AlthoughthemovetotheOld GulphRoadcampuswassomewhat controversialatthetime,itdemonstratedgreatforesightandhasallowed theLowerSchooltoblossom.Before therelocation,Friends’Centralcomprisedanestimated650studentsinall threedivisions.Overthepast20years theSchoolhasgrownsuchthatour MiddleSchoolandUpperSchoolcomprise684studentsandtheLowerSchool comprises272.TheUpperSchoolcampusaccommodatesnearlythesamenumberofstudentsasitdidtwentyyearsago, buttheLowerSchoolcampushasallowed forthecomfortableadditionofover300 studentsacrossallthreedivisions.
Itwouldbedifficulttoimaginea LowerSchoolinwhichPeterGrovecould notleadhikesaroundthepondorspyon wingedvisitorstothebirdblind,where thehallwaysweren’ttransformedinto forestsortime-travelmachines,orwhere theplaygrounddidnotincludespacefor soccerandfortsandafantasticalwooden
gym.JoeLudwigcomments,“nomatter howmagicalaLowerSchoolcurriculum is,ifthedivisionsharesspacewitha strongcollege-preparatoryUpperSchool, theneedsoftheyoungerchildrenaretoo easilyovershadowed.”
AttheOldGulphRoadcampus,the FCSLowerSchoolhascarvedoutaspace ofitsownandconstructedaworldentirelydedicatedtocaptivatingandeducating littlechildren.Inoneclassroom
prekindergartenstudentsmayclimbinto thecabinofanine-footrocketship,or stepintothebasketofahotairballoon; inanotherroom,afirstgradermayfollow ayellow-brickroadtoareplicaof Dorothy’shouseandreadabookinside; whileoutsideathrongoffourthgraders mayplayunderthewidecanopyofcherry treesthatwereplantedbythefirstclassof LowerSchoolstudentstwentyyearsago.
