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{{short description|Private school in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States}}
{{Infobox Private School|
{{Use American English|date=October 2020}}
name = Princeton Day School|
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
image = ]|
{{Infobox school

| name = Princeton Day School
motto = ''Semper Luceat<br>"May It Always Shine"''|
| logo = pdslogo.jpg
established = 1899|
| logo_size =
type = ], ], ]|
| image = Colross.jpg
head_name = Head of School|
| imagesize =
head = Dr. Judith R. Fox|
| caption = ], the school administration building, a ] mansion moved from ] ]
city = ]|
| motto = ''Semper Luceat'' (Always Shine)
state = ]|
| established = 1899<ref>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022. "In 1899, a young woman named May Margaret Fine opened a school in Princeton to prepare girls for college with a curriculum including English, French, Latin, history and mathematics."</ref>
country = ]|
| type = ], ]
campus = 103 acres|
| grades = ]–]
enrollment = 904|
| gender = ]
class = 13|
| head_of_school = Kelley Nicholson-Flynn
ratio = 8:1|
| city = ]
athletics = 22 Interscholastic Sports|
| county = ]
colors = Blue/White|
| state = ]
mascot = Panther
| country = United States
|
| coordinates = {{Coord|40.362075|-74.690603|region:US|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
conference = Patriot Conference|
| pushpin_map = USA New Jersey Mercer County#USA New Jersey#USA
homepage = |
| campus = {{convert|103|acre|km2}}
| enrollment = 941 (plus 15 in PreK, as of 2021–22)<ref name=NCES/>
| faculty = 122.1 ]<ref name=NCES/>
| ratio = 7.7:1<ref name=NCES/>
| us_nces_school_id = 00868462<ref name=NCES/>
| tuition = $45,360 (7–12 for 2023–24)<ref>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved January 8, 2024.</ref>
| endowment = $43,000,000
| accreditation = ] Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools<ref name=MSA-CESS/>
| SAT = 690 Reading/Writing<br>710 Math<ref name=Briefly>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022.</ref>
| athletics = 22 interscholastic sports
| colors = {{Color box|Blue}} Blue and<br>{{Color box|White}} white<ref name=NJSIAAprofile/>
| teamname = Panthers<ref name=NJSIAAprofile/>
| conference = Patriot Conference
| newspaper = Spokesman<ref name=Activities>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022.</ref>
| yearbook = Link<ref name=Activities/>
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.pds.org/}}
}} }}
'''Princeton Day School''' is a private ]al ] located in ], ]. The school has a "]" mailing address. The Princeton Day School currently enrolls 904 students in grades junior kindergarten - 12. The largest division is the Upper School (grades 9-12), with an enrollment of 372 as of the 2005-2006 school year. '''Princeton Day School''' is a ] ] ] located in ], in ], in the ] of ], serving students in ] through ]. The largest division is the Upper School (grades 9–12), with an enrollment of about 400. The school has been accredited by the ] Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1989.<ref name=MSA-CESS>, ] Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Retrieved April 3, 2022.</ref>

An average of nearly 20 percent of Princeton Day School seniors over past five years have been honored as semi-finalists or commended scholars in the ]. Annually, approximately 20 percent of the PDS graduating class is accepted to ] colleges, ], ], ] or ]. Approximately 95 percent of the Class of 2000 attend colleges rated “Most Difficult” or “Very Difficult” by Peterson's Guide.<ref name="pds">, Princeton Day School. Accessed ], ].</ref>


As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 941 students (plus 15 in PreK) and 122.1 classroom teachers (on an ] basis), for a ] of 7.7:1. The school's student body was 81.3% (765) White, 7.7% (72) Asian, 6.8% (72) Hispanic and 4.3% (40) Black.<ref name=NCES>, ]. Retrieved November 1, 2023.</ref>
In September of 2005, the school launched the public phase of a five year $50 million capital campaign, "Investing in Excellence" to support new and renovated facilities and increased endowment for faculty salaries and financial aid. As of August of 2006, $40 million in commitments had been received, including an $11 million gift for financial aid, the largest gift ever made to an independent co-ed day school.


The school is a member of the ], ] and the ]. The school is a member of the ], ]<ref>, ]. Retrieved June 4, 2017.</ref> and the ].<ref>, ]. Retrieved June 4, 2017.</ref>


==History== ==History==
Founded in 1899, Miss Fine's School in Princeton prepared girls for college with a curriculum including English, French, Latin, history, and mathematics, at a time when women were not expected to attend college, and when only one out of eight children in America went to school at all. For years, in addition to serving as headmistress, May Margaret Fine taught all the subjects but French and even "tended the furnace....often leaving in the middle of Latin class to do it."<ref name="shines">"The Light That Ever Shines," by Alice Jacobson and Laura Rogers. ''The Inkling'', January 1962. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of the ''Spokesman''.</ref>


"A large shapeless figure a pile of white hair dominated by a bun on the top, which usually slid over to the side of her head by the end of the day,"<ref name="roots">Selden, William K. ''From These Roots: The Creation of Princeton Day School''. 1991.</ref> Fine was, despite her appearance, a loved and respected figure. John Finley, editor of '']'' during the 1910s, wrote of her, "So was the school under her wise and gentle rule a place where happy children grew into her spirited likeness."<ref name="shines"/> Fine retired in 1931 and died two years later.<ref>, '']'', November 15, 1933. Retrieved November 3, 2017.</ref>
Founded in 1899, Miss Fine's School in Princeton prepared girls for college with a curriculum including English, French, Latin, history and mathematics, at a time when women were not expected to attend college, and when only one out of eight children in America went to school at all. For years, the institution was, quite literally, ''Miss Fine's'' School; in addition to serving as Headmistress, May Margaret Fine taught all the subjects but French, maintained an individual interest in her students, and even "tended the furnace....often leaving in the middle of Latin class to do it."<ref name="shines">“The Light That Ever Shines,” by Alice Jacobson and Laura Rogers. ''The Inkling'', January 1962. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of The ''Spokesman'', 2.</ref>


Miss Fine's School moved into what had previously been The Princeton Inn on Bayard Lane in 1924 and included boys from kindergarten through 3rd grade.
"A large shapeless figure a pile of white hair dominated by a bun on the top, which usually slid over to the side of her head by the end of the day,"<ref name="roots"> Selden, William K. ''From These Roots: The Creation of Princeton Day School''. 1991.</ref> Fine was, despite her appearance, a loved and respected figure. John Finley, editor of '']'' during the 1910s, wrote of her, "So was the school under her wise and gentle rule a place where happy children grew into her spirited likeness."<ref name="shines">“The Light That Ever Shines,” by Alice Jacobson and Laura Rogers. ''The Inkling'', January 1962. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of The ''Spokesman'', 2.</ref> Fine retired in 1931 and died two years later.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30B17F63C5516738DDDAC0994D9415B838FF1D3 |date = 1933-11-15 | title = MISS MAY M. FINE, EDUCATOR, IS DEAD; Founder and Director for Last 34 Years of Girls' School in Princeton | publisher = ''The New York Times''. | accessdate = 2007-01-11}}</ref>


In 1924, a group of parents established an elementary school for boys on Bayard Lane, next to Miss Fine's School. The boys' school was known as Princeton Country Day School. Princeton Country Day merged with Miss Fine's School in 1965 to become Princeton Day School. Princeton Day School's campus along The Great Road in Princeton opened in 1965, thanks to the contributions of Dean Mathey. In 1924, a group of parents established a 4–9 grade school for boys on Bayard Lane, next to Miss Fine's School. The boys' school was known as Princeton Junior School. The school moved in 1932 to an independent campus with purpose-built buildings at 171 Broadmead in another section of Princeton not far from Palmer Stadium. The name was then changed to Princeton Country Day School (PCD), although in honor of its founding name, the school magazine was called the "Junior Journal." It had large playing fields across the street for football and soccer. In the winter, there was occasionally skating on Carnegie Lake nearby, and while ice hockey was played at Princeton University's Baker Rink. In the spring, there was an annual school fair held as a fundraiser. The school had an excellent academic reputation, and most graduates went on to New England boarding schools for secondary education. The buildings and campus of PCD are now part of Princeton University and used as a nursery school.


