Dwight Today Fall 2024 and Annual Report 2023-24

Inside Cover: First day of school

Cover: Dwight Hanoi students in front of their new Gus-inspired playground. Read more about the newest school in our global network on page 22.

Photography: Harriet Allen, Oscar Brett, Dianna Bush, Allison Feldman, Da Ping Luo, Rahwi Lutvi and Team, Kevin McGee, Taylor Pattie, Matt Payne, Stomping Ground, and Dwight Faculty & Staff

Dwight Dubai students explore Korean culture with their Dwight Seoul peers. Learn more on page 26.

Dear Dwight Community,

It is such a joy to reflect on the many achievements, stories of sparks, and hard work of our teachers, students, and alumni. Our New York City campus was abuzz with activity throughout the year, as is reflected in these pages. Anchored by the core tenets of the IB curriculum, everyone in our community gave their all in another busy, banner school year.

We asked much of our community in 2023–24, most notably last fall when our School successfully came together to prepare for reaccreditation visits from the CIS, IB, and MSA. I’m proud to say that, with the full support of our Dwight community, we passed with flying colors.

This year, as in every year, we sharpened our global vision with the many trips and cross-campus opportunities offered to students and, most notably, the expansion of our network into Vietnam with the August 2024 opening of Dwight School Hanoi.

In this and future editions of Dwight Today, we’ll highlight the many achievements of all the schools in our global network with the inclusion of the new “From the Network” section.

Please join me in celebrating another successful year for Dwight School, one in which we continue to sharpen and expand our global vision for the benefit of future students — and the future of our world.

It is my hope that Dwight will spark a movement of students and teachers who will increase the prosperity of all humankind.

Fondly,

Stephen H. Spahn Chancellor of Dwight School

Little Lions, Big Smiles

We love seeing our smallest learners grow, play, and discover their world together at our Riverside and 94th Street Campuses. From stepping into their Dwight classroom for the first time to celebrating and dressing up to diving into the Primary Years Program (PYP), our littles share their joy and wonder with us all!

Timothy House Highlights

Our Lower School is always abuzz with fun and rich learning. The Primary Years Program (PYP) empowers students to follow their natural curiosity through inquiry and exploration. In each classroom, Timothy House teachers spark students’ curiosity and ignite their wonder. Take a peek at some exciting learning moments from last year!

Design in the PYP fosters innovation and creativity through hands-on learning experiences. Students blend critical and creative thinking and unite art and technology as they bring their learning across various subjects into three dimensions, from math skills to

Timothy House students love to share and learn together! From fractions to reading buddies, drama and dance performances, and grade-wide projects, Lower School students engage in interactive learning, peer mentorship, and skill development across different grade levels.

Igniting a Multitude of Sparks

“ I think my spark of genius is helping students feel comfortable and seen in the classroom by, one, getting to know them, and two, giving them really specific praise in the learning process to help build their confidence and develop the teacher-student relationship.”

Candace Cardwell, Grade 8 Language and Literature Teacher

Now in her tenth year of teaching at Dwight, having taught every Humanities course in Bentley House, Candace Cardwell teaches grade 8 Language and Literature, where she weaves together her passion for learning, empathy, and cultural awareness. Her presence in the classroom is not just about teaching academic content but fostering a space where students feel valued and challenged to take risks.

“Ms. Cardwell views every single student as an individual,” says Selin Sevil ’28. “As students, we are not a single-minded body. We can have complex outlooks on real, relevant topics, and our inputs should be valued by our community.”

Ms. Cardwell’s teaching journey is rooted in her own love of school and the impact her teachers had on her. She recalls being captivated by her grade 9 History teacher, Mr. Barnes, who taught her the art of reading comprehension and analysis. “I wanted to provide the same excitement around learning to my students that I felt growing up,” she explains. This personal connection to learning led her to a career dedicated to inspiring that same enthusiasm in her students.

Her path to Dwight was influenced by her love of travel and cultural exchange. Having traveled extensively throughout Africa, she was drawn to Dwight’s commitment to global learning. “The fact that Dwight was a school that had a diverse international student population and an emphasis on global vision in the curriculum was something that really interested me,” she shares. This emphasis on a broader worldview aligns with her own life experiences and her teaching philosophy.

Ms. Cardwell has a special knack for discovering and nurturing her students’ unique talents. She employs a variety of approaches to connect with her students and uncover their interests, from direct conversations and polls to informal moments during lunch. “I eavesdrop on their conversations and butt in to ask questions,” she says, explaining how these informal interactions help her understand what truly excites her students.

For Ms. Cardwell, students need to feel “liked, cared for, and seen” to thrive academically. Her ability to balance warmth with a challenging curriculum is part of what makes her so beloved among students and parents alike. Learning isn’t always fun and games, but she aims to create engaging lessons, like using Twilight Zone episodes to illustrate literary devices or organizing trivia around current events.

Ms. Cardwell’s approach often results in transformative experiences for her students, especially those who initially struggle. She recalls the satisfaction of watching reluctant readers eventually embrace books. By offering varied reading experiences — whether reading as a class, listening to audiobooks, or simply allowing students to read independently in a cozy classroom setting — she’s seen many students go from disinterest to enthusiasm.

Developing this love of reading also happens through connecting students to the right stories. She describes a particularly rewarding moment when she noticed a new student from Nigeria who seemed disconnected. She introduced a story by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, allowing the student to feel recognized. “The way he just came alive when he saw we were reading something from his culture was unforgettable,” she recalls.

Ms. Cardwell’s students remain connected with her even after moving on from her classes, often seeking her feedback on essays, sharing or seeking book recommendations, or simply updating her on their lives. This lasting bond is a testament to the strong relationships she builds with her students. One former student, Nathan Sigal ’28, who had a passion for American history that she encouraged, went on to launch a news website.

“When I had Ms. Cardwell as a teacher, I felt challenged in good ways and supported in many other ways,” said Nathan. “I greatly enjoyed having her as my teacher.”

Reflecting on her time at Dwight, Ms. Cardwell feels fortunate to be part of such an engaged and appreciative community — not just as a teacher, but as a parent. Her daughter is in the Class of 2025 at Dwight. Seeing the care and attention her daughter has been given at Dwight has deepened her appreciation for the school’s supportive community.

She recalls a recent encounter with a new teacher asking about Dwight’s teaching culture. “I wasn’t going to lie; it’s hard work,” she admits. But she quickly adds that the students and families make the work deeply satisfying. “The level of sincere appreciation from students and parents here is something that makes the work I do very rewarding,” she remarks.

Through her dedication, empathy, and commitment to helping each student discover their unique potential, Ms. Cardwell exemplifies what it means to be an impactful educator. Her classroom is not just a place for learning; it’s a space where students feel valued, inspired, and empowered. For her students at Dwight, Ms. Cardwell’s influence will undoubtedly be a spark that shapes their educational journeys for years to come.

SCIENCE IN ACTION: BIOPLASTICS!

After taking four weeks to research, prototype, and make a product out of bioplastic (biodegradable plastic) in their Science in Action micro-course, grade 7 students were judged by Mr. Harp, Mr. Kearsley, and Ms. Cardwell. Students presented on their design method, flaws, how they changed their formula, trials, and teamwork skills. The winning product, a durable set of coasters, was chosen based on product creativity, design, usability, and the final model itself.

Science in Action teacher Shalini Bhavnani said, “All the students are winners, because they persevered to figure out how to make their products better.”

The bioplastics project was just one of many in this engaging micro-course that also touched on glow-in-thedark bacteria and forensics — and saw students create lotion bars and bath bombs to better understand the science of cosmetics.

“ I really enjoyed the World Scholars Cup because it was a challenge and I liked studying for it. But also, there was another aspect — just getting to know all the people that are involved from all around the world. It’s the World Scholars Cup, not just ‘Scholars,’ and that was really enriching.”

—Max Nawrocki ’27

Max Nawrocki ’27 Inspires on International Stages

In 2023–24, Max balanced rigorous studies, athletics, and his passion for academic competition and debate through the World Scholars Cup and Model United Nations to excel in his first year in Dwight’s Upper School.

“I really enjoyed the World Scholars Cup because it was a challenge,” said Max, “and I liked studying for it. But also, there was another aspect — just getting to know all the people that are involved from all around the world. It’s the World Scholars Cup, not just ‘Scholars,’ and that was really enriching.”

Max excelled in the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) — an international academic competition in which students from top international schools around the world compete against one another as teams — and one which required learning a whole new curriculum on top of his regular day-to-day schooling.

“Max has a dedication to, and enthusiasm for, intellectual challenges,” said Marie Nieto, who advises Dwight’s World Scholars. “He was a true leader during the WSC and modeled for our younger students an intellectual curiosity and determination to do well.”

Max’s journey in the competition began in the eighth grade with a regional round at Dwight, progressed to a global round at University College London, and culminated in the finals at Yale University in his ninth grade. He came home with a number of awards, but for Max, WSC was about more than just awards.

Reflecting on his most memorable moment, Max recalls the London round of the World Scholars Cup, where his team debated fiercely and defeated a team from Dubai.

“The judge asked for a selfie with us because he thought we were good debaters. That was quite the moment because the judges are meant to be these stony, hard, impartial figures,” he recalled.

Of his WSC achievements, Ms. Nieto added, “Max has an eagerness to engage with and excel on an international platform. His drive to meet and compete with peers from around the world underscores his deep interest in broadening his horizons and challenging himself beyond the classroom, which is wonderful to see.”

Model United Nations (MUN) was another international platform where Max excelled. Initially, he thought it would be an interesting use of his free lunchtime, but he quickly found himself captivated by the global perspective it offered. His first MUN conference in New York opened his eyes to global diplomacy.

Max’s athletic pursuits are equally impressive. Despite being new to the tackle version of rugby (he had played touch rugby in his native UK before coming to the States), he made his way onto the Varsity team, which took second place in their division in 2024. Beyond rugby, Max has also dabbled in track and field, continuing a long-standing interest in running. He also takes pride in his multilingual abilities, studying both French and Spanish mother tongue courses.

Balancing these demanding activities with his studies requires support, and Max credits Dwight’s teachers — and curriculum — for helping him manage. He’s found support from all his teachers, particularly Ms. Nieto and Ms. Rubenstein.

“Ms. Rubinstein, who’s a coach for Rugby, is also a Dean for my grade, and so she sees these students academically and helps them all start high school.” He noted. “And I think Dwight, in terms of scheduling, has historically been very strong at finding room for extra things. For me it was for two languages.”

Max’s experiences at Dwight have been shaped by the school’s diverse and inclusive environment. Although he notes that cultural ties often bring friends, he emphasizes that friendships transcend nationalities at Dwight.

“Everyone gets along with everyone, and just makes friends with the people who they would be friends with, no matter where they come from.” Max said.

Looking ahead, Max is excited about the opportunities the next three years at Dwight will bring. He plans to pursue the full International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma and continue advancing in his athletic and academic interests. This year, he’s particularly looking forward to the personal project in MYP and taking Physics and Chemistry. As Max continues to navigate his high school journey, he remains a shining example of what it means to be a Dwight student — dedicated, curious, and ready to take on the world.

Lions on the Move

GRADE 4 TRIP TO WASHINGTON, DC

Dwight’s annual grade 4 trip to Washington, DC, brought our history curriculum to life. This trip was Lower School students’ first overnight adventure with Dwight, and laid the foundation in preparation for their upcoming fifth grade exchange program with Dwight School London. Students visited the U.S. Capitol Building, along with museums and monuments, gaining a deeper understanding of our government and history.

WORLD SCHOLARS CUP GLOBAL ROUND IN SWEDEN

After competing against over 500 scholars from 32 countries around the world, our students proudly took home 28 silver and 32 gold medals at this year’s World Scholar’s Cup Global Round in Sweden! Amongst their accolades, Hana Mah ’30 claimed the second place trophy for Individual Writing, and she, along with her teammates Reis Okutan ’30 and Owen Wallis ’30, took the 1st place trophy for the Collaborative Writing event — placing their team as seventh overall as Champion Scholars in the Junior Division.

WISER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS IN MUHURU BAY, KENYA

In the spring, students traveled to Muhuru Bay, Kenya, and visited the WISER (Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research) School for Girls, continuing Dwight’s long tradition of supporting WISER’s mission of educating girls and enabling them to go on to higher education.

Throughout the school year, Dwight’s Upper School WISER Club (active for nearly 15 years) works to fundraise and increase awareness of the School and its mission with the wider Dwight community. Club members sell baked goods and hand-made bracelets similar to the ones you can buy in Kenya, giving our NY students a taste of a Kenyan market stall.

During their stay at the School in Kenya, our students fully immersed themselves in the experience by attending classes, engaging in insightful discussions about Kenyan culture and daily life in Muhuru Bay, and building lasting friendships with students. As a wonderful conclusion to their enriching journey, students ventured to the breathtaking Maasai Mara National Reserve for a two-day safari.

“When returning to New York, we all felt inspired to continue striving for the values practiced at WISER, having gained a global perspective,” shares Lara Oosthuizen ’25. “The community they have formed at WISER is built on the foundation of uplifting each other and doing all they can to promote each other’s learning.”

VILLARS INSTITUTE IN SWITZERLAND

Students from Dwight and Franklin Schools attended the Villars Institute Symposium in Switzerland, where they immersed themselves in the cutting-edge fields of Systems Thinking and Systems Leadership. This prestigious program in the Swiss Alps brought together 140 delegates, known as Villars Fellows, from all over the world. The fellows gained a unique perspective on how these innovative frameworks can be harnessed to address the urgent and complex issue of climate change. They engaged with leading experts and thought leaders, gaining invaluable insights into the interconnected nature of global environmental challenges and the systemic approaches needed to tackle them effectively.

The trip was made possible, in part, by funding from The Dwight School Foundation. You can read more about the work of The Dwight School Foundation, and the donors and volunteers who make that work possible, in the 2023–24 Annual Report, found at the end of this issue of Dwight Today.

Meet the Deans

Grade 9 Dean Heidi Rubenstein; Grade 10 Dean Michael Horvath; Grade 12 Dean Bentley Ferraina; Grade 11 Dean Paul Vliegen

Speaking with the Dwight Deans as a group is an exercise involving one part “great minds think alike” and one part “electric energy.” Their boundless energy is catching, even as they talk about the many, many tasks that they take on in any given day. It’s clear that the energy emanating from them and between them is what sustains such a demanding role — one that touches on literally every facet of the Upper School as they strive to meet the needs of nearly 100 families in each grade, and is performed on top of other duties at Dwight, as the Deans also teach or hold other roles at the school.

