Dear Harbor Families,

At Harbor, we had a joyful and purposeful celebration of Earth Day this week, with learning experiences that invited students to think deeply about caring for our environment.

Our third graders took their learning beyond the classroom by picking up trash in the surrounding area and creatively reusing plastic bags to design new items - kites, jump ropes, and even parachutes. In Preschool 4, students built a model of the Chesapeake Bay and explored what happens when pollution enters a healthy ecosystem, observing how the water changed color and developed a film on the surface. Our Junior Kindergarten students read The Lorax and created models of the Earth using Model Magic and playdough, bringing their understanding to life through art. Across the school, students engaged in art and makerspace projects using recycled materials - an ongoing practice that reflects our commitment to both sustainability and art integration.

A highlight of the week was our Used Book Sale, a wonderful example of reuse in action. Families donated books from their home libraries, and our third graders took the lead in organizing and running the sale. They are excited to share the results in their own words:

The third grade is sooo excited to use the money to buy books for the library. They would like to  pick out books for future grades and Cooper is working with Ms. Brenda to make labels that say "donated by the class of 2026"! So far we have raised $439.00!

To cap off our week of environmental focus, we look forward to welcoming you tomorrow morning for the final day of the book sale. We’re calling the event “Brews and Browse” and we’ll have coffee (not beer, in case anyone was wondering!) and breakfast treats - and time to connect as a community while browsing for books.

Following the sale, we invite you to a special performance by our third graders at 9:30 AM downstairs. With the guidance of our wonderful music teacher, Ms. Wilson, students have written, organized, created props and sets, and rehearsed an original play that they are eager to share with you and the entire school community.

We hope to see you there!

Warmly,

Leah Musico
Head of School