October 3, 2005
Contact: Sandra Moore, Director of Development and Communications
(extension 110; smoore@poughkeepsieday.org)

Poughkeepsie, NY-The National Merit Corporation has notified Poughkeepsie Day School that four seniors have been designated Commended Students in the 51st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are Emily Flam of Accord, Brian Flanagan of Cold Spring, Ella Wise of Rhinebeck and Wylie Wynshaw of Wappingers Falls. They join their classmates, Luke Burns, of Red Hook, and Ian Crovisier, of Highland, who were previously named Semifinalists. The six honored students are members of the school's Class of 2006, which numbers 33.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation have been reconized for their exceptional academic promise; they placed among the top five percent of more than one million students who entered the 2006 competition by taking the PSAT as juniors last fall. Poughkeepssie Day School's Semifinalists are among approximately 16,000 scholastically talented students from every state, representing approximately 1% of U.S. high school seniors, who qualified for this designation based on the scores they received on the same test. About 90% of all Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist standing, with approximately half of those selected as Merit Scholarship winners.

Founded in 1934 by members of the Vassar College faculty and local community, Poughkeepsie Day School enrolls 325 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 from 48 communities in the mid-Hudson Valley. The school is distinguished by its interactive and interdisciplinary approach to learning and emphasis on the development of creative and critical thinking skills.Typically 100% of the school's graduating seniors are admitted to colleges and universities each year.

Poughkeepsie, NY - For the second straight year, Poughkeepsie Day School's literary magazine, Made-You-Look, has been awarded a silver medal by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). The magazine is produced by students in grades 5-8 in the Town of Poughkeepsie independent school.

The publication, overseen by Laurie Giardino, middle school arts and technology teacher, and Trace Schillinger, middle school humanities teacher, was developed collaboratively by an editorial and layout staff of 21 students; 61 students--more than half of the middle school--contributed work, including poetry, short stories, cartoons, graphic art and photography. Head of school George Swain said, "The magazine is designed to encourage student involvement and creative self-expression and it succeeds on both accounts. And it is also quite beautiful."

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) is a program of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in the City of New York. It was organized in 1924 and since then more than 125,000 newspapers, magazines, and yearbooks, representing the work of students from middle school through college, have been entered into the annual critiques for evaluations and more than 240,000 delegates have attended its annual conventions. Services provided by the CSPA include written evaluations of individual student publications as well as the planning and conducting of the four conferences and workshops.

Founded in 1934, Poughkeepsie Day School enrolls 325 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 from 48 communities in the mid-Hudson Valley. It is distinguished by its interactive and interdisciplinary approach to learning and emphasis on the development of creative and critical thinking skills. Typically 100% of the school's graduating seniors are admitted to colleges and universities each year.

September 16, 2005
Contact: Sandra Moore, Director of Development and Communications

Poughkeepsie, NY-Poughkeepsie Day School announces that seniors Luke Burns, of Red Hook, and Ian Crovisier, of Highland, have been named National Merit Semifinalists in the 51st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

They are among approximately 16,000 scholastically talented students from every state, representing approximately 1% of U.S. high school seniors, who qualified for this designation based on the scores they received on the October 2004 Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT). About 90% of all Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist standing, with approximately half of those selected as Merit Scholarship winners. As Semifinalists, Burns, a student at the Town of Poughkeepsie independent school since kindergarten, and Crovisier, enrolled since sixth grade, are competing for two of the approximately 8,200 National Merit Scholarship awards. They are members of the school's thirty-three member Class of 2006.

Founded in 1934 by members of the Vassar College faculty and local community, Poughkeepsie Day School enrolls 325 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 from 48 communities in the mid-Hudson Valley. The school is distinguished by its interactive and interdisciplinary approach to learning and emphasis on the development of creative and critical thinking skills.Typically 100% of the school's graduatingseniors are admitted to colleges and universities each year.