A few of D-E’s oldest students (seniors) collaborated with some of our youngest (Preschool 4) during a Developmental Psychology unit for which AP Psychology students learned about Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. “Part of that theory is that children at...
This past weekend, D-E Middle School Robotics Team Neutron competed at the Menlo Park Mashup Invitational Tournament. The team placed 3rd in “Innovation Project” for their invention prototype, the LumiNet, which seeks to solve the problem of fishing waste. Their robot...
The inaugural TEDxDwight-Englewood School event, held recently in Hajjar Auditorium, was a D-Efinitive success! Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross gave opening remarks, along with student leaders and event co-facilitators Soham Bafana ’25 and Georgia Unger ’25,...
The inaugural TEDxDwight-Englewood School event, held on April 3, 2025, in Hajjar Auditorium, is in the books! Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross gave opening remarks, along with student leaders and event co-facilitators Soham Bafana ’25 and Georgia Unger ’25, ahead of thoughtful presentations on a range of topics. “Our first TEDx event was a powerful reminder of the importance of giving students a platform to share their voices,” said Ms. Gross. “Their talks were inspiring, showcasing incredible talent and a deep commitment to our mission—applying skills, values, and courage to tackle real-world challenges and make a meaningful difference. They aren’t waiting to change the world—they’re already doing it!”
The future is here! Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education was the theme of a recent Professional Development Day for all faculty and staff. In her opening remarks, Interim Head of School Preeti Fibiger declared, “To ‘meet the challenges of a changing world,’ we need to understand what those changes are.” This made spotlighting rapidly evolving AI technologies a natural choice for our community.
Sessions were interactive and offered opportunities to engage in productive discussions about how students can use AI most effectively. When used correctly, “AI builds confidence with students to write a strong paper,” noted Ms. Diane Christian (D-E English Department faculty member) during her session on thesis writing with AI.
The day concluded with a student panel discussion, moderated by Soham Bafana ’25, and featuring Sylvie Yao ’27, Jared Mosseri ’27, Reya Shah ’27, and Lucas Brown ’25, who gave their perspectives on using AI in the classroom, such as the idea that AI can help visual learners. Ultimately, said Mr. Justin Weiner (D-E History Department faculty member), during his session on deepfakes, “AI won’t remove the human touch.
Entering the office of Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross in Leggett Hall, you can expect to be greeted by a warm smile and, quite often, jazz standards playing softly in the background. In the midst of her seventh month at D-E, we sat down with Ms. Gross to discuss...
Last week, the Upper School’s 3D-Engineering (3D-E) Club and the Imperatore Library co-hosted the annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge at D-E in recognition of National Engineers Week. US/MS students participated in the project, which consisted of building a landing pad for a paper rocket, meant to emulate the design of a “rocket catcher” in the real world. Jackson Chang ’25, a 3D-E student leader, said this project “gives people–in a kid-friendly way–the opportunity to dabble in engineering design.”
Innovation Coordinator Colleen Larionoff, who facilitated the challenge for the MS students, remarked that these activities are a great example of “innovation in action” because they aren’t tied to a class, and this gives students more freedom to explore and make mistakes. Seventh grader Ken Escobar ’30, said he participated in the challenge because “I feel like it’s an opportunity for collaboration… and now that I’m immersed in it, it seems fun.”