Last July, in the heat of a Washington summer, we mounted some permanent trellises to enhance the aesthetics of our distinctive outdoor classroom. In due course, the landscapers arrived to install the plantings at the base of each screen, including those beside the entrance drive. Expressing surprise at how small the sprouts were, I was assured of their hardiness. “Just trust us, you’ll be amazed. With the proper care, they’ll grow like wildfire, and cover the screens entirely.”

Among my greatest joys as Head of School are the interactions I have with your children. Each morning as I greet them at drop-off, when they visit my office to deliver birthday treats or at morning meetings when they share their lives with each other, I am reminded of how special they are and how thankful I am to be a part of this community. Joy puts the world and life into perspective, I think. Trust represents our faith and confidence in our reciprocal life with the world. Trust and joy sustain life at this extraordinary place we call Primary Day. 

Still, trust and joy are just part of our story. There is specialness here, a distinctive care for each and every learner. Carefully cultivated, this uniqueness has grown like wildfire for decades, embodies all of who we are and inspires our plans for the future. A uniqueness that is nothing short of remarkable. But what of the how? How do we capitalize on the hardiness in our children so as to assure their future success? How does a small, sturdy school continue to thrive? The answers are in the story.

I enjoy the great privilege of serving this thriving school as best I can. Over the course of my career as a school leader, I have thought myself a teacher, a manager, a coach, a listening ear, a chief mourner amid angst and a cheerleader in the best of times – and yes, a storyteller. A recent article authored by a fellow independent school administrator rendered a powerful definition of ‘chief storyteller’ that I fully embrace.

“I tell the story of my school, and I help people find their place in that story.  I think about what the story of the school is today, as well as what it might be tomorrow. I try to find new ways to connect this story to people at each stage of the school’s life cycle.”

 It is the life lived in tandem with joy and with trust that is the story at Primary Day – and I am proud to ‘tell it’! With that said, nothing tells the tale like our recently adopted Portrait of a Graduate. The growth is like wildfire! Enjoy.

 A Portrait of a Graduate

Our alumni are curious, self-reliant and accomplished. An education at Primary Day assures lifelong success by endowing our graduates with an inspired academic foundation and the intellectual resourcefulness to actively engage as young learners. Well-prepared, thoughtful and kind, they are courageous risk-takers and compassionate friends. Equipped with a confident resilience, our children are sought after applicants to independent schools throughout greater Washington.

Aptly named Beako’s Learning Nest, the plans for our outdoor classroom were unveiled in 2018 at our spring gala – Never Grow Up at Badlands. The funds raised that evening were augmented by an anonymous gift and construction began in earnest last September. An outdoor learning space equipped with easels, musical instruments, outlast blocks, dramatic play equipment, a refurbished garden and greenhouse as well as a small amphitheater for teacher-led lessons, the concept of the Learning Nest was predicated on the fact that in the early years, many learning activities that can be done indoors, can be done out-of-doors. In fact there are some that occur best out-of-doors and others that can only be done in an outdoor classroom!

Notwithstanding the addition of living “grow walls” and auxiliary fencing, our progress has been slower than we might have imagined – with some of our custom-made pieces detained at the border! Committed to the very best for our children, the search for distinctive, high quality equipment led us to vendors in both the United States and Canada. In particular, our large acrylic easels, the custom musical instruments and the acoustic pipe fence were designed and produced by Canadian firms. While the easels were delivered and mounted last fall, the other items were not due to be shipped until after the spring recess when, armed with hard hats and shovels, our children could assist with their installation.  Unfortunately, an administrative issue has arisen with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and our marimbas and drums have been detained! As we negotiate the release of our tuneful contraband, we’re moving forward with new box gardens, stadium seats, the installation of both an additional storage shed and the greenscapes.

Throughout our history, we have faced any number of challenges and overcome them with aplomb. In this seventy-fifth year, here in this special place, we will not be detained! We must “practice what we preach” and demonstrate the patience, resourcefulness and resilience we expect of our students! While it is likely that the entire project will not be completed until mid-summer, this inimitable outdoor learning space will represent all the best of the learning life at Primary Day.

Beako’s Learning Nest is coming together – one expat “twig” at a time!

for Best Picture: Green Book
for Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron – Roma
for Best Actress: Olivia Colman – the Favourite

The truth is, in spite of having thoroughly enjoyed both Roma and the Favourite, I was still championing the cause of fellow New Englander, Glenn Close, in her bid to win for her role in The Wife, a film I have yet to see. Curious? No, just paradoxical decision-making at its finest!

