Dear Harbor Families,

I hope your family had a wonderful time at the Smokey Glen Picnic! With the months of planning behind it and the fun activities we had organized, I knew it would be fun - but it truly was a blast! There is nothing like spending time in a beautiful setting with a community of people with a shared mission, while celebrating an important milestone. And, as so many of you commented after watching the rainy forecast for the weekend, the weather held out for us and was perfect for a fall picnic!

We were so pleased to have hosted almost 250 guests, including former faculty, former families, and Board members - in addition to most of our current community. Between the hayrides, pumpkin painting, great food, face painting, and group games, it was such a special day for Harbor. If you haven’t seen the posts of old Smokey Glen picnics on Instagram yet, you should definitely check them out. It’s a long-held tradition that was discontinued a few years ago, and now I can’t imagine not having it every year!

A huge thank you goes out to the members of our 50th Anniversary Planning Committee - Jamie Danielson, Maria Cohen, Andrea Zuraf, Dana Riley, Nikki Sumpter, Shivonne Jones, Darbi Shanker, Naomi Senkeeto, Nikki Cohen (who supplied the pumpkins), Melanie Pellegrini (who provided the balloon and marquis 50 display as well as the flowers on the tables), and Oliver Baron (who, with Chad Jones, facilitated a rousing game of Tug of War). A very special thanks goes to the Baron family for supplementing the cost of the food, as ticket prices did not cover our cost to Smokey Glen.

Although there are plenty of other community events between now and then, the 50th Anniversary Committee is excited to turn our attention now to planning the 50th Anniversary Gala and Auction, which will be held on the evening of April 13th in downtown Bethesda at the beautiful KID Museum, which is so fitting to our purpose! We are so grateful for the opportunity to host such a special event at an incredible location! (If only my own 50th, happening next year, could be celebrated in such a fashion - hint hint, Bill Musico…)

As we begin to build momentum in planning for the Gala, we could use help from the community in several ways:

• Volunteer to Help: We are looking for people who are able to support the Gala and Auction on the Planning Committee! Email hspa@theharborschool.org if you are able to help!

• Get Your Business Involved: If you have a business (or just want to support the Gala personally), consider sponsorship of the event. Click here to learn more.

• Donate an Auction Item: If you have an item or service you would like to offer to include in the auction, please let us know at hspa@theharborschool.org. 

• Join the Party: Most importantly, mark your calendar for the evening of April 13th!

Happy birthday to Harbor!

Warm regards,

Leah Musico
Head of School
The Harbor School