A Dalton History in 101 Objects

A HISTORY OF

DALTON

IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF

DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

ON THE COVER The elevator dial is a reminder of the years when Dalton’s elevators ran manually. When the elevators were modernized in 1995 to accommodate two new floors, faculty claimed some of the obsolete dials. One, in pristine condition, was given to Chief Engineer Ivan Arteschene upon his retirement in 2010 after 49 years of service to Dalton. Although it was not originally suggested as one of the 101 objects, this dial made it to the cover as a late addition, a symbol of Dalton’s progress and expansion.

“The elevator dial represents positive change in so many ways. Things fluctuating, people moving between floors, groups packed together sharing a common moment during busy, busy days.”

Blake Pearson, Dance Teacher

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

ONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 LOOKING FORWARD 9 FOUNDATIONS 11 CREATING DALTON CITIZENS 22 INNOVATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS 30 HIGHLIGHTS OF SCHOOL LIFE 42 ENDURING TRADITIONS 105 LOOKING BACK 118 TIMELINE 137 CENTENNIAL TILES 154 INDEX 159

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Creating this book has been a true collaborative effort. From the start we were committed to crowdsourcing as the best way to identify objects and share community members’ stories. We are thrilled with the result and are grateful to everyone who played a role in this mammoth undertaking especially our writers—alumni, teachers, students, administrators, and staff—and those who lent treasured objects featured in the exhibit and in this book.

Thank you to Dalton’s Administrative team for its full support, especially Head of School Jim Best; Former Head of School Ellen C. Stein; Division Directors Nora Elish, Tracy Fedonchik, Celeste Herrera; Director of Development Emily Kasof; Director of Creative and Strategic Communications Jim Zulakis; Director of Admissions Babby Krents; Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice Lisa Waller; Chief Financial Office Michael Hwang; Director of Technology John Neiers; and Director of Strategic Engagement and Professional Growth Dan Musick.

Thank you also to Dalton’s Library staff, especially Archivist Amanda Linn and Director of Library & Information Services Christine Payne.

We truly appreciate the Alumni & Development team’s almost daily Centennial-related efforts with an extra loud shout out to Director of Alumni Relations Kathleen Feeney and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Debbie Freeman. Thanks also to Director of the Campaign Hannah Cobin, Director of Special Events Jessica Torres-Rosa, Director of the Annual Fund Colleen Grimes, Director of Major Gifts & Stewardship Caitlin Murray, Development Research Associate Craig Sculli, Database Administrator Evelyn Williams, and Development Assistant Carrie Chung for providing moral support, proofreading help, and serving as an invaluable sounding board.

A huge thanks to our patient and talented Photographer Cibele Newman and Graphic Designer Regis Scott.

Thank you to Director of Facilities Mike Mezo, Chief Building Engineer Slawek Szczepankowski, and their crew, and Building Services Staffer Oscar Rosario for doing the heavy lifting and helping to manage object-related logistics.

Text and images copyright© 2019 The Dalton School.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical means without prior written permission from the copyright owner.

The Dalton School 108 East 89th Street New York, NY 10128 www.dalton.org

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We hope that this book, marking our Centennial, brings Dalton’s history to light in an enjoyable, memorable, distinctly Dalton way.

Stephanie Fins

Curator of the Centennial Project, Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program

Beth Softness Director of Advancement Communications

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

LOOKING FORWARD Join me, if you will, on page 89.

This object is not, in fact, an object. It’s a photograph of students gathered in a circle on the shore of a lake, preparing to get into a canoe—something many of them will be doing for the first time.

They’re participating in a Peer Leadership experience. On their faces you see a little joy, a little apprehension, a little curiosity. They look like they’re being asked to consider the possibility of moving forward in ways they hadn’t known they could.

I was skimming through the book (and skimming is allowed, by the way; you’re not obliged to read straight through from 1 to 101) and I stopped on this image because it spoke to me. Here’s why.

My first year as Head of School is Dalton’s Centennial year. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we move forward together—how we all pile into a canoe, and the life preserver is scratchy and damp, and the paddle feels awkward in our hands, and we’re shifting our weight to find the right balance, and it takes us a while to paddle at the same time without knocking our neighbor’s paddle, and just at the moment when we’re ready to be exasperated, we discover that we’re paddling in a ragged kind of rhythm, and the sun is warm on our faces, and the boat somehow feels lighter, and we share a silent, astonished sense that we could go anywhere together.

Education is like that, isn’t it? Education at Dalton is like that. One hundred years ago, Helen Parkhurst designed it this way. Her plan for Dalton was a radical move—but it was built to last. It was built to last because it was built to be flexible, to accommodate new ideas, new practices, new stories.

Which brings me back to A History of Dalton in 101 Objects. The truth is that this isn’t a collection of objects; it’s a series of occasions for storytelling. The writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns us of “the danger of a single story”—the peril of a grand, totalizing narrative that erases individual experiences. That’s one reason why we crowdsourced the items in this exhibit. The story of Dalton is hundreds, thousands of stories—more than one exhibit can contain. I hope you see yourself in some of the stories we’ve told here; more importantly, I want you to know that your story belongs here.

What gets me fired up every morning is the certainty that we have new stories to tell, new history to be made. The lake is calm, the sun is bright, the canoe is sturdy and sound. All we have to do is step in.

With gratitude and high hopes for what’s next.

Jim Best, Head of School 8

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

HOW DO YOU CREATE A PORTRAIT OF A SCHOOL IN ITS 100TH YEAR? This project began in 2014 inspired by the British Museum’s History of the World in 100 Objects and the New York Times A History of New York in 101 Objects. I envisioned a cultural history of Dalton using objects to connect us to ideas and people. Our telling of Dalton history would capture the voices of the community and highlight significant milestones in an exhibit and website. I saw the undertaking as a form of what anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss described as “bricolage,” an assemblage and recombination of ideas and objects that when taken together form something new. The enthusiastic support of former Head of School Ellen C. Stein, Head of School Jim Best, and Director of Admissions Babby Krents provided the impetus to develop the project.

The process has been intensive and inclusive and somewhat unconventional for a school. Not content to develop a simple narrative to tell a single Dalton story, we turned to crowdsourcing to draw on our entire community, our alums, our faculty, our staff, and our students. While the objects could potentially have different interpretations, the singular voices of the participants emerge from their narratives.

FOUNDATIONS

My personal history as an anthropologist and my museum training determined the kind of history I envisioned. There is much at Dalton worth celebrating—we could have easily doubled the number of objects featured. There are many stories of Dalton. We hope you find stories and objects that resonate with you.

Stephanie Fins, Curator of the Centennial Project, Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Dalton Exterior u

The Dalton Exterior t

Image of the new Dalton School building taken from The New Dalton School brochure, 1927

Wooden block of Dalton façade with new floors, 2018

THE FAÇADE of Dalton’s 89th Street building represents all that it holds inside. Any student can easily recall entering and exiting the building each day alongside other students of all ages, from all backgrounds—each with a common purpose. Today, just seeing that structure, with clusters of students huddled on either side of the entryway, depending on the season, transports me back to my Dalton days.

Right in the center is a towering, two-story archway, mirroring the arch students pass through at the end of each year. Walking under it every morning reminds students that each day at Dalton is a new beginning, with its own unique possibilities.

Stephen Rutman ’10 k

Although well camouflaged in its residential 89th street surroundings, Dalton’s iconic exterior serves as a daily reminder of the school’s values and character. Understated, yet elegant, the front of the building invites students to come in and take advantage of all the school has to offer.

The building’s red-brick foundation reflects the warmth of the Dalton community, while the stark capital letters of the school’s name proclaim the school’s historic legacy.

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Starting in 2019, if you look up before entering the school, you may notice that Dalton’s facade on the upper floors has changed. The exterior stucco has been re-clad in brick for a more uniform look. Two stories have been added; floors 10–14 will house the School’s new STEAM center, named the Ellen C. Stein Center for Collaborative Study. In the case of Dalton’s expansion, bigger is definitely better!

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

An Ode to Stairs u

Dalton is a vertical community, and the stairways facilitate conversation and shared experiences.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

WHILE WE OFTEN FOCUS on the uniqueness of Dalton’s educational environment, we sometimes overlook the uniqueness of its physical environment. Schools are usually horizontal communities that are spread out over one or two large floors. But Dalton is a vertical community, consisting of thirteen (and soon to be more) worlds, each with its own distinct character.

The stairways are the glue that binds these diverse communities. They connect all members of the school in tight spaces that are crowded and chaotic but full of intercommunication and excitement. They belong equally to everyone—students, faculty, staff. They are a vital part of daily life and a unique facet of the Dalton experience. And they keep Dalton students in excellent shape.

They may seem plain and mundane, but these stairways facilitate the vibrant exchange of ideas that makes Dalton truly unique. They are easy to overlook but are a critical part of the Dalton experience.

Charles Harris ‘05 k The stairways are playing a central role during Dalton’s Centennial celebration providing the perfect canvas for exhibits as heavily trafficked but visually underutilized space. The east staircase features names of all alumni by class. A history timeline wall on the west staircase highlights milestones in Dalton’s 100 year history.

As part of Dalton’s ambitious expansion project, the school is gaining staircases to connect floors 10-14. Open communicating staircases will allow for moments of spontaneous, serendipitous conversation.

Students passing the dance studio on their way upstairs may be inspired to research the physics of dance!

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Helen Parkhurst u Head of School 1919~1942

DESCRIBED AS ONE of the most impactful educators of her time, Helen Parkhurst established The Dalton School (originally called the Children’s University School) in 1919 and served as its Head until 1942.

Parkhurst drew upon a keen intellect, deep respect for children, and tireless energy in developing and promoting her Dalton Laboratory Plan. A supporter of John Dewey and colleague of Maria Montessori, she was an educational reformer in the spirit of the Progressive Era. Parkhurst tapped into students’ capacity for inquiry, self-regulation, cooperation, and community building.

An innovator, she resisted the timetable, recitation, and other common features of the traditional schoolhouse.

In 1922, Parkhurst published Education on the Dalton Plan, which offered a critique of the dominant pedagogy of her day, an indepth discussion of her educational theory, and a description of her plan in practice. Translated into several languages, this work continues to inform the practice of teachers both in our school and around the world.

Along with her most acclaimed treatise, Parkhurst also authored books chronicling the challenges and aspirations of mid-century adolescents. Additionally, she produced and hosted radio programs, instructed teachers, lectured internationally, and parsed educational theory until her death in 1973.

Throughout her life, Helen Parkhurst remained focused on children. Confident in them and in The Dalton Plan, she observed, “. . . our education, which allows a child liberty to develop and time to think and plan, must favor the expansion of all the good qualities innate in [each student’s] personality.”

Lisa Yvette Waller, PhD, Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Dalton Plan: House, Assignment and Lab u

Education on the Dalton Plan u Education on the Dalton Plan, published 1922, translated into 14 different languages

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Assignment: “The Assignment on the Assignment,” Frank Moretti, 1997 House: Head of School Jim Best with students in House Lab: Charles Forster Stewert, Michael Sturm and Parul Kalbag meet with students in Labs

IN HER SEMINAL BOOK, Education on The Dalton Plan published in 1922, our Founder Helen Parkhurst described the history and implementation of The Dalton Plan which serves, to this day, as the blueprint for our school’s progressive educational philosophy.

Widely praised upon publication, the book received international recognition, was translated into 14 languages and adopted by schools around the world. The book has been a constant at Dalton, still distributed to teachers to familiarize them with foundational principles.

Influenced by John Dewey and Maria Montessori, Parkhurst developed a plan that proposed a complete restructuring of schools. She began “with the avowed object of demonstrating what The Dalton Plan could do to revitalize education—to make it a living thing capable of arousing and preserving the interest of pupils in their work.” The Plan balanced freedom for the student to pursue individual learning with the need for “cooperation or interaction of community life.”

So much of what Helen Parkhurst wrote rings true today at Dalton where individualized learning and a commitment to help children develop their abilities to work together in the classroom, the community, and the larger world, remain the focus.

Beth Softness, Director of Advancement Communications Stephanie Fins, Curator of the Centennial Project, Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program

THE DALTON PLAN is, and has always been, the core of the school since its inception. Mention “The Dalton Plan” and any Daltonian, past or present, faculty, staff, or administrator, will associate those words with how students are taught and learn at Dalton. Helen Parkhurst, the school’s founder, captured the progressive spirit of the age and translated it into this three part plan, unique to Dalton, that is very much alive and well at the school today. House remains the home base for each Dalton student; Assignment provides the focus for class and homework, tailored to meet different needs and strengths, and Laboratory is the one-to-one or small group work when Dalton students have opportunities to work closely with their teachers. For Dalton alumni, memories of their Dalton experience frequently revolve around The Dalton Plan whether it be a special bond with a House Advisor, a particularly creative and challenging Assignment that inspired them to delve deeply into the work at hand, or beloved Labs when extraordinary faculty took sincere interest in them, encouraging them to think in completely new ways, and inspiring them to pursue a passion for a topic. How brilliant that 100 years ago, Helen Parkhurst conceived of a pedagogy that still results in a learning environment that crackles with intellectual excitement. Her plan instills a spirit of inquiry, creativity, and a sense of individualism and confidence that enables Dalton graduates to truly go forth unafraid.

Elisabeth (Babby) Krents ’68, PhD, Director of Admissions K-12 19

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Dalton Student u

Class of 2018, assembled in the library

I RECENTLY CELEBRATED MY 60TH YEAR as a Dalton teacher. What amazes me is that while the school has modified its curriculum and tried new approaches to learning, close student/teacher relationships endure, nurtured through small classes, interactive rather than teacher-led instruction, and, most of all, Labs. In my House, I enjoy four year relationships with my advisees. House Alums return to talk about life in college; one alum visits regularly to tell students to “live in the present,” “use Labs,” and realize that the “close relationships that you develop with teachers” gives you a head start in dealing effectively with professors and, later, with bosses.

Some of my observations (and that of recent alums) regarding Dalton vs. non-Dalton students: time management skills—most non-Dalton students arrive at college with no idea how to use unstructured time; writing a research paper—again, most students find this daunting as they have little or no experience; community service and collaborative work—emphasized at Dalton long before it became “fashionable;” sports team opportunities—an option for almost everyone (not to mention chess, robotics, Model Congress); the Arts—real opportunities for all.

While the fundamentals remain, we’ve had some trade-offs: With increasing college pressures, we’ve lost time to reflect, and in avoiding the “more is more” credo, we’ve had to cut certain things. But, I’m happy to say that while staying true to the School’s mission and the importance of the Assignment, House and Lab, we’ve become a more diversified community—with lots of effort ahead to make this work for everyone.

Judith Slater Geller ’51, Middle and High School Science Teacher

The Faculty & Staff u Faculty & Staff assembled in the Martin Theater, Spring 2018

WHEN I THINK BACK ON FIVE DECADES AT DALTON, first as a student, and later as Head of School, it is the faculty I think of most—their strength in their disciplines, their eagerness to share their passions, and their commitment to their students in House, Assignment, and Lab. My relationships with my teachers shaped me. Classes were all participatory and no questions were too silly, with projects for students with all different learning styles. Certain teachers became my role models. I can name them all. I remember my fourth grade teacher Miss Jones; although she was sometimes scary, I knew she cared about each of us. I knew then that I wanted to be a teacher; that never changed.

Teachers pulled us in with interactive experiences. I vividly remember a class with Miss Losee. Three students ran into the room arguing until Miss Losee told them to continue their disagreement elsewhere. When we all wrote a description of the event, sixteen different accounts emerged. We learned that history is in the eye of the beholder.

Last year, I asked the seniors in my House what they thought was most distinctive about Dalton.

They mentioned the remarkable courses, extracurricular activities, and most importantly, the extraordinary devotion of their teachers who support them to be the authors of their own education. While the faculty has grown and styles may have changed, the essential emphasis on empowering students, helping them to become independent thinkers and self-advocates, remain. The faculty’s dedication to students, whether as house advisor, classroom teacher, or coach continues to distinguish the Dalton faculty.

Ellen C. Stein, Former Head of School

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Global Online Academy u Skyping with a student in China

CREATING DALTON CITIZENS

AS A FOUNDING member of the Global Online Academy (GOA), Dalton is one of 75 top independent schools spanning the globe—including Japan, China, Jordan, South Africa, Indonesia, Europe, and peer institutions across the United States—offering this innovative program to students.

Context, Social Psychology, Game Theory, IOS App Design, Neuropsychology, Global Health, Applying Philosophy to Modern Global Issues, Comparative Politics, Genocide and Human Rights, Arabic Language Through Culture, Prisons and the Criminal Law, Number Theory, and more.

The mission of GOA is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. GOA students commit up to seven hours per week for a single class, each capped at 18 students. Teachers and students, who are located across multiple time zones, gather synchronously and asynchronously, collaborating on assignments, projects, and discussions.

Dalton students have found the interactive GOA courses to be challenging, relevant, and communal. They say that these online classes complement Dalton’s curriculum and that they value hearing the perspective of classmates from other countries and cultures.

Students can choose from a broad range of electives such as Advocacy, Architecture, Music Theory & Digital Composition, Advanced Topics in Economics, Climate Change and Global Inequality, Entrepreneurship in a Global

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We always look for ways to present new ideas and offer wider perspectives to broaden and deepen our curriculum; we feel privileged to be part of GOA and to be able to provide our students with this quality online learning resource.

Jim Best, Head of School 23

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Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI) u Students on DGI trips to Morocco and China

THE DALTON GLOBAL INITIATIVES (DGI) PROGRAM is committed to integrating global and interdisciplinary perspectives more comprehensively into the curriculum. DGI offers several programs annually for students to explore the world around them. Students have traveled to China (Language and Cultural Immersion), Ecuador (Earth and Environmental Science), Italy (History and Cultural Immersion), Morocco (Language and Cultural Immersion), New Zealand (Environmental Science, History, Art, Cultural Immersion and Service Learning), South Africa (History, English and Service Learning), and Spain (Language and Cultural Immersion).

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Community Service u

Hard hat signed by Dalton participants in a Habitat for Humanity Project in New Orleans, and a Certificate of Participation

k I’ve always wanted to travel the world. However, I came from a family that believed international travel was meant only for adults because young people could not fully appreciate it. Dalton Global Initiatives allowed me to indulge in that deep yearning, giving me the gift of international exploration regardless of my family’s limitations.

Through DGI, I traveled to Argentina, Ecuador, and the Galapagos. These trips were absolutely foundational in my education and strongly influenced my current interests— particularly my very first DGI experience, where I lived in Buenos Aires and attended a bilingual school. Nearly five years later, I’m still in contact with my Argentinian host family and consistently refer to the wonderful memories created there.

That immersive expedition into Spanish culture and language completely changed my worldview, igniting my passion for Spanish at a young age. Since graduating from Dalton and starting at Harvard University, I’ve studied abroad in both Spain and Bolivia and have received a citation of language proficiency in Spanish from the university.

Ashley LaLonde ’16

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“It is hoped that this [community service curriculum] will give you a new sense of your own value with a different meaning than book learning can give you.”

