Winter 2019
A Magazine for the Global Dwight Community
Volume 14, Number 2
PLANTING SEEDS FOR SUCCESS AND SOWING SPARKS OF GENIUS
DWIGHT SCHOOL DUBAI CELEBRATING THE OFFICIAL OPENING
HEAD OF SCHOOL DIANNE DREW
CHAIRING THE IB GLOBAL HEADS COUNCIL
21 WEST 88TH STREET
EXPANDING ROOM TO LEARN
DIRECTOR OF QUEST JOSH KIGEL ADDING PASSION TO PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Dwight is dedicated to igniting the spark of genius in every child. Kindling their interests, we develop inquisitive, knowledgeable, self-aware, and ethical citizens who will build a better world.
Our little lions were ready to roar on the first day of school!
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DWIGHT TODAY
FEATURE STORIES
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Dianne Drew, Head of School Chairing the IB Global Heads Council Dwight Global Students Aces on the Court and in the Classroom
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Salwa Emerson ’92 Scores a Literary Goal with Chance Striker Dwight School Dubai Celebrating the Official Opening
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Heidi Rubenstein-Brethel Coaches in Sports and Life
Tom Barbash ’79 Revisits Dwight and the City That Shaped His New Novel
Plus Foundation, class notes, and more
Laurie Silbersweig Editorial Director
Derek Oscarson Design Director
Kerry Tkacik Digital Content Manager
Samantha Roy Editorial Associate
Allison Feldman Chief Innovation & Communications Officer
Photography: David Dean, Matthew Gilbertson, Mike Sheehan, Ian Wilson, Chloe Zachmanoglou, Dwight staff Printing: SPC print integrated, North Springfield, VT Copyright © 2019: Dwight School
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CHANCELLOR’S LETTER | DWIGHT TODAY
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he new school year brought exciting developments for Dwight in New York and around the world. As you’ll read about in this issue of Dwight Today, we concluded phase one of our brownstone renovation at 21 West 88th Street, adding six new Lower School classrooms and a third rooftop pavilion, Jupiter, taking its place alongside Mars and Saturn. At the same time, our new school in Dubai welcomed its very first students, extending our community and spark of genius philosophy across continents. Not long after opening, Dwight in Dubai — our first campus in the Middle East — together with Dwight Global Online School has forged a first-ever partnership with the government in Dubai to advance educational opportunities on the ground and in the cloud. While we take pride in these innovations and in Dwight’s continuing work on the forefront of education, I also take pride in our long-standing, steadfast commitment to the IB mission “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” First articulated in 1968 when the IB was established, this mission is even more critical now in these increasingly divisive times marked by growing fear and nationalism, revoked freedoms, and the propagation of untruths. As educators, our job is to combat these ills, and I can think of no better way to do so than through the IB, which emphasizes learning in global contexts, fosters critical thinking, and teaches respect and acceptance of others with different backgrounds and perspectives. I have had the privilege to see generations of Dwight students graduate and take with them these core values to help make the world a better place. I look forward to seeing many more IB students collaborate to solve global problems, use their voices to speak out against injustice, and demand a better world not only for themselves, but also for all those who will follow in their footsteps. Fondly,
Stephen H. Spahn Chancellor of Dwight School
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DWIGHT TODAY | ON CAMPUS
A New School Year Brought Brand-new Classrooms!
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NEW CLASSROOMS | DWIGHT TODAY
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ollowing a busy, constructionfilled summer, we were delighted to open six state-of-the-art classrooms in 21 West 88th Street — the newest addition to Dwight’s expanding urban campus. Timothy House students began their school year in these new classrooms, which feature walls that retract to foster collaboration between grade sections. So far, lots of sparks have been shared! We also opened a stunning rooftop pavilion called Jupiter. Like our Mars and Saturn pavilions, it is flooded with natural light and was designed to be a flexible learning space. With phase two of brownstone construction underway, we look forward to opening a Spark Lab, lunchroom, and additional classrooms in which students will design, create, innovate, collaborate, and learn even more!
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DWIGHT TODAY | FACULTY Q&A
Josh Kigel, Director of Quest and Special Studies, Shares His Passion for the Program He Helped Shape
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assionate about personalized learning — the cornerstone of a Dwight world-class education — Josh Kigel has been a member of our community for 15 years. He became head of Quest in 2006, and was named Director of Quest and Special Studies in 2011. Mr. Kigel has an extensive background in special education, with a concentration in learning disabilities. Under his leadership, Quest has grown dramatically and made a reputable name for itself in the New York City independent school community. We sat down with Mr. Kigel to learn more about his deep pedagogical understanding of learning styles and differences, and how he leverages that know-how to ignite Quest students’ sparks of genius.
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What was your journey to becoming a teacher and Director of Quest? After majoring in psychology and education at Brooklyn College, I started working with people with disabilities in group homes. I worked with families on Medicaid who had a child with a disability and made numerous home and school visits. I also had coached basketball on the side. Throughout my work, I wanted to make more personal connections and have a larger impact, which led me to teaching. My first classroom jobs were in Brooklyn and Manhattan, where I was an elementary school teacher before coming to Dwight as a Quest teacher in 2004. As we transformed Quest from a program that was geared toward homework help into a true special
education support program, I had the opportunity to harness my background in working with people with disabilities. Working in Quest became a natural fit and I never looked back. While teaching was my career, it really felt like Quest was my calling. What is your educational philosophy? Dwight’s personalized learning pillar is the most important thing to me, which is what makes our school such a special place to work. This institutional commitment has allowed us to give Quest students a successful school experience that they might not have had in a less flexible or supportive setting. I have coached Girls Varsity Basketball and Boys Varsity Baseball at Dwight, and the connection I form with a student in
JOSH KIGEL | DWIGHT TODAY
Quest is like the connection I formed as a coach with players — there is a sense that we are in this thing together. A coach has to see players’ individual strengths and challenges, and build a system based on the makeup of the whole team. I use those same coaching principles in recruiting teachers and building a Quest team. As an administrator, I’m charged with figuring out how to get the best out of everyone, where they can both thrive as individuals and work well together. At the heart of successful Quest teaching is the personal connection between the teacher and student. For years, I’ve been quoting Malcolm Gladwell’s discussion of the concept of “withitness” — the ability to be in tune with what a student is up to at any given moment. If I had to sum up the key to a successful Quest teacher it would be that. Over the years, we have built a team of teachers who are exceptionally “with it” and they have inspired students to shine. What separates Quest from similar programs in other schools? Quest began 40 years ago and evolved from Oxford University’s tutorial mentorship model. When I first started, Quest had six teachers and just over 30 students. The program was largely focused on direct academic support and was far less comprehensive. It was also far less integrated into the school; none of the Quest teachers were also classroom teachers. Since then, we have more than doubled the size of the team in high school and have multiple teachers who are both Quest and classroom teachers, making the program part of the fabric of the school and embedded throughout the school day. I have also worked closely with Lisa Schoenfeld, Head of Lower Quest, to align the teaching strategies we use between Middle and Upper Schools, as some teachers work in both areas.
