After becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school in early 2025, Poughkeepsie Day School appointed middle school advisor and preK-12 physical education teacher, Lisa McVey, as our IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator. In this role, Lisa will be responsible…
After becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school in early 2025, Poughkeepsie Day School appointed preK and kindergarten teacher, Andrea Istel, as our IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator. In this role, Andrea will be responsible for overseeing the…
Throughout the year, teachers in both the lower school and upper school have participated in workshops by The Writing Revolution (TWR), where they’ve delved into the Hochman Method, an evidence-based approach to writing instruction that stresses explicit, step-by-step construction of…
Started in 2007 by former Head of Lower School, Mary Ellen Kenny, the Take One Picture project has been a hallmark of the Poughkeepsie Day School experience for nearly 20 years. It starts with the selection of one painting…
Interdisciplinary curricula designed to mutually enrich learning in all included subjects are a defining feature of PDS. One particularly remarkable example is this year’s music and history central study (CS) course in the middle school, where students studied the…
In preparation for delivering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP), PDS faculty and staff have been visiting Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut to exchange ideas on the IB learner profile, transdisciplinary instruction, and…
Engineers are our greatest problem-solvers, designing and building solutions that address some of the world’s toughest challenges. Applying complex scientific, mathematical, and technical knowledge, they innovate in fields from infrastructure to healthcare, continuously improving the quality-of-life of both humans…
Environmental stewardship and respect for nature are essential components of the Poughkeepsie Day School curriculum, and have been for over 90 years. As outlined in our mission statement, we believe that education is a pathway to a more just society…
Our teachers are what make us Poughkeepsie Day School. Since our founding in 1934, PDS faculty have distinguished themselves as uniquely committed to innovative pedagogy, progressive education, and, most of all, their students. So, it’s no surprise that those young…
For over a decade, Poughkeepsie Day School’s annual Food Bowl project (formerly known as Canstruction® Jr. Hudson Valley) has been both a service to the local community and a valuable opportunity for teachers to discuss topics surrounding philanthropy, food insecurity,…
