Harford Day School
| Harford Day School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
Bel Air, MD USA | |
| Coordinates | 39°32′58″N 76°20′48″W / 39.54944°N 76.34667°WCoordinates: 39°32′58″N 76°20′48″W / 39.54944°N 76.34667°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Co-ed, Day |
| Established | 1957 |
| Principal | Dr. Gray Smith |
| Campus | 12 acres (49,000 m2) |
| Color(s) | Blue and Green |
| Mascot | Dexter The Dragon |
| Website | www.harfordday.org |
Harford Day School is an independent educational institution in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland which is known for its dedicated faculty, strong philosophies, impressive academic record, and superior athletic program. Harford Day School is accredited by AIMS and a member of NAIS.
The school was founded in 1957 by three women: Sara Brumfield, Sydney Poor, and Mignon Cameron, the wife of a local judge. The school initially occupied a rented building on Hays Street in Bel Air before moving to its current location on Moores Mill Road in 1962. Harford Day School enrolls boys and girls in grades pre-kindergarten through eight on a 12-acre (49,000 m2) campus in Bel Air, MD. The campus comprises a Lower School building with an attached gymnasium and library, which also houses the school's administrative offices, a Middle School building, a 12,600-square-foot (1,170 m2) wing that includes a multi-purpose room and 2 science labs, a Kindergarten building, two playgrounds, three athletic fields, and a small wooded area beside Moores Mill Road.
The school is divided into two divisions: Lower and Middle.
As of the 2015-2016 school year, the Head of School is Dr. Gray Smith. The division heads are currently:
- Middle School (Grades 6-8) : Dr. William Matsuzaki
- Lower Division (Grades Pre-K to 5): Mrs. Ashleigh Wilkes
The school teaches Science, Mathematics, History, English grammar and literature, along with three foreign languages. Students are introduced to the Spanish language in pre-kindergarten, and all students take Spanish classes through the third grade. In fourth grade, students then decide whether to continue with French or Spanish from fourth through eighth grade. A Japanese class is available for sixth graders. A Latin class is also offered to excelling students in the eighth grade.
Spring Musical
One of the largest events in Harford Day's Middle School is the annual spring musical. The musical became a yearly event in 2000 after a generous contribution to the program by the family of Lyn Stacie Getz '81. An award for outstanding achievement in the performing arts is given in Lyn Stacie Getz's name to an eighth grader at the end of each school year. Each year, the musical has been as follows:
- 1995 - The Wizard of Oz
- 1996 - Oliver!
- 2000 - Annie
- 2001 - The Wizard of Oz
- 2002 - The Music Man
- 2003 - Guys and Dolls
- 2004 - Bye Bye Birdie
- 2005 - The Sound of Music
- 2006 - Aladdin
- 2007 - Once Upon a Mattress
- 2008 - Fiddler on the Roof
- 2009 - The King and I
- 2010 - Beauty and the Beast
- 2011 - Oklahoma!
- 2012 - Annie
- 2013 - The Little Mermaid
- 2014 - Peter Pan
- 2015 - Crazy For You
- 2016 - Bye Bye Birdie
Graduation Speakers
- 2002 - Chris Norman, world-renowned flautist.
- 2004 - Johnny Holliday, Maryland Terrapins announcer and grandfather of one of the members of the graduating class.
- 2005 - Norm Lewis, chief meteorologist at ABC2
- 2006 - Kendel Ehrlich, wife of former Maryland governor Robert Ehrlich.
- 2007- Carlos Watson, host of the syndicated television show "Conversations With Carlos"
- 2011- Jenny Thompson, most decorated Olympic swimmer
- 2014- Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, Director of the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center