Today, Quest combines research-based special education pedagogy with the creativity of design thinking to provide students with comprehensive and innovative one-on-one academic and organizational training. We help students to better understand their individual learning styles and challenges, which empowers them to overcome or compensate for learning differences and to become self-advocates. How do Quest teachers collaborate with other faculty and parents? Quest teachers work with faculty in their classes. Each classroom teacher is assigned a Quest teacher, whose special education support can take the form of helping students by reinforcing class content or making recommendations for differentiating content. Quest teachers also teach their specialty areas. For example, I also teach history. Quest teachers help parents stay abreast of their children’s progress through frequent contact. Quest works best when it’s a team effort aimed at fostering students’ success. How does Quest benefit our diverse student body? The very existence of Quest allows the student body to be more diverse. Our Quest students are incredibly bright and talented, and they would struggle in a less personalized academic setting with limited support. Quest allows the Dwight community to benefit from the contributions of these students. You can see evidence of that wherever you look — from the theater stage and athletic field, to the Shakespeare Competition and academic honor rolls. While the program is designed to help students with learning differences succeed in the rigorous Dwight curriculum, the integration of Quest support into the school benefits all types of learners. Many families choose Dwight because of
the Quest Program for its unique ability to nurture and ultimately ignite every student’s spark of genius. We are proud of our students’ achievements and our alumni often share with us their successes beyond Dwight, underscoring that the benefits of Quest last a lifetime. How does your Quest expertise impact your teaching history? I try very hard to differentiate the work I assign to students and this is no small undertaking. I incorporate the principles of universal design learning (UDL) into my history classroom at all times. This means presenting key content and concepts in multiple formats, multiple times, and giving students multiple pathways to show what they’ve learned. The last part of UDL, engagement, is a bit more challenging because it gets into the realm of things that are outside the control of the teacher and the school, but I try to find topics that are very current and will resonate with students within the confines of the curriculum, and then live in that space as much as possible. One of the highlights of my career was a few years back when about two-thirds of my grade 10 history class showed up for multiple lunch sessions to continue studying one of those high-interest current-event topics that we didn’t have time to study in class. Their enthusiasm for learning was contagious!
“ While teaching was my career, it really felt like Quest was my calling.” 7
DWIGHT TODAY | FACULTY Q&A
How did you bring PD learning back to the classroom? I received a grant to develop and execute PD courses on an ongoing basis for fellow Quest teachers to support their skills in working specifically with students who have learning differences. Research is always advancing, so year to year I follow studies in the fields of special education and learning disabilities, and refresh Quest PD courses so that we’re always up to date. What are some exciting innovations in Quest this year? Last summer, I overhauled the faculty PD curriculum, which is now a multi-module Google Classroom-based course, using the same layers of differentiation we hope to
see in our classes. While many PD lessons are online, some are run by Quest teachers with expertise in specific areas. I also participated in Dwight’s Frontier Teacher Training boot camp and used a lot of the principles I learned there when redesigning Quest’s PD. I conducted empathy interviews and sought feedback from my early adopters, leading to what we hope will be enthusiastic participation from the Quest team. My goal is to eventually offer this special ed-focused PD to all Dwight teachers. What is your personal spark of genius? That is a surprisingly tough question! I’m very patient, and I have a great capacity for
seeing the good in people and providing support to those who need it. When I first started working in Quest, one of my mentors told me that I could have all the teaching strategy and pedagogical knowledge in the world, but it would be useless without compassion. What is a little-known fact about you? I have two small kids and they are my hobby. I can sing all the lyrics to “Let It Go” from “Frozen!” While we may not need to know every word of that song, we’re glad that Mr. Kigel is so knowledgeable about personalizing learning paths for our Quest students!
January 22rd was an historic moment
COACHING
in the Dwight coaching careers of Dave Brown ’97 and Dermon Player.
DUO REACHES
After heading to St. Ann’s for an away
MILESTONE TH
triumphed 62-34, marking the Lions’
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VICTORY!
game, our Boys Varsity Basketball team 100th win since Dave and Dermon took the coaching mantle five years ago! Following this great moment, the team went on to win their third consecutive ACIS League championship title!
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GLOBAL VISION | DWIGHT TODAY
Dianne Drew, Head of Dwight School, Elected Chair of the IB Global Heads Council
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assionate educator and long-time champion of the International Baccalaureate, Dianne Drew, was elected to the prestigious position of Chair of the IB Global Heads Council by her fellow Council members. This body of 12 advises the IB Director General, Siva Kumari, about important issues that affect nearly 5,000 IB World Schools in 153 countries. As Chair, Ms. Drew, who was first elected to join the IB Global Heads Council in 2015, leads the team, while also taking a seat on the IB Board of Governors, helping Dr. Kumari chart the strategic direction of the IB. This is an especially auspicious time for Ms. Drew to become Chair, as the IB, which just concluded its yearlong 50th birthday celebration, is looking ahead enthusiastically to the next 50 years and to launching exciting new initiatives that advance international education. “I am delighted to have been elected Chair of the IB Global Heads Council, a group of some of the finest educators I’ve known who share my personal, and Dwight’s collective, commitment to the IB curriculum and its focus on educating the whole child. In addition to being academically rigorous, the IB fosters the development of students as open-minded, balanced, and principled human beings, which is more critical now than ever before,” says Ms. Drew. “The IB curriculum, which was created by leading educators of their day, continues to be shaped by the minds and hearts of inspiring educators who know what it means to be in the classroom — who know
what it means to encourage students to never stop learning and who do the same for faculty. This makes it very special and gratifying for me.” Additionally, Ms. Drew is proud to represent Dwight, which has long been an IB leader on the world stage. Dwight was the first school in New York City to offer the Primary Years Program, and the first in the Americas to offer the comprehensive IB continuum for students ages 3-19. As a frontier IB School, Dwight has piloted new programs for the IB, most notably online education, during Ms. Drew’s tenure as Head of School. Dwight’s own Frontier Teacher Training program, launched last year in New York to equip faculty with the same skills and frameworks used by startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs, is the latest initiative with the potential to be implemented in other IB schools worldwide, including Dwight campuses in London, Seoul, Shanghai, Dubai, and online. While the IB continues to expand and respond to 21st-century challenges, it will remain true to its core purpose of teaching students to think critically, creatively, ethically, and globally — and will hold fast to its cornerstone commitment to building a better world through education. Ms. Drew is honored to be part of this exciting mandate.
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DWIGHT TODAY | COMMUNITY
FALL FESTIVAL Preschool and kindergarten families celebrated the start of the season on Riverside Campus with a rockin’ Fall Festival and Book Fair!
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FALL FESTIVAL | DWIGHT TODAY
BOOK FAIR
Everyone had tons of fun playing games, enjoyed some sweet treats, and picked out new books to read together. Thank you to our Parents Association for hosting this wonderful annual event!
