Ancient and Modern: Αρχαίος και σύγχρονος

Friday evening was Greek Fest time for the fifth and sixth grades – the full costume culmination of an intensive humanities study that encompassed history, literature, and art. Η Παρασκευή βράδυ ήταν ελληνικός χρόνος Fest για τις πέμπτες και έκτες τάξεις – το πλήρες αποκορύφωμα κοστουμιών μιας εντατικής μελέτης ανθρωποτήτων που κάλυψε την ιστορία, τη … Read more

Change Again

Within the past 50 years, we’ve seen our country move from an industrial economy to an information-based economy. Now, early in the 21st century, it appears we are shifting to an innovation-based economy, one that requires what the psychologist Robert J. Sternberg calls “successful intelligence,” a three-point foundation of analytical, practical, and creative skills. In … Read more

Insects and Villains

If there was a villain in the Animal Tails of African Tales Lower School show it was perhaps the mosquito. Here, to provide some balance on behalf of the world of insects and their all-important place in our biospere, is biologist E.O. Wilson. His plea on behalf of his constituency – the insect world – … Read more

A Grand Grandfriends Day

Some came from New York City and much further – including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Denmark. Other came from closer to school but all were welcome at the annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We gathered in the dining room for breakfast and after brief remarks of welcome our visitors went to classes and … Read more

My Life as the Ink Monitor and How Not to Introduce 1:1 Laptops

Technology is always disruptive. Think of the introduction of the printing press, or the combine harvester, or the mechanical looms that destroyed a way of life for cottage industry weavers. Some of them took to frame breaking and gave us the unfairly derisive term of “Luddite” for those who resist technological change. Technology as disruption … Read more

Disruptive Change in School: How Technology Ruined My Childhood

Technology is always disruptive. Think of the introduction of the printing press, or the combine harvester, or the mechanical looms that destroyed a way of life for cottage industry weavers. Some of them took to frame breaking and gave us the unfairly derisive term of “Luddite” for those who resist technological change. Technology as disruption … Read more

Seniors on their way

Seniors are on their way off to a final month of internships before they return to PDS for the Senior Week and commencement in June. Today was the farewell lunch on the front porch of Kenyon House. Seniors were welcomed into the Alumni Association. The sun shone, the breezes blew and the senior class were … Read more

Life after the Holocaust

PDS marked Holocaust Remembrance Day last week with an assembly planned and led by the students of the Genocide central studies elective with the help of their teachers Bernadette Condessa and librarian Sarah Feldman. This assembly, Life after the Holocaust – part of a PDS Equity and Justice series – came eight days after Yom … Read more

GHOTI spells “fish” of course, Everyone Knows That!

George Bernard Shaw was a great proponent of English spelling reform. Here is an example he used to illustrate the absurdity of some English spelling and pronunciation. Using familiar pronunciations here is how the letters GHOTI spell “fish”: GH as in “rough” O as in “women” TI as in “nation” GHOTI = “fish” For further … Read more

Those Apocryphal Flying Cats of Borneo: The Real Story

The flying cats of Borneo – apocryphal? Hyperbole? Fantasy? Jungle legend? Imaginary animals? In response to a request from a professor at The University of Iowa I provided one piece of the story of Operation Cat Drop backed by the official record. When I first heard of this improbable story and the ridiculous claim of … Read more