Moorestown Friends School Represented At National Conference

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Friends School (MFS) will be heavily represented when more than 5,000 independent school educators arrive in Philadelphia this week for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference, according to the school.

The conference will take place from Wednesday through Friday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The entire faculty will travel to Philadelphia on Friday to attend the conference during the school’s in-service day.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Your School, Your Legacy.” Head of School Julia de la Torre served on the conferenceThink Tank, an advisory group of independent school opinion leaders who help to guide programming and planning.

Conference planning begins 18 months ahead of time. On Friday, de la Torre will be on stage to introduce General Session speaker Gretchen Rubin, author of blockbuster bestsellers “The Four Tendencies,” “Better Than Before” and “The Happiness Project.”

Moorestown Friends School administration and School Committee will lead four conference sessions as follows:

Building Bridges: Practical Tips for a Successful Head's Transition
Julia de la Torre, MFS Head of School
Larry Van Meter ’68, former MFS Head of School
Barbara Caldwell, MFS Board chair and former Associate Head of School
Peter Baily, MFS Board member

Am I Lost or Am I Searching: Reflective Exercises for Journeys of Transition
Shu Shu Costa, MFS Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
Deborra Sines Pancoe, Friends Council on Education Associate Director

Scaffolding Leadership Development in High Schools
Meredith Godley, MFS Upper School Director
Chris Kimberly, MFS Associate Head of School/Academic Dean

Creating Inclusive Environments for Transgender and Non-Binary Students in Lower and Middle Schools
Kimberly Clarkson, MFS Middle School Director
Kiri Harris, Greene Street Friends Middle School Dean and Director of Teaching Associate Development
Rachel Kane, Sidwell Friends Middle School Principal
Betsy Torg, Friends Council on Education Director of Development and Communications