Dwight’s Upper School Deans are a unique feature of our School, placed front and center in the lives of students, while also working in a very behind-the-scenes way. Quite the oxymoron, we know.

“The role is difficult to encapsulate,” says Head of Upper School Eric Dale to whom the Deans report. “In the general sense, they are tasked with the pastoral care of the students in the grade, but the work is so much farther reaching than just that. The Deans are expected to have a good sense of each student’s academic standing, social wellbeing, and particular sparks of genius.”

From there, the Deans work to nurture each of those things. And they’ve been quite successful at doing so, as is reflected in the praise of our students.

“I really can’t put it into words how much all my Deans have helped me,” says Mariam Diallo ’25. ”All the Deans that I’ve been honored to have are confidantes of sorts for in and out of school obstacles. I appreciate the respect and understanding they have for the students at Dwight.”

“STUDENT SUPPORT IS OUR NUMBER ONE JOB.”

So says Ms. Rubenstein, longtime Grade 9 Dean, who just started her eighth year in the role.

Deans do whatever needs to be done to support students and support parents to support students and support teachers to support students in their day-to-day interactions — speaking with parents, shepherding kids to counselors, teasing out and resolving issues, and working very closely with Mr. Dale, “almost in the capacity of ‘Vice Principal,’” as Mr. Horvath, now in his fifth school year as Grade 10 Dean, describes it.

“But as a Dean,” he continues, “You’re not only social, emotional, and behavioral support, you’re also very much in the weeds with the Heads of Departments, academic questions, and integrity.”

So, while parents and students should never hesitate to bring issues to the Dean, they help with so much more than that.

COMMUNITY BUILDERS, COMMUNICATORS, AND CONNECTORS

Deans set the tone with Community Meetings, making sure that community norms are clear — and can be upheld.

“During Community Meetings,” says Ryan Franciscovich ’25, “Deans share school-wide updates, celebrate student achievements, and remind us of important deadlines for assignments. They also invite guest speakers, such as college counselors, to provide additional guidance. Deans use this platform to promote values like respect, empathy, and compassion, reinforcing the positive and inclusive culture at our school.”

They also support our faculty and staff, day-to-day, by making sure that everyone is in the loop on student news, but also with sweet gestures like well-timed breakfasts during the busiest periods, and the famed Annual Ciderfest Flannel Best party that happens every Fall.

Deans get to know every single Upper School student and family at Dwight. They challenge students to be their best and truly thrive in the Upper School, socially, emotionally, and academically. And given the Deans’ holistic view of each student, they also tend to be the first point of contact for all matters; they are continually liaising with all members of the student, parent, and faculty communities to create a tightly woven web of communication that assures all needs are met… usually even before they become needs.

Grade 12 Dean Bentley Ferraina puts it succinctly, using a basketball analogy: “The Deans act as a point guard for each of our grades.”

Mr. Ferraina was Grade 10 Dean for five years before becoming the Grade 12 Dean this year.

He elaborates: “Almost every conversation with a parent or a student or a teacher that’s like, well, who do we ask about this? Then the answer is always, I guess you just ask the Dean. And even if we’re not the people who make the decision, we’re making sure the parents are talking to the right people or the students are talking to the right people.”

A SOLID TEAM EFFORT

If it wasn’t clear to the reader by now, the Deans are a collective force, working with one another and Mr. Dale in a tight-knit way.

“We often bounce a lot of things off of each other,” says Mr. Horvath. “‘Hey, am I accurate here? Hey, is this tone okay?’ Because we’re interacting with so many different people and so many different personalities.”

Adds Mr. Ferraina: “And we really have to be aligned because the students notice when certain things are being enforced differently or treated differently or addressed differently in Community Time meetings.”

And, of course, information on each student and family gets formally transmitted from year to year, which is extremely helpful

THANKS TO MR. CUNNINGHAM AND MS. SAYERS FOR THEIR SERVICE!

At the end of 2023-24, Alex Cunningham stepped down as Grade 12 Dean after a decade at Dwight School and seven years in the role. He’s now Grade 11 Dean for Dwight Global Online (and Blended Students Coordinator for all of Dwight Schools).

Ellen Sayers stepped down after an incredible 19year tenure (first as Grade 10 Dean, then as Grade 11 Dean for the last 8 years) to focus more her role as Head of the Visual Arts Department and to make more time for creating community arts events.

When asked what they’ll miss about being Dean the most, both, without hesitation, responded, “The students!”

Head of Upper School Eric Dale is flush with examples of what they brought to the role in their time.

“Ellen helped create the first iteration of the Deans’ Council,” said Mr. Dale. ”Ellen should be credited with building in levels of advocacy that did not exist previously, and our students, parents, and teachers are all better supported because of it.”

Of Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Dale said, “He could just as easily help students learn about themselves through self-reflection in TOK as through the physicality of a boxing class. His own adaptability has served our students well, and with this, he has strived to help each graduating class establish their own ethos unique to them, not specific to him.”

Both, though greatly missed in the role of Dean, have left an indelible mark.

to families in transitioning between grade levels. “If Michael has something going on with a tenth grade student, and he wants to know what happened in ninth grade, we will talk a little bit about that,” says Ms. Rubenstein. “And we do that in every grade. We pass that information down.”

ONE OF MANY HATS

Which brings us to the newest member of the Dwight Deans team: Paul Vliegen steps into the role of Grade 11 Dean as an active member of the community. Mr. Vliegen has developed strong relationships with his students, whether it be as a Global Politics teacher, as a former advisor of PRISM (the Pride, Raising Awareness, Involvement, Support, and Mentoring Club) as the Model UN advisor, as a chaperone on multiple student trips, or as the former Head of Upper School Individuals and Societies.

“I am looking forward to getting to know each and every student in the eleventh grade,” says Mr. Vliegen, “My favorite part of being an educator is the daily interactions with adolescents — learning about their perspectives on the world, who they are, and who they want to become.”

Mr. Vliegen will continue to teach Global Politics during his tenure as Dean, just as Ms. Rubenstein teaches Grades 6 through 8 Personal and Social Development and remains a fixture on the Rugby pitch as Varsity Head Coach; Mr. Horvath teaches Grade 8 PE; and Mr. Ferraina will work with the Upper School Admissions team and continue his Film Club. Having multiple roles at the School means that our Deans are integrated deeply into the community, continuing to bring in different viewpoints.

So our Dwight Deans aren’t just sitting in a stuffy office — though when they are, their door is always open. The Deans are here to help, as Mr. Vliegen points out when he was asked why he wanted to be a Dean.

“I am looking forward to helping our students develop the skills and resilience to navigate the world they are growing up in, without losing sight of what ultimately matters most: integrity, kindness, and compassion — to ourselves and others.”

Read more student reflections on the Deans here

News from the Dwight Global Network

The connections between our Schools, whether it be Franklin School across the Hudson River, or Dwight Hanoi, the latest member of our family in the heart of Vietnam, are growing stronger every year. Learn more about each School from our international community in this section new to Dwight Today. We’ve asked our counterparts to send in a recap of 2023–24, highlighting what they think would be the most interesting news of the past school year and/or highlighting things unique to their School.

We look forward to sharpening our global vision with community members across the globe.

Empowering Excellence In England

Dwight London is brimming with pride for our students after a fantastic series of recent achievements and successes by our students, which have been recognized on local, regional, and even national levels. These awards, which cover a broad range of fields — including art, sports, debating, and more — showcase the immense talent, dedication, and passion of our student body.

SPARK OF GENIUS

Firstly, eight phenomenal art pieces from our school were awarded prizes in the Independent Schools Association (ISA) Regional Art Competition, which involves 130,000 students from across the country. Our talented artists secured two 3rd place wins, five 2nd places, and an outstanding 1st place victory by Natalie ’23. Due to this success, Natalie’s artwork advanced to the National Competition later in the year, where she ended up winning 2nd out of the whole country.

Our Art Teacher, Ms. Ross, said, “This remarkable accomplishment speaks volumes about Natalie’s immense talent and unwavering commitment to her craft. It’s a moment of immense pride not only for Natalie, but also for our entire school community, as her exceptional work has garnered recognition on a national scale. Please join us in extending heartfelt congratulations to all the winners — Maciej ’29, Rudolfs ’27, Sophie ’26, Jack ’24, and Natalie ’23 — for this incredible achievement.”

TAKING ACTION

Finn ’24 was honored with a National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN) award for “Young Advocate of the Year” in the Under 16 category. This was based on their work setting up a Neurodiversity Club at Dwight.

“The Neurodiversity Club aims to make Dwight a better place for neurodivergent people,” said Finn. “We are a group of students whose brains work differently from what’s considered ‘normal,’ and we have created a space where we can be proud of that difference.”

Thanks to this national recognition, members of the Neurodiversity Club were invited to speak on the podcast SEND in the experts, which features leaders in the field of neurodiversity.

“As well as recognizing what I’ve been doing, it’s a recognition of how innovative Dwight is as a school, and I hope it will inspire other students to take initiative on issues they care about,” said Finn.

LIONS CONQUER THE LEAGUE

Our Senior Boys Varsity Basketball Team also reaped the rewards of a Spring ’24 season of dedicated training and team-building, becoming the champions of the London Independent Schools Basketball Association (LISBA) North Basketball League.

Daniel ’24 captured the team’s spirit by saying, “We conquered the league, emerging as champions with courage and teamwork. The team is geared up for more challenges and eager to win the upcoming LISBA tournament. Our players are ready to make their mark on the North Conference and All-London stages.” They did indeed make their mark, reaching as far as the semi-finals.

SILVER TONGUES

Cambridge University, known worldwide as one of the top two universities in the UK, hosted the ISA Public Speaking Competition this year. Over 120 entries were submitted to the first qualification round, which was whittled down to just 39 speakers being invited to the finals.

Five of our students, Iman ’28, Eliza ’27, Maleha ’30, Justin ’29, and Ethan ’27, were thrilled to be among those few, selected externally from recordings sent to the English Speaking Union. Their performances proved the epitome of a team effort. As students prepared for their big day, they supported each by coaxing, coaching, and collaborating to inspire each other, their efforts reflecting what an IB education is all about.

Congratulations to all of our speakers on some amazing performances — and even a number of awards! We are pleased to announce that our speakers received two Judges’ Awards and a 2nd place win!

These achievements across various disciplines underscore the diverse talents within our student body and the supportive environment fostered by our school community. By nurturing a holistic approach to learning, students are inspired to not only excel academically but also to become well-rounded individuals who can confidently navigate the real world. We are proud to be able to support our students’ sparks of genius, and feel that these students exemplify the IB mindset — caring, knowledgeable communicators who take action on their passions.

Making a More Sustainable World SMALL CHANGES MAKE BIG DIFFERENCES!

Dwight School Dubai is proud to foster a culture of sustainability throughout the community. Last school year, we incorporated and introduced multiple initiatives throughout the campus to encourage students to explore ways they can be more environmentally friendly.

Our school garden is thriving with produce planted and cultivated by our PYP students. This hands-on experience provides an opportunity to enhance their units of inquiry and be shared through transdisciplinary learning.

Our Agents of Change, part of the Middle Years Program (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP), offers students a transformative learning experience and is steadfast in its mission to shift towards a plastic-free campus. The students have taken a proactive role in collaborating with the school’s canteen provider, ensuring all sales of non-recycled plastic bottles will halt and no single-use plastic is to be used on Tuesdays. The aim of this “No Plastic Tuesdays” initiative is to gradually reduce plastic throughout the school, promoting good habits to continue beyond the campus.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS: THE POWER OF MUSIC

Upper School students have also collaborated with EireGulf to plan, design, and build their own solar-powered shade on our campus. This innovative structure will provide students with shade and outdoor charging points, allowing them to have a dynamic learning and collaborative space.

One of the milestones for Dwight School Dubai for the 202324 academic year would be the record number of students participating in the Dwight Schools Sparkathon. Sparkathon — a two-day global design competition — focused on developing projects aimed at tackling pressing challenges across diverse industries. Our students showcased their innovation and creativity with some outstanding designs. We were proud to have three teams from Dwight School Dubai achieve remarkable success, securing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places. This exceptional accomplishment highlights the dedication and talent of our students, and we couldn’t be more proud of their achievements. (See pg. 32 for more on Sparkathon)

The United Arab Emirates hosted COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC. Our students had the opportunity to visit COP28 at Expo City, where they listened to passionate youth ambassadors from various schools engaging in discussions on sustainability and climate action. Students witnessed the collaboration on climate action among government officials, private and non-profit sector leaders, climate experts, and environmental activists from across the globe.

Dwight Schools from across the globe connect on countless occasions throughout the year, bringing faculty, families, and students together. Our students had multiple opportunities to collaborate with other Dwight Schools around the world during the 2023-24 school year to share their passion for music — with one exceptional opportunity happening right here on our campus.

Dwight School Dubai proudly hosted the Global Music Concert, “United Harmonies,” where over 120 students from Dwight Schools worldwide gathered in the United Arab Emirates on the Dwight Dubai stage for the first time. This was a tremendous opportunity for our students to meet and make friends from other Dwight Schools.

“ What an amazing experience for these children, to come together from around the world. That’s what Dwight School does.”

Nizar Pabani, Dwight School London Parent

Read more about the 2023-24 Global Concert hosted by Dwight School Dubai on the Global Network Website

Looking Back, Moving Forward

As we welcome our very first students to Dwight School Hanoi, we reflect on the remarkable journey that has brought us to this moment. We are dedicated to creating a school that integrates Dwight’s legacy of personalized learning, community, and global vision with the dynamic future of Vietnam.

Our goal is to serve as both a bridge into Vietnam, bringing in best practices in innovative learning and global perspectives, and a bridge out, equipping our students to make their mark on the world stage while supporting Vietnam in sharing its narrative on history and culture.

2024 began with a moment of pride for Dwight School Hanoi, as our innovative landscape received the prestigious Architecture Master Prize 2023 in the “Landscape Architecture, Educational Landscape” category. This award recognized more than just aesthetics; it celebrated spaces designed to blend nature with learning. Architect Carlos Zapato envisioned the stacked circular design as a reflection of students’ journeys; completing circles,

symbolizing growth and the completion of life’s chapters. The creative gardens, green hubs, and modern sports courts serve as living extensions of the journey, supporting this vision.

