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"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
-Seneca
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Head of School's Reflection
The end of the school year is always bittersweet. As we bid farewell to beloved teachers, students, classes, and one another, we also look forward to new beginnings and adventures ahead. As hard as it is to say good-bye, it is comforting to know that no matter where we all are in the world, we will always be part of the Redeemer family!
Happy summer to all!
Warmly,
Mary
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Day School Chaplain, Rebecca Ogus
Dear PDS community,
It has been a joy and a privilege to serve as Chaplain at Redeemer’s Parish Day School for the past four years. In September, my family and I will move to Hampshire, in England, where my husband has accepted a research position at the University of Southampton. We are excited about the opportunity and adventure ahead of us – and we are filled with all kinds of bittersweet emotions about leaving our community in Baltimore, including Redeemer and PDS.
During my first year as chaplain at PDS, we met for chapel every week on the lawn between the garden and the third grade learning cottage, outside like the rest of PDS classes and activities to try and keep one another safe as we navigated the pandemic. Even in that new and different space, we held on to some of the parts of chapel the students identified as important: lighting candles, receiving and blessing chapel food, and telling stories about God. “Give a big wave around chapel,” I said every week at the beginning of the service, “because it is so good to be here together.” Any time where we could all be together was a gift.
Now it is the spring of 2024 and the class of Pre-First graders I met in 2020 are graduating from third grade. Chapel has moved inside and we now have two services, one for our 2/3s-Pre First graders on Wednesdays and one for elementary schoolers on Mondays. During Wednesday chapel we still light candles (much more easily without wind); we still receive and bless chapel food; and we still tell stories about God together. During Monday chapel, students serve as acolytes, we have an order of service, and each class takes turns writing and sharing prayers for the week. On Mondays the older children pass the Peace to one another, but on Wednesdays I open our service with the same phrase: “Give a big wave around chapel, because it is so good to be here together.” It is still so true.
Gathering each week of the school year with PDS students has been a gift. Learning from their questions about God and faith, their wonder, and the empathy and feeling they share with characters in our sacred stories has made me a better priest, a more curious and thoughtful person. Whatever I go on to do, our prayer and laughter and curiosity and praise will always be a foundational part of my ministry, and I could not be more grateful. And it’s not just me. Our entire community is enlivened and enriched by our relationship with PDS, their staff, students, and families: new voices in the building, new relationships beyond our campus. We have been and continue to be blessed (by God and by the hard work of many people over the last 70+ years) to have a school as a part of our parish community. It is so good to be here together.
PDS is on my mind this week because Wednesday was our last chapel of the year. On Monday, our very first class of third graders will graduate, with Pomp and Circumstance on the organ and an entire community changed by the experience. Please keep these 11 members of our Redeemer community in your prayers on Monday, over the summer, and in the fall: Miranda, Joaquin, Ben, Maddie, Sam, Blythe, Leland, Nathan, Emily, Will, and Jack. As they set out to new schools and new adventures, may they may continue to grow and bless their new communities the way they have blessed ours. May they remember that they will always have a home here at Redeemer. And may they carry our love with them, surrounded by the love of God, the friendship of Jesus, and the wisdom of the Spirit everywhere they go.
Love,
Rebecca+
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BLAZING A TRAIL!
Redeemer is proud to be Baltimore's only full early learning experience, serving students ages 2 through 3rd grade. Click here to learn more about our model!
Admissions at Redeemer
We have a few remaining spots in some of our classes for the 2024-2025 school year. We appreciate you spreading the word about our unique model and program. Please consider forwarding this communication to families who might be interested in learning more about Redeemer.
Year-end Tax Statements
Learn how to access payer year-end tax statements that include a summary of all transactions in 2023. Click here for more information.
Pedal for Pediatrics @ Redeemer
Congratulations to our riders, and thank you to our supporters! We raised $9,347 this year to help fight childhood cancers!
Upcoming Events
Monday, June 3: Third Grade Graduation
10:00 AM
Church of the Redeemer
Reception immediately follows - Church Courtyard
Monday, June 3: All School 11:45 Dismissal
Faculty Meeting
No afternoon programs or RED
Tuesday, June 4: June Jamboree
9:15 AM
Church of the Redeemer
Summer break begins after the service.
