The state of our nation is bleak. Taken together, the social divisiveness sustained by politicians at the highest levels of government, a pandemic unlikely to be bested until we respect science over rhetoric, and an imperfect commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion have all but assured a cultural collision unlike anything we have known before in our history. What is happening today is a result of our failure to be honest, courageous, and willing to compromise for the benefit of our democracy.

In the summer of 1776, the call was for independence and revolution. For many Americans in 2020, this is a season of similar unrest.  In the heat of this summer, in our streets, in the media, and with our fellow countrymen the mood is not entirely unlike the year that Jefferson penned a declaration for freedom, for a new order - for ‘We’. The fifty-six signers of this extraordinary document were resolute in their unity to sever ties with Great Britain and with an ego-centric monarch with a tendency towards madness.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness … we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor”

Notwithstanding recent partisan musings to replace ‘men’ with ‘people,’ Dr. Matthew Delmont, a Dartmouth history professor reminds, “The ‘we’ Jefferson [was] representing was a very particular ‘we’ that didn’t speak for all the people who were in the Americas in 1776. The ‘we’ did not include enslaved Americans [nor women and children].”

In fact, ‘we’ is repeated ten times in ‘our’ Declaration. This is neither insignificant nor sufficient yet powerful just the same – but only if we can regain our moral compass, stand up for what is honorable, and advocate for who was included in the Jeffersonian ‘we’ and who was not. As a nation we are better than the politics. We must be for my children and for yours.

Consider this – as pandemic-related deaths continue to rise, we can’t even agree on the truth about COVID-19. Our national strategy is to quarrel in times of crisis and, as a result, our mutual pledge to each other and the country has been marginalized. We can’t unite to form a more perfect union.  ‘We’ has become ‘me’.

You and I are the guardians of those who will inherit this nation; our children are the future. In 1963, the award-winning Ella Fitzgerald, told radio host Fred Robbins “The die-hards, they’re just going to die hard. They’re not going to give in. You’ve got to try and convince the younger ones, they’re the ones who’ve got to make the future and those are the ones we’ve got to worry about. Not those die-hards.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, today’s 6-to-21 year olds are projected to become ‘majority non-white’ in 2026. Young people are more familiar with diversity and many are using activism to edge the country closer to a version of America they feel embraces different identities. Generation Z - the “post-Millennial” generation - is the most racially and ethnically diverse [of any generation], according to a recent Pew Research Center poll.

At Primary Day, ‘we’ profess to be 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. This commitment inspires each of us to serve as role models in order that our actions and choices may positively influence the world.

Let us be brave, the future need not be as bleak as the present. ‘We’ must challenge one another to engage in constructive, civil discourse, and continue our work to make our nation wholly inclusive.

“We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”

Our children and grandchildren are counting on us.

The legacy of the founders is ours today. Their courageous vision is alive and well in the lived experience at Primary Day. They were certain, that all children could learn if they were given the best tools to do so and they knew these years were the most important of a child’s learning life. But what of another legacy?

Despite our curriculum, programs, admissions and fundraising efforts, we must routinely and strategically remind ourselves that our work is about people. An African proverb reminds: “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to far, go together” and, as we plan for our future, we must do so together. Earlier this week I was reminded of the legacy of another resilient, risk-taker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His legacy is multi-faceted for sure, but his dream for his children and ours is embedded in our mission and evidenced in our graduates. Character is everything and academic success is hollow without an understanding of, and an appreciation for, individual and diverse gifts. 

“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.”

This mission statement, approved by the Board of Trustees last spring, affirms our commitment to the legacy of our founders; it was their charge, and it is ours. Each year at this time when I visit schools to which our grade two students have made application, I routinely hear three things about our graduates. First, they are academically well-prepared – not a surprise given our carefully designed, challenging curriculum. However, I also hear two other things about our children – they are great people and friends and they welcome opportunities for challenge and risk-taking as learners.

“…..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...”

Our Statement of a Graduate affirms our intentionality and articulates just those qualities that Primary Day alums demonstrate as they continue their educational journey at schools throughout greater Washington. Truthfully, when it comes down to what drives us as educators, and I believe what motivated our founders, it is creating the type of experiences that help us feel more connected, more whole and more willing to make the sacrifices necessary to empower our collective success as a society and a world. This is a must do. It is a legacy in the making.

