In Daniel Pink’s new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, the author dedicates an entire chapter to the importance of ‘midpoints’. Often times in the various stories that make up our lives, we focus on beginnings and endings.…

At PDS, the high school assembly is a valued part of our school rhythm and culture. There are two types of assemblies: (1) the shorter more regular gathering, aka “morning meetings” (15 minutes) happens every other day and is part…

Students presenting their work on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to our PreK-12 Assembly When entering a classroom in the Middle School it is not the teachers voice that directs the space, but rather it’s the student voices. At PDS,…

The Way We Learn Language At PDS, content matters. Exposure to a wide range of ideas matters. More than this, the way we learn matters. The emphasis on deepening understanding of principles and foundations takes priority over “covering” a vast…

When it comes to the skill of reading, the Middle School years are formative. This is the time in their development when sophisticated reading skills begin to allow students to analyze literature and master content. It is also during this…

“We swim in an ocean of feedback” – Sheila Heen A few summers ago, I had the pleasure of reading Thanks for the Feedback by Sheila Heen and Doug Stone. It is a powerful and actionable book, which outlines the…

Acquiring Language Building Fluency As the father of an active and talkative one and a half year old, I’m getting a first-hand look into language acquisition. I watch my daughter pick up new words and phrases at an amazing pace.…

Our Middle Schoolers delight in heading outside twice a day to seek out opportunities for unstructured play on the playground and fields at PDS. Combined, these two periods allow our students to experience forty-five minutes a day of unstructured time…