Poughkeepsie Day School has always prided itself not only on providing one-of-a-kind educational experiences, but being a true community of learners. Within PDS exists a certain freedom and fluidity, combined with mixed-age activities and intentionally small class sizes, that…
When you become a head of school, no one ever tells you that you might someday be part of a campus move. But, looking at our school’s history, with relocations from Hooker Avenue to New Hackensack Road to Boardman Road,…
If you attended PDS sometime in the last 19 years, you’ve most likely witnessed the magic surrounding our Take One Picture tradition. Former Head of Lower School Mary Ellen Kenny brought the idea to us in 2007 after learning of…
What is science? Is it wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals? Analyzing specimens under a microscope? Scribbling complex equations on a chalkboard? While it can certainly be any of those things, students at PDS come to understand science and…
A portion of Poughkeepsie Day School’s mission statement reads, “We believe that education is a pathway to a more just society and sustainable planet.” Our annual Changemakers assembly (formerly known as Peacemakers) is the point in the school year at…
Migration is ever persistent in both the human race and the animal kingdom. Even through billions of years of evolution, adaptations to the environment, and improvements in the quality of life, many of our planet’s living organisms continue to pack…
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…