As the finishing touches were being made to our building, the early spring celebration of Tết, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year festival, brought a fitting backdrop to the opening of our admissions. Tết, a time of renewal and family connection, aligned perfectly with our weekend Explore Dwight sessions, offering a glimpse into our school’s history, culture, and unique educational experience. It was a time for families to envision their place in our growing community as we nurtured the seeds of these new beginnings. We organized an extensive schedule of site visits, allowing parents to tour our evolving campus and engage in conversations about the admissions process.

With spring in bloom, we launched the Dwight School Hanoi Scholarship Program for our first students in grades 9 and 10, offering two types of scholarships — Leadership, recognizing those who demonstrated outstanding leadership in their schools or communities, and Spark of Genius, honoring students with exceptional academic performance and dedication to the arts, athletics, service, or innovation. The program attracted many talented candidates, each showcasing unique strengths and passions. After a thorough evaluation, thirteen exceptional and excited students were awarded scholarships.

In the same season, we launched the first Manchester City Football School in Vietnam, an exciting partnership with Manchester City Football Club, marking a significant step in our commitment to personalized learning. This collaboration will introduce our students to City’s distinguished playing style, renowned globally for its success. Through this partnership, our students will participate in a range of football programs, from PE classes to competitive teams, all coached by Manchester City professional coaches. The opportunity to visit the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and attend the Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup adds an international dimension to this program, further igniting the spark of genius in our young athletes.

In the summer, our focus on supporting students through their educational journey took center stage with another round of University Guidance events. Parents and students gathered to gain insights into the university application process. With Brantley

Turner, our Head of School, and Jason Hayter, our Deputy Head of School, leading the way, these sessions were invaluable in providing practical advice and addressing questions. The events highlighted our unwavering commitment to preparing every Dwight student for the challenges of higher education, ensuring they step into the future with both the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed.

Another moment of pride came when Dwight School Hanoi earned the prestigious green building certification EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), a testament to our dedication to sustainability. This award recognizes our achievements in energy efficiency, water conservation, and reducing the carbon footprint of our materials. With 33% energy savings, 49% water savings, and 32% less embodied carbon in our materials, our school stands as a model of environmental responsibility. This honor resonates deeply with the Dwight mission, reflecting our efforts to cultivate globalminded citizens who strive for academic excellence while making meaningful contributions to the well-being of our planet.

In August, we proudly welcomed our inaugural cohort of teaching faculty to Dwight School Hanoi. Their arrival marked a significant moment as they stepped onto our campus, immediately captivated by its state-of-the-art facilities. Before they began preparing their classrooms, these educators participated in comprehensive orientation workshops, which covered essential topics such as child protection, curriculum training, and cultural immersion. Alongside their professional development, they took time to explore the vibrant city of Hanoi, finding homes and settling into the community they now call their own.

Equally important, our Vietnamese faculty team from across Hanoi has joined forces to develop a program that honors and serves our host country and culture. With a majority Vietnamese National student population, our commitment to ensuring that students attain and maintain fluency in the Vietnamese language is unwavering. The combined enthusiasm and dedication of both our international and local faculty are already paving the way for an inspiring and culturally rich school year ahead.

As we stand on the brink of a new chapter, we remain committed to our mission of providing an exceptional education that ignites the spark of genius in every student, and we look forward to the legacy that our first Dwight School Hanoi students will help us shape.

Shining in QD’s 10th Year

The 2023-24 academic year was unlike any other for Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School (QD). It was a year of remarkable achievements, groundbreaking initiatives, and a continued commitment to igniting our students’ sparks of genius.

UNPRECEDENTED RECOGNITION AND ACCLAIM

QD’s dedication to excellence was resoundingly affirmed in December 2023 with a visit from a team of over 60 education experts and inspectors from the municipal and district levels in Shanghai. This comprehensive end-circle accreditation process resulted in an exceptional outcome – a score of 90 out of 100! This achievement is a testament to the exceptional quality of education offered at QD and the contributions of countless educators, both in Shanghai and throughout the Dwight global network.

In addition to receiving positive feedback from local Shanghai accreditors, we also earned positive recognition from accreditors based in the U.S. This spring, evaluators from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), conducted a virtual review as part of a mid-cycle visit, providing positive feedback as to QD’s educational offerings. These included the well-aligned curriculum, the emphasis on our seven virtues (Tenacity, Respect, Integrity, Cooperation, Creativity, Kindness, Discipline), the responsiveness to student and parent feedback, and the robust elective program. The evaluators especially commended QD’s strong sense of community, fostered by the enthusiasm of students, the unwavering support of parents, and the dedication of the faculty.

GLOBAL-LOCAL EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY

The academic year provided QD the first opportunity since 2019 to once again fully explore learning opportunities beyond Shanghai, and this was evident in the robust programming that we offered. Domestically, we introduced our grade 10 winter trips under the theme of “roots,” with faculty leading all grade 10 students to visit significant sites in seven different locations in China.

Globally, we found new and innovative ways to connect our students to the world, launching an Environmental Studies trip to Borneo, a culture and college trip to the U.S., a service-learning trip to Laos, and many other global engagements. These new initiatives were further enhanced by the opportunities to connect with Dwight classmates from other campuses through the London Choir Festival, the Dwight Global Music Festival held at Dwight Dubai, and the Dwight Global MUN program through Harvard University. All these experiences gave our QD students unique opportunities, from swimming with sea turtles in Malaysia, to meeting and dining with the First Lady of Laos, to collaborating with Dwight peers around the world.

CELEBRATING A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

The academic year culminated in a grand celebration marking QD’s 10th anniversary — a celebration of QD’s unique identity as the first Sino-US approved cooperative high school in China, and the only one in Shanghai. It was a time for reflection on important milestones, and the lessons learned from those milestones, to make a better future. The celebration powerfully highlighted the importance of relationships and collaboration, as our community came together to prepare for this event, from faculty and staff to students and parents, from all departments within the QD community to esteemed guests from the municipal education commission.

A true highlight was hosting 15 different educators from the Dwight global network, including Chancellor Spahn, who flew all the way from New York for the celebrations. We also were incredibly grateful to all the Heads of School whose communities contributed video well-wishes to our community in Shanghai.

2023–24 was a year of challenges met and overcome, and ultimately, a year of immense efforts and rewards. The year’s achievements and recognition are a reflection of the unwavering commitment of the entire QD community — students, faculty, parents, and staff — working together towards a unified vision “to lay a beautiful foundation for life by igniting the spark of genius in every student.”

We look forward to building upon this foundation and embarking on a new chapter of growth and success in the years to come.

Dubai Meets Seoul

Grade 5 students from Dwight Dubai embarked on an enriching adventure as they visited their peers at the Seoul campus in the first week of March 2024. The exchange program marked a significant milestone in grade 5’s educational journey, offering them a unique opportunity to delve deeper into their PYP Exhibition unit of inquiry.

The week-long exchange was designed to foster collaborative learning experiences, cultural immersion, and the forging of new friendships. Grade 5 students from both campuses engaged in a variety of activities aimed at broadening their horizons and deepening their understanding of the world around them.

The students delved deep into the vibrant tapestry of Korean culture, immersing themselves in activities such as crafting Kimchi and Kimbab, engaging in traditional Korean games, and finding serenity through meditation exercises at a Buddhist temple. Additionally, they ventured outdoors into the breathtaking beauty of Bukhansan National Park and further explored research questions at local museums.

For over two decades, fifth grade students from Dwight New York and Dwight London had participated in similar exchange programs. Now, this tradition extended to Dubai and Seoul, nurturing the global perspective of students across all campuses. As we reflect on this enriching experience, we eagerly anticipate the continuation of our exchange program, with grade 5 students from Dwight Seoul visiting the Dubai campus this year.

Second Annual Franklin Showcase

The Franklin Showcase was a feast for the eyes and the mind, bringing the brilliance of Franklin’s high school students to the forefront.

The eloquent students took center stage to welcome the parent community and prospective families into the school. Not only did our students demonstrate their knowledge of transdisciplinary learning, but they were able to clearly articulate the importance of merging different fields

of study, showing how such an approach prepared them to tackle real-world problems with a proactive mindset.

“Transdisciplinary Learning is the idea of breaking down subject areas and showing an interconnected space for our students through curriculum opportunities. The world is an interconnected space. We need students to be able to navigate that space now, but we need them to lead that space in the future,” said our Head of School, William Campbell, as he welcomed our guests to the event.

Guests were invited to make their way through three floors of carefully curated student work, showcasing a bite-sized

piece of our entire curriculum. One of the activities that drew a large crowd was “Studio Franklin,” our podcast studio, where students held intimate conversations with visitors and explained how we utilize digital storytelling and multimedia communication to create a dynamic platform where students can share their work.

Andrew Pierre-Louis ’26 explained, “For our history final, we made a podcast about the subject we were studying. It was a different way of understanding the topic.” Podcasting is a unique way for students to share their ideas and perspectives, fostering a community of shared experiences and diverse viewpoints.

Another highlight was the room dedicated to the Franklin Capstone Project. Capstone is designed to highlight the personal interest areas, skill sets, and knowledge developed throughout a student’s time at Franklin. It encapsulates the integration of acquired knowledge with real-world systems and applications. Some of the capstone projects featured included the development of a glovecontrolled drone, DTC Pharmaceutical Advertising, the evolution of Formula 1 Racing, and the Major League Baseball electronic umpiring system.

Jackson Barnes ’26 explains that he has conducted in-depth research into the prototypes of two potential umpiring systems: “One is a robot that determines if a pitch is a ball or a strike. The other involves a challenge process for replay and review. This keeps the human element while adding strategy, and I want to understand how both impact the game.”

Another popular part of the showcase was our AI Arcade. Students were challenged to recreate a retro video game with a twist — integrating Artificial Intelligence to assist in the coding and development process. The aim was to understand how AI can streamline game development and enhance the creative aspects of coding. With such fun work on display, prospective students spent ample time in the arcade playing our video games.

Ben Gordon ’27 developed a version of Pong, leveraging ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to help with the coding process. He said, “It was interesting because our course developed as technology developed. More advanced AI chatbots were released as we were making our games. So, it made it easier to make our games as the school year went on.”

Groups wandering through the Franklin Art Gallery marveled at the depth of work created. A highlight was the pieces created for a History and Art transdisciplinary project where students were asked to choose a colonialist image or primary source and then create an original artwork that usurped the power dynamics in the image.

Another example of a standout project was the “Ratcore” initiative from Sydney Lambert ’27, which embodied the spirit of innovation that defined the showcase. Sydney repurposed old denim into fashionable clothing, addressing consumerism and the environmental impact of fast fashion. Her commitment to sustainability and ethical practices was evident as she donated all profits from her sales to Fashion Revolution, a charity promoting better practices in the fashion industry.

“If I hadn’t repurposed these jeans, they would have likely ended up in a landfill, while the original owner would continue buying new clothes and repeating this cycle. This project has inspired me to continue creating similar projects,” Sydney explained.

Ultimately, the Franklin Showcase was a deep dive into transdisciplinary learning led by our impressive student cohort. Students engaged deeply with a variety of subjects, producing work that held both personal significance and broader societal impact. Most importantly, the Franklin Showcase fostered deep conversations among students and guests — conversations that we hope will continue and evolve year after year.

Where Education Meets Innovation

Dwight Global Online School educators Elizabeth Hutton, Felicia Chen, and Stephanie Castle were the featured keynote speakers at the 2024 Metaverse and Education conference, held May 7 at New York City’s Lycée Français.

The conference welcomed educators, researchers, and industry professionals to share and discuss the integration of virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) into the education system. Hutton, Dwight Global’s Head of Academic and Student

“ Our classroom objectives remain the same. Even in this VR environment, we strive for communication, kinesthetic learning, immersive experiences, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving.

Elizabeth Hutton, Head of Academics and Student Affairs

Affairs, described the conference as an opportunity to expand the thinking about where and how education occurs, explore partnerships with industry representatives, and showcase VR’s benefits to learning in both the online and physical classroom.

The attendees benefited from our Dwight Global educators’ insight into how they integrated VR into their classrooms — and why.

As Hutton explained, it all started with a glaring need. “As a fully online school, we had to find a way to deliver science labs that were effective, engaging, and advanced learning while simultaneously preparing students for labs in the university setting,” said Hutton.

Enter Chen and Castle, who are both IB science educators. Along with Hutton, they have taught and held leadership roles in various countries. The teachers said they were brought together at Dwight Global by their mutual passion for innovation in education, and the desire to transform the online learning experience of science students, particularly for practical work.

The teachers first created biology VR labs, in partnership with Victory XR, and then chemistry labs and other experiences at Dwight Global. But this truly new experience for students didn’t change core goals.

“Our classroom objectives remain the same,” said Hutton. “Even in this VR environment, we strive for communication, kinesthetic learning, immersive experiences, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving.”

Dwight Global teachers underwent VR training, and protocols were set in place with best practice for onboarding and transition. Systems were also established to maintain a supportive VR online community within the school. The result: students flourishing, collaborating, connecting, and leading in the same space, joining other students from all around the world.

In their keynote presentation at NYC Metaverse, Hutton, Chen, and Castle highlighted how their work is transforming education, and how their experience and expertise is valuable. “This creates a two-way conversation where industries can better align with supporting the needs of the teacher, the students, the classroom, and curriculum standards — and together be at the table of making educational policy decisions,” Hutton said.

Chen explained to attendees that VR is advantageous because it allows students to complete work individually as well as together in class. “VR science labs are efficient, too, speeding up experiences to achieve learning outcomes while still having an awareness about the actual time needed,” she noted.

At the conference, Chen and Castle also led a second presentation session, a comprehensive exploration into the way VR has transformed and fostered practical science skills.

“When students are in the virtual world, they feel as though they are experiencing the investigation as the 3D hand-on practical work it is meant to be,” said Castle. “This provides for an inherently more emotional experience than if they had just seen it as a on their web browser.”

Additionally, it challenges students to think critically about the role of each component in the lab. Said Castle, “Ultimately, it is a creative scientific endeavor in which students seek to answer research questions using the scientific method, and using the equipment available in the Virtual Space — and they have a lot of fun doing it!”

(More information can be found in their 2024 online presentation hosted by Victory XR.)

Dwight Global’s conference team a grees that the best implementation of VR combines the expertise of industry leaders and the pedagogical expertise of teachers in the classroom to collaboratively transform teaching and learning.

“We hope to continue leveraging the benefits of VR to transform the way all subjects are delivered,” Chen said. “We also plan to continue to have conversations between educators and providers so that VR offerings best align with the curriculum and standards.”

