▁expl oration . ▁ ▁Lower ▁school ▁program ▁Children ▁in ▁gr ades ▁ 1 - 5 ▁are ▁challeng ed ▁to ▁be ▁curious ▁and ▁invent ive . ▁They ▁take ▁responsibility ▁for ▁their ▁learning ▁by ▁taking ▁ris ks ▁and ▁through ▁working ▁with ▁others . ▁Stud ents ▁ac quire ▁liter acy ▁skills ▁and ▁mathematical ▁understanding ▁through ▁less ons ▁that ▁integrate ▁science ▁and ▁social ▁studies ▁them es . ▁String ▁instrument ▁less ons ▁begin ▁in ▁fourth ▁grade . ▁ ▁Middle ▁school ▁program ▁The ▁Middle ▁School ▁program ▁helps ▁students ▁to ▁develop ▁their ▁own ▁ident ities ▁and ▁discover ▁their ▁pass ions . ▁By ▁challeng ing ▁them ▁academ ically ▁and ▁cre atively , ▁students ▁are ▁supported ▁in ▁taking ▁ris ks ▁and ▁to ▁make ▁meaning ▁of ▁their ▁world . ▁The ▁curr icul um ▁also ▁provides ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁musical ▁and ▁visual ▁arts ▁elect ives , ▁S TE M ▁classes , ▁and ▁foreign ▁language ▁studies , ▁and ▁ens ures ▁a ▁solid ▁knowledge ▁base ▁in ▁all ▁curr icular ▁areas . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁earliest ▁direct ▁prede cess or ▁of ▁Frank ford ▁Fri ends ▁School ▁was ▁the ▁one - room ▁“ Spring ▁House ▁School ,” ▁built ▁by ▁Oxford ▁Me eting ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 8 ▁at ▁the ▁corner ▁of ▁Wal n ▁and ▁Spring ▁Stre ets . ▁It ▁was ▁attended ▁by ▁both ▁Qu aker ▁and ▁non - Qu aker ▁children . ▁Frank ford , ▁along ▁the ▁King ' s ▁Highway ▁between ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁Philadelphia , ▁was ▁a ▁b ust ling ▁area , ▁frequently ▁visited ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Cont inental ▁Congress , ▁including ▁John