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DWIGHT TODAY | GLOBAL VISION
“M
y favorite part of the trip is hard to narrow down to a single moment; instead, it was a series of moments! I loved the energy and collectiveness of the trip as a whole!” wrote tenth grader Alden Wilson, reflecting on the week-long choral “extravaganza” at Dwight School London. Alden and ten other students from New York in grades 8-11, along with one Dwight Global eleventh grader, traveled across the pond for the second annual choral program spearheaded by Dwight London’s Music Department. This trip is just one of several that Dwight students take each year, steeping them in other cultures, expanding their worldview, and providing them with a variety of transformative and enriching experiences. For some students who participated, it was their second visit to London with Dwight; each year, our fifth graders travel there together as global citizens. Upon arrival, students dove right into singing workshops. The experience proved eye-opening — or rather, ear-opening — for students, who ranged from novice to veteran vocalists. Eighth grader Kyra Spahn wrote, “I have never been in a chorus, so this was all very new to me. I learned a lot about working with other
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people to create something different, and it really gave me another perspective on music.” Sophomore Ariana Bevilacqua agreed, “This trip was lovely and really made me appreciate music a lot more!” Joining our New York crew were, of course, Dwight London students, along with singers from Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School and guest students from Berlin. “The experience of collaborating and performing with students from other Dwight
LONDON CHORAL EXTRAVAGANZA | DWIGHT TODAY
campuses was very fun, exciting, and wonderful,” wrote freshman Lindsay Berman. Together, the international group of students performed in a culminating concert aptly entitled “SING!” Dwight Global eleventh grader Fay Rubin wrote, “This trip was not what I expected — it was better! I loved the concert and experiencing other cultures. I really want to do it again!” Programs like this, which offer our students opportunities to learn and
collaborate in person, distinguish Dwight Global from other online schools. Many new friendships, both international and domestic, were born during the trip. Not only did our students forge new connections with English, Chinese, and German students, but also some reunited with their fifth grade London trip buddies — and all found a new camaraderie with their fellow New Yorkers. “I truly enjoyed the days full of music and community!” wrote eighth grader Isabella Venturini. When not focused on musical pursuits, the group went sightseeing to take in the history, culture, and tastes of London — from the theatre to fish and chips! Some of the destinations tied into the trip’s musical theme: the group saw two shows — a musical and a comedy — and took
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DWIGHT TODAY | GLOBAL VISION
a surprise tour of Abbey Road Studios! This was a favorite destination among students, as Isabella shared, “It was such a special unforgettable visit, as we were able to observe and discover spaces used by my musical idols!” Tenth grader Justin Chen felt deeply enriched by his experience, writing, “There were many highlights during the trip: the plays, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, the tour inside Abbey Road Studios — all the sites were intertwined with dense British culture!” Brought together by music, Dwight students forged connections to last a lifetime. Junior Annabella Civorelli wrote, “I will miss my new friends in London very much and wish to come back soon ... or maybe transfer to Dwight School London!” During our first-ever global music festival hosted in Shanghai last month, students were able to see their friends again very soon!
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Relocating or looking for a new job? Want to connect with classmates in your area?
We have a new website for that! Here’s how to get started:
Step 1: Visit alumni.dwight.edu Step 2: Log in with with your LinkedIn account, Facebook, or email address Step 3: Create your profile
Step 4: Start connecting today!
DWIGHT TODAY | HEADING
From reading buddies to lab partners, Dwight students across grades learn with — and from — one another!
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HEADING | DWIGHT TODAY
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DWIGHT TODAY | COMMUNITY
A Spirited Launch to a New Dwight Tradition
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t our first-ever school-wide Service Weekend, Dwight’s community gathered in full force to bring to life the IB’s commitment to service, creativity, and action. Over the course of 48 hours, volunteers gave their time and energy to help our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers, while deepening connections to one another — and having a bit of fun, too! Spearheading the weekend initiative was Kate Zolotkovsky, Director of Service Learning, who shared, “It was beautiful to see our entire community come together and roll up their sleeves. We had Lower School students working side by side with Middle and Upper School students, parents working together with teachers ... every corner of our community was represented and everyone made hands-on contributions.”
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In the lead-up to weekend, students heard from, and were inspired by, speakers from Dwight’s partner organizations: • Goddard Riverside Community Center, serving 17,000 people annually through 26 programs based on the Upper West Side • The New York Common Pantry, which is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency • The New York Blood Center, providing lifesaving blood products to nearly 200 hospitals in the Greater New York area • Publicolor, a youth development program that engages high-risk students in their education through design-based mentorship programs
SERVICE WEEKEND | DWIGHT TODAY
The two-day event kicked off on Saturday as volunteers teamed up with Publicolor students to help transform an underserved public school, IS 254 Bronx Middle School, where they painted and discussed education and career choices. Sunday was chock-full of activity, as Dwight’s community members: delivered meals to homebound neighbors with Goddard Riverside; made 200 brown bag lunches and toiletry kits for distribution through the New York Common Pantry; donated blood to the New York Blood Center; and gathered with Dwight’s own Art Department to explore and recognize the values and traditions of other cultures, using art as a message of acceptance and tolerance, and to create mosaicinspired tiles and imitation stained glass panels.
Before the weekend came to a close, volunteers convened for a party in the large gym. Many shared their experiences with one another and the positive energy was palpable. Ms. Zolotkovsky found deep meaning in local efforts and reflected, “It can be hard when there are so many serious challenges facing the world at home and abroad. Doing any one activity can feel small or that it isn’t effecting change fast enough. I absolutely believe that by acting locally, working together, and bringing this practice into our regular routine, we are contributing. When adding all of these acts together, we can achieve something big.” Indeed, together, we did contribute to the greater good — and the school-wide spirit of service that was sparked will continue in the months and years ahead.
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DWIGHT TODAY | DWIGHT GLOBAL
Dwight Global Students Aces on the Court and in the Classroom
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ne look at our Dwight Global Online School’s Facebook page and you’ll be impressed by students who are pursuing their tennis sparks of genius — and their winning streaks!
Thanks to Dwight Global’s commitment to supporting students’ passions, students can follow their dreams on the tennis court — or wherever they lead — well beyond the traditional 8 am-3 pm school day. Students can attend online classes from home, their tennis center, or on the road — and many do! In fact, we have over 20 competitive tennis players spanning grades 7-12. Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, who was the Captain of the 1994 Ivy League Champion Columbia University Men’s Tennis team, said, “Tennis players competing at the highest levels today have huge demands on their time between practice, travel, and tournaments. Dwight Global gives these players the flexibility
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they need to achieve their goals, while allowing them to experience a world-class education. I wish we had this program at Dwight when I was in high school!” Dwight Global classes are NCAA-approved, which is required for students to enter Division I and II colleges. Two recent Dwight Global grads — and siblings — Lillian ’16 and Karl ’18 Poling play for Division I schools; Lillian at Boise State and Karl at Princeton. Other Dwight graduates have gone on to play tennis at Harvard, Dartmouth, Columbia, Notre Dame, Middlebury, Tufts, Rutgers, Vassar, and Carleton College, among other schools. Well on their path to playing tennis in college or in the pros, Dwight Global students compete in tournaments across the country and around the world. They impress us continually with their records and rankings!
TENNIS SPARK OF GENIUS | DWIGHT TODAY
Dwight Global is proud of all the tennis aces on our team: GRADE 7
GRADE 10
Cooper Williams
Tyler Korobov Gianna Rosato
GRADE 8 Erin Ha
GRADE 9 Jace Alexander Dylan Applegate John-Tomas Bilski Chun-Po Huang Nicholas Rosato Ty Switzer Evan Wen Doug Yaffa
GRADE 11 Rebecca Fisch Jeffrey Fradkin Matthew LeCorps Alexey Lutz Josef Sajonz Prisha Vyas
GRADE 12 Mackenzie Clark Michael Cooper Rosie Garcia Gross Kiev Moore
In addition to championing students’ sparks, Dwight Global supports the sport by sponsoring a number of junior tennis tournaments in Florida, making it a grand-slam win in straight sets for everyone!
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DWIGHT TODAY | COMMUNITY
A L U M N I R E U N I O N D AY B R O U G H
ALUM
Over 100 Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American alums reconnected, raised a glass, and shared great memories at our Reunion Day! An impressive number of Franklin ’73 and Dwight ’08 landmark-year classmates were among them. We all had a blast and send a shout out of special thanks to our class reps!
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ALUMNI REUNION | DWIGHT TODAY
HT BIG SMILES AND BIG HUGS!
