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 I gave fist bump upon fist bump – and a good number of hugs – to welcome all to Primary Day and the magic within. I could sense eagerness, promise, and barely contained curiosity.

This summer the faculty and staff read When You Wonder, You’re Learning, by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, and we set as one goal for the year to do all we can do to keep wonder and curiosity alive. The book’s subtitle, “Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” points to how Fred Rogers, decades ago, crafted his television shows around critical experiences and needs that all children have, perhaps even more so today in our hyper-paced, anxious, and exponentially changing world. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood provided connection, belonging, warmth, unconditional support, safety, and a variety of role models. It fostered regard for one’s neighbors, creativity, patience, open and imaginative play, curiosity, and one’s sense of worth.

The book contained this advice for parents: “Love learning in front of your kids. Let them catch your curiosity. Listen to their questions, learn their interests, and let them lead the journey toward knowledge. Trusting kids to be curious is a crucial first step in that journey – a step we’ve collectively learned to skip in a culture that prizes efficiency over exploration and mastery over inquiry.”

Part of Primary Day’s mission is to protect and preserve early childhood as the most important years of cognitive, emotional, and social development. In nurturing a lifelong love of learning, we recognize, like Rogers did, that “learning is… constant wondering. It’s keeping yourself in a perpetual state of not knowing.”