Front Desk Coordinator: Jana Bledsoe
She’s the heart of our elementary school and knows every student and their families by name. She’s worn many hats at Friends School over the last 20 years, but there’s a lot more to know about Front Desk Coordinator, Jana Bledsoe.
With Design Thinking, The Sky’s The Limit!
Creative problem-solving skills prepare our students to tackle small and large challenges both inside out outside our school walls.Friends School uses Design Thinking to teach our students how to deconstruct problems and design innovative solutions, and what parents can do to support this at home.
Honoring individuality: more than icing on the cake
Student birthdays are celebrated a little differently at Friends School. Students are treated to deliciously, sweet, kind and funny words of appreciation for their classmates on their big day. One mom shares her experience in witnessing her own child’s celebration.
Volunteer Profile: Bill Flagg
Bill Flagg is a full time dad and entrepreneur and he finds volunteering at Friends School to be rewarding. Lou Bendrick sat down with Bill recently to find out what he loves about Friends, why he volunteers, what he’s reading and what’s in his refrigerator.
The Immigration Project
Friends actively teaches empathy from preschool through eighth grade. Fifth grade teacher, Emma Thomas, discusses what it looks like to raise critical thinkers and changemakers who are able to take that empathy off the playground and into the wider world?
Read, Read, Read Some More
Friends Librarian, deana harragarra waters, loves books and reading. So do her students. When she asked our 5th graders about the value of reading, they had some great answers.
Lunar New year
Growing up in the Bay Area, Friends art teacher Bryn Pennington was exposed to a rich tapestry of cultural traditions. She felt humbled to experience the traditions of her closest friends, and today shares them with her students in Art Studio.
Friends Vision in Action
There are so many amazing things happening all around Friends School. Our 4 division directors recently shared the highlights in preschool, elementary, middle school and the Teacher Preparation Program.
Volunteer Profile: Mindy Mullins
Meet Mindy Mullins, a busy Friends School mom of three kids, former trustee, veterinarian, parent council leader and a volunteer who pitches in whenever she sees a job that needs to be done. We’re in awe of her energy level and thankful for the time she dedicates to Friends School.
Mindfully connecting with science
Kindergarten teacher, Annika Nygren, loves science. Her eyes light up when she describes Kindergarteners as natural scientists, filled with curiosity and endless questions and theories. Integrating science with mindfulness resulted in a very interesting project.