Princeton Country Day merged with Miss Fine's School in 1965 to become Princeton Day School, operating on a campus along the Great Road in Princeton.<ref>Staff. , '']'', May 2, 1963. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "The institution is a merger of Miss Fine's School for Girls and Princeton Country Day School for Boys."</ref><ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315215235/http://pds.org/page.aspx?pid=416|date=March 15, 2015}}, Princeton Day School. Retrieved July 17, 2011.</ref>
==Traditions==
Over the years, Princeton Day School has enjoyed many traditions that no longer take place. These include an Upper School pie-eating competition (with each grade pitted against each other) that continued until the eighties, an annual sophomore-junior canoeing trip, intended to bridge the gap between two grades that traditionally do not share many classes, and legendary English teacher Anne Shepherd's wreathmaking assembly. The wreathmaking rite started in Miss Fine's School in 1900, and since, by the 1980s, participation in the event had dwindled, it was cancelled. A December 1982 article in PDS's student-run newspaper, the ''Spokesman'', explained that “This raised such an uproar that, by popular demand, the was given one last chance.”<ref name="Source B">“Wreath-Making: A Waning Tradition,” by Lynn Bowers. Originally published in The Spokesman, December 1982. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of The ''Spokesman'', 15.</ref> By the 1990s, though, wreathmaking was gone, indicative of the passing of certain traditions over time. (Another tradition that began at Miss Fine's, the annual ] Dance, actually continues today, though it is now performed by second graders instead of Upper Schoolers.)


In September 2005, the school launched the public phase of a five-year $50 million capital campaign, "Investing in Excellence" to support new and renovated facilities and increased endowment for faculty salaries and financial aid that raised a total of $53 million from more than 4,000 contributors.<ref>Staff. , ''Pennington Post'', June 12, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Schulte joined the Princeton Day School community in 2003 as director of the Investing in Excellence Campaign, a five-year, capital campaign that garnered $53 million for financial aide, faculty support and new libraries, arts and athletic facilities. The campaign, at that time one of the most ambitious fundraising efforts ever undertaken by an independent day school, exceeded its goal and garnered support from 4,000 donors including current families, alumni and friends of the school."</ref>
New traditions have joined the ] Dance in recent years, including the annual ] game, a fiercely competitive touch football match between the junior and senior girls that has been held since 2004, and ] Day, a day of boisterous noise and frosted cake in the otherwise tightly-run Upper School library. Two of PDS's most celebrated current traditions are the Halloween Parade, and Blue & White Day.


==Traditions==
===Halloween Challenge/Parade===
Over the years, Princeton Day School enjoyed many traditions that no longer take place. These include an Upper School pie-eating competition that continued until the eighties, an annual sophomore-junior canoeing trip, intended to bridge the gap between two grades that traditionally do not share many classes, and legendary English teacher Anne Shepherd's wreathmaking assembly. The wreathmaking rite started in Miss Fine's School in 1900, and since, by the 1980s, participation in the event had dwindled, it was cancelled. A December 1982 article in PDS's student-run newspaper, ''The Spokesman'', explained that "This raised such an uproar that, by popular demand, the was given one last chance."<ref name="Source B">"Wreath-Making: A Waning Tradition," by Matthew Kilgore. Originally published in ''The Spokesman'', December 1982. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of ''The Spokesman''</ref> By the 1990s, though, wreathmaking was gone, indicative of the passing of certain traditions over time. (Another tradition that began at Miss Fine's, the annual ] Dance, actually continues today, though it is now performed by second graders instead of Upper Schoolers.)
For at least 20 years (beginning by 1984 at the latest, and ending in 2003), the senior challenge, or the Halloween Challenge, had been a yearly PDS tradition. A collection of four Halloween-themed skits performed by each Upper School grade in front of the extended Lower School, Middle School and faculty each Halloween, the competition was introduced each October during announcement period, where the seniors would unexpectedly take control of the microphone and issue a public challenge to the other three grades.

The skits usually took the form of elaborately-scripted adaptations of well-known ghost stories or mysteries, including, memorably, '']'', '']'', and a version of Michael Jackson’s '']'' featuring then-Dean of X Harvey Lee moonwalking. Though the winner was chosen by supposedly impartial judges, the senior skit invariably won; when, in October 2003, sophomores won what turned out to be the final Challenge, the ''Spokesman'' declared it “a stunning upset.”<ref>{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2003/nov/news/halchal.html | title = "Sophomores Win Challenge in Upset,” by Ian McCue. The ''Spokesman'', November 2003. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref> It was only the third time since 1988 that seniors had not won the Challenge.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2001/november/news/halloween.html | title = “Sophomores' Thriller Upsets Traditional Balance at Challenge,” by Erin McCormick. The ''Spokesman'', November 2001. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref>


New traditions have joined the ] Dance in recent years, including the annual ] game, a fiercely competitive ] match between the junior and senior girls that has been held since 2004, and ] Day.
The Halloween Challenge was officially cancelled that April, in an “announcement was followed by a collective groan and boos from the audience.”<ref name="challenge">“Parade Replaces Challenge,” by Adam Savitzky. The ''Spokesman'', May 2004. 1, 5.</ref> It was replaced with a similar type of competition, a Halloween-day parade where the grade with the best costumes won. Then-Community-Council-president Kyle Hogan ’05 explained that “skits in the past few years have deteriorated to the point where they not only lack school spirit, but they are blatantly inappropriate,” citing the senior skit, which had featured one senior boy “running onstage in a Speedo bathing suit.”<ref name="challenge">“Parade Replaces Challenge,” by Adam Savitzky. The ''Spokesman'', May 2004. 1, 5.</ref>


===Blue & White Day=== ===Blue & White Day===
On Blue & White Field Day, an all-school athletic competition held each spring, PDS students often carry a fierce 24-hour sense of patriotism for their color, which is assigned in their first year and remains through graduatuon. Popular Blue & White Day events include The Big Race, which involves students in each grade from PreK through 12, a faculty balloon toss (for which students serve as rowdy spectators), and the freestyle sack race.<ref>"Blue Claims Victory on Field Day," by Kalla Gervasio. ''The Spokesman'', Summer 2003.</ref>


Blue & White Day was founded by beloved Physical Education teacher Kim Bedesem;<ref name="why">"Why No More Blue-White Day in US?" by Caroline Binder. ''The Spokesman'', March 2001.</ref> when Bedesem died in 1993, it was decided that each subsequent Blue & White Day be dedicated to her. Each year, the Blue & White Day T-shirts distributed to students and faculty have the name "KIM" somewhere in the design.<ref>"Longtime LS Teachers Miller, Atiram Leave PDS," by Somy Thottathil. ''The Spokesman'', Summer 2001.</ref> While Bedesem created Blue & White Day in its present form in the 80s, similar events existed at Miss Fine's and PCD as much as 60 years earlier. James Howard Murch, PCD's first Headmaster, was remembered by his successor for "the pleasurable relish with which he took to interpret the decimal-splitting rivalries of the Blues and Whites."<ref name="roots"/> Miss Fine's School (whose school colors were voted Blue and Grey by the Class of 1918)<ref name="time">Timeline from the 1999 Centennial issue of ''The Spokesman''</ref> had "similar challenges" in which Blues and Greys competed.<ref name="why"/>
On Blue & White Field Day, an all-school athletic competition held each spring, PDS students often carry a fierce 24-hour sense of patriotism for their color, painting their faces blue or white and engaging in acts of playful discrimination against the opposing team. Popular Blue-White events include "The Big Race," which involves students in each grade from JK through 12, a faculty balloon toss (for which students serve as rowdy spectators), and the freestyle sack race.<ref>“Blue Claims Victory on Field Day,” by Kalla Gervasio. The ''Spokesman'', Summer 2003. 10.</ref>


