QUAKER
PRACTICE

Quaker values shape our approach to educating students with learning disabilities. We live our values every day at MMFS.

Mary McDowell Friends School is the only Quaker school in New York City dedicated to students with learning disabilities.

Quaker education is the foundation of our approach to helping students with learning disabilities reach their potential.

One of the core tenets of Quakerism is that everyone has access to “inner light,” which is another way of expressing our philosophy of “revealing brilliance” in our students. We translate the Quaker belief in the “inner light,” or “that of God,” to the belief that there is “that of Good” in everyone.

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QUAKER SPICES

Guided by Quaker Values.

The Quaker values, or testimonies, that serve as the foundation of our actions and our decisions are known as the SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. We strive to create a community that recognizes “that of Good” in one another, and we work to ensure that we live our values in school and in the world beyond. Mary McDowell Friends School is a community of many religions and backgrounds. We are proud to be part of the rich tradition of Quaker schools in the U.S., and to incorporate the idea of “that of Good” and the testimonies into the daily life of our school.

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SIMPLICITY
The testimony of simplicity allows us to connect with simple truths and search for what within us is uncomplicated by external or extraneous concerns. Simplicity asks us to be mindful, and to seek to understand how we might balance our energies and resources to attend to the good of ourselves, our communities, and our world.
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PEACE
Peace begins with fostering strong relationships among the members of the community. Within a peaceful environment, opportunities to take risks are encouraged and occur more readily as students and adults grow and learn.
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INTEGRITY
Integrity requires us to be mindful in our interactions, decisions, and school work, and to do what we believe even if we don’t think anyone is watching. Acting with Integrity challenges us to hold ourselves to the highest standards as we embrace our values.
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COMMUNITY
The testimony of community reminds us that a thriving school is one in which every member’s voice is heard, the achievements of all are celebrated, and individual needs are met. It is our strong sense of community that allows us to celebrate success as well as manage challenging moments.
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EQUALITY
The Mary McDowell Friends School community is striving to provide students, families, faculty, and staff with a learning and working environment that addresses racism and inequity with integrity and action. We welcome diversity in many ways, including race, color, culture, age, sex, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, family composition, ethnicity, nationality, religious expression, and disability. We commit to building an appreciation and understanding of each individual as well as of our community as a whole. We celebrate the strength of our diversity.
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STEWARDSHIP
Stewardship provides an avenue for change and allows students to realize their potential impact on the world. It teaches meaningful lessons about global citizenship and fosters a sense of compassion and concern for others. Learning to care for the environment is part of a Quaker education.

SILENT MEETING

Silent Meeting
builds community.

Silent Meeting is a central component of Quaker practice, and an essential part of a Mary McDowell Friends School education. It teaches us how to be a community.

It is the only time of the week when the entire division gathers. The simplicity of sitting silently in the presence of others allows for contemplation and self-reflection during a stimulating school day. Silent Meeting teaches our students with learning disabilities the important skills of listening deeply, speaking when moved, and calming their bodies. It requires us to be present as listeners as well as speakers.

Each division has Silent Meeting once or twice a week, and it looks different for each division. A query is posed at the beginning of the Silence, and students can share if they are moved to speak

MMFS alumni consistently report that Silent Meeting was one of the best parts of their time here.

WHO WAS MARY MCDOWELL

Mary McDowell Friends School is named for Quaker educator Mary S. McDowell (1876–1955).

A Latin instructor at the Manual Training High School in Brooklyn, Mary was committed to teaching New York City’s children as well as to the cause of peace.

In 1918, she refused to sign a loyalty oath in support of World War I because it conflicted with her Quaker principles. She was charged with “conduct unbecoming to a teacher” by a Board of Education committee and dismissed from her position. After challenging her dismissal, she was reinstated in 1923 and resumed her life’s passion of working with children.

Mary McDowell’s integrity in the face of hardship is an inspiration to our entire community.