Ten years ago, St. Patrick's began its first summer as a Horizons Greater Washington (HGW) member, working with students from a Washington, D.C. public elementary school. Part of a large national network that provides a summer-based intervention to help students from low-income families continue learning at a time when they might otherwise experience a decline in their academic development, Horizons Greater Washington provides an essential service through the power of a public-private partnership. St. Patrick's is proud to be an HGW member, along with fellow independent schools Maret and Norwood, and to offer this six-week program of academic and recreational activities.

The rapid acceleration of the Whitehaven Campus driveway and sidewalk reconstruction project has closed access to the main Day School entrance. Fortunately, this disruption has occurred during the time period when the School Office is closed for the weeks of August 6 and August 13. However, if you are planning to meet any administrators or administrative staff on the Whitehaven Campus, please keep in touch with them so that they can help you gain access to the building. We continue to anticipate completion of the reconstruction project, which will resolve subsurface stormwater management issues, in time for the start of the new school year.

A lucky group of Summer at St. Patrick's students have been spending the week making their own books under the guidance of St. Patrick's librarian Jamila Felton. Beyond being an outstanding librarian, Ms. Felton is a poet and bookmaker. For two weeks this summer, she has been leading children on an exciting exploration of book arts and creative writing. Campers are learning elements of art and writing along with a variety of bookbinding techniques.

This week, campers are exploring abstract art in Art Is Alive, imagining, creating, sharing, and making beautiful books under Ms. Felton's direction! Enjoy a few photos of the campers in action in the library of our beautiful MacArthur Campus.

St. Patrick's is partnering with the Yale Club of Washington, D.C. to host a discussion about race.