Friends Community School

Friends Community School A Quaker progressive K-8 school located in College Park, MD nurturing lifelong learners, courageous risk-takers, and joyous peacemakers.

FCS is a progressive Quaker school, founded on the belief that every child is a valuable member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, simplicity, integrity, and environmental stewardship, rooted in our Quaker heritage. Our educational approach is experiential; students learn through classroom activities, field trips, projects that build on concepts taught in the classroom, and through collaborations that provide opportunities for decision-making and leadership. Time for reflection on these experiences gives students awareness of themselves as learners, and awareness of their impact on the class and larger community. The result is happy, engaged, confident and accomplished citizens of the world.

Fall Fair is LESS THAN 10 DAYS AWAY! 🍂 We can’t wait to see you all for an unforgettable day packed with bounce houses, ...
10/08/2026

Fall Fair is LESS THAN 10 DAYS AWAY! 🍂

We can’t wait to see you all for an unforgettable day packed with bounce houses, craft stations, table games, Bingo, and live music. Enjoy delicious food for purchase alongside classic fair snacks, a bake sale, and chances to win big in our raffle and silent auction. The fun wraps up with a grand finale you won't want to miss; watching a special VIP drop into the dunk tank!

Purchase your entry tickets by October 11 to save $5 per ticket – link in bio!

10/07/2026

For 40 years, Catoctin Quaker Camp has been one of FCS’s longest-standing and most anticipated traditions.

Last week, our Middle School students headed to Catoctin for a camping trip filled with canoeing, games, cooking, and time in nature. It was a great opportunity for students and families to come together to build connections and community. 🌲🛶
Catoctin reflects the togetherness and simplicity at the heart of our Quaker values, and creates opportunities for our students to engage in meaningful, unstructured learning.

Take a look at some highlights from another memorable year at Catoctin! đź’š

We’re kicking off the 2027-28 admissions season with our first open house of the year! 🎉 Join us to learn more about our...
10/06/2026

We’re kicking off the 2027-28 admissions season with our first open house of the year! 🎉 Join us to learn more about our academic program and commitment to Quaker progressive education.

“I take my students into the woods two or three times a week,” one FCS teacher told us. Out there, kids build forts, sta...
10/05/2026

“I take my students into the woods two or three times a week,” one FCS teacher told us. Out there, kids build forts, start little pretend businesses, and, to her surprise, figure out how to work together as a full group. That's learning by doing, every single week.

Come find us at the Takoma Park Street Festival today, 10 AM to 5 PM. We'll be there to talk about what makes FCS differ...
10/04/2026

Come find us at the Takoma Park Street Festival today, 10 AM to 5 PM. We'll be there to talk about what makes FCS different, a Quaker progressive K-8 school just down the road in College Park. Stop by and say hello.

Seventeen wooded acres shape how we teach. One FCS teacher said the woods give her students room for real conversations ...
10/01/2026

Seventeen wooded acres shape how we teach. One FCS teacher said the woods give her students room for real conversations about caring for the environment, conversations that just don't happen the same way indoors. Her class has grown closer and more creative because of it.

“There's an acceptance of you as you are.” That's how one FCS teacher described this community, a place where students a...
10/01/2026

“There's an acceptance of you as you are.” That's how one FCS teacher described this community, a place where students and staff feel like they belong no matter their background. Belonging isn't a slogan here. It's something we practice every day.

Academic rigor at FCS doesn't always look the way you'd expect. Last year, a student who'd struggled with confidence spe...
09/29/2026

Academic rigor at FCS doesn't always look the way you'd expect. Last year, a student who'd struggled with confidence spent weeks building a real working invention, learning to use wood shop tools and glassware along the way. By the end, they were so proud of it that the piece is still on display. That's the kind of depth we're after.
Last week in 8th grade, students completed their Thor’s Hammer Algebra 1 Review Unit Project. They were tasked with scaling an original Thor’s Hammer created by Dr. Jen, building a cardboard scaled replica, and presenting their copy and calculations to the class. One of these hammers even had a crawl space!

One of our teachers told us that coming to FCS meant discovering what it's like to teach in a place where kids' curiosit...
09/28/2026

One of our teachers told us that coming to FCS meant discovering what it's like to teach in a place where kids' curiosity comes first. Questions become real exploration, and exploration becomes joy. That's what we mean by progressive education here.
In Davina’s 3rd grade class last week, progressive education looked like exploring several different versions of the same story: Cinderella. They read Cinders (A Chicken Cinderella), Strong Wind (a Native American Cinderella story), Adelita (Mexican Cinderella), The Parrot and the Merchant (Persian Cinderella), and Yeh-Shen (a Cinderella story from China). Then, each student made a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting two of the Cinderella stories! This is just one way FCS celebrates diversity through curriculum.

What a way to wrap up the first week of school! Today, our lower school students, their families, and their teachers cam...
09/11/2026

What a way to wrap up the first week of school! Today, our lower school students, their families, and their teachers came together at Allen Pond Park for Community Building Day. It was a great opportunity to build connections, community, and to kick off the start of the school year.

Address

5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, MD
20740

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

Website

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