Now more than ever, we need to see difference as excellence. Now more than ever, we need to model love and curiosity in the face of fear and anxiety. Now more than ever, we need to be the ones to reach out to others with the confidence to know that like us, other people also want to connect, learn and grow. This is our time as a community to take risks like Miss Schoolfield, Mrs. Buckley, Miss Timberlake and Dr. King.

This is our time to continue, in earnest, our dialogue about who we are. Conversations about diversity, justice, equity and inclusion are our risks to take. In a school, these issues are first and foremost learning tools. We would no more imagine Primary Day without Phonovisual charts or a STEM classroom than we would imagine our school without diversity of opinion or belief. I believe strongly that the quality of this school, of any school, is measured by the quality of its conversations, brave or difficult though they may be. Please join the dialogue and help us craft our future legacy for this special school

“I cannot preach like Dr. King, or turn a poetic phrase like Maya Angelou, but I care deeply and am willing to serve.”

                                                                                                -Marian Wright Edelman

In your service,

Scott

Our 75^th anniversary is a diamond jubilee of sorts. If golden anniversaries are celebrated 50 years on, then the diamond anniversary traditionally signified 75 years. Such is true for us at Primary Day.

This past August, as the faculty and staff gathered to inaugurate our anniversary year in real time, they were each presented with a large, nearly 100 carat, acrylic diamond as a symbol of their collective commitment to this distinctive school – a passion that is deeply understood by generations of alums, parents and students. As stewards of our mission, the Trustees know well of this commitment and, a result, one of the four distinctive ‘pillars’ articulated in the Strategic Plan published last May is aptly entitled Teachers and Teaching: Our Educators. In their plan, the trustees expressed a steadfast belief in the faculty this way.

“The success of the Primary Day program depends on its extraordinary educators:  their passion for their craft, commitment to their young students, and expertise and thought leadership in their fields are vital to creating the Primary Day experience for our students. Our teachers build skills and confidence, forge positive, supportive relationships with students and create a joyful learning environment, positioning students to thrive now and into the future.”

 Specifically, in support of our ‘diamond-toting jubilarians, we will:

• Retain, develop and hire exceptional faculty and staff who embody educational excellence, possess a deep understanding of and dedication to the growth and development of young children and reflect the diversity of our community
• Enhance competitiveness and consistency in faculty and staff compensation and benefits
• Develop and implement a comprehensive, research-based orientation, development and evaluation system for all faculty and staff
• Expand professional development and diverse recruiting opportunities, including through partnerships with leading teacher education/early childhood education/research programs

We must remember that this jubilee, as well as our ambitious plan for our future, would not have been possible without the stalwart determination of our founders – their legacy is ours today. Our thriving existence wasn’t assured by its founders alone, but by the faculty and the parents of the children taught in those early classrooms. Candid conversations, active listening, strong partnerships, and mutual trust enabled institutional growth in very real ways.

Likewise, the move to our beautiful campus in Bethesda was made possible by a group of intrepid parents and benefactors who demonstrated an unwavering confidence in a school that had produced successful young learners from the very start. Our successes are a consequence of the unfaltering stewardship of our mission and resources by generations of trustees, faculty, parents and alumni. Seventy-five years on, we are the grateful beneficiaries of their tactical thinking. My colleagues, our children and their families keep me grounded and for their support, I am more grateful than you will ever know.

Now is the time. Join with me in service to our faculty and staff. ‘Raise Your Paddle’ and open your hearts. Our teachers are treasured as much as diamonds, and together, we can guarantee our “diamonds” will sparkle for the next 75 years.

How grateful I am for another joy-filled year! Working together, our achievements have been many. I thank you for sending your children to be schooled at Primary Day and for your abiding trust in our work together!

The annual second grade picnic lunches are a great opportunity to enjoy the company of our children and to hear, first hand, of our successes in real time. Beginning this week, a small group of students join me each day for lunch and the conversations are interesting indeed. We discuss weekend activities, plans for the summer and thoughts about a move to new schools. It is clear that this latest group of graduates will carry with them the joyfulness that is a hallmark of a Primary Day experience. What is equally clear is that our accomplishments as a community are manifested in the faces of these youngest alums. All that we have realized is for them – this is as it should be.

Now for the conundrum. If boastfulness is incongruous with Beako and the Golden Rule, then should we not ‘toot our own horn’? Maybe just this once as this has been a ‘banner year’!

Did you know?

*Our enrollment for 2019-2020 is up 8% and is very close to our long-term target. Of the 133 children registered for the fall term, 50 will be new to the school representing 38% of our student body.

