Mission
The Primary Day School provides young children with the finest education for the most important years. In a warm, embracing community where each child is known and understood, our rich, engaging curriculum is distinguished by academic excellence and designed to inspire curiosity, nurture young hearts and minds, and build strength of character. At Primary Day, we guide our students on their journey to a lasting appreciation of learning and exploration. This is who we are.
Philosophy
The faculty and staff of The Primary Day School are dedicated to the principle that success in mastering skills in the primary grades fosters confidence, builds security, encourages independence and creates a positive pattern for the child’s future. The school’s task is to nurture a love of learning in our students. As the children become proficient with the core subjects, they experience pride in their daily accomplishments. Efficient and organized work habits are cultivated for productive, enthusiastic learning. When the educational journey begins with a solid foundation, we believe a good end is assured.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
Primary Day is a community dedicated to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome, value and respect all students, families, faculty and staff. Exclusively dedicated to early education, we provide our young learners with a safe environment where they can authentically explore, understand and value the characteristics that make each person distinctive. This shared commitment inspires each of us to serve as role models in order that our actions and choices may positively influence the world.
History
In 1944, with the U.S. at war and the nation’s capital struggling to deal with that challenge, three women—Josephine Timberlake, Marie S. Buckley, and Lucille D. Schoolfield—made the unlikely decision to open a school for young children in the Washington, D.C., area. The Primary Day School was founded as a demonstration school for the Phonovisual Method, a unique, phonics-based approach to teaching reading and language arts. For its first decade, Primary Day students learned in space provided by local churches.
The school flourished, and in the 1950s it began planning for a more permanent home. A parent donated land for a school building, a local foundation awarded a grant, other parents helped guarantee a mortgage, and eventually construction began on a new school. In the fall of 1955, Primary Day welcomed the first students to its new campus on River Road in Bethesda, Maryland. It remains the school’s home today as we embark on our 79th year.
Primary Day continues to advance the legacy of its founders, offering an education that builds skills that are vital for school success, develops confidence in young learners, and fosters a love of learning that will stay with students throughout their lives. And just as important as our efforts to teach reading or math or science is our emphasis on developing character—on helping young children grow up to become good people as well as good learners.
Beako
Primary Day’s much beloved school mascot, a special bird with magical powers.
PDS Values
Academics are important at PDS, but helping families develop good people is even more so. Since we know students thrive when home and school work toward the same goals, faculty and parents collaboratively discerned what values we felt were most important to instill in our children. Each month we focus on a different value – kindness, honesty, gratitude, patience, respect, cooperation, responsibility, determination, and empathy. As a school we read a common story on that theme; teachers share other related titles throughout the month; we write and tell stories about PDS values; they form the basis of our Morning Meetings, Closing Circles, and classroom discussions; we reflect on them during our Beako Assemblies; and they are posted in every classroom and throughout the school. In so doing, we create a common vocabulary and common expectations. PDS Values form the backbone of everyone’s PDS experience.
Beako’s Golden Rule
This simple and timeless principle—treat others the way you would like to be treated—guides how we relate to each other every day.
Beako Assembly
At assemblies, Beako, in a very quiet voice, has the most amazing things to say. One by one, each child who has had a recent birthday comes up to the stage. Beako, talking in his secret language, whispers a message to the Phonovisual Specialist, who translates for the child. The message is about how much the child has grown, or what incredible things he or she has accomplished, or what exciting adventures lie ahead. The birthday child then tells Beako what they hope to do better in their new year ahead. Then Beako flies closer to sprinkle his invisible magic powder down the child’s shirt collar. Beako reminds the children that they are unique, worthy, and embraced by Primary Day’s warm and welcoming community. He gives them reassurance of their remarkable ability to learn and grow.
Performance
At each Beako assembly, each class comes forward and shares a poem, a skit, or thoughts and then presents a musical performance, often accompanied by movement, props, artwork, and Orff instrumentation. Before each grade’s show begins, announcers welcome the audience, describe what the audience will be experiencing, and thank family and friends for coming. PDS children develop astounding poise in front of a group. Quiet, tentative PK voices develop into remarkably self-confident, engaging, and commanding Second Graders. Our children also learn how to be a positive, receptive audience, supporting all performers even on the occasion when everything doesn’t go as planned.
Pig’s Party
Pink punch, purple popsicles, and plenty of people prancing in party hats help popularize the ‘pig-p’ sound, one of language learning’s pivotal players.
The Search for the Gingerbread Men
This week-long search in early fall is a way for our newest students to get to know their new learning environment and each other. And by the time they find the elusive Gingerbread Men, three things will have happened. One, this eager group of newcomers will know their new environment inside and out, and will feel confident and comfortable being here. Two, they will know each other—strangers will now be friends. And three, that powerful, engaging, and sometimes magical experience we call a Primary Day education will have begun.
Field Day
A much-loved tradition at Primary Day, Field Day is filled with lots of activity, loads of fun and a popsicle at the end!
Community Picnic
A treasured time for our whole community to come together and joyfully celebrate the year.
Memberships
Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington
Association of Independent Maryland Schools
Elementary School Heads Association
Enrollment Management Association
National Association of Independent Schools
National Association for the Education of Young Children
