Dwight-Englewood School

Dwight-Englewood School
Location
315 E. Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631
Information
Type	Independent Day
Motto	Per ardua ad veritatem (through hard work, to truth)
Established	1889/1928/1973
Headmaster	Rodney V. DeJarnett
Faculty	125.5(on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	pre-K - 12
Enrollment	897 (as of 2009-10, plus 35 in Pre-K)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	7.1[1]
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue      Gold      White
Athletics conference	North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
Mascot	Bulldog
Newspaper	'The Flea, "Spectrum"
Yearbook	'Carpe Diem'
Website	School website

The Dwight–Englewood School (D-E) is an independent coeducational college preparatory day school, located in Englewood, New Jersey. The school teaches students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade via three functionally separate schools. The Lower School (also known as the Bede School) serves students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade in the Bede building. The Middle School, in Umpleby Hall, serves students in grades 6-8. The Upper School serves grades 9-12, and houses its administration in the Leggett building and now the Klein Campus center. Other buildings are the Swartley Arts Center, the Imperatore Library, the Modell Sports Complex, and the Pope Science Building.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 897 students (plus 35 in Pre-K) and 125.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 5.1.^[1]

Dwight-Englewood is a member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools^[2] and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1999.^[3]

Awards and recognition

Dwight-Englewood was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, during the 1986-87 school year.^[4]

History

In 1889, the Dwight School for Girls was founded as a college preparatory school by Euphemia S. Creighton and Ellen W. Farrar. The name is chosen to honor the then president of Yale University, the Rev. Timothy Dwight V, whose educational philosophy they admired. The Englewood School for Boys was established in 1928 as a college preparatory school. In 1973, the two schools formed a nonprofit corporation known as Dwight-Englewood School. In 1993, Dwight-Englewood School and The Bede School merged to add students in Pre-K through sixth grade.^[5]

Campus

The school's Campus consists of 14 buildings totaling 318,000 square feet (29,500 m²). The principal educational facilities are:

Leggett Hall - 21 Upper-School Classrooms - Middle School Drama Classes - Headmaster's Office - Hulst House - Wireless Internet Access

Klein Campus Center - Haijar Auditorium - 9 General Classrooms - Student Coop and Bookstore - Senior Lounge - Bells Classroom - Choir Room - Arts Display Spaces - Wireless Internet Access

Imperatore Library - 35,000+ Volumes - Computer Workspaces - Student Lounge - 4 Language Classrooms - Taub Technology Center - Wireless Internet Access

Swartley Art Center - Photography Studio - Ceramics - Art History - 2 Studio Arts Classrooms - Music Practice - Art Gallery - Printmaking Facilities - Wireless Internet Access

Pope Science Hall - 8 Fully Equipped Laboratories - Wireless Internet Access

Khubani Performing Arts Center - State-of-the-Art Theatre - Music Instruction Rooms - 1 Sound and Lighting Booth - 1 Projection Booth

Modell's Sports Complex 2 Gymnasiums - Dance/Aerobic Studio - Weight Room - 2 On-Campus Fields - 3 Additional Fields - 5 Tennis Courts

Lower School Building 15 Classrooms - Cafeteria - Gymnasium - Library - Computer Room - Wireless Internet Access

Umpleby Hall - 28 Middle-School Classrooms - 2 Fully Equipped Science Labs - Wireless Internet Access

Graham House - Admissions Office - Alumni Office - Business Office - Development Office

Nature Sanctuary

Athletics

Dwight-Englewood has many athletics programs, including: boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys baseball, girls softball, boys football, coed golf, girls field hockey, boys basketball, girls basketball, girls volleyball, boys tennis, girls tennis and coed Ultimate Frisbee. The school competes in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference, which consists of public and private schools located in Bergen County, Passaic County and Hudson County, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.^[6] Prior to realignment that took effect in the fall of 2010, Dwight-Englewood was a member of the Bergen County Scholastic League.

Boys tennis: In spring 2002 the boys tennis team won the Non-Public B State Championship and was the runner-up to Holmdel High School in the Tournament of Champions, falling by the score of 3-2 in the finals.^[7] In spring 2008, the boys tennis team finished with a record of 21-1 and won the Bergen County Groups 1-2, North Jersey Group B Sectional, and Non-Public B State Championship with a 5-0 win over Sacred Heart High School.^[8] The team's only loss was in the Tournament of Champions semi-finals to ultimate runner-up Westfield High School by the score of 3-2.^[9]

The girls varsity tennis team won the Bergen County Small Schools title in 2010, finishing the season with a record of 18-1 and earning Courtney Baiardi Stasi recognition by The Star-Ledger as its Coach of the Year for the season.^[10]

The Fifth-Grade opera

In fifth grade, students compose and write an original opera. They form an opera company and go through all the steps necessary to stage a full production—script writing, libretto, costumes and makeup, set design, lighting, and publicity. This project is part of the Metropolitan Opera’s program, “Creating Original Opera.” 2011 will be the 25th year of opera production at the Lower School.

