Dear Middle School Families,
I spoke with the whole Middle School last week about the importance of some basic habits: staying hydrated, staying physically active, and getting quality sleep. The research is very clear that these three actions can have positive impacts mentally and physically. I especially stressed the need for students to get eight hours of sleep a night. Loss of sleep lowers academic performance, hinders learning new information, and even drastically impacts the immune system. Hopefully, you can hear more from your student when talking to them about these topics!
I appreciate the Parents’ Association bringing the documentary “LIKE” to campus for students, faculty, and families to view. As an educator there were a few moments of the film that stood out.
When students have their devices in their rooms at night, when they wake up, the device is often providing them with their first thoughts of the day. This gives adolescents no time to think for themselves or have a moment of calm.
It is also worth noting how social media apps are designed (and profit from) to draw in our attention for as long as possible. Students often have trouble maintaining the appropriate balance. Parents should help their students set limits on social media usage as well as be a good role model for them.
Do you want glimpses of life in the Middle School, even though your middle schooler doesn’t tell you anything? The MS has a non-public flickr account full of photos covering class activities and field trips near and far. If you are interested in seeing snippets from a day in the life of the MS, check out: https://www.flickr.com/photos/87457828@N05/
As we approach the November / December vacation season, please keep in mind we have a procedure for planned absences to help support students who know they are going to miss school ahead of time. To get the process started, a family should contact the grade level dean with the dates of the absences. This allows us to have the teachers give work ahead of time and plan for the student to not be in class.
Please remember, when we have field trips scheduled to go into NYC students are expected to come to school first. Often the morning before the trip teachers go over important information and content. If you would like to pick your student up in NYC, you must contact the Dean 24 hours in advance for pick up in city. We do not allow Uber / Public transportation for sixth graders for safety reasons.
D-E 360° Middle School Enrichment (MSE) is underway! Pawns & Rooks took over the Klein Building Wednesday as our Chess players hit the boards for the first time this school year. Our novices set out to learn the game while our experienced players were looking to improve their game and bring their USCF rankings even higher for our next tournament. Pro-rated spots are still available for this class. Register here, send an email with your start dates to weij@d-e.org, and/or see below.
You can also register independently for upcoming MSE Chess Tournaments. The dates are:
- Wednesday, November 6, 2019
- Wednesday, February 5, 2020
- Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Tournaments are held at the Dwight-Englewood School and are official USCF Tournaments, attracting students from around the tri-state area. Students from Grade K to 8 who are registered in MSE Chess are automatically enrolled in the same term of the Academic Chess Tournament.
En Garde! This Thursday, October 24, will be the first day our MSE Fencing cohort will fully suit up for the season! Will our Middle School students be more graceful and talented than Principal Davis? Only time will tell! It’s not too late to sign up to begin training with our international coaches – Register here As always, Director of Programming Sharon Keigher is more than happy to hear your questions or suggestions. You can Email her at: keighs@d-e.org
See you around campus!
Jonathan Davis
MS Principal