Four- through 14-year-old Friends students gathered in the Middle School lobby for some shared Halloween fun.

A Costume Parade for the School’s Littlest [Brief]

On Pre-Primary students' long Halloween walk to the Middle School, giddiness, leaf-hopping, a few tears, and singing.

After the band played, athletes from all the Friends fall sports teams performed spirit dances.

Morgan State Band Anchors Spirited Pep Rally [Brief]

In a beloved annual tradition, the Morgan State University marching band returned to Friends to parade, play, and set the stage for Scarlet and Gray Day.

Now in its second year, the Russian Tea Party group meets in Ms. Roby's room on Community Days.

The Return of Russian Tea Party [Brief]

Friends enjoy great company and good eats at one of the school's lesser-known clubs. The candies may look like soap, but don't be fooled!

This year, many Friends classrooms feature new places for students to check their phones at the door.

Friends Cracks Down on Phones [Brief]

The school is getting stricter about students’ phone usage.

College Counselor Jessica Monterastelli's office sits empty for the fourth week in a row.

Injuries Run Rampant in College Counseling Office [Brief]

Both of Friends School's returning college counselors were injured just before school started, leaving only the rookie.

Members of the class of '25 pose for a photo at the third annual Senior Sunrise.

Class of ’25 Rises to the Occasion [Brief]

Seniors kicked off the year with Senior Sunrise, a new tradition brought to Friends by Head of School Christian Donovan

Upper School yearbook advisor Kristen Andrews photographs the throngs of students considering new extracurricular opportunities at the clubs fair.

Clubs Fair Brings the Energy – and Candy [Brief]

Student clubs vied for new potential members in this Friends start-of-year tradition.

The team poses for victory after their match against Beth Tfiloh on September 5th.

IAAM Tennis Undefeated [Brief]

None of the singles or doubles players have lost a match this year.

New Concert Chorale presidents Henry Turner and Elaina Pearce were hard at work in front of the full chorus on Monday, as teachers Michael McVey and Mat Lane led the group through its new music.

Chorus Elects New Presidents [Brief]

Experienced singers Elaina Pearce and Henry Turner are set to lead Concert Chorale for the 2024-2025 school year.

At the end of their final Collection, the class of 2024 streamed onstage for a final dance, and shouts of "SEN-IORS!"

Class of 2024’s Last Collection [Brief & Video]

With heartfelt speeches and whole-class choreography, seniors said farewell to their teachers and underclassmen.

Thomas Ellberg: New to Staff But Not to Campus [Brief]

The 2021 Friends alum and Quill reporter returned this fall as a full-time member of the school’s Information Technology department.

Ben Smith, Emmet Neff-McGready, and Jonah Rubenstein

September 21, 2022

Emily DeFilippis

Thomas Ellberg, class of 2021, stands outside Forbush Hall, where he now works in IT.

Students at Friends may recognize a familiar face among the new faculty and staff this year. Thomas Ellberg, a recent graduate in the class of 2021, is now working for the Information Technology department.

Last year, Ellberg enrolled at Towson University majoring in criminal justice. With plans to join the police force in a couple of years, he applied to become a police cadet. After a 7-month hiring process, he did not get a position in the Police Academy, and decided to take a break from college and return to Friends on a part-time basis.

Ellberg became a substitute teacher, going all around the Middle School. When French teacher Erin Liffiton went on long-term leave unexpectedly, Ellberg was asked to fill the role for the remaining three months of the school year.

Ellberg had also been a long-time member of both the Summer at Friends and Extended Day staff, where he started working while still a student at Friends. Over the summer of 2022, Thomas was a lead counselor at Summer at Friends.

During this time, he applied for an open position in the Information Technology department. He was accepted and is now a full-time employee of the School, helping to fix tech issues around campus. He has also maintained his position as the Middle School Extended Day Director.

Outside of school, Ellberg is an active member of a duckpin bowling league, and also works at a bowling alley some nights. He is a huge fan of the Baltimore Orioles, and sends out a daily survey to the Middle School, allowing people to predict the score.

He played baseball with Friends all four years that he was a student here, and received the FSAA award for effort his senior year. He is looking forward to potentially helping coach the Friends School Varsity Baseball team this year.

While at Friends, he also wrote for the Quill on subjects from faculty diversity to Academic Alerts.

Ellberg is new to the staff, but not the Friends School community.

About the Contributors

Ben Smith, Digital Editor

Ben, '23, is a staff writer and Digital Editor for the Quill. Other than writing, he spends his time playing baseball and video games. His favorite NFL team is the Chicago Bears.

Emmet Neff-McGready, Contributor

Emmet, class of 2023, is a contributor to the Quaker Quill. Outside of the Quill, he is the captain of the baseball team and an avid Philadelphia sports fan.

Jonah Rubenstein, Contributor

Jonah, class of 2023, is a writer for the Quaker Quill and has been attending Friends School of Baltimore for eight years. Jonah runs Cross Country and is an active member in numerous student clubs including Cooking, Chess, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Emily DeFilippis, Contributor

Emily, class of '23 is a writer for the Quill. They play Ultimate and are a member of the Yearbook club on campus. They enjoy listening to music and reading. Science is an interest for them post-graduation.

The Quaker Quill

The Quaker Quill

The Quaker Quill

Thomas Ellberg: New to Staff But Not to Campus [Brief]

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