This morning Interim Head of School Preeti Fibiger P’24 welcomed the D-E student body, faculty, and staff to the End of Year All-School Assembly, which carried on the theme of ‘community’ from the first All-School Assembly earlier this year. The program began with songs from PreK 4, followed by recognition of Lower School (LS) Faculty who are marking their 10-, 30-, and 40-year milestones at D-E. Next, the Middle School (MS) Musical cast performed “We’re All In This Together” from “High School Musical JR,” and then MS Faculty were acknowledged for their 10-, 20-, 25-, 30-, and 40-year milestones. All divisions collaborated on stage when the All-School Choir sang the medley “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” Upper School (US) students then recognized US Faculty for their decades of service. Student mentors then addressed younger students who will be changing divisions next school year. To rising 9th graders, Addison Leak ’25 advised, “Appreciate where you are even when it feels challenging… and put yourself out there because you only get to do this once.” To rising 6th graders, Maya R. ’29 said, “Mistakes happen… and Middle School is a safe place to make them.”  To second graders moving up to the “big-kid floor,” Logan G. ’32 encouraged his peers to “be kind” and “be a leader,” as “every day is a new chance to be awesome.” Second graders then gave memorable words of wisdom to graduating seniors, such as “don’t say curse words.” Ms. Fiberger returned to the stage to recognize the contributions of faculty/staff who will be retiring at the end of this school year: Nurse Maureen Krane, 8th Grade Advisor Liz Traub, Language Department Chair Bill Biondolino, and Music Teacher John Littlefield. The assembly concluded with a lively performance by US ensemble Jazz Rock (and preview of their Commencement set) and sweet high-five send-offs from our youngest students to our soon-to-be graduates. Ms. Fibiger remarked: “You will forever be a part of this school…this community…this story.”Explore this topic further with a curated video that complements the article.

The end (of a chapter) is near for our graduating seniors! D-E’s Class of 2025 has had an active couple of weeks leading up to Commencement this Sunday, as part of their Senior Selectives trips and activities. “Selectives—senior + electives = selectives—are a time when seniors spend their final two weeks of school bonding with their teachers and classmates through fun and meaningful activities that they select before commencement,” explained Dean of Student Life Debbie Rivera Murphy. Activities, organized by Upper School faculty and staff, included spring roll making, quick Indian cooking, swing dancing, dog training, soccer, and more. Seniors also ventured to New York City to visit the Chelsea Art Gallery, take a food tour, and dine al fresco. Selectives culminated in the Senior Class Trip to Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, New York, where they rode horses, kayaked, went mountain tubing, and played pickleball. As the week wrapped, seniors had lunch in Collins House with Interim Head of School Preeti Fibiger P ’24 and Ms. Murphy, where they connected as a group for one of the last times, signed one another’s yearbooks, and received their D-E souvenir blankets. The Senior Class Dinner tonight will be their final hurrah before donning their caps and gowns. As is defined in D-E’s Profile of a Graduate, “With the confidence fostered by their experiences here, our graduates will continue to cultivate their talents and pursue their passions.” We’re so proud of how far you’ve come!

Hot off the presses! Students in 8th Grade Dean Ali Miller’s ‘In the News’ Discovery class recently got a sneak peek at a morning news broadcast during a field trip to WPIX (Channel 11), a TV station in New York City, followed by a tour of the United Nations. Ms. Miller noted, “Visiting Pix11 news gives the students an experience of seeing the different aspects of how a news program is put together as well as the myriad roles within a news organization.”  Fiona D. ’29 says she found the trip “fascinating… because I love to watch TV” and also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at live TV. Classmate Kian D. ’29, concurred, noting that he didn’t realize how many jobs there are in a control room. Fiona says her father used to work in TV, which is why she was interested in this class. Says Kian, “I didn’t follow the news before… it’s cool that we write our own newsletter with opinions on current events and topics.”