Full STEM ahead! Ten of our Middle School students recently represented D-E at the Bergen SciChallenge, standing out in a highly competitive field of more than 175 student presenters across the state. After placing an impressive first in Mathematics and Computer Science for his project on whether increasing the complexity of an AI model improves the diagnostic accuracy of malaria detection, Jacob L. ’30 is advancing to the next stage of the competition, which is to apply to the national Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. In addition, Adison K. ’31, Ethan Z. ’31, and Aadya J. ’31 placed second in Environmental Science for their project about which LED light color can most efficiently grow microgreens. To showcase students’ hard work, Ms. Larionoff, Innovation Coordinator, facilitated a mini STEM Symposium in the Makerspace on campus, where they could present their research to the greater D-E community. Jacob said he had conducted a similar science project in the summer about rainfall and was fascinated by the idea of researching a topic that would be “much more beneficial to society,” as malaria is a potentially deadly disease. Ken E. ’30 said he was interested in finding a solution to the wasteful overflow of milk that can occur when coffee shops make lattes, so he developed a prototype device that dispenses the correct amount of milk. He said, “This not only helps reduce a coffee shop’s carbon footprint, but also saves them money.” “It takes immense initiative and curiosity to propose an original project, critical thinking and perseverance to navigate the inevitable experimental roadblocks, and genuine risk-taking to engineer creative solutions to real-world problems,” remarked Ms. Larionoff. Congratulations to our middle schoolers who have exemplified innovation in action!

Third Graders Making a Difference (TGMD), a Lower School year-long service-learning curriculum founded 12 years ago by Ms. Michelle Sussmann and co-led by Ms. Rachel Brainin P ’23, ’25, recently culminated in a TGMD Assembly attended by 3rd grade families. To begin the assembly, each student read a short speech they wrote about an organization or a cause that the class helped, or shared their feelings about a specific project or TGMD in general. Families then watched a video showcasing the students doing the work to help solve a problem or issue in the world. Next, students individually revealed signs highlighting their accomplishments this year, including the annual TGMD book sale, which raised more than $3,000 for charity! Third graders closed the assembly by singing “If You’re Out There,” by John Legend. “Working with my 3rd grade friends to help people was an awesome experience,” expressed Quinn L. ’35. Her classmate, Phineas C. ’35, said that he appreciated how TGMD inspires people to help others in need. “It also shows that no matter how old you are, you can make a difference,” he added. Indeed, this was among the goals, according to Ms. Sussmann: “[Through TGMD], kids are empowered and realize that they don’t have to wait to make a difference. They can make a difference now—at 8 and 9 years old.” Way to go, 3rd graders!

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!