Indeed, this is the season of decisions, of questions and of reflective thinking. In spite of the late winter wind, the sun is shining and I am thinking of our children. As Head of School, my commitment to our community and to the education of your children is clarified, and perhaps rendered less paradoxical, by the hard thinking and the intentional self-questioning that real reflection affords. How lucky I am to have thought partners like colleagues, committed parents and our imaginative, hopeful young learners!

Why Primary Day? One of the most important decisions we undertake each winter is the selection of new children and families to join our community. Primary Day enjoys an enviable position in greater Washington and we have multiple applicants to consider for openings at each grade level. In my conversations with visiting families, I always pose the question Why Primary Day? and in a variety of ways, they ask a similar question of me, “Why is PDS the ‘best’ place for my child”? As I describe the unique aspects of our curriculum, I listen with passion and I hope they hear mine. I listen for joy and I hope they hear my joy. Together, we work to ascertain fit. Be assured that our enrollment decisions are grounded in both a deep understanding of our mission and a generosity of spirit. Our current families understand deeply why they selected Primary Day and why the fit was, and continues to be, right for them. Later this week, we will offer admission to a number of qualified candidates and our school family will expand in exponential ways!

Similarly, our second grade families are imagining life outside Primary Day. For those who have made application to independent schools, admission offers will be extended by week’s end. Whatever options our families have available, and whatever their selection, their children are well-prepared, highly regarded applicants and their success is assured.

Next-School Placement is a year-long, collaborative process at Primary Day. Beginning with conversations in the spring of grade one and concluding this month, with each of our families making definitive grade three enrollment decisions, this important process is an integral part of our commitment to families as they join our community – this is enrollment management in action!

In every way, this is a season for decisions. In every way, we labor to arrive at the ‘right’ one. In every category, our children are winners.

The Venn of Teaching

Winter has arrived with an irrefutable earnestness! Nevertheless, I am determined that we resist the commotion caused by unavoidable inclement weather and focus on our work with your children which is, by every measure, important work.

Great teaching, the heart and soul of a great school, has long been a hallmark of a Primary Day education. It is how our mission is realized every day. As teachers and co-learners, we are committed to both the academic and social growth of our children as they experience, first-hand, the uniqueness that is schooling on River Road. Our teachers are among the most capable, the most competent and the most compassionate of any team with whom I have ever served. Their dedication to their students is second to none. Teaching at Primary Day is a multi-faceted enterprise. Our faculty are actively engaged in planning and implementing a comprehensive program, inspired by growth and manifest the courage to teach. But what of this profession? How do educators live out their passion to be the best? What sustains them in their work?

Nearly a century ago, the preeminent educator, John Dewey, styled teaching as neither an art nor a science, but rather a fluid combination of the two – in essence, a craft. Visually speaking, this characterization could be illustrated by a Venn diagram with the professional craft of teaching symbolized as the intersection of the art and the science. As the child-centered spirit empowered by best practices and solid pedagogical knowledge, this is who we are. This rubric has been debated for decades amongst our colleagues and in the professional literature. How can it be that we are nothing more than respectable craftsmen? Undeniably, in cultures throughout our world, the master craftsman is held in the highest esteem, above all other professions, and opportunities for apprenticeships are highly prized. Our craft is our passion.

Why write of the Venn of Teaching on this grey winter morning? For the simple reason that in the days ahead I will enjoy the pleasure of reviewing the report cards that our teachers have prepared for every learner documenting their growth during fall term. I will come to know the progress of your children in new and different ways and I will be inspired again and again by the love and devotion the faculty have for the students in their care. I know, that when you read of your child’s accomplishments, you will see what I see and you will know of our craftsmanship.

Let it snow!

Among the most frequent questions asked by both prospective and newly enrolled families are those about our World Language program. Why do students learn three languages simultaneously? Wouldn’t it be better to teach one language more frequently and more in depth? My child is bilingual and speaks French fluently, how will he be challenged? Don’t the children become confused?

