Friends School Mullica Hill has experienced a whirlwind of changes since its start 50 years ago and additional ones since Matt Bradley joined in 2017.
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
Head of School Matt Bradley said Friends School Mullica Hill is working throughout the year to make sure the 2019–2020 school year is filled with various activities because the school will be celebrating 50 years of being in operation in Mullica Hill.
“Some of the planning is still happening, but we know that we’re going to kick off the year with a celebratory weekend event to start the school year,” said Bradley. “We’re going to end with an even bigger celebratory weekend, but then in the late spring will be for a whole weekend.”
He added many of the events will not only be available for students and faculty to attend spanning the entire year, but also for the Mullica Hill community and alumni, which he noted was special for them because most were present during the school’s start in 1969.
“We have members who’ve been here 30 or some odd years,” said Bradley. “If you’re a teacher who has worked for 30 of those years, you’re a big part of it.”
At the eighth graders’ graduation in 2020, they will be recognized for being the 50th class, as well as teachers who are at their landmark years (five, 10, 15 and more years at the school) — a tradition he started at the 2018 graduation ceremony.
Throughout the next school year, students and teachers alike will be part of various activities celebrating the school’s jubilee.
Since the school’s start, Bradley said it has dropped its high school education section so it can shift its focus on providing a better education to the younger students, which was its strong suit. Students, Bradley and Director of Admissions and Marketing Erica Salmon said, move on to other high schools in the area following graduation, including public and private institutions.
Bradley has superheaded other changes at the school since he started in the 2017–2018 school year that help students excel academically and promote morale from within the school’s personnel.
“He’s gone out and received training to see if we can incorporate other programs to give our children the best education possible,” said Laura DiLella, business manager at Friends School, who has been a faculty member for nearly 20 years. “He’s very personable and is always good to solve problems.”
“A group of teachers had looked at our math program and the decision was to adapt a Singapore Math program,” said Bradley.
With the country having a high international ranking in math, according to Bradley and the National Center for Education Statistics, Friends School began teaching students how and why math works the way it does and concepts behind each function or problem. Part of it is due to the school, as a whole, looking at how it can provide a better education to its students.
“We educate our students to be the best versions of themselves and make a difference in the world,” said Bradley. “We knew that by providing the best possible academic program that is infused with Quaker values in a diverse and inclusive community.”
DiLella said Bradley is a people person who “understands how to operate a smaller school, which has been very important in the transition.”
“I’ve been here for 20 years and have been through ones that haven’t been as easy,” said DiLella. “I feel like we haven’t missed a beat and we’re exploring opportunities for other enrichment programs.”
Upon leaving the Mullica Hill school, Salmon said they try to enrich students with necessary life skills that can be applicable to their daily lives, which are ingrained in their civics lessons.
“It’s a discussion-based class where they’re learning about social justice issues, exploring topics in current events and being taught how to think,” said Salmon.
DiLella added that although Bradley has only been present at the school for two years, other initiatives are being explored to see how Friends School can provide better opportunities to faculty, students and the Mullica Hill community as a whole.
