Greetings from PDS! I hope your family had a joyful and restful summer, filled with moments that recharged your hearts and minds, and moments that created a renewed sense of energy for another year of learning and growth.

Each summer, a number of our faculty travel to the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) annual conference. This year was no exception. Several of us, myself included, spent a few days in Boston alongside boys’ school educators from around the world who share our passion for teaching boys. These gatherings always reaffirm a central truth: boys are relational learners. The most powerful moments of the conference were not found in theory alone but in the shared understanding that “boys experience their teachers before they experience the lessons they teach.” While curriculum, content, and mastery matter deeply (and we take them seriously), it is the human connection that brings these elements to life. As Parker Palmer writes in The Courage to Teach, “When we reduce teaching to a bloodless quest for right answers, our knowledge grows stale, and our teaching lacks vitality. But when we combine content mastery with emotional connection to our students and our subjects, we weave a fabric of relationship that enlivens learning and makes it lasting.”

That is what our teachers do. They bring knowledge to life, not only through their expertise, but through deep investment in your sons, their quirks, their curiosity, and their boundless energy. Boys thrive when they are known, understood, and challenged in a space of relational trust. Our teachers do not simply transfer information, they form relationships, model character, and spark discovery. They help boys not only learn ideas, but encourage them to become the kind of people who seek wisdom, take responsibility, and love learning.

To our new families - welcome! We are thrilled you have joined our community. Whether you are entering our Early Childhood division or joining further along the PDS journey, we look forward to partnering with you in your son’s development. We invite you to explore the PDS Preview: 2025–26. This booklet is designed to help you plan well and stay organized.It is full of key dates and details that serve as a valuable roadmap as we move through the school year together. Whether you are a long-term planner or someone who takes things as they come, we hope this will be a valuable reference throughout the year.

As we launch into a new school year, we do so with a spirit of anticipation and joy. Each boy arrives with his own story, his own sense of wonder, and his own growing understanding of the world. Each grade level represents more than a curriculum map - it marks a season of formation. From our Young Knights learning the routines of a school day to our sixth grade boys stepping into leadership as the upperclassmen on campus, this journey is sacred and vitally important to your son’s development. Every moment builds character, intellect, and habits that will guide them for years to come.

We are eager to begin another year walking alongside your sons. The joy of boyhood, including the humor, energy, curiosity, and courage, is a gift, and we consider it a great responsibility to help shape it wisely.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Leadership Team or any faculty member if you have questions or need support. We are here to partner with you. Here’s to another meaningful year of growth, discovery, and relationship!

Brad Sewell
Head of School