Academics

Lower School

Welcome

The Lower School is a vibrant and captivating place. Each classroom is filled with children and adults from very diverse families and experiences. Our primary focus is on the academic, social-emotional and physical growth and success of the children in our care.

Daily, the dedicated faculty and staff at D-E's Lower School work to foster an environment of engagement that allows our students to encounter rich academic tasks. The students also have the opportunity to explore and to learn with, and from, one another. Each day, our children are astir with great ideas and perspectives about the work that they encounter throughout the school day. These lessons and experiences seek to draw on each child’s creativity.

At various times during the school day, students are provided with opportunities to think critically and to receive guidance and support as they demonstrate perseverance through challenging tasks. The full experience in the Lower School helps our students to know that they can, and will, make a difference in our ever-changing world. 

A Message from James Choi, Lower School (LS) Principal

Dear Families,
 
Welcome to Dwight-Englewood’s Lower School, where learning is more than just a series of lessons - it’s a journey of discovery and growth. That journey is guided by our mission statement, to help students cultivate the “skills, values, and courage to meet the challenges of a changing world and make it better.” It means that children are developing fundamental content knowledge and skills, while also tapping into their unique interests and shaping their sense of purpose. Every day, our exceptional faculty and staff work to ensure students are supported and have the resources they need to thrive now and into the future.
 
Serving children of ages 3 - 11, our Lower School programs are anchored in essential skill-building and well-rounded experiences that prioritize the cognitive, social, physical and ethical development of children. Students are engaged in a wide variety of learning experiences where they are perennially expanding their horizons. On any given day, you may observe:
 
  • Pre-school students learning how to socially negotiate with one another while collaboratively playing;
  • First grade students strengthening their reading fluency and writing their own stories to communicate with the world;
  • Third grade students getting involved with local organizations to make an impact on their immediate communities;
  • Fifth grade students expanding their mathematical concepts to solve increasingly complex problems in both creative and efficient ways; and
  • Students of all ages engaging in performing and visual arts, health and wellness, and STEM activities to help them experience the interconnectedness of our world. 
What makes all of this possible at D-E is that educators, too, are students. We are students of how children learn best and what they need in order to thrive. Teachers regularly reflect on their instruction and stay current with evidence-based practices to directly impact learning outcomes. This approach allows us to respond thoughtfully to each child - helping them cultivate their confidence, resilience, and a love of learning that endures. And along every step of a child’s journey, we embrace ongoing and open communication with families, trusting that students are likely to be at their best when the adults in their lives - both at home and at school - are supporting them in tandem.

You can always view what’s current in news from the Lower School on our LS Notes eNewsletter.  
 
Truly, there’s no better way to understand what makes our learning community so unique than to see our students in action - listening to their questions, witnessing their curiosity, and observing the way they make meaning of the world around them. To that end, I hope you’ll visit us to observe firsthand how we nurture the whole child as we help children think deeply, act with purpose, and lead with compassion and courage!
 
 
Sincerely,
James Choi
Lower School Principal
                                               

Learn More

Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631
gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.