Our Leadership Team
Heads Welcome
Friends,
Welcome to DVFriends’ home on the web. I am thrilled that you have come to find out more about our school and community.
DVFriends is the only school I know of that was wished into existence by other schools. More than three decades ago, a group of division directors from other well-known Friends schools in the Philadelphia area lamented that there was no school in the area to which they could refer students with diagnosed learning differences at the secondary school level. They knew that their own schools lacked the expertise and understanding of these students to create environments in which they would thrive, particularly in the context of Friends education, and they saw the urgent need for such a school.
After years of careful thought and planning, Delaware Valley Friends School opened its doors in 1987 to middle and high school students who learn differently and, over thirty years later, our school has graduated hundreds of students and sent them on to colleges and careers which would have otherwise seemed inaccessible. We are exceptionally proud of our bright, talented, and community-minded students and alumni. It is a joy to work with them and our faculty bring a unique mix of expertise, understanding, and dedication to their roles.
As you learn more about us, I encourage you to focus on the impact made by DVFriends today, which rests on four pillars:
- The school’s well-earned reputation as one of the nation's finest schools for students who learn differently
- Dynamic partnerships between students, teachers, and families that redefine what is possible for students who are too often given messages in other schools that they are not as bright, talented, or capable as they truly are
- Values and practices built directly upon the more than three hundred year tradition of Quaker education
- The metamorphosis of the whole child brought about by our program, involving transformation that includes and goes well beyond mere academic success
At open houses and other events, I routinely say that I am honored to be the Head of School at DVFriends, and I mean that sincerely. Thank you for dropping in to learn more about our wonderful school and community.
In Friendship,
Kirk Smothers
Head of School
Head of School
Our Leadership Team
 Kirk Smothers Head of School |
 David Calamaro Associate Head of School/Academic Dean |
 Hallie Ciarlone Director of College Counseling |
 Allison Gill Upper School Director
|
 Ryan Glover Harrison Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice |
 Lisa Howell Director of Marketing & Communications |
 Anne-Marie McMahon Director of Development |
 Erin McMenamin Director of Finance & Operations |
 Jim Miller Director of Enrollment Managment |
 Bill Monahan Middle School Director |
 Kavitha Patel Assistant Director of Admissions Director of Financial Aid |
 Christy Zawadzkas Lower School Director |
Board of Trustees