JosieHolford 
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 … Read more
“Modern studies indicate that creativity is not a rare, magic gift visited upon the isolated genius; it is the natural birthright of every human child and is a series of cognitive skills that can be taught, harnessed and applied to unleash what we are now discovering is the infinite creative capacity in every child. Learning … Read more
“Modern studies indicate that creativity is not a rare, magic gift visited upon the isolated genius; it is the natural birthright of every human child and is a series of cognitive skills that can be taught, harnessed and applied to unleash what we are now discovering is the infinite creative capacity in every child. Learning … Read more
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 … Read more
It can be a worrisome sign when Dilbert cartoons start appearing in the workplace!Here are the first two frames of Dilbert cartoon that a colleague brought to my attention on Friday.
There was a great article in last week’s Boston Globe. The authors – Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland – dismiss the idea that arts education produces higher test scores. While it’s true, they say, that students who are involved in the arts do better in school and on the SAT, it’s not about the test … Read 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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Poughkeepsie Day School graduates students who: Are intellectually curious, active seekers, users and creators of knowledge Curiosity is the natural stimulus to learning and small children have it in abundance. The upturned Frisbee in the picture below is full of the playground gleanings of a kindergartener at lunch-time. What happens to that curiosity as children … Read more
A school in a giant submarine with waterproof maps of the underwater world. Private helicopters to fly children to France for their French lessons. Voice-activated pencils. Rocket launch pads to take pupils on trips to distant planets to study the solar system. Canteen robots instead of dinner ladies. Clean toilets, swimming pools, a jug of … Read more
The exhalations whizzing in the air Give so much light that I may read by them. Julius Caesar Act 2 scene 1 The annual Perseid meteor shower was not quite that spectacular but the shooting stars were out last night as our planet sailed through a stream of ancient cosmic dust emanating from the constellation … Read more
Back in 1967 – the Observer newspaper in the UK organized an opportunity for children to write on the subject: “The school that I’d like”. The results became a Penguin book edited by Edward Blishen and a collection of opinions that provided a trenchant critique of school and school life. The students wrote with freshness, … Read more
These are words from our mission: Poughkeepsie Day School graduates students who: Know who they are and follow their own compass with optimism and courage Lead and inspire others through example, dedication and commitment to equity and justice This is a part of Tom Brokaw’s commencement address at Stanford University last year: “…welcome to a … Read more