MNI
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DWIGHT TODAY | ALUMNI PROFILE
Salwa Emerson ’92 Scores a Literary Goal with Chance Striker
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n soccer, a striker is the player charged with scoring the lion’s
share of the team’s goals. While not a soccer player herself, Salwa Emerson ’92 has developed a character who is — and with the name Chance Striker, we know what position he plays! Chance will make his debut in just a few months with the release of Chance Striker: One in a Million, a book for reluctant readers ages 9-13 that was inspired by Salwa’s son. With its upcoming publication, we spoke with Salwa to learn more about the author, Chance, and her abiding connection to Dwight. 24
Deep Dwight Roots Salwa’s family connections to Dwight date back to the 1930s, when her great uncle, Sid Greenspan, played basketball at City College with the All-American team captain, Moe Spahn, Chancellor Stephen Spahn’s father. More than 50 years later, Salwa and her mother, Mary Abdullah, came to Dwight simultaneously; Salwa was a freshman, Mary a part-time German teacher. Together, they deepened their roots in our community. Today, Dr. Abdullah can still be found on campus, where she is one of our longest-serving faculty members. Salwa, as it turns out, also taught at Dwight. After stepping back into the classroom as an adult — and even to this day — she confides, “Whenever I see Chancellor Spahn, who has been so wonderful and like a godfather to me over the years, I still feel like I did when I first met him as a 13-year-old!” That was in 1988, when Salwa, a born performer who had acted in children’s showcases, transferred to Dwight from the
Professional Children’s School. Her family lived at 71st Street and First Avenue, so Salwa didn’t have far to travel; Dwight was located at 402 East 67th Street. The school offered the combination of quality academics and a supportive community that served her well. Salwa, whose name means “consolation,” was a leading light at Dwight talent shows, playing the piano and singing her own songs. She also wrote for the school newspaper, and reports that being recognized by teachers and classmates for her musical and writing abilities was invaluable. Back in the day, Salwa’s style also proved to be another form of stand-out self-expression. She recounts, “I was the girl who wore vintage shop clothes, Doc Martens, and orange lipstick!”
A Love of Literature Salwa was also the girl who walked down the street reading a book. English was her favorite subject and Joanna Delson, Assistant Chair of English, her favorite
SALWA EMERSON ’92 | DWIGHT TODAY
teacher. “She appreciated my literary interests, which ranged from the esoteric like The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-inthe-Moon Marigolds to classics like Jane Eyre,” Salwa explains. “Ms. Delson and all of my English teachers were so supportive, as was Chancellor Spahn, who also fed my love of literature,” she continues. “He gave me books such as The Alchemist and a collection of Rumi poetry.” Both the Chancellor and Dwight also gave Salwa the confidence needed to tackle any and all of life’s challenges. Equipped with writing chops and a strong belief in herself, Salwa set her sights on just one college: Barnard. Thanks to Barnard’s co-registration initiative with the Manhattan School of Music, she enrolled in a jazz vocal program and continued to flex her performance muscles. At Barnard, she formed her own jazz trio and was part of an a cappella group, while earning a BA in English Language and Literature. With her multitude of talents, Salwa could have pursued a career as a songstress, in musical theater, or in the world of books. The latter fit the bill and her first job was as an assistant at St. Martin’s Press, but shortly thereafter, Salwa was derailed literally and figuratively by an illness that left her in a wheelchair. After a full recovery, she pivoted and joined her mother again at Dwight as a substitute English teacher and SAT tutor. “It was a great experience,” she says. “Some of my own teachers were still there, I loved working with teens, and coming back to Dwight felt like coming home.”
On the Move and Taking Chances Graduate school ultimately beckoned and Salwa earned a Master’s in English
at NYU. As her own family grew, she homeschooled her children for three years. “I learned alongside my kids and we had the ability to be so creative by using New York City as our classroom … the world was our oyster! I found experts in different areas, such as musicians who taught Medieval studies, and designed a homeschooling curriculum still in use today,” she reports. Salwa’s oldest son later followed in his mother’s footsteps, attending Dwight for two years before the family relocated temporarily to Williamstown, MA. Salwa became an Adjunct Writer at Williams College, helping students apply for Fulbright fellowships. After moving back, Salwa taught again at Dwight and then at the French-American School of New York. Over the years, while criss-crossing states and schools, Salwa continued to write poetry for herself and marketing content for clients through her company, Emerson Ink. In early 2018, after discovering that there were no books about soccer for reluctant readers, she took on a new literary challenge to fill that gap. As the mother of an ardent soccer fan and player, she recounts, “Before I knew it, I began writing a story and this character emerged full-blown on my computer screen! His name, Chance Striker, is the perfect moniker for a bit of a wily, charming underdog.” Born with two left feet, he overcomes his disability — and the odds — to become a star on the pitch. Less than one year after Chance came to life, with the help of an illustrator, co-writer, and funds raised through a kickstarter campaign, Salwa is self-publishing Chance Striker: One in a Million.
The Sky’s the Limit “Working with collaborators who share the same vision is amazing and now, thanks to the support of others, I can envision an entire Chance Striker series,” Salwa enthuses. She credits her alma mater for this optimism: “I feel like Dwight taught me that the sky’s the limit — that anything is possible. Over the years, I have seen so many of Chancellor Spahn’s ideas come to fruition, thanks to his inspiring visionary leadership and belief in those on his team. He has been a great role model for me.” She continues, “After attending the Chancellor’s 50th anniversary celebration last spring, I was struck by how many other students and alumni feel the exact same way. They all share the belief that anything is truly possible, thanks to the confidence he instilled in them.” With another Chance Striker adventure in the works, it looks like anything is possible for him as well! To learn more, visit www.chancestriker.com.
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DWIGHT TODAY | GLOBAL VISION
SPARKS of GENIUS ABOUND
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DWIGHT SCHOOL DUBAI | DWIGHT TODAY
at DWIGHT SCHOOL DUBAI! lanting seeds for growth and prosperity, Dwight School Dubai marked its official opening with a special ceremony last November. Two months earlier, our first school in the Middle East welcomed students from pre-K through grade 10 — and they have been blossoming ever since!
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“It was wonderful to kick off our celebrations with Spark Week to inspire our creative minds and fuel our thirst for innovation. Our students were so excited to share their ideas and began right away to develop their own projects,” reports Janecke Aarnæs, Head of Dwight School Dubai.
Dwight School Dubai, located in Al Barsha South, will ultimately grow to full capacity with 2,000 students through grade 12. It features state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and arts facilities to ignite the spark of genius in every child.
“During Spark Week, we welcomed professionals from IBM, Sharaf DG, and Jotun to share their entrepreneurial expertise with students. We also initiated a student challenge to design school merchandise such as backpacks and sweatshirts, with the best of each design chosen for production,” Ms. Aarnæs says. “There were so many great concepts, we had a hard time selecting!”
To celebrate the momentous opening, Dwight School Dubai launched Spark Week, inspired by Dwight’s signature Spark Tank incubator program in New York, which teaches entrepreneurial, innovation, and leadership skills beyond the classroom. As readers of Dwight Today know, many students have pursued their passion projects in Spark Tank since its 2015 inception, including those who have successfully introduced their products — ranging from novel apps to signature fashion lines — into the marketplace.
Dubai’s Spark Tank Center is equipped with the latest technology, including 3D printers, HD touch-screen collaboration tables, electronic stations, a large-bed laser cutter, as well as flexible working spaces and pitching areas, to help students design and engineer their ideas into reality. “While we are thrilled to have the finest facilities
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DWIGHT TODAY | GLOBAL VISION
and best tools to facilitate invention, it is our culture of innovation that matters most,” reports Ms. Aarnæs. It wasn’t all that long ago that Ms. Aarnæs relocated from Norway to watch Dwight School Dubai emerge, literally, from the sand. She recruited a team, including Associate Head of School Rebecca Skinner, and began building a community dedicated to bringing the Dwight spark of genius educational ethos to Dubai. Seven members of the Dwight family relocated, bringing their IB expertise — Jaya Bhavnani, Filiz Sevil, and Yumi Lee from New York; and Justin Dacanay, who began in Seoul, moved from London with Viktorija Rude, Geoff Cusack, and Anneloes Hobbeling. Less than a year later, Dwight School Dubai has already become a standout in the competitive independent school arena. As the school continues to take root, we look forward to it being on the forefront of education and innovation in the entire UAE.
