It really is Cambridge Friends School!

Given how unflappably and how skillfully Beth Boelter-Dimock interacts with her Early Childhood class, and how riveting it is to watch wriggly pre-school and kindergarten children engage with age-appropriate learning materials, sometimes it’s easy to miss what’s truly special!

Moment by moment, in the flow of activities as their school day progresses, those Early Childhood children are, indeed, “animated” by Quaker practices seamlessly folded into their daily routine. When, for example, as one particular segment of learning is about to conclude, Beth, using her outdoor voice, will sometimes begin: “All right, Friends?”

Not “Class!” Not “Boys and girls?” Beth’s not shouting, “Hey you guys!” (Does anyone still remember PBS’s “The Electric Company”?) Whether receiving individual or group instruction, Beth’s students hear an important—and telling—collective which signals they’re about to transition from, maybe Language Arts to Math. (But it just might be Snack Time!)

And what a collective! “All right, Friends?” Think about it. That one syllable says, “We’re all in this together.” “Mutual respect happens here.” “We practice being warm, caring; we practice being a beloved community.” “Like friends do, we practice how to be good listeners.” “We practice being friends.” (And, let’s be clear, all of this is a practice.)

Beth’s class practices how to learn, too. So, for example, if when tackling something new, a student feels stuck or anxious, Beth might offer, “So, here’s my idea.” Think about it. How differently her suggestion is heard by a child just addressed as “friend”!

Come see one of the dynamic early childhood classrooms in action and experience this unique learning community for yourself!