*With the support of every constituency over the course of the last two years, we have completed our strategic plan, It Starts Here, which will guide our future work together.

*The faculty and staff have participated in a wide variety of professional growth opportunities. Our Social Studies curriculum is nearly completed, we have begun work on revising both our report cards and professional performance evaluations and are poised to advance our diversity work with the administration of the NAIS community survey early next fall!

*We have been recognized by the Association of Maryland/DC Schools (AIMS), as an A+ WellEducated Rated School for our innovative and effective wellness programs for faculty and staff. The only Maryland school to receive the honor this year, PDS earned a grant in the amount of $10,000 to fund financial aid programs.

*The 75^th anniversary celebrations have begun in earnest! We have exceeded the goal for our Annual Fund, The Primary Circle, by 6% and begun a feasibility study for a potential Capital Campaign, the first in our history.

*Revised Mission and DEI statements as well as newly minted “portraits” of both an applicant and a graduate have been adopted and will be posted to the community in late summer.

*Earlier this month, we were acknowledged for our recycling efforts by Montgomery County and were one of ten programs awarded this distinction at a county-wide reception.

*All of our graduating students have been enrolled in exceptional grade three placements, both public and independent, with 93% offered admittance to their ‘first choice’ school.

Breathe – summer is here! Tomorrow, our youngest children will perform their final program and the Class of 2009 will return to campus for their reunion with Field Day and Commencement on the docket for next week. In the coming weeks however, I anticipate regular opportunities for careful reflection – the kind that clears the head and recalibrates the compass – and that is not a conundrum.

“try to do one thing uncommonly well….” Nearly twenty years ago, this was the advice given her sons by civil rights attorney and author Marian Wright Edelman as they were preparing to leave home for university. The focus of the hedgehog.

The fable of the hedgehog and the fox is well-known and was operationalized in Jim Collins’ leadership text, Good to Great (Harper, 2001). The fox, armed with clear thinking, an understanding of the landscape and adapted reasoning skills appeared ready to outwit his prey, yet he was often bested. The hedgehog does one thing uncommonly well – he rolls into a ball and offers a spiny mouthful to his foe.

Collins’ explanation of the ‘hedgehog concept’ is inspired by three questions overlapping in a figure not unlike the one in the blog post The Venn of Teaching (1/17/2019). Imagine those questions in real time at Primary Day.

#1 – What are you deeply passionate about?

Together as trustees, faculty, staff and families, we share one clear goal – success for all. From the start, our mission was clear – a zealous commitment to take each learner as far as each could go and to prepare our graduates for lives of purpose. The legacy of the founders is ours today. If the fall and winter terms were distinguished by consistent, collective successes, then in the final weeks of the year we redouble our efforts to challenge and support our young learners in every way. This is our shared passion. This is what brings the team to campus each day to serve as we do. This is who we are.

#2 – What are you the best at?

“simply the best, better than all the rest…” – Tina Turner, wasn’t it? What we do, we do with great clarity and we do it exceedingly well. We are a school like no other and as we consider the future through the lens of both the anniversary celebrations and the strategic planning process, our path is clear. The future is defined by a nimble traditionalism that is ours alone and has characterized the ethos of the school throughout our history. Unequivocally, Primary Day is the school where the most important years of a child’s schooling are actualized to the fullest extent possible. The parents of our second graders know this as their children have realized many options for their next school experience, our current parents know and enjoy a full immersion in school life and the excitement of our newly enrolled families is demonstrable. How lucky we are.

#3 – What drives our economic engine?

Our extant success is a consequence of the stalwart stewardship of our mission and resources by generations of trustees, faculty, parents and alumni. Seventy-five years on, we are the grateful beneficiaries of their tactical thinking. Indeed, it is their example that makes me stand up when I want to sit down, try one more time when I want to stop and head out the door each morning when I want to stay home and sleep in. My colleagues and our children keep me grounded and I am grateful for their support.

The soon-to-be released strategic plan will help us live our vision in ‘real time’ but without a robust enrollment and consistent, achievable fundraising initiatives; our goals may not be realized. With the laser focus of the hedgehog, our ‘economic engine’ will be well-fueled, but our future success is a collective enterprise – each of us must contribute to the next 75 years. We must never waver as we “do one thing uncommonly well…”

-and alums, never forget the courage and resilience of Hopey, the Hedgehog in Kindergarten Phonovisual!

