Wilmington Friends School offers an unsurpassed academic program, and just as important, it is a great place to grow up.
There is no “typical” Friends School student or family. We recognize diversity of thought, identity, and experience as essential to both academic excellence and the character of our community.
Our teachers know our students. They provide individual attention and are deeply invested in students’ growth and success. Because they are known as individuals, students are able to discover and develop the best in themselves. Because they are valued and held to high standards as members of a community, students are motivated to contribute and to lead.
For parents, Friends is a great place to join with other families who share a commitment to education that inspires the best in each student while fostering an active responsibility to the good of all.
The WFS college counseling team began welcoming colleges and universities to campus this week, hosting representatives from 24 schools. Interested junior and senior students can attend these meetings to introduce themselves to regional admissions representatives, learn more about the institutions, ask questions, and share their interest in the schools.
Students in the upper school Smart Machines class began the year with a cup-stacking challenge (with a twist) to prepare them for the hands-on labs and group projects they will complete this semester. Requiring communication, patience, and teamwork, groups of four used a rubber band with attached pieces of yarn to move the cups to the correct location without touching the cups with their hands!
This week kicked off with faculty meetings and professional development , along with a lovely event with our new parents and guardians. And student orientation day did not disappoint, with energy filling both campuses!
The WFS football team hosted the Special Olympics Delaware Flag Football Clinic on Saturday afternoon. WFS student-athletes and Special Olympians participated in a variety of drills together, working on their passing, receiving, and blocking skills!
Gavin Gray ’28 was one of three WFS students who participated in the UPenn Social Innovators Program this spring. This 12-week virtual program allows students to learn more about social entrepreneurship and earn a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.
The WFS field hockey seniors ran a clinic for 5th through 8th grade students on Thursday afternoon. Participants worked on their dribbling, passing, and receiving skills throughout the morning.
New faculty and staff members began their orientation this week! Over the next couple of days, they’ll dive into the history of WFS, explore Quaker Faith and Practice, connect with their mentors, and enjoy activities like “Who’s Who?” and Friends Trivia.
“My kids had the benefit of learning from incredibly talented faculty, being part of a caring and loving community that truly values seeing people for who they are, and what they might not realize they can be.”
On the latest episode of the Quaker Matters Podcast, WFS Director of Athletics Brad Greenman breaks down his first year, the lessons that student-athletes learn through athletics, and his hopes for the 2026–27 school year.
The Class of 2027 participated in the College Counseling Office's annual Application 101, where students completed the Common Application and refined their essays. The workshop was led by Interim Director of College Counseling, Rose Gnade, who has served on the College Counseling team since 2017.
Who remembers when the Class of 1996 took over the parking lot to spell out their graduation year?!
This fall, the Class of 1996 will celebrate its 30th Reunion during Homecoming Weekend, October 23-24, 2026. We hope to welcome as many classmates back to campus to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate together.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma is often considered the highest standard for college preparatory education. This year, more than 30 members from the Class of 2026 were IB Diploma candidates.
“I think that the experiential leadership experience, trying all these new things, was very, very helpful for me. I knew I felt ready going to a liberal arts college after this experience [at WFS] because of that…but then I think the most important thing to me, and this is where I think it’s foundationally and morally changed who I am, is just leading with empathy.”
Colton Loeffler ’29 participated in the Ulster Project Delaware this summer, a month-long program in July where American teenagers host Northern Irish teenagers while participating in team-building activities, embarking on exciting day trips, and creating lasting friendships- all while fostering peace.
When reflecting on the history of girls’ athletics at Wilmington Friends School, one name stands as a monumental pillar of leadership, transformation, and excellence: Natalie S. “Lee” Bush. Serving the school from 1966 to 1999 as the Director of Girls’ Physical Education, teacher, coach, and grade dean, Lee spent over three decades establishing a culture of empowerment that changed the trajectory for countless female student-athletes.
Drew Milford '00 (left) and Josh Galperin '00 (center) recently returned to campus for a tour with their classmate and Head of Lower School, Chris Loeffler '00!
When researching private schools, attending an admissions open house event is a great opportunity for your family to tour campuses and see where your child could spend their days.
And while facilities conducive to learning and state-of-the-art resources are important, families should also look beyond the physical environment. A school’s true strength lies in its culture and academic program.
