Primary Thoughts
Head of School Blog
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Survey Comments
“I will never forget the first time I visited PDS. I walked through the school’s front doors and was greeted by bright natural light, friendly faces, and the sound of children’s laughter in the background. I knew immediately I wanted to send my children to PDS and haven’t regretted the decision since. As welcoming as the school felt during my first visit, it has only grown more personal and welcoming with each visit. It is truly a special place.” …
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Fostering Transformation
This past weekend, as I read your children’s end of year reports, I was moved, as I always am at this time of year, by all the beautiful transformations that were documented. Thinking and learning styles have emerged as if from a chrysalis. Readers surfaced and moved ever upward. Confidence and social skills blossomed. Maturation…
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Is Quitting OK?
A few years ago, when Primary Day parents and faculty discerned the most important values we wanted to inculcate within our children, determination – our PDS value for April – was high on the list. We all can agree on the many benefits of learning to persevere, stick to it, and push through difficulties. Developing…
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The Morning Handshake as Symbol and Connection
With the coming of March and some flowers poking through the soil, we have reinstituted an esteemed tradition at Primary Day that was set aside during COVID: the morning handshake. This past Monday morning I instructed each friend on the fundamentals of a proper handshake: using the right hand; a firm but not crushing grip;…
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Some Simple Opportunities of Winter
Given the cold and the dark, January and February can be challenging months for adults, with accompanying books, products, therapies, and methods devoted to more successful “wintering.” For young children, though, the winter months are often times for consolidation of earlier learning and enormous growth. Over my years in schools, I have observed that the…
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Simple Greetings Can Create Complex Benefits
When I was preparing for our recent parent book group centered on When You Wonder, You’re Learning, I rediscovered this passage: ”In 2018 a group of researchers studied the effects of greeting middle school students at the classroom door. This seemingly minor gesture yielded stunning benefits. Student engagement increased by 20%, while disruptions decreased by nearly…
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Extra! Extra!: Gratitude is Front Page News!
Each Thursday evening I eagerly go online to read The Wind, the simple newsletter from Vinalhaven, the island 15 miles off the coast of Maine that we visit each summer. Twelve hundred hearty souls live there year round, making it Maine’s largest permanent off shore community. While there are many reasons I so anticipate settling down…
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The Talk about Intensive Parenting
You have probably heard about a recent report entitled “Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents” that warns “intensive parenting” has created an urgent public health crisis in our country. An insightful discussion of the report was the subject of the October 9th edition of The Daily podcast.…
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“A Poignant Moment”
True story from the front door the other day… “Mr. Mufson, I brought you a sticker,” and with that an enthusiastic first grader handed me a brightly colored sticker that said, “Yay!” Then she excitedly added, “And that’s the way I feel when I come to Primary Day!”
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Keeping Wonder Alive
Wide, bright eyes and exuberant hellos. Smiles, laughter, and a palpable sense of joy. Energy that literally leaned toward the doors behind me so as to gain entry to all that is inside. Anticipation, laughter, and, frankly, some tears and nervousness. These are some of the snapshots that greeted me the first day of school as…