The answers to these important questions lie, quite simply, in the research. By every measure, language study at an early age creates a firm foundation for children to become lifelong language learners. While introducing them to other languages and cultures, it encourages open-mindedness by promoting curiosity about the world and other ways of life. Early exposure to other languages empowers children to become both confident risk-takers and critical thinkers. Most importantly however, early study of multiple languages assures the brain FLEXibility necessary for young children to succeed in related academic pursuits. As twentieth-first century educators, we recognize the importance of action research and from neuroscience we know that the brain is elastic, not fixed. Early language learning programs akin to our approach use the brain’s natural inclination to seek out, recognize and create patterns – every day and with startling frequency.

At PDS, our FLEX (Foreign Language Exploratory) program emphasizes receptive language, with students expected to do more listening than speaking, as they are in the input phase of learning. The idea is to replicate, as practicably as possibly, the way one’s native language is acquired. Pedagogically, the program is delivered in short classes over the course of an academic year or years. Neither oral nor written fluency of the target languages is expected. Taught in multi-modal contexts where both the visual and the textual reinforce conceptual content, the modalities of the brain work together, in a FLEXible manner, not in isolation. A tangential goal is to give students a foundation for future language study, introduce basic phrases in a number of languages in order to sharpen listening skills and familiarize students with the notion that ideas can be expressed in a language other than English.

FLEX programs could be described as ‘language potpourri’ or ‘sampler courses’ which allocate a limited number of classes to each of several languages. Not so here on River Road. We are not a smorgasbord lot – we sample nothing, but embrace our work with gusto, strive to remain FLEXible in our approach and joyous in our lives lived with your children.

“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”

                                                                                    -Winston Churchill

An essential part of a Primary Day education is a commitment to teaching our children to care – for themselves, for their classmates, for their families and for those in need. The importance of social action grounded in selfless giving cannot be overstated. While our community service programs offer opportunities for all of us to engage and contribute, it is in our conversations, and yours at home, that our children learn about their responsibility to care for others and for our collective future together.

As we work to shape the service thinking and future practices of our children, we must emphasize that philanthropy is a critical part of a democratic society. Broadly defined, philanthropy represents a collective responsibility for humankind as it is through our giving that we can provide opportunities for growth and change. Yes, our lives are made richer by our giving and we must do all that we can to cultivate this truism for our children’s sake.

What is also true is that philanthropy represents giving and sharing on many levels. Volunteerism is, at its core, a philanthropic enterprise and represents a contribution of the purest sort. With that said, generous financial support for charities, programs and schools represent another, equally impactful, type of giving.

At Primary Day, we look to every member of our school family to support our philanthropic efforts to the most ambitious extent possible. While contributions to The Primary Circle: The Annual Fund for PDS impact our small community in ‘real time’ it is this, and other, philanthropic endeavors that we need to consistently model for our children. If we make a point each and every day to throw something back our community will grow together in exponential ways – and together we’ll nurture the next generation of a philanthropic society.

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

            - Maya Angelou

The most successful schools recognize the generational value of families and students—from the first inquiry to the planned gift of a proud alumnus. As families traverse the route of admission to enrollment and next-school placement and as their children emerge as alumni who will refer others to the School and engage with the community for a lifetime, the power of a Primary Day education is affirmed.

As an independent school, we have always enjoyed the freedom to explore innovative advancement approaches, respond to community needs with precision and design flexible learning environments to respond to changing demographics. We work hard to keep the thinking nimble and the focus sharp.

Our mission is distinct and our vision for the future, impassioned. To insure a forward trajectory, we have spent considerable time in recent months researching best practices relative to a new concept in independent schools, that of Mission Integration. Enabled by the professional gifts and talents of existing staff and inspired by the true collaboration that characterizes our work together, we have reconfigured both our Advancement and Enrollment teams to sustain our strong culture and brand supported by shared decision making. Traditional job descriptions have been replaced with a more strategic leadership of mission-based initiatives. We have fashioned a Mission Integration team at Primary Day.

In collaboration with the Board of Trustees and the faculty, the team will employ a cohesive approach to advancing the School’s mission. By implementing best practices and, in anticipation of a board-adopted Strategic Plan, the stage will be set for our vibrant future.  Members of the Mission Integration team include the following colleagues: the Assistant to the Head of School, the Assistant Director of Enrollment Management, the Business Manager, the Director of Advancement and the Director of Enrollment Management. Agile thinkers all!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and your questions about our thinking.