The Upper School (grades 9–12) returned to Blue and White Day in 2006 following over a decade's hiatus from the event. Their re-entry into the morning part of the activities was later expanded to include other Blue/White competitions in the Upper School during the rest of the school year.
Blue & White Day was founded by beloved Physical Education teacher Kim Bedesem;<ref name="why">“Why No More Blue-White Day in US?” by Caroline Binder. The ''Spokesman'', March 2001. 8.</ref> when Bedesem passed away in 1993, it was decided that each subsequent Blue & White Day be dedicated to her. Each year, the Blue & White Day t-shirts distributed to students and faculty have the name “KIM” hidden somewhere in the design.<ref>"Longtime LS Teachers Miller, Atiram Leave PDS,” by Somy Thottathil. The ''Spokesman'', Summer 2001. 5.</ref> While Bedesem created Blue & White Day in its present form in the 80s, similar events existed at Miss Fine's and PCD as much as 60 years earlier. James Howard Murch, PCD’s first Headmaster, was remembered by his successor for “the pleasurable relish with which he took to interpret the decimal-splitting rivalries of the Blues and Whites.”<ref name="roots"> Selden, William K. ''From These Roots: The Creation of Princeton Day School''. 1991.</ref> Miss Fine’s School (whose school colors were voted Blue and Grey by the Class of 1918)<ref name="time">Timeline from the 1999 Centennial issue of the ''Spokesman''.</ref> had “similar challenges" in which Blues and Greys competed.<ref name="why">“Why No More Blue-White Day in US?” by Caroline Binder. The ''Spokesman'', March 2001. 8.</ref>


===GudgeFest=== ==Administration==
On June 16, 2022, the Princeton Day School Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, former assistant head of school for operations at ] in the ], as the new Head of School starting July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introducing Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, Princeton Day School's Next Head of School - Princeton Day School |url=https://www.pds.org/about-princeton-day-school/next-head-of-school |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=pds.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
GudgeFest, a lawn-chair-throwing competition created by Upper School Latin teacher Todd Gudgel in May 1993, was recently a wildly popular event at PDS; the 2001 turnout was “around 100 people,”<ref name="lovefest">{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2001/may/news/gudgefest.html | title = "Gudgefest a Lovefest,” by Nate Smith. The ''Spokesman'', May 2001. | accessdate = 2007-01-15}}</ref> and the following for the event has been referred to as “cult-like.”<ref>{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2002/may/news/nerd.html | title = “Return of the Nerd,” by Alex Realmuto. The ''Spokeman'', May 2002. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref> Competitors and spectators alike making the trek to the Colross Lawn are rewarded by an array of refreshments—famously, ] and Nilla wafers. GudgeFest’s intent is, in Gudgel’s words, “to explore the Gudge in all of us....It’s a spring into summer ritual, it takes the pressure off of students. They’ve just finished the AP’s and everything is so structured and it since the time you were five years old. This is unstructured.”<ref name="lovefest">{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2001/may/news/gudgefest.html | title = "Gudgefest a Lovefest,” by Nate Smith. The ''Spokesman'', May 2001. | accessdate = 2007-01-15}}</ref>

This lack of structure has historically led to dangerous results, such as when, at GudgeFest 2000, a student’s chair came close to hitting Upper School religion teacher David Freedholm. Since 2005 Gudgefest has not occurred due to a lack of student interest in planning the event. However, 06-07 Community Council President Hugh Wynne created a committee dedicated to planning the event. The group, called the GudgeFest Renovation, has been able to resurrect the tradition and plans to hold another GudgeFest in spring 2007. The revived event was originally called We Beat A Friar, a mnemonic for memorizing the Latin subjunctive endings, but the name was changed to Saturnalia and then Patry-cus after some objected to the choice.

== Administration ==

The current Head of School, Judy Fox, will retire after the 2006-2007 school year. There is a committee in charge of looking for a new Head of School, but for the school year of 2007-2008, Lila Lohr, who was the Head of School from 1995-2000, will serve on an interim basis. The committee hopes to announce the new Head of School in fall 2007. The selected candidate will begin in summer 2008. John Ora, the Head of the Middle School, will also be leaving after the 2006-2007 school year, to take a job as the Head of School at another independent school in California. Warren Gould, who is presently the head of Academic Affairs at Priceton Day School, will be taking his role as the Head of the Middle School. Dina Bray is also leaving PDS.

*Head of School: Judith R. Fox
*Head of Upper School: Carlton Tucker
*Head of Middle School: John P. Ora
*Head of Lower School: Dina Bray


==Facilities== ==Facilities==
]
Princeton Day School is currently undergoing a $24 million construction project which began in February of 2006. The new construction and renovations are scheduled to be completed in September of 2007 and include doubling the size and adding a variety of new technologies to their middle and upper school libraries. A new art center will house studios for architecture, ceramics, painting/drawing, woodworking and photography. The school's music facilities will be expanded to include a state-of-the-art recording studio and new practice areas to accommodate a growing choral and instrumental music program. Currently, PDS's facilities include:
*6 Soccer/Lacrosse/Field Hockey Fields,including a state-of-the-art synthetic turf field
*2 Football Fields, 2 Softball Fields, and 2 Baseball Fields
*Ice Rink with 6 Locker Rooms
*Weight Training Room
*3 Gymnasiums
*Additional 2 Locker Rooms fully renovated in 2006
*Full Music Wing
*Woodshop, with Architecture Classroom
*Photography Lab, with 2 Dark Rooms
*Ceramics Room
*Additional 2 Visual Arts Rooms
*Planetarium
*Campus Center Cafeteria with Snack Bar
*400+ Seat Theater
*Two Amphitheaters, Indoor and Outdoor
*Three Computer Labs
*Three Libraries
*Bookstore


Princeton Day School completed a $60 million comprehensive capital campaign in 2021 that included a new, state-of-the-art LEED-certified athletic center. Previous construction and renovations were completed in September 2007 and include doubling the size and adding a variety of new technologies to their middle and upper school libraries. A new art center houses studios for architecture, ceramics, painting/drawing, woodworking, photography, and cinematic arts. The school's music facilities have been expanded to include a recording studio and new practice areas to accommodate a growing choral and instrumental music program. In 2019, PDS began construction on a new athletic center, which will hold four international squash courts, two all-purpose athletic courts, changing rooms, offices, and a large commons area attached to the existing Lisa McGraw Skating Rink.
==Environmental activism at PDS==
==Clubs and activities==
===Development of Coventry Farm===
Student-run publications at Princeton Day School include ''The Spokesman'',<ref name=spokesman></ref> an award-winning Upper School newspaper published eight times a year, which uses a staff of 19 editors and two faculty advisors, and its middle school sister publication, known as ''Spokes''. Each year, the student-led literary and arts magazine ''cymbals'' is also published, along with the annual yearbook, the ''Link''.<ref name=Activities/>


Clubs offered in the Upper School at PDS (many of which are created by a student's or group of students' initiative) include ], the ], the Debate Club, the Foreign Affairs club, ], the Science Club, the EnAct (Environmental Action) club, the Pet and Wildlife Salvation (PAWS) Club, the India Club, the French Club, the Latin Club, the Chinese Club, Chamber Music Club, Dance Club, Girls Who Code, Gallery Club, Mathletics, the ] (NOW), Tabletop Gaming Club, Student Progressive Coalition, the ] Club (which holds a popular annual Salsa Cook-off in March), various A-Capella groups and the Science League Team.
In early 2000, the Winant family decided to sell Coventry Farm, a 162-acre property of open, undeveloped space that lay directly adjacent to PDS property. The family began negotiations to sell the land to the Hillier Group for development. Hillier hoped to develop 30 of the Farm’s acres; some of their proposed townhouses would be located on the farm’s Upper Meadow, “less than 45 feet from playground,” in the words of a December 2000 ''Spokesman'' article.<ref name="urge">“Council Urges Board To Preserve Coventry Farm,” by Xan Nowakowski. The ''Spokesman'', December 2000. 1, 3.</ref>


PDS also offers several affinity groups<ref>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved May 26, 2022.</ref> for students to join, including the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Affinity Group, PRIDE (for students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community), Black Student Union, Latinx Student Union, Multiracial Student Union, and the Jewish Union.
After a failed attempt to work with a Friends of Coventry Farm group to protect the space, PDS’s Environmental Action (EnAct) club, led by Upper School English teacher Liz Cutler, brought the issue to Community Council in November of 2000. After discussing the issue in Council, and conducting class-wide polls that “were decisively in favor of making every possible effort to save at least part of Coventry Farm,” then-Council-President Nick Sardar '01 drafted a letter to PDS’s Board of Trustees protesting the development.