Organization

Internally, the school has Principals for the lower, middle, and upper schools, as well as deans of students. The overall executive position which oversees all three schools is that of the Head of School. The current head is Dr. Rodney V. De Jarnett. Within the schools, there are departments for Math, English, History, Science, Language, Physical Education, Technology, and Arts. Each department has a department chair. Additionally, each grade in the middle and upper schools has a class dean, formerly grade level adviser, or "GLA," who acts to help the students in their grade.

Student government

The Dwight-Englewood Student Government is a vital part of Student Life at Dwight-Englewood School. Divided into three Committees, it serves the interests and needs of its Student Body. The Student Life committee focus on things such as social events, and student privileges. The Facilities Committee addresses needs that include mending infrastructure around campus, and Maintenance Appreciation Day. The Curriculum Committee works on the curriculum of the school. There is a President and a Vice-President, along with a Head for each Committee. There is also the position of Class Coordinator within each grade.

The Facilities Committee passed a cell phone proposal, which will help with student-parent communication. The Curriculum Committee succeeded in securing several new course for this next year, including a Philosophy course.

Popular culture references

• In the 1998 film Rounders, the character played by Matt Damon mentions that he had attended the school.^{[citation needed]}
• In 2005, chef/author Anthony Bourdain ’73 returned to Dwight-Englewood to film a segment for his TV show, "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations".^[11]

Notable alumni

• Anthony Bourdain (born 1956), chef.^[12]
• Dick Button (born 1929), figure skater.^[13][14]
• Peter Coyote (born 1941), actor, activist, author.^{[citation needed]}
• Tate Donovan (born 1963), actor.^{[citation needed]}
• Lesley Gore (born 1946), singer.^[15]
• Michael Gore, songwriter.^[15]
• Allison Hirschlag, actress on Guiding Light.^[16]
• Baby M (born 1986)
• Jason Itzler (born 1967 as Jason Sylk), founder of NY Confidential, regular guest on The Howard Stern Show.^[17]
• Dave Jeser '91, one of the creators of Drawn Together.^[18][19]
• Lawrence Kudlow (born 1947), former Ronald Reagan Office of Management and Budget economic advisor and CNBC host.^[20]
• Michael Leiter, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center.^[21]
• Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001, class of 1924), author and wife of Charles Lindbergh.^[22]
• Bruce McKenna '80, television and movie screenwriter.^[23]
• Karen O (born 1978), lead vocalist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.^{[citation needed]}
• Daphne Oz (born 1986), daughter of Mehmet Oz, author and public speaker.^[24]
• Tim Peper (born 1980, class of 1999), actor.^[25]
• George P. Shultz (born 1920), politician, who served as United States Secretary of State.^[15]
• Brooke Shields (born 1965), model and actor.^[15]
• Matt Silverstein '90, one of the creators of Drawn Together.^[18][19]
• Mira Sorvino (born 1967), actor.^[15]
• Liam Aiken (born 1990), actor.
• Mark Foster (born 1982), lead singer, Foster the People