“We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what the future has to offer, and together we can make Virtual Reality every child’s reality,” added Castle.

FROM INSPIRATION TO

Dwight Schools Global Sparkathon

During the second annual Dwight Schools Global Sparkathon, 108 keen design students across the Dwight network of schools competed in 36 different teams. This year, Sparkathon was inspired by the Conrad Challenge — with participants designing an innovation that solves an important problem in the categories of Aerospace and Aviation, Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Health and Nutrition. We’re delighted to announce our winning teams!

IMPLEMENTATION

FIRST PLACE:

FRANKLIN SCHOOL

CardiSense by Zdelse

Category: Health and Nutrition

SECOND PLACE:

SHANGHAI QIBAO

DWIGHT HIGH SCHOOL

Micro-Power

Category: Energy and Environment

THIRD PLACE:

DWIGHT SCHOOL SEOUL

Sparkologists

Category: Health and Nutrition

MIDDLE SCHOOL FIRST PLACE:

DWIGHT SCHOOL SEOUL

Magical Potatoes

Category: Health and Nutrition

More than just competing to win, however, Sparkathon participants came together to support and inspire each other.

As Director of Global Spark Programs and Head of Design Lesa Wang said, “Having kids connect on the same four challenges and getting a global perspective on their ideas is truly a unique Dwight experience. Students from our campuses around the globe shared their progress, needs, and goals with each other. Students supported peers at other campuses and helped problem-solve each other’s projects — they love doing research and sharing facts with each other.”

The expansion to four challenge categories in Sparkathon’s second year also garnered more interest. “It was fascinating to see what students chose to tackle,” said Ms. Wang, “complex problems like space debris, wearable tech, and engineering solutions. I also found it amazing that not one student team asked for information on the prize.”

For a complete list of our Dwight New York teams’ projects and participants, head to the News section of our website.

The incredible hard work, creativity, and collaboration of our students make the world a better place, and for that, we applaud them!

Please join us in congratulating ALL of the participants and winners!

Through innovative projects ignited by the annual Sparkathon and fueled by Spark Tank, Chinmay harnessed engineering skills at Dwight to make a difference in sustainable farming.

Chinmay’s educational path before Dwight criss-crossed multiple countries, beginning in Bangalore, India, where he was born. In 2010, he and his parents moved to New York, living there until 2013 before relocating to Sri Lanka. In 2016, they moved to Ivory Coast in West Africa. In 2018, they returned to India. Finally, in September 2020, they came back to New York, where Chinmay would discover Dwight — and the Sparkathon.

“During Sparkathon, my friends and I were trying to eliminate microplastics from waterways,” said Chinmay. “We did come up with a small-scale solution, and we wanted to continue that work. That really brought us all together to start the Environmental Engineering Club at Dwight,” said Chinmay.

He was drawn to environmental engineering in part by the early projects he did at Dwight, when he designed a prototype of a futuristic car. “It was a remote control model which I basically made out of sustainable material like wood,” Chinmay explained. He also experimented with a turbine to generate electricity from wastewater, demonstrating his commitment to sustainability.

More importantly, Chinmay had seen the direct impact of climate change first-hand on his family’s farms in India. “Whenever I go back to India, to stay on the farm on either my mom’s side or dad’s side, I realize that there’s so much impact from climate change and

global warming — impacting rain patterns, irrigation, or climate as a whole,” Chinmay said.

While this reality disappointed Chinmay, it inspired him to use engineering to find solutions for tackling these types of issues, as is seen with the remarkable project taken on by the members of the Club — Chinmay, JJ Platt ’24, and Peakay Clifford ’24 — who created a cutting-edge hydroponic garden built from mycelium, a fungi-based material renowned for its durability and ecofriendliness. Their passion led them to apply for, and receive, a Spark Tank grant to boost their work.

In addition to the Environmental Engineering Club and his studies, much of Chinmay’s time at Dwight was focused on swimming. He joined Dwight’s swim team in his junior year and eventually became the team captain. Under his leadership, the team won the ISAL and ACIS championships.

“The swim team has been probably one of the most fun parts of being at Dwight. And I think that’s one passion I was able to really develop over the years,” Chinmay remarked.

In addition to his passion for swimming and engineering, Chinmay has a keen interest in economics.

“Mr. [Jorge] Ruel has really developed my interest in economics over the past two years,” said Chinmay, “and in the fall this year at college, I’m most likely going to do mechanical engineering and economics.”

Reflecting on his time at Dwight, Chinmay appreciates the opportunities he was given and our community’s support. And he reflects on some of the harder lessons learned from the Environmental Engineering Club — the ones that will fuel his college journey.

“In the end, the mycelium did not grow as fast as we wanted it to,” Chinmay stated. “And as a result, we couldn’t fully finish constructing the hydroponic garden. We realized that there are challenges which come when implementing engineering solutions. It was a big lesson.”

So, as he starts his college career at Purdue University this year, he plans to continue exploring sustainable engineering solutions and contributing to environmental conservation, embodying the innovative and resilient spirit fostered at Dwight.

“ During Sparkathon, my friends and I were trying to eliminate microplastics from waterways. We did come up with a small-scale solution, and we wanted to continue that work. That really brought us all together to start the Environmental Engineering Club at Dwight.”

—Chinmay Ravindra ’24

SparkTank

Founded in 2015, Spark Tank was fueled by the belief that young people shouldn’t have to wait to realize the dream of starting their own enterprise. Our School was distinguished as one of the first to empower K-12 students to embark on exciting journeys to develop something of their own imagination and bring it to market.

Since its founding, and thanks to funding from The Dwight School Foundation, over 150 project presentations have been given. Oftentimes, students develop projects inspired by their own passions, or to solve real-world problems. All learn how they can make an impact, and build a better world through entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.

In addition to gaining entrepreneurial skills, students receive validation for their initiative, develop their own voice, build confidence, and forge relationships with mentors, crafting lifelong skills. Some of these mentors are members of The Dwight School Foundation’s Spark Tank Committee — industry experts and entrepreneurs in our parent and alumni community, who provide feedback and guidance to students as they develop and pitch their ideas through Spark Tank events every trimester.

Recently, Spark Tank has seen an increase in serviceoriented projects, benefiting a wide range of causes, from supporting underdeveloped arts programs in public schools and sending supplies to schools in Ghana to providing basics to those in need.

Read more about the work of The Dwight School Foundation, and the donors and volunteers who make that work possible, in the 2023–24 Annual Report, found at the end of this issue of Dwight Today

All Dwight’s a Stage

STUDENTS OF ALL AGES SHARED THEIR SPARKS IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

From concerts and conservatory recitals on campus, to a Winter Concert at Symphony Space on Broadway, to our Global Concert held in Dubai, our Lions made beautiful music together.

Our Lions took us to worlds both real and fantastical with their theater performances and Scene Nights this year. A few highlights:

Fifth graders adapted, designed, rehearsed, and performed their drama class play, The True Tale of the Big Bad Wolf, for their reading buddies at our 94th Street Campus.

Middle School students took us down the rabbit hole with their production of Alice in Wonderland.

Upper School students performed in Present Laughter by Noël Coward in the fall, and dazzled with their spring musical production, Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim.

“ When I first showed Mr. Ferrari and the other music teachers this rap I was working on they were like, you’ve got to put this on the record label! And I was so honored to do that. Just hearing the word ‘record label’ in terms of my music has been something I’ve been dreaming to hear.”

—Zachary Gindi-Chiafullo ’24

566 Records Opens Its Doors to Dwight Music Fans

After a year of intense recording, production, and distribution through Dwight’s student-run record label, 566 Records, new music was shared in-studio. Community members enjoyed fantastic works ranging from originals to covers, Hip Hop to Experimental, and everything in between — while new productions were just getting started, live, in the recording booth.

Mac Gleason ’25 shared her take on the Beatles classic, “Blackbird.” Willem Kraaijeveld ’27 unveiled an original Jazz/Funk composition made in class, “Shaker.” Max Greenberg ’26 shared an original demo he made at 566 Records, along with a professional version he made at an outside studio, of “That’s the Key.” Svetlana Stephanopoulos ’27 and Andrey Zubov ’27 were hard at work, live-in-studio during the event, on another Beatles piece, “Golden Slumbers.” Jamie Knox ’25 and Gus Pallad ’26, 566 musicians who also helped organize the event, welcomed guests.

Featured Artist Zachary Gindi-Chiafullo ’24, who shared his latest Hip Hop track, “This Is It,” complete with a music video, spoke of the excitement of having a record label at Dwight.

“When I first showed Mr. Ferrari and the other music teachers this rap I was working on,” Zach said, “they were like, you’ve got to put this on the record label! And I was so honored to do that. Just hearing the word ‘record label’ in terms of my music has been something I’ve been dreaming to hear.”

Learn more about 566 Records, and hear music from even more artists not featured at the Open House

Zoe Samton ’24 Discovered Her Filmmaking Passion

Zoe shares how her love for film, debate, and more blossomed at Dwight, fueled by the school’s international community of classmates and teachers.

Driven by creativity and a love for her work, Zoe’s approach as a filmmaker is deeply rooted in exploring emotions through visual storytelling. These skills were on full display during her final project at Dwight — Zoe’s film about saying goodbye left a lasting impact on viewers during the IB DP Film Showcase, powerfully stirring genuine emotions in her audience.

“Seeing how the emotion that I wanted to provoke was provoked in people I don’t know, by people whose kids I don’t know at all, that was definitely my biggest accomplishment at Dwight,” said Zoe.

It was a truly poignant moment for Zoe, who had built up her filmmaking skills — along with debate, Model UN, and basketball — since coming to Dwight in grade 9. These passions were all amplified by the supportive community of Dwight’s students and teachers. The school’s international perspective also enriched

her understanding of storytelling, allowing her to see the world through diverse lenses.

Zoe’s journey into filmmaking began when, after taking two years of Digital Media, Film Teacher Kevin Rosenberg suggested she take HL Film in grade 11. This simple suggestion was the spark for fueling her transformation into an emotionally moving filmmaker. Her final bow at the Showcase marked the culmination of her remarkable journey — writing, shooting, directing, and editing her own films.

“I really like to use filmmaking as a craft,” Zoe said, “to really look at the cinematography and mise-en-scéne of a film. And that’s everything you see on screen. It’s the colors used in the background that help portray a character’s feelings.”

Zoe’s film craft was significantly influenced by Mr. Rosenberg. He created a space where she could freely express her love for film, offering an open and supportive classroom environment that truly fueled her passion.

“Teaching Zoe for the last four years has been incredibly rewarding.” Mr. Rosenberg emphasized. “Her filmic literacy grew remarkably, influenced by the French New Wave and auteurs like Coppola and Linklater, leading her to develop a distinctive style that beautifully integrates still photography.”

Just as she fell into filmmaking, Zoe was introduced to debate by her Dwight friends and teachers. Though she joined hesitantly, she eventually progressed to leading as the debate captain.

“If you ask any of my teachers or friends, they’ll all say I’m very argumentative, and I like to talk a lot. But, I was unsure about joining debate at first.” Zoe acknowledged. “But our coach, Mr. [Shane] Hansen, convinced me in junior year. I instantly fell in love with it and wished I’d joined in freshman year!”

After being inspired by her supportive Dwight community, she then formed a supportive community of her own around debate, even renaming it “Debate Club” to foster a more inclusive atmosphere. The fiery debates in which Zoe partook garnered great appreciation from her peers — made even more special by taking first place at the East Coast High Schools Public Debate Program’s Second Meet last year with her debate partner and friend, Kumayl Badami ’24.

“I love being able to have those ‘gotcha’ moments with my friend, Kumail, then going up to the stand and knowing that I’m tearing down my opponent. When we were given the trophy for the number one team….I really loved that moment.” said Zoe.

Whether winning in debate or basketball, or crafting emotionally driven films, Zoe spent four extremely fulfilling years at Dwight. But her greatest fulfillment came from the unwavering support she was given for all her pursuits from her teachers, including her Quest teacher, Amanda Katagiri.

“Ms. Katagiri has helped me so much,” said Zoe. “Balancing being debate captain and then all the other extracurriculars I do with my IB classes was so hard. But, having that extra support and also having such an amazing Quest teacher like Ms. Katagiri has really helped.”

Now, Zoe’s experiences at Dwight have prepared her for her next chapter at Brandeis University, where she plans to major in film and minor in international relations — a passion that sprang from being part of the international community at Dwight and developing a knack for global politics here, through Model UN.

Looking ahead as a filmmaker, Zoe envisions creating characterdriven, coming-of-age films that resonate with young audiences. Specifically, she aims to portray girls’ experiences authentically and relatably. Her vision reflects her commitment to storytelling that transcends boundaries and inspires meaningful connections.

“It is bittersweet to see Zoe graduate,” said Mr. Rosenberg. “Her progress has been remarkable, and I will miss her energy and enthusiasm. I am thrilled she has found a genuine passion for film and hope she’ll stay in touch with the Dwight community.”

As she embarks on new adventures, her creative spirit and determination are sure to leave a lasting legacy of cinema for audiences around the world.

Nick Shafir ’11: From Quest to the Big Screen

Lessons learned and connections made at Dwight School fueled Nick Shafir’s journey to the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his action-packed film, I.S.S.

“It played so well at Tribeca,” said Nick. “It was supernatural. I was very happy that the movie got a great reaction.”

Nick had spent years as a screenwriter, pitching script after script, until finally, an idea he randomly had on a flight to Los Angeles came to life on one of the most important screens in the country. Nick’s script is a classic sci-fi thriller set

THE ARTS AT DWIGHT

on the International Space Station. The action follows what happens to a Russian and American crew when nuclear war breaks out on Earth between the two superpowers.

As the applause roared through the Tribeca Film Festival theater, Nick knew I.S.S. was a success. Seeing his creation come to life also cemented his belief in the potential of screenwriting as a full-time career — a journey that started at Dwight, though he didn’t know it at the time.

Nick started in Dwight’s Quest program in grade 9, and immediately began to form a connection with his Quest Teacher, Josh Kigel. Mr Kigel played a pivotal role in helping Nick with his dyslexia, but more importantly, provided the essential guidance that allowed Nick to flourish at Dwight and, after Dwight, as a screenwriter.

Mr. Kigel used Nick’s interests, including his interest in movies, to encourage reading, which made a profound impact. “I read the screen adaptation of 30 Days of Night with him — a horror movie with Josh Hartnett about vampires that invade a town in Alaska. I used the thing that he was interested in to get him to read and that motivated him,” Mr. Kigel said.

Feeling comfortable with Mr. Kigel in the Quest Program helped Nick flourish as a creative individual who experimented with different pursuits. This included being a member of the jazz ensemble and leading a band with fellow kids from Dwight. Creating video projects and reading books like Frankenstein and The Odyssey would prove to be the groundwork for his script writing. But when he left Dwight, he didn’t have visions of becoming a Hollywood scriptwriter in his head.

“I always thought I would be a rock star!” Nick said.

After graduating from Dwight, Nick attended Skidmore College and majored in American Studies, though continued to fall in love with filmmaking. After graduating, he decided to give the film and television industry a try, starting as a production assistant. From there, he became more interested in the writing side of the industry, working as an intern in the Blue Bloods writing room, writing for a production and IP creation company, and more, while developing his ideas on the side.

He started writing scripts that went nowhere, but then, on a flight to yet another general meeting, inspiration struck.

“It was February 2020, and I was flying to Los Angeles for a meeting,” said Nick. “On my flight, I watched a Discovery Channeltype documentary about astronauts on the I.S.S., and it gave me the idea.”

His pitch was a hit, and before he knew it, the script was approved, picked up by LD Entertainment, and connected with noted director, Gabriela Cowperthwait. The next thing he knew, Nick was on set, watching the actors run through his script.

“It was truly unbelievable!” Nick said. “Seeing the actors use the harnesses while delivering the lines I wrote for them was like an out-of-body experience.”

So, in the end, Nick did become a rock star of sorts — a rock star scriptwriter whose most recent script found Hollywood success. After premiering at Tribeca, the movie was distributed nationwide by Bleecker Street in January 2024, showing in over 2,500 screens nationwide.

Nick remains humble after his most recent success. He knows that the industry is feast or famine for screenwriters. However, his recent move to Los Angeles certainly indicates that things are moving in the right direction.

No matter what happens, he will continue to be supported by his former teacher, Mr. Kigel — whom he still speaks with regularly — and fueled by what he learned through the Quest Program.

We wish him the best of luck!

IB DP Film Showcase

The 2023–24 IB DP FIlm Showcase featured twenty short films, each directed and produced over the school year by the grades 11 and 12 students in the DP Film program.

The two year-course, which challenges students to take creative risks through visual storytelling, required students to complete a number of film projects. Along the way, they wrote in-depth analysis, studied a range of cinematic genres and movements, and learned how to watch movies differently than ever before.

“The students that made these films have inspired me with their creativity and ambition,” said IB Film & Media Teacher Kevin Rosenberg, “and I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them.”

The night was also a celebration of the three seniors who would soon be ending their time at both the DP Film Program and Dwight. Harrison Klein, Greta Irico, and Zoe Samton shined in their last turn in the Dwight film spotlight.

You can also learn more about Greta’s filmmaking journey in this video.

As part of IB DP Visual Arts program, grade 12 students take a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the fall to conduct primary research, as they prepare to compare their art-making process to works by the Masters.

A Gallery of Senior Sparks

As juniors and seniors, students embark on two years of artistic inquiry within the IB DP Visual Arts program. Grade 12 studentartists take the spotlight at the Senior Art Exhibition as the culmination of their studies — where they present a curated, thematically cohesive showcase, including explanations and descriptions of their artworks.

Ellen Sayers, Dwight’s Head of Visual Arts, reflects on all the work that goes into the Senior Arts Exhibition, and the end result. “Students start with a love for art and gradually add artistic experience, research, reflection, and time — lots of time!” Says Ms. Sayers, “The Senior Art Exhibition features artwork that shows the most vulnerable, smart, and creative expressions that are a true mirror of the times we live in.”

It’s a moment for our Lions’ creative pride to truly shine as they interact with viewers and reflect on their work.

Once a Lion, Always a Lion

ALUMNI SHARE INSIGHTS WITH STUDENTS

COLLEGE ALUMNI REFLECTIONS ON LIFE POST-DWIGHT

During the 2023–24 school year, we were delighted to welcome back some of our Dwight alumni from the classes of 2023 and 2022 to speak with current tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students about their collegiate life thus far and how Dwight prepared them for their newest journey.

During their panel discussion, geared towards seniors, alumni Em Brandon ’23, Xuan Stabb ’23, Kyra Spahn ’23, Giulia Alberti ’22, and Max Barber ’23 opened up about their transition from the start of their senior year at Dwight to college, discussed the importance of extracurriculars both now and in college, provided advice and well wishes to their peers for the last months of high school, shared anecdotes on their decision-making processes when it came to finding their new academic home, and more.

Our seniors also asked insightful questions along the way — focusing on how to make the best decisions for their future and how to best prepare as they embarked on a new journey, collegebound and beyond.

QUEST ALUMNI SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES

In addition to our senior-focused Alumni Panel, our Quest faculty also invited Dwight alumni formerly enrolled in the Quest Learning Center to speak to currently enrolled tenth and eleventh grade students on the difference that Quest has made in their lives after graduation.

The Quest Learning Center offers learning support evolved from Oxford University’s tutorial mentorship model. Quest uses research-based special education pedagogy to provide one-on-one academic and organizational training to all types

of learners. With that in mind, our current Quest students were especially excited to learn more about how the alumni approached both course selection and the college search — something that is top of mind for many of them at this stage in their academic journey. Additionally, the alumni provided insight into their current college experience and reflected on their time at Dwight, how the School prepared them for their newest adventures, and encouraged their peers to be true to themselves throughout the application process.

INDUSTRY LEADERS VISIT THE DWIGHT SCHOOL COMMUNITY

The Dwight School Foundation, in partnership with our Alumni Women’s Circle and Dwight’s student Feminist Club, recently hosted a panel discussion with female industry leaders from our parent and alumni community.

Natalie Fear ’24 and Moira Price, Foundation Director, moderated this discussion with panelists Colleen Barry ’99, Stephanie Nilva,

Esq. ’84, Dr. Reyna Payero, and Laura H. Posner, who have exceptional expertise in the arts, healthcare, law, and not-for-profit industries. During the panel, our guests shared great insights into their personal and professional lives, emphasized the importance of finding mentors and mentees, discussed strategies for navigating gender-related obstacles, and more.

Natalie, the student moderator and co-president of the Feminist Club, wrote a nice thank you note that sums up the impact the event had on attendees:

“Thank you again for the amazing opportunity to speak with you and learn about your incredible accomplishments. I am grateful to be surrounded and encouraged by such powerful women. I think I speak for all young women at Dwight when I say your stories and experiences give us hope.”

All in all, our alumni were thrilled to come back, connect with their peers, and relay some of their wisdom to those who will follow in their footsteps. Thank you to all the alumni who joined us for these exceptionally informative panels.

Dwight’s 13-Year Club Welcomes New Members!

Five students among the Class of 2024 have been part of our community since kindergarten or earlier, and are now members of what we affectionately call our 13-Year Club: Mia Abramson, Lilliana Dellin, Tabitha Hill, Lucien Kearsley, and Fernanda Roblesgil. Mia, Lilliana, and Tabitha have been at Dwight since the preschool 2s program!

These “Dwight lifers” have shared a history as long-standing classmates, and before they embark down their own paths, we asked them a few questions to catch a glimpse of their unique interests and Dwight experiences. Here’s what some of them had to say:

What is your spark of genius?

My sparks of genius are psychology and sports.

How has Dwight fostered your spark?

Dwight has allowed me to explore my sparks in and out of the classroom. I chose to take an IB psychology class, knowing that it would be difficult, but not knowing that I would fall in love with the subject. My teacher and classmates have fueled my interest and passion for psychology. I am now excited to study it in college.

In addition to psychology, Dwight has allowed me to further my passions for both soccer and basketball. I have participated in both Varsity Basketball and Soccer for three years, which I can confidently say have been the best years of school. Being on these teams allowed me to learn about leadership and commitment. My coaches and teammates are some of the greatest people

I know, and I am so glad that I was able to have interacted with them at all levels.

What is your favorite Dwight memory or what have you enjoyed most?

My favorite memory at Dwight has to be this year when the Girls Varsity Soccer team won the ISAL League Championship. The team, which I was lucky enough to have captained, worked so hard to earn this achievement, and I will never forget it.

What college will you attend next year?

Colgate University

What might you major in — and possibly consider as a career? I plan to major in psychology, but am excited to explore other subjects in college.

What is your spark of genius?

Singing

How has Dwight fostered your spark?

I’ve been participating in Dwight’s Global Concerts since Middle School. This has helped me collaborate and perform with school peers while also having a chance to meet other students from other Dwight campuses (Dubai, London, Seoul, Shanghai, and Global Online).

What is your favorite Dwight memory or what have you enjoyed most?

I’ve enjoyed taking Conservatory lessons for singing throughout high school — they’ve given me the opportunity to grow as a singer and performer.

What college will you attend next year?

Marist College

What might you major in — and possibly consider as a career?

Undecided

What is your spark of genius?

My spark of genius is helping people.

How has Dwight fostered your spark?

Dwight has provided me with endless opportunities to not only become a better person, but also use my skills to help others. From helping my peers in class, being a welcome buddy to new students, and working with young campers at the Dwight Summer Day Camp, Dwight has helped me grow as a person.

What is your favorite Dwight memory or what have you enjoyed most?

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific memory, but I think my favorite thing about being a Dwight student has been the people I’ve met along the way. On top of the amazing friendships that I’ve made that I will cherish for the rest of my life, I have also met some incredible teachers who I consider to be my mentors.

What college will you attend next year?

Trinity College (CT)

What might you major in — and possibly consider as a career?

I’ve always been interested in sociology, specifically the criminal aspects of it, and am considering doing a mix of sociology, political science, and public policy and law studies.

What is your spark of genius?

My spark of genius is understanding how things work.

How has Dwight fostered your spark?

Dwight has fostered my spark by allowing me to challenge myself, and in return, I have been able to learn things and do things that I didn’t otherwise think I would be able to do.

What is your favorite Dwight memory or what have you enjoyed most?

My favorite Dwight memory was doing my Internal Assessments (IAs) in my higher level classes. They allowed me to learn complex subjects with a hands-on aspect, and I really felt that this furthered not only my interest in each subject, but my passion as well.

What college will you attend next year?

Northeastern University

What might you major in — and possibly consider as a career?

I am planning on majoring in mechanical engineering.

“ Now is your time to seize the moment as imaginative leaders of a new global era of faith, hope, and opportunity. The challenge is to spark peace, progress, and prosperity for the world and everything in it.”

—Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn

Graduation Sends Our Newest Alumni Off Into Their Futures

Congratulations to our newest alumni on their recent graduation! With the stunning Riverside Church as the setting, 84 members of the Class of 2024 turned their tassels from right to left, marking their final milestone together as Dwight Lions.

Before doing so, the pomp, circumstance, and emotion was enjoyed by students and their families and friends alike, with stirring speeches, over two dozen awards, and a stunning performance of “Astonishing” from the musical Little Women by graduate Brooke Radosevich.

Head of School and Global Education Director Dianne Drew opened the ceremony with inspiring words about what our graduates accomplished, but also what she knows they will continue to accomplish. “It cannot be underestimated,” she proclaimed, “the sense of hope we have for your generation to help inspire and direct future innovations, opportunities, and decisions that shape our world.”

Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn echoed the anticipated global impact of our graduates in his address: “Now is your time to seize the moment as imaginative leaders of a new global era of faith, hope, and opportunity. The challenge is to spark peace, progress, and prosperity for the world and everything in it.”

Maria Ribeiro, in her Salutatory Address, spoke of what brought the Class of 2024 together before contemplating what will be missed as they move apart towards their individual futures, and thanked all who had helped the Class along their way. Valedictorian Guilherme Sequeira recounted his transformative time at Dwight, from arriving as a native Portuguese speaker from Brazil, knowing very little about the language and culture, to standing before the graduates at the top of the class, highlighting Dwight’s strong community and all who had made his — and everyone’s — transformation possible.

Congratulations to each and every graduate, and may your sparks continue to fly high!

Opening Doors for Dwight Students

DWIGHT’S INTERNSHIP AND SHADOWING PROGRAM

The Dwight Internship and Shadowing Program offers our Upper School students valuable career experience through our Dwight parents and alumni. Over the last few years, a handful of our alumni generously came forward to host our students with both short-term shadow experiences and full summer opportunities.

Before Internship Coordinator Shauna Fitzmahan started the program, she taught History and Theory of Knowledge for over a decade at Dwight. When her former student, Faiez Ahmed ’13, reached out to say he wanted to offer our students a shadowing experience at Merrill Lynch, she was thrilled.

Faiez is a Vice President, Financial Advisor, and Senior Portfolio Adviser at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, whose practice focuses on investment management, tax mitigation strategies, financial planning, and estate planning. He designed a fascinating

If you’re interested in hosting an internship or shadow opportunity, please email Internship Coordinator Shauna Fitzmahan at sfitzmahan@dwight.edu.

day for 25 students from Dwight New York and Global Online, where they learned about wealth management and ended the day touring the Trading Floor.

“My own journey started with a shadowing experience at Credit Suisse through Dwight’s program,” said Faiez. “I wanted to offer Dwight students a similar opportunity to explore the finance world and discover their own talents. Through this program, I aim to give students a hands-on, immersive experience that could ignite their own interests and passions, just as mine was ignited years ago.”

Other alumni have hosted students in a diverse range of fields. For instance, Dr. Bruce Blau ’76 has welcomed students to intern in his dental practice, providing insights into the medical field. And last summer, Oliver Zabar ’09 joined the group of host alumni by offering a summer internship at the ice cream shop, Glace, teaching our students about a career in hospitality.

We want to thank our alumni for offering these invaluable experiences to our students. Bringing these young people into high-profile working environments helps them network and develop their career paths. Ms. Fitzmahan encourages more alumni to become hosts. She said, “The generosity of our alumni intern hosts makes a lasting impact, providing invaluable experience and mentorship to our students. We hope more alumni will open their doors to help shape the next generation of leaders.”

Kozo Hayase ’72 Looks Back at the Trail He Blazed

After a formative year at Dwight, Kozo went on to work in the Japanese banking industry for two decades before opening his own businesses in Japan and Vietnam.

Kozo Hayase’s father worked for a Japanese trading company, which brough Kozo all over the world as a child. He got to experience many different cultures — an enriching experience that wasn’t without its negatives. “I was always

playing catch up,” said Kozo, “learning new languages, changing schools, making new friends, and adapting to different cultures.”