Monday, June 10: Redeemer Summer Camp Begins
Click here to access our school calendar.
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Monthly PDS Values
Be a Redeemer Kid through...
The Best of Values!
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What's happening in the classrooms? |  | |
Second Grade with Mrs. Sheckells
May felt bittersweet in the second-grade cottage. As we close our second-grade chapter, we reflect on all of the good that has come our way this year. We began May with two out-of-this-world performances of The Little Mermaid Jr. Each student fell into their role seamlessly and brought it to life on stage in their own unique way. Every individual’s talent shone bright on our Parish Hall stage. The Little Mermaid gave our class more than just the chance to sing and dance. It gave us the experience of being part of a team, finding passions in more than just academics, and new friendships that we may not have had before. In math, we practiced repeated addition and arrays, preparing us to multiply in 3rd grade. We created beautiful murals using only geometric shapes to make 2nd Grade’s Big Book of Geometric Murals. Fundations helped us to continue to grow our reading and writing skills as we practiced more vowel teams, trick words, new spelling patterns, and proper sentence structure. In social studies, we learned about some of the first presidents of the United States. We created interactive notebooks to help us understand the Government and Citizens of the United States. This month, we say farewell to our cottage and our 2nd grade routines. We welcomed the first graders into second grade with a lovely picnic and handwritten letters. We shared our favorite things about second grade and offered support to nervous, rising second graders. We took a trip to the 3rd grade class where we got the opportunity to have a Q&A session over snacks. The 3rd graders shared some advice about 3rd grade and gave sneak peaks at all the special opportunities they will have as the leaders of the school. While we are sad to leave 2nd grade, we are so excited for the opportunities and experiences that we will have in 3rd grade. Farewell second grade, hello rising third graders! I am so proud of how much you all have grown!
Find out what's happening in all our classes.
CLICK HERE!
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Blooming Art and Potter @ PDS were a huge success this spring. Our budding artists were busy making story rocks, windmills, planting and growing grass and beans, learning about chlorophyll, bees and butterflies as well as creating nature mobiles. Meanwhile, our witches and wizards were busy building Hogwarts castle out of blocks, crafting with clay beads and tie-dying socks. They enjoyed playing Quidditch, “Whomping Willow” and going on a scavenger hunt.
It was another exciting year of Enrichment @ Redeemer. We offered 2 classes each season to children in the pre-k through 3rd grade. Thank you to Kristie Burkett, Melanie Baker, Jen Arrup, Jen Barta, Noemie Fiske and Katie Schroeder for their hard work and dedication to the program. We are excited about the opportunities to come!
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Even as we wind down for the year, our school community continues to be busy learning while having fun! The pre-k classes traveled by bus to see Arts on Stage @ Goucher College perform "Rosie Revere Engineer & Friends." Our first graders were thrilled to finally meet their Govans Neighbor Pals in person for our annual outdoor scavenger hunt and playdate. Second Grade prepared their final family style lunch for first graders, welcoming them to the cottage, second grade, and a the upcoming school year. Our elementary students performed, "The Little Mermaid" to rave reviews. We are so proud of their courage, growth, and teamwork! Our pre-first and kindergarten students celebrated all they have accomplished this year during the annual Publishing Party! They showcased individual and class books, and it was remarkable to see their amazing progress. Last week, the pre-k corridor came alive as an interactive under the sea exhibit. Our budding oceanographers welcomed parents to teach them all about the wonders of the ocean! Finally, the End of Year Picnic and Teacher Appreciation Week were both testaments to the incredible spirit of the Day School community. We have had an amazing year of learning and growth and all look forward to a fun summer ahead! | |
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Ready for some fun? We have two different camp options this summer!
Play & Grow Camp has 6 one-week sessions for 2-6 year-olds. This camp experience is filled with exciting themes, friendships, exploration, creativity, outdoor fun and so much more! Click here to register for Play & Grow Camp!
CamP-123 is a full-day camp for rising pre-first, first, second and third graders, June 17-21. This week will be filled with fun, friendships, exploration, imagination, creativity, wonder, teambuilding and everything in between. CamP-123 will be an adventure you do not want to miss. Click here to register for CamP-123!
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