News
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Hope
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School Each year at about this time, I am reminded of a small, eye-catching collage-like creation that the beloved art teacher at one of my earlier schools made for me and my family. It became a touchstone that I gazed at frequently during the holiday season and that…
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The Gift of Gratitude
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School What is the most memorable way that someone has ever showed you they cared about you? Think about it for a minute. That was one of the questions raised during a talk presented at the Elementary School Heads Association annual meeting I attended in DC on Friday…
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“How America Got Mean” vs. PDS Values
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School From time to time I come across evidence that what we do at Primary Day has larger implications than I perceived. This weekend I had such an experience as I read a complex piece from the September issue of The Atlantic that at its heart validates the creation of our…
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Striving Towards a Growth Mindset & Savoring
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School Cooler days with dew on the grass, the scent of fresh mowing aloft, and the need to close windows at night signaled the start of a new year when I was an elementary student and walked with my sister and our friends to our school in our…
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Practicing PDS Values Over the Summer
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School In a few days you will receive a link to a PDS webpage that will host a wealth of summer academic learning resources, from math activities to reading suggestions, for each of our grade levels. Our classroom teachers and resource team have gathered these resources because we know…
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The Lure and Language of Nature
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School As summer nears, one of its draws for me is the chance to spend unhurried time in nature. The lure of the island 12 miles off the coast of Maine that I have visited each summer for almost 4 decades becomes palpable once Graduation passes. Writers, poets,…
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Developing Helpfulness in Children
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School This past Sunday I found myself thinking about the “royal treatment” my sister Nina and I would devote to my mother many, many years ago on Mother’s Day. We delighted in making and serving breakfast, doing the dishes, helping in her beloved garden, and performing various chores…
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The Balm of Empathy
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School As I have thought over time about the many divisions that exist in our country, I have come to believe there is something we parents and educators must and can do for the sake of our children and the future of our world: a better job of teaching empathy…
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The Unending Human Cost of School Shooting
Primary Thoughts Neil Mufson, Head of School Earlier this week I wrote to you about some of the steps we have taken and are considering at Primary Day to make the campus as safe as possible from intruders. What those steps don’t account for, though, is the human toll of the 129 mass shootings…