May/June

As the year draws to a close, I want to take a few minutes to thank the many people who have contributed to our success and happiness this year.

Let me start with the faculty, that wonderfully dedicated and selfless group who work so hard each day so that our children may experience the richness of a challenging and rewarding education. At this time of the year you see examples of their efforts everywhere: the original musical; the 1-2s museum celebrating the study of the Hudson River; the new student-led evaluation conferences in the eighth grade; the science symposium; the lower school play; Sidereal’s new members and new songs; the art work on display in both buildings; the poetry celebration of the Eagle Society; the baseball and softball games. The list goes on and on. Join me, please, in thanking them for the careful thought they give to matching your child’s interests with his needs and the countless hours they spend in bringing things together. The kind of teaching we do here is incredibly demanding. There are no preformatted materials or fill-in-the-blanks evaluations. Each day’s inquiry is based on important conceptual questions, and follows the children’s interests and ideas. Every piece of work should be your child’s personal challenge. Working this way takes incredible skill and flexibility, as well as a clear sense of purpose. We are fortunate, indeed, to have a faculty as dedicated to the process of learning as they are to the act of teaching.

Thanks, also to the many parents who have volunteered their time and energy in a myriad of activities throughout the year working on book fairs and auctions; arranging pot-lucks and picnics; participating in discussion groups on diversity, community and education; soliciting for the Annual Fund and thanking those who generously contributed; sewing costumes for our many plays; helping our children create projects for the auction and the photo exhibit; carpooling on a zillion field trips; calling or e-mailing to remind us of one event or another: it’s another endless list. And, while some of these activities address the critical need for financial support, collectively they serve a far more important function. They bring us together as a community. They allow us to get to know one another, to share ideas and discuss our values and priorities. They enable us to move forward together in harmony.

Let us not forget our administrators and support staff. They are the folks who make sure things get done. Reports get written; letters go out; the Web site continues to expand and improve; Compass and Currents are distributed far and wide; new students are recruited and new families welcomed in many ways; the parking lot gets plowed; our buildings stay clean and safe; the bills get paid. These are the people who remember the details and attend to them. They help create and celebrate the big ideas and also provide the infrastructure that allows them to happen. Theirs are crazy, never-ending jobs, but somebody has to do them! And they do so with good humor and grace.

A word of thanks also to the board of trustees. These tireless volunteers work endlessly, not for personal gain but because they are committed to Poughkeepsie Day School, and the principles for which it stands. Long hours and certain controversy are the rewards for their efforts. They continue to give, however, and we are a better, richer school for their being here.

It has been a busy and productive year. We have seen some change in ways that I believe are good for all of us. We are moving toward a clearer articulationof our curriculum; as a faculty we are immersed in the study of the process of learning and differences in the way that plays out for individual students. We have increased our annual giving to an all-time high. We are working on a meaningful and realistic long-term plan for our financial management and for the maintenance of our campus. We are, of course, a work in progress. It’s an active and engaging process, however. If you have not already become a part of it, please consider doing so. Come to our meetings. Visit our classrooms. Add to our discussion groups. Your voice is an important one!

Finally, a special thanks to all of our kids. They come in each day loaded with interesting questions and fabulous ideas. They share enthusiastically the things that are important to them and listen generously to things that are important to others. They create an atmosphere of purposeful engagement. They bring us all together.

Enjoy your summer. I will be around much of the time. If you have a moment to come in and talk, please do. I love hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mary Jane