Bullis School second graders on a canoe trip encounter a frog. Photo Contributed
How far The Bullis School has come since it was launched in 1930 as a one-year preparatory boarding school for high school graduates. Initially founded to prepare young men for service academy entrance exams, it opened in the former Bolivian Embassy at 1303 New Hampshire Ave. As enrollment increased, Bullis relocated in 1935 to the “country setting” of 4.5 wooded acres at Cedar Avenue and Houston Street in Silver Spring (now known as Bullis Park). Headmaster and founder, Captain Willliam F. Bullis and his wife, Lois Bullis totally ran the school; they taught the classes, cooked the meals, managed the bookkeeping — and took care of all the building maintenance.
By 1962, the flourishing school had outgrown the Silver Spring campus. The Bullis family and the board of trustees purchased 80 acres of farmland at the current school site in then-rural Potomac. The move to the Potomac campus began in 1964 with the completion of South Hall. Students — and hot lunches — were bused between the two campuses for the transitional years — and the school completely moved to Potomac in 1969. By that time, Bullis encompassed grades 7-12 and in 1972, a fifth and sixth grade became the Lower School. The first female students enrolled in 1981 with 20 graduating in 1983. Fourth grade was added in 1992 and 3rd grade in 1994 — and then 2nd grade.
In September, 2017, with the addition of 1st grade and kindergarten, the school will encompass all school grades — making it one of a few Montgomery County private schools to offer a complete curriculum. Thus students can begin their schooling at Bullis and remain in the same school throughout elementary, middle and high school.
Lower School Principal Margaret Andreadis is pleased that the school is expanding to include kindergarten and first grade classes. “Next year, we will add 10 first graders and 10 kindergarten students,” she said. “We want to start small and get it right. We have had a great response from parents who are excited that their children will now be able to begin their schooling at Bullis for these important primary grades. Jeff Alexander, one of our current 2nd grade teachers will be teaching the first grade class and we are interviewing for the kindergarten teacher position now.”
“The Lower School will include Grades K – 5 and it will be a very close-knit community. We plan to incorporation socialization as well as academics and extra-curriculars across grade levels. Our classes will ideally be quite small so students will have their STEM, art, PE, music, drama and other experiences with students across the elementary grades.”
Alexander has a long history of teaching first grade students — and is delighted to be returning to the first-grade classroom. He said, “I taught first grade for 20 years — 14 at Sidwell Friends and three at the Marin County Day School in California, two at Bank Street School for Children and one at Potomac School.”
Alexander has built his curriculum for many years — and it is always changing with the student abilities and needs. “I work towards what I want the students to have at the end of the school year — to understand concepts, to go from the concrete to the abstract, to develop good numerical sense and to communicate in speaking and writing. I teach the kids to select good books and to read independently. I love experiential learning and taking them to the C&O Canal to really experience nature, ecology and to appreciate the outdoors. I believe that learning should be fun, engaging and challenging and that the students should have the opportunity to be active agents in their learning.”
He added, “Teaching this age group is exhilarating because there is an incredible range among the kids and the children are so different from the beginning of the year to the end. It is a great joy to see the growth. It’s also just fun being goofy and laughing with them.”
Melissa Hausfeld, parent of a Bullis second-grade student, said, “The addition of the kindergarten and first grade programs are part of a natural evolution for Bullis. Small class sizes and individualized attention are ideal for the formative primary years.”
“Today Bullis is known for its exceptional progressive teachers and individualized academic instruction,” said Hausfeld. “A prime example is Jeff Alexander, the current second grade teacher. Mr. Alexander knows a crucial piece to teaching is observing and listening to each student. Every child possesses a unique approach to learning, development and problem solving. Utilizing this information, Mr. Alexander provides captivating customized lessons that the students truly connect to, maximizing their comprehension and understanding of the material. Students are enthusiastically engaged and immersed in the classroom by Mr. Alexander's thoughtful teaching techniques. We've personally witnessed how this positive learning environment results in academic success, while fostering self-esteem, independence and a love of learning.”
To learn more about the first-grade and kindergarten classes at Bullis, contact Andreadis at Margaret_Andreadis@bullis.org or call her at 301-634-6375.