Students may also be selected to lead in the Peer Group program, and may be elected to serve on the Student Council, Student Ambassadors Committee, and Judiciary Committee.
The letter included the statement that, “In a generation where environmental stability is not assured, preserving the farm as open space would be a timeless paradigm of foresight. It would be a lesson to the community that the preservation of the environment must be paramount in all of our decisions.”<ref name="urge">“Council Urges Board To Preserve Coventry Farm,” by Xan Nowakowski. The ''Spokesman'', December 2000. 1, 3.</ref> However, prospects for changing the Group’s plans initially seemed remote. In December, then-Dean of IX Harvey Lee argued that “We can’t just tell to reconsider everything….We should ask them if they can do anything, and if not, that’s the way it has to be.”


==Sports teams==
===Conflict with the Board of Trustees===
The Princeton Day School Panthers compete under the supervision of the ].<ref name=NJSIAAprofile>, ]. Retrieved October 20, 2020.</ref>


Middle and Upper School sports teams at PDS include:<ref name=NJSIAAprofile/>
On January 17, 2001, four PDS students spoke in front of the Board of Trustees to “try to persuade them to reconsider their decision to buy into the Hillier Group’s Coventry Farm development.”<ref>“Students Protest at Trustees’ Meeting, but Board Votes Again to Buy Housing Units,” by Erich Matthes. The ''Spokesman'', February 2001. 1, 4.</ref> Then-Council-vice-president Sarah Maloney ’02 explained to the Board, “What worries me more about Coventry Farm is that there was no attempt on the administration or Board’s behalf to find out the students’ feelings.”


* Fall: Boys and Girls ], Girls ], Boys and Girls ], Girls ] Boys Football was dropped in 2011 due to a lack of sufficient numbers of interested players.
Maloney wasn't alone in her sentiments; for many in the PDS community, the development of Coventry Farm was an intensely felt issue. The ''Spokesman'' ran front-page stories on Coventry Farm for two months straight, and one of their editorials argued that “the presentation was an expression of the moral and environmental integrity which they have gained through attending PDS, and a spirit which ''must'' replace the Board’s soulless philosophy of "Build Out or Bust."<ref>“Board’s Coventry Plan: Bad News,” by ''Spokesman'' staff, The ''Spokesman'', February 2001. 2.</ref> Two days after the presentation, the Community Council was told that the Board of Trustees had voted against purchasing the Upper Meadow for open space, hoping to purchase it and use the space for faculty housing.
* Winter: Boys and Girls ], Coed ] (upper school only), Coed ], Boys and Girls ], Girls ]
* Spring: Boys ], Boys and Girls ], Boys ], Girls ], Coed ] (upper school only), Coed ] (upper school only)


;State championships
After several months, though, J. Robert Hillier announced on May 9 that, rather than developing Coventry Farm, he’d decided to sell it to the Delaware and Raritan Greenway organization, explaining that “This is a better plan for Princeton.”<ref name="saved">{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2001/may/news/coventry.html | title = “Coventry Farm Saved,” by Thomas Bohnett.” The ''Spokesman'', May 2001. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref> In a validation of EnAct and Council's arguments, PDS's Board of Trustees then decided to purchase the 11 acres of the Farm closest to school property for $2.5 million, with the intent of preserving it as Open Space. Board Chairman Daniel J. Graziano explained at the time that “This has been a wonderful demonstration of how the Board can respond to input from the community.”<ref name="saved">{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2001/may/news/coventry.html | title = “Coventry Farm Saved,” by Thomas Bohnett.” The ''Spokesman'', May 2001. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref>
* Boys' Ice hockey: 1981–82 1988–89, 1989–1990 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014
* Coed Figure skating: 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008
* Girls' Ice hockey: 1998–99, 2001–02
* Girls' Softball: 1993, 1996, 2006
* Boys' Tennis: 1980, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013
* Girls' Basketball: 1990, 1995, 2000
* Girls' Lacrosse: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995
* Boys' Football: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980
* Boys' Lacrosse: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
* Boys' Basketball: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2015–16, 2019–20
* Baseball: 1971, 1972, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2010
* Boys' Cross Country: 1974, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1992, 2002,2009, 2010
* Boys' Soccer: 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2010
* Golf: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
* Fencing: 1995, 1996, 2008
* Girls' Soccer: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015
* Field Hockey: 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2016
* Volleyball: 1977, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1994
* Girls' Tennis: 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015


Boys' soccer won the 2010 Mercer County Tournament with a 1–0 win over three-time defending champion ] and took the Prep B state championship with a 2–1 win over ], the program's first state title since 1986.<ref>Staff. , '']'', October 31, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Diminutive senior Hugo Meggitt took a perfect pass from teammate Rui Pinheiro and scored a goal 5:51 into the second overtime giving the Princeton Day School boys' soccer team a 1–0 heart-pumping victory as they took down three-time defending champ Princeton High in the Mercer County Tournament final last night at Mercer County Community College."</ref><ref>Clark, Ray. , '']'', November 7, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Princeton Day School didn't play its best soccer, but it played well enough to win its first NJISAA Prep B championship since 1986 with a 2–1 victory over Gill St. Bernard's yesterday."</ref>
===Walks for Open Space===


Girls' lacrosse won the 2010 Mercer County Tournament with an 11–8 victory over ].<ref>Alden, Bill. , '']'', May 19, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2011. "Last Thursday, Curnan was a big part of things as Stuart battled Princeton Day School in the Mercer County Tournament championship game, scoring two goals. Unfortunately, Curnan's efforts weren't enough as the Tartans lost 11–8 to the Panthers, as a late rally fell short."</ref>
The success of their campaign to preserve the Upper Meadow space inspired PDS’s EnAct club, led by Cutler, to organize a three-mile Walk for Open Space to raise money for open space organizations based in Mercer County. “Rather than just saying thank you,” EnAct member Thomas Bohnett ’02 explained, “we felt we needed to put our money where our mouths were."<ref>"PDS students organize walk to raise money for open space," by Jeff Milgram. ''The Princeton Packet'', 04/16/02.</ref>


Girls' tennis won the 2014 Prep B state championship, defeating ] to earn their third consecutive state championship by only one point.<ref>, '']'', October 29, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2022. "Tseng got good efforts across the board from his players as PDS won all three flights to edge Gill and earn the Prep B three-peat."</ref>
Held in Mercer County Park on April 21, 2002, the Walk attracted three hundred participents (most of which were PDS students), raising an astounding total of $43,000<ref name="cutler">”PDS teacher cited for environmental activism,” by David Campbell. ''The Princeton Packet'', 05/13/03.</ref> (a great deal of which came from corporate sponsorships with local businesses, including the Hillier Group).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://spokesman.pds.org/2002/april/news/walk.html | title = “EnAct’s Walk for Open Space a Success,” by Jay Bavishi. The ''Spokesman'', April 2002. | accessdate = 2007-01-15}}</ref> The part of that sum dedicated to the Upper Meadow served to help defray the Board’s $2.5 million purchase.