What a fabulous evening in Neverland! Thank you to all who donated, all who participated and bid and all who attended our Never Grow Up Gala. It was a magical night and great success raising money for our PDS community.

The Primary Day School 2018 Gala Committee invites you to save the date for "An Evening in Neverland." Friday, April 27, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at Badlands Playspace. Formal Invitation and Information on Donations, Tickets & Sponsorships coming soon! Questions? Please contact Dillon Cox in the Advancement Office at d.cox@theprimarydayschool.org. 2018 Gala Co-Chairs Mikel Blair, Allison Carle & Shivani Gupta

The sounds of the holidays filled the Beako room at this year's Winter Wonderland assemblies.

At Primary Day we understand that a culture of community service starts with teaching children about the importance of giving back. Today, as part of Primary Day's commitment to community service the children made lunches for Central Union Mission (Mission DC). 1st and 2nd graders prepared sandwiches while Pre-K and K decorated and packed lunch bags with  sandwiches and snacks. It doesn't always have to be a grand gesture but a simple project that makes the life of someone else a little bit better. 

Monster Mashin' it, Primary Day style!

It’s Open House season! Why not use this opportunity to visit The Primary Day School on November 15. Tour the School and speak directly with faculty and parents about our program. Discover why a Primary Day education is the finest education for the most important years! Call 301-365-4355 or email admission@theprimarydayschool.org. Childcare (with pizza dinner) provided. See below for details. Please share.

What could better define #wisdomwednesday than the Primary Day Book Fair! Open now through Saturday.

We had a blast at Field Day this year! Children were treated to soccer, balloon-popping, pizza box relays, the 50-yard dash, basketball, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sack races, sponge relays, the Good Humor Truck, "Tim's Gem" truck and more. Thank you to Coaches Manalo and Ouska, Mrs. Hansen, Mrs. Gagarin, and the faculty/staff for making this such a wonderful culminating year-end event!

Second Graders worked for weeks to detail their amazing and hilarious life journeys in their autobiographies. They enjoyed sharing their work with family and friends at the annual Authors' Tea.

The First Graders’ exploration of countries around the world came to a close with their International Program. The show featured folktales from different countries. Students performed skits of "Jamie O’Rourke and the Giant Potato" (an Irish folktale), "The Gifts of Wali Dad" (an Indian folktale), "The Jade Stone" (a Chinese folktale about the importance of creativity and expressing your voice), and "A Caterpillar’s Voice" (an East African folktale that suggests that you don’t have to be big in stature to have a lot of courage). Each group of performers then sang a traditional song from that culture. Following the production the children enjoyed an international feast, featuring the cuisine of the countries studied.

This week, children learned all about serving others. Students heard Those Shoes, Great Joy, Maddi’s Fridge, A Shelter in our Car, and The Teddy Bear in the library. Each class collected food for Manna. On Wednesday, students created breakfast kits for Cup of Joe. They assembled the kits, reinforcing the importance of helping those in need. Thanks to the volunteer parents who made the day successful.

As a culminating activity in their study of Colonial America, Second Graders lived Colonial History by participating in Colonial Trunk Day. The day, coordinated and staffed by Second Grade parents, included a wide range of hands-on-activities: candle making and wallpaper printing; writing with quill pens; grinding coffee and corn; making butter and tasting Johnnycakes; playing colonial games; and creating corn husk dolls.

We had a wonderful time showing off our school to Grandparents and Special Friends!

Discover Primary Day at our first Open House of the season on Wednesday, November 16, 2016 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Childcare and dinner will be provided while you explore our unique school. There are opportunities to talk with faculty, parents, and alums while learning more about our signature programs: Phonovisual, World Languages,  STEM, Technology, Balanced Literacy, Math, and Art & Music. If you are unable to attend this Open House, please join us for an Open House on Sunday, January 8, 2017 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Individual tours of the school are also available during the week.

It was a special first day of school this year with Scott Lawrence as our new Head of School. We look forward to a fantastic year!

We had a blast at Field Day this year! Children were treated to soccer, balloon-popping, pizza box relays, the 50-yard dash, basketball, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sack races, sponge relays, the Good Humor Truck, a Planetarium and more. Thank you to Miss Bliss, Coach Ouska, and the faculty/staff for making this such a wonderful culminating year-end event!

