Poughkeepsie Day School

We are truly saddened to announce the passing of former Poughkeepsie Day School Director Dick Hanson.

Serving the school from 1977-1985, Dick’s successful tenure saw our official registration with the New York State Education Department, the introduction of the annual fund, and the celebration of our 50th anniversary, among other achievements.

Dick was highly passionate about education and dedicated to his role at PDS, writing in a 1977 issue of The Compass, “An enthusiastic and energetic student body, a dedicated and imaginative faculty, an intelligent and far-sighted Board of Trustees and an active and supportive parent body all seem committed to the task of making the total educational experience of a child at the Day School a superior one. To be associated with such a group of people is a privilege and a deep responsibility…” His two children, Jennifer and Eric Hanson, also attended the school. We send our sincerest condolences to them, their families, and Dick’s wife, Cheryl Jetto Hanson. He will be greatly missed.

From the Hanson family: “Dick Hanson passed away peacefully on June 10, 2026, at his home in East Poultney,  Vermont, surrounded by his loving family.

Dick was a lifelong advocate of independent schools and worked throughout his career to find just the right educational experience for diverse communities of students. He maintained personal interests in history, music and the arts by singing in various choruses and participating in numerous boards and committees. 

He leaves his family, his wife, Cheryl Jetto Hanson and his children, Jennifer and Eric and their families.”

We had a beautiful reveal of our 2025-2026 “dream bubble” today in the cafeteria! Brought to life by parent Christina Howard, the bubble is a large walk-in inflatable space with windows made out of artwork and writing by PDS students. It was constructed as an end-of-year celebration, reflecting on the past nine months and bidding farewell to our 8th graders as they move up to high school. The preK and K contributed drawings of what they want to be when they grow up, grades 1–4 reflected on their hopes and dreams they wrote at the beginning of the year, and our middle school students created art symbolizing the International Baccalaureate learner profile traits they have been learning about all year. Everyone got a chance to walk inside, surrounded by images emblematic of a great year. It was a gorgeous way for students to experience their own work and be reminded of how much they learned in 2025-2026!