Notable faculty

• Peter Balakian (born 1951), author who taught English here.^[26]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Dwight-Englewood School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 21, 2011.
2. ^ School Search, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed June 21, 2011.
3. ^ Dwight-Englewood School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed June 21, 2011.
4. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education, p. 52. Accessed June 21, 2011.
5. ^ Lurie, Maxine M.; Mappen, Marc. "Dwight-Englewood School", Encyclopedia of New Jersey, p. 227. Rutgers University Press, 2004. ISBN 0813533252. Accessed September 2, 2011. "Dwight-Englewood joined with the Bede School in 1993 to create an independent day school that included children from preschool through the sixth grade."
6. ^ League Memberships – 2011-2012, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 2, 2011.
7. ^ Boys Team Tennis - Tournament of Champions, NJSIAA. Accessed June 21, 2011.
8. ^ Whittaker, Celeste E. "C.H. East just misses", Courier-Post, May 23, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Sacred Heart's bid to win a Non-Public B championship ended at the hands of Dwight-Englewood, which got the easy 5-0 victory in the title match."
9. ^ Staff. "Westfield 3, Dwight-Englewood 2", The Star-Ledger, May 29, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Justin Snyder and Graeme Stahl gutted out a 6-3, 7-5 victory at first doubles to clinch a 3-2 victory for top-seeded Westfield, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, over fourth-seeded and No. 5 Dwight-Englewood yesterday at Mercer County Park in West Windsor."
10. ^ Guthrie, Charles. "NJ Girls Tennis: North Jersey season review, 2010", The Star-Ledger, December 17, 2010. Accessed September 2, 2011. "Coach of the year: Dwight-Englewood’s head coach, Courtney Baiardi Stasi, has gone 33-2 in her two years at the helm. This year, Dwight-Englewood finished 18-1 and won the Bergen County Small Schools championship."
11. ^ D-E News and Notes, accessed July 21, 2008
12. ^ Staff. "High Demand: Leonia's Anthony Bourdain requested to write for HBO's Treme", (201) magazine, March 5, 2011. Accessed September 2, 2011. "Star of Travel channel's No Reservations has been asked to write the culinary scenes for David Simon's HBO series Treme. Former Leonia resident and Dwight-Englewood alum, Anthony Bourdain, was happy to abide."
13. ^ Eskenzai, Gerald. "SIDELINES: NOT A BAD IDEA; Still on the Air After 19 Years", The New York Times, March 18, 1991. Accessed September 2, 2011. "DICK BUTTON was wistful the other day when the Sullivan Award was announced.... 'I was the worst athlete at the Englewood School in New Jersey,' he recalled. 'If I was up at bat in a baseball game, the outfielders would sit down.'"
14. ^ Athletic Hall Of Fame, Dwight-Englewood School. Accessed March 17, 2007
15. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Jenny's Dish.", The Star-Ledger, October 26, 2004. "Actually, Lesley Gore wasn't planning to cry at all when she returned to her old high school, Dwight-Englewood in Englewood, on Friday night. Gore and her composer brother, Michael (he wrote "Fame," the Irene Cara hit) were inducted into Dwight-Englewood's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.... She's not the only Dwight-Englewood alum to hit it big. Other graduates include former Secretary of State George Schultz, Brooke Shields and Mira Sorvino."
16. ^ ALLISON HIRSCHLAG, Guiding Light. Accessed September 30, 2007. "Upon graduating the prestigious Dwight-Englewood School, New Jersey native Allison Hirschlag landed the role of Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light."
17. ^ Fabiano, Giovanna. "Bible student caught in wake of Spitzer scandal", The Record (Bergen County), March 15, 2008. Accessed September 8, 2008.
18. ^ ^{a b} Rohan, Virginia. "Two Jersey guys get it 'Together'", The Record (Bergen County), October 4, 2007. Accessed October 6, 2007. "Comedy writers Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser met at the Dwight-Englewood School, where a prank, fittingly enough, led them to realize they were kindred creative spirits."
19. ^ ^{a b} "D-E News of Note". http://web.d-e.org/news/arch0405/other0405.html. Retrieved 5 November 2006. 
20. ^ "The Interview: Lawrence Kudlow", from The American Spectator, March 2001, via Free Republic. Accessed December 24, 2007. "...this little prep school that I went to, the Dwight Englewood School in New Jersey..."
21. ^ Rettig, Jessica. "10 Things You Didn't Know About Michael Leiter", U.S. News & World Report, January 7, 2010. Accessed April 13, 2011. "Michael Leiter grew up in Englewood, N.J., where he graduated from the Dwight-Englewood Prepatory [sic] School in 1987."
22. ^ Hertog, Susan. "Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life", p. 73. Random House, 2000. ISBN 0385720076. "Out of Englewood and in the mainstream of city lfe, Anne saw her world begin to expand. Like Elisabeth, she had attended the Dwight School in Englewood, and, although it was a fine academy, dedicated to the individual needs of girls, it was a conservative school in a suburban enclave."
23. ^ White, Liz. "He’s With the Program: Bruce McKenna, Englewood native", (201) magazine, January 2008. Accessed June 29, 2011. "The standard he sets for himself in Hollywood took root in Englewood. A Dwight-Englewood alum, class of 1980, McKenna left a lasting impression on faculty there."
24. ^ Singer, Natasha. "15 Pounds: Part of Freshman Meal Plan?", The New York Times, August 31, 2006. Accessed May 30, 2011. "And that is where Daphne Oz, a junior at Princeton from Cliffside Park, N.J., comes in.... And at the Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, N.J., she wrote a high school research paper on teenage nutrition and lobbied for healthier cafeteria food, she said."
25. ^ Salerno, Heather. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/lohud/access/1722904301.html? FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+01%2C+2007&author=Heather+Salerno&pub=The+Journal+News&desc=Rockland's+Tim+Peper+is+one+of+ABC's+'Carpoolers'&pqatl=google "Rockland's Tim Peper is one of ABC's 'Carpoolers'"], The Journal News, October 1, 2007. Accessed March 22, 2011. "He notes that he was made fun of a lot for doing musicals as a student at the Dwight-Englewood School, a prep school in New Jersey."
26. ^ Balakian, Peter. Black Dog of Fate: A Memoir], p. 135. Basic Books, 2009. ISBN 0465010199. Accessed May 30, 2011. "One day a few years later, when I was teaching high school English at Dwight-Englewood School, I picked up a copy of The Anaïs Nin Reader off the desk of one of my colleagues and began reading."

External links

• Dwight–Englewood website
• Data for the Dwight-Englewood School, National Center for Education Statistics

Coordinates: 40°53′16″N 73°57′49″W / 40.887641°N 73.963486°W / 40.887641; -73.963486