We had a wonderful time with our graduating high school seniors this morning. Welcoming the class and their parents back to PDS was a treat, as was the added bonus that three of our own staff members were parents in this group. Congratulations to all of our graduates - you're off to wonderful places next year. We're glad we could be part of your year-end celebration!

The First Graders’ exploration of countries around the world came to a close with their International Program. The show featured folktales from different countries. Students performed skits of "Jamie O’Rourke and the Giant Potato" (an Irish folktale), "The Gifts of Wali Dad" (an Indian folktale), "The Jade Stone" (a Chinese folktale about the importance of creativity and expressing your voice), and "A Caterpillar’s Voice" (an East African folktale that suggests that you don’t have to be big in stature to have a lot of courage). Each group of performers then sang a traditional song from that culture. Following the production the children enjoyed an international feast, featuring the cuisine of the countries studied.

Laura Murray, author of The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School, Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck, and The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas shared one of her books, taught us a great deal about the writing process, and gave us a preview of her new book, The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo, which is coming out in August.

“Friends of Beako Give Back” Community Service Day gave students an opportunity to learn about four different organizations and to contribute in a hands-on and meaningful way by making items that were donated to the organizations. The day began with an assembly where the children were given an overview of their day and of the organizations by guests and representatives from National Center for Children and Families (NCCF), ShareBaby, Manor Care - Bethesda, and NIH Children’s Inn.  The assembly concluded with the second graders presenting a play written by our librarian. The play was based on the book, Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts, a story of “want” vs “need.”  In Literature, second graders discussed Those Shoes, brainstormed ideas, and wrote three original songs: "Needs and Wants," "Kindness and Friendship," and "Giving." During the day, students decorated bookshelves and filled them with donated books for NCCF, collected and bagged clothing and items for ShareBaby, and decorated flower pots, filling them with either soil and a plant or candy and a handmade flower for Manor Care and NIH Children’s Inn.

As a culminating activity in their study of Colonial America, Second Graders lived Colonial History by participating in Colonial Trunk Day. The day, coordinated and staffed by Second Grade parents, included a wide range of hands-on-activities: candle making and wallpaper printing; writing with quill pens; grinding coffee and corn; making butter and tasting Johnnycakes; playing colonial games; and creating corn husk dolls.

Discover Primary Day at our first Open House of the season on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Dinner and childcare will be provided while you explore our unique school. There are opportunities to talk with faculty, parents, and alums while learning more about our signature programs: Phonovisual, World Languages,  STEM, Technology, Balanced Literacy, Math, and Art & Music. If you are unable to attend this Open House, please join us for an Open House on Sunday, January 10, 2016 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Individual tours of the school are also available during the week.

It was another wonderful first day of school at Primary Day on Tuesday! We look forward to a fantastic year!

Our Pre-K students dazzled us this morning with their songs and dancing. What a delight it was to have our youngest students perform onstage for friends and family. An added bonus was our graduating senior alums who turned out in droves to enjoy the show and relive their times here at PDS.

Kindergartners delighted their audience with "Viva Mexico!," a musical culmination of their unit on Mexico. The program included dances, presentations and songs in Spanish and English. A maravilloso tapas feast followed the program.

Primary Day’s first “Friends of Beako Give Back” Community Service Day was a terrific success. It gave students the opportunity to learn about five different organizations (National Center for Children and Families, Children’s Inn at NIH, Montgomery Country Humane Society, Carrie Simon House, and Interfaith Works) and to contribute in a hands-on and meaningful way by making items that were donated to the organizations. The day began with an assembly where the children were given an overview of their day and of the organizations. The assembly concluded with the second graders reading thoughtful and moving poems that conveyed their understanding and desire to work together to make a difference in the lives of others. Immediately following the assembly, teachers, staff members, and students walked around the school building to support the homeless. From the Homeless Walk, students progressed to decorating bookshelves and filling them with donated books, making juice box robots, creating doggie toys, and stuffing shower caddies and laundry baskets with household necessities. It was a fantastic day!

We were again treated to two special performances by Tammy Turner at our Peace and Freedom Beakos. Tammy is a local recording artist who has performed all over the world. She sang "What A Wonderful World" with the help of the students and accompanied the whole community on "If I Had a Hammer."

We had a wonderful time showing off our school to Grandparents and Special Friends on Friday!

