Cultivating creativity! D-E Middle School students in Ms. Miller’s Creative Writing and Ms. Scrivanich’s Art & Design Explorations Discovery classes recently teamed up to visit The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as part of an experiential program called “Narrative in Art.” Ms. Miller said her students are learning to use anchor texts from prominent poets, such as Maya Angelou, as the basis for their own emulations. The day at the museum “had students using the artwork as a springboard to create, in small groups, a piece of writing,” said Ms. Miller. “It is a different kind of analysis and interpretation.” Similarly, Art & Design students were able to practice skills in responding to artwork by engaging in activities and discussions about select pieces with the educator at The MoMa. “In my Studio Art classes, I encourage students to let their voice inspire their art-making,” said Ms. Scrivanich. “Reflecting on the work of influential artists such as Van Gogh, Remedios Varo, and Archibald John Motley through the frame of ‘narrative in art’ allowed students to understand how artists have long practiced storytelling in their work.” Ms. Scrivanich added that viewing the artwork in person is extra special. “It was great to see the students’ genuine excitement about each piece and just being in the presence of art.”

A longstanding D-E tradition, 25 years running(!), returned to the Lower School Gym last week with the Houses and Homes Assembly, where first graders, donning construction vests and hard hats, presented to D-E families the model dwellings they’d worked hard on for the past few weeks. The assembly was facilitated by First Grade Teachers Ms. Farrar, Ms. Fredricksen, and Ms. Muus. According to Ms. Farrar, the biggest challenge for first graders was learning “the 4 C’s”—Communication, Collaboration, Compromise, and Cooperation—while building their houses. As in past years, each home represented a different continent, with the North American two-family home also designed as wheel-chair accessible for a fictional resident named Aarav. Students spoke enthusiastically about the features of their homes, gave fun facts about each region, and answered questions from kindergartners (who could look forward to this project next year) and second graders (who could reflect on their own Houses and Homes projects from last year). The assembly concluded with a heart-warming video of the students working on their projects, set to the song “Our House,” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Ms. Farrar, who got a bit choked up, remarked, “That part gets me every time.” Great work, first graders!

CHEERS to D-E Varsity Winter Track athletes Tade Adeyeri ‘26, Adesola Afonja ‘27, and Grace Dalgetty ‘26!  All three qualified for the prestigious Nike Indoor Nationals! Tade competed earlier in the Boys Triple Jump Emerging Elite competition. Adesola will compete in the Girls Triple Jump Emerging Elite competition and Grace will compete in the Girls High Jump Championship this weekend. In the words of Coach Orestes Medina, this is a “great accomplishment for [these] student-athletes in a very crowded and competitive field.” Way to go Tade, Adesola, and Grace! Go Bulldogs!!!