Teacher Nora Hodges addressing students, 1944 I SEE DALTON’S COMMITMENT to Community Service as part of the School’s broader effort to build global citizens.

I, and countless others in the Dalton community, have benefited from this focus.

As a freshman, I found a homeless soup kitchen at All Angels Church through Dalton’s service listings. The soup kitchen ran a timely, efficient operation, drawing many of its resources from the church. This first interaction with New York’s marginalized population shaped my personal commitment to sustainable service initiatives. It was particularly memorable because I went alone as a timid

fourteen-year-old, not really knowing what to expect. More than that, this experience started to inform a personal exercise of building hypotheses on how to drive sustainable societal change that I’ve carried into my professional life, both in non-profit and corporate roles.

Dalton instilled a sense of collaboration and community that encouraged us to think beyond our immediate interests. In addition to Dalton’s commitment to community service, I’m grateful that Dalton encourages students to remain curious and ask difficult questions. With so many challenging problems to be solved in this world, I treasure the formal and informal training I received at Dalton that helps me “go forth” and tackle them.

Arun Yang ’06, Co-head of Community Service Committee ’05-’06 25

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Health and Wellness Program u Genderbread person and Mandala coloring sheet

DALTON’S COMPREHENSIVE Health and Wellness Program began in 2012 with a focus on grades 4-12. Now with four health educators, this larger initiative addresses topics surrounding mental health, sexuality, and nutrition through a social justice lens reaching students, parents, and faculty. The following objects are representative of the work we do: Genderbread Person Ornament: This object symbolizes gender identity, gender expression, biological sex, sexual orientation, sexual attraction, and romantic attraction and helps convey that gender is not binary. The genderbread person helps clear up any misconceptions about gender (which is frequently misunderstood) fostering greater understanding. Taught in our sexuality classes, students have been able to make sense of their own identities and embrace the diversity in others. During an ornament making event, a faculty member created these two beautiful

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representations, a visual demonstration of allyship within our community. By now, most faculty members are familiar with the genderbread person and many incorporate it into their lessons.

Mandala: Coloring, an option in Senior health classes, helps students unwind while also staying attentive. Used in therapy as an adaptive and creative coping strategy for anxiety, it has provided its own therapy to Seniors in health class. Coloring, along with fidget toys, are ways that the Health and Wellness program honors our students’ different needs and coping strategies.

Pronoun stickers: The use of these stickers, beyond Ally Week, demonstrates that we support and promote allyship every day in our school culture, recognizing our community’s spectrum of gender identities.

Justine Ang Fonte, Director of Health and Wellness 27

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Mentoring Program u

Mentors gather with their student mentees in the library.

SINCE THE MID 1990’s, the Mentoring Program has provided support for students of color and their families. Charged with the Dalton Diversity Task Force’s recommendations, the first director, Adah Askew, created a program to function as an advocacy and support network for students of color. Initially, Adah recruited mentors drawn from her own network of professional contacts, friends, and family, as well through her Dalton colleagues.

Students met with their mentors individually and participated in annual events, beginning with a matching ceremony.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Equity and Inclusion: Diversity u

Equity and Inclusion Dalton community conference, 2018

As Dalton’s population has diversified, mentors are increasingly drawn from Dalton alumni and faculty. Under the direction of Michèle Viard-André, the program has grown exponentially. Activities now include a Launching Event, career development event, panel discussion and a game night. With an expanded roster of participants, students can also contact other mentors to discuss career paths or shared interests. From a small cohort of students and mentors, the program now reaches a widening circle, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Adah Askew, Former Mentoring Program Director; Michèle Viard-André, Middle & High School French and Spanish Teacher, Mentoring Program Director “When I think about the mentoring program, what stands out was Dalton’s acknowledgment of our unique experience as students of color. The programs hosted throughout the year addressed the challenges of being a minority student and helped us feel less isolated and more a part of the Dalton community. I am still very close to my mentor, Kelvina Butcher, and it is wonderful to have her ongoing support. I became a mentor after graduate school in education and plan to continue mentoring.”

Kiki Mwaria ’94

THE DIVERSITY AMONG STUDENTS currently enjoyed at Dalton has antecedents in the earliest days of the school; at its founding, there was interest in creating a community comprising students of different backgrounds. Jewish families were a significant presence at Dalton during the early twentieth century when many independent schools enrolled few, if any, Jewish students.

A decade before Brown vs Board of Education, Dalton recruited several Black students and the school employed Black teaching assistants to facilitate the children’s transition.

In 1968, the school recruited a small cohort of Black and Puerto Rican children from families in need of full tuition assistance. These students shared a neighborhood, which, along with the addition of a social worker, was meant to offer increased support. Unfortunately, most of these students did not remain at Dalton, perhaps because more far-reaching

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institutional transformation remained elusive. Nevertheless, students of color continued to enroll at Dalton, contributing to the community and going on to lead successful lives.

Beginning in 1995, administrators, faculty, and families combined forces to cultivate a critical mass of students of color. Additionally, there emerged the broader goal of diversifying both the student body and the faculty. Current efforts to enrich the community give attention not only to race and ethnicity but also to ability, neighborhood, parent occupation, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. Of course, diversity alone is insufficient; our aim is to create a learning environment in which all members feel included and able to participate on equitable footing.

Lisa Yvette Waller, PhD, Assistant Head of School for Progressive and Inclusive Practice 29

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

INNOVATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Dalton Original Minds Scholars u Section of David MacCaulay’s Dalton library mural

WHETHER CREATING artwork, poetry or simply inspiring students with their presence, Dalton’s Original Minds Scholars infused the curriculum with inspiration. Each Scholar brought their distinctive voice to their interactions with faculty and students, designing experiences specific to our community.

Contemporary artist Sarah Sze, a 2003 MacArthur Fellow known for her innovative sculpture and installation art, spent her 2003-2004 residency introducing students to her vision of site-specific assemblages. Students gained an inside perspective on her creation of The Triple Point of Water installation at the Whitney Museum. Fourth grade students then created a large assemblage installation in the lobby, combining their individual works constructed from found and recycled materials into a massive conglomerate piece.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Tretheway, in residence from 2006-2007, introduced a broad audience of faculty and students to the power of poetry to express the complexities of combining the personal and the historical in poetry. She worked with second and fourth grade classes and shared her work with high school creative writing and poetry classes. That year, students created the Dalton Poetry Club and sponsored a Middle School/High School poetry reading.

Caldecott-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay, Original Mind Scholar during 2009-2010, discussed process and exploration during his residency. In his monthly visits to Dalton, Macaulay collaborated with students and faculty to explore new ways to use drawing as an investigative process. For this exciting “Year of the Sketchbook,” students and faculty each received sketchbooks to try their hand at drawing.

Rob Meredith, Art Teacher emeritus

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popFood u popFood menus

ORIGINALLY a one semester class, the course was designed around the nascent pop-up culture in the culinary world. These are restaurant concepts that are not designed to last forever, but rather are temporary establishments. Pop-up food events have been executed in temporary structures, places that are going to be torn down, outdoor or seasonal locations, and even in subways and public places.

The program has grown significantly since its inception, but in every iteration students chose a particular restaurant to provide inspiration.

We study the cuisine and environment of that restaurant, and then build a one-night-only restaurant based on our impression. In 2012, the first restaurant was inspired by Ottolenghi in London.

Charles Forster Stewert, popFood and HS Computer Science Teacher One evening, after a long class of trying out different recipes and just weeks before our restaurant opening, I sat down with the rest of the winter restaurant team to enjoy that night’s family meal: chicken and vegetable paella that I had cooked with Mr. Sloan.

This scene perfectly encapsulates popFood: the combination of exploring ingredients and recipes, working as a team to orchestrate “pop-up” restaurants and, most importantly, bringing together a warm and welcoming community.

Many view popFood as “that restaurant” that is put on some time during the winter and maybe a bread bakery, as well. But to me, and to everyone else who is involved in the program, popFood is so much more. It’s about testing out 15 different ways to make a flavored butter or walking into class one night only to realize you’re going to make an entire pork shoulder.

It’s about realizing that you ordered hundreds of servings of the wrong ingredient, and then trying to alter the menu to adjust. It’s about taping up that same curtain in the cafeteria 10 times, only to realize there was a hook on the side of the wall all along.

While I no longer do those things myself, I still get to go back to the pop-up restaurants and shops, and I fondly remember when it was me on the other side of the table.

Emily Cohen ’16

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Robotics u

Uncertainty Principle Team Robot, 2017

OVER THE PAST 10 years, Dalton robotics has grown from a single LEGO robotics club with 30 students to a full progression of five high school classes, half a dozen middle school after-school offerings, and elective programs at The First Program. No one expected how popular it would become nor how passionately the students would dive into the material.

It’s now commonplace for students to volunteer to come in over weekends and holidays to work on their designs. That hard work has paid off—Dalton has established itself as one of the top schools for robotics and has advanced to the Robotics World Championship in multiple different competitions, including FIRST Lego League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and RoboCup Junior. Also, the students have actively engaged with their local engineering community and helped promote robotics education by hosting tournaments, mentoring teams, and running workshops.

Sloan Warren, PhD, K-12 Engineering Department Chair To celebrate our 100th, we’ve submitted one of the robots from the 2017-18 season. Lauren Franco ’20 explains: “This is Chuppie, the robot that Uncertainty Principle brought to the First Tech Challenge World Championships in 2017. Chuppie was a great robot because he could do every obstacle in the game in a very simple way. One of the coolest features on Chuppie is the fork used for capping the ball. We tried very hard to make the design as simple as possible as well as to focus on its aesthetics. We used powder coating for the purple metal pieces which made it look sleek!”

Computer Science u

IBM Manual for the 1130 mainframe computer installed in 1970

ELEVEN MONTHS AFTER FOUR research universities transmitted the first word over the Internet, Dalton was the first school in New York City to have its own mainframe computer.

At a monthly cost of $1,701 ($10,731 in 2018), Dalton purchased its computer. This IBM 1130 was a frequent choice for many engineering firms and universities. Finding programmers was nearly impossible and computer science as a college major was non-existent.

Dalton successfully lured Chuck Rice away from IBM to become a “computer operator” and math instructor. He programmed the computer for Dalton’s schedule, attendance, and library as well as for other neighborhood schools’ attendance.

After the mainframe was installed, a small group of students would consistently be at the door of 502 wondering about all the knobs and blinking lights. From this burgeoning interest and in the spirit of The Dalton Lab, the first computer science department in New York City was born. Early programs were written using punched cards and students would line up to have the computer read their box of cards at the rate of 300 cards per minute. An error in the program meant the students had to repair their program and re-punch cards. The notion of a hard drive was not commonplace and personal computers were still years away. Today, Dalton students have their own computers and executing a program takes microseconds. Until the late 2000s, Dalton was one of only two schools in New York City with a computer science department.

Gordon Campbell, K-12 Strategic Partnerships in Computer Science

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Museum Program u Replica of a camel with a Sogdian rider

DSRP: Pursuing Science Research Independently u Elana Simon ‘14, pictured with President Barack Obama at the White House

SINCE 2011, the Dalton Science Research Program (DSRP) has supported High School students’ independent research. From a pilot year of four students to a current cohort of over 25 participants, students learn a variety of skills including an engineering approach to problem solving, biological techniques, scientific journal reading, and advanced biology concepts. Once ninth graders become acquainted with independent research, they are eligible to join DSRP. In the summer between school years, students work in science research labs in the New York City area where research team members mentor them. In subsequent summers they may pursue a research question of their own with lab support. A graduate of the program, Elana Simon ’14, worked on identifying a genetic abnormality that might be a cause of a cancer called fibro lamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, which afflicts about 200 adolescents and young adults a year world-wide. She is a co-first author of an article in Science magazine. Elana was honored to introduce President Obama at the White House Precision Medicine announcement.

Lisa Brizzolara, Director of STEM Without DSRP, I would have never known about the possibilities of doing research in a real laboratory at the level of professional scientists. Having the experience of working in a lab taught me so much about the world of professional science and the scientific method. It also taught me about what working in an adult work environment is like. I have a much sharper idea now of what I want to do later in my life, and that is a blessing.

Brendon Roth ’18

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TANG HORSES, Mughal manuscript paintings, Baltic amber, and Paleolithic stone tools—these are just a few of the hundreds of objects drawn from the Museum Program’s collection and all accessible to Dalton students and faculty. For over 30 years, Dalton’s Museum Program has been promoting object-based teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Its current staff, trained in the disciplines of art history and anthropology, collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists inside and outside the school to enhance visual and scientific literacy at Dalton. The program scaffolds age-appropriate skills of focused looking and critical thinking across the grades. In addition to creating rich interactive learning opportunities for students in museum and classroom settings, the program also provides professional development to teachers on an individual basis. It relies upon a wide range of resources: long-standing formal relationships with local cultural institutions, especially the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Morgan Library & Museum; an extensive teaching collection of objects and specimens; and an in-house database of digital art images. This replica of a ceramic camel with a Sogdian rider is one of the objects the Museum program teachers use to bring global history alive—in this case, to help third grade students visualize the movement of goods and ideas across the Silk Road in the early first millennium CE. Michelle Marcus, PhD, Art Historian, Dalton Museum Program 37

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Dalton’s 1:1 Device Program u

Time magazine article (1995) featuring Dalton’s innovative New Lab for Teaching and Learning (NLTL)

Virtual Reality Enhances Classroom Work u Virtual Reality (VR) glasses

RECENTLY, World and Classical Language teachers teamed up with Dalton’s New Laboratory for Teaching and Learning (NLTL) to introduce 360˚ Virtual Reality (VR) technology into their classroom.

Using smartphones inserted into cardboard 3D viewers worn as hand-held glasses, students explored a 360˚ immersive Cuba experience. Wearing their 3D viewers, high school students redefined the space of their classroom, roaming and rotating to interact with the Cuban culture through this versatile technology. At the end of class, the students actually applauded, and we knew that we were on to something with this powerful teaching tool.

At the First Program, students use VR technology to explore outer space, bringing the mysteries of the galaxy dramatically into the classroom. Middle School History experiences the annual Islamic Hajj Pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca via VR. For professional development, the NLTL partnered with the Science department to introduce 360º technology. Dalton scientists enjoy this immersive experience within cells and viruses using a portable VR classroom kit that NLTL constructed.

As Frank Moretti, Co-founder of the NLTL, mused in 1993, “Students enter the school curious about learning, curious about exploring, and curious about things; we see new technology as building upon that curiosity and liberating that exploration.” Today, VR technology seamlessly liberates a student’s potential. While photos of technology in the classroom often depict students in front of screens or wearing headsets, what happens afterward isn’t shown. After a VR or 360˚ experience, how one interacts with the real world can be profoundly impacted; that learning experience is our goal.

John Neiers, Director of Technology

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WITH DALTON’S 1:1 Device program, our goal is to provide students and teachers with easy access to necessary technological tools anytime and anywhere. Now in its 18th year for faculty and its 11th year for students, we have succeeded in putting laptops and tablets in the hands of each teacher and student.

The transition from a roving cart-based system to 1:1 was thoughtfully and strategically executed.

We studied and evaluated 1:1 programs at other schools, identified which curricular offerings would benefit the most, and provided professional development for teachers. The resulting program is thriving.

To provide an equitable and robust environment for student learning, the School selected and purchased laptops. Dalton’s tech support staffers keep the machines working so that the devices are always ready to enhance planned and spontaneous scholarly pursuits.

Our rollout timeline over the last decade was strategic: 2001: The Dalton School 1:1 Faculty Laptop program seamlessly merges with Dalton’s existing teachers’ professional development. The New Laboratory for Teaching and Learning, Dalton’s in-house technology department, offers professional development focused on integrating technology into the curriculum.

2006: Discussions begin with 6th grade teachers. Program goals include increasing communication, access to information, innovative pedagogy, and creating a positive environment.

2007: Student 1:1 Laptop program begins in 6th grade.

2008: 1:1 Laptop program expands to include 6th and 7th grade. 4th and 5th Grade classrooms are outfitted with laptops 1:1.

2009: 1:1 Laptop program rolls out to the 6th, 7th and 8th grade.

2010: 1:1 Laptop program introduced to the High School.

John Neiers, Director of Technology 39

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Automation of the Dalton Library u Pre-automation check out card and catalog card

WHAT’S A CARD CATALOG? Ask someone born after 1990 and they have probably never used one or even heard of it. Card catalogs went the way of dial phones and electric typewriters—detritus of the modern age.

Dalton was one of the early schools to automate the library.

When Chuck Rice first automated the library in 1974-75, the IBM 1130 computing system he used took up half a room!

He modified a base program given to him by IBM to suit Dalton’s needs. Every school day, manually created punch cards for check out and the student cards were run through a card processor on the fifth floor to generate a report. Mr. Rice distributed the report to the House Advisor’s mailbox.

In 1998, I became Director of Libraries and Information Services with a charge to automate, or digitize the library’s

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card catalog, a behemoth relic needy of transformation. I found the “perfect” software—SIRSI—not too basic and not too complicated for a K-12 school with three distinct libraries. We undertook a “retrospective conversion,” digitizing paper records and installing them into an online catalog system. We librarians organized the catalog cards for over 50,000 items and sent them away to be converted. Sounds easy? The process also included affixing corresponding printed barcodes to every item, a tedious hands-on job.

This was accomplished during the summer of 1999, officially the hottest on record! Since then, Dalton has enjoyed using the sophistication and ease of the Goldman Library’s online system.

Adele Bildersee, Former Director of the Library with Tim Delaney, ILS Administrator/Library Technician

Black Rock Forest: 4th Grade Water Testing u At Black Rock Forest students conduct field tests of water quality to determine the health of streams. This data collection trip helps connect local environmental issues to students’ study of the global water crisis.

HOW do you get over 90 highly inquisitive and energetic 4th graders excited to learn about water quality? We kicked-off our Water Assignment by introducing students to the global water crisis: a devastating situation in which millions of people throughout the world lack access to safe clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities.

For many of our students, who can easily access safe clean water, this crisis served as a startling and motivating hook to learn more about the properties of water and to consider ways to cause change in this matter of social justice. Students delved further by learning about the chemical properties of water, the NYC watershed, and how they could conduct field tests to determine the health of streams. To foster experiential learning outside of Dalton’s walls, we visited Black Rock Forest. The rich biodiversity fully engaged our young students’ as they investigated stream health.

For two weeks, we took every 4th grade class at Dalton on separate day trips to the forest.

This created individualized learning opportunities for each group. Our students collected data on stream temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and sampled macroinvertebrates of their stream site. Additionally, they participated in a silent hike and visited a vernal pond. The natural resources at Black Rock Forest are breathtaking and the educational staff helped to curate powerful learning experiences that will stay with our 4th graders forever.

Alicia Reid, PhD, Middle and High School Science Teacher 41

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Theater u

Dalton’s commitment to support theater as an art form dates back more than 60 years. Teachers encourage students to participate in a range of classes and productions offered each year.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ACADEMIC LIFE THIS IS THE PROGRAM for the first production I directed at Dalton—one-act plays performed with intermission by the Middle School. I present it not because members of that cast have become professional actors, dancers, a novelist, PhDs (x3), a district court law clerk, and a documentary filmmaker, but rather because of the process of choosing these plays to me makes manifest what is a fundamental tenet of Dalton’s relationship to theater.

