This fall, Head of School Dr. Rodney De Jarnett hosted a special Zoom assembly presentation for Middle and Upper School students with the best-selling author Ozan Varol (Think Like a Rocket Scientist).
All parents/guardians of D-E students were also invited and encouraged to attend.
On the right are excerpts from a letter sent by Dr. De Jarnett to introduce Varol to our community prior to this memorable virtual gathering.
To learn more about Ozan Varol and his book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist, visit www.ozanvarol.com
An Excerpt of a Letter from Head of School Dr. De Jarnett introducing Ozan Varol
An Excerpt of a Letter from Head of School Dr. De Jarnett introducing Ozan Varol
“… always looking for inspiration and new ideas when life and work are especially challenging, I have found Ozan Varol’s book to be one of the best books I have read of late.
So who is this author Ozan Varol? Borrowing from various online resources including his website page (ozanvarol.com/about), he IS (actually) “a rocket scientist, award-winning law professor, and author of non-fiction books. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ozan grew up in a family of no English speakers. He moved to the US by himself at 17 to attend Cornell University and major in planetary sciences. While there, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers to Mars. He later became a law professor to influence others to make interplanetary leaps on this planet. Varol has written numerous award-winning articles that are taught in colleges and graduate schools. His work has been featured in domestic and foreign media, including BBC, Time, CNN, Washington Post, Slate, and Foreign Policy.”
It’s worth pointing out too that reviewers and fellow authors of note — including Dan Pink (A Whole New Mind) , Adam Grant (Think Again) and Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) — all have also raved about Varol’s book. “
Save the Date for TEDxDwight-Englewood School 2026!
TEDxDwight-Englewood School 2026 is almost here! The production team is hard at work getting ready for the second-annual event, being held on Thursday, February 19, at 6 PM in Hajjar Auditorium. This year’s event once again features D-E Upper School student presenters speaking on the theme of “Learning Unbound: Igniting the Future,” with a mission of “sharing ideas worth spreading.” Featured speakers are Cooper Carragher-Haim ’26, Megan Rhee ’29, Arnav Garg ’28, Kylie Karageozian ’27, Jason Lee ’27, and Tyler Pinniger ’27. Learn more about the event by clicking the link in our bio!
Young Alumni Return to Campus to Discuss Life After D-E
Earlier this winter, the School hosted a “Life After D-E” Young Alumni Panel Discussion in Hajjar Auditorium, during which graduates of the Classes of 2021-2025 shared with us how D-E has impacted their lives in college and beyond. As articulated by these young alumni, our Upper School students have opportunities to explore their passions and choose their own path as they move into the world. To read their reflections on what sets D-E apart from other schools and why they will always have a home, a community, at Dwight-Englewood, click the link in our bio!
Stage Band/ Jazz Workshop & Chorus Collab Concert on Monday, Feb 9
Our student musicians are getting ready to perform Gershwin (“Prelude 2”), Garner (“Misty”), “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, and more, when D-E Performing Arts presents their annual, collaborative Stage Band / Jazz Workshop and Chorus Concert. The concert is Monday,...
3rd Grade FLL Robotics Teams Shine at Explore Event
Congratulations to our incredible 3rd Grade First LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Teams, who shined at the recent FLL Explore event at Princeton Day School! “We couldn’t be prouder of our students,” said Ms. Li, Lower School (LS) STEM teacher, who coaches the LS Robotics...
MS “Anatomy of a Human” Consortium Highlights
To launch its Anatomy of a Human Project, 7th grade faculty recently facilitated an Anatomy of Human Consortium, during which several D-E parents graciously took time out of their busy days in the medical field to visit the Middle School and share about their medical...
D-E Community Shines During Annual Cultural Showcase 2026
“Inviting Peace” was the theme of “Our World House: A Cultural Showcase,” a now-annual School event organized by the Department for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB), for which students from the Lower School (LS), Middle School (MS), and Upper School...
D-E Performing Arts Proudly Presents MS & LS Choral Concert Thursday, Feb. 5
Rehearsals are underway for D-E Performing Arts’ next upcoming live concert! The Middle & Lower School Choral Concert is this Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 PM in Hajjar Auditorium (2nd Floor, D-E Campus Center). Look forward to hearing toe-tapping, intriguingly-titled...
PA Hosts LS/MS Book Fair & PJ Party
Paws for reading! Our Lower & Middle School Book Fair, hosted by our incredibly D-Edicated Parents’ Association, kicked off in grand fashion. On Saturday, Lower School (LS) students wore their comfy clothes for a PJ Party in Hajjar Auditorium, where Head of School...
US BLADE Club Hosts Annual Career Assembly
The Business Leaders at Dwight-Englewood (BLADE) student organization hosted its annual Career Assembly this week for the entire Upper School. Building on feedback from last year’s event, which included a single panel of guests from a variety of professions in Schenck...
Sixth Grade Identity Unit Culminates With Food Festival
In a culmination of the Sixth Grade Food & Identity Unit that began two weeks ago, students recently presented their hard work across their MESH (Math, English, Science, and History) classes to D-E families in Hajjar Auditorium. The presentations were followed by...











