Schools and Facilities

Buckingham Friends School
George School
Newtown Friends School
United Friends School
The Quaker School at Horsham
Wrightstown Friends Nursery School
Chandler Hall
Friends Home
Friends Village
Pennswood Village
Camp Onas
Back to Bucks Quarter Home Page

Buckingham Friends School

Buckingham Friends School inspires a lifelong love of learning, nurtures a respect for the Light in every person, and fosters a sense of spiritual community.

Buckingham Friends School offers children in kindergarten through eighth grade an excellent educational experience in a caring community, where each child can grow intellectually, socially and spiritually. An essential part of Friends' belief is that there is "that of God" in each of us. This belief is the foundation for mutual respect and trust among teachers, students and parents.

Together, children and faculty experience the Quaker principles of equality, simplicity, community and non-violence. Our faculty helps each child to feel self-worth, to develop high goals, to take day-to-day responsibility for work and to think independently. Students are expected to observe certain standards. Among the most important are honesty, kindness, trust, decency, responsibility, compassion and consideration for others.

In addition to basic core curriculum classes, required courses include computer literacy, religion and foreign languages. French is taught in all grades beginning in kindergarten, and students may choose to begin instruction in Russian in the sixth grade. Creative expression is developed and encouraged in regular music, art, drama and woodshop classes. Students further expand their horizons through weekly elective periods. All students participate in physical education.

The entire school gathers togther for weekly assemblies and Meeting for Worship.

George School

George School is a coeducational Friends boarding school and day college-preparatory school for students in grades 9 - 12. The total enrollment is 526 students. George School is located in Newtown, Pennsylvania. For further information, write the Director of Admissions, Box 4000, George School, Newtown, PA. 18940. The phone number for admissions is (215) 579-6547.

George School was founded in 1893 by women and men of faith whose vision was to create an educational community rooted in the spirit of the Quaker experiment begun by George Fox in 17th century England. They wanted this school's environment to encourage spiritual and intellectual integrity. In its second century, that vision is still the school's inspiration. Today the community includes a diverse group of adults and students who value academic rigor and Quakers' commitment to service, social justice, simplicity and quiet Meeting for Worship. The school's motto, "Mind the Light", reflects Quakers' strong belief in the presence and power of the inner light - that of God within each individual. The Light makes each soul sacred and worthy of respect. In a Quaker school, teachers work to assure students of their individual worth, helping them refine gifts that are already evident or uncover gifts that haven't been developed. They believe that if young people are convinced of their own value they will, in turn, seek and speak to the good in others.
 
 

Newtown Friends School

Mission Statement

Newtown Friends School provides an education full of academic challenge, where students are encouraged to engage in the learning process and to think creatively and independently. We are a community rooted in Quaker values, where respect is taught in principle and exemplified in practice. With this balanced foundation, students become confident individuals who think for themselves while caring for each other and the world around them.
 

United Friends School

Quaker focus on the spirit of God in each person is the foundation upon which we build a school community. Membership in the community of students, staff, parents, grandparents and trustees provides a special opportunity for all to learn, to teach, to serve and to accept other. The educational goal of UFS is to assist students in finding their inner strength as part of a community of learners. The school maintains its high education standards by providing for strong teacher-student relationships in an environment where the needs of individual students are met through open-ended, student-centered, exploratory activities. Peer teaching and mixed age groupings are valued. Subjects are integrated throughout a developmentally appropriate curriculum to allow students to make connections among learning experiences.
 
 

The Quaker School at Horsham

The Mission of The Quaker School at Horsham is to provide specialized programs for bright students with diverse learning styles within a small caring community that embodies the Quaker values of integrity, equality, peace, and simplicity. Our goal is to nurture, honor, and celebrate the unique strengths and inherent goodness of each individual. Within this framework, we create opportunities for personal and meaningful growth for each student every day.

The sassafras tree bears leaves of several shapes. The Quaker School at Horsham has chosen this tree to symbolize the diversity of learning styles among its students.
 

Wrightstown Friends Nursery School

Wrightstown Friends Nursery School offers a program for children approximately four years old. Morning and afternoon sessions are available.

The school is under the care of a committee appointed by the Wrightstown Friends Meeting. Our class sizes are limited, enabling the teachers to provide an atmosphere in which the nurture of each child's individual growth is balanced with a regard for happy working and playing in a group situation. Activities each day are varied and include blocks, outdoor play, stories, cooking, nature study, many trips, music and art.

Many first hand experiences and frequent opportunities for sharing, making choices and solving problems help young children to begin learning about themselves, others and the world around them.

Consistent with Friends' practices, there will be a period of quiet each day.
 
 
 

Chandler Hall

Mission and Philosophy 

The Chandler Hall Board of Directors, Administration, and Staff believe that every person has the right to independence, free choices regarding health care and a living situation which fosters productivity and individuality. To that end, we are committed to providing a full continuum of health care for the older adult which is positive and creative. The goal is to help participants achieve the fullest life compatible with their abilities and disabilities. Our philosophy welcomes and encourages family members to participate as an integral part of our care-giving team in terms of input and involvement.

Established in 1973, Chandler Hall has become a leading provider of quality health care to older adults, providing skilled nursing care, home health care, hospice care, adult day health care, medical care, counseling services, wellness programs, aquatic programs, support and education programs and primary medical care. All services and programs are based on the Quaker commitment to qualilty care and respect for the unique character of every person.

Chandler Hall Health Services, a private, non-profit organization, provides a continuum of care. Operating under the direction of the Society of Friends (Quakers), Chandler Hall does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, handicap, or stance on advance directives.

