Monday, August 25, 2025
Mayor Muriel Bowser joined District leaders and community members to celebrate the first day of school for thousands of students across Washington, D.C., by cutting the ribbon on a $71 million modernization of the Adams Campus at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School on 19th Street NW. “The modernized Adams Campus includes cutting-edge amenities, while still honoring the school’s history and its legacy of creating global citizens with dual-language education,” District of Columbia Public Schools said.
“The first day of school is one of my favorite days of the year, and I’m thrilled that members of our community came out in neighborhoods across D.C. to cheer on our students this morning,” said Mayor Bowser. “We have so many beautiful facilities, like the new Adams Campus; but in addition to world-class facilities, we also have amazing people inside of them — from our educators, to the school staff, and of course, our students. Today is the first opportunity to make this a great school year and to make every day count.”
There were also dozens of parents of returning students at Georgetown’s and Burleith’s Hardy Public Middle School at 1819 35th St. NW. When Hardy school principal Maurine Westover opened the double front doors with a big grin and lots of welcoming hugs and fist bumps, the parents joyfully waved and clapped. It was the first day of school fall 2025 and parents across the District participated in this evolving tradition of wave and clap on day one.
“Hardy is the beginning of the next big phase in my daughter’s education,” one parent told The Georgetowner. Some classes will be in different classrooms; others will be together in the home room class.”
Although this is the first day at the big school, the dad said his daughter wasn’t nervous. “There are so many kids from her Georgetown public elementary school — Hyde Addison, grades K-5 — that she already knows lots of people and friends.”
What will be different is the ban on cell phones in all the classrooms. “Hardy School was the first school in the District to ban phones. There have been almost no complaints from students and parents,” Westover said. Now the ban has been instituted in all public schools by District of Columbia Public Schools.
“It will be an exciting year,” the principal added. “The school is absolutely full enrollment, it’s packed.”