JosieHolford 
Last fall Gabe (’11) made a Intensive Studies project proposal to Liz. It involved composing music, delving into theory, harmony, transcription and improvisation. With the full support of the school and his music teachers, Gabe took the project on and devised an authentic assessment – an end of study concert with exceptional musicians and performers … Read more
I was sorry to miss this event but Lynn sent me pictures.This was a lesson in viscosity. They started with water and added oil. They placed three separate dry ingredients into the water/oil, one at a time: sugar, salt and baking soda. They counted the number of bubbles that rose up, observed their size and … Read more
A hearing mistake means a boy indentured to a pirate not a ship’s pilot. Pirate or pilot, orphan or often — the problem’s in the pronunciation. And so the bumbling misadventures begin – musical muddles that only the name of Queen Victoria can quell. The fifth and sixth grade did Gilbert and Sullivan proud. Double … Read more
Can you tell the anterior cortex, amygdala, and parietal lobe from the optic chiasma and the corpus collosum? If not then you could benefit from Tanya’s Cognitive Science course. I visited this week. I was not up to speed on the science, but I did learn that the students in this elective are incredible well-informed. … Read more
Steve found this photograph in the basement. Along the bottom it says: Kindergarten Thru Ninth Grade Established 1934. And on the back it says: You can see the original by Tricia’s desk in the lower school office.
Great Winter Recital on Thursday with music from J.S. Bach to James Taylor via Debussy and Charlie Parker along with some original compositions. Wonderful performances from students of all ages in all three divisions. Thank-you musicians for an outstanding evening of music and song. More pictures on Flickr. Photo: Marcin Nowak
With the chance of a snow day looming and with the news of snow across much of Alabama my mind went to Jem and Scout and children’s priorities: Next morning I awoke, looked out the window and nearly died of fright. My screams brought Atticus from his bathroom half-shaven. “The world’s endin’, Atticus! Please do … Read more
Interested in education? Like a good debate? Then Bridging Differences is for you. It’s an ongoing debate between two of the most interesting minds in education – Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch. They have been disagreeing for years but they both believe deeply in the importance of education and share a passion for improving schools.
Can design help children learn? That’s the cover story of in the February Metropolis Magazine lent to me last week by parent-trustee Stan Lichens. It’s worth a look. And the magazine also includes design firm IDEO’s 10 Tips for Creating a 21st Century Classroom Experience. It’s a quick must-read. This is thinking to guide designers … Read more
At a recent conference a speaker suggested that choosing a school was akin to choosing a cell phone* – as soon as you’ve made the decision another brand seems to offer appealing options and you worry: Did I make the right choice? So – to cut through the confusion when it comes to school it’s … Read more
The American Flashlight, Game Boards, Quiz Shows, a Climbing Tree, Cop Car, Electric Robot and more. All at the Electricity Trade Show in the 3rd and 4th grade yesterday. Here are a few pictures. More on Flickr
We are experimenting with an additional way to help people keep in touch with what’s going on at PDS. If you twitter (twitter.com) consider following @PoughkeepsieDay. We are linking it to our Facebook account as another way to keep up with what’s happening. Let us know what you think. And of course we appreciate your … Read more
Seth Godin is a marketeer and prolific generator of ideas. His blog often has interesting nuggets about education. The purpose of school is to….here’s his first ten of 27 answers. Any you would like to add? Remove? (My personal favorite is number 23 – sandwiched in between the sublimely lofty and the tongue-in-cheek – Minimize … Read more
It’s day one of the second semester in the high school. That means the start of new high school courses. Here we are at the first meeting of Physics of Motion. The first experimental challenge: Find the relationship between the distance a ball runs down an incline and the time it takes to roll. Students … Read more