I remember asking my Department Chair, Becky Guy, what I should direct for my first play. She replied, “What would you like to direct?” This was 1985. Becky had been at Dalton for more than a decade. She had worked under Anne

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McKay ’45 who had been there for decades before that. This means that I am a direct beneficiary of at least 60 years of Dalton’s commitment to support theater as an art form to be taught and practiced by teachers and students driven by their love and devotion to it. It keeps theater alive for any student who’s interested. That theater is so honored by the institution is a glorious thing. As the 1936 Senior Class wrote in their yearbook, “. . . somehow it was always difficult to get off the stage.” We still seem to have a hard time getting the kids off the stage and hopefully will for many years to come.

Robert Sloan, Middle and High School Theater Teacher, Theater Department Chair 43

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Dance: If You Fall I Will Catch You u

Poster and photos from Dance Theater Workshop (DTW) performances

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

IN MASTERING A LEAP or composing choreography, dancers physically support and empathize with each other. Teachers serve as catalysts for movement discovery for serious dancers and non-dancers alike. Experiences include Journey dance, Dance WAVE, classes in African hip hop, Zen Dance, Dance Mix, a full sequence in technique and the DTW program.

Randi Sloan, Director of Arts and Dance Teacher “Dynamic, challenging, welcoming. These adjectives come to mind when I think about my years in the dance studio. Dancing provided a much-needed outlet for someone most comfortable in cerebral thoughts. Teachers Randi Sloan and Joanna Brotman encouraged me to discover dance as a form of artistic expression. Being part of DTW was life-changing. I found inspiration in all forms, creating a cohesive piece through seemingly disparate threads.

Thank you for developing our creative confidence through movement.”

Deland Chan ’03

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“DTW was where I learned artistic research, the value of collective intelligence, the enrichment of community and project management. What I learned from dance seems as close as ever.”

Jacob Kovner ’04 “We first danced together in Jamal Jackson’s West African class in fifth grade. Later, Randi Sloan emphasized dance as cathartic expression and academic investigation. The Dalton Dance department encouraged us in the early stages of our careers. We feel honored to still be involved in a program that gave so much to us as young movers.”

Sam Pratt ‘10 and Amadi Washington ’10 (Baye and Asa) “The Dance Department approach engaged me on physical, mental and intellectual levels. This cohesion fed my soul, and began to define the way that I approach the world.”

Adam Weinert ’03

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

THE ART AND PRACTICE of drawing the human figure has been at the core of the Western Life Drawing artistic tradition since the Renaissance. Michelangelo wrote: “The science of design or of line-drawing . . . is the source and very essence of painting, sculpture, architecture.” The u Drawing by Cyan Hunte ’17 tradition of life drawing from the human nude, daring in a high school context even today, began at Dalton in 1960’s under the leadership of our own legend, art teacher Aaron Kurzen.

In 1999, upon Aaron’s retirement from full-time teaching, I took over the leadership of the class, often teaching alongside Aaron over the succeeding years. Life drawing has continued to be part of the wonderful array of classes offered by an exceptional art department. The essentials of gesture, form, mass, and light are instilled through a wide variety of exercises and media, from charcoal to ink to paint to sculpture.

Life drawing has always been and continues to be a unique part of Dalton’s larger educational design. Student Susannah Collins ’19 wrote, “Life Drawing Class has never failed to be the highlight of my school day. I never really equated the wonder of drawing to being at school. Drawing has always been an experience of losing myself in time—the world seems to rotate differently when my pencil is on the page. It has been almost surreal that I could work from a live model at school. The class is a block of calm creativity in the middle of the day, and an amazing community as well.”

Carol Bowen, Visual Arts Teacher

Ceramics: Raku u

DURING OUR ANNUAL Raku field trip students gain a profound first-hand experience about the transformation of materials that is full of alchemy and delight. Every aspect of the day is fraught with possibility and low stakes peril. The Raku method condenses a ceramic process that normally takes days into minutes.

Students travel to upstate New York where they assemble kilns and fire their work to completion while handling their glowing hot wares at 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. When the objects are placed in straw bins they explode into flame and once smothered, are denied oxygen at a crucial moment of the glaze’s formation. Flame, smoke, and form all interact to turn base metals of copper and iron into golden, lustrous hues finishing each object according to the multitude of variables that played out in the process.

It is one thing to describe this event, but until you feel the heat of the kiln, see the radiant glow of a vessel as it transitions into a reduction bin, or fish a vessel from a bunch of cinders, you cannot absorb the compelling object lesson in the power and mystery of cause and effect, intention and chance.

Paired with the day’s activities, students cook their own lunch in a homemade outdoor wood burning oven made from the same clay as their vessels. High heat and experimentation are also the themes here, as students make pizzas and explore the alchemy of cooking outdoors.

David Rubin, Visual Arts Teacher

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

High School Creative Writing u Blue Flag, Dalton’s literary magazine, began in 1935.

Book Arts u

Book by Nina Sloan ’20

AT DALTON, any freshman could begin one of the Creative Writing Program’s introductory level workshop courses. That same student could end high school in the Senior Thesis workshop with a chapbook of poems in their back pocket, having already finished a novella in an Advanced Fiction Writing class just the year before.

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just last spring, during which I began to take myself and my aspirations seriously? Or the pride I felt upon hearing my peers’ work read aloud at the annual Spring Writing Gala in my final month at Dalton? I smile as I recall the excitement with which my peers entered the room over the course of those few months, eager to discuss another student’s work with the same enthusiasm as if it were one’s own.

Rarely does one know just how influential an experience will prove to be in the moment in which it occurs. But as I sat in creative writing classes for seven of eight semesters of high school, I knew that my life would be remarkably different because of them.

The Creative Writing Program takes its inspiration from Dalton’s motto Go Forth Unafraid, and helps students to realize they can write more beautifully than they ever thought they could.

These workshops instilled an unceasing love of writing that would not go away. What other high school student is given the space and resources to write a two-act play in the span of a semester? How do I tell of those afternoons,

Taken from writing by Kathy Franco ’17 and Pearce Green ’16 Chris Hood, High School English Teacher and Creative Writing Program Coordinator

IT IS UNUSUAL for a High School Art Program to offer a course in Book Arts. After incorporating book arts assignments into the Middle School Art Program, I introduced Book Arts as a High School Art course 30 years ago. In Book Arts, students learn to make paste paper, Japanese marbled paper, and Turkish marbled paper. They also form handmade paper from plant fibers such as cotton, flax, and abaca. Students incorporate their papers in handmade books with pamphlet bindings, flat back case bindings, Coptic bindings, side sewn Asian bindings, medieval ledger bindings, long stitch bindings, and accordion structures. These books are based on historical structures from different cultures and time periods. Students also experiment with natural dyes to color the paper that they have made.

Book Arts students experience the pleasure of crafting a well-made object by hand. In a technological age where many experiences are instantaneous, it is beneficial for students to develop patience, take the time to learn a discipline, and practice problem-solving skills. Book Arts reflects The Dalton Plan in that it engages students in hands on learning by offering them a genuine studio experience.

Linda Hanauer, Visual Arts Teacher and Middle School Arts Department Chair “Book Arts has enriched my high school experience immeasurably. The skills I have learned are invaluable and unique; this class is like no other at Dalton. I have fallen in love with books all over again and for that, I have this course to thank.”

Nina Sloan ’20 “I loved taking book arts because of the unique artistic opportunities it provided to me, as well as the fun and supportive nature of the class.”

Theo Anderson ’20

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Learning Languages in situ u

Students in Morocco

NOTHING GETS students more excited than being able to express themselves or read a sign in situ in the target language. We can all remember that moment when we first communicated something to a native speaker in French, Mandarin, or Spanish—and we were understood!

Those joyful moments in which we connected with speakers on a personal level are the stuff of beautiful memories and the motivation for continued language study.

To provide students with opportunities to use their language in real world contexts, the Dalton World and Classical Language Department offers travel programs each year in a variety of different countries around the world. In conjunction with Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI), we have designed and organized language immersion experiences for all of the languages that we offer in our K-12 programs. Some of our most memorable programs include: • French: Canada with MS students; France and Morocco with HS students • Latin: Italy and Turkey with HS students • Mandarin: China with HS students • Spanish: Peru with MS students; Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Spain with HS students During these trips, students participate in home stays, cultural tours, and service work. They have taught classes to local students in subjects ranging from English language to robotics and soccer and connected with local organizations to support existing service projects. These travel programs are invaluable for developing language proficiency and strengthening cultural understanding and global competence in our students. They are truly journeys of a lifetime!

Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Director, World and Classical Language Department

Vivant Linguae Mortuge!

Long Live Dead Languages! u Students visit Roman ruins.

LATIN STUDY at Dalton presents an enriching opportunity to engage with the language, literature, history, philosophy, art, government, and religion of the Roman Empire, and to explore its profound influence on our own civilization. Dalton students discover that 65% of English words (and more than 90% of those over two syllables) come from Latin.

By systematically grappling with Latin’s precise and logical syntax, our students exercise and develop analytic thinking, bolstered by an acute attention to detail. The practice, with close-reading that translating Latin texts provides, helps students to build textbased arguments and understand how rhetoric may be employed in English as well as Latin. Translating Roman literature allows our students to reach into the past and explore the culture of ancient Rome from the Romans’ own perspective, thereby gaining insight into their own cultural moment and how the present is shaped by the past.

Students learn Latin grammar, vocabulary and translating skills through a systematic grammatical sequence as well as through translating continued text in Dalton Latin classes. They are taught to look for etymologies in English and to compare English and Latin grammatical systems. As they progress through the Latin program, students see more and more original Latin as they hone their translation skills. In Latin I and II, Dalton students first learn essential vocabulary, syntax, and grammatical concepts. This foundation then enables advanced students to translate history, rhetoric and poetry, from the writings of Caesar, Cicero, Pliny, to the works of Virgil, Horace and Catullus.

Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Director, World and Classical Language Department

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Alumni Recollections: High School English Department u

Alumni share their reflections on the important life lessons learned from close reading and discussion in their classes with the English department.

Collected by Andrew Glassman, High School English Teacher & Department Chair, Grades 9-12

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

“I remember the thrill of attempting to unravel the secrets woven into texts we read and look upon the face of that which we scarcely think about in our day-to-day lives . . . we engaged the power of those words, so vibrant and energetic that some of them have transcended generations.”

Aryav Pal ’17

“How useful is crafting fake policy memos if you cannot also explain why life is worth t... defending?” This . . . is wha ored eav end ton English . . .at Dal e tim e cam it to teach. When ., . . to ink my major I chose ‘Humanities’.”

Amelia Cai ’10

“At the end of The His tory “The courses I took Boys, the teacher tells his . . . made me want to be students, “Pass the pa rcel . . .Take it, a writer and gave me the feel it, and pass it on.

Not for me, not foundational skills to make that for you, but for someo ne, somewhere, a reality; . . . made me think, one day. Pass it on.” Ne ver did I feel Damn, I want to do THAT.” this message more cle arly Emma Eisenberg ’05 than in my Dalton days. ” Sandra Breitstein ’91 ing ad re “Close led dy “I was literally schoo “The hard part was allowed me to stu ent [to rtm pa De sh of gli il ta En de the y by making someone [stressed] each and ever has come out at wh to of st wn be do it the ] k achieve like me . . . enjoy reading the text and brea l more unique fee r me te de pu m ma Co ily [It] . s in] of me since difficult books. That was eas its finest parts. [A experience to . . . fe sa d s, an tic le e part. . . . you and remarkab Science and Robo ul texts, the most valuabl uiry difficult, even painf inq of h in pt l de ething like lle l ra som ful h pa wit a the y come awa I found ts complicated concep ly e ing cil on em rec se . . e . hy.” th to pat n em betwee [and] feelings.” niel Kane ’05 Da dissimilar fields.” ’90 Amanda Guinzburg Kyle Chu ’17

ntrally “The Lab is ce an other th located, cozier work ary, [for] both Labs, a sanctu ople in it, and . . . the pe achers. the English te ed couches; I stay I came for the .” sations for the conver ida ‘18 ik H e Madelin

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“My first year of Dalton, I was quickly drawn to the cozy feeling of the room.

The couch was entrancingly inviting, the perfect place to work, have a Lab, or take the occasional nap!”

Nicole Stern ‘18

The Ship: Moby-Dick u

Lisa Stifler’s annotated copy of Moby-Dick

MY LIFE AT DALTON preceded my own family, it then defined the arc of my family, and it has always defined our community as family. Kind of like a ship. And kind of like Moby-Dick. To a certain extent, I feel as if I have always been teaching and living MobyDick because it centers on a voyage. Naturally, when a novel begins with its protagonist “circumambulating” the “insular city of the Manhattoes,” one who is living in New York is drawn to the mystery of the ship—and to the life of the men on the Pequod. In a teaching career, we are fortunate to share the journeys of our students for a brief time and Moby-Dick has always provided me with that touchstone for remembrance.

I have often described Melville as identifying several distinct ‘threads’ to follow while reading Moby-Dick. Everyone has their favorite ‘thread,’ and while I stand by the philosophical statement of “nothing exists in itself” as a zen statement well ahead of its time, my favorite moment may well be in the Chapel, where Queequeg and Ishmael both find themselves seated near each other once again as part of a family of whalers.

It is in this novel where Dalton students can discover their own models for a ship and a family and a voyage; Melville encourages us all to “go forth” and embrace the challenge.

Lisa Stifler, English Teacher & Director of Individualized Student Programs

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

High School History: The Constitution u

High School History: The Assignment u

Dalton History Assignments are the foundation of the collective experience, allowing students opportunities for critical inquiries, discussion and group participation.

AN EXAMINATION OF the United States Constitution has long been a touchstone of Dalton’s history curriculum. Ninth graders consider the document’s origins when reading the Magna Carta amidst their study of late medieval Europe. They later make the acquaintance of Baron de Montesquieu, who argued that the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government ought to be separate. An analysis of his writing helps students understand the tug of war between monarchism and parliamentary government that informed the Constitution’s revolutionary context.

When students encounter the Constitution itself in their Assignment on the American Revolution, they are equipped to understand the ideas that the Framers brought with them to Philadelphia. Understanding the Constitution as a product of its time opens additional interpretive possibilities. For example, a close reading of an essay by historian Gary Nash offers our freshmen a tantalizing question: might it have been possible for the Framers to use the occasion to abolish slavery?

Unlike some scholars, Nash answers in the affirmative; using the evidence he provides, our students attempt to understand how and why he arrives at this conclusion.

ENGAGE ANY DALTON GRAD in a discussion of their experience in History at Dalton and invariably the conversation will turn to the Assignment. I’m sure everyone has a favorite Assignment, and there are plenty of great candidates.

We’ve made significant changes along the way as new events capture our attention and new scholarly debates emerge. Although personnel have changed and the content of the course has evolved, especially with our move to the three-year sequence in an integrated World History course, the Assignment provides both stability and the vehicle for fostering student interest and promoting skill development.

A commitment to the Assignment characterizes the ethos of the department and it provides a physical and increasingly digital manifestation of our best practices. For us, the Assignment represents the foundation of the collective experience, one we care about deeply, and signals a deliberate intention to provide students with opportunities for critical inquiry, meaningful discussion, testing and rethinking ideas, and participating in a community of young scholars.

The content we choose resonates with a belief in cultural literacy since some things just have to be known, and the pedagogy we deploy positions students as the centerpiece in the learning process. To be certain, the Assignment reflects the department’s desire to curate the best possible intellectual and pedagogical experience, and it also illuminates the path the student can take toward greater understanding through considering, questioning, and contemplating.

Even with educational and technological changes, the Assignment has proved remarkably adaptable to these purposes.

Kevin Slick, High School History Teacher

Freshmen also read transcripts from state ratifying conventions, thereby gauging the concerns of antiFederalists that culminated in a Bill of Rights—the English antecedent that they have already read. Constitutional analysis recurs throughout the tenth and eleventh grade curricula and in electives on American electoral politics, African-American history, civics, and the early United States. We thereby ensure that our students are well equipped to understand the context, content, and lasting significance of our governing document.

David A. Davidson, High School History Teacher 54

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Music Program: Commissioning New Work u

The Music Program: Jazz u

Jazz Album, recorded 1978

Original sheet music, “Dalton’s Suite,” 1955

THIS MIMEOGRAPH is an original violin part from the orchestral work written for Dalton’s students in 1955 by the important American composer Henry Cowell.

Henry Cowell occupies an interesting position in the history of American music. In the 1920s he was involved in progressive musical activities that blended Eastern and Indian music and experiments in tone clusters and dissonance. Later in his career he embraced a more traditionalist style that drew upon American folk idioms.

“Dalton’s Suite,” reflecting the more folk-like American 56

THE GENESIS of the Dalton jazz program was in 1975, as six students formed a group which blossomed to a fullfledged curriculum. Students were encouraged to explore new styles, improvise, and compose and arrange. style, was likely commissioned by Dalton Music teacher Harold Aks, who also probably conducted the premiere.

Dalton continues to participate in the creation of contemporary music in a variety of ways. The school orchestra has annually commissioned a new work from a composer-in-residence, and premiered it each Spring since 2013. The composers have included Jessie Montgomery, Eric Nathan, Paola Prestini, Thomas Reeves ’12, and this year, Judd Greenstein. We also offer a music composition elective in the 7th and 8th grades.

Jordan Brown, Middle & High School Music Teacher

Documentation of the early jazz years at Dalton exists with vinyl records stored in the Dalton archives. James Harwood was the first jazz director. Under his direction, the jazz group covered jazz standards in a wide variety of styles with some student compositions with the album, “First Time Out.” The early years also saw a tour to Europe with students wearing blazers designed by Dalton parent Ralph Lauren.

The next director, Ed Byrne, produced the album, “Seven Steps to Heaven.” Bill Warfield, who followed the mold of his predecessors as an artist/teacher, continued to explore

a mix of staples of the jazz repertoire along with original compositions.

With the advent of digital technology, additional recordings were produced under my direction. The late 90’s featured two Downbeat Magazine award-winning groups. During that period, performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival included Dalton as the first high school jazz group to do a live internet broadcast from Montreux. In addition to recordings, students have had the opportunity to interact and perform with artists T.S. Monk, Ron Blake, Chad Smith, Tim Hagans, Mike Clark, and Boris Kozlov. Dalton alums Jamie Lawrence ‘79 and Anton Schwartz ‘85, who were members of the first jazz groups, have performed with students or have given master classes.

Glenn Makos, Middle & High School Music Teacher 57

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Pi Day u

Senior Initiative u

Pi Day T-shirt

Flyer for program created by Sara Solomon’18

IN LATE spring, before Dalton seniors walk through the Arch one final time, they have an amazing opportunity to immerse themselves in a Senior Initiative project of their choice, an individual or group project that offers a significant educational and intellectual experience. Not surprisingly, Dalton students typically interpret this dictate in broad and creative ways.

