Anne Shepherd began the tradition of making wreaths at MFS and continued the fundraiser at PDS. Wreaths were sold at Candlelight and benefitted Community Service projects. Mrs. Shepherd, for whom the humanities wing is named, taught English at MFS and PDS for 47 years.
PDS was one of only 30 US schools chosen to participate in a US/USSR exchange program. After hosting Soviet students in the fall, PDS students traveled to the USSR to attend school in Moscow. Pictured in 1989 with Religion and Russian Teacher Dan Skvir ( back, far left) and History Teacher Scott Spence (back, second from left), Russian Teacher Tassie Turkevich Skvir MFS '62 (back, second from right) and Head of School Duncan Alling (back, far right), the first 12 exchange students from PDS include (back row) Howard Katz, Robert Biro, (middle row) Jeff Zawadsky, Nika Skvir, Leslie Powell, Carrie Regan, Dan Milstein, (front row) Jacob Silverman, Won Kim, Josh Mezrich.
Medieval Day c. 1984
Medieval Day c. 1984
Mag Gilbert, backed up here by a choir of Lower School angels, taught music at MFS and PDS for close to 30 years and composed original songs for school programs. (1980s)
Coach Rome Campbell with his junior boys basketball team .
History Teacher Wes McCaughan (left) and Math Teacher Graham Cragg coached this 1980s golf team.
Coach Gordon Stevenson demonstrates proper grip to his girls softball team. (1980s)
Coach Gordon Stevenson (center) and his girls softball team. (1980s)
A group of angels prepare for a holiday program.
A hungry witch watches the Halloween Parade. (1980s)
Lower School Pilgrims give thanks at the Thanksgiving Assembly in the early 1980s.
Middle School Music Chair Regina Spiegel and her choir promote an upcoming concert.
The eighth grade performs The Wizard of Oz.
These third grade musicians performed at the Lower School Final Assembly.
The Lively Arts Program, funded in memory of Mary Hamill Lambert MFS 1919, brings Lincoln Center performing artists to PDS (as in this performance of Alvin Ailey's Revelations) and offers courses for PDS teachers in New York City. (1980s)
A sketch of the proposed subdivision of the campus, March, 1980.
In November 1986, Business Manager Carl Storey burned the school's original mortgage assisted by Headmaster Doug McClure and former Board Chair Elizabeth (Bunny) Dilworth.
Balloon Day, 1980s
Betsy Trapp with her junior kindergarten class 13 years before their graduation in 2002.
The PDS Panther gathers participants for the 1984 Blue/White Day.
Faculty members keep score at Blue/White Field Day competitions in the 1980s.
The entire school participated in Blue/White Field Day.
Melissa Trend admires her 1985 PDS diploma.
Eighth grade graduation, 1984
Christopher Westcott '99 watches the entertainment while waiting his turn to perform in the Fourth Grade Operetta.
Lower School Head Sara Schwiebert oversees the lighting of the menorrah and the celebration of Hanukkah in 1984.
Lower school performers in 1984
PDS Russian language students visited Moscow in 1989.
Russian Teachers Tassie Turkevich Skvir MFS '62 (seated far left) and Dan Skvir (seated far right) and Math Teacher Alison Shehadi (back, second from right with Soviet teacher far right) gather with PDS and Soviet exchange students in 1989.
A student works at one of the drafting tables. PDS is one of the few high schools in the country to offer a four-year architecture program.
Edith Roberts '90 gets a lift from a friend in a 1985 gym class.
Members of the 1984-1985 fencing team.
Athletes proudly sew their 1985 varsity letters onto their PDS jackets.
Athletes from one team cheer on another c. 1984.
The 1985 girls lacrosse team display their championship trophies as Coach Kim Bedesem (on right, in pants) applauds their victory