Welcome to the Summer 2025 edition of PDS Spirit! For many years, this magazine has captured the heartbeat of our mission: to shape boys in wisdom, virtue, and service. These pages invite you to celebrate the entrepreneurial zeal, nurturing environment, and visionary growth that make PDS a sacred space for molding young men.

The spirit of innovation has long thrived within our walls, evident in the initiative of several sixth graders who launched a student-led fidget business you will read about in this issue. What began as a request for a new 3D printer quickly became a hands-on lesson in business planning, partnership, and generosity. With guidance from our faculty, the boys developed a business model, produced and marketed their products, and chose to donate a portion of the proceeds to charity. Their work reflects a long-standing PDS ethos of encouraging early entrepreneurship and healthy risk-taking.

Speaking of new initiatives, few compare to the joy and excitement of adding a new member to our faculty and staff, especially a member with four legs and a wagging tail. Leo, our campus therapy dog, has become a beloved figure to many of you who have met him in carpool line or in the school hallways. Leo adds profound joy and calm to campus life. From greeting boys during morning carpool to offering quiet companionship during tests, Leo’s presence fosters a loving and supportive environment. Research affirms what we see every day: the emotional benefits of connection through animals. In his gentle way, Leo embodies our commitment to nurturing the whole boy and helping us carry out our mission.

In this edition, we also celebrate the launch of the Center for Educational Growth, an initiative that deepens our investment in the people who shape our boys’ daily lives. Under the direction of Emily Lequerica, this new hub of innovation formalizes our long-standing commitment to faculty growth and connects our educators with global thought leaders and forward-thinking schools. With a dedicated space set to open on campus in August, the Center will amplify teacher development, advance research-based practices proven to benefit boys, and strengthen partnerships with parents by connecting them to leading voices in education.

In April, PDS welcomed Tom Batty, Executive Director of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. His message was clear: boys flourish when they are guided by “soft hands that don’t move”—boundaries that hold firm without harm. Batty’s insights into relational teaching, internal value-building, and meaningful responsibility affirm the work we strive to do each day, forming boys not only for academic success but for lives of wisdom, character, and purpose.

That same theme echoed at the 2025 Alumni Luncheon, where Dr. Stephen Threlkeld ’76 offered a moving reflection on the foundation PDS gave him. Dr. Threlkeld urged alums as well as our sixth graders them to seek not only knowledge but also the deeper “why” behind it, rooted in Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” His story is a testament to how truth, faith, and character formation remain guiding threads across a lifetime, beginning in the earliest years.

As you explore these pages, I hope you feel the excitement, energy, and spirit of PDS!

Brad Sewell
Head of School