PI DAY in the Dalton High School is an annual event celebrating the occasion of Pi in the calendar (March 14 or 3.14 . . . ) along with the joy of community. Discussions about Pi in the classrooms, music in the hallway outside the Math Lab, students and faculty gathered together, and ate lots and lots of pie! To celebrate, the Math Department gives away Pi Day t-shirts every year.

Why is Pi important? Much of the universe and how it operates is based on the circle (and the stretched circle, the ellipse). This means many of the formulas that describe the physical nature of the universe (the planets, the stars, even the atom) are connected to the value of Pi. What’s even more surprising is that the value of Pi shows up math-

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ematically in all sorts of places that seem to be completely disconnected with anything circular.

Of course, the true value of Pi can never be found completely, as the digits continue for eternity and never repeat.

History is replete with efforts to determine more and more of these unending digits. Currently, we know more than 22 trillion of them and mathematicians, with the help of computers, continue searching for them.

It is for these reasons that the number Pi is so special, for its value is built in the very fabric of reality itself.

Wendy Hirsch, PhD, Assistant Director of the High School & Dean of Faculty

You’ll understand what I mean when you read examples of past projects: constructing and preparing to launch a weather balloon to 100,000 feet; designing, programming, and building a custom automatic coffee roaster; traveling to all five boroughs to sketch people and landmarks; composing original pieces and arranging American standards for a brass band ensemble in the tradition of Dixieland music and contemporary American Jazz; assisting BronxWorks to help sponsor a basketball clinic for children in homeless shelters and fundraising for gym renovations; building the framework and interface for Session, a mobile app to create a social network for musicians; learning forensics by studying an unsolved case to determine whether evidence is plausible and drawing conclusions; and teaching Dalton dance classes to younger students.

Dalton’s Senior Initiative program in its current iteration was born following discussions in 1998-1999 in Stifler House that our second semester programming for Seniors could be improved. These days, meeting weekly, each student works with a faculty member who acts as advisor. About a month later, in late May, students present their final work to proud parents, teachers, peers.

Arlo Klinger, Educational Technologist and Coordinator of Senior Year Events 59

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A Soldier’s Journey u Student journals from the Civil War Assignment

Computer Science Zero u

Flag by Victoria Martin ‘22

THE PILOT of Computer Science Zero (CS0) was launched in 2014. 8th graders in CS0 use the Engineering Design Cycle to prototype solutions to social issues in their community, learn how algorithms can help computer scientists tackle complicated problems, and work on projects using three of the primary languages of the internet (JavaScript, HTML, and CSS). While CS0 was the first Middle School class to formally introduce programming, it built off of the background laid down by the Middle School Robotics program and several programming clubs. In 2016, the teaching staff expanded to include members of Science, Art, and New Lab, making it a truly interdisciplinary course.

Each year, the faculty has tested out new ideas and iterated on the class, but some of the assignments have stayed consistent since the first year. Here, we show an example of one of our favorite programming assignments. Rooted in the idea that good design should be incorporated into everyday things, the students were challenged to look critically at the New York City flag and propose new designs for it. After researching existing flags and thinking of the different users who needed to be considered, the students sketched their designs, received feedback from each other, and used the PencilCode programming environment to build their proposal and embed it on a website. This is the work of Victoria Martin ’22, a student in my 2017 class; Victoria used the same code to submit multiple versions in different color schemes.

Sloan Warren, PhD, K-12 Engineering Department Chair

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ONE OF THE STAPLES of the 8th grade curriculum is the soldier’s journal, the culminating assignment of the Civil War unit. Students assume the identity, the fears, hopes, desires, and regimental leaders of a particular soldier who fought in the Civil War. They may find themselves thinking through the lives of a white soldier, a black soldier, or a woman, who long living as a man, decided to join the army, or a woman who followed her husband or brother into battle. Students grapple with motivations that might have prompted a Georgia Lieutenant or a Maine Captain to put their lives on the line.

Knowing only their names and regimental assignments, with a copy of an original photograph in hand, students use the accumulated history they have gained through the

assignment, combined with additional research relative to their regiment, to write letters and journal entries to be read by posterity. While the assignments ask for 6-8 pages, the journals more often come in at over 10 pages of heartfelt loss, yearning for home, and questioning of their allegiances.

On the day they submit the journals, often tear stained with the occasional splash of blood (fake!), the students learn the reality of their soldier’s fates. The personal investment in the lives of their men and women is manifest in their faces when they learn what ultimately happened. Suddenly the Civil War has a face and the desire for equity becomes even more personal. History comes alive.

Catherine Edwards, Eighth Grade Social Studies Teacher 61

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Mathematical toolbox u

To Kill a Mockingbird u

To Kill a Mockingbird introduces eighth graders to the world of 1930s Alabama. The book draws students into conversations about issues of race, class, and gender that are both universal and relevant today.

ONE OF THE seminal novels of the 20th century and a staple of the Middle School English curriculum at Dalton for decades, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-loved books that students encounter at 89th Street. In getting to know Scout, Jem, Atticus, and the town of Maycomb, eighth graders learn about 1930’s Alabama a time and place wholly different from their own.

The struggles that the Finch children and their hometown go through provide the opportunity to discuss issues of race, class, and gender that are both universal and ideally suited for young teenagers. Celia Heath ‘18 remembers that it “felt as though Harper Lee was laying out my own experience right in front of me . . . reminding me that I was very much not alone.” Her classmate, Grant Gordon ‘18, appreciates the way the novel highlighted “the power of a 62

Each seventh grade student creates a mathematical “toolbox” as a resource to help them solve challenging problems throughout the year.

voice and the necessity of using it fearlessly.” The mystery of Boo Radley, the drama of Tom Robinson’s case, and the maturation of the young protagonists inevitably draw middle schoolers into vital conversations and a deeper understanding of history.

Every year, Harper Lee’s classic resonates with a new group of Dalton students, as they learn to “climb into a person’s skin and walk around a bit.” In spite of the book’s many heart-breaking moments, it has been a source of enlightenment and inspiration for countless students over many decades. We are confident that it will continue to serve the same purpose for many more in the century to come.

Josh Bachrach, Eighth Grade House Advisor, English Teacher and Middle School English Department Chair

STUDENTS in the seventh grade create a mathematical “toolbox.” This notebook is a resource for them throughout the year, essentially providing the “tools” they will need to solve challenging problems. In it, they take notes and record important terminology, rules, and procedures. Some students express their organizational skills and artistic flair with their toolboxes by color coding different sections and organizing their work on the page in creative ways.

“Open Toolbox” quizzes are given periodically throughout the school year where students are free to use their notes as a resource; knowing they will be allowed to use their toolboxes gives students even more incentive to be detailed in their notes. Keeping a thorough and organized toolbox also helps prepare students for the note taking they will do throughout their years at Dalton. Additionally, students are required to bring their toolbox to class every day

which fosters their developing independence and sense of responsibility. Some students even use their toolboxes well into their high school years.

Robert Mason, former seventh grade House Advisor and math teacher, nicknamed “Doc” for his PhD in Mathematics, introduced the idea of the toolbox to the grade. Dr. Mason taught at Dalton for 25 years, and the toolbox, in addition to his unit on Matrices for the conceptual classes, is one of the legacies he left when he retired in 2014.

Doc himself was a legend at Dalton, known for the high expectations he had for students and the understanding of high-level concepts the students took with them upon finishing his class.

Inanna Donnelley ’86 and Alex Bertrand, Seventh Grade House Advisors and Mathematics Teachers 63

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Exploring the Islamic World: The Astrolabe u

Astrolabe by Manon Aster ‘19 and Abby Cohen ‘19

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

HOW DOES technology transform and impact societies? This question permeates the 7th grade history curriculum on the Islamic world and remains relevant to students today. In their attempt to ease life struggles, people have continuously pushed themselves to create new technologies. As part of their study of technological advances in the Islamic world, students study the astrolabe and consider whether this ancient device reinforces or challenges our modern-day assumptions about technology. Astrolabes, from the Greek combination of astron (start) + lambanien (to take), were used heavily in the Muslim world for trade and pilgrimage purposes and spread to Europe where they were embraced by late Medieval and Renaissance thinkers. Chaucer wrote the first English manual describing the astrolabe in 1391 for his 11-year-old son, who could then construct the device and use it to tell time.

Though astrolabes could be used during the day, they were most effective on a clear, dark night when the constellations and planets shone brightly in the sky overhead.

Students watch a 2009 TED talk by Tom Wujec that characterizes the astrolabe as the first popular computer. They complete a short writing assignment to consider whether the device strengthens or challenges our contemporary assumptions about the role of technology in the past. Comparing use of the iPhone and the astrolabe, Anya Milberg ’22 concluded that while our phones may feature accurate pictures of the sky and tell time, they can never replace the immediacy of the connection between the sky and the people who used the astrolabe.

Amanda Schollenberger, Seventh Grade House Advisor and Social Studies Teacher; Dee Mingey, Seventh Grade House Advisor and Social Studies Teacher and Middle School Social Studies Department Chair

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Leadership Design Project: Lord of the Flies u Seventh grade students use Design Thinking to create a “prototype” of a Leadership Plan for the characters in Lord of the Flies.

AFTER READING William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the 7th-grade English students, working in groups, used Design Thinking to create a “prototype” of a Leadership Plan for the boys on the island and presented their ideas to 8th grade computer science students for feedback. The 7th graders also learned about Thomas Hobbes’ and John Locke’s philosophies on human nature and governance and they had to consider these philosophers’ ideas as well as the needs of the boys in developing their plan.

The students used a mock-up of the island from the book (created by a science teacher) with its geography, temperature, and rainfall, along with the philosophies of Hobbes and Locke and quotations from Lord of the Flies, to create the best leadership plan, complete with a symbol or a logo.

The 7th graders presented the prototypes of their leadership plans to 8th graders and high school students who had learned about design thinking in their Comp Sci class and had also read Lord of the Flies as 7th graders.

An important takeaway from the process for the students was discovering that when something didn’t work it could be a great gift—not something about which to be discouraged. The project enhanced their understanding of the nuances of the text and cast them as active participants in solving problems that the boys faced. The students had the opportunity to revisit, revise, and come up with a final iteration of the Leadership Plan in collaboration with their peers.

Margaret Dawson, Seventh Grade House Advisor and English Teacher 65

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Archaeotype u

Sixth grade students learn Ancient History using the computerized archaeological simulation Archaeotype. This software, developed by a Dalton team, helps students analyze the site and construct a map of their finds.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

GENERATIONS of sixth grade students have fond memories of learning Ancient History using the computerized archaeological simulation Archaeotype. The program was developed in 1991 as a network-based multimedia alternative that uses both texts and artifacts as evidence to construct history. A team of Dalton history teachers, archaeologists, and software designers from the New Lab developed this collaborative and interdisciplinary program. Small groups of students use a set of online tools to manipulate, measure, weigh, and record each artifact, using a series of online libraries to enhance their analysis.

Each student has a chance to excavate, share their findings with their teammates and the class to develop hypotheses and to construct a picture of the site.

The Greek Festival u

Chiton courtesy of David Markowitz ‘07 Tile by Anna Rich ‘14

As Jennifer Neff Davidson ’02 described it, “Archaeotype demonstrates the interactive and innovative ways Dalton teaches it students. We not only learned Ancient History through the program, but also how to integrate different types of sources and how to work together as a team.”

Considered a model for innovative teaching and learning, the program received national attention and was used at Columbia University, New York University, and by the Juarez Lincoln School in Chula Vista, California. The Archaeotype software has been refined and given new focus over the two decades. While the first site focused on Greece, two iterations focused on the Assyrian site of Til Barsip. A new Greek site is being redesigned.

Neil Goldberg, Archaeologist Stephanie Fins, Curator of the Centennial Project, Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program

THE GREEK FESTIVAL is the quintessential transdisciplinary project and has been the highlight of the Dalton students’ 6th grade experience for generations. The Festival is the culmination of efforts in History, Math, English, Theater, Music, Dance, and Art. Students study Ancient Greek life with an emphasis on their unique form of democratic government, philosophy, social justice, art, drama, and architecture.

Math students collaborate to research, design and construct a scale model of an Ancient Greek temple. New developments in technology have allowed them to enhance their replication of the features of these classical structures.

In English, students study Greek mythology and the stories of the Trojan War. They write “persona poems” using their knowledge of the attributes of these ancient characters.

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To bring them to life they research, read, revise, and meld the information into a “script” that forms the basis of the Greek Festival performance.

In the Performing and Fine Arts, students are exposed to the elements of Greek Drama, Music, Dance, and Art. Their talents are on display in the musical interludes, choreographed dances, and chiton costumes that are featured throughout the production. Individually created clay tiles are on display outside the theater.

This intellectual journey is among the oldest traditions at the Dalton School. The months of preparation unite the students and form the basis for memories that last a lifetime. We know Helen Parkhurst would be pleased with both the process and the product of this cooperative effort.

Pam Brighton, Laura Aziz, Ivy Leibowitz, Maggie Dobbins, Sixth Grade House Advisors 67

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Building an Ancient City with STEAM u

WHEN YOU REACH ME is a mainstay of fifth grade literature. Combining science fiction, mystery, and a staggering ending, it has become known as one of the best books of fifth grade. Rebecca Stead, a parent of a Dalton alum, weaves together a tale of Miranda, a student growing up on the west side of New York, who receives strange notes, experiences loss, and grows in more ways than one. Through it all, the student learns that it’s important to “Never judge a book by its cover.”

COMBINING social studies with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) has helped to bridge the gap between the keen historian and the fervent mathematician. This project asking students to develop an ancient city allows them to connect multiple understandings: how leaders and architects meet the needs of a population, why cities are organized and changed, and most importantly, how to collaborate on ideas of importance. Asking students to build and modify their city based on growing needs, unpredictable constraints, and feedback from peers and experts expands their growing ability to be flexible, take constructive criticism, and problem-solve. When asked about the highlight of their school year, many students smile, and say, STEAM. Ayesha Long, Former Fifth Grade House Advisor, K-12 Diversity Coordinator

When You Reach Me u Through a close reading of When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, and relating it to Lois Lowry’s The Giver, fifth grade students compare the responsibilities people have to each other and their larger society.

Throughout many fifth grade years, Stead has visited Dalton, speaking with hundreds of students. Using her own prior experiences, she is able to help students recognize that stories are most powerful when the author has some connection to the protagonist’s journey. In her presentation, she shared photos of her youth, international covers of her book, and funny anecdotes of her childhood.

Connecting the protagonist Miranda’s journey to understanding herself and those around her, to Jonas, protagonist of The Giver by Lois Lowry, opened students’ minds to people’s responsibility to each other and their overall society. Though the books take place in drastically different times and the characters seem at first glance to have completely different experiences, there’s something to be said for the watchful eye that believes it is protecting those under its purview without also calling into question the receivers’ feelings towards being surveilled.

Ayesha Long, Former Fifth Grade House Advisor, K-12 Diversity Coordinator

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Seal Impression u

Fifth grade students made impressions of Neo-Babylonian cylinder seals in a workshop led

by Sidney Babcock, curator of Seals & Tablets and designed by Michelle Marcus, PhD.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

VOICES ARE HUSHED and eyes are sparkling as a small group of fifth graders enters the former boardroom of the Pierpont Morgan Library & Museum. Before them: an exquisite array of stone cylindrical seals made between 3000 and 1000 BCE in the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). Light bounces off the surface of the semi-precious stones—lapis lazuli, chalcedony, red jasper—none any taller than one’s thumb. The seals feel heavier than expected, as the dense stones and the weight of history sink into the palm of these young hands. The students marvel at the intricate designs carved into the seal stones which create a continuous impression when rolled across a damp clay surface.

As the students know from their preparation in class, cylinder seals were used in ancient Mesopotamia to seal clay tablets and commodities as signs of authority and ownership. What the students are never quite prepared for, however, is the experience of personally rolling one of the Morgan seals across damp clay and creating their own impression of the carved design and their own stunning work of art. Hands inevitably shake and eyes occasionally water as the students are struck by the fact that they are using an ancient artifact in much the same way it was used in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago. It is this sense of having a shared experience with an individual from the distant past that makes the Morgan visit and a student’s modern seal impression from one such visit so remarkable.

Michelle Marcus, PhD, Art Historian, Dalton Museum Program

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Charlotte’s Web u

Fourth grade students use E.B. White’s classic Charlotte’s Web to learn close reading and annotation of texts and to create individual final projects highlighting a theme present in White’s classics.

THE FOURTH GRADE Language Arts Program offers a wide variety of experiences with books. The first unit of the year sets the stage. Students are introduced to new tools of literary exploration through a study of the iconic American writer, E. B. White. An essayist at the New Yorker Magazine, a gentleman farmer in Maine, and the co-writer of a still-used style manual, White is best known today for his three children’s books. The children start the unit by reading Charlotte’s Web. The first time they read it, they read straight-through without additional work. The second time they read it, students begin the real work when they are introduced to the idea of close reading and annotating a book. While some may have used sticky notes in the past, this is the first time they have ever WRITTEN IN A BOOK! Each teacher models how to do a close reading with the first chapter and the children marvel at how much can be uncovered through a close reading of a great book. Annotating can be a wonderful experience as they set about on a quest for thematic notes, figurative language, connections to real life and more. Excitedly, they each take on a chapter to annotate independently and then share what they have discovered in whole class seminars. This is followed by readings of one or both of White’s other children’s books, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan.

A final project with an art component offers a chance for each child to explore one of the themes that is evident in all three books. These books become mentor texts for the rest of the year as children annotate, do close readings, and continue to do scholarly literary explorations.

Sylena Goodman, Fourth Grade House Advisor

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Ellis Island Simulation u

For a simulation of the immigrant experience circa 1900, students create an imaginary autobiography and assemble attire based on the identity of a person who came through Ellis Island.

Students complete this questionnaire used in the simulation.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

ONE OF THE first social studies units of fourth grade is a study of Europeans who came through Ellis Island circa 1900. The whole grade visits the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and explores the reasons for coming to America, experiences at Ellis Island and what it was like to assimilate for this particular group of immigrants. This culminates in an Ellis Island Simulation. Each child is given an identity based on a real person who came through Ellis Island, asked to write an imaginary autobiography using the information in the identity profile, and put together attire for the day of the Simulation. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Ireland and Eastern Europe are all represented among these immigrants. Each House’s classroom is turned into one “station” that would have existed at Ellis Island—for example, students are interviewed about character and vocation and receive a health check. Students arrive via the Ellis Island ferry (a.k.a., the elevator) and then experience having to wait in long lines, having their names changed by officials and having their documents filled with mistakes. Of course, all eventually are admitted into the country! It is an event that they remember throughout their years at Dalton.

Sylena Goodman, Fourth Grade House Advisor

Fourth Grade Citizenship Certificate u At a mid-year ceremony, each fourth grade student receives a certificate to signify Big Dalton citizenship and pledge to uphold the values of good citizenship both at Dalton and in the wider world.

