Hours & Calendar
2020-21
August
Monday, August 24 — Pre-Season Fall Upper School Athletics Begins
Tuesday, August 25 — New Faculty and Staff Orientation
Wednesday, August 26 — New Faculty and Staff Orientation
Monday, August 31 — Opening Faculty Meetings
September
Tuesday, September 1 — Opening Faculty Meetings
Wednesday, September 2 — Student Orientation
Thursday, September 3 — Student Orientation
Wednesday, September 9 — Classes Begin
Thursday, September 17 — Lower School Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 24 — Middle School Back-to-School Night
Monday, September 28 — No School, Yom Kippur
October
Thursday, October 1 — Upper School Back-to-School Night
Monday, October 12 — No School, October Break
November
Wednesday, November 4 — Teacher Conferences Begin After School
Thursday, November 5 — No Classes, Teacher Conferences
Friday, November 6 — No Classes, Teacher Conferences
Monday, November 9 — Upper School Winter Athletics Begins
Tuesday, November 24 — Thanksgiving Break begins after dismissal
Monday, November 30 — PreK-12 Classes Resume
December
Friday, December 18 — Winter Break begins after dismissal
January
Monday, January 4 — PreK-12 Classes Resume
Monday, January 18 — No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February
Friday, February 12 — No School, Presidents’ Day Weekend
Monday, February 15 — No School, Presidents’ Day Weekend
March
Monday, March 1 — Upper School Spring Athletics Begin
Friday, March 5 — Spring Break begins after dismissal
Monday, March 22 — PreK-12 Classes Resume
April
Friday, April 2 — No School, Good Friday
Friday, April 9 — Lower School Teacher Conferences (No LS Classes)
Friday, April 30 — No Classes, April Break
May
Monday, May 31 — No School, Memorial Day
June
Tuesday, June 8 — Lower School Final Assembly
Wednesday, June 9 — Middle School Final Assembly
Thursday, June 10 — Last Day of Upper School Classes
Friday, June 11 — Upper School Commencement
Monday, June 14 — Faculty Professional Development Day
Tuesday, June 15 — Faculty Professional Development Day
Wednesday, June 16 — Faculty Professional Development Day
Thursday, June 17 — Faculty Professional Development Day
Friday, June 18 — Faculty Professional Development Day
- School Hours Per Division
- Highlights of the PDS 7-Day Cycle Academic Schedule
- Cycle Component Highlights Per Division
School Hours Per Division
In Lower School, the school day begins at 8am and ends at 3pm every day except Wednesday when dismissal is 2:30pm. Classroom doors open at 7:45am so the day can begin promptly at 8am For those who need to drop children off before 7:45, care is available in the library from 7:15–7:45am at no charge. Buses provide service on Wednesdays, at 3pm and Stay and Play is available beginning at 2:30 on Wednesdays for those who travel by bus or need to leave later than 2:30pm.
In the Middle School, the school day begins at 8am and ends at 3:20pm. For students in grades 6th through 8th Grade who participate in sports, dismissal is 3:45 (4pm in winter) during the athletics seasons. If students participate in Middle School Sports and Activities, please note that there will no MS sports or activities on days 3 and 7, and students may be picked up at daily at 3:20pm.
In the Upper School, the day begins at 7:45am and ends at 3:20pm.
Highlights of the PDS 7-Day Cycle Academic Schedule
Highlights of the Princeton Day School 7-day cycle academic schedule:
- All three divisions experience a 7-day rotation of classes rather than 5-day rotation of classes pegged to the days of the week. The purpose of a 7-day rotation is to protect academic time by avoiding the inevitable loss of particular classes that occurs when school is not in session on multiple Mondays throughout the year, such as Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Weekend.
- Academic periods are longer to promote more student-centered, collaborative teaching and more durable learning.
- Fewer classes meet per day, which facilitates better focus and stamina while easing the number of subjects to cover in nightly homework loads.
- The day is more evenly paced with scheduled breaks provided throughout the day.
- With more strategically-positioned breaks, students have far fewer "back to back" classes, thereby giving them more time to consolidate their learning and transition comfortably and confidently to their next class.
- The schedule provides more time for deeper, more innovative, creative and interdisciplinary programs that enliven our curriculum and better serve the needs of students.
Cycle Component Highlights Per Division
Cycle components vary by Division and include:
- Resource Period in Middle School meets every day and is decoupled from Ensembles, ensuring that MS students can connect with their teachers every day and also have dedicated Ensemble time.
- Resource Period in the Upper School is called the "Conference/Collaboration Period" and gives US students broad and consistent access to their teachers when they need extra help. The positioning of this Period at the end of the day also ensures that early athletic dismissals do not encroach on class time.
- "Da Vinci Period" in Middle School creates a platform for innovative, creative, experiential programs conducted on a trimester basis.
- The Lower School schedule maximizes the amount of time students spend with their homeroom teacher, which is the single most important determinant of student learning and well being for our LS learners.
- Lower School dismisses at 2:30pm on Wednesdays, and at 3pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays..