News

WFS welcomed Daniel Suchenski and Dr. Randolph Guschl to campus.

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.

Voices of Friends: Ethan Cooperson ’87 is a Senior Researcher at Stats Perform. 

WFS preschoolers had a blast exploring Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library!

Something WFS sixth graders look forward to from the start of their middle school journey is the holiday pie bake every November!

Early years students participated in a fall festival today planned by early years assistant teachers which included an obstacle course, the Quaker Bakery and Friends Farm Stand, fall-themed sounds, leaf painting, and lots of dancing! 

Students in 7th and 8th grade band, as well as upper school symphonic and jazz bands recently spent time with composer Brian Cox helping to craft a special 275th Anniversary commissioned piece! 

Wilmington Friends kicked off the 275th Webinar Series on Thursday, November 9, with "How Networking Enhances Your Brand," featuring Andy McEnroe '04, Managing Director for Raymond James; Monterry Luckey, Deputy Director of the Delaware Workforce Development Board; and Lynne M. Williams, Executive Director of Great Careers Group & BENG; and moderated by Connor Dalton ’08.

WFS 7th graders spent a rainy day exploring Washington, D.C.

In preparation for the start of their American Revolution unit, WFS eighth graders spent the day in Philadelphia!

Congratulations to Tyler Wilmore ’24 on signing his National Letter of Intent! 

WFS fifth graders had quite the adventure last week as they took on Washington, D.C. for two days! 

WFS hosted special international guests over Homecoming weekend.

The Quaker Cares Committee is back in action for the 23-24 school year, continuing its mission of creating a safe space for students to talk about mental health and to spread awareness about mental health support and resources. 

Upper school students recently had the opportunity to see the final dress rehearsal of Rigoletto at OperaDelaware! 

Congratulations to the middle school cross-country team for taking first place in DISC by one point!

Upper school students recently had the unique opportunity of spending time with Jon Bell, Director of Business Relations and Outreach at Better Business Bureau Delaware. 

With 35 years of collective experience leading Wilmington Friends School, Ken Aldridge (2015-present), Lisa Darling (1994-2005), Bryan Garman (2006-2015), and Bill Goulding (1973-1976) provided insights at the October 20 Heads Panel that reminded the audience that our Quaker school, with two campuses tucked away in Alapocas and serving children in preschool through 12th grade, does indeed seem to have a “secret sauce” that makes us unique.

Meryl Gatti ’15 currently serves as an Entity Management Product Trainer for CSC.

Voices of Friends: Enterprise Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research Administration and Scientific Affairs for ChristianaCare, Dr. Omar Khan ’90.

Students in grades 3-12 spent time over two days with composer Jim Papoulis helping to craft the lyrics and shape the mood and energy of our 275th Anniversary commissioned piece.

Lower school associate and assistant teachers spent a beautiful day at Pendle Hill, a Quaker retreat center.

Using the WFS Design Lab, students in the upper school SMART Machines class are introduced to programming and engineering concepts related to interactive robots. 

As part of our special 275th year celebration, the entire WFS middle school community traveled to the Wilmington Monthly Meeting House at 4th & West--the original site of Wilmington Friends School--for a special Meeting for Worship. 

One of our beloved WFS community traditions is seniors and first-grade buddies. Today, seniors met with their buddies for the first time. After some quick introductions, it was time to play!

In September, middle school students celebrated the International Day of Peace. 

Kindergarten students recently listened to a read-aloud of "The Skin You Live In" by Michael Tyler and explored the diversity and the variety of skin tones of the children in the story before creating their own self-portraits!

WFS senior Avery Gaines recently had an official visit at Case Western Reserve University.

The Class of 2024 had a blast at last week's Senior Bonding Day in Rehoboth Beach!

During last week's upper school service day, groups of 9th-11th graders volunteered at local organizations.

Voices of Friends: Emmy-Award Winner, Adam B. Ellick ’95

From preschooler in 1998 to teacher in 2023...

Ajala Elmore ’20 is a senior at Moravian University.

Craig Lyttleton ’20 is a senior at Susquehanna University.

Over the summer, three WFS students attended the Governor’s School for Excellence.

WFS Head of School Ken Aldridge was recently presented with a Proclamation from Wilmington's Mayor recognizing our 275th anniversary.

Denzel Dixon ’20 is a rising senior at Bethel College.

Ellie Driscoll '25 and Jillian Farley '25  attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference in Bloomington Indiana.

Andy Hess ’58 is a chemist and researcher at Vanderbilt University.

This summer, WFS students traveled abroad and visited the Dominic Republic, Japan, Puerto Rico, and seven countries in Europe!

The vibrant Home & School (H&S) Association of parent volunteers have once again proven to be integral to our thriving WFS community.

Jane Monari ’07 has performed as an opera singer for over a decade, performing hundreds of times in concerts and operas.

WFS is committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all WFS students, including students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Rachel MacKelcan ’14 has worked on content strategy for companies such as HealthyCapital, Fidelity Investments, and Universal Parks and Resorts.

Fifth graders had a great adventure in New York City! 

The middle school Asian Affinity Group traveled to the lower school to read stories to students that highlighted Asian history or protagonists. Lower school students loved meeting the middle school students, listening to the stories, and learning more about Asian heritage. 

The future of Friends looks very bright! Look at the smiles as our preschool kangas, roos, and joeys waited for the bus for their final field trip of the year to the Can-Do Playground!

Members of the Eco Team met with representatives from Practical Energy Solutions, who had recently completed an energy audit and assessment at WFS, to review their recommendations on how as a school we can improve lighting and internal loads, plumbing and hot water use, our HVAC systems, and increase our solar energy potential. The Eco Team will use these findings to help implement energy solutions across the school.

Third graders visited the WFS garden last Friday (PJ Day!) to help harvest (and sample!) some of this year's strawberry crop.

So much joy at the third, fourth, and fifth grade spring concert! Congratulations to all our lower school musicians.

Thank you to everyone in the community who came out and supported the 10th grade carwash and bake sale last weekend!

One of the favorite traditions of senior year at WFS is time spent with first grade buddies. Juniors got a jumpstart on this before the school year ends, meeting with their buddies (current kindergarteners) and having a blast! They can't wait to spend more time together next year.

As part of his "Quaker Quest" for Quakerism class, Ryan Hill '25 recently spoke to lower school students about his reptile collection, including a spiny tailed iguana, ball python, and isopods. 

Congratulations to the boys' lacrosse team and the girls' soccer team for capturing the DISC Championships in their respective sports!

Lower school students loved learning about the writing process from visiting author, Susan Hood. 

From entrepreneurs to astronauts, athletes, and social advocates, this year's second grade wax museum did not disappoint! 

Noah Gibbons '25, Steven Kozikowski '25, and Avery Martinenza '25 recently traveled to Dover Speedway to compete in the 35th Annual Delaware Driver Safety Competition. 

It was great to have so many grandparents and special friends join us at the lower school last week...They enjoyed partaking in classes, learning more about the school, and simply having fun with their student!

Upper school physics students worked on creating Mother's Day cards using LED technology. 

Third graders recently spent time at Bellevue State Park learning more about forest, meadow, and pond ecosystems on a beautiful day!

In April, upper school students Maddie Miller '24, Tess Wolf '24, Jalen Stewart '24, Pablo Charriez '24, and Collier Zug '24 attended the Delaware Youth Congressional Conference at Delaware State University. Sponsored by U.S. Senator Chris Coons, the goal of the conference is to provide an opportunity for student leaders to join together to discuss important issues and learn how to make a difference in the local community. Students met and attended workshops with Senator Coons as well as Senator Tom Carper and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, and also engaged in a community service activity to benefit the Food Bank of Delaware.

Laura Gates ’14 works as an Elementary teacher and Librarian, focusing primarily on social emotional learning through parallel play.

The end-of-year senior traditions have begun, with the Class of 2023 signing the Senior Scroll and receiving their WFS laundry bag. This tradition has been a part of the senior class spring for more than 20 years!

Sixth graders traveled to various locations across Wilmington for their sixth grade service day. 

Lower school teachers noticed a swarm of bees on one of the fences last week and called WFS parent and beekeeper George Datto to ask what they should do. 

Seventh graders recently traveled to two Material Resource Centers in Pennsylvania, both run by the Mennonite Central Committee, which help to provide hygiene kits, canned food, educational supplies, and other resources to refugees and other displaced people throughout the world. Students sorted, organized, packaged, and even helped assemble quilts on this valuable service day.

Congratulations to fifth graders Ishani and Drew who both earned first place in the qualifying round contests for the Delaware Math League competition! They now have an opportunity to compete at the next level in May. Good luck!

