As critical as Princeton Friends School’s academic program is in preparing our students for success in their lives, even more important is the school’s commitment to instilling in children a strong and positive sense of who they are as individuals and social beings. The Taking Care program encompasses four intertwining threads: Knowing Oneself, Knowing One Another, Care of Oneself, and Care of Others. In the course of the year students participate in games and activities, conversations with peers and adults, and workshops with visiting presenters – all aimed at deepening their awareness of themselves as individuals, as members of a diverse and inclusive community, and as agents in the world beyond the walls of the school.
Under the umbrella of Taking Care, teachers draw on multiple resources to present a broad array of developmentally-appropriate activities that address such issues as personal identity, diversity, the meaning of friendship, social dynamics, conflict resolution, and ethical dilemmas. Over the years, as these issues are visited and revisited, students come to know themselves and one another more deeply, practice skills in taking care of themselves and others, and develop a heightened awareness of the importance.