Our Mission

Friends School of Portland challenges and empowers students to develop their intellectual, physical, emotional, creative, and spiritual potential. We honor our students’ natural gifts as they learn to enter the world with confidence, competence, joy, and a sense of purpose. We are guided by the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, stewardship, and truth.

Our Quaker Values

Simplicity: Uncomplicated routines, uncluttered use of space and careful use of resources help us stay focused on the unfolding development of each person in our school. The Quaker witness of simplicity reminds us to live wisely, finding the time and space in an increasingly materialistic world to appreciate the Spirit.

Peace: We learn to resolve conflict through respectful conversation and peaceful negotiation, we practice sharing community time and space creatively, and we study the peaceful leaders and movements of the world.

Integrity: We try to align what we believe with the actions we take, speak our truth, and, as the students put it, “Do the right thing even when no one is watching.” We show our integrity by treating others with respect and honesty.

Community: We create a close and accepting atmosphere as an essential condition for growth and learning. Warm welcomes, daily class meetings, group singing, handling challenges side by side, and celebrating success contribute to a strong sense of community. We engage with community through projects and field trips in the wider Portland area.

Equality: Central to Friends values is the belief that each person has “that of god” within.We seek diversity in students and staff, and we learn to truly listen to each person. This means nurturing a dynamic balance between the individual and the group.

Stewardship: We use resources carefully and we learn to care for the world. Students come to know and care for the surrounding forest and study local ecosystems. The school’s Passive House-certified building is a reflection of the commitment we have to live lightly on the earth. The saying we use is ”Leave it cleaner than when you found it.”

Truth: Quakers believe in the continual revelation of truth, and that truth is available to each of us. In the classroom, truth is reflected in an open-minded approach to curriculum and teaching, and in an emphasis on critical thinking skills. We guide children to practice scientific investigation and to express themselves creatively and effectively in conversation, writing and art. We use silence and reflection as ways to deepen understanding and extend the search for truth.

Inquiry - Reflection - Action

Our belief that there is light in each of us leads to the conclusion that we are all natural learners, and we all have something to teach. These beliefs support an active, inquiry-based approach to learning at FSP.  In a community of learners, students and teachers alike frame questions, investigate topics and ideas, practice frequent reflection, and connect learning to individual and group action within our communities.