Beyond Academics: Supporting a Holistic Learning Environment at D-E
In this issue, Michelle Carstens-Potts, Chair of the Health and Wellness Department; Dr. Danny Carragher, Chair of the Human Development Department; and Lisa Wittner, Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), discuss their roles and the programs they implement.
In our next issue, Part II of this series will feature conversations with members of our Student Support Leadership Team, including Dr. Deirdre O’Malley, Director of Counseling Services, and Marc Gladstone, Lead Learning Specialist. Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Girls Basketball Camp, July 20-23, 2026 & Directed by Coach Aaron Gratch
D-E Athletics invites girl basketball players currently in Grades 4-7 to their Summer Girls Basketball Camp, directed by Coach Aaron Gratch, newly-announced D-E Girls Varsity Basketball Coach & Upper School Athletics Liaison! This sports day camp is July 20-23,...
String Society 2026; Grand Finale Concert on Friday, June 26
This past week D-E has enthusiastically welcomed a group of highly exceptional young musicians for String Society 2026. This intensive summer day camp program for ‘stringers’ has been joyfully playing for nearly three decades, and in the words of the committed...
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is just...
7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations
How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...
Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele
Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony, and...
D-E Performing Arts Honored With Theatre Awards and Nominations
Bravo! Out of 107 participating plays, D-E Performing Arts’ production of A MONSTER CALLS earlier this year received the top honor of a “High Superior” rating at the Theatre Night Awards ceremony in May. “We were one of 16 plays credited with this honor, placing us in...
Class of 2030: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights
The Class of 2030 is moving on up! During a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium, 93 8th graders celebrated the transition to high school with a ceremony filled with warm memories of their Middle School experiences and words of advice to guide them into their next chapter....
Class of 2033: 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights
D-E’s 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony for the Class of 2033 was significant not only because it marked the transition from Lower School to Middle School for 47 of our students, but also because it was the first Moving Up with Mr. James Choi as the LS Principal and Ms....
MS Students Engage in the Art of Poetry
The Middle School is alive with the sound of poetry! The spring edition of Poetry Connections recently took place for grades 6-8. “As part of a culminating—and reflecting—activity, all Middle School students have written an ode to their grade,” explained Ms. Patel,...
LS Early Childhood Field Days
Tiny feet take on Field Day! The Lower School’s PreK 3 and PreK 4 classes recently visited Leggett Field for their first-ever Field Day, facilitated by Ms. Michelle Carstens-Potts P’37,’40, Health & Wellness Chair, who organized activities that she said, “centered...