Press Release: Washington Elementary School Celebrates Colonial Day

For an entire school day, October 18, students, faculty, staff and parent volunteers will travel back in time and experience life as it was in America’s colonial era.  Once every three years, Washington School holds Colonial Day.  The normal curriculum is replaced with a full day of colonial era activities, performances and food.  All students, faculty and volunteers dress in period clothing.

The day will begin with a “town crier” reading a proclamation naming October 18th Colonial Day.  As the children assemble in the gym for the opening ceremony, volunteers dressed as the founding fathers will be on stage recreating the writing of the Declaration of Independence while another volunteer, dressed as Betsy Ross, works on the first American flag. After the proclamation, the students will recite the pledge of allegiance, and members of the Summit High School band will be playing fife and drum.

Following the opening ceremonies, the students will participate in activities and chores reminiscent of the colonial era.  Children will engage in candle-making, tin-smithing, churning butter, pressing cider, stenciling, cross-stitching and yarn making.  In addition, they will play games from colonial times, and will see horses pulling a plow outside.  Children will also be sampling food that was common in the 1700s, such as spiral ham, fresh turkey breast, corn muffins and cider.  

“Colonial day is a wonderful tradition here at Washington School.  It enables our students to learn, hands-on, what it would have been like to have lived in Colonial America.  I wish we could hold colonial day each year, but because it is such an enormous undertaking, it really is only possible to have it once every three years,” said Lauren Banker, principal, Washington School.  

In addition to the myriad activities, students will see a reenactment of everyday life in 1730’s Pennsylvania from the view point of a female, indentured servant.  There will also be presentation detailing traditional Lenape life in the Eastern Woodlands.   The performance will explore everyday village activities and the roles of men, women, and children within the family and community.  Drawings and photographs depicting how the Lenape dressed, built shelters, grew crops, fished, hunted, cooked, made tools and weapons and more will be on display.  Students in grades 3 through 5 will learn about the American Revolution from the vantage point of a colonial aristocrat.  

At a closing assembly, children will learn a colonial dance, and sing patriotic songs.  As students exit the building at the end of the day, Yankee Doodle will be playing, and each will bring home a small, original, 13-star colonial flag.
“What makes Colonial Day so special is the amount of time and energy the entire Washington School community devote to making it a reality.  

Parents, grandparents, and local residents volunteer not only their time, but also unique talents to take us all back to the 1700s for a day.  Families and friends of our school also donate a majority of the food, supplies and equipment needed.  It is really a remarkable effort by so many,” explains Ms. Banker.
Colonial Day is planned and operated by The Washington School PTO, in cooperation with the staff, faculty and community.  Colonial Day has been a tradition at Washington School since 1994.