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THE FOURTH GRADE’S overarching theme for the year is immigration and migration. In social studies, the children explore the meanings behind and experiences of those coming to America, today and in the past. In tandem with this historical focus is one on the children’s own experience as migrants themselves from the First Program (or another school) to the Middle School. From the very first day, the children consider what it is like learning about a new country, acclimating, learning new routines and language and turning a new place into a familiar one of their own. They start by creating maps of their journey—imaginative renderings of their movement from Little Dalton to Big Dalton. A Museum of the Old Country is created in the hallway filled with the children’s dear artifacts from their earlier years. City blocks from second grade, writing from third grade, photos from first grade, and artwork from kindergarten soon decorate the 9th floor bulletin boards. In biweekly Citizenship lessons, the children ponder what makes a good citizen of House, grade, school, country and world.

Lessons featuring book read-alouds, journaling, and other activities encourage consideration of this alongside such larger themes as equity, allyship, and diversity. Midyear, there is a very special ceremony when the children receive their Big Dalton citizenship. Not only do they receive a certificate, but they hear welcoming comments from the Middle School government leaders, the Middle School directors, and the Head of School. This ceremony ends with the children taking a pledge to do well as citizens of their school.

Sylena Goodman, Fourth Grade House Advisor 73

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Third Grade Archaeology Program u Tools used by third graders to excavate artifacts in a simulated excavation. Each class excavates a different site, all supporting curricula on the Age of Exploration.

ASK THIRD GRADERS, trowels in hand, as they peer into a large box in the backyard “what are you?” you’d be likely to get a resounding chorus of students answering, “I am an archaeologist!”

Since 1984 every third grader has participated in a six-week excavation of a simulated archaeological site containing hundreds of artifacts, led by archaeologist Neil Goldberg. Each class has a different site to excavate, all designed to support curricula related to commercial exchange and social and cultural identity during the Age of Exploration. Students learn archaeological techniques for mapping, recovery and recording of the artifacts, which are then analyzed back in the classroom lab and discussed in classroom colloquia. To support their research, students access a database of art images to help create a context for the artifacts. Classes work with Museum Educators Michelle Marcus and Stephanie Fins and experts brought in by the Museum program.

I’ve never had a student who hasn’t been totally engaged. For certain kinds of students who may be more inclined to problem solve on their own, it requires collaboration and teamwork.

The richness of the program is its broad appeal to all kinds of learners. It allows them to build on their analytic and inferential skills using artifacts, texts, and visual images.

Former Associate teacher and current First Program Learning Specialist Erica Lynch adds, “It’s great to work at a school that creates a vital way for students to develop critical thinking skills. It sets a high bar for showing what is possible.”

Sandra Brudnick, Third Grade House Advisor

Third Grade Tiles u For third graders, the tile project commemorates their time at First Program and allows children to express their individuality and creativity.

AS YOU WALK through the halls of First Program, the first thing you notice is the incredible arrays of ceramic tiles on the walls. Working with their art teachers to sculpt, fire, and glaze the tile, each student dedicates hours of time and energy to this lasting legacy that will forever hang on the walls of their youth. Students roll out the clay on a wood form, sculpt the image they choose and make grooves in the back to facilitate gluing to the wall. After the clay dries, it is fired, glazed and then re-fired.

Sheila Lamb, former Head of the Art department, began the tile project during the first year the third grade remained at the First Program rather than moving over to 89th Street. The tiles were done in the Spring of third grade, after students had worked with ceramics for four years and could demonstrate their proficiency and creativity. Today, students can make two tiles, one for permanent display and a second to take home.

Looking closely provides insight into the student who made each 4” x 4” work of art. Each tile celebrates the individuality of its artist by the subject matter students have chosen to portray, but as a whole, the display represents the “graduating” class of third graders before they go forth unafraid to Big Dalton.

Whether in fourth grade or as an alum, these former third graders come back to visit their tiles and remember both the inspiration and the process of creating them.

Sandra Brudnick, Third Grade House Advisor

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EACH WINTER the second grade embarks on the City Blocks Panorama, a study of urban planning, inspired by the 1964 World’s Fair Panorama at the Queens Museum.

The project has evolved over 20+ years to incorporate lessons on teamwork, zoning, architectural detail, scale/proportion, and environmental sustainability.

A January visit to the Museum of the City of New York includes a discussion about the original Manhattan’s grid of 1811 and its subsequent evolution. We also learn the terms for the major zones of city planning: residential, commercial, institutional, industrial & manufacturing, and parks & open spaces.

City Blocks Panorama: Second Grade u

City block by Stori Small ‘24

Next we walk the streets of the school neighborhood examining architectural details of buildings with an educator from the preservationist group, Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District.

Students brainstorm a list of building types in New York City, sort them into “needs” and “wants,” and then into zoning categories. In small groups, they negotiate construction assignments for “needs” and “wants” in their small “neighborhood.” The collaboration and compromise involved draw upon the children’s growing teamwork skills.

The children spend two months designing, building, and detailing structures for their individual city blocks. Small blocks of wood, paint, glue, pens, and collage materials become apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, banks, houses of worship, movie theaters, and more. Recently, we’ve added colorful LED lights corresponding to the planning zones.

Musical Theater: Second Grade u

Playbills from second grade musical theater productions that celebrate New York.

THE SECOND GRADE musical is a culminating experience, bringing together our New York City social studies curriculum, the re-interpretation of a work of children’s literature, and existing musical theater numbers in a celebration of song and dance.

Each year, the second grade performs two separate musicals: three houses perform one and two perform the other. All musicals have the same finale, a medley of songs about New York City, which provides a common experience for all second graders.

Every second grader makes a city block. Before spring break, the blocks are assembled into an “island” that runs the length of the upper music room. The exhibit is a must-see event for everyone at The First Program!

Deborah Semel Bingham ’82, Second Grade House Advisor

The musicals are designed for maximum equity and involve the entire house in the story telling, without casting “leads.” Each house is responsible for two unique musical numbers and each child has one line to speak alone. I have adapted four musicals in the repertory, all with a New York City theme. The songs used are versions of existing musical theater songs with lyrics that have been gently rewritten to support the plots. Our “orchestra” is Nate Buccieri, a visiting music director and cabaret performer, who accompanies on the piano while I “stage manage” from the back of the house. The eight-week process involves weekly rehearsals in my Dance and Theater class, and music rehearsals with Music teachers Janet Chinelli and Nancy Silber. A primary goal for the project, aside from the razzle-dazzle, is the exercise of important life skills such as collaboration, teamwork, persistence, diligence, cooperation, and emotional flexibility. The first show was in 2007 and continues to this day.

Justin Greer, First Program, Dance and Theater Specialist

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Reading and Writing Books in First Grade u

By the end of first grade, children produce pieces of writing independently that demonstrate their comprehension and grammar skills. These books illustrate the range of topics that capture their imagination.

First Graders Make a Difference in the World u Recyclable bag with conservation tip

THE FIRST GRADE language arts curriculum teaches reading and writing skills in a fun, engaging, and child-centered manner. Our goal is to instill a lifelong love of reading through exposure to a variety of texts in a wide range of literary genres and styles. Decoding is a pinnacle of reading at this age. The first graders practice five word attack strategies and, as their reading becomes more automatic, they learn to read for understanding.

Some of the comprehension skills taught include understanding story elements such as character, setting, problem, and solution; developing the ability to sequence, summarize, recount, and predict; expressing an opinion, both orally and written; and deciphering an author’s implied meaning. The first graders develop their expression and fluency as their reading skills become stronger.

The main purpose of the writing program is to construct and express meaning effectively on paper. Legible handwriting with correct letter formation and word study are an integral part of the writing process; children learn spelling patterns and rules and apply phonetics to their work. They are exposed to various forms including poetry, personal narratives, how-to books, and letter writing. They begin to produce pieces of writing independently while applying grammar skills such as punctuation, capitalization and complete sentences. First graders also learn to be their own editors. They practice rereading their pieces and make sure their writing makes sense. By the end of first grade, children have been exposed to a variety of reading and writing skills upon which to build in their subsequent years at Dalton.

Sarah Appelman and Mary Mellow, First Grade House Advisors

SERVICE LEARNING is a vital component of first grade. As educators, we want to prepare our students to become citizens of the world. We aim to cultivate respect, integrity, compassion, a sense of justice, and responsibility to our local community.

In September, the first grade launches a walk-a-thon, where students walk around the block ten times to raise money for various causes that are significant to them. Typically, the walk-athon raises $13,000 each year, a portion of which is donated to the New York Common Pantry (NYCP). Each House visits the NYCP to learn about the organization and to bag fresh food.

The first grade teachers also serve dinner at the NYCP soup kitchen. During Thanksgiving week, the first graders make Thanksgiving lunches for NYCP patrons using funds raised from the walk-a-thon to purchase food and supplies.

We want our students to experience the idea of environmental responsibility. In honor of Earth Day, the first graders use walk-a-thon funds to purchase reusable grocery bags. Each student attaches a note with an illustrated conservation tip to the grocery bag. These bags are donated to Morton Williams Supermarket to be distributed to its customers. The entire grade walks to the supermarket to deliver the bags and proudly watches the bag distribution.

The balance of the walk-a-thon funds is distributed equally among the five houses and the children decide which charities will be the beneficiaries of the funds. First graders are empowered with the knowledge that they can make a difference in the world!

Alison Goodman, Camille Ehrenberg, and Jamie Levin, First Grade House Advisors

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Candy store created by Kavya Aggarwal ‘30

Celebrating 100 Days at Dalton u

Kindergarteners assembled on the First Program steps counting out groups of 10.

FOR A KINDERGARTEN student, 100 is a very large number! While many schools celebrate the 100th day of school, the kindergarten team has expanded their project by having each student gather collections of 100 objects to create a week-long series of activities leading up to the 100th day. The activities consolidate math knowledge including counting practice, estimation work, place value, and the measurement of volume. Excitement builds as the teams move from room to room, working together in small or large groups depending on the activity.

Blocks and pattern blocks Teams work together to count and create a structure using blocks and pattern blocks. One team uses 100 blocks with 10 sets of blocks of 10 different shapes, while another team builds with 5 different shapes of 20 blocks each.

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Beach pudding Student groups predict the bowl size needed to hold 100 Teddy Graham crackers. As they count, they collect more information and have the chance to revise their initial predictions. Next, they consider how the size of the bowl might change when the cookies are ground in a food processor. Once the crackers are ground and sprinkled like “sand” over vanilla pudding, the students enjoy their snack.

Marshmallow Monsters Each small group counts 100 marshmallows and constructs a large monster using toothpicks.

Fruit Loops Each child strings 100 Fruit Loops on a licorice string, marking their progress using a 100s chart.

Skyscraper Each group gets a large oak tag skyscraper and works collaboratively to add 100 windows, including the photographs of their group.

Jenny Halliday, Kindergarten House Advisor

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Curricular Diversity begins in Kindergarten u Various kindergarten projects clockwise from top left: Talking Pumpkin, Ducklings, Farmers Market, West African Folktales, and Bread

EACH KINDERGARTEN HOUSE has its own special project to encourage students to participate as speakers and listeners, provide opportunities to respond to stories and poems, and help to develop reading and writing skills.

HOUSE 33: West African tales featuring Anansi the Spider support the kindergarteners’ oral and written language development. In collaboration with their art, technology, and theater teachers, the kindergarteners create a multimedia extravaganza to share with the whole Dalton community.

Jenny Halliday, Kindergarten House Advisor HOUSE 16: House 16 buzzes in our fun fall tradition of preparing for the “Talking Storybook Pumpkins Project” which allows students to practice a script and record their own voice on Chatterpix speaking as their character from first person perspective.

Mary DiCarlo, Kindergarten House Advisor HOUSE 32: Our year-long Farm-to-Table study focuses on healthy eating. Through field trips and hands-on projects, students learn where food comes from and how to best take care of the environment and their own bodies. We culminate the year by making a feast using food straight from the farm.

Monica Margolis, Kindergarten House Advisor HOUSE 14: Study bread? ABSOLUTELY! It’s a perfect multicultural social studies topic with embedded math and science skills along with service learning. We read books about bread, and we write about our block area reconstruction of factories we visit. AND, you get to eat your work!

Debbie Reilly, Kindergarten House Advisor HOUSE 15: We incubate and hatch duck eggs. For this study, the children develop science, math, and life skills. They reflect on and get information from books about ducks and write journal entries.

And of course, they love watching the ducklings waddle around!

Tarika Coleman, Kindergarten House Advisor

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First Program Chorus u

Dalton’s First Program Chorus performs in two annual concerts. The Winter Concert features mostly American music, while the Spring Multicultural program highlights world music sung in a variety of languages and accompanied by third grade students on instruments.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

SINGING in a choir at any age is an exhilarating and transformative communal experience. Dalton’s First Program chorus began in 1997 as an outgrowth of a vibrant singing, movement, and Orff program. Open to all first, second, and third graders, between 60 and 80 children choose to participate each year.

Committed members arrive at school early two mornings a week to rehearse for two concerts per year. Originally our first Winter Concerts (February) featured music from the Medieval and Renaissance Periods. A small instrumental ensemble playing period instruments (lutes, viola da gamba, and percussion) accompanied the singers. The young children were joined by 30-40 voices from the High School chorus. The Winter concert, featuring mostly American Music, has continued with programs designed to highlight beautiful singing by young voices.

First Program Art: Third Grade Book Fair Paintings u Book Fair illustration

by Bryson Wiese ‘19

The Spring Multicultural program features music from around the world sung in diverse languages that include Spanish, French, Arabic, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Ashanti, Kiswahili, Tamil & Korean. Third graders, in particular, look forward to this concert as they are all invited to participate as accompanists on recorders, percussion and Orff instruments. Over the years students have also played violin, cello, guitar, harp and koto.

The performances are disciplined and joyful. As we near each performance there are always a few jitters, but they are quickly overcome and the final result is one of tremendous satisfaction. It is always a gift to hear the voices of children singing.

Janet Chinelli and Nancy Silber, First Program Music Teachers

WHAT IS your favorite book? Every November, third graders celebrate reading by displaying at First Program their painted “illustrations” of a favorite scene from a favorite book. These paintings cover the walls of the East Lobby and Lobby 51 during the annual FP Book Fair hosted by the Parents Association.

As illustrators, the young artists choose which scene will best “represent” an important dramatic moment in the story.

They make decisions about vantage point, foreground, background, size, and scale so that their paintings can be seen and understood from the far side of the gallery space.

Using a basic palette of five paint colors (yellow, red, blue,

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black & white) they mix the many precise colors they need, paying particular attention to the many skin colors of the characters in the story.

With many experiences inventing and exploring ideas through the art materials, the children are well equipped to bring their curiosity, imagination, risk taking, and selfexpression to the task of creating a painting. These book illustrations are a wonderful way to invite children and adults to consider reading a new or familiar book.

Anne Lockwood, First Program Visual Arts Head Teacher

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First Program Science: Green Tree Frogs u

In the spring, second grade students study Green Tree Frogs, observing their behavior and conducting experiments. They do additional research on iPads and create observational drawings.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

THE GREEN TREE FROG STUDY in First Program generates great excitement among second graders in the spring. The study starts off with an initial day of observing the frogs as they move in their habitat, jumping from side to side. The children are so intrigued by their new tiny creatures and their movement that little by little, the children move their faces closer and closer to the tanks to get a better view. Then there is the screaming as the frog makes a sudden movement and jumps to the opposite side of the tank! This is only to be outdone on days when these tiny frogs are placed in the second graders nervous hands, as they can then observe their amphibians through touch and through lots of laughter.

The unit is so special as the children learn to care for the animals by doing fair tests with hands-on experiments. We use iPads to do research to find out additional information about the Green Tree Frogs that we cannot observe, such as their life cycle and their natural habitat. They also record their observations in careful drawings. The end of the unit is culminated with the adoption of our beloved friends. With parental permission, the Green Tree Frogs make their way into a second grader’s home to be loved and nurtured.

Marta King, First Program Science Teacher

FLES* at First Program is !Fantástico! u

The emphasis on content in our teacher-designed STEAM curriculum along with exposure to cultural products, practices, and perspectives distinguishes Dalton’s language program for young students and prepares students for our increasingly multilingual and global world. *FLES—Foreign Language in the Elementary School

FOUR YEARS AGO we started with five classes of bright and eager kindergarteners and the conviction that learning language is not just beneficial for young students but fun as well! Now with over 400 children in four grades learning Spanish at The First Program, we are being rewarded with students who demonstrate an ever-growing level of Spanish language proficiency.

What sets our program apart from other language programs around the city is the attention to content as a vehicle for learning language. We use a teacher-designed STEAM-based curriculum in which we incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math concepts to teach Spanish language and culture. Along with STEAM themes, we expose students to cultural products, practices, and perspectives from the Spanish-speaking world. For example, students learn about Guatemala and worry dolls, explore Colombian artist Fernando Botero’s unique style of painting, read Cuban poet José Martí, and dance salsa to the music of Cuban singer Celia Cruz.

As we move into the Middle School with grade 4, we are designing and developing brand new courses that will serve the needs of our ever-more-proficient polyglots.

We are thrilled with our Spanish program’s impact on the Dalton community. With enthusiastic and talented students, supportive parents and administrators, and dedicated and creative educators, we are gratified to be contributing to the development of the multilingual citizens for an ever increasingly global world. These up-and-coming global citizens are nothing short of ¡impresionantes!

Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Director, World and Classical Language Department

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Peer Tutoring u

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

FROM CALCULUS and Chemistry to Spanish and World History, peer tutors with different strengths and backgrounds are ready and willing to help! During my junior and senior years at Dalton, I was fortunate to be a tutor for the high school peer tutoring program.

As a tutor, I met weekly with other high school and middle school students throughout the semester to assist them with their studying, organizing, and conceptual understanding of course material. As a peer tutor, I also participated in a seminar to explore how to apply pedagogical practices, as well as principles of The Dalton Plan, to tutoring.

From my experience, the peer tutoring program—which began in 1995—encapsulates the collaborative spirit that makes Dalton students so successful. Along with working closely with my tutees’ teachers and House advisors, I was able to provide guidance and suggestions to my tutees from my perspective as a fellow student. While peer tutoring is primarily an academic program, pairing students, usually of different ages, it extends beyond coursework, enabling older students to take on a mentoring role on topics such as managing stress and other academic or social challenges. Peer tutoring, an invaluable resource, allows students with a range of experiences to work together, for a positive, mutually beneficial outcome.

Peer tutoring not only allowed me to assist other students, but I also improved my own work. While tutoring highlighted my academic strengths, it also helped me approach my own studies more effectively and productively.

Charlotte Rich ’16

Peer Leadership u

Peer leaders and 9th graders prepare for a boating activity.

AS A NEW 9th grade Dalton student, Peer Leadership was one of my first introductions to the Dalton community. Before school began, I remember being terrified when arriving at Camp Sloane for the freshman retreat. I didn’t know anyone. The Peer Leaders, a group of seniors chosen to guide freshman through our first year of high school, were fun and welcoming.