After spending most of his early childhood in Hamburg and Buenos Aires, Kozo did most of his studying in his homeland of Japan. Before his final year of high school, his family was called to America. But finding a school was hard, as very few were willing to take a foreigner with very little English language knowledge. Then, a connection was made.

“An assistant to my father found out about Dwight,” said Kozo, “and Dwight accepted me with an interview. If my memory serves me correctly, that was the first time I met Mr. Spahn.”

Chancellor Spahn found a spark in Kozo that other schools had clearly missed. And, as expected, once he started at Dwight, with the support of the Dwight community, he shined.

“At Dwight,” said Kozo, “The teachers and students alike were kind and always eager to extend a helping hand. Mr. Engles, who looked after me at Dwight, had a great impact on me as a role model. He used to be an executive of a large corporation before coming to Dwight, and I was fascinated by the fact a businessman would become an educator. I always admired his manner of respecting each student. It was an eye-opener. I benefited tremendously from his kind and right-tothe-point advice.”

Kozo graduated from Dwight in 1972, but chose to return to Japan for another year of study in order to attend a Japanese University, an all but required step for Kozo to enter his intended industry — Japanese banking — in the early ’70s. A year later, he graduated from Rokko Gakuin School. But, when he applied (and was accepted) to Hitotsubashi University, he was also greatly helped by one key thing he learned to master at Dwight: writing.

Said Kozo, “Since we hardly had any classes that taught logical writing skills in Japan, the experience at Dwight gave me a basis on which to build upon. In fact, thanks to Dwight, I felt very good after finishing writing an essay for the entrance examination at Hitotsubashi University, one of the very few universities that required an essay. Later, business plans that I have written opened a path for exciting ventures. In this regard, Dwight prepared me with one of the decisive elements of my career.”

His first job after university was with the Bank of Tokyo. But, early on in his career, he felt an urge to start up his own business — though he couldn’t decide what. Eventually, at the age of 45, he left the bank to start a private equity fund management company.

“I spent seven grueling years finding investment opportunities in the nascent market,” said Kozo, “making investments and eventually exiting. I was glad that we made prudent investment decisions and returned money with profit, albeit small. Exciting and challenging as it was, though, I realized that this business was not for me.”

He moved on to become a consultant for a number of years before landing at a small Japanese accounting firm. There, he had another opportunity to create his own business, using what he had learned with his first startup. When the accounting firm was looking to expand internationally, they tapped Kozo to handle the expansion. Kozo chose Vietnam as the country they would target for the expansion — an untested market which wasn’t many people’s first choice. But Kozo persisted.

“After on-the-ground and first-hand research gave me sufficient confidence in the potential,” said Kozo, “there was the implementation phase of putting the various practical parts together into a coherent operational company. I was not an accountant myself, but knew a lot about the business that accounting firms were engaged in as a user of such services, and I used that experience to the advantage in spearheading the effort of getting clients and diversifying the business portfolio.”

His final role was at a pharmaceutical company, where he oversaw accounting, tax, business planning, human resources, legal affairs, system, set up of overseas operation, and secretariat of executive and board meetings. It was a role he would keep until retiring in February of 2024.

Looking back on his storied career, Kozo wonders if his “spark of genius” might be his ability to try new things, despite the risk it had on his career. “Because of this,” said Kozo, “coupled with an aversion for other people dictating how I should lead my life, I have made all the career change decisions on my own.”

Not that Kozo moved forward without gathering the proper knowledge — another spark of genius. “I studied more in my career than in the days of cramming in high school or at the university,” Kozo said, “relearning what I had already learned and learning new things. What is more, I have come to enjoy learning and my interest is broadening.”

Now, Kozo is looking forward to spending time on what he hasn’t been able to in the past: calligraphy, reading (specifically reading unrelated to work or business!), visiting museums, traveling more often, or simply walking in the woods with his dog and visiting with his 100-year-old father.

The itch to launch another new business still remains, with Kozo contemplating possibilities in the AI field. But, mostly, he looks forward to paying what he’s learned forward.

“I have been fortunate enough to have had people who have supported me in various ways simply out of goodwill,” said Kozo. “I am very grateful to them and I think it’s my turn to give whatever little I can to help younger people grow. My encounter with the people that helped me was by chance, and I am hoping that I have my chance of helping younger people in the ordinary course of life.”

He’s already paying it forward with this bit of sage advice to today’s Dwight students: “Truth lies behind all the things one sees and hears. Listen to as many people as you can, but, at the end of the day, you judge what the truth is. Think hard, let your thoughts settle overnight, and think fresh again.”

We wish Kozo the best of luck in his retirement…or in whatever business he might start up next!

Members of the Class of 1979 (Franklin)

2024 Class Notes

Malcolm Spaull ’65 (Franklin)

“I’m retired after 40 years in Higher Ed as a professor and school director. Filmmaking is my art and passion. My wife of 52 years, Elaine, is a lawyer and Executive Director of a large non-profit agency serving greater Rochester, NY. We have two children with three grandchildren…and counting. I remember my high school days fondly with some good friends and several dedicated teachers — Mr. Stevens in particular. The good ones made me interested in teaching and helped me see it as a noble profession. For that, I’m grateful.”

Debbie Blackmore Johnson ’68

“I went to Dwight School the first year that it was coed. I’m retired from teaching now. I’ve been living in Barrington, IL, since 1990.”

Paula Oppenheim Cope ’71

“I’m taking the slow exit off the retirement ramp. I’m still loving Vermont. Tim and I see Lynn and Marc Lobell (Dwight ’71) as often as possible when in New York City. I’m sorry to have missed our 50th gathering.”

Steve Schechter ’71 (Franklin)

“After 25 years in Asia, I am currently living in Austin, TX, where I’m working on the software platform for Volkswagen’s next generation of electric cars and coordinating the rollout to China. I’m enjoying being back here more than I expected, but I still think of Hong Kong and the Philippines as my permanent homes.”

Nancy Gershman ’74 (Franklin)

“At 66, I became an integrative, clinical psychotherapist. This comes full circle from believing I was destined to become a playwright based on what I wrote in Dr. Hanlon’s AP English class. Instead of solo-writing, I now co-create scripts with clients — from Even Though/I Choose to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) scripts to elevator speeches.”

Gus Mininberg ’78

With his company, High Voltage Electric Service, Inc., acquired by RESA Power in August 2024, owner and President Gus Minniberg looks forward to a well-earned retirement after 34 years with the company.

ALUMNI UPDATES

Christopher Rowe ’79 (Franklin)

“I have one year and two months until retirement, after almost 30 years of both military and government service. I much preferred the military service part of things, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Zohar (Zami) Wilson ’83 (Anglo)

Zohar lives in Israel. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, he has been on a mission “as a human and psychotherapist” to support the healing process of those who were affected by the attack. After the attacks, he volunteered in the hospital in Ashkelon, where most of the wounded were brought. He also helped support the survivors of the Nova party at The Secret Forest wellness center in Cyprus, which offered healing retreats to survivors. He also facilitated a group of bereaved parents there. He then flew to Panama to lead a healing retreat for soldiers who were in battle, organized and hosted by the community in Playa Venao, Panama.

“The healing process continues and will take years,” says Zohar. “A lot of our effort is to prevent trauma from developing into post-trauma. I wish for all of us humans around the world to be happy and free from wars and to thrive in peace.”

Manal Ashmawy ’84 (Anglo)

“I extend my sincere gratitude to Anglo-American School for the exceptional education I received. As a proud alumnus celebrating my 40th year, I’ve spent the past 37 years fulfilling my passion for teaching. My love for education is undoubtedly rooted in the

solid foundation I gained at Anglo. The joy of raising a 27-year-old daughter is a highlight, but reconnecting with classmates through Facebook and other social media platforms is truly special. The bonds forged in youth endure forever. Thank you, Anglo!”

Jonathan Blyth ’85

Commander Jonathan Blyth, United States Navy Reserve, assumed the position as the Deputy Director for Public Affairs for the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Cmdr. Blyth, a veteran of Afghanistan, will lead a joint public affairs team of over 70 individuals to document the military’s support for the swearing-in of the 47th Commander in Chief. The U.S. military has participated in this important American tradition since April 30, 1789, when members of the U.S. Army, local militia units, and Revolutionary War veterans escorted George Washington to his first inauguration ceremony at Federal Hall in New York City.

Doug Davis ’90

In February 2023, Doug won his fourth Grammy Award for producing Fandango at the Wall in New York by Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, which won for Best Latin Jazz Album. In June 2024, Doug won two Emmy Awards, for producing “Town of Heroes,” in which Trace Adkins chronicled the devastating effects of the 2021 Kentucky tornadoes on his hometown. Doug’s second win was for Best Composition for “Nueva Bossa Nova.” Additionally, in the past year, Doug proudly was elected to, and began serving on, the Board of Directors of UJA-Federation of New York.

Matt McQuire ’90

“After 20 years as a Special Educator with elementary- and preschool-aged children from the Bronx to New Paltz, I switched over to residential real estate in Westchester after back problems made working with young children impossible. I now live with my family in Croton-on-Hudson, and use my experience living all over the Hudson Valley to help people buy, rent, or sell homes from Manhattan to Poughkeepsie.”

Elexis Pearls ’22

“During my senior year at Dwight, I had the opportunity to be a part of Dwight’s first internship opportunity with Tiffany & Co. at their corporate headquarters in Manhattan; I had such a great experience. I learned so much about the brand’s history and new brand strategy. Following the program, I reached out to the head of Global Talent Acquisition, and, following a few interviews, I was hired at the Flagship location as a Brand Ambassador. A few months later, I was promoted to a coordinator position on the client experience team. In that role, I facilitated appointments for some of their top clients and celebrities. Being a part of the Tiffany team was a truly life-changing experience and has allowed me to discover my passion for relationship building and sales. Since working for the luxury brand, I’ve taken the same passion and now apply it as a realtor for The Jill Biggs Group at Coldwell Banker in Hoboken, NJ. I feel like I’ve truly found my calling and couldn’t be more excited to be part of the top-producing real estate team in Hudson County.”

Jacobo Bustos ’23

“I’m currently in my second year at NYU Stern and in the process of recruiting for Real Estate Private Equity and Banking on Wall Street!”

Ava Godbout-Moser ’23 (DGO)

“I’m currently a second-year Business Economics student at UCLA, and I’m planning on adding Communications as a double-major. I’m very excited to announce that, this quarter, I’ve been conducting research with a group of my peers on the social acceptability of varying degrees of communication in different public settings. Our goal is to find the breaking point where bystanders react either non-verbally or verbally. We’ve had some very interesting discoveries thus far!”

IN MEMORIAM

THE DWIGHT SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Established in 1969, The Dwight School Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-forprofit organization that is governed by a Board of Trustees and provides professional

Susan

Julie Stratopoulos,

Victoria Alianelli

Rachel

Elizabeth Callaway

Andrew Chrisomalis

Darly Corniel

Nicole Dell

Gillian Hearst

Michael Kalnick

Hasan Kazmi

Dave Lindsey

Amanda Lowenthal

Jason McIntosh

John Prentice ’08

Ravi Singh Ravit Barbi

Parents Association Co-President

Antonia Koller ’89 Ex-Officio, Alumni Council President

Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends of Dwight,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2023-24 Annual Report!

Seeing the celebrations for our 150th year come to an end in 2023, I wondered if all the excitement would die down as we began our next 150 years. And yet, as this report shows, our community is more committed than ever to Dwight School, its students, and their collective sparks.

Once again, our community came together to raise much-needed funds. This year’s Annual Fund raised more than $1.45 million! Our community came together through spirited events such as the Volunteer Appreciation Cocktail Reception, Alumni Basketball Game, and Alumni Reunion; informative events such as the Alumni College Panel and Women’s Circle Panel; and the smash event of the year, our Spring Benefit—which raised more than $500,000.

Our community was also very giving of their time, volunteering tirelessly for Dwight. I thank all of our volunteers, Trustees, and council and committee members for their worthwhile efforts. It is always such a pleasure to remember how much work we are capable of when we come together for the benefit of our wonderful School and students.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our special community in 2023-24.

Warmly,

Susan Kessler (Stephen ’10, William ’14) Board Chair, The Dwight School Foundation

Dear Dwight Community and Friends,

We always cherish the chance to look back at a year well spent, grateful to acknowledge the countless contributions of our community, both financially and through their time. In 2023-24, we once again came together successfully to raise up our cherished school and the students that fill it with their sparks.

Your financial support provided $1.4 million toward the overall Financial Aid budget, assuring that Dwight continues to provide students with an exceptional education regardless of their financial means.

130 professional development grants were awarded to faculty, allowing our dedicated teachers to expand their skills—and expand what is possible in our classrooms.

Our Spark Tank has grown to include more students and a variety of projects, with multiple students developing their own businesses and nonprofits through Dwight’s incubator. 2023-24 projects included a recreational hovercraft, a skincare line, and providing art supplies to under-resourced schools. Hundreds of parents, alumni, and alumni parents once again donated their time to numerous events and committees. We would like to take a moment to thank our many volunteers, whose work has added so much value to the Dwight experience for our students, parents, and alumni.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed in some way to the future of Dwight School and its sparkling students. The 2024-25 school year shows new frontiers on the horizon that will ensure our community's leadership transforms education widely and wisely.

Best regards,

Stephen Spahn Blake Spahn

Dianne Drew Chancellor Vice Chancellor Head of School

Your generosity during 2023-24 made the following possible:

Thank You

for Supporting The Dwight School Foundation!

in financial aid grants for students $1.4 million for faculty

130 grants professional development

11 students Spark Tank innovation grants for

developing their own businesses and nonprofits through Dwight’s incubator

Our community gathered for our:

Spring Benefit

Spark Tank Events

Alumni Reunion

Alumni College Panels

Alumni Women’s Circle

Alumni Basketball Game

Volunteer Appreciation Cocktail Reception

Our volunteers continued to make a difference through:

Board of Trustees

Alumni Council

Annual Fund Committee

Senior Gift Committee

Spark Tank Committee

Spring Benefit Committee Women’s Circle Committee

We would like to thank all of our volunteers who so meaningfully supported The Dwight School Foundation’s efforts in 2023-24:

The Dwight School Foundation Board of Trustees advises and works closely with the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Head of School, and Foundation Office to determine how Foundation resources can be best utilized to support the Dwight community.

The Alumni Council helps identify and promote meaningful ways for graduates to stay connected with each other and with the School. The Alumni Council President is also an Ex-Officio member of the Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Annual Fund Committee solicits gifts from Dwight community members to provide critical support for student financial aid, faculty professional development, and Spark Tank innovation grants.

