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.
Mean Girls: High School Version (Upper School Musical): Reserve Your Tickets Now!
On Wednesdays we wear pink… Rehearsals are well under way for D-E Performing Arts’ Upper School (US) production of “Mean Girls: High School Version”! All performances of the US Winter Musical, based on the 2004 cult film about high school social cliques, will go on in...
Ice Hockey Club Team Wins in Riverdale Rematch!
Yesterday our Bulldog Ice Hockey Club Team secured a big win during a rematch against the Riverdale Falcons at the Englewood Field Club, despite a player deficit. We fielded only nine players, two of whom were goalies Alex Sheffield ’26 and Max Band ’28, giving us...
MS Students ‘Learn By Doing’ in DIG
D-E Middle School students taking Grade 6 Dean Tasha Urbanowski’s DIG (“D-E In the Garden”) Discovery class are learning to “meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better” in their seed-saving unit. In the fall, students collected seeds from the garden on...
JPAG Hosts Community Shabbat Dinner
The Jewish Parent Affinity Group (JPAG) recently hosted a meaningful Shabbat Dinner in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall to share the traditions of Shabbat, feast on a D-Elightful spread from Chef Alex’s team, and celebrate the D-E community. “We were joined by...
Making Beautiful Music Together: Chelsea Knox, Met Opera Principal Flutist Visits D-E
D-E music students recently had the unique privilege of a visit and related master class from Chelsea Knox, principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera! Rebecca Steinberg, D-E Music Dept. Faculty, who arranged this thanks to a longtime personal connection with Ms....
DogPound Update 2/6/25 / Spotlight on MS Sports Teams
This week’s DogPound Update spotlights our Middle School (MS) Girls’ Basketball Team, who this season have excelled at teamwork! They’re coached by English Department Chair Jeremy Meserole and MS Dean James Aitken, who give us an update on their achievements. GO...
Middle School Mathletes Host “Math Counts” Event
On Saturday, February 1, D-E hosted and participated in the MathCounts Bergen/Hudson Chapter Competition. More than 200 middle school students from over 20 schools converged on the D-E campus and took part. “The competition consists of multiple rounds, with students...
Club Être Field Trip Inspires Future Legal Leaders
D-E’s Club Être recently took a field trip to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, a law firm in New York City. “The goal of this field trip was to provide girls with an opportunity to explore their interests in law and hear from mentors who...
MS News & Creative Writing Discovery Classes Explore “Above Ground” Exhibit
Two of our Middle School Discovery Classes on “In the News and Creative Writing” recently visited the exhibit “Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection” at the Museum of the City of New York. Throughout their gallery tour, students were greeted with...
6th Grade Identity Unit Reflects D-E’s Diversity
The sixth grade Identity Unit, for which the theme was how we are what we eat, culminated recently with a presentation in Hajjar Auditorium and a food festival in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall. More than 30 tables displayed sweets, savories, and beverages, from Indian samosas to Puerto Rican coquito, representing students’ cultures and family traditions. “Every student had a role in the celebration, including reading parts of their work, sharing the process, or showcasing part of their project,” says Ms. Sarah Macone, Grade 6 English Teacher. Cayla R. ’31 says the English project was her favorite because, “I wrote about how my grandma had taught me how to make matzah ball soup and how we have made it together every Passover for as long as I can remember.” Of the unit, Cole M-H. ’31 says, “It was surprising how many cultures and ethnicities we have at D-E, yet we all work together as one collective community.” Cheers to all our sixth graders!