There is a certain feeling in our school building just before a new year begins.
The classrooms are ready. Teachers are back, moving things around, making plans, talking about their students, and imagining the year ahead. Names are going up, materials are finding their places, and familiar spaces are beginning to feel like classrooms again.
But what has been especially meaningful to watch this week is just how much thought goes into all of those little details.
As our teachers gathered together this week, they reflected on the thought and intentionality behind their classroom spaces. They talked about the choices they had made: What should children be able to reach on their own? What will they see when they first walk through the door? How can a classroom help a child feel comfortable, capable, and like they belong there?
At Friends School Haverford, we’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this moment. And now we’re finally getting to the part we’ve been looking forward to most: welcoming our children and families back.
For parents, the start of a new school year can bring its own mix of emotions. There is excitement, of course, but there can also be nervousness. Will my child like their teacher? Will they make friends? Will drop-off be hard? Will they know where to go and what to do?
And for young children, those feelings can be even bigger.
The good news is that children don’t need to walk into school on the first day feeling completely confident and ready for everything. They just need to begin feeling that this is a place where they are known, cared for, and safe.
Help Make School Feel Familiar
One of the simplest ways to ease the transition back to school is to make the unknown a little more familiar.
At home, talking about your child’s teacher by name, looking at photos from school, or remembering something they loved about the playground or classroom can all help. For children who are new to FSH, even knowing a few small details about what they will see and who will greet them can make the experience feel a little less unknown.
That is why we host our Student & Family Orientations. This is one of the ways we help children begin getting familiar with the people and spaces that will soon become part of their everyday lives.
Children have a chance to walk into their classrooms with a parent or caregiver nearby, meet their teachers, explore the spaces where they’ll spend their days, play outside, and begin getting to know the other children in their class.
We hope children leave thinking something along the lines of: I know this place. I know my teachers. I can come back here.
Settling Into the Rhythm of School
As the first days turn into the first few weeks, children begin learning the rhythm of their classroom: where things belong, what happens next, who they like to play with, and the routines that make the day feel familiar.
Families often get little glimpses of that world at home. Some children will tell you every detail the moment they see you. Others may share something hours later, while eating dinner, playing, or getting ready for bed.
Sometimes a more specific question can bring out the stories that “How was school?” doesn’t quite reach:
What made you laugh today?
Who did you play with?
What did you do outside?
What was one thing you really liked today?
Those small stories give families a window into the friendships, discoveries, routines, and experiences that are slowly becoming part of a child’s life at school.
A Classroom That Says, “You Belong Here”
One of the things our teachers reflected on together this week was the idea that a classroom begins communicating with a child from the moment they walk through the door.
Teacher Janna talked about wanting children to immediately recognize something of themselves and their families in the classroom. Names and birthdays are already displayed, and families become part of a classroom family tree so children can see that the people they love are part of their school world, too.
As she shared with her colleagues, that connection to home helps create the sense of safety children need before so much else can happen.
That same intentionality shows up in practical ways throughout our classrooms.
Teachers noticed shelves and materials placed where children can reach them, classroom jobs designed for students to take on, and calendars, weather boards, and other parts of the classroom positioned so children can participate rather than simply observe.
In Kindergarten, Teacher Lauren talked about the balance between play and the growing independence that comes with being one of our older students. There are still pretend phones, pots and pans, and plenty of imaginative play, alongside clearly defined areas for math and literacy.
Materials are labeled with pictures and words so children can get what they need, put it away themselves, check themselves in for attendance, and take increasing ownership of their classroom.
These may seem like small choices, but they are part of something much bigger.
They tell children: You can do things here. You are trusted here. This space belongs to you, too.
And as one of our teachers reflected after visiting her colleagues’ rooms, you can see the care in the natural materials, calming spaces, and thoughtful details throughout the school. These aren’t classrooms that were simply filled with things. They were created with the children who will soon walk into them in mind.
We’re Ready to Welcome You Back
This week, our teachers returned to FSH and brought the building back to life. Soon, our students will do the same.
We have been working hard to prepare our classrooms, our programs, and our campus for the year ahead. Our teachers have thought about everything from where a child will find their name to where the blocks should go.
But the most important part of a school can’t be prepared ahead of time.
It happens when the children arrive.
We can’t wait to see familiar faces coming through the doors, meet the newest members of our community, hear children playing outside again, and begin another year of learning, growing, and discovering together.
Welcome back to Friends School Haverford. We’re so happy you’re here.
