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PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL JOURNAL WINTER 1976 PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL JOURNAL W in t e r , 1976 Vol. 8, No. 1 1 From The Headmaster E ditors: Douglas O. McClure Phillips B. vanDusen 2 The Princeton Day School Parents’ Association Virginia H. Taylor Barbara H. Johnson Markell M. Shriver ’46 5 Two-Way Street Mar)r Murdoch and Adela Wilmerding 7 Parents And Advisors Lawrence Q. Kuser 9 A Student View Jeb Bums 76 10 Chris Reeve ’70 11 Challenge Grant and Annual Fund 12 Some Reunion Classes 13 Frances Markley Roberts 14 The Fall Sports Scene Phillips B. vanDusen 16 Alumni Children 17 Commencement 18 Alumni Notes Photo Credits: Debbie Fath ’76, front and back covers; Mark Burrows ’77, page 1; Benjamin Reeve ’71, pages 3, 10; Cory Fischer ’76, page 5; Andrea Avery ”77, page 7; Chris Jensen ’76, page 9; The Link, pages 13, 16; Eleanor Kuser ’76, top page 14; Anne Dennison ’77, bottom page 14, bottom page 15; Andrew Hildick-Smith '77, top page 15; Bob Denby, Front and back covers: Halloween Parade page 17; Julie Stabler ’76, bottom page 30 From The Headmaster . Douglas O. McClure To describe a school as a community is obviously playing. Their response underscored, as far as I was a truism, yet I know no better way to describe what concerned, how fortunate Princeton Day School is to a successful school really is. Its goals should reflect have reached that level of mutual support and under­ the agreement of all groups who are part of it about standing of how to function as a community which the what they want the school to be: that intangible factor variety of Parents’ Association activities represents. called “school spirit” can only emerge from active Larry Kuser’s article is, in many ways, further participation by evervone in the life of the school; and evidence of what is meant when the school is described any sense of pride that develops because of what the as a community. Bv stressing the importance of com­ school accomplishes ought to be a feeling shared bv munication between parents and the advisor it makes all those who have contributed to its efforts to realize clear the importance of sharing information and of its objectives. This means, in other words, commitment, cooperation if individual students are to benefit to the involvement, and satisfaction — the ingredients that degree that the school believes they should. At the are essential if a sense of community is to exist. While same time the commitment Princeton Day School there are certainlv moments when one or more of these expects from its faculty members to their counseling may not be present, it seems to me that most of the responsibilities as well as to their classroom roles is time for most of us who are a part of Princeton Day one more manifestation of our belief that the individual’s School this is an accurate description of what the needs must be met by using everv resource the com­ school does offer. munity can provide. The range and extent of the The articles in this issue of the Princeton Day School resources which Princeton Dav School does offer are Journal offer superb support for my belief. The efforts part of what make the school such an exciting place. of the Parents’ Association in general and individual Jeb Burns is one of the students who has not only parents such as Mary Murdoch and Adela Wilmerding taken advantage of this, but in the process realized in particular are eloquent testimony of how a school better than most what it is that the community can community can benefit from the active participation and does provide. In some wavs this may be of even of its parents in ways other than just paying tuition greater consequence than the involvement of the and contributing to the Annual Fund — as important parents and the commitment to advising and counseling as these are. At the session of the NAIS Convention that the faculty makes. Ultimately the school is here last spring when Mrs. Murdoch and Mrs. Wilmerding for its students, and only when they accept what it described their project, I was asked to introduce the offers, involve themselves in its life, and benefit from program by role-playing a skeptical headmaster who their experience does the goal of the school as a doesn’t want any help from parent volunteers: con­ community become realized. Not everv student can sidering them to be well-intentioned, but meddlesome, be expected to accomplish this in the way Jeb has. nuisances. It was astonishing how many heads of He does speak for a significant number of them, how­ schools who were present clearly did not regard what ever, and as a result helps all of us to realize how I was doing as setting up a straw man to be knocked important our continuing involvement in Princeton down, but instead accepted completely the role I was Dav School is and will be. 1 THE PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION Given its charge “to encourage communication, understanding and cooperation among the parents, faculty, trustees and pupils of Princeton Day School . and to further the welfare of the school,” and given almost 600 families to work with, it not only works, it has succeeded beyond expectations. the stated objective has remained exactly the same and by Barbara H. Johnson would be hard to improve upon: “to encourage com­ munication, understanding and cooperation among the parents, faculty, trustees and pupils of PDS, also be­ tween the school and the community, and to further the welfare of the school.” In a time when there is strong competition from many Thus the Parents’ Association is basically a service organizations for dollars and volunteer support; when organization in which parents voluntarily assume the volunteer work itself has a tarnished image; and, even responsibilities for numerous activities, all designed to more importantly, when many parents drive long dis­ help the School by relieving the faculty and adminis­ tances so that their children can attend Princeton Day tration of extraneous detail or to help the parents School, the Princeton Day School Parents’ Association become more knowledgeable and more comfortable is flourishing. It is estimated that more than two thirds within the School. As the parent body has become of the School’s 580 families participate in one way or diverse so have the activities of the Association, which another in the more than 20 volunteer activities, some range from the very formal (the Fashion Show and the supportive, some purely social and others for fund School Dance) to the informal (pot luck supper and raising, which are sponsored by the Association. square dance), from arranging sophisticated art exhibits The present Parents’ Association began as a Parent- in the school corridors to stapling and mailing the Teacher Association and was the result of a year-long monthlv Parent Bulletin. The leaders of the Parents’ study by a joint trustee-mandated committee consist­ Association have taken pains to involve the many out- ing of parents active in the Miss Fine’s School Parent of-Princeton and new families in the activities of the Association and in Princeton Countrv Day. The study organization and to nurture warmth and a sense of committee sent letters to 18 different schools request­ helpful friendliness in the School community as it has ing information on their parent associations, but in the grown. end the advice was jettisoned in favor of preserving From the beginning the Parents’ Association has what had worked best in each school. written letters to new students and held an Open House The original by-laws called for a structure which to introduce them and their parents to the building had two councils serving under one president. There the day before School opens. From the beginning, too, was a council for the Junior School, as the Middle and it has entertained new faculty, hosted Back-to-School Lower Schools were then called, and another for the nights for the three divisions and held class teas so upper four grades. A faculty representative elected that mothers could get to know each other and their from each section of the School and a trustee repre­ children’s faculty. The Parents’ Association also has sentative were included on the councils, as well as the traditionally served coffee and doughnuts at Father’s administrative heads of the School. Also on this some­ Visiting Day, arranged refreshments for athletic events what cumbersome executive bodv were two nominat­ and manned an emergency telephone tree. ing chairmen, one for each council, the class parents Today the governing body is a single executive appointed from each class by the nominating commit­ council presided over by the president and consisting tee, and a vestigial membership chairman appointed of two vice presidents, one for administration of Parents’ bvJ the officers. All the teachers were automaticallyJ Association activities and one who is in charge of a members, and parents or guardians became members large area of student, faculty and parent relations, by paying $2 in dues. Affiliated non-voting committees as well as the chairmen and vice chairmen of the Upper, included the Outgrown Shop, the Fair, the Festival Middle and Lower Schools, recording and correspond­ of the Arts, the Book Sale, the School Dance and the ing secretaries, treasurer and head of the nominating PDS News, a trustee-parent sponsored newspaper which committee. Parents or guardians are members upon is now supplanted by this Journal. payment of S4 in dues, which are voluntary but which Although the name and the structure have changed are billed rather than collected in person.

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