Lynette Killen, Executive Director
 

Friends Home

www.friendshomeandvillage.org

Friends Home, founded in 1897, is owned and operated by Bucks Quarterly Meeting, a part of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers). The original building, known as Paxson Hall after its donor, houses a large dining room and living room, a library and administrative offices. It is also home to twenty-one residents occupying private units. Those on the upper floors use either stairs or elevator. Three delicious home-cooked meals highlight every day. Paxson Hall is a licensed personal care facility.

Scattered about the grounds are a number of small buildings. Most are double units containing two ground-level, one-bedroom apartments. Four have two bedrooms;two are second-story walk-ups. Apartment residents live independently, but come to Paxson Hall for the midday meal; they have the option of coming for breakfast and supper also.

Admissions are made without regard to race, religious creed or national origin.

The grounds are well maintained and include a variety of beautiful old trees. Residents enjoy the many fascinating birds and pesky squirrels that visit our grounds.

Friends Home is ideally situated on a quiet side street in a historic town designed for walking. Founded in 1684 by William Penn, Newtown is one of a handful of picturesque small towns dotting the landscape of Bucks County. Though a century old, Friends Home is one of the younger buildings in the Historic District. Its near neighbors include the Newtown Library, just across the street, as well as a bank, pharmacy, cleaners, hardware store, gourmet grocery, fine restaurants, several churches and the Newtown Theatre.

At Friends Home, we live among friendly people interested in one another. Newcomers will find their interests shared and their talents appreciated. We often visit each other informally. Organized recreation plans focus on holidays, birthdays, card games, bus trips and many special programs. We also are encouraged to pursue our own interests. Life for you can be as challenging as you care to make it.
 
 

Friends Village

www.friendshomeandvillage.org

Friends Village is a non-profit retirement community sponsored by the Quakers of Bucks Quarterly Meeting. It is designed to fill the gap between the higher priced life care facilities and the more usual boarding home for older people.

Friends Village is designed for alert, active people who want to live independently while being relieved of the burdens of home maintenance. There are four different types of living accomodations available, all on ground level. Residents may select a one or two bedroom apartment, a studio apartment or a room/bath.

Applications are accepted from single persons or couples in which one person is at least 60 years old. In accordance with Quaker practice, applicants of all religions and racial backgrounds are welcome.

Friends Village in beautiful Bucks County is conveniently close to the historic community of Newtown, Pennsylvania. Settled by Quakers in 1684, the central borough of Newtown has preserved much of its quiet colonial charm while surrounded by a thriving area of growth and activity. Fine restaurants and a wide variety of shopping opportunities abound. Nearby George School Bucks County Community College, Holy Family College, Newtown Campus, and Saint Mary Hospital provide immeasurable services and programs.

Friends Villagers are an open, friendly group. You will be welcomed into any of the many activities you wish to share.

Pennswood Village

Pennswood Village is a Quaker-directed life care community at Newtown, Pennsylvania for men and women 65 years and older, without regard to race, religion, physical handicap, or national origin. Pennswood is under the direction of members of The Religious Society of Friends.

Pennswood Village is uniquely situated on a campus. Across the field is co-educational George School, a well-known Quaker secondary school, and down the lane is Newtown Friends, a Quaker elementary school. From this proximity comes the opportunity of living and learning logether on many levels, often as the spirit moves. It is a truly intergenerational community.

Pennswood is not a typical leisure village. There is time for relaxation, of course, but contemplative hours are likely to be balanced with a discussion of world affairs, a play or concert, or a hike along the Neshaminy Creek. Where others stress recreation, at Pennswood Village the emphasis is on re-creation. That hyphen is small but, we think, very important.

People at Pennswood find numerous ways to pursue particular interests and discover new ones. Activities exercise the mind and body not only within the community, but also at the neighboring schools - in nearby towns and villages - and in Princeton, Philadelphia and New York, all easily accessible.

For peace and privacy outside one's own apartment, common room, gardens (to look at and work in), and in the 225-acre George School campus provide quietly supportive and congenial atmospheres. Pennswood Village, said one resident,"...is for me not an end, but a beginning - new friends, new ideas, new work, new responsibilities."

Although all 252 apartments are occupied now, applications are being accepted for future admission. We suggest you write or phone the Admissions Office to make arrangements for a visit and preliminary interview.

 

Camp Onas

www.camponas.org

A co-educational summer camp for children, ages 8 - 13, Camp Onas is rurally located on seventy acres of deep woods and rolling fields in Ottsville, Pennsylvania. The camp is operated under the supervision of the Friends Camp Association, Inc. of Pennsylvania.

Camp Onas is designed to let kids be kids. The rich and varied program stresses sharing, co-operaion, understanding, simple living and most essential of all - fun. Soar on a rope swing, sing around a camp fire, ride a zip line across a pond, live and play with new friends, giggle, laugh and just be a kid. That's what Camp Onas is all about. At Camp Onas, kids choose what they want to do. Activities include: canoeing, dramatics, nature study, sports, swimming, hiking, archery, arts and crafts, games, day trips, special event days, theme weekends, carnival, skit night, evening activities, adventure and challenge activities, a four day pioneering program of hiking and canoeing for selected campers. Boys and girls, with their counselors, live under the stars within the shelter of platform tents and pavilions. Each group has its own area with modern shower house and flush toilets. The Camp's meeting for Worship on Sunday monrings is held in keeping with the Friends' practice of silent worship.