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DWIGHT SCHOOL DUBAI | DWIGHT TODAY
Dwight on the Ground and in the Cloud Forge KHDA Partnership
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ecognized as a pioneer in education, Dwight was invited by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which is part of the government in Dubai, to collaborate in providing creative and innovative alternatives to mainstream education. This groundbreaking partnership was formalized when the Prime Minister of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, signed a license giving KHDA and Dwight School Dubai the green light to launch innovative online and blended learning models. Through this license, students will be taking live classes virtually through Dwight Global Online School and in person at Dwight School Dubai in a pilot project. The first to participate are siblings Sultan, Lulwu, Rashid, and Dana Abdulwahid, Emirati students who will be supported by Dwight every step of the way on their untraditional educational journey. This exciting development was inspired by the Dubai government’s commitment to advance education as part of its 10X initiative, which aims to take Dubai ten years into the future in just two through “disruptive” — or accelerated rather than incremental — innovation. The KHDA, as part of the government, launched a 10X project called Rahhal (“traveler” in Arabic) to provide creative and innovative alternatives to mainstream education and found an ideal partner in Dwight. When this first-ever educational license was signed at a special ceremony, all of the partnership players — Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of the KHDA, and Rahhal team; the Minister of Education and 10X team; Dwight Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn and Head of Dwight School Dubai Janecke Aarnæs — met with the Prime Minister and his son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. “We are pleased and honored that Dwight was selected to participate in this cutting-edge project designed to advance education for all of the UAE,” said the Vice Chancellor. With our new campus in Dubai, which shares Dwight Global’s focus on innovation and personalization, we look forward to bringing a flexible, blended Dwight education to students throughout the region. We anticipate that our collaboration with KHDA will become an example not only for the UAE, but also for the world.”
And they’re off!
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e didn’t have to wait long for Dwight School Dubai to get off to a racing start! In December, a Dubai student team — the first all-girls’ team from the UAE — entered the global F1 in Schools Formula One Challenge! This competition, an educational program to raise awareness of STEM and Formula 1 around the world, draws millions of students from over 40 countries. The team of six ninth graders — Stella Langenbach, Sofia Langthjem, Amber-Rose McCauley, Chiara Pistilli, Leila Taylor-Damouni, and Romy Wegmann — call themselves “Ultraviolet Racing.” They took on the challenge of designing, building, and ultimately racing a miniature compressed F1 car of the future. And they are, understandably, making media headlines! With the help of a local Maserati dealer as sponsor, and Dwight School Dubai’s Spark Tank in which to develop their car, Ultraviolet Racing will compete in the 2019 series. No doubt, the team will leave plenty of others in the dust!
Through our brick-and-mortar schools in Dubai, New York, London, Seoul, and Shanghai together with our campus in the cloud, Dwight offers students various options for receiving a world-class education made possible through technology that brings students and faculty together wherever they may be.
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DWIGHT TODAY | HEADING
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HEADING | DWIGHT TODAY
When the Dwight “Sea” Lions dove into the ISAL Championships this year, the Girls Varsity team brought home first place and the Boys followed in second!
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DWIGHT TODAY | MAKING HEADLINES
WE’RE DELIGHTED TO SHARE
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MEDIA COVERAGE | DWIGHT TODAY
RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
For Dwight’s latest media coverage, please visit our press room at www.dwight.edu
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DWIGHT TODAY | FACULTY Q&A
eidi Rubenstein-Brethel is busy! She serves as the Dean of Ninth Grade, Head of Physical Health Education, and coaches two Varsity teams — Girls Soccer and Boys Rugby, which she founded. We sat down with Heidi to learn more about her multiple roles and how she inspires our students and scholar-athletes to succeed individually and as teammates in every aspect of their lives.
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You wear many hats—how do you do it all? I like the challenge of maintaining a balance! Every day is different, bringing new opportunities and challenges. Time management is very important — and that’s something I try to pass on to students. Some people with the best time management skills are those who are the busiest. That certainly holds true for me. Tell us about your own athletic career. As a kid, I played soccer and softball primarily, and basketball and ran track, too. I was always playing something! After graduating from high school, I found rugby. From that point on, that was it. I played rugby throughout college and beyond in Baltimore, Austin, and New York City. I continued playing into adulthood with the New York Rugby Club and in a women’s premier league, so I was fortunate to travel all over the country to compete. I was thrilled to be invited to try out for the U.S. women’s national team. I didn’t make the cut, but I did go to Barcelona for the 2002 World Cup to cheer on my friends!
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What was your path to education and coaching? I have worked with athletes, students, or peers in some sort of leadership role for as long as I can remember. I ran after-school programs in college, worked at the YMCA and as a personal trainer and sports performance specialist for elite athletes as a strength and conditioning coach. I think I always knew that I would end up in education, but for a time I was more focused on my own physical training and that of others. When I was looking at graduate schools, I realized that I could coach and train athletes, while also contributing to their educational life through physical and health education. My professional career path is still evolving. This is my thirteenth year in education and my sixth at Dwight. Now that I have been a dean for three years, I feel that I’m most comfortable in that role. I enjoy the administrative and leadership responsibilities, and the pastoral duties that come with being a dean. I like contributing to students’ academic, emotional, and social development and being able to help them be their best selves. What is your educational philosophy? I believe in a holistic education. A child’s physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being are vital to learning, so all areas need to
HEIDI RUBENSTEIN-BRETHEL | DWIGHT TODAY
be nurtured. Students learn in so many different ways that educators have to connect first and get to the core of each individual to find out what motivates him/her. I think that the educator-student connection is everything; it fosters student buy-in, and with buy-in, you can create a positive culture for student success. What is the value for kids in playing sports? There’s a huge link between being a part of a team and life in general. On a team, you learn how to get along with people and communicate well. You learn how to win graciously and how to handle the hardship of losing. And that’s life — you don’t always win. You learn how to deal with adversity. These lessons will benefit you as an adult. The skills that I learned directly translate to my job as a dean and allow me to act as a life coach for students.
What are the guiding principles for PHE at Dwight? We focus on providing students with a fitness and health education that will serve them well throughout their lives. Students are not only learning the skills they need to be proficient in a sport, but also the interpersonal and life skills they need to take responsibility for their own health and to work successfully with people both one-on-one and in groups. We encourage students to leave their comfort zone and take risks — in the spirit of the IB Learner Profile — to maximize personal growth and improve their performance. How do you help ninth graders navigate the transition to high school? The biggest question at the beginning of the year is: How do we become a part of the high school community? Everything is
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DWIGHT TODAY | FACULTY Q&A
different. There are more assessments, the expectations are higher, and this is the beginning of their path to college. Academics become more rigorous and their homework load is greater. Each year, the overnight orientation trip is a really important time for students to bond and start building their own community before they enter high school together. Some students say they can’t imagine the first day of school without having shared that experience. Throughout the year, we continue to build community and emphasize what it means to be in high school. We underscore the importance of social relationships, open communication with teachers, and time management. As a dean, I watch for patterns that could indicate struggle. There is no such thing as too much communication for me; everything builds a story and allows me to step in and find out where students might need more support. After our girls won the ISAL Soccer Championship for the first time last year, how did this season go? We graduated some great talent last year, but we had so many rising ninth-grade stars on the team this year. We had three senior captains who felt the pressure to win again — they’ve been there before and know what that feels like. They wanted it! They did great, with two 5-0 wins leading up to the semi-finals. Our season ended there with a loss in a well-fought match. They were disappointed, but I’m super proud of their fight! If your players aren’t disappointed after a loss, then you’re not doing something right as a coach. There should be some emotion indicating that they care about all of the hours that they put in. When they lose, I take it as hard as they do. Teaching kids to be competitive — the mental part of the game — is the hardest thing to coach. It’s important to motivate them to find that drive within themselves. Sure, you need the skills to play a sport well, but there have been many more games won by the athlete or team who wants it more. You founded our Varsity Rugby team six years ago. Tell us how it started. A former student playing in the youth division of the New York Rugby Club, where I also played and coached for many years, approached me about wanting to play rugby for Dwight. Together we made it happen! I was able to carry the rich history and culture of rugby over to Dwight and our team took off.
