Presbyterian Day School

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Private, single-sex, day school

Presbyterian Day School

Location
Information
Type| Private, single-sex, day
Motto| Quaque Sunt Vera (Latin)[1]
("Whatsoever Things are True")
Religious affiliation(s)| Christianity, Presbyterian Church
Established| 1949
Head teacher| Brad Sewell
Faculty| 100+
Gender| Male
Age range| 2-year-olds through 6th grade
Enrollment| 600
Color(s)|  Red and  Blue
Mascot| The Crusader
Accreditation| SACS, NAIS, SAIS, TAIS, MAIS, ERB
Website| pdsmemphis.org

Presbyterian Day School (PDS) is a Christian private school for boys in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is one of the largest elementary schools for boys in the United States, enrolling 600 students in grades from two years of age through the sixth grade.[2]

## Founding

[edit]

When Dr. Anthony Dick accepted the pastorate of Second Presbyterian Church in the summer of 1947, he expressed his desire that the church provide Christian elementary education with a day school. Dr. Dick opened a new kindergarten in the fall of 1949 at the intersection of Poplar and Goodlett, where school met Monday through Friday and Sunday school on Sunday. An introductory statement sent to church members stated, "We believe that this field (Christian education) offers a real challenge to us and through the medium of this weekday kindergarten, we are preparing to try to use this opportunity for the greatest good to these children, their homes, and to the highest glory of God." The school would later be named Presbyterian Day School.[3]

PDS registration was initially opened to church members on June 2, 1949, but was opened to non-members the following day. When the education building, the first of three planned construction units, was dedicated on September 11, 1949, 35 children were enrolled in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.[3]

## Accreditation

[edit]

PDS has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[4] since 1979. It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools,[5] Southern Association of Independent Schools,[6] Tennessee Association of Independent School, and the Memphis Association of Independent Schools.[7] Other memberships include the Educational Records Bureau.[8]

PDS was recognized in 2015 as an Apple Distinguished School because of its one-to-one laptop program and integration of educational technology using Apple hardware, apps, and content-creation apps.[9]

## Campus

[edit]

PDS is located at 4025 Poplar Avenue. The Henry Edward Russell Building houses 34 classrooms, the 17,000 volume Sumner library, state of the art science lab, Morgan Technology Resource Center, art and music facilities, and administrative offices. The John de Witt Activities Center features a double gymnasium with an elevated indoor track. Spacious athletic fields and playgrounds on campus provide excellent spaces for boys to run and recreate.

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Harry Ford, actor, star of CBS TV series CODEBLACK
* Tom Hutton, former NFL punter, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles
* Pitt Hyde, founder of Autozone
* Paul Tudor Jones, commodity trader
* Dan Schneider, Nickelodeon producer
* Hampton Sides, author, Ghost Soldiers
* Frederick W. Smith, founder of FedEx
* Hank Sullivant, musician, frontman for Kuroma, past bassist for The Whigs, touring guitarist for MGMT

## External links

[edit]

* School website
* About PDS and its history

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "School Motto". Presbyterian Day School. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
2. ^ "Quick Overview". Presbyterian Day School. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
3. ^ a b "PDS - Mission and History". Presbyterian Day School. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
4. ^ "AdvanceED Institution Summary for Presbyterian Day School". AdvanceED. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
5. ^ "NAIS School Search". NAIS - National Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
6. ^ "School - SAIS". SAIS - Southern Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
7. ^ "Memphis Association of Independent Schools - Member Page". SAIS - Memphis Association of Independent Schools. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
8. ^ "ERB - Memphis". Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Retrieved August 17, 2015.
9. ^ "PDS Named Apple Distinguished School". Presbyterian Day School. Retrieved August 17, 2015.

35°07′25″N 89°55′45″W﻿ / ﻿35.1237°N 89.9292°W﻿ / 35.1237; -89.9292