The Senior Gift Committee solicits gifts from fellow senior parents to commemorate their children’s many accomplishments.

The Spark Tank Committee approves funding for K-12 student projects and provides ongoing mentorship and feedback.

The Spring Benefit Committee solicits auction items, promotes ticket sales, and helps with event planning and logistics.

The Women’s Circle Committee connects our alumni community of women, supports their professional growth, and creates networking opportunities for sharing career expertise, insights, and resources.

The Parents Association Executive Board assists us with promoting Foundation initiatives to the parent community and increasing collaboration. The Parents Association President is also an Ex-Officio member of the Foundation Board of Trustees.

Victoria Alianelli

Marisa Allan

Jane Bailey

Max Barber ’23

Rachel Bardhan

Colleen Barry ’99

Tetyana Bazyak

Etienne Bernstein ’91

Aileen Bruner

Barbara Burns

Elizabeth Callaway

Jessica Capiraso

Fernando Castellanos

Marco Chimilio ’93

Linda Cho

Andrew Chrisomalis

Darly Corniel

Nicole Dell

Niesha Foster

GaKia George

Geri Gerard

Lisa Goldenberg

Jing Gu

Rachel Hayes Gayle ’90

Gillian Hearst

Scott Hefler ’97

Elizabeth Gerst Ivanov

Priya Jaya ’17

Michael Kalnick

Sonu Kapoor ’17

Hasan Kazmi

Jill Keiser

Susan Kessler

Alyssa Klein

Antonia Koller ’89

Nikki Kristol

Volunteers

Amy Landis ’93

Dave Lindsey

Amanda Lowenthal

Geralyn Lucas

Denise Marcondes

Candice McCall

Stephanie Nilva ’84

Tyra Orange

Fiona Paltridge

Yi Pan

Jessica Park

Reyna Payero

Victoria Phillipps

Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline

Laura Posner

Ron Prashker

John Prentice ’08

Zakiya Raines-Heyden

Tabish Rizvi

Danielle Rudolph

Reza Sarbakhsh ’00

Jessica Schottenstein ’07

Jessica Shell

Damali Shepard

Annie Sigal ’93

Ravi Singh

Priyanka Sinha

Jake Spitz

Julie Stratopoulos

Michele Streck

Takara Strong-Lashley

Eddy van der Paardt

Beatriz Warecki

Mary Wassner

Hillary Wyatt

Anna Zayons

The Dwight School Foundation by the Numbers

INCOME (DIVIDENDS, INTEREST, AND NET GAINS ON INVESTMENTS)

FUND FINANCIAL AID

GRANTS (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FACULTY TRAINING, SPARK TANK, AND SPARK 21 CAMPAIGN PROGRAMS)

GENERAL AND ADMIN EXPENSES

Spark Tank

2023-24 Spark Tank Committee

Spark Tank, Dwight’s incubator for K-12 students, is deeply aligned with the School's mission to ignite the spark of genius in every child — and part of what makes a Dwight education so unique. Through the Spark Tank program, students are empowered to learn how they can make a difference and help build a better world through entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, and service.

This year, The Dwight School Foundation awarded innovation grants to 11 students developing their own businesses and nonprofits, including a skincare line, a rooftop garden, and an organization that provides art supplies to schools with under-resourced art programs. The Foundation also provided materials for a weather balloon project spearheaded by two 10th grade students.

Jessica Capiraso Fernando Castellanos Jill Keiser Ron Prashker

Tabish Rizvi Eddy van der Paardt

Professional Development

Capital Giving PROGRAMMING

Professional development enhances the expertise of Dwight faculty and benefits every student — both in and outside of the classroom. This year, The Dwight School Foundation awarded 130 grants for teachers to pursue the following opportunities:

NUMBER

We supported Dwight’s second Global Sparkathon, a weekend-long design challenge in which 108 keen design students across the Dwight network of schools worked in 36 different teams to solve complex global issues. This year, participants were tasked with designing an innovation that solved an important problem in the categories of Aerospace and Aviation, Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Health and Nutrition. We also supported a trip to the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education Outreach for the winners of last year’s Sparkathon, who were exclusively invited to participate in a full-day hackathon alongside Tufts graduate engineering students.

Capital Giving

Through Foundation funding, the WILD (Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development) program, an innovative outdoor initiative, continued to foster community, build leadership skills, and help ensure that Dwight students can thrive in any environment.

As part of the School’s initiatives to strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we funded two guest lecturers. Dr. Ross Brann, Cornell professor and expert in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, spoke with our Upper School students, and Jason Craige Harris, an expert in anti-oppression education, DEIB strategies, conflict mediation, and restorative justice, facilitated a workshop for faculty and staff.

We provided funding for a daily yoga and mindfulness course, offered to both Dwight New York and Dwight Global Online’s faculty and staff, in an effort to support our community’s health and wellness goals.

We enabled Dwight’s Performing Arts department to invite Adria Ferrali, the Artistic Director of DAP (Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta) shown at right, to teach four of our students. Students presented their own choreographed pieces, received individual feedback from Ms. Ferrali, and then worked with her on a new collaborative ensemble piece.

We funded travel for faculty members to support Dwight students who had been invited to the Villars Institute, an NGO located in Switzerland, to participate in their 2024 cohort of Fellows. As Fellows, students learned how the Systems Thinking and Systems Leadership frameworks can be used to address the issue of climate change.

Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is our main fundraising initiative and supports student financial aid, faculty professional development, and Spark Tank innovation grants.

International Society

The International Society recognizes those who have made leadership gifts to the 2023-24 Annual Fund of $1,872 or more. The amount of $1,872 signifies the year Dwight was founded.

Presidents’ Circle

($50,000+)

Anonymous (1)

Zheng He and Jing Gu

The Lindsey Family

The McIntosh Family Fund

The Spahn Family

Charles Ueng and Nathan Harkins, in honor of our righteous great-grandfather, Ueng Root Tree

Prime Ministers’ Circle

($25,000-$49,999)

Anonymous (1)

Eva Hoffman and Ken Cornick

Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Kellen, Caroline Kellen ’98, and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation

Anthony Ledru and Victoria Alianelli

Jessica A. Lindsey

Robert S. and Amanda R. Lowenthal

Molly Shannon, in honor of Ellen Shannon ’31

The Svarre Family

Foreign Ministers’ Circle

($15,000-$24,999)

Anonymous (1)

Anita Arnell ’30 and Hanaco Fujita ’24

Indrajit and Rachel Bardhan

Ezra and Marlene Field

Caroline and Spencer Greenwald

Gillian Hearst

Peter Labbat and Karen Kiehl

Martin and Caitlin Nussbaum

Charlotte and Peter Schoenfeld

Ambassadors’ Circle

($10,000-$14,999)

Anonymous (2)

Anthony and Diane Arnold

Sharon and Jon Corzine, in honor of Jackson Paul Shell ’26

KT Elghanayan Fund

Scott Landis ’92 and Amy Landis ’93

MGR Foundation

Brett and Elizabeth Milgrim

The Nawrocki Family

Maria Pappalardo

John F. Prentice ’08, and Acorn

Hill Foundation, Inc.

Ken and Michelle Rapp

Jeremy and Jessica Shell

Ravi Singh

Consul Generals’ Circle

($5,000-$9,999)

Anonymous (2)

Albert and Hannah An

The Andersons

Loren and Moran Brown

Chris and Aileen Bruner

Jonathan and Christina Dever

Paolo Fuschini and Monica

Scorcia, in honor of Alessandro Fuschini ’31

Jonathan and Maria Harber

Lee and Kiera Jekos

Alexa Jervis and Gregory Racz

Dan and Kim Kelleher

The Knox Family

International Society Leadership Circle

Presidents’ Circle ...............................................

Prime Ministers’ Circle

$50,000+

$25,000-$49,999

Foreign Ministers’ Circle $15,000-$24,999

Ambassadors’ Circle

Consul Generals’ Circle

Diplomats’ Circle

Founders’ Circle

$10,000-$14,999

$5,000-$9,999

$2,500-$4,999

$1,872-$2,499

Young Explorers’ Circle $100+

alumni from the ten most recent classes

Dwight Supporters

Sponsor

$1,000-$1,871 Advocate

Contributor

$500-$999

$250-$499

Friend up to $249

Mr. Bernardo Mucino Koenig and Mrs. Kirsten Aguirre

Hammer

Michelle Kornbleuth and James Chana

Matthias and Nikki Kristol

Ruth Levine, in honor of Jonah Pintoff ’25

Aarti Mehendale

Joanna and Justin Metz

The Minaev Family, in honor of Konstantin Minaev ’24

Lawrence and Hayley Morrison

Alan and Lori Nieder

Tiago and Julisa Pessoa

Kevin Raidy and Sydney Anning

The Rajaram Family

Dr. Jared Sender and Miriam Sender

Robert and Donna Shafir

David and Jody Stern

Oliver Storch and Geidy PerezStorch

Julie and Nick Stratopoulos

Barry and Stacey Wolf

Diplomats’ Circle

($2,500-$4,999)

Anonymous (3)

Ayse and Cevdet Aydemir

Laura and John Charecky

Edward Cummings and Ottavia Busia Bourdain

Danielle Curi and Max Herrnstein

Bruce David and Michele Galietta

Ronald and Sandy Diamond

Robert Fear

Michael and Shane Franciscovich

Lisa and Brian Goldenberg

Julie Hirschfeld and Bennett Killmer

Andrew and Alyssa Klein

Alexei and Jimena Kroujiline

Benson and Erika Kutrieb

The Lidakis Family

Alisha Mahoney and Scott Brown

Mansha Manchanda

Arun and Tara Mathew

Diana and Jürgen Nott

Isabelle Rivière and Michel Sadelain

Michael Schimek and Lisa Weksler

Kate Solomon

David and Amira Strasser

Lyle and Jill Wilpon

Daoshun Zhang and Xiaomei

Wang

Founders’ Circle

($1,872-$2,499)

Scott Brown and Alisha Mahoney

Selma Bueno

Louisa Childs and Philipp Smaylovsky

Elizabeth DeRose and David Fischer

Evan and Katherine Flecker

Ian Goldman and Maxine Brown-Goldman

Meridith and Shannon Hill

The Ronald & Jo Carole Lauder Foundation

Geralyn and Tyler Lucas

David and Danielle McMahan

The Parker Family

Ivan Pavlovich and Amanda

Shinall

Erika and Scott Pintoff

Eric Shuffler and Amy Bressler

Qin Si and Lina Zha

Deepa Thimmapaya and Pavan

Tripathi

Brantley Turner and Doug Bradley

Jin Zhang and Yi Pan

Supporters

Sponsor

($1,000-$1,871)

Anonymous (9)

Zachary and Heather Brener

Barbara Burns and Mul Mathews

John and Vivian Chen

The Chrisomalis Family

Paul and Julee Dean

John and Rebekah Donaleski

Dianne Drew and Dr. Alex Phan

David and Carrie Egan

Barry Fishkind and Judith Werbitt, in honor of Parker Ward ’38

Juanita Galvis and Daniel

Wolfenzon

Felicia Grumet

Ziad Hammodi and Reyna Payero

Scott A. Hefler ’97

Allison Hoffman and Neil Zuckerman

The Honkavuori-Fulton Family

Charles and Keli Hoppenstein

Kenneth and Barbara Jackson

Nicholas and Ana Judson

Michael C. Kalnick, Esq.

Karl and Takae Kamb, in honor of Karl Kamb III

Mitchell and Michelle Kessler

Jasvinder and Monica Khaira

Erik Levy, Anglo ’87

Kara and Dan Margolis

Gabriel and Daphne Mello

Steven Newman

Paolo and Venera Pennisi

Candace and Jonathan Perkin

Norman and Sandy Pessin, in honor of Morgan Elefant ’24

Scott and Cynna Plantz, in honor of Huntly Plantz ’27

Liliana Rodriguez and Michael Berkowitz

Stefanie and Darryl Romanoff, in honor of Madison Romanoff ’25

Jose and Anushka Salinas

Eric and Meredith Scharf

Lauren Braver Schiller ’94

Craig and Stacey Shapiro, in honor of Matthew Shapiro ’26

Tamara Stack and Michele Delli

Santi

Eric and Michele Streck

Aiya Tulemaganbetova, in honor of Dia Ailin Abdykerim ’24

Advocate

($500-$999)

Anonymous (11)

Sydney and Bob Anning

Andrew Atkins and Erin O’Hara

The Barnes Family

John R. Bartram, Franklin ’73

Dr. Bruce B. Blau, DDS ’76

The Burton Family

Luiza and Peter Cecchini

Bonnie Eissner and Joseph O’Connor

Heitor Goncalves and Liliana Kawase

Carlos Andres Gonzalez

Laurie and Howard Kaminsky

Tom Krouwer

Katherine Lehman and Arthur Samuels III

Fernando and Wendie Lopez

Jon and Sharmee Mah

Bernardo Novick and Maria Scarpa

Philippa and Larry Portnoy

Laurie and John Reische

Keren and Steven Rosenblum ’93

The Rosengren Family

Shira and Allen Rubinstein

Gustavo Sanchez and Maria Yuste

Daniel and Michelle Silver

Mr. Harry Toung and Dr. Dorothy Lebeau

Jens Ulff-Moller and Susan Boynton

David Wilkenfeld and Tanja Plecas

Travis and Amy Wood, in honor of Zachary Wood ’27

Shigeyuki and Noriko Yamashita

Yigang Zhu and Wenjuan Cai

The Zielhoff Family

Contributor

($250-$499)

Anonymous (11)

Aida Ahmetaj-Regjaj and Burim

Regjaj

Luis Trujillo Alonso and Laura

Gomez Marcos

The Arnaboldi Family

Meg and Jay Axelrod

Mindee Barham and Brooke Wiese

Jaya Bhavnani

Brent and Jenni Bounds

The Brennan Family

Libby Callaway and Bob Carey

The Capeluto Family

Chia Chuan Chang and Boryeong Kim

Yoo Chung and Inae Lim

Annual Fund

The Clancy Family Foundation

Sophia Dean ’19

The Diaz Noguerol Family

Jun Dong and Xue Ting Li

Becca Everly and Chris Harland

Thomas and Gina Gray

Lyn and David Grogan

Robert Hayes, in honor of

Amelia Gayle ’23 and Lucy

Gayle ’28

Adam Heltzer and Jacquie Sandberg

Shellee Hendricks and Joe Santos

Vinay and Vinita Kapoor

Elana Katz

Mark Kiernan and Mary Gehlhar

Hao Liu and Karin Wang

Julian Medina and Annie Sigal ’93

Suzy Nachman Mercado ’82

Gregory Petrick and Cynthia Smith

Ron and Laura Posner

Savas Sevil

Ronald Shechtman and Carolyn Meadow

Christopher White and Tracey

Knuckles White

Jamie Wolf and Meg Cimino

Friend

(up to $249)