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Rugby is a very physical sport — players tackle each other and get bloody together. There is a feeling of going into battle as a unit. We call the team a brotherhood and players embrace that culture and pass it down from year to year. We have our own special shirt that says “Earn It” on the back. Only players who have stepped onto the field with each other have that shirt and it’s very special to them. The first year, we recruited just enough players to make a team. This year, we’ll have 23 on the roster and our first-ever pre-season trip to Ireland! The team will train with professional players, play matches against local teams of the same age, and do some sightseeing in Dublin, including a visit to the world-class Aviva Stadium. I had a coach who told me that it takes at least five years to build a championship team. Of course, that’s if you have the same people for five years. At a school, we see players graduate after four years, or fewer if they come to the game later in high school, so it’s a challenge, but one that I have enjoyed immensely. Those who graduated last year had been on the team for four years and we had the best record in our league for two years in a row. The boys were thrilled and it’s a great standard to shoot for every year. What is your personal spark of genius? Coaching and being a mom! Tell us about your recent PD experience. I was extremely excited to attend the Athlete Friendly Education Center Professional Development Workshop in Hong Kong, thanks to The Dwight School Foundation. Last year, Dwight became the first school in the U.S. to be accredited by the World Academy of Sport as an Athlete Friendly Education Center, and I was the first Dwight administrator to receive training from the Academy. I look forward to sharing the knowledge gained and continuing to enrich our long-standing scholar-athlete tradition at Dwight. We can’t wait — it will be a win for all!
Alumni
Rooftop Garden Leave your legacy and commemorate your years at Dwight, Franklin, or Anglo-American with a plaque in our new Alumni Rooftop Garden, located on the rooftop of 22 West 89th Street.
To order your legacy plaque for $500 for the Alumni Rooftop Garden, please contact Shannon Cassell, Director of Alumni Relations and Events at 646.898.0313 or scassell@dwight.edu.
Class of 2003 John Smith 2003
Your Name Here!
THE SMITH FAMILY
DWIGHT TODAY | PERSONALIZED LEARNING
The Learned Ladies Was a Theatrical Education forAll!
stage right into a decadent domicile, with a plush, burgundy E nter velvet pouf, and an ornate white settee. A harpsichord melody
softly trills in the background, and soon, black-and-white frocked servants dance onto the scene. From its colorful characters to its social commentary, The Learned Ladies was a wonderfully acted romp that transported the audience to a 17th-century French chateau where trite Romantic poetry and pseudo-intellectualism rule the roost ... for now! The Learned Ladies is a satire by Molière, adapted for modern times by Freyda Thomas — that tells a story in rhymed couplets — which as Terry Christgau, Director of Upper School Theater Productions, reports, is not easy! He chose the comedy to bring joy and laughter to the community. As shared in the program’s Director’s Notes, Mr. Christgau wrote: “The worlds that Molière depicts on stage are not kingdoms or countries, but families and households. He holds the mirror up to us as domestic beings and insists that we laugh at ourselves. This year, because almost everything we read in the news about our
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world is so heavy and scary, I wanted us to laugh a lot, as a cast, as an audience, and as a community.” The Learned Ladies was the first Mainstage Theater production of this school year — and the 43rd that Mr. Christgau has directed and designed in his 21 years at Dwight. During the audition process, so many students did so well that he decided to have not one, but two casts! Both brought the play to life with the energy and talent required for this comedic show — an older cast, who performed each evening show, and a younger cast. The older cast included Ava Goldfarb ’21 as Belise, Naomi Gayner ’19 as Martine, Kate Schlein ’19 as Henriette, Ariana Bevilacqua ’21 as Armande, Fernando Villarreal ’20 as Lycandre, Aza Evans-Townsend ’20 as Arista, Ven Cernjul ’20 as Chrysale, Carolina Bueno Silva Arap ’22 as Philamenthe, Marcello Massone ’19 as Trissotin, Ari Simmons ’20 as Vadius, and Alden Wilson ’21 as the Judge. The all ninth-grade cast, who performed a matinee show for their peers on Friday and for the community on Saturday
THE LEARNED LADIES | DWIGHT TODAY
included: Emily Fry as Belise, Leia Immanuel as Martine, Jane Barbero as Henriette, Elexis Perls as Armande, Rory Paltridge as Lycandre, Zofia Sulima Horbatowska as Arista, Bernardo Sequeira as Chrysale, Carolina Bueno Silva Arap as Philamenthe, Ari Schlein as Trissotin, Eric Gayner as Vadius, and Becca Woldenberg as the Judge. Ninth grader Carolina Bueno Silva Arap stepped up — and into — a leading role in all performances of the show. From veteran thespians to first-time performers, every cast member
Arts Center, with Broadway-quality lighting, grants students the opportunity to delve into the world of set and stage design, as well as sound and lighting, where students learn about theater’s technical side. The Learned Ladies is just one of many performing arts opportunities available to Dwight students. Beginning in Middle School, Dwight students take theater classes and perform in plays and musicals, providing them with numerous opportunities to pursue their sparks of genius in acting and singing. They can also
enthusiastically dove into his/her character. Additionally, explore their interests in what happens behind the curtain and be the ninth-grade cast attended virtually every rehearsal of part of the crew for our Mainstage productions. the older cast to watch their counterparts and learn. Of the Upper School students may choose to take IB Diploma Program rehearsal process, Mr. Christgau said, “It has Theater classes and participate in Dwight’s Master been very interesting to see the similarities Theater Program, which mirrors college-level Presents the Mainstage Production of and differences emerge not only in character instruction with professionals from the New York and interpretation, but also in the students theater community, but is designed specifically themselves. Some of the acting choices are so for high school students serious about the craft. delightfully different due to how individual Students also learn from the feedback of their peers and wonderful each cast member is!” and audience members through “talk back” Q&A During the final weeks before the curtain rose, sessions following performances, with Friday’s Gabi Paganini ’18, who was a lead in last year’s ninth-grade matinee being one example. play, volunteered as Assistant Stage Manager. The Learned Ladies was a wickedly witty The Learned The play’s beautiful set showcased our show put on by a marvelously talented and Ladies students’ artistic talents; with the help of hardworking group of students, faculty, and By Molière Dwight’s Maintenance crew, students painted staff. We laughing Lions in the audience thank and assembled a set that brought Molière’s Mr. Christgau and our wonderful casts and crew fanciful literary salon to life. Our Performing for the stellar show! Chloe Liu ’20
Thursday, December 13 | 7 pm
Friday, December 14 | 7 pm
Saturday, December 15 | 2 pm matinee for 9th grade cast
Saturday, December 15 | 7 pm Dwight Performing Arts Center 566 Columbus Avenue No reservations Tickets at the door only Suggested $25 donation
A modern verse adaptation by Freyda Thomas
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DWIGHT TODAY | ALUMNI PROFILE
Tom Barbash ’79 Revisits Dwight and the City That Shaped His New Novel C
ritically acclaimed writer Tom Barbash ’79 recently returned to his beloved alma mater for a reading of his latest book, The Dakota Winters. This work follows a previous award-winning novel, The Last Good Chance; a national best-selling collection of short stories, Stay Up With Me; and the nonfiction, New York Times bestseller, On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick & 9/11: A Story of Loss & Renewal. When Tom was a student, Dwight was housed in its 402 East 67th Street location in rather modest brownstone quarters, compared to the school’s current state-ofthe-art facilities. While today’s Dwight has more than tripled in size since then, the heart and soul of the school remains the same. This was evident to Tom, as he gathered with members of our community
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in the Quad to share his new story and some old memories.