Over the course of nearly forty years as an educator, I have encountered school mascots of every sort. As a rallying point for athletic competitions, student council elections and community celebrations, a mascot is an unmistakable symbol of a school’s identity. At Primary Day, Beako is that and more.

The power of Beako has kept us grounded as we educated generations of children and guides us still as we plan for an exciting future. Each time I watch Beako distribute magic powder I wonder, how would I answer his question “what can you do better this year?”

What would your answer be?

Beako is more than a symbol of our life lived – he represents our mission in real time! While renderings of our mascot appear throughout the school building, it is the beautiful mosaic dominating our assembly space, the Beako Room, which captures both the elegance and spirit of our dear friend. His yellow ribbon is prominently displayed and reminds us of Beako’s Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Posted in every classroom and office, Beako’s Code of Conduct renders the Golden Rule a set of practices that govern our collective life at Primary Day.

The origin of Beako has been the subject of speculation in recent years, but as we delved deeply into the archives in this anniversary year, we discovered the truth revealed in a 2004 issue of the school newsletter, The Beakon.

“Beako was the creation of Mrs. Marie Buckley, a co-founder and first [Head] of The Primary Day School. Mrs. Buckley is remembered as a master teacher who had a magical quality about her. She first introduced Beako to her Primary Day students at an assembly in 1944. For his debut, he proudly wore a yellow ribbon around his neck inscribed with “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Teaching the Golden Rule was as important to Beako and Mrs. Buckley as the teaching of Phonovisual. The daily practice of respect for others was to become the hallmark of good citizenship at The Primary Day School.”

The tangible source of Beako’s power is the unfolding joy of your children at work. In Beako, our mission has been manifested from the very start. May it always be so.  

Outdoor play is a critical part of schooling at Primary Day. In fact, it is an essential component of our thoughtfully designed, developmentally appropriate curriculum. Consistent with our commitment to educate the whole child, we believe that the social curriculum is as important as the academic one. Likewise, it is our firm belief that the worlds of academic achievement and that of peer relations are interrelated. Typically if children do well in one area, they tend to do well in the other.  

Recess is a well-rehearsed venue for children’s social development – a problem-solving crucible, a place of negotiation where children learn and practice the skills necessary to interact in the larger social world. Albeit with distant adult-supervision, recess is a time for children to interact among themselves. This is as it should be. Engaging in cooperative interactions at play require age-appropriate cognitive skills and, with peers as play partners, young children are provided with the social and emotional support necessary to negotiate academics with greater success. Our youngest learners delight in fantasy, dramatic or equipment-based play while their older schoolmates participate in organized games, which are governed by rules and thus are characterized by operational intelligence at more sophisticated levels. Whatever the case, the research is clear: children are significantly more attentive after a recess than before!

Whether a scheduled or an unscheduled “sneaky” recess, we go outside in all kinds of weather, unless it is raining or the temperature is dangerously cold. Thanks for helping your children remember that hats, mittens, gloves and a warm coat are essential for winter learning out-of-doors here on River Road.

gratitude. n.: the state of being grateful: thankfulness.
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (6^th edition). (1999). Springfield: Merriam-Webster.

Gratitude, authentically achieved, can be life changing but it is a high bar, one that demands a good deal of courageous reflection. The algorithm is straightforward, but hardly simple. It requires ongoing, systematic scrutiny to heed the multiple opportunities for gratefulness that are granted us each day.

The best-selling author, Saran Ban Breathnach, set forth the challenge more precisely.  “abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities.  It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend….we [can] choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but [be] grateful for the abundance that’s present”.

I must admit, my struggle to attend to all that is wondrous in my life is underscored each year by the advent of the Thanksgiving holiday.  But thankfulness is not an event and an annual inventory of personal abundance is not enough. If I do not want my work to achieve gratitude to go the way of the un-realized New Year’s resolutions, then I need to be unyeilding in my search for gratefulness. I must be more courageous.  I need to operationalize my reflections, to plumb both daily and life-changing events for opportunities to be thankful and to record them in earnest. This I know.

But what of life at Primary Day? How can we realize our abundance and demonstrate gratefulness? I think the answer lies in the collective commitment to children and their well-being that we live every day. For us, the question is not which garden to tend, but how to celebrate opportunities to be thankful and turnkey those into genuine gratitude.  We must be resolute and courageous, as we school each other in the importance of ‘year-round’ gratefulness.

