Someone Special Juice & Paint Night at Washington

The Washington Primary School Family Engagement Committee hit a grand slam with this week’s “Someone Special Juice & Paint Night.” Principal Dr. Michelle J. Richards called the evening “heartwarming” and she wasn’t wrong.

Students and their families enjoyed juice and snacks, creativity and quality “together” time while collaborating on a special art project.

Each child and their “someone special” painted on two separate canvases designed to fit together, symbolizing connection and teamwork. The evening celebrated creativity, collaboration and the meaningful bonds between students and their families; resulting in one shared masterpiece and lots of cherished memories.

Art teacher Nicholas Matarazzo facilitated the hybrid guided and self-creation paint activity. “Families were engaged and left the event overjoyed,” Dr. Richards.

Washington Primary School opened in September 1954 and parent engagement has always been an important aspect of the building’s educational program. Hundreds of students flooded into Washington on its first day.

An estimated 35,000-plus students have moved through Washington’s classrooms over the past 72 years. In 1956, enrollment totaled 383 children or about 28 students per class. The following year more than 400 youngsters attended classes in the 13-room school. Officials knew that enrollment was soon to increase significantly.

During a meeting on January 7, 1958, the Huntington School Board approved the idea of adding a new wing to Washington, Southdown and Flower Hill schools at a combined cost of $800,000. Taxpayers approved the bond issue in April of that year. However, a variety of factors resulted in work falling significantly behind schedule.

When school opened in September 1958 without the benefit of the new instructional space, Washington’s 550 students had to “double-up” in existing rooms and even the gym and cafeteria were used as regular classroom teaching stations. Washington’s new wing housed classes for the first time on November 24, 1958.

When construction was finally complete, each building had 19 classrooms for grades 1-6, two kindergarten rooms (kindergarten was then offered in split morning and afternoon half-day sessions), two smaller music rooms, a combination gym/auditorium and a cafeteria, in addition to a main office, nurse’s office, faculty room and kitchen facilities.

Most people are surprised to learn that Washington’s enrollment reached an all-time high of 629 in June 1962. The school regularly housed more than 500 students through most of its first 25 years of service to the community.

The debt incurred to build Washington School was completely paid off during the 1982/83 school year. Each building consists of 39,600 square feet of space.