Lower School Notes

"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand."

Chinese Proverb

Happy Lunar New Year - 2014
For Chinese - the Year of the Horse!

Kindergartners under the dragon they made to celebrate
Chinese New Year

Fifth-grade Asian students celebrating the
New Year!

Mom's helped fourth-graders celebrate the
new year.

Due to the school closure this past Monday, Lower School parents will not be able to view their child's comment form until Friday, 2/7/14.

Parents experiencing a first-grade math lesson

during last week's Curriculum Night for

younger grades.

Plan to Attend the Second Grade Level Curriculum Night:
(This is a chance for you to participate in learning activities that engage your children!)

Second-through fifth-grade parents
7:00-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 4th

Lifer Leaders

Working together to build amazing things starts young.
Courtesy of four preschool 4 students

When the Upper School makes announcements over the school’s public address system, they are supposed to punch in a code to exclude the Lower School. Sometimes that does't happen, and sometimes I am happy for the oversight. What I heard a while back hit me like a ton of bricks, but it made total sense.

Third graders with their seventh-grade buddies

The announcement was the results of the recent Upper School Student Government elections for the next year. Both the president and the vice-president elect are lifers, as well as the vice-presidential runner up. Then I remembered that the current year's president and vice president were lifers as well. In case you have forgotten or never knew, a “lifer” is a student who began as a Lower School student.

It was a birthday choice for third graders to wear
pajamas. I bet their seventh-grade buddies are jealous.

The part of the announcement and my realization that made total sense was that not only are those students who have been at the school the longest most likely to show the greatest care for the community, but that the emphasis on leadership, that has always been part of the Lower School experience, bears visible fruit within our own community. Knowing these lifer leaders, the school is and will be a better place because of their involvement.

At the recent “Lifers’ Dinner," our 35 lifer seniors, or a third of the graduating class, were recognized. To provide a sense of each student’s journey, Upper School Principal, Joseph Algrant, read interesting excerpts from Lower School teachers’ comments. Then each lifer honored a special teacher that meant the most to them during their career here. Three Lower School teachers were so honored.

Most parents choose Dwight-Englewood for their young
children precisely because it promises to provide the opportunity for a consistent and coordinated set of academic and non-academic experiences for up to 15 years. Particular classes and teachers can be very strong, but it is the cumulative effect of the wonderful teachers, small classes and our particular approach to learning that makes a D-E lifer’s education truly exceptional.

Fifth-graders build on their third-grade recorder
skills as they learn music theory with
Chair of the Performing Arts, John Littlefield

Our emphasis on problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and an involvement in meeting the needs of others and making the world a better place through all three divisions, prepares our students to be leaders in a future that none of us can fully envision.
It is pretty clear that our lifers have the best advantage of an outstanding Dwight-Englewood education. Although I don’t want our Lower School students constantly interrupted by Upper School PA announcements, certain messages are very important for them to hear and take to heart.