Upper School students crowded the lobby this morning to pick up carnations purchased by friends and to wish one another a Happy Valentine's Day. All 600 carnations sold out. This year's sale was organized by The International Action Club (InterAct), in partnership with the Student Life Committee and Girl Up. Over $1000 was raised to benefit educational initiatives in Uganda.
Seniors who attended Aaron Sorkin's remake of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway in New York City share powerful thoughts on racism, injustice, intersectionality [an analytic framework that attempts to identify how interlocking systems of power impact those who are most marginalized in society] -- and what their generation can do about it.
Insights from Middle School Humanities teacher Joe Reilly about the experience and the impact of his Gettysburg Mini-Course illuminate the exceptional commitment, dare we say the last full measure of devotion, that our best faculty bring to their endeavors at Princeton Day School. A must-read! See also our Flickr album with photo highlights of Mini-Courses from Gettysburg to Cape Cod to Farm Week, NY-Philadelphia, Our Own Backyard, Chocolate Immersion, and more.
A pointed alumni reunion . . . former PDS fencing teammates Jack Dallessio '17 and Rohan Narayanan '18 found themselves on opposing ends of each other's swords at a recent collegiate tournament.
Sixth grade students created podcasts documenting the historic achievements of the Golden Age of Islam (800 - 1100 CE) in science, art, technology, engineering, medicine, and culture. A colorful display outside the middle school library features posters created by student teams, each with a QR code that links directly to their podcast recordings.
At the recent Model UN Conference hosted at Yale University, the PDS student delegation experienced tremendous success, earning the team award for Best Small Delegation, along with nine Best Delegate honors, five awards for Outstanding Delegate, and two Honorable Mentions. Next up: the biggest and most prestigious competition of the year, the North American Invitational Model UN (NAIMUN), in Washington, DC.
"It is inspiring to observe our students tackle complex world problems in a setting that mirrors the global community in which they will soon find themselves," notes MUN Faculty Advisor Stefanie Santangelo, who accompanied the students to the weekend competition. Congratulations to the School's Yale Delegation and all of our MUN participants!
The Journal, the School's twice-yearly magazine, is always posted online after being printed and mailed to community members. You can find the most recent issue of the Journal, and back issues, here. The Spring 2019 issue is scheduled to be in homes and online by early May.
Get your tickets now for Little Shop of Horrors, one of the world's most popular tongue-in-cheek stage and screen comedies! Princeton Day School is particularly proud to feature the sensational puppets used in the Broadway revival and subsequent national tour of Little Shop of Horrors, thanks to a partnership with the Wyncote, PA-based Monkey Boys Productions puppet-making team. The Upper School cast and crew promise to deliver another unforgettable theater experience under the direction of acclaimed PDS Theater Director Stan Cahill, who has continued to burnish the School's theater program reputation with exceptional production quality and a diverse repertoire.
Newly named PDS Boys Varsity Tennis Coach Jennifer Johnson is excited about her role as a coach and the opportunities she sees to facilitate positive leadership qualities that will serve athletes in high school, college and in their careers. "My coaching philosophy at the high school level is that tennis should build self-confidence and strategic decision-making skills as well as build teamwork and support dynamics on and off the court," Johnson noted.
Princeton Day School is proud to announce that Madison McCaw '19 has signed a national letter of intent to play Division 1 women's soccer at Columbia University.
The Food Mood magazine is the culminating project of the interdisciplinary English elective course Food for Thought, taught by Elizabeth Cutler, featuring personal narratives, reviews, recipes, critical essays on the politics and environmental impact of food, reflections on health and wellness, and much more.
The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration will be held in the Campus Center on Tuesday, February 5, from 4:30-5:45pm, and all PDS community members are invited. Student members of the Chinese Club, in coordination with Community and Multicultural Development Team (CMDT) faculty and the Parents Association, have come up with an array of family-friendly program elements, including a skit, montage video, dance performance, and fun activities, plus some incredible menu items! "One of the most important things about the lunar new year is getting together with family and friends and celebrating," declared Chinese Club co-head George Ma '19, "So our key goal was to bring the School community together, provide fun ways to learn about Chinese and Chinese-American culture, and enjoy great food."
Artwork by students in grades PreK–Grade 4 will be on view in the Anne Reid '72 Art Gallery from 1/28 through 2/22, with opening receptions 8–9am on the mornings of 1/28 (for Grades PreK–1) and 1/29 (for Grades 2–4). The Gallery is open to the public on weekdays when school is in session, 8am–5pm.
School was closed yesterday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today, students in all grades honored Dr. King and his mission to achieve justice and equality for all people. Upper School students led a moving assembly in a packed McAneny Theater this morning, putting racism in personal terms and stressing the importance of continuing Dr. King's work in pursuit of a more just and peaceful society.
Cancer Awareness Week at Princeton Day School officially begins on Tuesday, January 22. Follow all of the initiatives and coverage on our Cancer Awareness Week landing page and join us to help spread the message of love, hope and support for all those touched by cancer in the PDS community and beyond.
"The big difference between selfies and self-portraits," Middle School art teacher Deva Watson explains, "is that, in general, we create a self-portrait that reflects how we see ourselves." Rather than focusing on others reacting to how we look, Watson adds, the process of creating self-portraits allows us to explore and reflect on the concept of self, personal self-expression and what makes us truly unique and special. Watson's reinterpretation of the School's traditional 8th Grade self portrait assignment has produced thoughtful reflections on identity among her students along with some impressive work.
A reception was held at Hopewell's Gallery 14 on Friday, January 11, 2019, to present featured works of Princeton Day School's advanced photography students. Dozens of PDS students, faculty and parents attended the opening. Check out Gallery 14 while the show remains there this month!
Princeton Day School is shaping a week of events to acknowledge all those in our community who have been impacted by cancer. Cancer Awareness Week, which will occur January 22-25, is the School's opportunity to welcome back Head of School Paul Stellato, to raise awareness about cancer's reach, and to demonstrate our support for everyone who has been touched by this disease. Among the cross-divisional and student-driven Cancer Awareness Week efforts in the works: PDS students, adults and sports teams will wear lavender cancer-awareness laces in school and at sports games held the week of January 22-25, including the annual Boys Varsity Ice Hockey game against rival Lawrenceville at Princeton University's Hobey Baker Memorial Rink on January 24.
The PDS K-9th Grade tournament chess team that competed last weekend at the 53rd Annual Kasparov Chess Foundation Greater New York Scholastic Championship Tournament tied for second place among Junior High teams. The longest-running scholastic tournament in the U.S., the Greater New York Championship event brings 1,500 of the best scholastic players in the nation together for two days of challenging competition.