Be assured of my gratitude for your support and confidence in our shared mission.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have you ever thought about what makes the Primary Day legacy so compelling 75 years on? What breathes life into this unique school year after year?  Of course, we have a distinct brand; a mission statement; a vision, brochures, posters, and a website. They all help get the message out, but they aren’t enough. Not even close. There’s one ingredient that’s greater and more important than all of those combined. It’s you…our parents.

Parents sustain our legacy through their passionate commitment to this unique school. Today’s Primary Day exists through the vociferous, enthusiastic participation and contribution of generations of parents whose active commitment and pronounced support sustains the heritage we share from one generation to the next. Our DNA is yours!

The enrollment team orchestrates and leads our annual enrollment charge. That said, we depend on parents to participate in an orchestral performance that can be heard throughout greater Washington. Through your community connections, you turnkey both your personal experience and your heartfelt emotions in order to energize the next class of parents. The result: nearly 85% of new families come to PDS through parent referrals. That’s powerful in itself, but even more so when you learn that most schools aspire to 75%!

As PDS embarks on another great year, the enrollment team – and now you know that team includes you – will be assembling the next class of PDS families whose community and educational values mirror your own. That’s what makes the Primary Day legacy so powerful, so sustaining. Thank you.

Managed institutional growth is born of community engagement.  The power of candid conversations, collaborative planning, and passionate involvement cannot be overstated. Taken together with an unwavering dedication to a clear mission, the very best of schools thrive and serve generations of students. This is who we are.

Primary Day was not your typical ‘start-up.’ Washington, the beleaguered capital city of a nation at war, was an inauspicious environment to inaugurate a new institution. Our tenacious, passionate, and committed founders were not deterred. In the years before the doors opened in the fall of 1944, three courageous women invested much of their time in developing the Phonovisual method, and they were convinced of its efficacy. They had engaged in challenging discussions, collaborated with university-level educational experts and were headstrong in their planning for what would become The Primary Day School. This is the heritage that is ours today.

However, the school’s future wasn’t assured by its founders alone, but by the faculty and the parents of the children taught in those early classrooms.  Candid conversations, active listening, strong partnerships, and mutual trust enabled institutional growth in very real ways. Our move to River Road was made possible by a group of intrepid parents and benefactors who demonstrated an unwavering confidence in a school that had produced successful young learners from the very start.  

Our enduring success is a product of that same reliance upon and trust in our relationships, and by collaborations that ignite a synergy of ideas, opportunities, and actions.  For decades, my predecessors have collaborated with this community, sustaining its changing needs and drawing from its evolving capacity to contribute to its future. With traditions as touchstones, and as steadfast caretakers of a remarkable legacy, they fortified an already firm foundation.  I am privileged to follow their lead.

As we prepare to celebrate our seventy-fifth year and chart our future, active listening, sincere engagement, and forthright dialogue will be essential elements for success. The PDS legacy was forged in a turbulent era and today we are challenged to envision our future in likewise unsettled times. Together, our collective resilience will prevail.

So, what of Magna-Tiles and rubber ducks? My challenge to each member of our community is to be as courageous as our founders, as unabashedly philanthropic as those first parents, and as committed as our earliest colleagues. Help us “get our ducks in a row” for the future! If you have a great idea — or a suggestion for growth, improvement, or change — grab a duck from the bowl in the front office, bring it to me with your thinking and together we’ll add your idea to the growing flush of ducks we’ve already collected. Interested in an authentic, engaging conversation about our future? My door is always open, the latchkey is out, and there is a pile of Magna-Tiles on the table to help us assemble a vision for PDS. Together.

The Primary Day School 2018 Gala Committee invites you to attend "An Evening in Neverland." Friday, April 27, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at Badlands Playspace. Purchase tickets now at: https://theprimarydayschool.org/support/.  
Sponsorship opportunities are available to support PDS. Please contact Dillon Cox in the Advancement Office at d.cox@theprimarydayschool.org.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces at this year's Winter Wonderland.  Welcome back alums and we hope to see more of you soon!

On Friday, November 17, Primary Day invited our cherished Grandparents and Special Friends for a wonderful morning of celebration.

Primary Day is proud to honor the brave men and woman who have fought America's battles, past and present, as part of our annual Veteran's Day program. We were honored to have the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Color Guard and many veterans attend the program this year.

Is the engineer in you looking for an opportunity to explore and create! If you are a prospective family considering Primary Day, we invite you and your child to join us for Get Caught Engineering on Sunday Nov. 5. Email us at a.collins@theprimarydayschool.org. Hope to see you soon! Please share!