They helped us through bonding activities, low ropes courses, and wall climbing. At school, at weekly peer leadership sessions, they were mentors and resources, teaching us how to navigate the ups and downs of freshman year, and guiding us during that formative year.

As a senior, I was lucky to serve as a Peer Leader myself, remembering how valuable my Peer Leaders were three years earlier. An unanticipated benefit was the connection that developed among Peer Leaders. We arrived earlier than the 9th graders and had time to get to know each other, learn to trust each other, and prepare for the responsibility of guiding the freshman through their first year of high school at Dalton.

When the new high schoolers arrived at Camp Sloane, I thought back to my experience. Central to Peer Leadership was the knowledge that you’d been in the same place just a few years earlier, and therefore, were well positioned to understand your freshman peer’s experiences.

Dalton Peer Leaders help give freshmen that little push they needed to Go Forth Unafraid!

Sarah Telson ’05

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Boys Varsity Tennis Jacket u

Homecoming and the Tiger u

Boy’s Varsity Tennis Jacket, presented to Nancy Fuld Neff ’72 as a member of the Boy’s Team.

Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame memento and Ivan the Tiger with supportive fans.

EACH SEPTEMBER, the Dalton community—alumni, parents, administrators, faculty, staff, coaches, athletes, and students—rallies to celebrate Dalton Athletics at Homecoming, two days of fun-filled events.

Festivities kick off Friday night with high school volleyball games and a pep rally. The stands are always packed with alumni and students cheering for Dalton’s teams, led by our mascot Ivan the Tiger. When Dalton’s Athletics Hall of Fame inductions take place, Alumni athletes’ stories illustrating how hard work, compromise, sacrifice, and dedication contributed to their achievements on the playing field inspire all.

Homecoming continues on Saturday. Younger students enjoy games and activities on Randall’s Island. Before the JV and Varsity soccer and football games, students and families can participate in age-appropriate races at the Fun Run. The younger ones jog around the field, while older children and adults challenge themselves in the 1 mile or 5K run.

One parent recalled, “When my 3rd grade son missed the 1 mile race, [the coaches] encouraged him to run the 5K. He surprised everyone (especially himself) and finished . . . A Dalton girl gave up winning the race to pace herself with my son encouraging him to finish! My son recently ran a 10K to raise money for a Kenyan organization. He was first in the ‘14 and under’ age range (he’s 9) . . . and proudly wore his Dalton hat! Thanks to you and to the mystery girl for your inspiration.”

Dalton’s Physical Education and Athletics Department goes forth unafraid, greatly valuing tradition, diversity, and goal-oriented experiences with a commitment that would make Helen Parkhurst proud!

Teddy Frischling ’89, Director of Athletics and Director of Physical Education Jim Armata, Physical Education Teacher and Athletics Coach

AS THE FIRST girl to play on a boys’ athletic team at Dalton (and in our league), this varsity jacket was given to me at the Father-Son Sports Dinner after three years of play when I was co-captain. I was happy to receive it, although I have never actually worn it, as it is much too big!

Dalton’s encouragement of a girl on a boys’ team was highly unusual at that time, two years prior to the passage of Title IX, which prohibited discrimination against women in athletics. The idea that a woman should be able to pursue her interests is indicative of the progressive thinking that has always been at the core of Dalton’s educational philosophy.

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I was impressed by the widespread support I received at school. In my first match, when the rival coach threatened to pull his team from the courts rather than play a team with a female player, the Dalton coach refused and responded that the rival school’s action would be a default. The other coach conceded, I played and we won.

When the year-end Father–Son Sports Dinner was held, the question arose as to whether I should be invited. Unbeknownst to me, the other team members lobbied on my behalf. I attended the dinner with my father and 150 male athletes. I cannot imagine a more supportive Dalton community which made, what could have been an uncomfortable experience, a memorable one that I remember each time I look at my varsity jacket.

Nancy Fuld Neff ’72

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Bunches of Lunches u

Collage created by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez

EVERYONE TALKS about the delicious food in our cafeteria. It is one of the few things that I think everyone agrees on at Dalton—that we have the BEST school lunches!

During my first year at Dalton, I was so excited about the lunches we were served each day that I started taking photos of them. I just loved the beautiful colors of the vegetables as they contrasted against our green trays! But what touched me the most about these lunches was the love that they conveyed in every bite. The Dalton cafeteria dishes out love all day long: at breakfast, during lunch, after school for meetings, and in the evenings at special events.

Feeding someone is a way of taking care of them, and as a new teacher to Dalton, I felt the love and caring for students, faculty, and staff that came through in these delicious and nutritious meals. I still feel this way and although I stopped taking pictures of my meals, I continue to appreciate sharing good food with good people every day!

Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Director, World and Classical Language Department

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Play Street u

EACH DAY for about 45 minutes, approximately 100 kids pour onto East 89th Street and run wild. Balls fly, jump ropes swing, and 11, 12, and 13-year-old students chase each other on the hard concrete.

Most schools have recess in a playground or on a field—not Dalton. Instead, we have Play Street. One free period a day for us city kids to roam the street, hang out with our friends, and chat with teachers. The boys use sidewalk chalk to draw squares for super competitive box ball games, inevitably leading to one or more hit cars, setting off a cacophony of shrieking car alarms. I can still hear Ms. DJ, my sixth grade English teacher, shouting, “Sidewalk!” as the entire Class of 2016 runs from the street and takes a knee to let a car pull out of its parking spot.

To this day, I have never seen anything quite like the end of Play Street—teachers ushering mobs of kids who crowd the staircase, rushing to the third floor cafeteria to be first on the lunch line.

Even now, I can’t help but smile when I pass 89th and Lexington sometime around noon.

I see the familiar Dalton security guard in his distinctive red fleece standing in front of the age-old blue barricades mouthing hello to me over the screams and laughter of middle school students.

Phoebe Chase ’16

The Dalton Wildlife Club u

A coloring book produced by high school students from First Program student drawings.

THE DALTON WILDLIFE CLUB began in the Middle School in 2011 and has been burgeoning ever since. It was founded by Kai Victor ’17 and Daniel Wing ’17. Callie Aboaf ’17 later joined to set the gold standard for club leadership.

The club’s motto is “Conserve, Educate, Respect.” We do our best to live by that credo, putting service and education first. Campaigns are conducted cooperatively with long-term partners including Panthera, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, South Africa’s Wessa Eco-Schools, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. Our achievements are wide-ranging: for example, coloring books produced by the club have been used in South African schools.

Each year brings a new constellation of educational campaigns, trips, assemblies, and fundraising.

There are now four sections of the club, making Wildlife the only club operating across all three divisions at Dalton. Each section meets once a week and a total of about 50 students work school-wide for wildlife and wilderness causes. The various sections often work together. For example, the HS club and FP club lead annual FP wildlife assemblies and campaigns. Each club section is a meritocracy, with leadership earned through involvement and sweat equity, which fosters universal engagement.

The synergies that result from such an open system are powerful, with students of all ages freely communicating and pitching in to help each other. In Wildlife Club, we look forward to extending the range and depth of our contributions to wildlife conservation in the years to come.

Malcolm Fenton, PhD, Science Teacher and Wildlife Club Advisor

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The Chess Program u

Dalton hosts one of the pre-eminent Scholastic Chess Programs in the country.

Alumni and parents praise the program for combining chess strategy with life lessons.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

INAUGURATED IN 1983 under the direction of Svetozar Jovanovic and currently under David MacEnulty, Dalton hosts one of the pre-eminent Scholastic Chess programs in the country, both in terms of the number of Championships and participants at National events. Alumni and parents praise the program for qualities beyond the wins.

“Much of who I am today was shaped by my early years on the Dalton Chess Team under Mr. Jovanovic, a genius strategist who valued hard work.”

Spencer Rascoff ’93

“David MacEnulty has expanded the Program into classrooms and brought it to new levels.”

Nick Silvers ‘94, P ‘25, ‘27, ‘30

“The distinguishing factor of Dalton chess is how David MacEnulty teaches the game—equal parts chess strategy and character-building life lessons.”

Gina Sohn [Lee], P ‘19, ‘21, ‘24

“It’s really about the chess community and the camaraderie amongst the children and friendships with the other chess families.”

Peggy Yih ’89, P ‘21

“Chess has taught our son the skills of time management, strategic thinking, spatial logic, and mental computation, as well the life skills of winning with grace, losing with character, learning from mistakes, and taking calculated risks. We are a diverse family of students, parents, teachers, and coaches. It has fostered a culture of encouragement, support, inclusiveness, and true sportsmanship, enriching our collective experience.”

Michael Shuman ’89, P ‘24, ‘30

The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and references Dalton’s domination in the sport as well as the Dalton logo—the matriarch spreading her arms to let her children Go Forth Unafraid. The Dalton girls have gone forth unafraid as National Girls Champions for three years in a row.

David MacEnulty, Director of the Chess Academy

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UJIMA u

The Ujima Project raised more than $100,000 to fund four years of high school for more than 100 Kenyan students.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

THE UJIMA PROJECT was a major global initiative in community service and activism at Dalton, with its peak years occurring between 2003 and 2010. Ujima is a Swahili word meaning “living and working for one another.”

We drew inspiration from the famed Kenyan freedom activist Koigi wa Wamwere, and we worked directly with Koigi, a former Dalton parent and former Member of Parliament in Kenya. The High School Ujima Club (Founders: Courtney Finerty ’05 and Katherine Finerty ‘07), the First Program and Middle School Human Rights Clubs, and many other elements of the Dalton community combined for seven remarkable years to work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators and students in Kenya.

Our collective goals were to foster understanding and mutual growth, and to ensure that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in Kenya had the opportunities and education they deserve. Assemblies, walkathons, greeting cards, pen pal letters, photography exhibits, calendars, videos, and a visit to the Subukia District were all elements in the vibrant fabric of our collaboration with our friends and colleagues in Kenya.

The Dalton community raised more than $100,000 for the Subukia Scholarship Fund.

These funds provided more than 100 young Kenyans with a full four years of high school education, an education they would otherwise not have access to in Kenya.

Several scholarship students went on to further success at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg and at institutes of higher learning in Kenya. UJIMA is among Dalton’s proudest service achievements, profoundly affecting so many lives in the Subukia district and in New York City.

Malcolm Fenton, PhD, Science Teacher

Asian Cultures Club u A selection of decorations and favorite snacks shared by ACC members

IN THE EARLY 1990s, a small but vocal group of Asian American Middle School students started the Asian Culture Club (ACC) to create a supportive community and raise general awareness of the rich Asian heritages these students experienced at home. With Dr. Mary K. Brown as advisor, the club quickly extended to the High School. The club’s name changed from the singular CULTURE to the plural CULTURES to reflect the varied cultures of Asia. Events often involve food as a connector and icebreaker between students from different cultures.

ACC members created school-wide annual events: the Banquet and the Asian Tea House bring together the Dalton Community for evenings of food, activities, and community bonding.

For the Club members, the Tea House is an evening of service: they are wait staff, activity monitors, and helpers. ACC members meet weekly and go on outings around New York—to attend cultural events, eat, shop, and sing karaoke!

Members of ACC do not have to be of Asian heritages. Many concentrate on Asian studies after Dalton: “ACC was a welcoming space that set me on the right path to discover my identity and comfort with my heritage.”

Richard Chen ’14 “I have a concentration in East Asian History. The club compounded my interest in Asian cultures and my love for fun times with a bunch of great people.”

Ben Ginzberg ’14 “ACC was where I met some of my greatest role models and it pointed me towards one of my majors in college, China and Asia-Pacific Studies.”

Callie Aboaf ’17 Roxanne Feldman, Middle School Librarian and ACC Advisor

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

The Dalton Planner u

The Daltonian u

Example of a student Planner chronicling Assignments, Labs, and other daily activities

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The Daltonian, Volume I, No. II, December 1933

EVERY STUDENT in Big Dalton receives a Dalton Planner to keep track of assignments and homework. When I was in middle school, House advisors assessed our planners to teach us how to become responsible and organized students. Each morning, my 4th grade House advisor Ms. Farnsworth checked my planner and pasted a sticker on its inside cover—if I had done my required reading!

I’VE KEPT my plan book after each year because not only did it record each piece of homework, paper, and test that I took, but it also included sentimental reminders and doodles. It feels like a very personal school item, yet it encapsulates the way Dalton taught us to plan our work thoughtfully and learn the essential life skills of organization and prioritization.

It was always fun to see how different people would decorate the Dalton logo on the cover—from elaborate drawings or mindless doodles to plain white. These various designs are representative of my Dalton experience as a whole. When I think back, I remember the uniqueness of every student in my class and the sea of unique planners on every classroom table.

Gabriela Siegal ’16

In a sense, my planner chronicled my journey through Dalton. In addition to tracking my academics, it also documents other aspects of my Dalton experience such as athletics, lots of labs with teachers, and even special days such as symposiums. My planner reminds me of the day-to-day that truly defined my time at Dalton.

Anna Rich ’14

THERE’S PERHAPS no better window into life at Dalton than the pages of The Daltonian.

Beginning in 1933 as an 8.5 x 11 inch tabloid, the student newspaper has been published continuously for 80+ years.

In the ’80s and ‘90s, students would huddle around early Apple and IBM computers, at night and on weekends. We prepared the pages by hand, cutting and pasting column inches.

Although we certainly did not appreciate it, and how could we have, what made service on The Daltonian so special was the independence of it all. It is hard now to grasp just how free we were—without meaningful review or censorship by, it seemed, anyone at all.

The Daltonian covered it all: Dalton’s proudest moments — like the decision to enroll boys, the First Program expansion, the Dalton chorus singing at Carnegie Hall, the baseball team playing at Shea Stadium, and the opening of the Physical Education facility. And the more forgettable moments—scandals around alcohol use on a student ski trip and at unsupervised loft parties to the outspoken ’80s talk show host Morton Downey, Jr. storming out of a student assembly, profanity and all.

Informed Sources, a gossip column-style rundown of life at Dalton, often ran unattributed items. Whether that was a good idea is almost beside the point, because we learned to manage the power of the pen responsibly—while having more than a little fun. And thank goodness, as far as we know, things worked out just fine.

Nick Goldin ’92, The Daltonian, Editor-in-Chief 1991-92 101

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Haunted Library u Some ghoulish decorations for Dalton’s Haunted Library

IT ALL BEGAN in the 10th floor classroom with some black paper to cover the windows, one pumpkin, one candle, and some scary stories. Twenty years later, The Haunted Library has become one of the most fondly remembered traditions of the Dalton Middle School.

The decorations have become much more elaborate: shredded black trash bags cover every inch of shelves, walls, and ceiling; tiny tea lights scattered about give the room an eerie glow; there are cobwebs in every corner; the A/C on full blast creates the chill in the air; and the creepy baby laugh echoes through the room. Yet, the stories have remained at the heart of it all.

When Middle School Librarian Roxanne Feldman first conceived of the idea for the Haunted Library, she was excited for students to engage with the library in a different way, to have some fun while sharing her love of storytelling. The week-long haunted celebration has grown to include guest readers from the faculty and staff of all three divisions and has become a true community event.

Phase u

Phase continues to endure more than 40 years since its inception.

Pictured is a vintage Phase t-shirt.

PHASE, Dalton’s legendary night of student entertainment, is part talent-show and part initiation into the magic of live performance.

Highly anticipated by incoming 4th graders (who are told during library orientation that “We don’t talk about Halloween!”) and warmly recalled by older students (who now giggle at how scared they really were), the Haunted Library tradition will continue in the new library space, which opens Fall 2019, so students can enjoy spooky stories and the hair-raising cackle of MS teacher Martha Edelson for years to come!

Christy Payne, Director of Library and Information Services

Phase began in 1975 as an outlet for high school student performing artists to showcase their talent—from stand-up comedy to rock & roll. One alum recalls “We did three shows that year in the library. We tried to create a nightclub atmosphere with committee members as waiters. We all remember the dazzling (sometimes baffling) talent, the roof-raising jazz bands, side-splitting comedy, and spine-tingling musical genius.” k I vividly remember my first Phase. I had never attended any type of staged entertainment without an adult. Held in the Dalton Auditorium on a Saturday night, the evening was highly anticipated. Bands, jugglers, comedians . . . the brave representatives of the high school got on stage and performed for their fellow students, not as part of a standard school assembly but on Saturday NIGHT, with no teachers present! Well, there probably was some adult supervision, but I don’t recall that part very well.

For Dalton’s 100th Anniversary we took Phase on the road, out of its traditional home on 89th Street and into the heart of Brooklyn, to Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Bowl. The Bowl has featured performances by some of today’s top performers, including Kanye West, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, and Paul Simon but this special evening was a one-of-a-kind melding of alumni, talent and fun, as alum-based bands and performers hit the stage to celebrate Dalton’s milestone anniversary and the creative magic that only Phase can generate.

Peter Shapiro ’91

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LGBTQ+ Initiatives at Dalton u Raising awareness and showing support during Ally Week

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

AT A HIGH SCHOOL assembly sponsored in the 1990’s by editors of the Daltonian, Dalton alum and teacher Anne MacKay ‘45 asked a question that took root in the mind and heart of many in attendance: Shouldn’t Dalton, a progressive school in a progressive city, have a gay-straight alliance?

Anne and student editors were essentially asking for Dalton’s support as an educational institution. Twenty years later, as support continues to fluctuate within American institutions in general, the seed planted in that assembly has flowered for all grades and groups throughout Dalton.

Bi-annual Visibility exhibits are just one outgrowth of the work faculty and staff, students, parents, administrators, and alumni do in affirming partnership to show support and respect for LGBTQ+ persons in our lives and school.

In fostering visibility and advocacy through division-specific and school-wide observances such as Ally Week, in preparing teaching materials for our students and community members, in raising awareness via our publications, professional development, Admissions outreach, and leadership and discussion groups, we as a school seek to cultivate involvement while respecting confidentiality and privacy.

We frame learning around the idea of a spectrum or continuum. We consider sexual orientation and gender identity and expression as characteristics of human diversity that also include hetero and cis-gender.

Without discounting the misunderstandings and oppression surrounding LGBTQ+ features of human diversity, we continue to discuss and educate in ways that affirm, that build a common vocabulary, and that honor Dalton’s institutional commitment to equity, justice, openness, and inclusion.

Tracy Christopher, Middle & High School French Teacher and Co-Advisor, MS Spectrum

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ENDURING TRADITIONS

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Theater: Candlelighting from the Wings u

FOR THIRTY YEARS I have had the unique perspective of watching Candlelighting from the theater wings, sitting next to the piano, cue sheet in hand, fire extinguisher by my feet. In that time, there have been several candles that have inexplicably fallen, a few that just went out, some flubbed lines, a few stumbles, and several tears, usually from alumni coming back who are suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of unexpected emotion prompted either by a resurgence of feeling for the school or, perhaps, an all-too-vivid window into their own mortality walking on the same stage they did when they were 25 or 40 or even 50 years younger. This surge of genuine emotion is even more poignant given the impenetrable, vaguely druidic, borderline nonsensical Candlelighting Poem at the center of the ceremony. The First Program kids are the true stars, of course. And one can see across those few years a remarkable transformation, from the impossibly cute kindergartener’s deep determination to execute, however haltingly, this sacred duty to the already cavalier third grader, who’s already begun to exude a burgeoning sense of being too cool for all this. But what’s most poignant about my many years of coordinating the Candlelighting and Arch Day Ceremonies is being part of a tradition that goes back to Dalton’s inception and though I am no longer impossibly cute, I do feel a deep determination to execute this duty.

