Our fourth and fifth graders also deepen their ability for choice and voice curricular offerings, selecting from a wide range of physical education and arts electives, including our cycling program, where they receive individualized assessments and training before joining off-campus bike excursions. 

The fourth and fifth grade years are also a time of broadening community involvement. Students join advisories with their 5th grade peers, helping them feel connected to the wider school community. Each morning, they attend Morning Gathering, facilitated by eighth graders, where they participate in team-building activities, receive schoolwide information and announcements, and begin to see themselves as contributors to the collective life of the school.

In all aspects of school life, fourth and fifth grade students are encouraged to think critically, collaborate meaningfully, and act with intention. They are no longer just exploring what it means to be part of a community—they are actively shaping it. With growing academic skills, self-awareness, and confidence, these students are well on their way to the responsibilities and opportunities of middle school.
 

“PFS absolutely prepares kids for the real world–and not just the bases it covers like reading, writing, and math. All of that is covered really well, but what makes PFS unique is the emphasis on the individual and the awareness that each student is different, is going to learn differently, and different things will excite them about learning. I felt really honored as an individual student, and I was seen–really seen–as a unique kid. And that has made all the difference.”

Newell Woodworth, Class of 2011.

“At PFS, I learned the art of speaking up in your own voice and standing up for yourself respectfully. Public speaking happened all the time at PFS and I cherish that. In my work, I regularly use the skills I built through programs like storytelling night. Not a lot of schools do that.”

Dr. Zonia Rueda, Class of 2011

At Princeton Friends School, our approach to math is rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and confidence-building. From the earliest years through middle school, students are encouraged to see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers who can problem-solve, reason, and communicate effectively.

In the lower school (grades 1–5), students continue with the Bridges curriculum, which emphasizes hands-on exploration, games, and group investigations. Topics include counting, computation, place value, geometry, and measurement. Instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners and to ensure equitable access to deep, meaningful math learning.

Across all grades, PFS math classrooms are dynamic communities where students share strategies, explain their thinking, and develop strong mathematical identities. Our goal is to ensure that every student leaves PFS not only proficient in math but also empowered to approach future challenges with confidence and curiosity.

Mathematics Curriculum Guide

At Princeton Friends School, our English program supports students in becoming thoughtful readers, expressive writers, and confident communicators. With an emphasis on storytelling, poetry, and inquiry-based learning, students explore language as a powerful tool for self-expression, reflection, and connection to the world around them.

In 4th and 5th grades, students continue to build strong literacy foundations while deepening their understanding of how reading, writing, and speaking are connected. They study a range of texts including folktales, poetry, and short stories, and are introduced to open-ended written responses that encourage critical thinking and perspective-taking. Students begin using Writer’s Notebooks for daily freewriting and are introduced to thesis-based writing and basic essay structure. Vocabulary, grammar, and morphology are taught through engaging, developmentally appropriate lessons. Cross-curricular book studies, in partnership with social studies, enrich their understanding of theme and context.

Throughout all grades, our approach fosters a love of language, encourages authentic expression, and supports students in developing the tools they need to think critically, write with purpose, and tell their own stories with clarity and heart.

English Curriculum Guide

At Princeton Friends School, social studies in grades 4 through 8 emphasizes critical thinking, empathy, and active citizenship.

Social studies education provides learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and perspectives needed to become active, informed, and contributing members of local, state, national, and global communities.

Integrating social sciences and humanities, social studies prepares students to make informed decisions in a culturally diverse, democratic society within an interdependent world.

Rooted in Quakerism, anchored to our annual Central Study theme, and connected to what students are experiencing in the world today, our thematic and inquiry-based approach prepares students to critically consume and produce information in our complex and rich media landscape.

We use a two-year curriculum cycle in grades 4–5 and again in grades 6–7, allowing students to explore a range of historical time periods and themes in greater depth. This cyclical approach supports multi-age learning, enables deeper cross-grade collaboration, and allows us to revisit essential questions from multiple perspectives over time.

