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.
Save the Date: TedXD-E Event, Thursday, April 3, 6 PM
TEDx is coming to D-E! On Thursday, April 3 at 6 PM, Hajjar Auditorium will host a series of student-led presentations on topics D-E upperclassmen are passionate about, including climate action, music, mathematics, politics, and more. “There’s nothing more important...
7th Graders Explore & Exhibit “The Anatomy of a Human”
Visiting parents, faculty, and Lower School students were all ears today during “The Anatomy of a Human Exhibit” in the Middle School, as 7th graders eagerly talked about the body systems depicted in the life-size diagrams they worked on, and how their home life or...
Spring Teams Kick-Off with D-Edication to Athletics Core Values!
D-E is gearing up for spring sports by underscoring the Athletic Department’s core values of Commitment, Excellence, Respect, and Teamwork. Watch the video to find out what the core values mean to members of D-E Athletics and student-athletes themselves. Go Bulldogs! ...
1st Graders Present Annual Houses & Homes Assembly
Our 1st Graders’ Houses & Homes Assembly, a 25-year-old D-E Lower School (LS) tradition, took place earlier this week in the LS gym! For this annual labor of love, students work together to build a home that represents their assigned continent—Australia, South...
Sixth Grade Rome Day Highlights
When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Grade 6 students gave their Rome Day presentations in Hajjar Auditorium this week, following an immersive unit on the Roman Empire. “This showcase is the culmination of weeks of work by our 6th graders,” says Middle School History...
D-E 360° ACE Preps for HOPE Fashion Show on Saturday, April 5!
Future fashion designers are hard at work and having a ball getting ready for the HOPE Fashion Show on Saturday, April 5! A beloved annual event, this year’s show celebrates the theme “A Whimsical Fairy Tale,” and will once again feature original apparel, accessories,...
8th Graders Participate in NJ National History Day
Several D-E 8th Grade students became State qualifiers following a trip to Monmouth University in West Long Branch for the National History Day (NHD) regional contest! “NHD projects require students to choose a topic related to this year's NHD theme, ‘Rights and...
LEAD/VDay Club Members Support Local Women’s Rights Info. Center
D-E’s LEAD and VDAY students went on a service trip to the Women’s Rights Information Center in Englewood to help clean their offices and basement for new donations. They spent the afternoon organizing clothing donations, disposing of trash and old furniture, and...
Award-Winning Interior Designer/Architect, Alumna Krista Ninivaggi ‘97 Visits D-E
D-E’s AXIS student organization was excited to welcome back alumna Krista Ninivaggi ’97, an award-winning Interior Designer and Architect, last week at the Swartley Art Gallery. Ms. Ninivaggi’s visit was coordinated with help from D-E Art & Design Department...
Eighth Graders Set Their Wheels in Motion for the Great Paper Roller Coaster Expo
What do dinosaurs, flames, space, Minecraft, and SpongeBob have in common? They are among the themes depicted in this year’s Great Paper Roller Coaster Challenge, which recently took place in the Middle School. The project, facilitated by 8th Grade Science Teacher Hyo Kim and 8th Grade Math & Science Teacher Julia Taazelar, challenges students to design a roller coaster marble run. Parents and some Lower School students had a chance to view the variety of designs as well as test the functionality of each roller coaster, marble in hand. Ms. Taazelar describes this as a capstone project for Grade 8 that puts to use what they’ve learned about the laws of motion and energy transformation. With this project, they’re able to “apply the skills they’ve learned theoretically into something that is practical and hands-on,” she says.
Ms. Kim adds that the project, in its fourth year running, is a way “to wrap up the curriculum on physics… that also teaches students about collaboration, as each person has a specific job.” As students described to their gathered audiences how the marble could represent both stored energy (potential) and energy in motion (kinetic), it was clear that the project met its aim of being both imaginative and educational. It’s another great example of innovation in action at D-E!