It's the last few busy weeks of senior year for the Class of 2023, but everyone took a break yesterday to gather for lunch with their first grade buddies outside Jones House. 

Fellow students and family members were treated to a fantastic performance at the First Grade Circus! The student-performers wowed the audience with their skill and coordination in events including hula-hooping, juggling, walking the balance beam, and plate-balancing! This WFS tradition is not inly fun, but it helps children with hand-eye coordination, strength, and balance. 

WFS teachers Carlos Charriez, Kelley Cox, Karen Horikawa, and Tim Dalby attended the National Science Teaching Association Convention in Atlanta. During the three-day event, they took part in workshops and refreshed their best practices using Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) targets, technology, inquiry lessons, and sensemaking.

During middle school activity period this year, a group of students dubbed "Lower School Helpers" have been traveling to the lower school to assist in different classroom activities, including: reading to classes; packing up canned goods for a food drive; practicing math facts and word problems with second and third grade; playing soccer with kindergarten students; and helping organize the music closet with Teacher Katie. 

Jazz band and chamber singers from upper school recently traveled down the hill to share a short musical performance with fifth grade students. 

Throughout the school year, Assistant Head of School Eddie Gallagher, who is in his first year at WFS, has been visiting lower school classes to, as he puts it, "see some of the 'magic' I've observed from afar while I walked the hallways." Below is his most recent reflections sent to lower school faculty and staff. 

The Quaker football team traveled down to the Delaware Legislative Hall for a Tribute Commencement, celebrating their 2022 State Championship season.

Congratulations to the 29 middle school students who are representing WFS at the 2023 DAIS Middle School Art Show! Their work will be displayed throughout this week at Ursuline Academy's Fusco Hall. Click here for more information and hours: https://tinyurl.com/mrxwk3a7

Lower school music teacher Katie Martinenza and nine students from fifth grade participated in the 2023 Delaware ACDA Children’s Honor Choir Festival at Newark High School. 

Over the past month, WFS community members presented a speaker series for seniors to help prepare them for life after WFS.

Last week, our preschool Kangas explored the Delaware Art Museum. Students spent time in the children's area and went on a special color scavenger hunt throughout the galleries!

Happy Panda Day is such a great send off to Spring Break--lower school students met with Ivy the therapy dog, made friendship bracelets, hunted for leprechauns, and practiced yoga, all in the comfort of their pajamas!

WFS upper school students recently attended the Youth Environmental Summit at the University of Delaware.

Students in grades 7-12 attended a special presentation with national thought leader and author, Heather C. McGhee. 

Fifth grade students have been enjoying "Girls Who Code," a national program for students that serves as a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models using computer science to change the world. 

Last week, second graders joined an online event with Dan Joseph '02 to hear him speak about his experience as a Disney Imagineer.

A huge congratulations to the cast and crew of this year's fifth grade musical, Giants in the Sky! 

Congratulations to the WFS Mock Trial team for coming in second in the state competition!

As part of their study of landforms, third graders went on a two-mile exploration and discovered landforms right in the School's backyard!

Julia Blumberg ’15 serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the School of Journalism at the University of Arizona.

Eighth grade history/social science students recently visited the East Side Charter School APEX program, currently housed at the Teen Warehouse in Northeast Wilmington, to participate in a "pop-up" debate with APEX students about gun control legislation. 

Tuesday night’s IB recital featured six IB HL and SL Music students. 

Congratulations to the cast and crew of "Original Sin," this year's Student Run Production. The original horror story was written by Jack Hebert '23 and directed and led by Jace Boland '23 and Maddie Schaen '25. Photo credit: Helen Liu '23

Michael Anello, Executive Director of the Haiti Reforestation Partnership, visited upper school Peace and middle school social studies classes to speak about the organization's work and how reforestation has led to incredible environmental and community development in Haiti. 

Ciara Graves ’16 recently became a Social Media & Marketing Strategist at Audius.

Thank you to everyone who attended last week's Home and School Parents for Multiculturalism Potluck, celebrating family traditions and cultural dishes from Nigeria, Turkey, Brazil, Kenya, China, Jamaica, and Argentina!

First grade students listened to the story, "Pancakes, Pancakes" by Eric Carle and then made yummy and healthy sweet potato pancakes! 