Friday’s Primary Day Pig Parade was a perfectly pleasant performance by the Pre-K!! #fantasticfriday

Celebrating our Second Graders at Graduation was bittersweet. We will miss their thoughtfulness, their smiles, and their creativity. Current parent and PDS alum, Emily Gerson, shared lovely thoughts with the students. Students and their families also heard from Mr. Lawrence and their second grade teachers, Mrs. Muldoon and Mrs. McCormick. We wish them all well in their next steps!

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.

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. After the show, students decimated pinatas on the playground. Students enjoyed a maravilloso tapas feast for lunch.

Primary Day invites children, aged 2 & 3 and their caregivers to a Story and Music Hour led by our librarian and music teacher. Bring a favorite stuffed animal and join us on May 18 from 9:30-10:30am. Please RSVP to 301-365-4355 or RSVP@ThePrimaryDaySchool.org. Primary Day is located at 7300 River Road. We look forward to seeing you!

This year's Gala theme was Where the Wild Things Are. On Friday, April 21st, parents, faculty and staff enjoyed a wild rumpus at Bethesda Country Club. It was a wonderful night, with many fun things to bid on, great food to eat, fun music to dance to, and fantastic friends to catch up with. Many thanks to the Chair, Jen Kavounas, and her monstrous helpers!

Primary Day invites children, aged 2 & 3 and their caregivers to a Story and Music Hour led by our librarian and music teacher. Bring a favorite stuffed animal and join us either on April 20 or May 18 from 9:30-10:30am. Please RSVP to 301-365-4355 or RSVP@ThePrimaryDaySchool.org. Primary Day is located at 7300 River Road. We look forward to seeing you!

Discover Primary Day at our last Open House of the season on Sunday, January 8, 2017 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Childcare and refreshments 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 call 301.365.4355 to set up an individual tour of the school.

We were honored to have the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Color Guard and many veterans attend our annual Veterans Day Program. Students sang "God Bless America," "America," and "Veterans Day" among other patriotic choices.

In conjunction with the publication of Montgomery Modern, by Clare Kelly, Primary Day is pleased to welcome the Montgomery Modern tour group on October 8, 2016. Ms. Kelly recently published this award-winning book, which features both historic and current views of Montgomery County buildings including narrative on each. Ms. Kelly has organized a bus tour of several of the buildings featured in her book, including Primary Day. This bus tour explores the Montgomery County work of Deigert and Yerkes, a leading modernist architecture firm in the Washington, DC area, best known for the National Arboretum Administration Building. Operating from 1947 to 1967, the partnership of Robert Campbell Deigert and David Norton Yerkes, created distinctive designs with variety in materials and textures, surprising angles, and contrasting spaces. Tour participants will enjoy a tour of the school and have lunch following in the Schoolfield Library. More information about the tour may be found at www.montgomeryplanning.org/.

Celebrating our Second Graders at Graduation was bittersweet. We will miss their thoughtfulness, their smiles, and their creativity. Current parent, Jean-Marie Fernandez, shared a wonderful letter Beako wrote to the students. Students and their families also heard thoughts from Mrs. Geppert and their second grade teachers, Mrs. Muldoon and Mrs. McCormick. We wish them all well in their next steps!

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.

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. After the show, students decimated pinatas on the playground. Students enjoyed a maravilloso tapas feast for lunch. An added bonus was our graduating senior alums who turned out in droves to enjoy the show and relive their times here at PDS.

The Class of 2011 and their parents had a wonderful time connecting over bowling.

It was a special treat to meet animals from the Maryland Zoo. In addition to learning about various ways animals move, we observed a parrot, rabbit, owl, and penguin.

Discover Primary Day at our last Open House of the season on Sunday, January 10, 2016 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Refreshments 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 call 301.365.4355 to set up an individual tour of the school.

We were honored to have the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Color Guard and many veterans attend our annual Patriotic Program. Students sang "God Bless America," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Stars and Stripes Forever" among other patriotic choices.

Rain couldn't dampen spirits on our annual Field Day! Children pizza box relayed, sprinted, freeze-danced, and egg-and-spoon raced inside. Thank you to Ms. Perez 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.

It was a perfect day to dedicate the Nadonley Circle on Saturday! We heard words from past parents, former faculty, alums, board members and the Head of School about the warmth and dedication of both Carter-Anne and Ray Nadonley.