Boys’ basketball won the 2020 Prep B state championship with a 64–50 victory over ].<ref>, '']'', February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021. "PDS absorbed some punches in the fourth quarter as Doane narrowed the gap to 52-46 but then pulled away to a 64-50 triumph, earning the program’s first Prep B crown since 2016."</ref>
A second Walk for Open Space organized by the EnAct club in April 2004 was less successful, with 200 participants raising a total of $16,500.<ref>“Students Bring in the Money in Walk For Open Space,” by Meg Francfort. The ''Spokesman'', May 2004. 3</ref> Cutler however, had explained to ''The Princeton Packet'' in 2003 that size, for her at least, didn’t necessarily matter. “The ripple effect of having 10 to 15 kids go out every year into the world who will form pockets of activism and world-changing— maybe that's worth its weight in gold.”<ref name="cutler">”PDS teacher cited for environmental activism,” by David Campbell. ''The Princeton Packet'', 05/13/03.</ref>
==Notable alumni==
{{Category see also|Princeton Day School alumni}}


* ] (born 1972; class of 1990), journalist, who has been Managing Editor/News at '']''.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
==Clubs and activities==
* ] (born 1964; class of 1982, but transferred to ] in Connecticut) singer and guitarist for ].<ref>Staff. , '']'', September 17, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Phish's front man Trey Anastasio popped out of the posh Princeton Day School. Now there's another flock of jamsters following in their wake!"</ref><ref>. Retrieved December 6, 2006.</ref>
Student-run publications at Princeton Day School include the ''Spokesman'', an award-winning Upper School newspaper published eight times a year, and its Middle School sister publication, the ''Spokeskid''. A yearly literary and arts magazine called ''Cymbals'' is also published, along with the annual yearbook, the ''Link''.
* ] (born 1958; class of 1976, but transferred to ] in Connecticut), country music singer-songwriter and guitarist.<ref name=Dayton>Kallas, Anna. , '']'', June 1, 1997. Retrieved December 3, 2007. "Chris and I went to the same private school in New Jersey - Princeton Day School - as did Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Menendez brothers, but more about them later."</ref>
* ] (born 1980; class of 1998), lead singer of ].<ref name=Saves>Staff. {{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, '']'', August 9, 2003. Retrieved October 3, 2011. "A decade ago Conley and fellow Princeton Day School eightgraders Bryan Newman and Justin Gaylord first teamed up to form the band Indifference."</ref>
* ], architect and designer.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316151940/http://princetoninfo.com/index.php/component/us1more/?key=03-19-2008_f_01 |date=March 16, 2018 }}, ''U.S. 1 Newspaper'', March 19, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018. "Drezner is a native of Princeton, where his grandfather was a cardiologist and his father a surgeon. He went to Princeton Day School, graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1985, and earned his master's degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture."</ref>
* ] (born 1960, class of 1978), Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore and appointed ] by Barack Obama<ref>, '']'', November 11, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2023. "Princeton native Donald Gips, son of Stonebridge resident Ann Gips, was recently appointed Ambassador to South Africa by President Barack Obama.... 'When I visited South Africa over a decade ago,' said the Princeton Day School graduate, 'I fell in love with its people, its story and its beauty.'"</ref>
* ] (born 1967) politician who served in the ] from the ] from 1992 to 1994<ref>, p. 245. J. A. Fitzgerald, 1993. Retrieved March 14, 2023. "John W. Hartmann, Rep., West Windsor - He was graduated from Princeton Day School and, in 1989, received a bachelor of arts degree in history at Georgetown University."</ref>
* ] (born 1985; class of 2003), swimmer for the Canadian national teams who holds two Canadian swimming records and set a world swimming record for butterfly.<ref>Konick, Emery. , '']'', July 5, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2011. "After attending Highland Park schools, Hirniak transferred to Princeton Day School for third grade because his father, Jerry, was, and is still, a member of the faculty at the prep school."</ref>
* ] (born 1990; class of 2008), professional soccer player for the ] who selected Hoppenot in the third round (No. 51 overall) of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft.<ref>Alden, Bill. , '']'', December 28, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2012. "Senior Antoine Hoppenot, a former Princeton Day School standout, and juniors Mark Linnville and Matt Sanner were named first-team All-Ivy performers while freshman Julian Griggs earned honorable mention."</ref>
* ] (born 1976; class of 1994), professional football player and ] defensive end for the ] who played freshman season for PDS before moving on to the ] in Connecticut.<ref>, '']'', December 17, 2006. "Atlanta's Patrick Kerney, despite being on injured reserve, is talking to the team about a contract extension that would keep the Newtown, Pa. native and one-time Princeton Day School player with the team for the rest of his career."</ref>
* ] (born 2001), soccer player who plays as a ] for the ] club ]<ref>, ]. Retrieved March 13, 2023. "Hometown: Lawrence, N.J.; High School: Princeton Day School"</ref>
* ] (born 1963; class of 1982), ] lyricist.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223040942/http://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/marshall/ |date=February 23, 2007 }}, Mockingbird Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2007. "Tom Marshall ("TM"): It began as a band called Utalk, with me, Trey, Peter Cottone on drums and Matt Kohut on bass. We're all friends from Princeton Day School -- back in the 70s/80s."</ref>
* ] (born 1957; class of 1975, but transferred to ] in Massachusetts), President of the NFL's ].<ref>Staff. , '']'', January 28, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019. "Super Bowl XLVIII is a bit of a homecoming for Seahawks president Peter McLoughlin, who grew up in Princeton. Among the Seahawks boosters at media day in Newark, McLoughlin chatted with fans as he tried to find a jersey for Princeton Day School among those on display at the Prudential Center."</ref>
* ] (1910–2014), horticulturalist, gardener, philanthropist and art collector.<ref>] , '']'', March 17, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015. "Rachel Lowe Lambert was born in Princeton on Aug. 9, 1910, one of three children of Gerard Barnes Lambert and the former Rachel Lowe.... She attended Miss Fine's School in Princeton and Foxcroft, a girls' preparatory school in Middleburg, Va."</ref>
* ], convicted of killing their parents in 1989.<ref>, ''Community News'', September 26, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019. "The bulk of the 16 years the Menendezes lived in the Princeton area were spent on West Shore Drive in the Elm Ridge Park section of Hopewell Township.... The boys attended Princeton Day School."</ref><ref>, '']'', August 26, 1993. Retrieved April 22, 2007. "Patricia Cross, 57, said she encountered a belligerent and demanding Jose Menendez as she was leaving the Princeton Day School in New Jersey after the father and his wife, Kitty, failed to show up for a conference."</ref>
* ] (born 1969; class of 1987), author of '']'' and '']'', which were made into the movies '']'' and '']'', respectively.<ref>Evans, Timothy. , '']'', July 18, 1996. Retrieved August 1, 2007. "'Publishing is a huge game,' said the 1987 Princeton Day School graduate."</ref>
*] (born 1944; class of 1959), 6th director of the ] (2001–13), Special Counsel in ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pds.org/school-news/news-post/~post/robert-s-mueller-iii-pcd-59-chosen-to-lead-special-investigation-20170518|title=Robert S. Mueller III PCD '59 Chosen to Lead Special Investigation|access-date=June 30, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2017/05/24/princeton-day-school-presents-alumni-award-to-robert-s-mueller-iii/|title=Princeton Day School Presents Alumni Award To Robert S. Mueller III {{!}} Town Topics|website=www.towntopics.com|language=en-US|access-date=June 30, 2018 }}</ref>
* ] (born 1995), basketball player for the ].<ref>Miller, Sean. , '']'', June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.</ref>
* ] (1952–2004; class of 1970), actor, director, and activist. He was best known for his role as the title character in the '']'' films.<ref name=Dayton/><ref>. Retrieved August 28, 2006.</ref>
* ] (class of 1997), member of ].<ref name=Saves/>
* ] (born 1955; class of 1973), songwriter and record producer.<ref name=AlumniAwards>, Princeton Day School. Retrieved March 15, 2018.</ref>
* ] (born 1963; class of 1980), technology columnist; host of the ''On with Kara Swisher'' podcast and co-host of the ''Pivot'' podcast with ]. She founded '']'' and served as its co-executive editor with ].<ref>. Retrieved February 22, 2011. "Swisher graduated from Princeton Day School in 1980."</ref>
* ] (1958–2005; class of 1975), editor and columnist for the '']''.<ref>. Retrieved January 13, 2007.</ref>
<!--COMMENT: When inserting new names, please be sure person is notable and put in ABC order-->


==References==
The wide array of clubs offered in the Upper School at PDS(many of which are created by a student's or group of students' initiative) include the Outdoors Club, a ] team, the ] team, the Debate Club, ], The Moadon, the International Affairs club, the ] Team, the Science Club, the EnAct (Environmental Action) club, the Cricket Club, the Conservative Club, the Libertarian Club, the Hippie Resurgence, the Interact Club, the India Club, the Spanish Club, the French Club, SADD (]), the Oreo Cookie Gambling Club, the Building Project Subcomittee, the Slavic Nation, the Philosopher's Guild, the Veganism Club, the Running Club, the ], and the Science League Team. The Lower and Middle schools offer, among others, ] and ] teams.
{{reflist}}

Students also participate in the SysOp (Student Computer Administrators), Peer Group, and Tour Guide programs, and serve on the Community Council, Student Ambassadors Committee, and Judiciary Committee.