Robert Sloan, Middle and High School Theater Teacher, Theater Department Chair

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Candlelighting u

A First Program student at Candlelighting and an early Candlighting program

CANDLELIGHTING means many things for the Dalton student: a half-day of school, an assembly, and the tradition of “consecrating this house with light.” Each year, adorable children from the First Program would be gently assisted by the Head of School as they lit candles and tottered over to geometric candle-holders. High-school students, more casually dressed and confident than their younger classmates, recite lines of a poem written

by Dalton alumna Nancy Cardozo Cowles ’36, before lighting their candles.

In the First Program and Middle School, students were selected to represent their grade at the assembly, but in High School you volunteered to be a candle-lighter; which is how I represented my class twice. The first time, in Second Grade, I was terribly late to school, as getting dressed that day had become a complicated and elaborate endeavor. My parents came to the assembly, taking photos from the balcony, as I walked across the stage in a remarkably poofy dress. In High School, I don’t even know if I mentioned it to my family beforehand. As an easily embarrassed teen, I think I was afraid that they would insist on sitting in the balcony again. More casual and confident this time, like the high schoolers I remembered watching throughout the years, I played my part in consecrating the house, or auditorium, with light.

This tradition heralded not only the beginning of the holiday season but an important milestone as well: Winter Break.

Jillian Saperstein ’04

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Arch Day u

Early yearbook illustration

ARCH DAY and the symbol of an arch evoke memories and related thoughts about the lovely ritual at each school year’s end.

It represented and still represents transition onward—to the next grade, to college, to the wider world, or other schooling for boys at 8th grade of yore. Now it also seems especially fitting for the transition and for going forth from Dalton’s first hundred years to the next and from a fine yet changing past, to an unfolding future.

The arch—any arch—with connotations of Arch Day seems a meaningful symbol of our many individual journeys and of binding the past with the present and of going forward.

I’m not sure if Arch Day was included from the very beginning of Dalton but it has been ongoing since at least 1947-1948 when I entered Dalton. The symbol of an arch and the continuity of Arch Day as a “signature piece” contribute to thoughts of Dalton’s history, present and future.

Thus, Arch Day and many arches (even those in neighboring Central Park) invite you to look and move beyond without certainty of what is on the other side. You are coming from somewhere, stopping for a pause, and moving forth. I think of Arch Day as a bridging ceremony connecting meaningful parts of the past with hopes for the future while holding the present as you and Dalton walk through.

Jane Levenson ’57

The Dalton Seal u

The Dalton medals were made in bronze and given to 8th graders and in gold for the graduating seniors.

“WHEN [FORMER DALTON TEACHER] Elizabeth Seeger was an art student in Paris, an idea of what an ideal school was came to her and she represented it with a sketch of a mother with her children. In 1922, Miss Seeger arrived at the Children’s University School to teach and she had found the school that she dreamed of. She took the sketch to Miss Parkhurst, who had expressed a desire for something to be used as a school seal. This graphic school seal has been used in the school catalogue and is now being made in bronze and gold; bronze for the members of the eighth grade and gold for members of the Senior Class upon graduation. The die for the seal was ordered made by the Dalton Parent-Teachers’ Association. The motto on the back of each seal is Go Forth Unafraid.”

Unsigned memorandum, May 24, 1926 “I am an alum with a long family history—John Seeger is my father; Elizabeth Seeger was my great aunt; my mother, Ellie, taught at Dalton; my brother Tony attended and many family friends were on the faculty. When I attended a reunion . . . in the mid-90s, and was talking with people who had the Dalton seal on the name badge, someone told me that my great aunt (Elsie, we called her), had drawn/designed it.

I was thrilled and kept that name badge for years as a token of her . . . I asked my father what he remembered. He said he didn’t know, but it sounded like something she would have done.”

Kate Seeger ’73 (as published in Connections, Fall 2007)

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Motto: Go Forth Unafraid u

I THINK MOST OF US, certainly as students, didn’t think much about our school song other than maybe it was a silly melody with sappy lyrics. But as an aging alumnus the opening phrase sticks in mind and heart, resonates as a guiding mantra, a true goal for life. To go forth unafraid. I really think if only I/we could achieve this goal we would all be better, happier people. Fear is so often such a negative force, individually and collectively in life, to truly be able to travel on our journey without fear would be a blessing for all.

Jane Levenson ’57

“This is why I believe in Dalton.

Not every parent, not every teacher, not every child is perfect, but a sufficient number of each group are willing to work towards perfection to the end that something beautiful results.

We go forth unafraid, and our school reflects the thinking, being, and action of an intelligent, cooperative group.”

Helen Parkhurst

Dalton Song “We Go Forth Unafraid” u Lyric sheet

I can’t say I have gone forth unafraid, but our song makes me think about it and reminds me of the goal.

Jason Ekaireb ‘74 k

IVIED WALLS, weathered cornerstones and boisterous fight songs conjure alma maters from the Pac 10 to Oxford. But only three words define a Daltonian: Go. Forth. Unafraid.

That’s heavy stuff. Telling a kindergartner, or a preschooler— depending on your era—go forth unafraid? Yet every June, for decades, Dalton students have marked the completion of another year of learning and everything else from raging hormones, shifting friendships, and fashion trends by walking through a white picket arch and singing a school song that ends with the line, “here we have learned to go forth unafraid!”

For me those words have resounded far beyond the Martin Theater. I carried them with me as I walked down the aisle.

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They’ve peppered the pep talks I’ve given my own kids who are now navigating the ups and downs of adolescence.

When I look back on my Dalton days, I remember with great pride reciting those words under my breath while waiting in the cafeteria to hear my name in the roll call of high school presidents who preceded me. Even now, when I read the Facebook posts of classmates who maybe didn’t have the rosy Dalton experience I had—but who managed to come out on the other side more than alright, anyway—I imagine those three words being a source of comfort and inspiration for them, too.

Written by Nancy Cardozo Cowles ’36 with music by Lee Russell ’38, Dalton’s school song—featuring the school’s enduring motto “Go Forth Unafraid”—plays an important unifying role in school life. The Dalton Song is first learned in Kindergarten and sung by students at their weekly Assembly. Middle and high school students traditionally sing The Dalton Song at the Candlelighting Ceremony, Arch Day, and finally at Commencement, until Daltonians return as Alums to sing it, once again, at Reunions.

For this and so much more I am grateful and it’s why to this day, I still sing to you. This is my praise.

Erica Terry Derryck ’91 111

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The Alumni Council u

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

FOR SO MANY alumni, Dalton shaped our minds, built our character, inspired our creativity, and instilled a love of learning. For me, Dalton played a formative role in the foundation of my life and even brought me together with my husband (also a Dalton alum). So, I jumped at the chance to join the Alumni Council and looked forward to giving back to my alma mater.

For more than two decades, Council members—composed of Dalton alumni spanning the generations—have served as stewards for our community of nearly 6,000 alumni. The Council aims to offer compelling programming and avenues for connection, networking, and support. It also supports diversity initiatives and coordinates community service opportunities.

Dalton Connects provides alumni with career resources, helping to place young alums in summer internships, and holding frequent events for socializing and career networking. The Alumni Council also hosts the popular Alumni Conversation Series that features luminary members of the Dalton Community, with proceeds supporting student scholarships.

Alumni Council members are fortunate to walk the same hallways that we did as students, and we get front row seats to watch as the School reaches to even greater heights—both literally, in terms of adding new floors for STEAM studies at 89th Street, and figuratively, with the evolving curriculum designed to prepare students for new challenges ahead.

Best of all, Alumni Council members enjoy working together with the Administration to help build the future for the next generation of Dalton alums.

by Joanna Stone Herman ’88, Alumni Council Vice-President

The Dalton Conversation Series u

An invitation, such as this one pictured, invites all community members to this popular series.

SEEKING A WAY to reconnect alumni to Dalton and to hear from alumni who have great stories to share, the Dalton Alumni Council launched the Dalton Conversation Series in 2007.

As conceived by Abby Pogrebin ’83, a then-member of the Council, the Conversation Series became Dalton’s own version of the renowned 92nd Street Y civic conversations.

On the Martin Theater stage, the Conversation Series brings together illustrious alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents of alumni, current parents, current grandparents, and even a few (otherwise unaffiliated) friends of Dalton for fascinating, freewheeling discussions on, well, whatever they want to talk about. From Neil Sedaka (father of Marc ’84), playing the piano and singing his biggest hits to Gloria Vanderbilt holding court with her son Anderson Cooper ’85, to Ralph Lauren and Dylan Lauren ’92 sharing retail secrets, to Brooke Adams ’66 and husband Tony Shalhoub offering insights on their successful acting careers, to Pauline Frommer ’83 and her father Arthur Frommer revealing insider travel tips, to Buzzy Bissinger ’72 on stage with Caitlyn Jenner, we’ve hosted some truly remarkable and memorable evenings.

Over the course of a decade, that freedom to discuss whatever has yielded remarkable exchanges on politics, justice, news, comedy, fashion, music, entertainment, activism, and—of course—Dalton memories. The conversations have captured the imaginations of thousands and thousands of members of the Dalton community who have come to listen, while raising nearly a half-million dollars for Dalton’s scholarship fund.

Charles Simon ’84, Alumni Council Advisor

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Dalton Reunions u

For more than 20 years, Dalton alumni have reconnected with former classmates, teachers and coaches at Reunions, which occur every five years for each class.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

FOR MORE than two decades, Dalton alumni have been returning to the school for reunions. It gives the alumni a chance to reconnect with former classmates, teachers and see how the school has changed over the years.

Reunion night, which is usually the first Friday in June, celebrates classes coming back every five years. Every alumnus, regardless of when they graduated, is always invited to enjoy the night’s festivities.

The evening usually kicks off in the Martin Theater where current Dalton students perform their dances from DTW or sing. Great teachers have been celebrated in the past as well.

After the program in the theater, each reunion class is given its own space in the school to reminisce and catch up over dinner.

Current and former teachers enjoy seeing returning alums: “I always love seeing lots of former students and it’s especially rewarding when one of them says they remembered not to put Q-Tips in their kids ears because they learned the dangers of doing so from my seventh grade biology class,” said Judy Slater Geller ’51, who celebrated her 60th year teaching Dalton science last year.

After dinner, alums tend to wander the halls of Dalton where they spent so many days as students, rekindling the memories of what makes the school so great.

Doug Feinberg ’90

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The Dalton Alumni u We Do Remember What You Said! u

In answer to the Centennial Survey, many alumni submitted quotes they still recall decades later.

The Dalton Alumni community continues to expand and grow closer

MEMORABLE QUOTATIONS Although we might not remember all the facts our teachers taught us, their kind words, wise advice, and techniques live on. We hope this sample will make you smile!

Their words and ideas have become part of who we are today.

Marjorie Cohen Scharfspitz ‘59 “That was the best wrong answer I’ve heard.”

Mr. Stuart Hanlon, our caring math teacher, as we gave answers to his board work.

Marjorie Cohen Scharfspitz ‘59 “Let the school stand, mind not the cry of the teacher.”

Miss Dora Downes had this quote from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass collection hanging prominently in the classroom.

Susan Fleschner Semel ‘59 “Dalton is going to challenge you to be you.”

Former Head of School Ellen C. Stein, as said to Samuel Browne ‘11 “You have to earn the right to an opinion.”

Miss Dora Downes. I remember Miss Downes saying this more than 70 years ago.

Bette Klinghoffer Fishbein ‘52 “C’est à vous de choisir.”

Mme Anik de Gallaix, during French classes and posted above the blackboard.

Marjorie Cohen Scharfspitz ‘59 “What if termites have eaten all the gold in Fort Knox?”

Miss Carole Losee, awakened us to the realization that much of economics is based on faith and expectation.

Class of ’59

WHEN I GRADUATED from Dalton, I never thought too much about what it meant to be a Dalton Alum or how being part of the Dalton Alumni community would impact me. I was too busy getting ready for my last summer before heading off to college and thinking about the next chapter of my life.

community that continues to expand. I’ve felt a bond among alumni that goes well beyond the few grades above or below my own. I’ve watched my own class become closer, and I’ve heard the same from other classes. As a community, we’re growing stronger together, and I feel a greater sense of belonging, connectivity and pride from Alumni of all ages.

Thirty plus years later and countless Dalton Alumni events, meetings, reunions (some official, others less so) including weddings of fellow alums, the birth of children, and other special events, have helped shape my thinking about what it means to be a Dalton Alum. We’re progressive, we’re curious, we inquire, we challenge, and we’re not afraid. A Dalton Alum can be and do almost anything.

Dalton prepares its students for college. I don’t believe there’s much debate about that. The interactions and relationships that students form with teachers, administrators, and coaches contribute to this idea of preparedness that goes well beyond the classroom, academics, and certainly college.

I’ve watched the Dalton Alumni community grow stronger together. I believe there’s a sense of pride, loyalty and

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Dalton is 100 years old—a milestone that all Dalton Alumni should take pride in and celebrate.

Jimmy Frischling ’86, Alumni Council President 117

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A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

AS I REFLECT on my time at Dalton as a proud alum and former Head of School, I realize that almost half my life was spent at Dalton! Now, almost a year after my second “graduation,” I fondly remember the traditions that brought us together as a community.

While Helen Parkhurst may have broken with established pedagogy with her progressive philosophy, she firmly believed that traditions should play an important role in uniting Dalton.

LOOKING BACK

Many traditions that Helen Parkhurst and subsequent school leaders implemented—such as Candlelighting, Arch Day, Greek festival and our school song and motto—endure today, while others that I vividly recall from my time as a student are likely to be unfamiliar to students today. Trips to Otis, Massachusetts so city kids could experience farm life; the blue smocks we wore over our street clothes; unit cards and progress charts that helped us track our work; taking care of babies in the nursery, the Christmas Pageant and the great gilded Buddha that presided on the second floor, are now only memories for some of us.

Although no longer part of Dalton’s day-to-day life, these traditions are woven into the fabric of Dalton’s present, and many are celebrated in the narratives that follow. I hope that current and future Daltonians will learn something new and valuable about Dalton’s history as we celebrate our remarkable heritage.

Ellen C. Stein, Former Head of School

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The Smock u

Smock courtesy of Jean Strumpf Sommerfield ’65

FROM THE 1930’s through the 1960’s, the Dalton girls wore smocks over their street clothes. The longsleeved tunics were often blue, although in the 1930’s and 40’s lower grades wore different colors. During the late 40’s, girls sometimes customized with pins, scarves and various collars underneath. In the 1960’s, students individualized with shoes and colored knee socks.

“I arrived at Dalton in 7th grade from public school in Queens and had no idea that clothes were important or sent any messages. I was told that smocks were required so there wouldn’t be clothes competition. I was clueless what that was. The smock defined a period of social control that the 60’s swept away. For those of us who wore it, it was unforgettable. The smock was an attempt to level the playing field, although there were very few poor girls in the high school.”

Thea Volpe Browne ’64 “Commuting every morning to Dalton from the ‘country,’ my sweaters and skirts were hurriedly thrown together and often mismatched . . . at that time, in my class, a sin! When I put on my Smock, my anxieties disappeared. The blue smock was my magic costume, I never forgot it. I’ve often been tempted to have one copied. It was a Dalton tradition that helped lessen both adolescent angst, competition, and issues around social acceptance.”

Wendy Teichman Levine ’48 120

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Progress Charts u Progress chart, unit card and class schedules, courtesy of Thea Lawrence Browne ‘64

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

“THE PROGRESS CHART was the vehicle through which House Advisors were able to monitor their advisee’s work. It was a simple grid chart, and students were required to get a signature from each of their subject area teachers after completion of each week’s work . . . If students were not keeping up with their work, the solution was simple—you were simply mandated to go to Lab. If you didn’t complete the monthly assignment . . . you were sent to Saturday Callback (an old form of detention) to try to complete your work.” The Progress Chart “just seemed to fade away . . . all things change, some for the better and some for the worse . . . besides, who wants to go to Saturday Callback?”

Kleon Andreadis ’70

“As a house-advisor I find it a valuable method of checking up on how the girls in my house stand in their work. I am sure the form of the charts could be improved, but unfortunately, I have no suggestions as to how.”

Elizabeth Seeger (1935)

“Personally I do not like [Progress Charts]. I find them to be a lot of trouble; but I do think some people who are not very responsible need some way of checking up on their work, and although this does not seem to me to be a very organized method, it is better than nothing. The underlying principle of this system seems to be a return to the old unit cards, and although I cannot offer any constructive criticism, I think it could and should be improved.”

Doris Goodman Jacoby ’37

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Dalton Bookbag u

Mother Training for High School Girls u

Students used Dalton bookbags that came from the Dalton bookstore for many years. As books got heavier, the bookbags gave way to backpacks.

Mother training took place for a week when 9th grade Dalton girls, under the watchful eye of a registered nurse, learned how to care for babies and also learned reproductive biology. This program ran from 1932-1956.

IN 1926 I came to the decision that if there was ever an opportunity under the right conditions that The Dalton School should have an infants’ nursery as an integral part of the Secondary school. Years of experience trying to help young mothers understand their babies had led me to believe that many difficulties could be obviated if a training in motherhood could be given to young girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen.

Helen Parkhurst I recall the baby nursery with fondness. It was a time of joy for freshmen who spent the school week being moms to babies on loan. The image of Miss Amott, the Nurse, is vivid in my mind with her uniform and crisp white cap. I remember sitting on the patio tending our charges or chatting with each other.

Nancy Lang Hamilton ’53 Schoolwork stopped for a week in the fall and spring while we took turns spending the day picking up the babies from home by bus, feeding, sunning, walking, changing and playing, keeping records, supposedly learning to be mothers. I don’t know what we learned, but we loved—at least my own classmates indelibly remember—all the babies. Another purpose of those two weeks in the Nursery for each student was to learn reproductive biology. It seems that even in an all-girls school, it was not considered “seemly” to discuss such matters publicly in a classroom.

Anne Tolstoi Wallach ’45

I CAME TO DALTON in 2nd grade in 1967. As summer drew to a close every year, I would anticipate with excitement the start of school—which also meant getting new clothes, shoes, and school supplies. I looked forward to gathering the tools of school—pens and pencils, rulers, notebooks . . . And in my early years at Dalton, I got to put it all in a blue Dalton drawstring bookbag. Incidentally, the blue color of the bookbags, frequently referred to as “Dalton Blue,” is believed to have been chosen by Helen Parkhurst.

I remember my first bookbag; I slung it over one shoulder or the other. That was all it could do but it was perfect. It reminded me that I was a part of Dalton and when I packed up and slung it over my shoulder, I was ready for my day, or my next class. When the bags wore thin and started to fray, they were replaced with brand new ones from the Dalton bookstore.