Lienna Wilson ’98 centers her work on supporting mental health and well-being. A licensed clinical psychologist, she specializes in evidence-based therapy for anxiety and related disorders, with particular expertise in working with young adults and college students.
If your child is pursuing higher education, at some point you might feel compelled to step into, and perhaps even manage, their college application process.
College readiness is more than academic achievement—it's about independence, resilience, and developing life skills. When exploring high schools, look for programs that focus not only on academic excellence but also on essential life skills. Here are five key areas where high schools can make a meaningful difference in preparing your student for college (and beyond):
The digital landscape plays an essential role in the lives of students and adults, and at Wilmington Friends School, we want to equip our students, families, faculty, and staff with the necessary tools to ensure that they make positive and safe decisions online every day.
As organizations continue to rely on ever-changing technology, computer science has become increasingly more popular in high school and college curricula.
Many of us know of Advanced Placement or “AP” courses in high schools, and often see “AP” grouped with “IB” in references to more challenging coursework.
Many of us are interested in volunteering, but with the demands on our time and attention these days, community service can easily be placed on the back burner.
In January, WFS middle school students take the reins and lead portfolio-led conferences with parents/guardians and advisors. This approach not only fosters a sense of accountability for the students but also strengthens the partnership between parents/guardians, students, and advisors. The two main objectives of these conferences are:
Our podcast shines a light on what make WFS such a vibrant and unique learning community that allows students to, in the words of George Fox, "let their lives speak."
Videos
WFS in action! Check out videos of all that's happening at Friends!
Congratulations to Ava Steinberger ’23 (right) on being elected student body Co-President at Bates College!
Ava, a senior Philosophy major with a concentration in Film and Media Studies, has been involved in student government since her first year and is also a member of the Bates women’s tennis team.
Isabelle "Izzy" Miller '23 competed in Triathlon Nationals (Olympic distance) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this summer and finished 6th place in her category for Team USA, qualifying for Triathlon World Championships in Hamburg, Germany in September 2027!
Today’s throwback features four members from the Class of 2016, who helped make school history as they led the Wilmington Friends School Mock Trial team to its first State Championship!
Phil Crock ’23 (far left), along with two other Alvernia University mechanical engineering students, secured a provisional patent and first place in the collegiate division of the 24th Annual tecBridge Business Plan Competition. The team members earned $10,000 and $100,000 in in-kind services to continue growing their business, Learn2Inject.
Wilmington Friends School honored Lesley Dennis Tryon ’71 at Homecoming 2025 with the Outstanding Service Award in recognition of her more than three decades of dedicated service to the school community, her commitment to service as President of the Board for Survivors of Abuse in Recovery (SOAR), and as Treasurer for Friends of Bellevue State Park. She currently serves as Endowment and Finance Administrator at the Jewish Federation of Delaware.
Nathaniel Huxtable ‘22 (far right) and Eddie Micheletti Jr ‘20 reconnected after Eddie’s AA game in Reading, PA on July 5. Eddie’s New Hampshire Fisher Cats won 5-3 with Eddie going 1-2 with a single, two walks, and run scored from the cleanup position and played RF. In the July 4 weekend series, Eddie went 8-20 with two doubles, a triple, and a HR.
Congratulations to Grace Terrell ’24 on receiving the Kathryn George Tyree Innovation Fellow Award—recognizing an outstanding second-year student at Trinity College who demonstrates innovation, creativity, problem-solving, and forward-thinking entrepreneurship.
Congratulations to Evie Rademaker ’25 and the Wilmington University women’s lacrosse team on winning the 2026 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship for the first time in school history on Saturday!
From documentary film sets to thoughtfully designed homes, Nikki Goloskov Dalrymple ’97 has built a career rooted in curiosity, reflection, and a deep respect for people’s stories.
Congratulations to Osi Chukwuocha ’22 on being named a First Team Academic All-American as a member of the Case Western Reserve University football team!
Bret Snyder ’87, CEO and President of W.L. Gore & Associates, took the GRIT Talks stage as a featured speaker at the quarterly community event highlighting local leaders and their stories of resilience. In his talk, Bret shared how curiosity, perseverance, and humility can shape a life of impact.
Statement of Nondiscrimination as to Student Enrollment
Wilmington Friends School admits students of any race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of these schools. Wilmington Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.