Ribbon Cutting Celebrates New Friendship Ideal Campus

MMD team members joined Friendship Public Charter School and Friendship Ideal Elementary and Middle School students, faculty, administrators and friends on October 19 for a special ribbon cutting ceremony, commemorating the completion of extensive renovations and modernization of the school campus.

Led by a community of seasoned and supportive teachers, Ideal builds on its early learning program in the elementary (1-4) and middle grades (5-8) to develop knowledgeable, caring, resilient and ethical young scholars.

One of the Friendship Public Charter School’s newest elementary and middle school campuses, Friendship Ideal’s early learning classrooms are colored by patterns and expression that spark creativity and foster student inquiry. A big picture window leads littlest learners to their outdoor classroom and garden, where they plant and play as they investigate and learn. Today, the Ideal campus expansion includes new classrooms, a performing arts theater, gymnasium, innovation lab and digital library.

Friendship Ideal’s early learning approach for students in grades pre-K3 to kindergarten is guided by the Reggio Emilia. Through art, nature, literature, dramatic play, language, writing and music, Reggio-inspired program nurtures students’ innate curiosity, intellect, creativity and self-confidence. Filled with joyous exploration and guided by personalized pathways, students make discoveries, learn to solve problems and collaborate, while developing the building blocks that lead to lifelong learning. Named after the area in Italy where the concept was developed, Reggio Emilia is a highly- acclaimed early-learning model where children are encouraged to explore our ever-changing world.
According to Principal John Snowdy: “At Friendship Ideal Elementary and Middle School, we’re creating a culture of curiosity…with curiosity comes the ability to think creatively and critically, which is necessary to solving problems.”

At MMD we understand the role the built environment plays in nurturing creativity and learning and are proud to work with Ideal and the entire Friendship Public Charter School team on its extensive footprint throughout the DC metro area and beyond.

Learn more about the Friendship Ideal Campus by visiting their website here.

Learn more about our work in education by contacting us at info@mmarshalldesign.com