Discover Primary Day at our first Open House of the season on Thursday, November 6, 2014 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Dinner and childcare will be provided while you explore our unique school. There are opportunities to talk with faculty, parents, and alums while learning more about our signature programs: Phonovisual, World Languages, EcoWonder & STEM, Technology, Balanced Literacy, Math, and Art & Music. If you are unable to attend this Open House, please join us for an Open House on Sunday, January 11, 2015 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Individual tours of the school are also available during the week.

We had a beautiful Saturday to enjoy fall at Primary Day with cake walks, tattoos, crafts, moonbounces, sand art, and making cards and bracelets for children staying at Children's Inn at NIH. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this special event!

Those pesky Gingerbread Men escaped again this year and our Pre-K students were on a mission to find them! The week-long search took them into classrooms and hallways, through the Beako Room, across the playground, and into offices. By the time they found the elusive Gingerbread Men, three things happened. One, this eager group of newcomers learned their environment inside and out, and they now feel confident and comfortable being here. Two, they got to know each other—strangers are now friends. And three, that powerful, engaging, and the wonderful experience we call a Primary Day education has begun.

We had a wonderful first day of school on Tuesday! We look forward to another fabulous year!

Our Pre-K students dazzled us this morning with their songs and dancing. What a delight to have our youngest students perform onstage for friends and family. An added bonus was our graduating senior alums who turned out in droves to enjoy the show and relive their times here at PDS.

Taiwanese artists visiting the DC area for Asian Heritage month came to Primary Day to demonstrate Dough Figurine Making and Sugar Painting. Dough Figurine Making is a 4,000-year-old Chinese folk art rarely practiced today. Our visiting artist made all kinds of fanciful characters, including our very own Beako. Sugar Painting involves using heated liquid sugar on a steel plate to make elaborate hardened designs. Children were delighted to take some of these masterpieces home with them. Thanks to our Chinese teacher, Grace Maa, for organizing this incredible experience!    

The Second Grade study of France culminated in a musical production, “La Tour de France”.  As four “tourists” traveled the French countryside they encountered “French citizens” who eagerly shared their culture.

The students led us through the Bordeaux region where we learned how grapes are grown, then visited a nearby café; traveled on the Train a Grande Vittesse to the Provence Region, visited the Cote d’Azur, basked in the beauty of the flowers in Grasse, and marveled at the Sur Le Pont d’Avignon, the bridge across the Rhone River.  Then it was off to Giverny, to see where Claude Monet painted his “Gardens and Water Lilies” Series.  The finale of the program was a visit to a French classroom where the Second Graders demonstrated their acquired French vocabulary during a delightfully energetic song.  Following the program, students enjoyed a buffet containing favorites of French cuisine and everyone delighted in viewing the Second Graders’ artwork in the halls, inspired by Monet and Matisse.

Primary Day children participated in our first Help the Homeless Walk and raised almost $2000 for Interfaith Works. Interfaith Works serves thousands of neighbors in need each year in the Montgomery County community.

Second Graders presented colonial songs, dances, and childhood singing games this morning for a delighted audience. It was the perfect send off for Spring Break!

Today each Primary Day class prepared small baggies of peanut-free snack mix for the homeless. The snack mix will be donated to Bethesda Cares, an organization that delivers food to homeless shelters throughout Montgomery County. Thanks to Sue Gordon and Kelly Derrick for organizing this important community service project.

First Graders had a great time exploring aviation at the College Park Aviation Museum. They learned about the Wright brothers' perseverance and the airport's many firsts in flight. They loved seeing the historic and replica aircraft on display, especially when they were allowed to climb in the cockpit and work some of the controls! Our classes enjoyed dressing up as aviators, playing with flight simulators, and experimenting with the power of wind.  We were lucky that the museum also had a special O-gauge train exhibit for the holiday season. Of course, they all came back to school with their own paper airplanes! The great trip was enjoyed by students and parent chaperones alike.

Even in the cold, 2nd Graders enjoyed learning more about Pilgrim History on their trip to Sharp's Farm. Guides in pilgrim dress focused on the daily life of a pilgrim family. Students learned about homes, games and chores, as well as about Native Americans and their relationships to the pilgrims.

Discover Primary Day at our first Open House of the season on Thursday, November 7, 2013 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Dinner and childcare will be provided while you explore our unique school. There are opportunities to talk with faculty, parents, and alums while learning more about our signature programs: Phonovisual, World Languages, EcoWonder & STEM, Technology, Math, and Art & Music. If you are unable to attend this Open House, please join us for an Open House on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 from 9:00-11:00 am or on Sunday, January 12, 2014 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Individual tours of the school are also available during the week.