As a culminating activity in their study of Colonial America, Second Graders lived Colonial History by performing for their parents and by participating in Colonial Trunk Day. They began the day by presenting colonial songs, dances, and childhood singing games for their delighted audience. This fun was followed by Colonial Trunk Day, coordinated and staffed by Second Grade parents, which 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 last Open House of the season on Sunday, January 11, 2015 from 1:00-3:00 pm. Refreshments 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 call 301.365.4355 to set up an individual tour of the school.

We were honored to have both the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Color Guard as well as many veterans attend our annual Patriotic Music Program this year. Students sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "The Army Goes Rolling Along," and "Anchor's Away" among other patriotic choices. Please visit Primary Day's YouTube channel to view a few snippets.

Elsas, Marios, gorillas, and more were at Primary Day today for Halloween. We celebrated with a Spooktacular Beako and Parade!

On October 1, 2014, our renovated music room was dedicated to Mr. Bennett Boskey, former Board of Trustees Chair and devoted champion of Primary Day. The children sang a special song in honor of Mr. Boskey which was recorded and will be presented to him along with a thank you card signed by all the children and staff.

Mr. Bennett Boskey was quietly at the helm of The Primary Day School since its beginning years. Although he was in the background, his mark was indelibly stamped on the school. He served on the school's board from 1954 until 2012 and was the Chairman for many of those years. 

In 1954, Mr. Boskey was a young attorney with a general law practice and a friendship with Robert C. Diegert, Chairman of Primary Day's Board of Directors. Mr. Diegert asked "a favor" of Mr. Boskey, following which Mr. Boskey became a member of the Board of Directors and legal counsel to the school. Mr. Boskey provided much needed legal guidance and direction to Mr. Diegart and Mr. David Yerkes, the architects of the original school building. Mr. Boskey helped them with the organization of the school as a nonprofit corporation, the acquisition of the land, the funding of the building project, the arrangements for construction of the school and the establishment of a foundation to support the school (because the school was turned down by local banks because it was a "single purpose building").

According to Mr. Boskey, the school, having no assets, could not secure a bank loan for the construction of the building. Even while many parents, trustees, and friends of the school were discouraged, Mr. Boskey and his friends were undeterred, determined to find a way to build the building that PDS children deserved. With Mr. Boskey's leadership in 1954, a small group of parents, along with a friend of the school, guaranteed the loan that made it possible to proceed with the construction of the school building. So, Mr. Boskey was one of the individuals responsible for Primary Day's existence today. It is notable that Mr. Boskey and his beloved wife Shirley, whom he has survived, did not have children.
Mr. Boskey never wavered from his commitment to Primary Day. He led every major decision since he assumed the chairmanship of the Board, decades ago, until 2012.

Primary Day is forever indebted to Mr. Boskey for his love for the children of Primary Day and for his life-long devotion to this wonderful school.

It was the perfect day for Pig's Party on the playground at Primary Day! Each year our Pre-K students celebrate learning the first sound on the Phonovisual Chart with a parade, pink and purple polka dotted hats, pink pasta necklaces, pounding on percussion instruments, pizza, popcorn, and popsicles.

We had a blast at Field Day this year! Children were treated to freeze dancing, soccer, balloon-popping, pizza box relays, the 50-yard dash, basketball, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, silly string, the Good Humor Truck and more. Thanks to Ms. Perez, all the faculty/staff, and parent volunteers for making this such a wonderful culminating year-end event!

Second Graders worked for weeks on their autobiographies. They enjoyed sharing them with family and friends this morning at their Authors' Tea. What amazing and hilarious journeys they have had!

The First Graders’ exploration of countries around the world came to a close last week with their International Program. This year's program featured folk tales from different countries. They performed skits of "Jamie O’Rourke and the Giant Potato" (an Irish folktale), "The Gifts of Wali Dad" (an Indian folktale), "The Four Dragons" (a Chinese folktale about how the four rivers in China are formed), 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.

Our 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 fabulous tapas feast followed the program. 

Our Phonovisual Specialist, Lynn Najaka, is the 2014 recipient of The Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award. The Award is given annually to only one private school teacher in the DC area who exemplifies excellence in their profession. Agnes Meyer, a staunch supporter and defender of education, was the wife of Eugene Meyer, who purchased the Post in 1933. The award recognizes excellence in teaching and encourages creative and quality instruction. It is given to educators who contribute in substantive ways to the improvement of education in the Washington metropolitan area. 

