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Part of the magic of Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia, a program powered by GFS, are the connections forged between the middle school Scholars and the Teaching Fellows, who are high school and college students interested in becoming teachers.

Across the GFS curriculum, theatre and movement arts boost student learning and engagement.

Jess Beer ’05 played an instrumental role in opening the new Weavers Way Co-op location at 328 W Chelten Ave. in Germantown, just down the way from the GFS Main Campus.

Growing up, Lila Kushner ’18 took dance classes at the Philadelphia Dance Theatre in Mt. Airy multiple times each week. As an Upper School student at GFS, she’d balance a packed schedule of school classes, homework, and activities with hours of dance instruction in the late afternoon and evening. 

Middle School Division Director Keino Terrell once quipped: “No one does end-of-year quite like GFS.”

One of the most cherished traditions at GFS is Alumni Weekend, which takes place in mid-May each year. This annual gathering provides an opportunity for past GFSers from across the decades to return to campus to share memories and celebrate being together in community. The 2024 Alumni Weekend took place from May 16-19, with over 400 guests, including alumni and their families, retired faculty and staff, and other friends, attending events across the four days.

While on a roadtrip in the summer of 2023, Dickler uncovered a forgotten memory of herself as a second grader in conversation with longtime GFS Phys. Ed. teacher and athletics coach, Cheryl Bruttomesso. Dickler had a vision of the two of them sitting on the steps in front of the Cary Building, discussing her troubles fitting in with the girls in her class. Curiously, she vividly recalled them passing a large plastic fish back and forth as they spoke.

The GFS Class of 2024 includes eight senior student-athletes who will be continuing their athletics careers in college. This group gathered on Tuesday, April 30, in the Friends Free Library for a signing day ceremony. Coaches, administrators, families, and classmates were all present to celebrate these students who have committed to playing a collegiate sport.

This year marked the third year of the GFS eighth grade capstone projects, one of the signature programs in Middle School. In this unique introduction to self-directed study, each student undertakes a months-long endeavor to engage with a question of their choosing through hands-on or experiential work and intellectual exploration. 

Birdsong and the breeze were the only sounds on the Common as Germantown Friends School students, faculty, and staff settled in for All-School Meeting for Worship.