It was a beautiful day to celebrate fall at Primary Day with cake walks, tattoos, crafts, moonbounces, hair chalk, and making cards and bracelets for children staying at Children's Inn at NIH. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this special event!

Our Pre-K students celebrated Pig (the first friend to move in on the Phonovisual Chart) this week. Pig's Parade was the perfect way to party with popsicles and popcorn! 

It was a beautiful day for a picnic on Sunday! Everyone had a wonderful time catching up with new and old friends and enjoying the playground.

We had a wonderful first day of school on Tuesday! Mrs. Geppert loved greeting everyone—it was a great way to start a new year at Primary Day!

Kindergartners had a wonderful time on their field trip to see Joe Romano and his Green Magic Show. At the show, the children learned how they can perform their own magic to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

On Wednesday, we welcomed Oxford University’s premier all-male a cappella group Out of the Blue! The group ran into the Beako room and took command of the stage with their singing and outrageous choreography. The concert was very interactive with the group even teaching the children motions and the refrain for “In the Jungle.” Out of the Blue is currently on tour performing at arts festivals around the world and conducting school workshops, all with the goal of instilling in kids a sense of courage and adventure when it comes to performing and engaging with music.

This year our Gala theme was the Disco Ball and over the past two weeks, PDS children and parents alike have been boogieing down in celebration of our annual gala. On Friday, February 22, the children celebrated with a disco, magician, face-painting, tattoos, disco themed photos, and dinner. As you can see by the pictures, there was much fun to be had.

Friday, March 1, parents, faculty and staff came out to Bethesda Country Club to support PDS at our annual Gala and Auction. It was a wonderful night, with many fun things to bid on, great food to eat, groovy music to boogie to, and fantastic friends to catch up with.

We had a wonderful visit with author/illustrator Jennifer O’Connell. She inspired all of our budding artists and writers!

Operation Welcome Home is an organization that greets 7,000-8,000 soldiers at the airport each month and gives them goody bags with treats and “Welcome Home” cards. These are just small tokens of appreciation for their heroic service which can help to fill some time for them while they wait for connecting flights home. A representative came in on Monday, October 22 to give a brief presentation about the organization and how the children can help. Following the presentation, the children returned to their classrooms to make their cards that will be given to the solders sometime in November. We will also be collecting candy after Halloween to accompany the cards. We are truly excited about this event and know the children will have fun being able to help a real soldier.

We ushered in a new day at Primary Day on Tuesday! Mrs. Geppert greeted each family and students eagerly headed to their new classrooms.If the first day was any indication, a wonderful year is in store!

The First Graders’ exploration of countries around the world came to a close last week with the production “It’s a Small World After All”.  The students in both First Grade classes performed the musical, written by First Grade teacher (and Primary Day alum), Ms. Claire Brown.

The musical follows students in a class who travel to Africa, Australia, Canada, China, Jamaica and Spain.  Through their travels they learn about various customs and traditions specific to each country and that children all over the world share more likenesses than differences.  Following the production the children enjoyed an international feast, prepared by parents, featuring the cuisine of the countries studied.

Primary Day students participated in activities this week in celebration of the 100th day of school.  As bundles of strawstransitioned from groups of 9-tens and 9-ones into a single straw in the hundreds place, related events and activities took shape within each classroom and throughout the school, among them: the Pre-Kindergarten classes made eye glasses out of the number 100 to wear during their celebration; each Kindergartener brought 100 pieces of their favorite snack to add to the class buffet, then selected a portion of the mixture to enjoy at snack; First Graders wrote their favorite 100 words and participated in the 100 Olympics; and Second Graders completed 100 multiplication problems and used 100 as the inspiration for creative writing exercises.

Our Primary Day students and faculty recently enjoyed a day with visiting author, Candice Ransom.  Ms. Ransom, the author of over 115 children’s books, explained to the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten children how she used childhood memories of growing up on a farm as the inspiration for her picture books focused on transportation.  The First and Second Graders learned how Ms. Ransom’s interest in history fostered her creation of the Time Spies series.  The students asked insightful questions about the writing process, shared artwork they created based on two of Ms. Ransom’s books and related their own experiences as budding authors.