Disintermediation – one of those wonderful baggy words that only yields up any meaning after being dismembered into constituent parts, if at all. Or perhaps a word like a string of railway carriages shuttling along clanking and rattling over the rail bed. The word is most usually applied in the field of marketing and economics where it refers to the…
Colleges that Change Lives is the title of Loren Pope’s very useful book for those planning for college. It’s also a website. If you are off to college soon, or know someone who is, then take a look. It is particularly useful in dispelling some of the myths of excellence. As with many things, it is important to dig a…
Gnome update: See Gnome Eruptions or scroll for the original story and commentary There were no further eruptions reported yesterday at PDS. However, I received today the following photographic evidence of garden variety gnome eruptions in London:
Imagine a cleared space in the forest and a circle drawn with a rope; “This is your comfort zone – the space where you are confident and at ease. This you can already do. We all have our comfort zone. It takes many shapes and it is different for all of us.” Then another rope makes a circle around the…
They started appearing on campus last week. The gnomes. Peaceful gnomes presiding over the grounds and the walkway between the buildings.And now they are proliferating. Another appeared at my window this afternoon. Does he need to be brought inside? Any information you may have as to their origin and significance – or more importantly about gnomic care and feeding –…
In honor of Don Fried and his three decades at Poughkeepsie Day School: Past and present colleagues, students, parents and trustees gathered from far and wide Sidereal sang Reminiscences were shared and new memories made Alumni brought their children to meet him and Don’s service to the school and its generations of students was recognized, celebrated and appreciated It was…
The world is moving at a tremendous rate. Going no one knows where. We must prepare our children, not for the world of the past. Not for our world. But for their world. The world of the future. – John Dewey (seen saying just that in the film below) Progressive education in the 1940s: I don’t know who made this…
“You have a voice, you have a vision, you have a story worth telling.” Can film bring the world together? The people behind Pangea Day hope that it can. It all began here with TEDTalks prize winner Jehane Noujaim. This is her one wish for the world and her idea for achieving it. (Highly recommended.) What do you think? (Click…
We added Cross Country to the athletic choices this fall and the team is off and running and doing very well. Clearly we have some outstanding and enthusiastic runners in both middle and high school. The first meet was the Oakwood Friends invitational – the season opener for the Hudson Valley Athletic League. Here are some of the photographs of…
Three more useful short videos from those very helpful clever teachers at Common Craft: Google docs (no more email attachment versions), Social Networking and RSS – all in plain English. George Orwell would be pleased. And if you are not using RSS (real simple syndication) yet to manage your surfing and internet habits here is your chance to find out…
Test, test, test and test some more.
They came by bus, by van, by car, by foot, on bicycle and on crutches. They carried book bags and lunch boxes and precious objects. It was the first day of school yesterday and the energy was cranked up. Now the school has come alive again.
It was the first day of school for ninth grade, fifth grade and all students new to Poughkeepsie Day School. And the buildings were buzzing. The younger children found new toys and places to play and work. And all of them met their new teachers and learned more about what it means to be a part of this community. We…
A tag cloud is a visual presentation of text. It uses word frequency to provide a blink-worthy read of information. It communicates a great deal in a few seconds and provides an instant take. I entered the text of our mission and description et voila! A poetic distillation of meaning. caring citizens collaborative committed community compass construct contribution creative deep…
Among other key attributes Poughkeepsie Day School graduates students who: Think globally with awareness and understanding of complexity and multiple perspectives That’s in our vision. But how do we pursue global perspectives and teach awareness of complexity? And just how well informed are we about the world and how do we distinguish between what we think we know and what…