Every fall, students in the Upper School participate in grade-specific class trips that have become a rewarding D-E tradition that combines…
D-E Honors a Legendary Coach During the Schmid Pavilion Dedication
Beautiful weather was in play for the official dedication of the C. Christian Schmid Pavilion at Solomon Field on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. The guest of honor, longtime former D-E Athletic Director and Coach Chris Schmid (aka “Schmiddy”), was joined by his family and...
D-E’s Ethics Bowl Team Wins Gold During International Competition
Over the summer our D-E Ethics Bowl Team, advised by Philosophy and Ethics Department Chair Mr. Joseph Murphy, made it to the TKEthics International Grand Final, held via Zoom on Aug. 29, 2025—and subsequently won the Gold Medal! According to Mr. Murphy, the process...
D-E 360° Summer Presents The Lightning Thief
Every summer D-E 360° offers programming that includes musical theatre, an opportunity for students to grow connections, tap into their existing talents, and develop new skills. This year’s production was The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical (Theatre for Young...
Upper School Students Travel to the Balkans for Service Learning
“The objective of this trip was to expose D-E students to a new part of the world with different cultures and perspectives” This summer, from July 7 to July 17, 2025, D-E 360° organized a trip to the Balkans for Upper School (US) students, in partnership with the US...
D-E Senior Exemplifies How to Be a Citizen of the World
The International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) is an international organization that holds an annual nationwide competition in philosophical essay writing for high school students. Each country may send one or two students, apart from the host country, which is allowed...
Science Competition Challenges D-E Middle Schoolers to be Problem Solvers
“Bergen SciChallenge gives students an incredible amount of autonomy, leading to student engagement and deep learning” Nineteen D-E Middle Schoolers were among the 140 students competing earlier this summer at the Bergen SciChallenge, which is a middle school science...
D-E Celebrates Lower School Fifth Graders Moving Up to Middle School
Fifth graders completed their era as members of the Lower School (LS) on the morning of Friday, June 6, during the Fifth Grade Moving Up Ceremony on Leggett Field. As LS faculty/staff, family members, and friends were seated beneath a tent, the Processional began with...
Visiting Poet Dr. Joshua Bennett Inspires D-E Students to ‘Live in the Space of Imagination’
D-E was recently graced with a campus visit from renowned poet Dr. Joshua Bennett, a Professor of Literature and Distinguished Chair of the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Bennett is the author of five books, including The Sobbing...
Lower School Book Sale Gives Third Graders a Lesson in ‘Making a Difference’
Third Graders Making a Difference (TGMD), a service-based initiative founded by Third Grade Teacher Michelle Sussmann and co-led by Third Grade Teacher Rachel Brainin, culminated with a book sale this week, consisting of gently used children’s books donated by members of the D-E community. Proceeds from the book sale will benefit a charity selected by third graders. Students participated in sorting and preparing the donated books for sale. The Lower School was then invited to attend the fundraiser, where each book could be purchased for $5 or less. “It was fun planning for it,” exclaimed Zein A. ’34 of the event.
“This TGMD project truly puts all aspects of making a difference into the third graders’ hands,” said Ms. Sussmann. “They have learned so much about the power of giving… how important it is and how good it makes us feel!” When asked why it’s important to “make a difference,” Caleb C. ’34 remarked, “You’re helping people less fortunate than you.”
The project is tied to skills learned in students’ persuasive writing unit, for which they are asked to write a persuasive speech to convince their peers that a particular charity should receive the profits from the book sale. Alanna M. ’34 said she discovered through TGMD that anyone of any age can make a difference in the world, sharing: “Why wait until you’re older when you can do something now.” We’re so proud of our third graders for paying it forward!