets daily with his orher advisor who monitors social and academic growth. At atime when more grown-up choices are made, our ethical edu-cation comes into play: Quaker studies help students developan inner discipline to make good choices and to respect others.The weekly 40-minute Meeting for Worship and service projectsfurther strengthen the sense of belonging within the commu-nity. The curriculum also includes exciting educational fieldtrips. Fifth graders spend two nights and three days in a 19th

century seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. Seventh graders de-velop an understanding and appreciation for the outdoors andecology during their three-day trip to Stokes Forest, New Jersey.Among a number of other field trips are visits to the Philadel-phia Museum of Art by grade six and by grade eight, and a funend-of-year journey to Dorney Park for eighth graders.

One of the special educational experiences for MiddleSchoolers is Intensive Learning. Every spring each grade pur-sues a week-long project that may take students and teachersoff-campus to study subjects such as zoo design, theater or thenatural environment. Intensive Learning, a favorite experienceamong students and faculty alike, brings an entire grade to-gether to work as a group to achieve a challenging goal. Theseprojects energize all involved.

20 M o o r e s t o w n F r i e n d s S c h o o l Middle School Grades 5 through 8

“The teachers make theschool. They can relateto you and you can relateto them.”Laura Bader, Class of ’12


Laura Bader, Class of ’12, is passionate about the written word.An English unit covering the Holocaust brought out emotionthat flowed onto paper as her class corresponded with a survi-vor. “After we read the book Your Name is Renee, we corre-sponded with Holocaust survivor Ruth Kapp Hartz who is thesubject of the book,” she says. “It brought history to life in myEnglish class.”

At MFS, she feels a unique bond with her teachers. “They makeyou feel like an individual by respecting everyone’s opinion,”she says. In addition to writing, Laura also enjoys studying thelife sciences and biology and is considering a career in medi-cine. “I like learning about human systems and how they relateto our life,” she says.

An avid field hockey and lacrosse player, Laura also enjoysgetting out to the playing fields after class. “I like the teamaspect of school sports,” she says. “It doesn’t matter what gradeyou’re in; we’re all friends with a love of the sport.” An MFSstudent since preschool, Laura values the small-school envi-ronment. She says, “MFS has made me the person I am. Thecommunity is so welcoming.”


725Members of theStudent Body

A growing and dynamic diversity of students enriches the school community with a rangeof talents, experiences and cultures. In this diversity, our campus reflects the real world.And students discover that learning is much more than absorbing information – it’s aboutexpanding one’s world by comprehending and honoring others’ perspectives.

The Upper School gives students a thorough grounding in atraditional college preparatory curriculum including requiredcourses in English, history, world languages, science and math,as well as the flexibility to pursue areas of personal interest.Required courses first ensure our students possess strong speak-ing, writing and research skills. Then, students may custom-ize learning, choose alternative major courses such as creativewriting, computer programming or finance; or take Honors andAdvanced Placement classes. Another option is for studentsto apply for the two-year MFS Honors Program, which is de-signed to challenge and inspire 11th and 12th grade studentswishing to undertake the most rigorous and wide-ranging col-lege-preparatory curriculum the school has to offer.

Powerful experiential education continues with the WorldLanguages Immersion Trips, one week of out-of-classroom In-tensive Learning, a four-week on-site Senior Project, and spe-cial events such as the Mock Primary Election and May Day.Visual and performing arts courses, from modern painting andadvanced photography to theater arts and music theory, bal-ance out academics.

Small classes, individual attention and our student-focusedphilosophy inspire excellence: Our students win national andstate academic competitions yearly. Students are selected forthe State Governor’s Schools (summer study experiences), arenamed Edward J. Bloustein Scholars and are named NationalMerit Scholars. Our students excel on national college entranceexaminations, and virtually all graduates attend four-year ac-credited colleges.

In addition, the Upper School’s values-based education equipsstudents for effective and rewarding college, professional andpersonal lives. The monthly business meeting, a Quaker-basedform of student government, teaches the art of decision-mak-ing by consensus, the right of every person to have a voiceand responsibility for every person to participate positively.We also emphasize compassionate action by requiring studentsto complete 50 hours of community service. The weekly Meet-ing for Worship cultivates additional values such as patienceand self-knowledge. By the time they graduate, our studentsare spirited and creative thinkers who both desire and havethe tools to work with others toward a common purpose.

24 M o o r e s t o w n F r i e n d s S c h o o l Upper School Grades 9 through 12

“Teachers know how to pushyou to your limits. You’rerequired to do a lot of workon your own time.”Janak Bhatt, Class of ’09

It is possible to balance work and play: Ask Janak Bhatt. Heenthusiastically dives into some of his favorite courses suchas AP biology and AP Calculus AB while also playing key roleson the varsity boys soccer and tennis teams. An aspiringcardiothoracic surgeon, Janak appreciates the challenges thatMFS faculty present to students. “It feels good to be challengedand do well,” he says.

Janak is an MFS Student Admissions Ambassador and is amember of the Film Club and the Agenda Committee, a leader-ship arm of the Quaker form of student governance. He alsoplaces a high value on service. He has visited India three timesduring past summers to volunteer with the Earn and LearnProject, an educational program for orphans.

