United Friends School (UFS), established in 1983, is a joyful independent school community that serves children in Preschool through Eighth grade. We are guided by the Quaker testimonies of Simplicity, Peace & Social Justice, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship & Care for the Earth. Our mission informs curriculum planning, decision-making, and the commitment to community service and peaceful conflict resolution. UFS wholeheartedly promotes inclusion & equity, inspiring students to social action throughout the year. Our entire school community participates in both Ally Week & the Black Lives Matter Week of Action.
UFS is a progressive school where individual students’ talents and interests are celebrated. Multi-age classrooms promote community building and foster authentic peer relationships within a mentor-mentee framework. Progressive education does not follow typical “traditional” school norms. Instead, we move away from standardized testing, rote memorization, and worksheet-driven classrooms. What sets a progressive school apart from a traditional school is the emphasis placed on the process of experiential learning in a collaborative environment. Our students experience deeper learning while engaging in project-based, hands-on, experiential activities.
Our family-centered, close-knit school community honors and welcomes students of all cultural, religious, racial, ethnic backgrounds, and gender identities. UFS works to cultivate and nurture an inclusive environment where the entire community can explore, discover, and embrace our differences and similarities in non-judgmental ways. Using the guiding principles of the Quaker testimonies – particularly the Equality testimony – UFS embodies an atmosphere of equity and social justice. The exploration of our diverse community is central to an education at UFS. Through our curriculum, culture, practices, and policies, we seek to reflect the diverse community in which we live, encouraging students to embrace social action and become catalysts for change.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our school. This vibrant community welcomes you.
Daena Berdougo Remondelli, Head of School