==Sports teams==
Recent News:
*Girls lacrosse was runner up for the New Jersey Prep A title and Mercer County Title.
Boy Tennis won its third straight state championships.
Boys Ice Hockey won the PDS tournament for the first time in two years.

Middle and Upper School Sports teams at PDS include:

*Fall: Boys ], Boys and Girls ], Girls ], Boys and Girls ], Girls ]
*Winter: Boys and Girls ], Coed ] (upper school only), Coed ], Boys and Girls ], Girls ]
*Spring: Boys ], Boys and Girls ], Boys ], Girls ], Coed ] (upper school only) , Coed ] (upper school only)
state championships
*Boys Ice hockey: 1980-81 1988-89,1989-1990 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
*Coed Figure skating: 2000,2001,2006
*Girls Ice hockey: 1998-99, 2001-02
*Girls Softball: 1993, 1996, 2006
*Boys Tennis: 1980, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007
*Girls Basketball: 1990, 1995, 2000
*Girls Lacrosse: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995
*Boys Football: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980
*Boys Lacrosse: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
*Boys basketball: 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1984-85, 1991-92, 1994-95
1996-97, 1998-99
*Baseball: 1971, 1972, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001
*Cross Country: 1974, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1992
*Boys Soccer: 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1992
*Golf: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
*Fencing: 1995, 1996
*Girls Soccer: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002
*Field Hockey: 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
*Volleyball: 1977, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1994
*Girls Tennis: 2002

==Trivia==
*Coats and ties for male students were required until 1975, when the PDS Administration relaxed the dress code. T-shirts and denim, though, remained barred until 1994, when the Administration, according to the ''Spokesman'', “effectively abolishe dress code under pressure from Community Council.”<ref name="time">Timeline from the 1999 Centennial issue of the ''Spokesman''.</ref>
*An independent school newspaper, the ''Observer'', was founded by a group of PDS students in 1973 and was published for several years, in an attempt to provide more honest and uncensored coverage than a school-sponsored publication like the ''Spokesman'' was able to offer. The two publications engaged in a competition which seemed at times to be decidedly less than friendly; a front-page article in the May 19, 1975 ''Spokesman'' was devoted to pointing out a mistake the ''Observer'' had made in a recent issue, stating, "Like Chicken Little thinking that the sky was falling, the ''Observer'' assumed that the ravine was being filled in."<ref>“Despite Rumors, Ravine Unfilled,” by Alex Zaininger. Originally published in the ''Spokesman'', May 19, 1975. Reprinted in the ''Spokesman'', May 2005, 7.</ref>
*The indie-punk band ], whose members include Princeton Day School alumni ] and David Soloway, was formed by Conley and classmate Bryan Newman while both were still students at PDS.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EED8143FF930A15757C0A9609C8B63 |date = 2006-04-23 | title = MUSIC REVIEWS; These Guys Don't Cover Pete Seeger. They Rock. | publisher = ''The New York Times''. | accessdate = 2007-01-12}}</ref> After landing a deal with Equal Vision Records, the band's first album, '']'', was recorded over winter break of Conley and Newman's senior year. The pair graduated from PDS in June 1998 (with Conley delivering the student Commencement speech),<ref>"Triumphant Seniors Bid PDS Farewell," by Julia Stahl and Gabe Kuris. The ''Spokesman'', Summer 1998. 1.</ref> and '']'' was released that August.

==Notable alumni==
*] '82 - Singer and guitarist for ].<ref>, accessed ], ].</ref>
*] '76 - Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist.
*] '98 - Lead singer of ].
*] '94 - Professional football player and ] defensive end for the ].<ref>, '']'', ], ]. "Atlanta's Patrick Kerney, despite being on injured reserve, is talking to the team about a contract extension that would keep the Newtown, Pa. native and '''one-time Princeton Day School player''' with the team for the rest of his career."</ref>
*] '82 - ] lyricist.<ref>, Mockingbird Foundation, accessed ], ]. "Tom Marshall ("TM"): It began as a band called Utalk, with me, Trey, Peter Cottone on drums and Matt Kohut on bass. We're all friends from Princeton Day School -- back in the 70's/80's."</ref>
*] - Famous convicted murderers.<ref>, '']'', ], ], accessed ], ]. "Patricia Cross, 57, said she encountered a belligerent and demanding Jose Menendez as she was leaving the Princeton Day School in New Jersey after the father and his wife, Kitty, failed to show up for a conference."</ref>
*] - Author of '']''.
*] '70 - Late actor, director, and producer. He was best known for his role as the title character in the '']'' films.<ref>, accessed ], ].</ref>
*Ford Fraker '63 - United States Ambassador to ].
*David Soloway '97 - Member of ].
*] '75 - Late editor and columnist for the '']''.<ref>, accessed ], ].</ref>
<!--COMMENT: When inserting new names, please be sure person is notable and put in ABC order-->


== External links == ==External links==
* *{{Official website|http://www.pds.org/}}
*
*
*
* , ]
<br>
* located at Princeton Day School


{{Princeton, New Jersey}}
{{Mapit-US-cityscale|40.362075|-74.690603}}
{{Mercer County, New Jersey High Schools}}
{{New Jersey Prep}} {{New Jersey Prep}}
{{NJAIS}}
{{New England Preparatory School Athletic Council}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 12:42, 11 November 2024

Private school in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States

Princeton Day School
Colross, the school administration building, a Georgian mansion moved from Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
Location
Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey
United States
Coordinates40°21′43″N 74°41′26″W / 40.362075°N 74.690603°W / 40.362075; -74.690603
Information
TypePrivate, Independent
MottoSemper Luceat (Always Shine)
Established1899
NCES School ID00868462
Head of schoolKelley Nicholson-Flynn
Faculty122.1 FTEs
GradesPreK–12
Gendercoeducational
Enrollment941 (plus 15 in PreK, as of 2021–22)
Student to teacher ratio7.7:1
Campus103 acres (0.42 km)
Color(s)  Blue and
  white
Athletics22 interscholastic sports
Athletics conferencePatriot Conference
Team namePanthers
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools
NewspaperSpokesman
YearbookLink
Endowment$43,000,000
Tuition$45,360 (7–12 for 2023–24)
Websitewww.pds.org

Princeton Day School is a private coeducational day school located in Princeton, in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The largest division is the Upper School (grades 9–12), with an enrollment of about 400. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1989.

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 941 students (plus 15 in PreK) and 122.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.7:1. The school's student body was 81.3% (765) White, 7.7% (72) Asian, 6.8% (72) Hispanic and 4.3% (40) Black.

The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools.

History

Founded in 1899, Miss Fine's School in Princeton prepared girls for college with a curriculum including English, French, Latin, history, and mathematics, at a time when women were not expected to attend college, and when only one out of eight children in America went to school at all. For years, in addition to serving as headmistress, May Margaret Fine taught all the subjects but French and even "tended the furnace....often leaving in the middle of Latin class to do it."

"A large shapeless figure a pile of white hair dominated by a bun on the top, which usually slid over to the side of her head by the end of the day," Fine was, despite her appearance, a loved and respected figure. John Finley, editor of The New York Times during the 1910s, wrote of her, "So was the school under her wise and gentle rule a place where happy children grew into her spirited likeness." Fine retired in 1931 and died two years later.

Miss Fine's School moved into what had previously been The Princeton Inn on Bayard Lane in 1924 and included boys from kindergarten through 3rd grade.

In 1924, a group of parents established a 4–9 grade school for boys on Bayard Lane, next to Miss Fine's School. The boys' school was known as Princeton Junior School. The school moved in 1932 to an independent campus with purpose-built buildings at 171 Broadmead in another section of Princeton not far from Palmer Stadium. The name was then changed to Princeton Country Day School (PCD), although in honor of its founding name, the school magazine was called the "Junior Journal." It had large playing fields across the street for football and soccer. In the winter, there was occasionally skating on Carnegie Lake nearby, and while ice hockey was played at Princeton University's Baker Rink. In the spring, there was an annual school fair held as a fundraiser. The school had an excellent academic reputation, and most graduates went on to New England boarding schools for secondary education. The buildings and campus of PCD are now part of Princeton University and used as a nursery school.