Janak has garnered individual awards in regional and nationalmusic, science and engineering competitions. However, it’sthe sense of community that he enjoys most about MFS. “Thepeer-to-peer interactions are great,” Janak says.


18Varsity SportsTeams


Sports at Moorestown Friends School are an important part of educating the whole person:body, mind and spirit. On the playing field, students learn to engage all three aspects –technical skill, the will to win and the grace to accept whatever the outcome may be. As theyadvance in competition, our student-athletes combine rigor with respect.

Our sports program features athletics that provide the chal-lenge and variety student-athletes desire. Athletics play aprominent role in our values-based education: We understandthat applying oneself, working as a team, and winning orlosing with dignity, are some of life’s most important lessons.At Moorestown Friends School, each student-athlete is an equalon the team. This approach fosters genuine teamwork, mu-tual respect and honest achievement. How our athletes playis as important as what they play. While embracing these val-ues, our teams are highly competitive, and individuals oftencontinue their sports throughout life.

Moorestown Friends School offers varsity and junior varsitysports in baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, fencing,field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and swimming.The Middle School features baseball, basketball, field hockey,lacrosse, soccer and tennis. Although each team includes ath-letes with varied levels of skill, each consistently manages tocompete against top opponents. We participate in the nine-member Friends Schools League, and the New Jersey StateInterscholastic Athletic Association, which provides oppor-tunities to compete for state championships.

Students rate athletics as one of our top strengths. Physicaleducation begins in the Lower School with movement skills,cooperative games and team sports, and grows in the MiddleSchool with individual and team sports, recreational activi-ties and development of self-discipline and self-esteem. UpperSchool students may participate in team sports or pursue in-dividual fitness training such as aerobics or weight training.Parental support is strong: The Red and Blue Club, a sportsbooster organization, helps with award events and sponsorsfund-raising activities such as a Golf and Tennis Tournamentand the annual Red Sock Run which features a Toddler Trek,Fun Run/Walk and 5k race. These events bring students, par-ents and alums together to celebrate athletic effort – evoking ateam spirit that is the essence of our school.


“I have great bonds with mycoaches and teachers.You really get to know themwell in a school our size.”Mike Stobbe, Class of ’09


Mike Stobbe is a three-sport athlete with aspirations of play-ing soccer or baseball in college. He has thrived in the MFSathletic program. “Since Middle School, I’ve always had theopportunity to play which may not have been the case at allschools.”

As a freshman, he was inserted into the starting varsity base-ball lineup at shortstop and never relinquished the spot.“I struggled a lot early on, but Coach stayed with me,” he says.“I gradually started making the plays and built up my confi-dence.” In the classroom, Mike especially enjoys math. “Mathcomes pretty easy for me. I took finance this year and reallyenjoyed it.” He plans to study business in college.

Mike is quite active in the school community serving as presi-dent of the Sports Club and treasurer of the BBQ Club, a groupthat raises funds for charitable causes through their culinarywizardry. He is also an MFS Admissions Ambassador. Whenthings seem busy and Mike needs to focus, his coaches helpkeep things in perspective: “MFS coaches make it clear: schooland family, then sports.” he says.

replacement to-come

Our students experience the arts as both creators and connois-seurs. Our Music program immerses Lower School studentsin violin and recorder, individual and group vocals, and theory.Middle and Upper School students advance to choirs, chorales,hand bells, and jazz, wind or string ensembles. In two annual con-certs at each division, students showcase their musical talents.

The Upper School offers a Theater Arts major with advanceddirecting, acting and technical courses. In our vibrant yearlyperformance schedule, Middle and Upper Schools each producea musical, seventh graders create one for their Intensive Learn-ing project, and the Drama Club and seniors put on additionalplays. Our Visual Arts program explores the artistic experi-ence in sophisticated courses ranging from studio art, ceram-ics and digital art to sculpture, woodcarving and photography.Our students also visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art andMetropolitan Museum of Art, and each division has its ownSpring Art Show.

Parent involvement in support of the arts is guided by theBRAVO! Club, which assists with the advertising, production,costumes and sets for school plays.

Middle and Upper School clubs reflect dozens of student in-terests while parent clubs support sports, the arts and parentinvolvement. Each year, we also host a Thanksgiving food drive,winter clothing drive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Serviceand Middle School Service Fair. Students may additionallyvolunteer in locations such as New Orleans, the Florida Ever-glades or the mountains of Mexico; or visit Canada, France orSpain in the Foreign Language Exchanges. Athletics, arts andactivities complement our outstanding academics.

Moorestown Friends School welcomes applications from stu-dents who are eager to excel academically and contribute posi-tively to our school community. We recommend you apply foradmission between September 1 and February 1 to be admit-ted for the following year. Please contact the Admissions Officefor further information. The Admissions Office staff looks forwardto guiding interested families through the admissions process.


“We have an unwaveringpolicy of encouragingthe arts: It’s understoodthe arts are vital tobuilding the whole child.”Richard Marcucci, Chairperson, Art Department

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