Anonymous (15)

Anonymous, in memory of TJ Craig ’02

Christine Allen

Benjamin C. Alpert ’18

Debra and Daniel Alpert

Wallace Arthur, Franklin ’49

Caroline Axelrod ’03

Geoffrey and Jane Bailey

Sian and David Beal

Shelby Berry

Elizabeth Billard

2023-24 Annual Fund Committee

Marisa Allan

Linda Cho

Darly Corniel

Rachel Hayes Gayle ’90

Gillian Hearst

Amanda Lowenthal

Denise Marcondes

Candice McCall

Yi Pan

Jessica Shell

Annie Sigal ’93

Julie Stratopoulos

Michele Streck

Takara Strong-Lashley

Anna Zayons

Annual Fund

Agnes Bisselle

Candace Cardwell

Daniel Carver ’93

Terrence Christgau

Ryder and Katarina Clifford, in honor of Sixten Clifford ’24

Bradley Colten and Allison McDermott

Stephen Cotter and Erin Fitzgerald

James and Marie Craig, in memory of TJ Craig ’02

Michael and Susan Craig, in memory of TJ Craig ’02

Kit A. Crosby

Eric R. Dale

Ms. Darzy

Brian and Sabrae Derby

Pamela Estes

Laurent Faucqueur and Tatiana Press

Allison Feldman

Shauna Fitzmahan

Alvin and Lydia Foster

Daniel and Sascha Garzarella

Kylie Gearhart

Russell Gilardi and Andrea Barilli

Caroline Crosson Gilpin

Claudia Guerra

Danya and Michael Haber

Annette B. Harchik

Anderson Harp

Timothy Heath

Elliott and Gail Hefler

Eileen Ingerman, in honor of Zachary Wood ’27

Faika and Robert Jackson

Amanda and Zach Katagiri, in honor of Alden Katagiri ’35

Tania Kalika Katsman ’86

Susan Kluger

Michele Koenig

Antonia Koller ’89

Ben Kornfeind and Jeannette Jakus

The Krasik Family

Johan and Masami T. Le Tenoux

Seung Yup Lee and Bohyun Han

Monica B. Leardi, Franklin ’80

Robyn Levinson and Jason Rowley

Jordan and Lauren Loftis

Stephen J. Lurie, Franklin ’74

Sarah Mattingly

Jade and Mike McFadden

Olivia Merrick-Haight and Christopher Haight

Corporate and Foundation Giving

Anonymous (2)

Abbott Laboratories - EGC

Acorn Hill Foundation, Inc.

ADP

AllianceBernstein

Ameriprise

Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen

Foundation

The Anning Family Charitable Foundation

Senior Gift

Ardea Cares Charitable Contribution

Bank of America

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

The Conestoga Road Foundation

Deutsche Bank

Goldman Sachs Gives

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Google Inc.

Henry Luce Foundation

Each year, Dwight senior families join together in support of the Senior Gift — the grade 12 portion of the Annual Fund. This gift not only supports student financial aid, faculty professional development, and Spark Tank innovation grants, but also provides an opportunity for senior parents to honor their children’s many accomplishments.

Megan Miller

Amy Shapiro Moffatt ’77

Andrew and Anne Namm, in honor of Blain Namm ’97

Elaine Natalicchi

Meredith Nuber

James and Patricia O’Hara, in honor of Riley Atkins ’32 and Quinn Atkins ’32

The Olesen Family

Paul Onish, Franklin ’64

Paula Oppenheim Cope ’71 and Timothy Cope

Carole Ostroff, in honor of Gregg A. Ostroff ’97

Matthew Payne

Sandra Plummer-Cambridge

Stephen Presti

Moira Price

Miri and Daniel Radomski

Rayna Rapp

Stefan and Pauline Reyniak

Christian and Kelly Rocchio

Samuel and Rhoda Rudick, in honor of Gabrielle Pia Rudick ’27

Emma Ryan and Ger Flood, in honor of Max Flood ’37

Adriaan Scholvinck ’03

Jessica Schottenstein ’07

Eric and Karen Segal

Ruben and Jeanette Selles

The Singer-Zhou Family

Rebecca Skinner and Jeffrey Joslin

Sophie Song and Yi Zhang

Joanne Stern

Jean Strait

Irshad and Shamim Sumar

Frank and Kathleen Tealdi

Fabrizio and Francesca Uguzzoni

Charles Van Deventer

Bunny Varrichio

Nelson Vasquez and Judith Rotardier-Vasquez, in honor of Julian Joaquin Vasquez ’23

William and Anne Wagner

Michael, Ellie, Charlie, and Teddy Wiesenfeld

Richard S. Wilson ’53

Yang Yang and Yu Song

Elaine Yudkovitz and Jeffrey Levine

Kate and Dmitri Zolotkovsky

KT Elghanayan Fund

MarketAxess

Melryder Foundation

Merrill Lynch

MGR Foundation

Mizuho Financial Group

Morgan Stanley

The Parker Foundation

Piper Sandler Companies

The Ronald & Jo Carole Lauder Foundation

Root Tree Foundation

S&P Global

The Sharon Levine Foundation

Tiffany & Co.

Tower Research Capital

W. P. Carey Inc.

Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Class of 2024 Senior Gift Committee

Lisa Goldenberg Alyssa Klein Geralyn Lucas Fiona Paltridge

At our 2024 Spring Benefit, we celebrated The Dwight School Foundation’s mission with over 300 members of our community, including parents, alumni, faculty and staff, and friends. The evening included a spectacular auction, a live fundraising appeal, and dinner and dancing, and we raised over $500,000 in support of student financial aid, faculty professional development, and Spark Tank innovation grants.

We also heard from two students, Chloe Norrington ’30 and Bella Gonzalez ’26. Bella sang a beautiful rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Hero,” and Chloe spoke about what makes Dwight such a special place — primarily her teachers, her peers, and the Spark Tank program.

We are incredibly grateful to our Spring Benefit CoChairs, Victoria Alianelli, Amanda Lowenthal, and Annie Sigal ’93, and to the entire committee. We are also grateful to our donors, guests, and volunteers for their participation and generosity.

Spring Benefit

2024 Spring Benefit Committee

Victoria Alianelli, Co-Chair

Amanda Lowenthal, Co-Chair

Annie Sigal ’93, Co-Chair

Jane Bailey

Tetyana Bazyak

Barbara Burns

Linda Cho

Nicole Dell

Niesha Foster

GaKia George

Geri Gerard

Jing Gu

Elizabeth Gerst Ivanov

Alyssa Klein

Nikki Kristol

Tyra Orange

Jessica Park

Victoria Phillipps

Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline

Zakiya Raines-Heyden

Danielle Rudolph

Jessica Schottenstein ’07

Jessica Shell

Damali Shepard

Priyanka Sinha

Jake Spitz

Beatriz Warecki

Mary Wassner

Hillary Wyatt

Spring Benefit Donors

Anonymous (10)

The Allan Family

Peter Arnell

Anthony and Diane Arnold

Daniel Aulbach-Sidibe

Elliot Bogod and Valerie Kritsberg

Armando Cabral

Elizabeth Callaway and Robert Carey

Laura and John Charecky

The Chrisomalis Family

Paul Diomampo and Maria

Amanda dela Cruz

Tierney Model Ehrhart ’03

Vanessa Handal Ghenania

Gillian Hearst

Henry Luce Foundation

Lee and Kiera Jekos

Lotfi Karoui and Amira Annabi

The Kasparov Family

The Kerenyi Family

Lauren Kessler

Susan Kessler

Jasvinder Khaira and Monica Vaughan-Khaira

Joshua Kigel and Ann Tilley

Alyssa and Andrew Klein

Ben Kornfeind and Jeannette Jakus

John and Jennifer Leonti

Marie and Harley Lippman

Michael and Sarah London

Geralyn and Tyler Lucas

Jackson Malle and Annique DeCaestecker

The McIntosh Family Fund

Julian Medina and Annie Sigal ’93

Olivia Merrick-Haight and Christopher Haight

Alicia P. Morris

Kevin Raidy and Sydney Anning

Ken and Michelle Rapp

Michael Rauenhorst and Margaret Green-Rauenhorst

Root Tree Foundation

Molly Shannon, in honor of Ellen Shannon ’31

Jeremy and Jessica Shell

Tracy and Scott Sigal ’95

David and Jody Stern

Julie and Nick Stratopoulos

William Strong

Gautham Thambidorai and Manju Anand

Tiffany & Co.

Justin and Hillary Wyatt

In-kind Donors

Anonymous (4)

Nik Abazi

The Aquino Family

The Arnaboldi Family

Geoffrey and Jane Bailey

Barbazzano L.P.

Barry's Bootcamp

Bell Family Company

Phil and Meredith Berkowitz

The Bernstein Family

Bespoke Brows NYC

Betty Buzz & Pantalones and The Chrisomalis Family

Bruce B. Blau, DDS ’76

Bow Bridge Blooms

Amy Bressler and Eric Shuffler

The Brightwood

Chris and Aileen Bruner

Butterfield Market

CampGroup

Camp Hillard

Camp Settoga

Carnegie Hill Test Prep

Catbird

The Cavalli Family

Champions Martial Arts Upper West Side

Chess at Three

The Class

Classic Kids Photography

Club Getaway

Color Me Mine

The Culinistas Inc.

Ruchi and Samip Dasgupta

Nicole and Ben Dell

Dianne Drew

Dwight School

Equinox

Todd Feltman ’91

Lori and Steve Fineman

Ugo and Luisa Fiorenzo and Campari

Juliya Fisher, MD - JUVA Skin and Laser Center

FRAME

French Football Academy Soccer

Camp

Future Stars Summer Camps

The Gallagher Family

Melissa Hammel

Frank Hernandez

Charlie and Keli Hoppenstein

Hudson Classical Music Studios

Hugo Boss Fashion Inc.

ibidPREP Test Prep & Tutoring

ILevel, Inc

InHouse Test Prep

Jane Mogel Interior Design

Jose Andres Group

K AND ARTE

The Kasparov Family

Kimara Ahnert Makeup & Skincare Studio

Jessica and Adam Kirschner

Alyssa and Andrew Klein

L'Oreal USA

Christopher Lapczynski and Jessica Marlin, in honor of

Blake Lapczynski and Dillon

Lapczynski ’34

Leshem Loft LLC

The Lessard Family

Ali and Erik Levy

Loftie

Magpie

Mamieli

Manhattan Theatre Club

MARIA TASH

Mathnasium

Julian Medina and Annie Sigal ’93

The Metropolitan Opera

Delphine Michaud

The Minaev Family

Nart Nature Making Art

Next Level Sports Academy

Nordstrom NYC

The Novick Family

Osteria Cotta

Maria L. Pappalardo

Petits Poussins Daycares

Pinnacle Prep

The Plaza

Fabiana Portolano Dudelson ’97

Stephen Presti and Sorush Panahi

Prestige Prep

Prohibition

Eddie and Fatmira Purovic ’93

Ra Ung

Greg Racz and Alexa Jervis

Reading in Preschool

Vasco and Ines Ribeiro

Roberto Falck Photography

Root Tree Foundation

Alessandro and Maria Scarsini

Robert Schagrin ’75

Molly Shannon, in honor of Ellen Shannon ’31

Amy Shapiro of Real Nutrition

NYC

Soyulla Artists

Maryll and Blake Spahn ’89

Spring Lake Day Camp

Aimee Steele-Kraaijeveld

The Svarre Family

SwimJim, Inc.

Kristin Tarsi

Tasca Restaurant

Teachers Who Tutor NYC

Spring Benefit

Tiffany & Co.

Tiny Duck Parenting

Lawrence Ullman

The Upcycle Academy

Val More Salon

Cedric Wilmotte, CEO of Michael Kors

Wise Wonder Enrichment by Book Nook

Dr. Amy Stein Wood

Amanda Wooden

Michael and Lori York

Ways to Give Foundation Office

The Dwight School Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. There are several ways to contribute to the Annual Fund, and we are grateful for your consideration:

ONLINE

Please visit give.dwight.edu

BY WIRE

Please contact Moira Price at 646.400.0314 or mprice@dwight.edu for instructions

BY MAIL

Checks should be made out to The Dwight School Foundation and mailed to:

The Dwight School Foundation 144 Riverside Boulevard New York, NY 10069

BY PHONE

Please call the Foundation Office at 646.400.0314

GIFTS OF APPRECIATED SECURITIES/STOCK

A gift of appreciated stock, which has been held for more than one year, allows you to avoid the capital gains tax on the appreciation. It also qualifies you for an income tax charitable deduction based on the fair-market value of the stock on the date that you make the gift. Please contact Moira Price at 646.400.0314 or mprice@dwight.edu to make a gift in this way.

MATCHING GIFTS

You may be able to double or triple your gift! If your company is eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer and send it (completed and signed) with your gift to The Dwight School Foundation. Please contact Moira Price at 646.400.0314 or mprice@dwight.edu if you have any questions.

PLANNED

GIVING

Planned giving is a powerful way to contribute to the enduring success of The Dwight School Foundation. By making a planned gift, you will have a lasting impact on the entire Dwight community, while also solidifying your own long-term financial, estate planning, and philanthropic goals. Please contact Moira Price at 646.400.0314 or mprice@dwight.edu for more information.

Moira Price Foundation Director

Aggie Bisselle Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager

Olivia Merrick-Haight Director of Alumni and Foundation Engagement

Meredith Nuber Director of Special Events

This report gratefully acknowledges gifts received between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. While best efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of this report, please notify Moira Price, Foundation Director, if there are any errors or omissions at 646.400.0314 or mprice@dwight.edu.

Photography by: Dianna Bush, Da Ping Luo, Oscar Brett, Stomping Ground, and Dwight Faculty & Staff

Produced by The Dwight School Foundation and Communications Department

The Dwight School Foundation

144 Riverside Boulevard | New York, NY 10069 646-400-0314

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A new take on Gus roared to life in 2023–24 in the form of a new lion mascot for Athletics.