Friends Select School
| Friends Select School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
, United States | |
| Coordinates | 39°57′23″N 75°10′02″W / 39.9564°N 75.1671°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private School |
| Motto | Integrum Vitae "The Whole of Life" |
| Religious affiliation | Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) |
| Established | 1833 |
| Head of school | Michael Gary |
| Faculty | 90 |
| Grades | PreK-12 |
| Enrollment | 588 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 8:1 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Colors | Brown and Gold |
| Athletics conference | Friends School League |
| Mascot | Falcon |
| Affiliation | National Association of Independent Schools |
| Website | friends-select.org |
Friends Select School (FSS) is an all-gender Quaker school serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It is located at 17th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The institution traces its origins to the first Friends school established in Philadelphia in 1689; the current school was formally founded in 1833 and has occupied its present site since 1885.
The school's education philosophy reflects longstanding Quaker principles, including respect for all individuals, simplicity, nonviolent conflict resolution, and the pursuit of truth.
Friends Select's main Parkway Building was constructed between 1967 and 1969 and has undergone several renovations. In 2022, the school added a separate Upper School STEAM Building at 1520 Race Street. The nearby Race Street Meetinghouse, built in 1856, is used for weekly Meeting for Worship by students and faculty.
Friends Select maintains a care relationship with the Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting and the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia, which meets at the Arch Street Meeting House. Governance is overseen by a board of trustees composed of equal representation from both meetings.