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.
Bulldogs are Beautiful!
What makes Bulldogs beautiful? Join us and celebrate ALL that makes Bulldogs beautiful during our Bulldogs are Beautiful week of giving for D-E’s Annual Fund! D-E’s Annual Fund supports all aspects of student life at D-E, from academics, arts, athletics, and...
LS Chess Team Earns 5th Place in US @ Chess SuperNationals
Our D-E 360° AfterCare & Enrichment (ACE) Chess Team has returned victoriously from the SuperNationals VIII held in Orlando, Florida this past weekend! WOW & CHEERS to our Lower School students who placed fifth overall in the country for the K-5 under 600...
D-E Senior Athletes Signing Ceremony 2025 Highlights
D-E’s Athletic Department recently hosted a Senior Athletes Signing Ceremony yesterday in the Myrna B. Sherman Gymnasium. The event recognizes graduating student-athletes who’ve committed to play at the college level. Athletic Director JD Sand first welcomed attendees...
MS Assembly Features US Student Presentations
This week’s Middle School Assembly was a great example of cross-divisional collaboration at D-E, with two Upper School (US) students presenting their talks from last month’s TEDxDwight-Englewood School event and an introduction to Digital Wellness. This year’s TEDx...
US Assembly Highlights Environmental Awareness
This morning’s Upper School Assembly, organized by Environmental Club leaders Kelly Chu ’25, Radha Munver ’25, Len Glozman ’25, and Alex Sheffield ’26, focused on finding jobs in the field of environmental science and sustainability. Len warmed up the audience with a...
D-E 360° Fosters ‘Chess Culture’ at D-E
The growth of D-E 360°’s chess community over the past year has been incredible. Earlier this spring, D-E hosted the first-ever ChessFest on Sunday, April 27, facilitated by Grandmaster Mackenzie “Mac” Molner, who coaches the Chess Team. Overall, we placed first out of four teams in the K-2 division, first in the Grades 3-5 division out of seven teams, and second out of two teams in Grades 6-8. Team members Arthur P. ’36, Oliver Y. ’36, and Justine B. ’29 also won individual prizes. “Our students represented D-E very well, and for a lot of them it was their first time playing in a tournament,” says Coach Mac.
In addition, for the first time in program history, the Chess Team will represent D-E in the US Chess Federation’s SuperNationals VIII Tournament in Orlando, Florida, from May 9-11. “The SuperNationals only take place once every four years, so it’s super special that we have 10 students signed up to go,” says D-E 360° Director Dr. Sherronda Brown. “We’re proud to see these young people challenge themselves to become adaptable, confident and joyful learners. Join us in celebrating and wishing them well!”
Mandarin Class Field Trip 2025
Upper School World Language Teacher Hailing Zhao’s Mandarin students recently embarked on an exciting field trip to Flushing, NY, to bring their language learning to life. “With the goal of applying their classroom knowledge in real-world settings, students...
Middle School Musical Cast and Crew Get Ready for High School!
This year’s Middle School Musical is High School Musical JR., based on the 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie in which Troy, the captain of East High School’s basketball team, and Gabriella, who’s at the top of her class, try out for the lead roles in the spring musical. The students end up drawn to each other, despite encountering some obstacles along the way.
The leads for D-E’s production include Ella Gorcie ’30, Owen Lee ’29, Brooke Cohen ’29, and Austin Tiemann ’30. According to Eileen Lynch, MS Theater Director and Drama Teacher, the idea to put on this show came about after a casual conversation with MS Principal Jonathan Davis. “We were commenting on the themes of togetherness and community woven through the show and thought it would be a good fit for the Middle School production here at D-E.”
Lower School Music Teacher Lisa Dove is the Music Director, and John John Tarrayo and Bella Savas will choreograph this dance-centric show, assisted by student Dance Captain Arianna Chan ’30. “I honestly think [this show has] helped some of us discover sides of ourselves we didn’t even know were there,” remarks Arianna. “It’s been a fun ride!”
To read more about the making of the MS Musical, click the link in our bio.
US Business Finance Class Zooms with Goldman Sachs Reps
This morning the Upper School Business Finance class hosted a virtual visit with representatives from Goldman Sachs, facilitated by D-E Chief Financial Officer (and Business Finance class teacher) Angela Artale. Sandra Schubert, a 25-year veteran who manages 14...
Chinese Culture Club Hosts Mahjong Tournament
The Chinese Culture Club (CCC), which is dedicated to exploring and celebrating Chinese heritage, recently hosted its annual Mahjong Tournament at D-E with the goal of bringing people together to play the strategy-based tile game that is popular in Chinese culture....