Princeton Country Day merged with Miss Fine's School in 1965 to become Princeton Day School, operating on a campus along the Great Road in Princeton.

In September 2005, the school launched the public phase of a five-year $50 million capital campaign, "Investing in Excellence" to support new and renovated facilities and increased endowment for faculty salaries and financial aid that raised a total of $53 million from more than 4,000 contributors.

Traditions

Over the years, Princeton Day School enjoyed many traditions that no longer take place. These include an Upper School pie-eating competition that continued until the eighties, an annual sophomore-junior canoeing trip, intended to bridge the gap between two grades that traditionally do not share many classes, and legendary English teacher Anne Shepherd's wreathmaking assembly. The wreathmaking rite started in Miss Fine's School in 1900, and since, by the 1980s, participation in the event had dwindled, it was cancelled. A December 1982 article in PDS's student-run newspaper, The Spokesman, explained that "This raised such an uproar that, by popular demand, the was given one last chance." By the 1990s, though, wreathmaking was gone, indicative of the passing of certain traditions over time. (Another tradition that began at Miss Fine's, the annual Maypole Dance, actually continues today, though it is now performed by second graders instead of Upper Schoolers.)

New traditions have joined the Maypole Dance in recent years, including the annual Powder Puff game, a fiercely competitive flag football match between the junior and senior girls that has been held since 2004, and Dr. Seuss Day.

Blue & White Day

On Blue & White Field Day, an all-school athletic competition held each spring, PDS students often carry a fierce 24-hour sense of patriotism for their color, which is assigned in their first year and remains through graduatuon. Popular Blue & White Day events include The Big Race, which involves students in each grade from PreK through 12, a faculty balloon toss (for which students serve as rowdy spectators), and the freestyle sack race.

Blue & White Day was founded by beloved Physical Education teacher Kim Bedesem; when Bedesem died in 1993, it was decided that each subsequent Blue & White Day be dedicated to her. Each year, the Blue & White Day T-shirts distributed to students and faculty have the name "KIM" somewhere in the design. While Bedesem created Blue & White Day in its present form in the 80s, similar events existed at Miss Fine's and PCD as much as 60 years earlier. James Howard Murch, PCD's first Headmaster, was remembered by his successor for "the pleasurable relish with which he took to interpret the decimal-splitting rivalries of the Blues and Whites." Miss Fine's School (whose school colors were voted Blue and Grey by the Class of 1918) had "similar challenges" in which Blues and Greys competed.

The Upper School (grades 9–12) returned to Blue and White Day in 2006 following over a decade's hiatus from the event. Their re-entry into the morning part of the activities was later expanded to include other Blue/White competitions in the Upper School during the rest of the school year.

Administration

On June 16, 2022, the Princeton Day School Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, former assistant head of school for operations at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, as the new Head of School starting July 2023.

Facilities

Princeton Day School completed a $60 million comprehensive capital campaign in 2021 that included a new, state-of-the-art LEED-certified athletic center. Previous construction and renovations were completed in September 2007 and include doubling the size and adding a variety of new technologies to their middle and upper school libraries. A new art center houses studios for architecture, ceramics, painting/drawing, woodworking, photography, and cinematic arts. The school's music facilities have been expanded to include a recording studio and new practice areas to accommodate a growing choral and instrumental music program. In 2019, PDS began construction on a new athletic center, which will hold four international squash courts, two all-purpose athletic courts, changing rooms, offices, and a large commons area attached to the existing Lisa McGraw Skating Rink.

Clubs and activities

Student-run publications at Princeton Day School include The Spokesman, an award-winning Upper School newspaper published eight times a year, which uses a staff of 19 editors and two faculty advisors, and its middle school sister publication, known as Spokes. Each year, the student-led literary and arts magazine cymbals is also published, along with the annual yearbook, the Link.

Clubs offered in the Upper School at PDS (many of which are created by a student's or group of students' initiative) include Model United Nations, the Mock trial, the Debate Club, the Foreign Affairs club, Science Olympiad, the Science Club, the EnAct (Environmental Action) club, the Pet and Wildlife Salvation (PAWS) Club, the India Club, the French Club, the Latin Club, the Chinese Club, Chamber Music Club, Dance Club, Girls Who Code, Gallery Club, Mathletics, the National Organization for Women (NOW), Tabletop Gaming Club, Student Progressive Coalition, the Spanish Club (which holds a popular annual Salsa Cook-off in March), various A-Capella groups and the Science League Team.

PDS also offers several affinity groups for students to join, including the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Affinity Group, PRIDE (for students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community), Black Student Union, Latinx Student Union, Multiracial Student Union, and the Jewish Union.

Students may also be selected to lead in the Peer Group program, and may be elected to serve on the Student Council, Student Ambassadors Committee, and Judiciary Committee.

Sports teams

The Princeton Day School Panthers compete under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Middle and Upper School sports teams at PDS include:

State championships
  • Boys' Ice hockey: 1981–82 1988–89, 1989–1990 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014
  • Coed Figure skating: 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008
  • Girls' Ice hockey: 1998–99, 2001–02
  • Girls' Softball: 1993, 1996, 2006
  • Boys' Tennis: 1980, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013
  • Girls' Basketball: 1990, 1995, 2000
  • Girls' Lacrosse: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995
  • Boys' Football: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980
  • Boys' Lacrosse: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
  • Boys' Basketball: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2015–16, 2019–20
  • Baseball: 1971, 1972, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2010
  • Boys' Cross Country: 1974, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1992, 2002,2009, 2010
  • Boys' Soccer: 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2010
  • Golf: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
  • Fencing: 1995, 1996, 2008
  • Girls' Soccer: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015
  • Field Hockey: 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2016
  • Volleyball: 1977, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1994
  • Girls' Tennis: 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Boys' soccer won the 2010 Mercer County Tournament with a 1–0 win over three-time defending champion Princeton High School and took the Prep B state championship with a 2–1 win over Gill St. Bernard's School, the program's first state title since 1986.

Girls' lacrosse won the 2010 Mercer County Tournament with an 11–8 victory over Stuart Country Day School.

Girls' tennis won the 2014 Prep B state championship, defeating Gill St. Bernard's School to earn their third consecutive state championship by only one point.

Boys’ basketball won the 2020 Prep B state championship with a 64–50 victory over Doane Academy.

