Our early childhood consultant, Jean Schreiber, from NYT article 
( Link to Jean Schreiber NYT article )

Strengthening and Articulating the Lower School Curriculum

There are a number of factors that have supported the significant progress that the Lower School has made over the last five years in three important areas: early childhood education, language arts and mathematics.

• A three-fold increase in the resources available to our professional development efforts has allowed the Lower School to forge multi-year relationships with outstanding outside early childhood and language arts consultants, as well as to support a great deal of targeted work done by groups of teachers during the summer.                                                                                                                                                                  
• Curricular leadership has emerged from within the school. Assistant Principal, Susan Abramson, has spearheaded the in-school push to support our teachers and the direction of our language arts curriculum. Last year’s mathematics specialist hire, Cecily Gottling, has thrown her significant experience and energy into reshaping our mathematics curriculum and teaching.

Fourth graders writing

• All three divisions, under the leadership of the principals and the department chairs, have taken the challenge to take a fresh look at all of our curricular offerings and teaching practices from the point of view of the children we teach. This means that we must pay close attention both to how the academic experience unfolds vertically and builds on itself within and across the divisions, as well as how the curriculum and our teaching methods meet the needs of all of our students.

• A sense of excitement and energy amongst our Lower School faculty has developed as we wrestle with becoming the best we can be for our students.

Internally, we are able to digitally record, throughout the school, detailed information about each unit of every course in our curriculum, and to query and view it in ways never before possible. However, the Lower School has always struggled to articulate our program externally, to parents and prospective parents.

Fifth graders in math class

The reality is that it is far more difficult to describe a Lower School curriculum than the programs of the Middle or Upper Schools, which are embodied in the yearly D-E Course of Study booklet that contains brief descriptions of each course offering. With the help of the newly hired assistant in the school’s communications office and input from all our teachers and curriculum specialists, we are developing text that describes all aspects of the Lower School experience. It is our hope to begin putting some of this information on the School’s website as early as January and to have a completed Lower School brochure available at the beginning of next year’s admissions season in September.

Blog updates: 2nd Grade and Spanish (click the link below the banner above)

News From the Explorer's Program

Links to the digital version of the Winter Explorer's Aftercare Program brochure and the registration form . (Hard copy to follow next week with "Just the Facts.")

An exciting new Explorer's offering! Basketball Training Clinic will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 - 4:30 PM for 4th and 5th grade boys and girls and, if room, 3rd graders taught by varsity basketball coach and D-E Athletic Director, Eli Goldberger and members of his team. Click for link to Flyer and registration form. Limited to 20.

The Fourth Grade Mitten Project

Calling All Dwight-Englewood Students and Staff!by a fourth-grade student

We need your help! Mrs. Sienicki's fourth grade is collecting gloves and mittens. It's starting to get a little chilly outside. So get ready because winter is coming. We want to make children in need, warm and cozy for the winter. By donating one or two gloves or mittens you will make a big difference! We're starting locally but we could get the whole Bergen County.

Did you know that our very own Lower School Nurse, Maureen Krane, is one of the honorees at the 2012 Gala Auction and Dinner Dance scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Rockleigh Country Club, “A Night in Monte Carlo” has already been recognized as THE event of the year.

The event will include a silent auction, dinner and dancing. As in the past, select faculty/staff members will be honored for their years of service and dedication to our school.

To help make this event a huge success, we are looking for auction items such as sports tickets and memorabilia, concert tickets, jewelry, electronics, trips, vacation homes, children’s items, etc. We are also soliciting ads for the 2012 Auction souvenir journal, honoring our four honorees, or you can place an ad honoring your children or advertising your business.

To donate auction items, place an ad, or for more information call(201)569-9500 x3404 or Email movseb@d-e.org

Former Lower School Student Wants Your Help to Help Others

Students in the Renaissance Education and Music Program

Tenth grader, former Lower School student and violinist in the Upper School Orchestra, Sarah Ragi, is working on a service project where she works with at-risk students as part of the Renaissance Education, Music, and Sports, non-profit, community based program in Bronx, NY. She asks that you donate gently used instruments and/or accessories (ex: electric/acoustic guitars, keyboards, drum sets, music stands, drum sticks, tuning forks, bongos, saxophone, violins, bows, etc.) to support this program. Please drop donations off in the Lower School Office by Dec. 16. Donations after this date will still be accepted! Questions can be directed to Sarah <ragis@d-e.org>.