PDS Blog

Shapes, Shapes, Everywhere Shapes

By Rachel Silverman, grade 1 teacher Shapes, shapes, everywhere shapes. The first grade has been enjoying our exploration of geometry. We are learning about the vocabulary, defining characteristics and the relationships between shapes. We are asking questions such as: How…

Food Matters: Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts

By Tom Cosgrove, Food Service Director   Why have boring boiled Brussels sprouts when you can have the rich, nutty flavor of roasted sprouts instead? Trim and cut in half lengthwise Brussels sprouts, toss them in olive oil with chopped…


Kindergarteners Form Stories and Bridges

By Joanna Shaw, kindergarten teacher Kindergartners are natural storytellers. Each day our classroom is filled with tales of fantastical fairy encounters and weekend long trips around the world. In their journeys to becoming amazing writers, their storytelling skills must first…

Pre-K Celebrates Autumn!

by Judy Purcell and Sue Parise, Pre-K teachers There was a chill in the air today as we raked and gathered leaves! We collected handfuls of leaves then stuffed them into a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, creating…

Japanese Club Emerges from Student Interest

By Julie O’Sullivan, HS Humanities and ESL Japanese Club is a student-led club in its second year. Like many clubs in the high school, it emerged organically out of student interest. In this case, Kaser, then a sophomore, and myself…


The College Interview

Whether it is in person, via skype or with an alumni, many colleges offer applicants the opportunity to interview. Students should contact each of their top-choice schools and ask to schedule a time. Be warned, some schools don’t offer interviews…

True Service Learning Couples Awareness and Agency

by lgraceffa A student walked into my office today, with great excitement. She and her mom had taken time after school to deliver a play kitchen to the downtown Poughkeepsie daycare where some of our students volunteered during this year’s…

Food Matters: Serving Yourself

One of the goals of the food service as we began this school year was to try to increase the number of ways our students could eat fruit and vegetables. The salad bar seem to be working to entice more…