Around Campus News

Post RSS Feeds Subscribe to Post Alerts
A wide-angle, eye-level shot shows a group of middle school students sitting in a large circle on a gray carpet. The group is diverse, with students of different genders and races. Most are wearing casual clothes like t-shirts and jeans. They are looking at a student in the circle. The room has high ceilings, white paneled walls, and wooden benches along the back wall. Art is displayed on the wall behind them.
🌳 Welcome Back to MPFS: Playground Update & New Faces 🌳

To the MPFS Community,

A wide-angle, eye-level shot shows a group of middle school students sitting in a large circle on a gray carpet. The group is diverse, with students of different genders and races. Most are wearing casual clothes like t-shirts and jeans. They are looking at a student in the circle. The room has high ceilings, white paneled walls, and wooden benches along the back wall. Art is displayed on the wall behind them.

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! We hope your summer was filled with rest, joy, and moments of connection. As we welcome our students back to their home away from home (and welcome our newest students here for the first time), we look forward to all that this new year will bring—new physical spaces, new friendships, deep learning, and imparting and reinforcing our Friends values.

Playground Progress

Our playground renovation is well underway! While lots remains to be done, we’ve already begun to see how this beautiful new space will serve as a place of play, exploration, and collaboration for students across all grade levels.

We know the playground is a beloved part of the MPFS experience, and we can’t wait to share it with the full community. As soon as the new space is complete, we will host our annual Welcome Back Fair —a chance to celebrate together, connect with teachers, reconnect with each other, and kick off the year in true MPFS style. Stay tuned for the date!

New Faces in Our Faculty

We are delighted to welcome several new educators who bring experience, enthusiasm, and a shared commitment to our Friends values:

• Natalie Stillwagon, Music Teacher

• Casey Styons, Learning Specialist

• Caleb Ehrenhaft, Middle School Humanities

• Shana Wright, Fifth Grade

• Jacki Cella, Preschool Age 2 Assistant

Please join us in giving them a warm MPFS welcome! Also, just a reminder of a few internal shifts that reflect both growth and opportunity:

• T. Katie has moved into Preschool Age 4

• T. Mallory has moved into Preschool Age 3

• T. Lisa has moved into the newly added second Kindergarten section

It’s awesome to witness the energy and thoughtfulness our teachers bring to every transition. These changes represent the strength and flexibility of our MPFS team as we continue to grow and evolve together.

As always, we’re deeply grateful for your trust. Thank you for being a part of the MPFS community—we’re so glad you're here and that we get to partner with you in your journey to provide the best education for your children. Here's to a joyful, grounded, and inspiring year ahead!

In Friendship,
 


T. Jon Hall, Ed.D.