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Princeton Day School alumni

References

  1. Mission & History, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022. "In 1899, a young woman named May Margaret Fine opened a school in Princeton to prepare girls for college with a curriculum including English, French, Latin, history and mathematics."
  2. ^ School data for Princeton Day School, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  3. Tuition, Princeton Day School. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Princeton Day School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  5. Fast Facts, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Princeton Day School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  7. ^ Upper School Extracurricular Activities, Princeton Day School. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  8. List of Member Schools, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  9. Listing of ADVIS member schools, Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  10. ^ "The Light That Ever Shines," by Alice Jacobson and Laura Rogers. The Inkling, January 1962. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of the Spokesman.
  11. ^ Selden, William K. From These Roots: The Creation of Princeton Day School. 1991.
  12. "Miss May M. Fine, Educator, Is Dead. Founder and Director for Last 34 Years of Girls' School in Princeton", The New York Times, November 15, 1933. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  13. Staff. "Princeton Day Schools Aided", The New York Times, May 2, 1963. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "The institution is a merger of Miss Fine's School for Girls and Princeton Country Day School for Boys."
  14. History Archived March 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Princeton Day School. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  15. Staff. "Hopewell resident named senior administrator at Princeton Day School", Pennington Post, June 12, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Schulte joined the Princeton Day School community in 2003 as director of the Investing in Excellence Campaign, a five-year, capital campaign that garnered $53 million for financial aide, faculty support and new libraries, arts and athletic facilities. The campaign, at that time one of the most ambitious fundraising efforts ever undertaken by an independent day school, exceeded its goal and garnered support from 4,000 donors including current families, alumni and friends of the school."
  16. "Wreath-Making: A Waning Tradition," by Matthew Kilgore. Originally published in The Spokesman, December 1982. Reprinted in the 1999 Centennial issue of The Spokesman
  17. "Blue Claims Victory on Field Day," by Kalla Gervasio. The Spokesman, Summer 2003.
  18. ^ "Why No More Blue-White Day in US?" by Caroline Binder. The Spokesman, March 2001.
  19. "Longtime LS Teachers Miller, Atiram Leave PDS," by Somy Thottathil. The Spokesman, Summer 2001.
  20. Timeline from the 1999 Centennial issue of The Spokesman
  21. "Introducing Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, Princeton Day School's Next Head of School - Princeton Day School". pds.org. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  22. The Spokesman
  23. Extracurriculars, Princeton Day School. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  24. Staff. "Princeton Day 1, Princeton 0", The Star-Ledger, October 31, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Diminutive senior Hugo Meggitt took a perfect pass from teammate Rui Pinheiro and scored a goal 5:51 into the second overtime giving the Princeton Day School boys' soccer team a 1–0 heart-pumping victory as they took down three-time defending champ Princeton High in the Mercer County Tournament final last night at Mercer County Community College."
  25. Clark, Ray. "Princeton Day 2, Gill St. Bernard's 1", The Star-Ledger, November 7, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Princeton Day School didn't play its best soccer, but it played well enough to win its first NJISAA Prep B championship since 1986 with a 2–1 victory over Gill St. Bernard's yesterday."
  26. Alden, Bill. "Senior Star Curnan Overcomes Adversity, as Stuart Lax Makes MCT, Prep B Finals", Town Topics, May 19, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2011. "Last Thursday, Curnan was a big part of things as Stuart battled Princeton Day School in the Mercer County Tournament championship game, scoring two goals. Unfortunately, Curnan's efforts weren't enough as the Tartans lost 11–8 to the Panthers, as a late rally fell short."
  27. "Overcoming Deficit to Gill St. Bernard’s in Finals, PDS Girls’ Tennis Wins 3rd Straight Prep B Crown", Town Topics, October 29, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2022. "Tseng got good efforts across the board from his players as PDS won all three flights to edge Gill and earn the Prep B three-peat."
  28. "Garita Comes Up Big in Crunch Time As PDS Boys’ Hoops Wins Prep B Title", Town Topics, February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021. "PDS absorbed some punches in the fourth quarter as Doane narrowed the gap to 52-46 but then pulled away to a 64-50 triumph, earning the program’s first Prep B crown since 2016."
  29. LinkedIn.com
  30. Masthead, U.S. News & World Report
  31. Staff. "Big Fat Close-up", Philadelphia Daily News, September 17, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2011. "Phish's front man Trey Anastasio popped out of the posh Princeton Day School. Now there's another flock of jamsters following in their wake!"
  32. Phish History. Retrieved December 6, 2006.
  33. ^ Kallas, Anna. "Her Prep School Is Notable For Its Notables - Christopher Reeve and Mary Chapin Carpenter walked the same halls - oh, and so did the Menendez brothers.", Dayton Daily News, June 1, 1997. Retrieved December 3, 2007. "Chris and I went to the same private school in New Jersey - Princeton Day School - as did Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Menendez brothers, but more about them later."
  34. ^ Staff. "gig of the week Chris Conley 9 p.m., Princeton Arts Council, 102 Witherspoon St., Princeton.", Home News Tribune, August 9, 2003. Retrieved October 3, 2011. "A decade ago Conley and fellow Princeton Day School eightgraders Bryan Newman and Justin Gaylord first teamed up to form the band Indifference."
  35. "On the Move" Archived March 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, U.S. 1 Newspaper, March 19, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018. "Drezner is a native of Princeton, where his grandfather was a cardiologist and his father a surgeon. He went to Princeton Day School, graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1985, and earned his master's degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture."
  36. "People", Town Topics, November 11, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2023. "Princeton native Donald Gips, son of Stonebridge resident Ann Gips, was recently appointed Ambassador to South Africa by President Barack Obama.... 'When I visited South Africa over a decade ago,' said the Princeton Day School graduate, 'I fell in love with its people, its story and its beauty.'"
  37. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 205, Part 2, p. 245. J. A. Fitzgerald, 1993. Retrieved March 14, 2023. "John W. Hartmann, Rep., West Windsor - He was graduated from Princeton Day School and, in 1989, received a bachelor of arts degree in history at Georgetown University."
  38. Konick, Emery. "Virginia's Hirniak has lofty goals", Home News Tribune, July 5, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2011. "After attending Highland Park schools, Hirniak transferred to Princeton Day School for third grade because his father, Jerry, was, and is still, a member of the faculty at the prep school."
  39. Alden, Bill. "Senior Leadership Proved Pivotal for PU Sports in 2011 While Youth Was Served for Local High School Teams", Town Topics, December 28, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2012. "Senior Antoine Hoppenot, a former Princeton Day School standout, and juniors Mark Linnville and Matt Sanner were named first-team All-Ivy performers while freshman Julian Griggs earned honorable mention."
  40. Around the League, The Star-Ledger, December 17, 2006. "Atlanta's Patrick Kerney, despite being on injured reserve, is talking to the team about a contract extension that would keep the Newtown, Pa. native and one-time Princeton Day School player with the team for the rest of his career."
  41. Wesley Leggett, St. John's Red Storm men's soccer. Retrieved March 13, 2023. "Hometown: Lawrence, N.J.; High School: Princeton Day School"
  42. Interview: Tom Marshall's Tales Archived February 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Mockingbird Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2007. "Tom Marshall ("TM"): It began as a band called Utalk, with me, Trey, Peter Cottone on drums and Matt Kohut on bass. We're all friends from Princeton Day School -- back in the 70s/80s."
  43. Staff. "Live coverage: Super Bowl Media Day 2014 in Newark", The Star-Ledger, January 28, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019. "Super Bowl XLVIII is a bit of a homecoming for Seahawks president Peter McLoughlin, who grew up in Princeton. Among the Seahawks boosters at media day in Newark, McLoughlin chatted with fans as he tried to find a jersey for Princeton Day School among those on display at the Prudential Center."
  44. McFadden, Robert D. "Rachel Mellon, an Heiress Known for Her Green Thumb, Dies at 103", The New York Times, March 17, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2015. "Rachel Lowe Lambert was born in Princeton on Aug. 9, 1910, one of three children of Gerard Barnes Lambert and the former Rachel Lowe.... She attended Miss Fine's School in Princeton and Foxcroft, a girls' preparatory school in Middleburg, Va."
  45. "A look back at the story — and coverage — of the Menendez murders; As NBC airs an eight-part series on the Menendez murders, the Princeton Echo re-examines the family’s many Princeton ties.", Community News, September 26, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019. "The bulk of the 16 years the Menendezes lived in the Princeton area were spent on West Shore Drive in the Elm Ridge Park section of Hopewell Township.... The boys attended Princeton Day School."
  46. "Teacher Recalls Confrontation With Menendez Brothers' Father", Long Beach Press-Telegram, August 26, 1993. Retrieved April 22, 2007. "Patricia Cross, 57, said she encountered a belligerent and demanding Jose Menendez as she was leaving the Princeton Day School in New Jersey after the father and his wife, Kitty, failed to show up for a conference."
  47. Evans, Timothy. "Ex-Princetonian finds book was in his genes", The Star-Ledger, July 18, 1996. Retrieved August 1, 2007. "'Publishing is a huge game,' said the 1987 Princeton Day School graduate."
  48. "Robert S. Mueller III PCD '59 Chosen to Lead Special Investigation". Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  49. "Princeton Day School Presents Alumni Award To Robert S. Mueller III | Town Topics". www.towntopics.com. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  50. Miller, Sean. "Former Princeton Day star Davon Reed taken 32nd in NBA Draft by Suns", The Times, June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  51. Biography of Christopher Reeve: September 25, 1952 - October 10, 2004. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  52. Alumni Awards, Princeton Day School. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  53. Kara Swisher Interview. Retrieved February 22, 2011. "Swisher graduated from Princeton Day School in 1980."
  54. The Woman at the Washington Zoo: About Marjorie Williams. Retrieved January 13, 2007.

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