Three Golden Anniversaries and a Centennial
Nov 17, 2011
Four of Independent Education’s 85 member schools are celebrating anniversary milestones. Maret School, the oldest of the group, is marking its centennial year with a full calendar of celebrations, including two events that the school held the first weekend in October—a symposium of noted experts discussing the dynamics of change and a gala at the National Building Museum. The school got its start in 1911 as the brainchild of three sisters from Geneva, Switzerland—Martha, Louise, and Jeanne Maret—who decided to found an internationally-oriented school in the nation’s capital. In 1952, Maret School moved to its current location, the centerpiece of which is the Woodley house, built in 1801 by Philip Barton Key, the uncle of Francis Scott Key. Today, diversity and inclusivity remain hallmarks of the school’s mission.
Three other Independent Education member schools first opened their doors in 1961. Sandy Spring Friends School was started at the urging of Brooke Moore, who believed that there was need for a school that would focus on educating the whole person—in body and spirit as well as in mind. Sandy Spring Friends School continues to pursue this mission, determined—in the words of Thomas Gibian, Head of School—“to honor Quaker values and to see that of God within each of us.” As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the school held a ceremony on November 15 rededicating the newly-renovated Scott House.
Likewise, Connelly School of the Holy Child was founded in 1961 with a goal of fostering service to others and respect for the individual. The school is part of a broader network of Holy Child Schools, which have grown out of the work of Cornelia Connelly (1809-1879) to promote a compassionate vision for the education of young women. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion weekend at the beginning of October.
Aidan Montessori School started out in 1961 as a mothers’ study group practicing the Montessori educational model. The school has grown from its modest beginnings in a basement to its current building in Woodley Park but continues to serve the same mission of fostering a love of learning. At a party on October 16, the school marked its 50th birthday. The school will also host a gala dinner on April 4, 2012.
To find out more about Independent Education’s 85 member schools, please visit the Our Schools page of our website.