Lynn is featured in The Washington Post Magazine Education issue. Additionally, she will receive a monetary award and will be honored at an awards ceremony at The Washington Post on Tuesday, May 13. In response to winning the award, Lynn writes “It is such an honor to share my love of learning with the students and families at Primary Day. I am truly honored to have been nominated for this award by Primary Day and am so humbled to have won.” Please visit the Washington Post website to read more about the award and Mrs. Najaka.

As a culminating activity in their study of Colonial America, our Second Graders participated in Colonial Trunk Day activities. Colonial Trunk Day, coordinated and staffed by Second Grade parents , included a display of historical artifacts followed by 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 were treated to a special performance by Tammy Turner today at our Peace and Freedom Beako. Tammy is a local recording artist who has performed all over the world. She performed "What A Wonderful World" with the help of the students and accompanied the whole community on our final song, "We Shall Overcome." 

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

In conjunction with their study of Native Americans, our Kindergarten students took a field trip last week to the National Museum of the American Indian. They had a wonderful time and particularly enjoyed their time in the ImagiNations Activity Center!

Witches, goblins, ghosts, and more were at Primary Day this week to celebrate Halloween. We had no tricks, only wonderful treats!

Please join us for Beako's Book Fair and Fall Festival. The Book Fair is held on October 24 (2:00-3:15pm), October 25 (8:00-9:00am and 2:00-3:15pm), and October 26 (10:00am - 2:00pm). The Fall Festival is on October 26 (10:00am - 2:00pm).  You may register for the Fall Festival in advance either by sending your form and check to school or online by October 21, 2013. 

Beako has been making the rounds with Mrs. Geppert this week to meet/remeet all the students and to remind them about his Golden Rule!

PDS's Backpack Project went off without a hitch! In late spring, with parents' and staff's gracious donations, children helped to fill 30 brand-new backpacks with school supplies. On August 28, with the support of 4 of our students as well as a few older siblings, PDS, along with the Backpack Project, Inc., helped to personally give 30 students from Ketchum Elementary School in Washington DC, their very own brand new backpack. The Ketchum students and staff were thrilled with our donation and indicated that we were the first school whose students actually participated in the distribution of the backpacks. We look forward to supporting the Backpack Project, Inc. again next year.

The Second Graders had a wonderful time with Valerie Tripp, author of many American Girl books. Ms. Tripp shared stories of her life, explained the writing process, and encouraged our young writers. It was quite a treat!

As the culminating activities in their study of Colonial America, our Second Graders enthusiastically participated in Colonial Day activities and presented a Colonial Music Program.

The Colonial Days, coordinated and staffed by Second Grade parents , included a display of historical artifacts followed by 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.

The Second Graders arrived at school on Thursday, dressed in colonial attire for their Colonial Music Program.   The audience delighted in the presentation of colonial songs, dances and childhood singing games.

According to our teachers,the children had a wonderful time writing Seuss-inspired poetry and enjoying Seuss treats on Friday!

Pre-K made Green Eggs and Ham to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. First Graders measured with nonstandard units using their feet to go with The Foot Book! Second Graders and their Kindergarten book buddies celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading books, making Thing and Thing 2 hats together, and snacking on one fish two fish red fish blue fish…Swedish fish of course! Fun was had by all!

Spirit week is in full force. Everyone has gotten in on the action on Sock Day, Primary Colors Day, and Pajama Day.Tomorrow is Disco day and we can't wait to see the outfits that come through the door! We're sure to be wowed.

After a fabulous week of hunting, setting traps, and learning all about the Primary Day building, our newest students found those wily Gingerbread Men. Now there is nothing left to do but eat them!

Primary Day students, parents and faculty recently delighted in "Viva Mexico!," a musical culmination of the Kindergarten unit on Mexico.  The program included dances, presentations and songs in Spanish and English.   The Kindergartners celebrated with a Mexican feast following the program.  Art projects completed during the unit included woven placements, vases containing paper flowers, the outfits the children wore during the program, and cactus paintings, pyramids and parrots which served as stage decorations. The unit also included Spanish lessons, the study of Mexican culture, geography, agriculture, customs and money. Another favorite activity was the Fruit Market created at school, where the children ordered a wide variety of fruit, in Spanish, and paid for their order in pesos.

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.

For twenty years Primary Day families have generously provided holiday gifts for the children served by Chapel Forge Center in Bowie, Maryland. This year's donations included hundreds of new and gently used toys, books and articles of clothing.   The response to this year’s collection was overwhelming and served to remind us all that small individual actions truly do make a difference.