As a continuation of its celebration of dance, the Upper School’s Dance@D-E program, facilitated by Class of 2027 Dean Stephanie “Tuc” Tucker, recently hosted professional dancer and choreographer Chris Mangual to teach a dance class that was open to anyone interested in dancing. “Chris has worked with dancers at D-E before, helping with choreography for various productions,” noted Dean Tuc. Meanwhile, 9th graders had a chance to dance like it was 1799! After students read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” in English class this spring, 9th grade teachers helped bring the literature to life. Last year, US History Teacher Ms. Seligman, who does English Country Dance and has played violin as part of the band, recruited English Country Dance Teacher Judi Rivkin to teach her 9th grade class the dances of the British Georgian era. This year, Ms. Seligman worked with the English teachers to bring Judi and a group of musicians back to expand the lessons to the entire 9th grade. “Students commented that they liked the music and were very proud of themselves when they learned how to do the dance moves,” said Ms. Seligman. Thanks to both our guest instructors for sharing their love of dance with our community!

A cherished Lower School tradition recently returned to Mr. Rocky’s Field—the annual Kindergarten Zoo! This year there were “new facts and a new class whose interests really shined through,” said Kindergarten Teacher Ms. Meghna Mathur. “We tell them that you become the teachers!” Kindergartners select an animal to research, create a report and detailed diorama to represent the animal’s habitat, and then share what they learned with visiting D-E families. Emilia L. ’38 told us that “baby giraffes are able to stand on their own within one hour,” Ryan P. ’38 revealed that “snow leopards like to live high up,” Ava K. ’38 noted that “jaguars can live in two different habitats,” Wylde W. ’38 shared that “eating shrimp makes flamingoes pink,” and Naya M. ’38 found that “emus can grow up to 6 feet tall and have soft feathers.” Great job to all our Kindergarten zookeepers!

Five of D-E’s 7th and 8th graders were recently honored by the Englewood Rotary Club’s Teens for Peace Program, which involves several other schools in the area and culminates with the planting of a “Peace Pole” somewhere in Englewood. Zorena A. ’30, Ken E. ’30, Vicky K. ’31, Emma L. ’31, and Brendan P. ’31 were this year’s D-E participants, under the guidance of Bergen Family Center representatives, 8th Grade Dean Ali Miller, and Dr. Sherronda Brown, D-E 360° Director. Teens for Peace consists of workshops aimed at fostering a sense of community, developing leadership skills, and planning a service project. The teen committee elected to plant this 6th Peace Pole, which bears a message of unity in eight different languages, in front of Liberty School at the intersection of Tenafly Road and West Palisade Avenue.  “During the dedication ceremony, Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes reminded attendees of the profound historical weight embedded in the soil beneath them,” said Dr. Brown. “The Peace Pole now stands precisely where General George Washington marched his troops during the 1776 retreat, and at the very crossroads where the legacies of the Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X have intersected through generations of local rallies for civil rights and global freedom.” Kudos to these students for their dedication to global harmony and for truly representing D-E citizens of the world!