Beyond the Classroom
There have been so many opportunities over the past few months for our students, faculty/staff, and families to enjoy learning experiences far beyond the confines of the classroom. This is all thanks to robust, exciting student life and community service initiatives. From our youngest students involved in Affinity Group-led diversity awareness assembly programs and being mentored in hands-on STEM workshops… to Middle and Upper School student leaders of clubs that are focused on the arts, identity, community service and specific interest areas … our mission is fully in action through D-E’s co-curricular offerings.
The D-E Garden Club, Jazz Rock, INSPIRE ( Introducing New Solutions to Promote Integrity & Respect Everywhere), WISE (Women in STEM Education), JADE (Jewish Awareness at D-E); GSA (Gender & Sexuality Awareness) and Spoonies ( a club dedicated to raising awareness about Chronic Illness) are just a few examples of clubs that have made a wonderful, positive impact on the School over the past few months.
The photos here provide just a sampling of these activities; please see the following pages for more specific examples of our students doing their part to ‘make it better’ through fundraising programs including V-Day 2023 and Art in Action, and affinity group activities celebrating differences.
US Robotics Teams Are Positioned for State Competition
D-E’s Upper School Robotics Teams are halfway through the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics season! “Our varsity team, Critical Mass, and our JV team, Absolute Zero, have completed their first design prototypes and are beginning work on their new, improved robot designs for the second half of the season,” says Coach Chris Fleischl. Teams participate in meets in preparation for the Bergen County League Tournament in February. During a meet on Dec. 15, at River Dell High School, both our varsity and JV teams finished with 3 wins and 2 losses. Next up is a meet on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Blair Academy. The goal is to qualify for the State Championship and, ultimately, the World Championship. Critical Mass’ Jackson Chang ’25, says, “I fell in love with robotics because of opportunities to express myself through building components… We work hard every day to continue to iterate on our robot to even slightly improve our chances in competitions.” We’re rooting for all our future engineers and data scientists!
Sixth-Graders Learn How Food Shapes Their Identity
How are we what we eat? This is the guiding question our sixth graders were asked to consider this morning as a new unit was kicked off in their MESH subjects (that is, Math, English, Science, and History). This first lesson centered around “how food shapes their identity,” said English teacher Ms. Macone. Students gathered in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall, where Chef Alex and his team prepared breakfast foods representing the Dominican Republic (“Tres Golpes,” a trio of fried eggs, cheese, and salami), Colombia (beef empanadas), and Japan (miso salmon with steamed rice). “I got to try different things I’ve never tried before,” said Kayla S. ’31, who discovered she liked fried eggs. Students then moved on to Hajjar Auditorium to share food traditions within their own families. The unit will culminate on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with a cultural food festival, for which parents are invited to attend and bring in food that represents their family. Cheers!
Bulldogs Ice Hockey Club Season 2 Highlights
The Bulldog Ice Hockey Club Team, in its 2nd season, has been practicing and playing now for over a month, with practices and games at Mackay Arena in Englewood and the Englewood Field Club, as well as away. Led by tri-captains Wyatt Obergfell, Presley Arnone, and...
MS Robotics Team Nitro
Earlier this month, D-E’s Middle School (MS) Robotics Team Nitro competed at the State Tournament in Mount Olive. In addition to showcasing their robot, the team presented their prototype of an oyster-shell-based building product. The product is designed to combat the...
Jazz Rocks @ D-E!
The beloved D-E annual holiday performance of Jazz Rock, a live concert featuring US student vocalists and instrumentalists, held up to tradition once again this year! Jazz Rock – directed by equally-beloved D-E Music Faculty Rob DeBellis and Ken Kacmar – features...
Fall Athletic Awards
League and County AwardsCoaches AwardsMost ImprovedMost Valuable
Holiday eGreeting
D-E Embraces the Season of Giving
’Tis the season! D-E’s students are fulfilling the school’s core value of community with pre-winter-break donations to families in need. In the Lower School, third graders have been embracing their program tradition, “Third Graders Making a Difference” (TGMD), for...
An Overview: A Fireside Chat With D-E’s Next Head of School, Dr. James Calleroz White
D-E recently introduced our next Head of School, Dr. James Calleroz White (aka Dr. CW), who officially begins his tenure on July 1, 2025, by way of a “Fireside Chat” held during Dr. CW’s visit to our campus in late November. Dr. CW, who holds a Doctorate in...
Swartley Gallery Presents: Alumna Artist Sophia Seriale ’22
D-E welcomed back Sophia Seriale ’22, a “D-E lifer,” as the Swartley Gallery’s featured alumna artist, with a meet-the-artist reception on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Her exhibit, “Until Now,” includes sketches she created as an Upper School student and in her art classes...