Riding the “Headwinds” of Possibility at Dwight
Tom came to Dwight as a junior and it was here that he finally found the perfect environment in which to reach his full potential as a student-athlete. He recalls candidly, “I was a spectacularly bad student in middle school, but Chancellor Spahn took a chance on me.” Upon meeting him for the first time, Tom sensed a warmth and sincerity that he describes fondly, “My parents and I felt extremely welcome, and Mr. Spahn really saw me and seemed genuinely excited about my coming to Dwight. As a student, I felt seen for the first time as somebody specific. I thrived at Dwight. I loved my teachers. I loved my classmates. I was on Dean’s Lists and became confident in my own abilities. I began to take risks.”
Chancellor Spahn’s celebrated knack for finding that spark of genius in every student he encounters has become a cornerstone for Dwight, ensuring the success of students like Tom whose potential could have been easily overlooked. With only 54 students in his graduating class, Tom received the individual attention he would need to hone his talents and discover new ones. One of the faculty members who stands out most in Tom’s memory is eleventhgrade English teacher Donato Cerullo. Tom recalls Mr. Cerullo’s approach to teaching as “rigorous without being rigid. We were all expected to work hard, but we didn’t feel like we needed to fit into a neat box in order to do well in class.”
TOM BARBASH ’79 | DWIGHT TODAY
Just as influential for Tom’s high school experience was Head of History, Edward Engle, a teacher honored for his collegelevel Constitutional Law course, which was a Dwight staple for decades. Tom says his experience in Mr. Engle’s class was like one “straight out of a boarding-school movie.” Mr. Engle, who addressed Tom as Mr. Barbash, was excited about students’ ideas. “He made you feel good about yourself and his classroom held the air of possibility,” Tom says. Without a doubt, Tom’s summary of his experience at Dwight resonates with countless other alumni: “Dwight offered me a classical education with great books and great ideas. It had an intelligent, enthusiastic faculty who made sure I got off on the right foot. After that, I was riding headwinds the rest of the way. I was succeeding as a student, but I was also being challenged at the same time.”
Tennis As Training Ground Tom was on the Dwight Varsity Tennis team and a champion player, making his way to the semi-finals of the New York private school tournament two years in a row. He links his achievements on the court to his success in the classroom: “I think tennis taught me the benefit of persistence and hard work. And beyond that, exercise is clearly good for the brain and for stoking one’s imagination.” Tom was recruited to play tennis at Haverford College, where he planned to major in political science and become a lawyer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandmother. However, when he chose to major in English instead, his career trajectory took an unexpected turn. Later, Tom would go on to receive his MFA from The Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the equally prestigious Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, where he taught creative writing.
In addition to publishing four books, Tom has written numerous essays, stories, articles, and reviews, illustrating his artistry across the literary spectrum. Currently, he teaches writing in the MFA program at California College of the Arts, including a course entitled “Line by Line,” in which he unpacks the craft one paragraph at a time — literally line by line.
During his visit to Dwight, Tom read aloud one chapter from The Dakota Winters along with a few short stories from Stay Up With Me. After bringing his words to life off the page, it was clear to all in attendance that he is a superb story-teller in every way.
Coming Full Circle, Back to the Upper West Side After graduating from college, Tom worked for the Syracuse Post-Standard for nearly three years, where he cut his teeth and learned invaluable lessons: “As a journalist, I learned to write clean sentences,” he recalls. “I learned about deadlines, and not to be be too precious with my own writing … and I learned to search the world for stories.” For many of his short stories and his new novel, Tom didn’t have to search much further than the backyard in which he grew up: the Upper West Side. Set in 1979 — the year Tom graduated from Dwight — the novel depicts the relationship between Buddy Winters, a famous latenight-talk show host recovering from a nervous breakdown and his 23-yearold son, Anton, who has just returned from the Peace Corps after a bad bout of malaria. Much of the story takes place in the celebrated Dakota apartment building where the Winters live as neighbors to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who are also characters in the book. Tom’s recollection of Manhattan during these days of his youth seems inextricable
from his memories of Dwight: “New York City was an interesting place in the 70s. It had huge liberal ambitions and it was diverse in a great way … the city had an open heart. That was before the overgentrification we see now.” As for the Dakota, which was just a few blocks from home, he describes it as “a huge, slightly frightening, and gorgeous castle.” Clearly, the novel’s setting holds great nostalgia for Tom who, along with his wife and 11-year-old son, has called California’s Marin County home for several years. When asked what he misses most about Manhattan, Tom responds, “I miss the crowds, the walking culture, the buzz. I miss the crystallized ambition.” Surely, Chancellor Spahn and Tom’s teachers at Dwight would agree that the term “crystallized ambition,” so uniquely coined, could also easily describe this much-celebrated alum! To learn more about The Dakota Winters, please visit harpercollins.com.
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When our Middle School team competed in the junior competition of the Regional Round of the World Scholar’s Cup, some students brought home trophies, while everyone earned enough points to qualify for the Global Round — and a shiny medal for doing so!
DWIGHT TODAY | PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Students Don Lab Coats for Hands-on Learning at Pfizer Research Center
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or the second time last fall, Dwight students had the opportunity to visit a premier center of scientific research to hear from investigators on the forefront of their fields. The first venue was Rockefeller University here in New York City; the second was further away in Cambridge, MA — the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Research Center, a leader in immune and gene therapy. This one-day trip to Pfizer’s hub of innovation was designed for students in grades 8-12 interested in medicine, scientific research, and public health. They started out before dawn, departing Dwight at 5 am with their teachers:
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Anne Metcalf, James Kearsley, Elliot Butler, and Barry Gragg, Head of the Science Department. The group toured Pfizer’s state-ofthe-art research facility and learned about the latest technologies such as flow cytometry, genome sequencing using the Illumina dye sequencing technique, and electron microscopy. Students met with scientists to hear about their work and conducted a range of experiments. They topped off the action-packed day by learning how to make ice cream from liquid nitrogen! Upon returning to campus, students reflected on their experience. Elizabeth
Tatishev ’21, Carlota Bustos ’20, and Kai Kelly ’20 co-wrote: “We received a friendly welcome and a quick informative presentation about scientific concepts we needed to understand to complete the labs we would be working on, such as the ‘Miracle Berry’ and the strawberry DNA extraction labs. We experienced the effects of a Miracle Berry pill, which contains a glycoprotein ‘miraculin’ that alters the shape of taste buds temporarily, thus allowing sour foods to taste sweet. We later met with a panel of distinguished Pfizer scientists. They explained their academic and career choices, as well as their areas of expertise, ranging from
PFIZER RESEARCH CENTER | DWIGHT TODAY
the creation of organoids to studies that slow down the effects of ALS and other degenerative diseases. Meeting them gave us the ability to see what jobs we could possibly have in the future; each person had something different to offer about their experiences, why they chose their area of research, and how they came to Pfizer. Learning about the facilities at Pfizer and modern scientific technologies was highly engaging.” Pepe Valles Fons ’20 shared: “I saw different technologies used for optimum resolutions of cell populations and analysis of human T-cell and lymphocyte subsets. The machine used five different lasers (violet, blue, red, green-yellow, and UV) to analyze different cell populations. I was able to see connections in the labs with my IB HL Bio and Chem classes. This hands-on experience enabled me to connect what I learn in school to real-life scenarios regarding rare diseases.” Dwight’s commitment to providing exceptional learning experiences beyond the classroom like this extends to faculty as well. While students were deeply engrossed in their experiments, Ms. Metcalf and Mr. Gragg met with Dr. Natalie Kuldell, Founder of the BioBuilder Foundation, which designs state-of-the-art biology investigation kits for high school science labs. Mr. Gragg reports that he hopes Dwight will test the kit prototypes when they become available. In addition to discussing her work for BioBuilder, Dr. Kuldell provided an overview of her research in the field of synthetic biology — the next wave of DNA manipulation in which organisms will be designed and assembled gene-by-gene. What an amazing prospect! This day of learning was certainly exciting for all!
