Harford Day School

Private School

Harford Day School in Bel Air began in 1957 in a rented schoolhouse with 30 students and four classrooms. More than 50 years later it has become a dynamic school of 330 students in three grade-level divisions on a 12 acre campus.

Part of the independent day school’s mission statement says, “Harford Day School strives to develop confidence through acceptance, success through labor, and independent thinking through a rich, extensive, and challenging curriculum.”

Although the school supplies a stellar education to its Pre-K through eighth grade students, the curriculum extends far beyond academics. Head of School Su Harris says, “We certainly have high expectations for our students academically, but we have equally high expectations for our students in terms of social responsibility.”

“We certainly have high expectations for our students academically, but we have equally high expectations for our students in terms of social responsibility.”

Every grade level participates in different service projects within Harford Day and out in the community, with the ultimate purpose of fostering a deep and lasting sense of responsibility.

“It’s more than just bringing in canned goods,” Mrs. Harris says. “We have a broad range of organizations that we partner with so the children begin to see that, throughout their lives, they have a responsibility to contribute to the world in some way.”

Harford Day students are also immersed in the arts. Every year for the past decade the school has hosted an artist in residence, and each fall it features smARTS Week, held in conjunction with the school’s arts festival. Regular middle school classes are suspended for three days while the children participate in a variety of art classes and projects led by teachers, local artists and parents.

The performing arts play a big role as well. Director of Advancement Donna Decker says, “Each class does a play or musical which tends to be a highlight of the year for that class.” The sixth, seventh and eighth graders perform an annual musical together, which in recent years has included Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. The fifth graders performed the play Tom Sawyer this year.

Field trips augment many classroom lessons, while infusing an age-appropriate level of fun into the learning process. “We really pride ourselves on taking field trips that complement our curriculum,” says Middle School Head Katy Dallam.

Sixth graders studying medieval history visit New York City to tour the Cloisters, medieval structures rebuilt on the Hudson to house medieval art. The trip includes a visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to view Gothic architecture. During their spring unit on American history, the eighth grade travels to Monticello, the Charlottesville, Virginia estate of Thomas Jefferson.

When it’s time to buckle down, students receive thorough instruction on successfully completing big projects. They are taught, for instance, how to break down a research paper into smaller steps and learn how to approach each individual step so the final product is one of high quality.

The rich, well-rounded and carefully crafted academic experience provided by Harford Day prepares every student in many practical ways for high school, college and the rest of their lives.

Harford Day School
715 Moores Mill Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
410-838-4848

www.harfordday.org

Pictured: Harford Day School students in the middle school science lab
Photography: Coyle Studios