School Within School

Congratulations to the SWS Monarchs United for their DCIAA Championship win and undefeated soccer season! These 4th and 5th graders and their coaches, led by Mr. Davis, worked hard all season and took home the trophy! They were also supported by their fans and mascots (the Little Monarchs) who cheered for them every step of the way. ⚽️🎉🏆

Congratulations to Madame Emily Greif who was awarded as the DCPS Global Educator of the Year!! 🎉

DCPS recognizes educators who go above and beyond in the field of global education. DCPS appreciates their commitment and dedication to incorporating global engagement and intercultural learning into their daily instruction creating rich learning experiences and opportunities for their students.

The Global Educator of the Year Award acknowledges exceptional educators who provide high-quality global learning opportunities for students. They encourage students to learn about different cultures, create a diverse classroom, and inspire global competence. The recognition is an opportunity to honor teachers who have made a significant contribution to global education.

Here are just a few examples of Mme. Greif's excellent work as a global educator for SWS:

Mme. Greif recently accompanied six 5th grade delegates for SWS and Switzerland at the DCPS Mini United Nations at the Ronald Reagan International Center. The entire 5th grade had been working diligently on preparing for the Mini UN in recent weeks, researching various countries and preparing opening statements as part of our Mini UN simulation in French class. 🇨🇭

Last week, the 5th grade class gave their Capstone Presentation at the Embassy of Switzerland. The entire class presented their learning from the year: each child spoke briefly about their favorite learning about Switzerland, as well as performed skits, poems and other representations of their learning.🇨🇭

She also organized a super fun field trip to Audi Field to meet the DC United team & coaches and to watch a game! The new coach of the DC United soccer team is from Switzerland, and our Swiss diplomatic partners coordinated a special tour of Audi Field and presentation about Swiss sports as part of our partnership in the DCPS Embassy Adoption Program. ⚽️

During this school year, the DC EdFund Standing Ovation honored the achievements of DC's top educators with their 2026 Excellence Awards for Educators - Award for Teachers, including SWS's own Nicol Davis, Upper Elementary Atelier!! 🎉 Congratulations!!

The Standing Ovation Awards spotlight the dedication and achievements of the educators and staff who empower DCPS students to reach their full potential. Now in its 16th year, this celebration reflects a deep, ongoing commitment to educational excellence and the partnerships that sustain it. 

The winners got to hold the finish line at the spring DCPS Nat’s Game! ⚾️

In 1995, four DC Public Schools teachers – Sarah Burke, Louise Chapman, Margaret Hicks, and John Burst – shared a bold but simple belief: children learn best when their curiosity, creativity, and ideas are taken seriously. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy from Italy, the founding teachers envisioned a public school where:

§ Children are seen as capable thinkers
§ Learning emerges from student questions
§ Projects, dialogue, and creativity drive understanding
§ Teachers collaborate, reflect, and document learning

School Within School began as a small program housed inside another DCPS school, serving preschool and kindergarten students - hence the name. At the time, this approach was rare in U.S. public education, making SWS a pioneering experiment fully inside the public school system, not a charter. Families quickly noticed children were deeply engaged, thoughtful, and joyful learners.

Fast forward to 2026 as SWS celebrates its 30th year with its 320 students in PK3 – 5th grade, over 60 teachers & staff, and countless alumni, supporters, and community friends. Happy Birthday, SWS! 🎂🎉🥳

The SWS Annual Fundraiser A Night in Hollywood is TONIGHT and we'd like to take a moment before we walk the red carpet to thank our amazing sponsors for supporting our school. It is through their generosity and support that we're able to put together a special night with our school community and of course raise more money for SWS that goes to important programming (like FoodPrints!), school supplies, teacher training, and more! THANK YOU to the following sponsors for supporting our school!

Because Science
Capitol Hill Auto Service
DC Access LLC
District Orthodontics
Ivy City Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics
Jeanne Phil and Meg Team
Joel Nelson Group
Polite Piggy's
Renaissance Development LLC
The Arora Group

And a big thank you to our SWS community sponsors too!

The Fuhr Family
The Gato Family
The Harcourt Family
The Hewett Milner Family
The Horowitz Diamond-Falk Family
The McLeod Munshi Family
The Silva Family

There is still time to support this event! Please visit our website to buy tickets (over 300 bidding items!) or be a last minute sponsor. Thank you!!

