Friends' campus is buzzing with activity! To view more photos of campus events, visit the School's website, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
Visit and Explore the Renovated Annex
Last month Friends Seminary welcomed parents and trustees for a special Meeting for Worship followed by a reception in the Annex featuring self-guided tours of the newly renovated building. There have been no renovations to the Annex since it was purchased in 1997. The Annex received a full interior renovation that will elevate teaching, learning and gathering. The renovation includes improvements such as:
State-of-the art Physics, Chemistry and Biology labs
A new hub for the Performing Arts, with the latest in all theater technology, created by a consultant who works on Broadway
A shared office for Math, Science and Technology faculty designed to foster collaboration between these increasingly overlapping subjects
A glass enclosed stairwell to create a sense of transparency, wayfinding and connection, including nooks for collaboration, which align with the rest of the campus
A new HVAC system that is more environmentally efficient and delivers improved air quality
If you would like to experience the renovation for yourself, please reach out to Marjorie Jean-Paul, Director of Institutional Advancement at mjeanpaul@friendsseminary.org.
Friends Welcomes New Staff
A warm welcome to our 21 new faculty and staff members. We are thrilled to have them join the Friends community! Read all about our new Friends here.
Meet our new Director of Institutional Advancement, Marjorie Jean-Paul
Director of Institutional Advancement, Marjorie Jean-Paul
“In thinking about all the wonderful ways families can support the School, there can be confusion. In my new role at Friends, I look forward to learning more and sharing my insights developed through my years of experience working at independent schools to further strengthen our school community here. The Fund For Friends, in particular, is our foundation for giving, and with that, every gift has an impact on every student, every faculty member, and every year we turn to the community to help achieve that goal. I learned very quickly that members of the Friends community are committed to ensuring our students continue to benefit from a well rounded Quaker education. My work is to help make the process to give to Friends an easy one!”
What are you most excited about in joining Friends Seminary?
I'm thrilled to join the Friends community with its distinguished history in education. My primary interest as I get to know the community better is to meet and form connections with colleagues, students, parents, and their families. I anticipate the shared interest in our students' success as a driving force that unites the community. The Quaker "S.P.I.C.E.S" further contributes to creating Friends' nurturing learning environment and I look forward to seeing how this helps to bring us together. There's an abundance of talent and so much to build upon further for our students and the broader community. I want to work with the Advancement team to highlight and celebrate those things.
Tell me a little bit about your background and experience prior to coming to Friends?
Before joining Friends in August, I worked at three independent schools over the course of my career, after working as a management consultant: Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Buckley Country Day School, and the Waldorf School of Garden City. Each institution had a long standing history in education and reputation for offering strong academic curricula with an emphasis on developing moral and ethical leaders.
In all of my roles, I enjoyed collaborating closely with parents, alumni, and faculty to enhance material, financial, and human resources in support of each school's mission. As a parent myself, I enjoy working in partnership with faculty and parents to address student needs.
Throughout my career, I've developed strong relationships with faculty, students, parents and alumni. I've especially learned that parents share a desire for their children to have the best education and they also understand that their children are part of a larger community. Choosing communities like Friends helps develop well-rounded individuals who consider not only themselves but also those around them.
In my brief time at Friends, I've observed intentional practices that benefit student learning and growth. I've also noticed a strong interest in supporting our talented faculty. The Quaker principles guide and direct our work to inform the best outcomes.
My interest in philanthropy centers on community engagement that invites us all to be active stewards of our precious school. I see the work of advancement as an ongoing dialogue with our community about celebrating the past, and present as well as sustaining Friends for future generations. We're all called to serve and support Friends in whatever ways we can. In the coming weeks, look forward to spreading this message far and wide, as well as creating giving procedures that are easy to make supporting the school easy for everyone.
Institutional Advancement is an essential part of the School's planning for the future. Fundraising is a way that we each can think about the ways that Friends has enriched our lives, and give a gift that is meaningful to us individually.
