Checkmate! Cheers to our D-E 360° ACE (AfterCare & Enrichment) Chess Team, which had two players compete in the U.S. Chess Federation’s 2024 National K-12 Grade Championships in National Harbor, Maryland, from Dec. 6-8. Third grader Adam Y. ’34 and 11th grader Anna Radchenko ’26 exhibited great sportsmanship and represented D-E well, says Coach Mackenzie “Mac” Molner. “In this tournament, participants only play other kids from their own grade level,” explains Coach Mac. “It’s a very difficult tournament, to say the least!” In the face of such tough competition, Adam scored 3.5 points out of 7 games and Anna scored 4 out of 7 games. “I loved meeting players from all over the country and challenging stronger opponents,” says Adam. “I’m really proud of myself that I had a draw with a much higher-rated player and earned respect from him.”
US Robotics Teams Are Positioned for State Competition
D-E’s Upper School Robotics Teams are halfway through the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics season! “Our varsity team, Critical Mass, and our JV team, Absolute Zero, have completed their first design prototypes and are beginning work on their new, improved robot designs for the second half of the season,” says Coach Chris Fleischl. Teams participate in meets in preparation for the Bergen County League Tournament in February. During a meet on Dec. 15, at River Dell High School, both our varsity and JV teams finished with 3 wins and 2 losses. Next up is a meet on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Blair Academy. The goal is to qualify for the State Championship and, ultimately, the World Championship. Critical Mass’ Jackson Chang ’25, says, “I fell in love with robotics because of opportunities to express myself through building components… We work hard every day to continue to iterate on our robot to even slightly improve our chances in competitions.” We’re rooting for all our future engineers and data scientists!
Sixth-Graders Learn How Food Shapes Their Identity
How are we what we eat? This is the guiding question our sixth graders were asked to consider this morning as a new unit was kicked off in their MESH subjects (that is, Math, English, Science, and History). This first lesson centered around “how food shapes their identity,” said English teacher Ms. Macone. Students gathered in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall, where Chef Alex and his team prepared breakfast foods representing the Dominican Republic (“Tres Golpes,” a trio of fried eggs, cheese, and salami), Colombia (beef empanadas), and Japan (miso salmon with steamed rice). “I got to try different things I’ve never tried before,” said Kayla S. ’31, who discovered she liked fried eggs. Students then moved on to Hajjar Auditorium to share food traditions within their own families. The unit will culminate on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with a cultural food festival, for which parents are invited to attend and bring in food that represents their family. Cheers!
D-E Embraces the Season of Giving
’Tis the season! D-E’s students are fulfilling the school’s core value of community with pre-winter-break donations to families in need. In the Lower School, third graders have been embracing their program tradition, “Third Graders Making a Difference” (TGMD), for...
An Overview: A Fireside Chat With D-E’s Next Head of School, Dr. James Calleroz White
D-E recently introduced our next Head of School, Dr. James Calleroz White (aka Dr. CW), who officially begins his tenure on July 1, 2025, by way of a “Fireside Chat” held during Dr. CW’s visit to our campus in late November. Dr. CW, who holds a Doctorate in...
Swartley Gallery Presents: Alumna Artist Sophia Seriale ’22
D-E welcomed back Sophia Seriale ’22, a “D-E lifer,” as the Swartley Gallery’s featured alumna artist, with a meet-the-artist reception on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Her exhibit, “Until Now,” includes sketches she created as an Upper School student and in her art classes...
Student Leaders Encourage Digital Wellness at D-E
Digital Wellness has been top of mind at D-E, just as it has on a broader scale in recent years with the release of data highlighting the harm that social media and excessive screen time can have on kids. To this end, the D-E Parent Ed. Committee hosted a Digital...
Building Community at D-E Through Poetry Sharing
On Thursday, Dec. 12, the Middle School English Department hosted its MS Poetry Connections programming, in its second year running. Each student wrote a poem to highlight aspects of their identity. They were encouraged to share who they are and coached by their...
D-E 360°’s Private Music Lessons Prep Students for Concert Performances
Music ensembles—such as jazz, classical, handbells, and choir—have long been an integral part of school life at D-E. The incredible talent at our school is often on display during D-E’s annual assemblies and concerts, including the upcoming Winter Orchestral and...
Gratitude Strikes the Right Chord at the Thanksgiving Assembly
A rainy morning on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, didn’t dampen the spirits inside the Myrna B. Sherman Gymnasium, where enthusiastic students from all divisions gathered for D-E’s annual Thanksgiving Assembly. Interim Head of School Preeti Fibiger gave opening remarks with...