Parnassus is a home to many. Integrating disciplines like visual arts, foreign language, and English, senior Catalina Mahe ’22 is ecstatic to be one of the lead editors for the magazine. As a prospective ninth grader, Catalina saw it as an opportunity to expand her love for first language, Spanish––now learning both French and Spanish in her last year. The club allows students to explore their creativity outside of the classroom and gain exposure from peers’ experiences and writing. Meanwhile, Catalina and her senior co-editors (Sunaya Mueller ’22, Charles Spitzley ’22) spend months curating the magazine with advisor Sra. Abby Kanter. Catalina hopes that the upcoming year will inspire new writers and language-fanatics towards the magazine’s community.
“Parnassus does have a very family-club feel. I think one of the benefits of writing in another language, the most obvious thing, is just practicing the language. I’ve got to read all of the pieces in Parnassus, regardless of what language they’re in. It has inspired me to write a lot of my own pieces and to look into reading more literature in other languages. I finally got to share pieces that spoke about what it’s like being Colombian for me. I got to write about what the food, and what my family is like, and I got to express that in Spanish. “
D-E Finishes First in the State Ethics Bowl Championship
We’re thrilled to announce that D-E’s Ethics Bowl Team are State Champions! At the New Jersey High School Ethics Bowl, hosted by Middlesex College on Saturday, Jan. 25, students debated real-world ethical issues. Our D-E Team, advised by Philosophy and Ethics Department Chair Mr. Joseph Murphy, will proceed to the Northeastern Division on Saturday, Feb. 15. Baptiste Louis ’25, a senior leader on the team, says, “The Ethics Bowl is a very special kind of competition…it emphasizes calm, nuanced, and good-faith discussions on issues. You are not working to tear another team down; rather, you are competing to show that you can add most effectively to an ethical debate.” Team leader Reya Shah ’27 adds that the most challenging part was “shifting our perspective on a scenario to move beyond our own viewpoint and find solutions that promote the morality of our greater global community.” Mr. Murphy concurs: “All of this is in the spirit of ‘cooperative competition.’” Congratulations to this remarkable team!
D-E Model UN Racks Up the Wins at YMUN 2025
D-E’s Model UN (D-EMUN) club had an incredibly successful trip to this year’s Yale Model UN (YMUN 2025) Conference, from Jan. 23-26—winning 13 individual awards and the award of Best Large Delegation! YMUN is among the most prestigeous Model UN conferences, bringing together thousands of high school delegates from across the globe to simulate the work of the United Nations. D-E was represented by 20 delegates that were subdivided into committees. “At YMUN, I got to participate in my first ever crisis committee,” says D-EMUN club member Hayley Fuld ’26. “My experience in crisis—from making countless speeches every committee session to working on how to solve the current topic—has taught me so much about working with others and instilled a sense of confidence for how I can perform under pressure!” Way to go D-EMUN and we’re SO proud of all our D-Elegates!
Chinese Family Affinity Group Hosts Lunar New Year Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch
Parent/guardian volunteers in our Chinese Family Affinity Group recently transformed Hajjar Auditorium into a lovely Lunar New Year celebration for our faculty and staff! This annual appreciation luncheon held up to tradition with amazing authentic tastes and happy...
D-E Students Prep for the US Lunar New Year Assembly
D-E student performers are hard at work preparing for our Lunar New Year Assembly programs later this week in Schenck Auditorium! Hosted by the East Asian Affinity group, along with the Chinese and Korean Culture clubs, this event will feature choreographed dancing...
D-E 360°’s Fencing Program Provides Opportunities for Advancement
En garde! Earlier this year D-E 360°’s Afterschool Programming Team (ACE) hosted a fencing demo in the Lower School, which was a big hit with our youngest Bulldogs. D-E partners with the Manhattan Fencing Center to offer classes in the LS gym. Registration for the 2024-2025 academic year began this month for students in grades 1-8; however, admission is rolling, so it isn’t too late to register. Student fencers practice on Tuesdays (Beginner, from 4 PM to 5 PM; and Advanced, from 5 PM to 6 PM). “[Fencing] is a gateway to personal growth, new experiences, and lifelong friendships,” says Ms. Julia Gelman, Executive Director for Manhattan Fencing. “Through this program, children can travel to competitions, challenge themselves in exciting new ways, and achieve their fitness, academic, and athletic goals.” Our current students’ enthusiasm for the activity is a testament to this mission. “This is awesome–I love this!” says Cedrick K. ’36, a first grader in the program.
LS Robotics Teams Deep See, Ocean Animals Achieve Inaugural Success!
This weekend, the D-E360° FIRST LEGO League Explore robotics teams showcased their work at the Teki Explore Festival along with 30 teams from across the state. The season's theme was "Submerged," and students were challenged to identify a real-world problem related...
PsychD-E Club Conducts a Phantom Limb Experiment
The brain is a powerful thing! The PsychD-E club, advised by Human Development Chair Dr. Daniel Carragher, held a psychology experiment in the STEM Center, based on the phantom limb theory, the sensation and perception of amputees that their missing limb is still...
BRAVO! A D-Elightful “Shaking It Up With Shakespeare”Concert
A full house was on hand for “Shaking It Up with Shakespeare”, a D-Elightful live concert featuring our Lower School Chorus and Middle School Chorus and Show Choir ensembles. From sonnet snippets and songs based on Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies, and history-based...
The Spirit of Dr. King Inspires Community and Acts of Service at D-E
All divisions at D-E came together the week of Jan. 20 to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As an act of service, students enrolled in D-E 360°’s ACE program wrote letters of gratitude to U.S. service men and women, veterans, and first responders as part of Operation Gratitude. In addition, the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, respectively, held assemblies dedicated to honoring MLK. LS students shared what they learned from the book Say Something! by Peter H. Reynolds and what they did to make the world a bit better. Meanwhile, US students enjoyed two performances by renowned jazz violinist Kersten Stevens and heard from local artist Philip Smallwood, whose painting “A Life of Service” was on display. The work celebrates the life and contributions of Bergen County resident Dr. Theodora Lacey, a friend of Dr. King and a Civil Rights activist in her own right. Mr. Smallwood gave parting words to students that “Everybody possesses greatness… I believe in you.”
LEAD Students Visit Cooper Hewitt’s ‘Home’ Exhibit
In January, D-E Upper School students took two trips to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan, as part of the LEAD (Leaders for Equity & Diversity) program, which provides opportunities for them to learn leadership skills and explore the world and its different cultures. The trip centered on an exhibition titled “Making Home,” focused on Black and Native American expressions of place, home, and belonging. “The purpose of the trip was to connect our November collage project’s theme of ‘home’ to real-world artists investigating that idea,” says Joel Lee ’17, US Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging. In addition to getting a tour of parts of the museum, students were able to use their own creativity to make prototypes of homes designed for biomes such as tropical, arid, and tundra. Great job to our LEAD students for their thoughtful work!
