Lower School at Abington Friends School
AFS offers full-day all grades preschool through Grade 4, with half day options for preschool and extended day and early-care options for all grades. Deep rooted Quaker values are a distinctive piece of an academic program that incorporates learning through experience and play unlike any other school. Each classroom has its own door to the beautiful outdoor classrooms and play spaces so that the learning is not limited by walls and desks. In fact, AFS is home to the first Pennsylvania certified nature explore classroom, and the Headwaters Discovery Playground was recently named one of the top five outdoor learning sites in the world!
At AFS, your child will start or continue their school career with classmates who have a wealth of backgrounds and interests. They will be immersed in the Spanish culture in language class each week and have many opportunities to share their own life stories. This is key for young children to understand ideas from multiple perspectives and to share their own thoughts and contributions to a community at a very young age. At AFS, teachers truly know each student and are able to personalize their approach to each learner to bring out the best in each child.
Kindergarten teachers at AFS have more than 40 years of combined experience with this age group and prepare their students with strong math, writing, reading, communication and foundational skills. Students are learning traditional academics through non-traditional pedagogy. They are excited about learning, because they are leading the discussions and encouraged to ask big questions. AFS values the heart and individuality of each student as much as their intellect. The work being done in our classrooms is sacred. AFS is providing students the tools and skills to think creatively, be strong, use resilience and problem solve with their mind and heart. At Quaker meeting for worship each week, the five-, six- and seven-year-old students participate in the tradition of reflective silence in the Meeting House. However, the silence is sometimes broken with complimentary activities such as singing songs, sharing joys and concerns, welcome and introductions, and announcements initiated and led by our students.
Register for a tour and you can see our Lower School classes in action, take a climb on our playgrounds, observe our teachers, view our campus and arboretum, meet with an admission counselor and learn about how our young students have the freedom to flourish in and for a changing world.