Social Studies Curriculum Guide

Each term, students in 4th-8th grades have two class periods per week dedicated to the study of literature. For the fall, teachers choose a text to start the year. In winter and spring terms, we provide a list of titles, and students are able to choose what book(s) they are interested in studying. Other elements of the literature program are as follows:

• Flexible, Mixed-Age Groupings
• In-Class Discussion
• Margin Notes
• Homework, Coursework, & Assessments

Literature Curriculum Guide

Science at Princeton Friends School is an inquiry-driven, hands-on program that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility toward the Earth. Across all grades, students engage deeply with the scientific process—observing, questioning, experimenting, analyzing, and reflecting—while developing essential academic skills that prepare them for future study.

In the lower school, science is both indoor and outdoor, with the school’s woods and waterbodies serving as living laboratories. Students act as field scientists, naturalists, and engineers, investigating biology, Earth and environmental science, physics, and chemistry. They build skills in data collection, lab work, scientific writing, and collaboration, while engaging in interdisciplinary projects that connect science with math, art, and more.

Throughout all grades, the program emphasizes project-based learning, collaboration, and real-world relevance. Students are encouraged to express their understanding through diverse formats—scientific reports, art, engineering challenges, debates, and group presentations—while developing fluency with scientific vocabulary, tools, and methods. Cross-curricular collaboration is a regular feature, as science classes work with other departments to enrich inquiry and promote deeper understanding.

By integrating environmental stewardship, interdisciplinary learning, and joyful exploration, science at Princeton Friends School empowers students to be thoughtful observers, responsible citizens, and confident problem-solvers.

Science Curriculum Guide

As a progressive school, our World Language program is rooted in the ACEFEL framework—Academic, Cultural, Emotional, Functional, and Linguistic—which supports a whole-child, experiential approach to language learning. ACEFEL guides us in fostering confident, expressive, and globally aware language learners through storytelling, role-play, cultural exploration, and interdisciplinary learning.

To complement our ACEFEL foundation, we incorporate key elements of the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) framework. Specifically, we use ACTFL’s three modes of communication—interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational—as well as its proficiency guidelines to help track student growth over time. These tools provide consistency, clarity, and measurable benchmarks that support our commitment to both individualized learning and high standards in language development.

Together, ACEFEL and ACTFL allow us to blend joyful, student-centered learning with clear expectations for growth and real-world communication.

World Languages Curriculum Guide

The art curriculum at PFS seeks to foster eight overarching critical thinking skills that are involved in the process of creation:

• Develop Craft. Practice artistic skills and techniques and responsibly use the art materials and studio.
• Engage & Persist. Address subjects of personal interest and importance; Persevere through challenges.
• Envision. Imagine things that don’t exist yet.
• Express. Convey ideas, emotions and meaning through art.
• Observe. Look deeply and closely to notice details about the world that might not be immediately apparent.
• Reflect. Evaluate and explain one’s artistic practice.
• Stretch & Explore. Embrace experimentation and play; Learn from mistakes.
• Understand Art Worlds. Learn to work within an artistic community; Learn about art history and contemporary art.

Art Curriculum Guide

At Princeton Friends School, music education is a joyful, immersive journey rooted in exploration, creativity, and community. From the earliest grades through middle school, students engage in a developmentally grounded, culturally responsive music curriculum that nurtures both musical literacy and expression. Music classes in the younger grades combine John Feierabend’s “First Steps in Music” curriculum with elements from Orff Schulwerk, while music classes in the upper elementary grades draw from Orff Schulwerk and the Kodály approach. Music in the Middle School expands its focus beyond music literacy and creation to examine different facets of music history and culture. 

Each student in 1st-8th grade has their own “Music Binder,” a collection of lyrics that has been assembled carefully over the years to include a rich selection of folk and contemporary songs, ballads, rounds, and holiday music.  Students sing from the Binder in class as well as during Friday Community Time. Songs are used as jumping-off points to talk about social justice, the environment, and social-emotional topics. Each year, songs are added to the binder in connection with the Central Study theme.

Music Curriculum Guide