Kindergarten students celebrated El Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) by wearing their "coronas" and leaving their shoes outside of the Spanish classroom in anticipation and hopes that the Three Kings would swing by WFS and leave treats!

Congratulations to our students who participated in the Four-School Choral Festival. 

Meditation and breathing exercises can’t tackle your to do list, but they can help you calm down and center you to start again.

Networking is one of the most important ways to discover the jobs that are most worthwhile pursuing and learn from others in your field. 

“It’s mine!” “No, it’s mine!” Your blood pressure starts rising as you hear your kids yelling at each other in the other room.

Whether as a participant or a fan, when we think of our experiences with athletics growing up, big moments come to mind. 

Click Here for Summer Math Fun!
Summertime provides a great opportunity to positively impact your child’s math journey. 

90% of the students who attend Wilmington Friends are non-Quakers. 

As school supply lists are distributed and classroom teachers announced, many parents and guardians are beginning to think about the new school year.

As we celebrate 100 years of girls' athletics at Wilmington Friends School, here are some highlights from the first three decades.

Alex Rudin ’13 is a multimedia artist and illustrator.

Ben Osbun ’66 has been involved with several non-profit organizations in and around Wilmington, including Wilmington Friends School, for the past 20 years.

Bowman Benge ’13 served as an Officer and Aviator in the United States Air Force.

At Friends since Kindergarten, Cecilia Ergueta  ’18 has interspersed her Humanities studies in California with experiential learning in Germany.

Daniel Joseph ’02 serves as the Special Effects and Illusions Development Principal at Walt Disney Imagineering.

David Linton ’78 spent 35 years building a boutique merger & acquisition advisory firm. 

David Venarde ’83 is a practicing clinical psychologist.

Donovan Aldridge ’18 began pursuing his MA in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Delaware last fall. 

Eleanor Napoli ’16 began her journey as a post baccalaureate candidate at Georgetown University last fall.

Elizabeth L. Haven ’72 was a “sandwich” Friends student, between brother Ken Haven ’70 and sister Julie Haven Malloy ’80.

Ellie Anderson '14 spent yesterday with a national celebrity - Punxsutawney Phil - who predicted six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day 2022.

Ellie McGinnis ’14, who earned her M.Ed. in Special Education from National University, has spent the past two years as a Teach for America corps member in the Bay Area.

Eric Kelley ’10 is a 4th year associate at Hollingsworth LLP, based in Washington, D.C. where he specializes in products liability litigation.

Grayton Downing ’14 is a first-year General Pediatrics Resident at Nemours Children Hospital. 

Hannah Kushner ’17 studied environmental engineering and urban policy at Lehigh University. 

After spending two decades as a private practice trial lawyer, Shirley Padmore-Mensah ’87 shifted the focus of her career to public service. 

Hunter Witmer ’10 currently serves as a General Surgery Resident at the University of Chicago Medicine.

Ikechukwu Daniel Adebi ’18 graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this past spring with his degree in Computer Science and Engineering

Jennie Lowe ’12 serves as the Site Director for LifeStance Health, Inc.

Joey Gutierrez ’07 most recently completed an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business and started working at an edtech startup in San Francisco.

Josh Loeffler ’99 was most recently named the Assistant Coach/Chief of Administrative Staff for the Cincinnati men's basketball team.

Julie Harvey Van Egmond ’68 comes from a long line of Quakers on her father’s side and was raised to believe in service to others.

Kenji Endo ’14 is currently working as a technical director at Blue Sky Studios, whose next movie starring Will Smith is due out in the fall of 2019.

Laura Robelen ’78 is a licensed Realtor and is also an Associate Broker.

Macon Sheppard ’15 moved to Dubai to join McKinsey and Company as a Business Analyst in their Middle East Office.

After retiring from a successful 30 year career at Ikea, Marty Kritkausky ’70 is now a transition life coach in Wilmington.

Michael Coleman ’88 is a longtime educator/coach and was the Senior Sports Director at the YMCA for 23 years.

Nathaniel Ruhl ’18 is an Engineer at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (FMP).

Phoenix Mellow '08 served as the 2022 Commencement Speaker.

Susan Woolley Katz ‘88 now serves as a Senior Clinical Scientist for Syneos Health.

Theo Nix ’72 created the DWS Drone School.

Tony Bennett ’18 is an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. 

Tyrie Jenkins ’73 is a pioneer in eye care as she was the first person to perform LASIK in Hawaii.