1) Do I have to be Quaker to attend Goshen?
2) Can children be bused to school?
3) Do you have support services for students?
4) What is your view of standardized testing?
5) Does my child have to be potty trained to attend Goshen Friends?
6) Is Goshen Friends an accredited independent school?
7) Do you have a dress code?
8) Do Lower School students receive grades?
9) What is the teacher-student ratio?
10) How do you handle discipline?
11) If my child is a current preschool student at Goshen, is he/she automatically accepted into kindergarten at Goshen?
12) Does Goshen Friends School offer scholarships?
13) What is your commitment to diversity? A multicultural curriculum?
14) How is the school governed? Do you have a Board of Trustees?
15) Do you have extra-curricular activities after school?
16) What role does service learning play at Goshen?
17) Do you have a parent body like the PTA? How can parents get involved?
18) Does the school provide lunch?

1) No, you do not have to be a Quaker. Goshen Friends School welcomes students of all faiths.

2) Busing for students to Goshen Friends is arranged by parents with the school and the school district. Busing is for Lower School students only.

3) The Chester County Intermediate Unit supplies a speech/language therapist and a reading specialist to Lower School students who require services. The C.C.I.U. is also active in supporting our Preschool students through early intervention programs both on and off campus.  In addition to the aforementioned services, there is a social worker on campus.

4) The Stanford Achievement Test is administered to students in third and fifth grades. The school does not advocate “teaching to the test”. A child’s academic progress is measured by success in and out of the classroom rather than by standardized assessments.

5) Children must be actively engaged in potty training and moving toward independence.

6) Yes. Goshen Friends is fully accredited by PAIS ( Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools). The school consistently receives high marks in PAIS evaluations.

7) Goshen Friends does not have a formal dress code. In keeping with Quaker philosophy, camouflage and fatigues are not permitted.  Clothing that is too short or too small or that exposes the midriff is also not allowed.

8) Lower School students do not receive academic grades. Progress reports consist of benchmarks and teacher narratives.

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9) The teacher to student ratio is 1:10.

10) Discipline is handled by teachers. Each situation is addressed on an individual basis using peaceful conflict resolution techniques.

11) No. Each child graduating from Goshen Friends' Preschool and applying for Kindergarten must complete a Kindergarten Application and receive a Gesell observation.  A decision is made after the student’s application is reviewed by the admissions committee.

12) Yes. Lower School students of color may apply for need based Dixon Scholarships.  Non-need based scholarships for Quaker children and children of color are available for both Lower School and Preschool students. Please contact the admissions office with questions regarding scholarships.

13) The school is committed to having a community that is welcoming and embracing. The faculty continually reviews and revamps the curriculum to ensure that students receive an educational foundation grounded in cultural competence.  Every year, students and families share in the exploration of school-wide themes that have included hunger; mind, body, & spirit; and countries around the world. Every spring, the cultural study culminates in an "International Week" celebration.

14) Yes. The board of trustees is called the General Committee, and it has three responsibilities: it makes certain that the school’s mission is being followed and fulfilled by all of its constituents  it hires the head of school and assesses his or her performance each year; and.it has fiduciary responsibility for the school. A minimum of 50% of the General Committee must be Quaker.

15) In the fall and spring, after school clubs are offered. These have included Science, Fun & Games, Gardening, Babysitting, Playwright, and the Gourmet Club.

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16) Service learning is reflective of the school's Quaker values and is an integral part of the curriculum and after school programs.

17) The PTA at Goshen Friends is called the GPC (Goshen Parent Community). The GPC meets once a month and its purpose is to help the school with “friend” raising and fundraising. The membership consists of parent volunteers who coordinate various school events, programs and fundraisers.

18) No. However, a hot lunch program is sponsored by the GPC (the parents' group) for a fee.


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