Are you ready to paaaaarty?!? 🎉 Start off with this Saturday’s A Night in Hollywood Auction Fundraiser (buy your ticket - link in bio!) and then continue on with spirit parties from May through November!

Here are our amazing Spirit Parties by the numbers…

- 54 Parties! More than SWS has ever offered in an auction!

- 63 Host Families! More than 1/3 of our school families!

- $47,000+ in maximum sales potential if we sell out all the parties!

What a fun way to raise a ton of money for SWS! Thank you to all our generous hosts who are willing to donate their time, money, energy, creativity, homes, etc. to put on these great parties for our school community and raise money for SWS. Please take a moment to peruse our party roster and make notes about all the parties you and/or your kids would love to attend:

⭐️ Class Parties: End of Year, Back to School & pool parties!

⭐️ Kid Parties: Movie Nights, Paint & Snack, Summer Adventure Days, Pottery Class, Color Party, Wings of Fire Party, Roosevelt Island Hike, Escape Room Extravaganza & Old School Outdoor Games.

⭐️ Adult Parties: Book Talk, Bourbon Tasting, Brunch & Bouquets, Cocktail Class, Cookies & Cocktails, Dinner & Pool Party, Filipino Dinner & Karaoke, Fondue & Champagne, EOY Mom Party - Girl Dinner (& Drinks), Greek Dinner, Knitting Class, Ladies Tennis & Swim, Mahjong Evening, Mime Night, Mom’s Morning Mahj, Open Air Sandbag Ruck & Boxing Workout, Pocket Shrines & Good Times, Trivia Night, Back to School Tex-Mex & Margarita Fiesta, Halloween Costume Party, and Rooftop Wine Tasting.

⭐️ Family Parties: Daddy & Daughter Camping, Day at the Bay, End of Summer Family Happy Hour, Family Pool Party, King Bullfrog Concert, Sandlot Game, The Great Zucchini Party, and Walking Tour of H St.

See you in Hollywood! 🎉

Check out these six amazing items being auctioned off at the live auction during this Saturday's A Night in Hollywood! Many of these are great for sharing with other families at SWS or friends/family from other aspects of life. Form a group & pool your resources to turn your winning moment into a greater benefit for SWS!

⭐️ Cooking Class & Gourmet Meal for 10 People: Chef Sayeh has planned a flavorful journey for 10 people that combines creativity and classic culinary techniques, culminating in a gourmet dinner held at the DC Cooking School in their professional kitchen. 🧑🏽‍🍳

⭐️ 2 Nights at the Willard Hotel & Dinner at Tosca: A romantic stay-cation awaits with dinner at Tosca and 2 nights at the famous and luxurious Willard Hotel. 🥂

⭐️ Bethany Beach House (5BR Waterfront Home): Enjoy a long off-season weekend at this recently updated 5-bedroom waterfront home with water views from every room and a large new deck. It’s located on a quiet avenue with water on two sides only walking distance to downtown Bethany Beach. It includes a private dock, kayaks, paddleboards, bikes, and a fully stocked home with linens. It’s great for 2-3 families. 🏖️

⭐️ Pinehurst Golfing Getaway (3-days for 4 people): Enjoy a golfer’s getaway at a charming 3-bedroom retreat in Pinehurst + 1 round of golf for 4 people at a Pinehurst Course. The house is surrounded by lush greenery and it’s near the celebrated championship courses. It sleeps up to 6 people and features a fully equipped kitchen, cozy living room with fireplace, and comfortable bedrooms. ⛳️

⭐️ Pig Roast (up to 50 people!): This is THE way to celebrate summer, or returning to school, or really any excuse for hosting a BBQ with the easiest set-up. Chef Ryan Gordan of the Queen Vic provides 1 whole pig, 4 customizable sides, and an on-site chef for 2 hours. 🐖

⭐️ Ms. McLean Original Art: This year we have an extra special item. Our dear Ms. McLean is retiring. She's leaving us with a great legacy to grow from – and a special piece of art. It’s being displayed in the SWS foyer, so come and take a look! 🖼️