RattleBag and Rhubarb

Farewell

The end of the school year and an express train filled with events, final exams, feasts, pageants, displays, presentations, performances, ceremonies, farewells and of course graduation commencement. Read more about graduation from The Poughkeepsie Journal I took this unofficial picture of the graduating class at the outdoor adventure trip last September.

RattleBag and Rhubarb

School goes wild

Graduation was on Wednesday and all the students were gone by the end of the day. And then the rains came and the leaks in Gilkeson began. An investigation of the roof indicated raccoon damage –  teeth and claw marks. All fixed now. These pictures are of a raccoon on the Kenyon House roof this spring. Steve Mallet to the…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Summer Drama: Powerhouse Apprentices

Nice article about two PDS students in the Poughkeepsie Journal Students to study theater at Powerhouse Hannah and Wiley, rising seniors, have been selected to participate in the Powerhouse apprentice training program at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie this summer. Read more Wylie and Hannah were seen recently in American Life in the James Earl Jones Theater at PDS For information,…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Our Hudson River

This was the culmination of a year long study, investigation and exploration of the life and history of the Hudson River. This first and second grade presented their work with a puppet show that had it all – river creatures great and small, river people famous and unknown – birds, fish, ice-boats, the lighthouse, tugs, PCBs, pirates and singing with…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Kindergarten Collectors

It was part of a math number and counting project and then both kindergarten classes brought in their personal collections to share. Glass beads, shells, coins, cards, model cars, photos of India, quarters and stamps. And the stamps included this one honoring the teachers of America issued on July 1st 1957. I had this one in my childhood collection too.…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Never too late

Photo courtesy of Mimika Hyman It’s never too late to post a great photo of the cast of the middle school 5th/6th grade production of Arabian Nights seen on the stage of the JEJ Theater this spring. Congratulations everyone!.

RattleBag and Rhubarb

“I see the future”

Fantasy Castle in the Sky This show had it all. A cast of thousands. A three-ring circus with gorillas, clowns, trapeze artists, acrobats, strongmen, sword swallowers, a lion, a lion tamer and miniature ponies. A trip to the zoo, with a tiger, ducks, monkeys, penguins, elephants, rabbits, deer and snakes. And lots of food. But where are the zebras? The…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

The pH rises … Science Symposium 08

The pH rises and the bubbles stream out; pop, From the misty stream. The water running and the fish swimming wildly from the broken dam A single river peacefully and calmly Over the rock’s rage Bubbling test tubes Images of science class A beautiful sight! Elements make up Things around the universe They are what makes us ! Water is…

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Grandparents and Special Friends

Some came from New York City and much further – including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Denmark. Other came from closer to school but all were welcome at the annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We gathered in the dining room for breakfast and after brief remarks of welcome our visitors went to classes and then to a command performance…

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Poetry, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Visiting poet

The poet Robin Becker visited PDS and talked with students from the poetry elective and high school literary magazine. She read poems from three of her collections including the most recent Domain of Perfect Affection. Here is former poet laureate Robert Pinsky commenting of one of the poems – OK Tucker -in the Washington Post

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Echoes

We don’t own the words of course, but it was fun to come across these words from the PDS mission statement: Poughkeepsie Day School graduates students who: Possess a rich academic knowledge base and know how to think as creative, flexible, independent, resourceful learners for life Are intellectually curious, active seekers, users and creators of knowledge echoed in the words…

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Visitors

It was rainy at recess so the first and second graders in Bill and Rachels’s class visited me instead. Here they are winding up the toys in the office. They returned to class with two cars from my collection so they could be put to test on the block corner raceway. And then today Ariana Stokas PDS – graduate from…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

A Day of Ice Pellets

A day of ice pellets and time to catch up a little. And it’s been a busy season as usual. The annual Peacemaker’s assembly was a really terrific event. Planned by the high school students in Bernadette’s Civil Rights elective it was an inclusive, moving, joyful multi-media event. All grades participated. Here are a few pictures to capture a little…

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Feather of lead, bright smoke

It happened before the winter break but it would be negligent not to post on the topic of the enthralling Romeo and Juliet on stage in the JEJ Theater in December. And enthralling it was. The excellent cast – who all seemed to be having a wonderful time – had been studying, preparing and rehearsing all term and their knowledge…

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