At Far Brook, there are five longstanding traditions that involve the entire School and overarch the curricula. They are Morning Meeting, the Thanksgiving Processional, the Christmas Masque, Stabat Mater, and the graduation Shakespeare play.
The educational belief at Far Brook is that "knowledge put into some expressed form is the last stage of the learning cycle," because "a child must organize his or her intellectual or intuitive experience in order to express it." "Drama with all its associated arts is one great channel through which facts, knowledge, ideas, all of that unfamiliar world which lies just outside of their own experience may be worked into the actual experience of children, making its meaning full and lasting, a part of their wisdom." (Quotations from The Roots of Excellence)
Parent support of the traditions and children’s attendance at rehearsals and performances are essential to the educational process at the School.
Preparation for these celebrations requires self-discipline, respect for others, and striving for accomplishment and mastery. The traditions provide exposure to great material which stretches the imagination, touches the human spirit, and fosters development of ideas, character, and values. Music is a vital part of all Far Brook traditions.
"Music is the spiritual fabric of Far Brook, unifying
and sustaining the school with great quality."
— Roots of Excellence