Building a Strong Foundation

Dear Families:

“It is our duty, as parents and as teachers, to give all children the space to build their emotional strength and provide a strong foundation for their future.” -- Kate Middleton 

This year, the act of building a strong foundation for our TQS students has taken on new meaning. 

Not only are we preparing each student with the skills and supports they need to stand strong in their education and their future, but we’ve also literally watched our school expand from the foundation up in the shape of a new, vibrant wing that will make an immeasurable impact on our community. 

Today, that new wing is complete. We received our certificate of occupancy this week, and we have begun moving into the space. 

This expansion has been a bright spot in a difficult year -- and like all strong foundations, it successfully formed because of the hard work and teamwork of so many individuals. A huge, huge thank you is due to: 

• Every single donor who helped make this life-changing space possible for our students with their deep generosity and kindness. 
• Faculty and staff who demonstrated immense patience and grace, sharing one bathroom, working in hallways and the atrium, and moving multiple times to allow for seamless instruction amidst the construction, and school leadership who worked in closets and hallways for years in order to finally be able to enjoy offices of their own. 
• Horsham Friends Meeting, the best landlords EVER, who allowed us to build the wing on their land, gave generously to the project, and let our new Upper School students use their building while construction was underway. 
• Huston Dawson and Frank Jarrett, who led this complex project, finishing ahead of our original timeline (and below budget!) even after being forced to stop and restart because of COVID. Both volunteers, Frank was on campus nearly every day making sure the construction was a success, and Huston often drove to campus from his home in Brooklyn to lend his structural engineering acumen. 
• C. Raymond Davis and Blackney Hayes Architects, who partnered with the school and truly made this construction project a success. 

Of course, that’s not all. Big thanks go out to you, our TQS families, for being so patient and supportive during this time, and to our TQS students, who waited eagerly for this day, putting up with noise, dust, and walks from the Meetinghouse in the rain. We cannot wait for you to enjoy your new learning spaces. 

When The Quaker School at Horsham opens after winter break on January 4, we will all be back in this new, beautiful building together -- and we will continue to build on these strong foundations in the year to come. 

Shine on,

Alex