Messages from Our Head of School

Before coming to TQS, our students face school lives filled with uphill battles: large classes, bullying, being called lazy and unmotivated, forced and half-hearted inclusion efforts, detentions, suspensions, unproven or lack of fidelity of interventions, and generally not being appreciated for their inherent work as human beings.

At this time of year, gratitude abounds. The Thanksgiving holiday gives us all an opportunity to pause and reflect on everything for which we are grateful – a practice that can easily be forgotten in the real-life rush of the rest of the year. 

For me, this giving-of-thanks is something I think about often. I consider myself a particularly grateful person who realizes the magnitude of the gifts in my life. 

Isn’t it amazing how the slightest shift in routine … in perspective … in weather can make the ordinary suddenly extraordinary? How simply looking at something with a fresh set of eyes can reveal such unexpected joy?

Welcome (or, welcome back) to The Quaker School at Horsham! As we open our doors for the 40th year of our school’s existence, I find myself reflecting on how much this welcome actually means to our students and families. 

For 40 years, students have left schools that did not appreciate their gifts, and TQS has accepted their presence with pleasure in order to help them grow and thrive. For 40 years, our students have been greeted hospitably by loving and highly-skilled teachers as they stepped off the bus on the first day of school. For 40 years, children with complex challenges have been finding community, friendship, fun, hope, and bright futures on our welcoming campus.

While much has changed since The Quaker School opened our doors four decades ago (beyond the shoulder-padded fashions and the transition from blackboard to smart devices!), one thing has remained constant: 

For 40 years, TQS has started each school year by welcoming new students and faculty into our halls. Each year, these new additions make our community, and our mission, stronger. This year is no exception. 

At TQS, we believe we are tasked with the quintessential duty of giving students the tools they need to grow their curiosity and answer new and more challenging questions every day.

Perhaps no question is as monumental to students as this: What’s next? What happens when they leave the TQS community?

I’m excited to introduce to you Kristen, our new College and Career Counselor.

One of the greatest parts of my job is seeing all the smiling faces that greet me each day. The TQS community is like none other, and it has become a part of me, and a part of my life story. 

So when it comes to hiring new faculty and staff, I take it very seriously – because when they’re here, they become a part of our collective family, and a part of each student’s story.

That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to Michelle Hunter, our new Sassafras Program Director– she’s one of the newest members of the TQS family.

There’s a secret about TQS, one that makes it possible for us to deliver on our mission and help our students shine: it’s all about the people. 

That’s why I’m so happy to introduce you to our three newest hires: Rich Marchini, our new Upper School Director; Michelle Hunter, our new Sassafras Program Director; and Kristen Tabun, our Career & College Counselor.

I’m going to be introducing you to each of them over the next few weeks, and I’ll start by helping you get to know Rich

I know that the transition from the school year to the summer can be a little ruff, so I’m coming to you today with the second installment of our good-vibes newsletter, Shining Example. 

Today’s spotlight? A doggone amazing TQS project: The Quaker Value Dog Treats business.