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DWIGHT TODAY | ON THE FIELD
VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY: PLACED SECOND IN BOTH THE ACIS AND ISAL CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS
GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER: ENTERED THE ISAL SEMI-FINALS WITH TWO BACK-TO-BACK 5-0 WINS
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BOYS VARSITY SOCCER: JACKSON WARFIELD ’19 LED THE TEAM OVERALL WITH EIGHT GOALS AND EIGHT ASSISTS
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FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP | DWIGHT TODAY
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER: OLIVER BARTLETT ’23 AND JACOBO BUSTOS ’23 LED THE TEAM OVERALL IN GOALS
JV VOLLEYBALL: PLACED FOURTH IN THE ISAL LEAGUE AND TOOK SIXTH IN THE ACIS LEAGUE
GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL: COMPETED IN THE ISAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
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MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: SEVENTH GRADERS LAYLA, LUCY, CATRIONA, AND FRANCINE DOMINATED WITH GREAT SERVES WHILE SEVENTH GRADERS ADRIANA, AMELIA, AND EMMA LED WITH PASSING AND SETTING
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DWIGHT TODAY | ON CAMPUS
STUDENT TALENT S HIN
ARTS RO Fall Art Exhibition
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Fall Scene Night
FALL ARTS ROUNDUP | DWIGHT TODAY
NES ACROSS CAMPUS!
OUNDUP Fall Conservatory Concert
Symphony Space Concert
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Let your colors fly ...
For the love of Dwight School! Shop online at dwight.edu/dwightapparel 5 6 4
C O L U M B U S
A V E
AGES 1 – 2.5
with a parent or caregiver
Small Wonder Summer Program June 17 – July 25, mornings | Riverside Campus Art, music, gym activities, story time, and more! Contact: Lori Taylor, Small Wonder Program Administrator: ltaylor@dwight.edu
AGES 2 – 5
Open to current students in the 2s, 3s, and pre-K programs
Riverside Summer Camp
June 17 – July 25, 8:30 am – 1 pm | Riverside Campus Creative and performing arts, science exploration, sports, outdoor play, and more! Contact: Clara Mendez, Summer Camp Coordinator: summeronriverside@dwight.edu
AGES 4 – 5
entering pre-K and K in 2019
Discovery Camp: Pre-K and K June 17 – August 23 | D wight Summer Camp on Riverside Campus
AGES 6 – 12
Explorers Camp: Grades 1-2 Adventure Camp: Grades 3-6
Sports Camp: Grades 1-6 Spark Camps: Grades 1-6
June 17 – August 23 | D wight Summer Camp at the Dwight School Athletic Center Day passes are available Mix and match weeks — and make summer your own! Contact: Mercedes Knibbs, Camp Co-director: campdirector@dwight.edu
DWIGHT TODAY | ALUMNI
1968 Dwight Word newspaper editorial team Alvin Steingold ’60 writes that he retired as Director of Housing Subsidies for the City of New York in 2001 and lives near his oldest daughter in Columbia, SC. “I look forward to our class reunion on our 60th anniversary in 2020!” Frank Meade ’68 wrote to share unfortunate news about the passing of two fellow classmates, Joel Haimes ’68 and Bruce Fyfe ’68: “I attended Gary Winston’s ’68 memorial service three years ago. He, along with Joel and Bruce, achieved Dwight’s ‘spark of genius’ philosophy. Their accomplishments add to our School’s proud legacy spanning more than seven generations of social responsibility, service for the greater good, integrity and personal fulfillment that stand as beacons for today’s student body and future cohorts which shall pass through this remarkable institution. Dwight’s history is filled with men and women who have served their nation and communities in many fields, a long line of distinguished alumni who deserve remembrance and honor. … Joel, Bruce and Gary, my three departed classmates, you are tribute to the enduring Dwight spirit. Requiescant in pace.” Lois Alpen ’76 (Franklin) continues to be a busy writer and editor: “I still do a fair share of sports reporting and tackle celebrity stories whenever I can. Keeps life interesting.” Andrew Chait ’78 lives in New York City with his wife, Hedy Hartman (Franklin ’72), and their son, Jeremy. He continues the family tradition with his brother, Steven, at Ralph M. Chait Galleries. When not at the gallery or antique shows, Andrew and his family travel throughout the US. He also continues his role as Vice President of the Men’s Club at Temple Emanu-El and Assistant Treasurer of Men of Reform Judaism.
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Send your Class Notes to Shannon Cassell: scassell@dwight.edu
Ethan Greenberg ’12 writes, “As a Team Reporter/Producer for the New York Jets, I apply many skills daily that I learned during my years with Mr. Christgau and the Theater Department. As a reporter, I often need to think quickly on my feet, a trait perfected from improv workshops. Presentation is also a key element of my profession. In high school, I was shy and performed in front of an audience as little as I could. Now I perform in front of an audience, albeit through a screen, almost daily. Dwight truly helped me break out of my shell, and my time in theater proved to be invaluable to my career.” Calvin Solomon ’17 was back on campus during Thanksgiving break from Yale, where he is majoring in Psychology with an emphasis on applying human behavior to marketing. Calvin completed two summer internships with the breakthrough medical imaging company, Butterfly, working with the product development team to design and wireframe an iPad app for the 2018 release of the handheld ultrasound device called iQ. This exciting innovation follows the 2017 release of the OurDwight app, which we’re proud to continue using as our official school app today! Ilan Pesselev ’18 reports that he is enjoying life as a freshman at NYU. He’s on the pre-med track and plans to major in biochemistry. As founder of Spark Labs, the initiative launched while he was a senior at Dwight to bring the Spark Tank experience and learning to peer entrepreneurs in New York City, he continues to share his innovative spirit with classmates at college. Additionally, he says, “I am constantly thinking about ways to extend the knowledge I receive in lectures beyond the classroom to innovate in the field of medicine.”
YOU’RE INVITED!
HEADING | DWIGHT TODAY
The Dwight School Foundation Spring Benefit
PLEASE JOIN US FOR
THE DWIGHT SCHOOL FOUNDATION
SPRING BENEFIT
Friday. April.12 | Ziegfeld Ballroom, 141 West 54th Street
To purchase tickets, email benefit@dwight.edu or visit dwight.edu/thefutureisnow
DON’T MISS IT!
DWIGHT TODAY | HEADING
Dwight is an IB World School
212.724.6360 dwight.edu
The future is bright and colorful for preschoolers in the Class of 2033!
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