Church Farm School, a boarding and day school for boys in grades 9-12 in Exton, provides an academic, athletic, and residential life program focused on instilling its “Griffins” with the core values of integrity, responsibility, respect, and brotherhood.

In August, CFS made the difficult decision to offer, for the first time in its 102-year history, its academic program remotely. Knowing that many students, particularly incoming freshmen and seniors, would benefit from an on-campus option, CFS welcomed back 55 students in mid-September, who participated in remote learning from campus. This experience helped the school further refine and solidify health and wellness protocols as it plans to open in a hybrid format for the second semester.

Students who have opted into the on-campus option (nearly 80 percent) will return in early February and quarantine within their dormitory (cottage) for two weeks before resuming in-person classes, with about 20 students participating remotely. With a vaccine on the horizon, CFS does not anticipate the 2021-22 school year resembling the past nine months, but feels well prepared for whatever the future holds.

On Saturday, Jan. 9, CFS’s admission team will offer a Virtual Open House for young men considering an independent boarding and day school. During this two-hour program, you will learn – from parents, students, teachers, administrators, and alumni – how CFS helps young men explore their God-given talents while discovering new ones. The school’s well-rounded program, founded in the Episcopal tradition, prepares young men to unlock their own potential, attend the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and go out into the world with confidence and character.

For instance, Harrison Smith, a recent graduate from Philadelphia, was a shy, but studious young man who didn’t initially realize his own potential as a leader. During his sophomore year, Smith started leaning into opportunities – serving as a cottage prefect, president of the Honor Council, an Admission Ambassador, a member of the National Honor Council, and (perhaps something of which he is most proud) president of the Art Club.

“I realized that I actually enjoyed guiding students and being looked up to as a role model,” he said. “Ever since then, I have been taking on the various opportunities given to me. Now that I know what leadership looks like, I feel that I am prepared for college and ready to explore future leadership roles.”

Smith is currently a freshman at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.

Join CFS online on Jan. 9 to learn more about the school, one of Chester County’s best-kept educational secrets that has been providing an exceptional experience at an affordable cost for more than a century.