What is your vision for leading this important department?
I have dedicated my career to strengthening schools through philanthropy and community engagement. Philanthropy is centered on promoting the welfare of others and love of humanity. It comes from a selfless place and extends beyond financial contributions to include gifts of time and talent our volunteers offer to our community. My vision is to further develop a strong culture of philanthropy and for the advancement department to:
Celebrate all the ways we contribute to sustaining the School;
Educate community members about the impact of philanthropy;
Encourage action to support the school.
As our world becomes increasingly complex, the needs of our current and future students are expanding. I've enjoyed meeting parents and students at drop off, divisional potlucks, open school nights and other events. I'm particularly looking forward to the Annual Benefit and Art Auction in March, as well as the vibrant expressions through the cultural potlucks that celebrate the diverse community at Friends.
How would you describe your approach to leadership and what do you consider your strengths as a leader?
My leadership approach is focused on the mission to create transformational change in the lives of our students. While I am not a teacher in the classroom, I personally thrive in environments where I can continue to learn and grow. Despite my years of experience, there's always room for continued learning. As a leader, I believe it's important to create an environment where my team can continuously expand their knowledge base to better serve the community. I enjoy rallying people around a common mission and vision with the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal.
My greatest strength as a leader is my listening skills. In my role, it's crucial to understand the School's needs and communicate them to the broader community. To achieve this, I must listen closely to school leadership to fully grasp the vision for the future and the resources needed. I also need to develop relationships with community members to understand their reason for supporting Friends and to learn how they would like to make an impact on the school's future.
To succeed in advancement work, it's important to bring together the School's needs and the community's support. Attentive and purposeful listening is a skill I've honed over the years, from my work as a management consultant to my current role as an advancement professional at independent schools.
Beyond fundraising, the Department of Institutional Advancement also leads a number of events and programming throughout the year. Are there any in particular that you're looking forward to?
The Benefit and Art Auction at Gustavino. Located under the 59th Street Bridge, it has soaring granite arches and Catalan vaulted tile ceiling. This unique venue will be a fun backdrop to bring our community together.
Is there a particular grade level or subject area that you enjoy the most?
I have fond memories of my middle school years when my teachers sparked my love for reading and writing. I recall my elementary school librarian igniting my interest in reading. In my free time, I would read memoirs and stories that focused on complex challenges people faced at different points in history..
Growing up, one of my favorite books in middle school was The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, along with Jane Austen, Judy Bloom and a few other authors of the time. In later years, I was introduced to Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, and other literary greats.
At Friends, part of our mission is to help prepare students to engage in a world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be. How do you plan to support this?
My work focuses on strengthening the school community of today while ensuring future generations have access to the Quaker education offered at Friends. Creating spaces where parents, alumni, and friends of the school can gather and develop strong ties to each other and the mission is fundamental to sustaining a school like Friends.
As stewards, we're fortunate to have the school we have today, thanks to the foresight and generosity of many preceding families. The work of advancement centers on celebrating our school community and ensuring that the school remains strong for each generation of Friends students, equipping them with all they need to "engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
What is one interesting or unique fact about you?
I enjoy knitting. During the pandemic, I knitted 100 face masks and gave them away as gifts to friends and family. I learned how to sew and created pockets for filters. It was a great distraction that kept my hands busy and my mind growing as I learned how to use a sewing machine. The face masks were appreciated by each recipient and I received pictures of them modeling their new custom face mask. A gallery exhibition of each person modeling their masks is forthcoming, as my other interests include photography and scrapbooking.
Owl Sports
The Owls are off to a flying start with an already successful fall season!
For the most up to date sports news, follow Friends Athletics at www.instagram.com/friendsathletics for weekly team and senior features! Please enjoy live video from Friends sporting events here: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ny/new-york/organization/80015/friends-seminary-hig-high-school/video
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