Eventually, books got heavier and the bookbags gave way to backpacks. I don’t know when the bookbags went away completely but I hope a few were saved.

Laurie Parker ’77 k Along with bookbags, older alums may recall Book Day. Held on Lincoln’s birthday each year, each student donated a book to the school library. While this tradition is no longer observed, today families can donate books to the library that are purchased at the Parents Association’s annual, popular Book Fair for students in grades K-8.

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The Buddha on the Second Floor u

Early yearbook illustration and archival photo of a student with the Buddha statue

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

DURING MY Dalton days, a statue of the Buddha presided over the dignified hush of the second floor. The Buddha was at the end of the hall, looming larger in memory than it was perhaps in reality.

Above Headmistress Charlotte Durham’s second floor offices, our classrooms were places of intense intellectual debate and noise-generating activities in the pursuit of learning.

Rarely did we visit the august second floor. But whenever the elevator doors opened onto it, we gazed on the serene Buddha, the quiet space at the heart of the school.

The honored placement of the statue signified to me that my school valued different cultures, religions, historical contributions, and ways of knowing. The Buddha wraps itself around my memories of our sixth grade studies of India and China. In our play we re-enacted scenes from the Indian epic the Ramayana. From Elizabeth Seeger’s poetic prose we were guided through The Pageant of Chinese History. We pondered the paradoxes of Lao-Tzu, founder of Taoism, and wrote poetry inspired by Chinese sages.

I did not then know about the founding of Dalton Schools in China or of Ms. Parkhurst’s many trips there. What I did learn as a future educator is that when younger students learn deeply about cultures other than their own, the more profound the impact.

Joan Brodsky Schur ’65 There was the year that Miss Parkhurst spent in China and the following year, after she came back from founding the Shanghai Dalton School, we all went very Chinese and painted the second floor green. A large Buddha was installed at the end, those famous horse drawings galloped down the walls.

Fifi Garbat Starr ’37

The Dalton Christmas Pageant u Photo of an early Christmas Pageant and program cover illustrated by Rufino Tamayo, then a Dalton teacher

THE PAGEANT started in the early days in the West 72nd Street building featuring angels with cardboard halos and gold oil cloth costumes against a white wall in a smallish room. Elizabeth Seeger always felt that the meaning of the Pageant to Miss Parkhurst was not a celebration of Christmas but the worship and celebration of the child. The students loved it because it was a cultural ritual, a tradition, and more about a legend than a religious rite. Seeger taught history at Dalton from 1922-1955 and also was high school director.

Eventually Miss Parkhurst’s Pageant grew into a very large annual event with about a month of rehearsals. The scenery changed each year culminating in 1940-41 when Rufino Tamayo painted Mexican angels on canvas that hung over the balcony’s edge.

The music was quite limited and heavy on “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” Tamayo taught art at Dalton and went on to become a well-known painter, a leader of the Mexican painting Renaissance.

The Pageant then went Renaissance. The cast was selected from the top grades from each division. The Nursery provided the baby angels, the fourth grade provided angels and shepherds, the eighth grade provided kings and angels, and the seniors would provide the major angels, readers, and Mary. Under Harold Aks, Dalton chorus conductor for almost 50 years, the Pageant took a giant leap forward musically.

The Pageant incorporated Old and New Testament in the script. I directed from 1953-1971. When Dalton went coed we had our first male shepherd and angels.

The school’s expansion took steam out of the Pageant—too many performances and not all in a grade could be in it—and its run ended in 1972.

Anne MacKay ’45, Dalton Theater teacher (1953-1972)

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The War Years u

Country Retreats u

Dog tag courtesy of Katherine Binger Gilmour ‘53

Student report from 1959 and photo from Otis trip, 1948

Photo of Bette Jacobs Kochenthal ‘41, top bunk, and Rollee Herbert Lowenstein ‘42 at Bucks Rock, CT during an evacuation drill in 1941

DALTON ON THE FARM: 1948 Dalton students have almost always come from the big city and, realizing this, the school made an arrangement with a farm in Otis, Massachusetts to provide a real farm experience. Our entire 4th grade class boarded the train along with our teacher, Mrs. Yvonne Baravelli and a few brave parents and set off for Otis. Upon arrival, we were shown where to put our sleeping bags in the hayloft of the barn and treated to country food and a real rip-roaring square dance. The next day, after a huge farm breakfast, we went out into the woods to chop up firewood and feed the animals. We each took turns milking the cows and preparing food for dinner. It was total immersion in a very different environment and gave us all good insight into a lifestyle that was unfamiliar and yet widespread. We had a very happy class and made close friendships that have lasted these many years.

Tom Pereira ’56 Before the excursions to Otis, Massachusetts, students took trips to Buck’s Rock School in New Milford, Connecticut which was a camp Miss Parkhurst had built on her property.

“During the month-long stay in very elemental living quarters, whole grades at a time studied New England during weekly trips around the area. Students visited old churches and virgin forests and discussed Emerson’s essays. A student-faculty committee was formed to work in the kitchen, clean the dormitories, plan recreation, run a newspaper, etc.”

Yearbooks 1943-1945

DURING THE WWII YEARS, we lived in the moment.

“College?” even in the 8th grade, we never thought about it. Although we were very aware of what was going on abroad, we concerned ourselves with what was at hand, the way all kids do. We had air raids in the city, and black outs, too. Each Dalton student was provided with plastic Dog Tags inscribed with our names and addresses. I still have mine. We made tinfoil balls for the War effort. We mixed food-coloring capsules into margarine, in the name of butter. There was no anxiety to speak of. We felt uniformly unburdened by life. We gave little thought, if any, toward what the future held for us. And, I don’t think I was being short-sighted. In those guileless days, my classmates and I mostly lived in a nurturing atmosphere at school.

Katherine “Kilty” Binger Gilmour ’53 128

In the fall of 1941, the high school was evacuated for a month to New Milford, Connecticut, living in a cluster of modern buildings called “Bucks Rock”—a rehearsal for potential wartime evacuation. On 89th Street, the high school was moved to the 8th and 9th floors, and the youngest children who had been there for pre-kindergarten were moved to the lower floors, so that they could get out more quickly in case of air raids. We inherited little chairs and tables, tiny toilets and a sandbox. We remember cross-taping the windows in case of bombing. Several girls evacuated from England joined our class, bringing the reality of war much closer.

France “Franny” Burke, Rachelle Lubar Marshall, Evelyn Merson Idelson, Laurie Schwab Zabin, Class of 1943 129

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Parky: The Musical u

Set design sketch and performance photo, 1995

PARKY, A MUSICAL by Carmino Ravosa, Dalton’s composer in residence from 1978 through 2011, portrayed Helen Parkhurst, Dalton’s founder, and was first performed for the 60th anniversary in 1980 and again for the 75th anniversary in 1995. k “Mommy, I want to go to Dalton!” When Carmino Ravosa asked me to say those words on the way to school one Kindergarten morning, I had no idea how much they would shape the person who I am today. During Parky I discovered that as a painfully shy five-year-old, I could go onstage in front of hundreds of people. During Parky, I learned that through theater I could find my community, my place, and my sense of self-expression.

From performing myths in Theda Detlor’s second grade class to directing a one act play for my Senior Project, the stage (and “the Trench” beneath) became my home. I would go on to concentrate in theater at Princeton, directing several shows, including my senior thesis, and serving on the executive board of the student run theater. For the past six years, I have worked at BAM in the Humanities Department, where I create points of engagement with and context for our main stage productions.

I have come a long way from that moment in my red velvet dress, singing about what it meant to be a part of the Dalton family, yet it will always serve as the foundation for my life in theater. “Mommy, I want to go to Dalton!” I am grateful that I did.

Molly Silberberg ’07

Dalton Goes Coed u

IN SEPTEMBER 1966, 60 boys joined 160 girls in the Dalton High School, making it coed for the first time in its nearly 50-year existence.

I was one of those boys, although my actual introduction to Dalton had come a few weeks earlier, during pre-season football drills. On the first day, my teammates all seemed older, bigger and stronger than I; many actually needed to shave every day.

(Looking back more than 50 years, I can’t believe that my parents, or Coach Boyers for that matter, ever let me play.)

Our first game was against Fieldston on a beautiful Friday afternoon in the Bronx. Our plan for the opening kickoff was for Travis McDougald ‘69 to receive the ball and run down the right sideline. The rest of us tried to create a running lane for him, but our “lane” proved as clear as the Long Island Expressway on a Friday afternoon in July. Travis had the good sense to cut entirely across the field, and to run along the left sideline. With the help of a well-timed block or two, to say nothing of his speed and endurance, he scored.

His touchdown produced the only points of the first half and, as the teams headed for the locker rooms; the Fieldston coach berated his players because they were losing to a “bunch of patsies from a GIRLS school.” Well, we patsies scored again in the second half, and this (former) GIRLS school won its first-ever high school football game.

Jamie Stecher ’70

130

131

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

1929 Time Capsule Box and 1995 Founder’s Day u Partial contents of 1929 Time capsule

THE OLDEST OBJECT IN OUR COLLECTION, the time capsule, lay embedded in the cornerstone of 108 East 89th street from May 27, 1929 until its discovery in 1995.

380, up from eighteen in school year 1918-1919.

What did the founders deem important enough to include in the copper box, not knowing when it would be opened?

Also included were a 1929 yearbook, flags, coins, photographs of assembled students, as well as several portraits of unidentified students, including one of a costumed girl with the inscription “Little Bo Peep looking for her sheep.”

First and foremost was a copy of the book The Dalton Plan. The contents include The London Times Educational Supplement from 1921 with a front-page article praising The Dalton Plan and a 1924 letter commending the efforts of Helen Parkhurst in Japan, as well as copies of The Herald Tribune and The World. A copy of The New York Times mentions the laying of the cornerstone as part of graduation.

Lists of bond subscribers, administrative personnel, the Commencement brochure naming the graduates from 1924-1928, and names of students representing each grade at the ceremony were also securely stored in the box. By school year 1928-1929 the student population stood at

132

As part of the 75th anniversary celebration, the Dalton community assembled in the new Physical Education center on January 27, 1995, proclaimed “Founder’s Day,” to open the time capsule.

As each item was revealed, cheers went up from those who previously guessed the contents. The celebration included songs from the musical Parky and concluded with birthday cake and a rousing rendition of “We Go Forth Unafraid.”

Stephanie Fins, Curator of the Centennial Project, Anthropologist, Dalton Museum Program 133

A SCHOOL CANNOT REFLECT THE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE WHICH IS THE FRUIT OF COMMUNITY LIFE UNLESS ALL ITS PARTS, OR GROUPS, DEVELOP THOSE INTIMATE RELATIONS ONE WITH THE OTHER AND THAT INTERDEPENDENCE WHICH, OUTSIDE SCHOOL, BINDS MEN AND NATIONS TOGETHER. HELEN PARKHURST

THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY LIFE LIES IN THE SERVICE IT RENDERS IN MAKING EACH FREE INDIVIDUAL COMPOSING IT PERPETUALLY CONSCIOUS THAT HE, AS A MEMBER, IS A CO-WORKER RESPONSIBLE TO, AND FOR, THE WHOLE. HELEN PARKHURST

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

MISSION STATEMENT

The Dalton School is committed to providing an education of excellence . . . that meets each student’s interests, abilities and needs within a common curricular framework and reflects and promotes an understanding of, and appreciation for, diversity in our community as an integral part of school life. Dalton challenges each student to develop intellectual independence, creativity and curiosity and a sense of responsibility toward others both within the School and in the community at large. Guided by The Dalton Plan, the School prepares students to “Go Forth Unafraid.”

As a progressive school guided by The Dalton Plan, we are an intentionally diverse community committed to a tradition of life-long learning and educational innovation. The following are major principles that inform the daily learning environment at Dalton: • Valuing all dimensions of each child—intellectual, social, emotional, aesthetic, physical and spiritual.

• Cultivating values of respect, integrity, compassion and justice to encourage community responsibility, combat prejudice and engage students as participants in a democratic society and global community.

DALTON TIMELINE 1911~2018

• Developing intellectual independence and risk-taking through inquiry, direct experience and collaboration.

• Valuing all disciplines—the arts, sciences, humanities and physical development in an interdisciplinary curriculum, mindful of our historical emphasis on music, dance, theater and visual arts.

136

137

1915 q

1924 q

The Crane Family and Dalton, Massachusetts

Dalton’s First Graduating Class The Class of ‘24 has two members. Harriet “Denny” Underwood graduates from Smith College in 1929.

Diana Selling graduates from Radcliffe in 1929 and goes on to University College, London for graduate work.

Parkhurst supervises the education of Louise Crane.

The family lived in Dalton, MA where their business, the Crane Printing Company, was based.

Later Mrs. W. Murray Crane would provide the financial support for Parkhurst’s school in New York City.

1911 p

1918 p

1919~1942 p

1927~1928 p

Helen Parkhurst begins developing her “Laboratory Plan” while teaching at the Edison School in Tacoma, WA. The Plan will enable teachers and students to work together toward individualized goals.

Parkhurst’s “Laboratory Plan” is implemented as an experiment at the public High School in Dalton, MA. It is now known as the “Dalton Laboratory Plan.”

Helen Parkhurst is named Headmistress in 1919 and continues to serve as The Dalton School’s head until her resignation in 1942.

“Three five-story tenement houses on a plot 75 by 100 feet at 110-114 East 89th Street were sold yesterday . . . The property has been purchased by the Dalton Schools, Inc.”, The New York Times, October 14, 1927.

Construction begins in 1928; the architect is Richard H. Dana.

Helen Parkhurst

The Dalton Laboratory Plan

Helen Parkhurst, Headmistress

1917 q

1924 q

Parkhurst takes over the Normal School

International Recognition Every summer, Parkhurst went abroad to lecture and to help establish schools. “The Laboratory Plan” is particularly successful in Holland and in England. Miss Parkhurst, Miss Keefe Durham, and other staff members traveled to Korea, China and Japan.

Parkhurst takes over the growing Montessori Normal School and her “Laboratory Plan” is adopted.

The enrollment is now 30 children.

1914~16 p

1918~1919 p

After studying in Italy with the great Maria Montessori, Helen Parkhurst is named Montessori’s United States representative and they establish the Montessori Normal School and College.

A Japanese educator, after watching the children and listening to Parkhurst’s plans, says, “This is like a university for children.” Parkhurst promptly renames The Normal School and College, The Children’s University School.

Montessori Normal School and College

138

Construction Begins

The Children’s University School

1922 p

1929 p

The School soon receives international attention with the publication of Helen Parkhurst’s book, Education on the Dalton Plan, which is translated into 14 different languages. The word “Laboratory” is dropped from the name.

The Dalton School moves into its new building which is formally dedicated on Friday, November 1, 1929. Miriam Tobias ‘31 reports: “ . . . November 1 was set aside as a tribute to Mrs. Crane, whose birthday it was. Miss Parkhurst introduced Mrs. Crane, Dalton’s benefactor.”

Education on The Dalton Plan is published

New Building

139

1932~1940 q

1939 q

Dalton’s HS participates in the “Eight Year Study.” Completed in 1940, the study evaluates the effect of progressive education on high school students’ college performance. Over 200 colleges were involved in the “Eight Year Study,” published in 1942.

First Lady and Todhunter School Vice Principal Eleanor Roosevelt, who admired the work of Helen Parkhurst, promotes a merger between the Todhunter School and Dalton.

Eight Year Study

The Todhunter School Merger

1929~1931 p

1934~1962 p

Candlelighting celebrates the Winter Solstice; Arch Day, adapted from a Chinese ritual, marks the passage between academic years; the Greek Festival culminates MS students’ immersion in Greek culture; on Book Day, students donate books to the school library.

“The smock finally decided upon resembles the style of an intern’s garb and combines practicality with a neat appearance. High School girls must wear one at all times, in either rust or dark blue.”

—The Daltonian, October 11, 1934.

Dalton Traditions Established

Smocks Required in HS Dress Code

1935 p

Community Service program founder, teacher Nora Hodges said, “It is hoped that this will give you a new sense of your own value with a different meaning than book learning can.”

1940 q

The Daltonian

Buck’s Rock School in New Milford, CT

High school newspaper The Daltonian begins publication on November 24, 1933.

1932~1956 p

1935 p

1935~1936p

Students, under the direction of Nurse Miss Amott, learn to handle, bathe, feed and comfort infants. “In studying circulation, students listen to the heart beats of the babies, which leads to a study of cardiac anatomy.”

—Mother Training for High School Girls

Macbeth is the first production of Dalton’s new Theatre Guild.

The first issue of Dalton’s literary magazine, The Blue Flag, is published.

140

Community Service Introduced to the Curriculum

Students put their new “democratic government into practice, patterned upon that of the United States.”

1933 q

Nursery Program

1942 p

Student Government begins

Theatre Guild Begins

Blue Flag

Annual month long excursions are made to Buck’s Rock School (New Milford, CT), a camp Parkhurst built on her property.

On weekly trips, students “tramped through New England, visiting old churches and virgin forests discussing Emerson’s essays.”

1948 p

Otis Farm Trip Trips to George Dillman’s farm in Otis, Massachusetts replace the New Milford excursion. From the 3rd grade booklet Our Otis Trip (1960): “Each morning Mr. Dillman assigned a chore for each table. The chores were: milking the cow, currying the horses and bringing in wood.”

141

1964 q

1978~1980 q

A townhouse, 61 East 91st Street, is purchased for the new First Program, a non-graded school for children from ages 2-7 utilizing the Montessori techniques. Toddlers attend through first grade in classrooms mixing ages and grades. Children then attend 2nd grade at 89th Street.

The adjacent building, 53 East 91st Street, is acquired to accommodate the First Program’s expansion.

Children now remain at the First Program through third grade.

First Program

1960 p

Columbia Records Produces “The Dalton Christmas Pageant” album

The First Program Expands

1966 p

1971 p

1980~1981 p

Boys are admitted into Dalton’s high school.

Computer Science is now offered in the High School.

First issue of Macrocosm, the student publication of foreign affairs, is published.

Boys Return

The Dalton School Boys Choir (4th-7th grades), the High School Chorus and actors perform in the annual show. Teacher Harold Aks conducts the HS Chorus, while theater teacher Anne MacKay ‘45 directs the actors.

Computer Science

1965 q

1979 q

The Crane Library and the 11th Floor Gym

Architecture Program Dalton’s Architecture Program is created and implemented in 1979 by Art teacher Robert Meredith.

The old gym on Dalton’s 10th floor is converted into a new library and named in honor of the Crane family. The old library becomes a student dining room.

A new gym is built on the roof.

From “The Dalton Bulletin,” 1965-1966.

1962 p

Smocks no longer part of dress code Do you recognize the first girl on the left? It’s former Head of School Ellen C. Stein.

142

Macrocosm

1969 p

1971p

Dalton’s 50th Anniversary celebration takes place at the Waldorf Astoria.

“Dungarees and other costumes somewhat reminiscent of miners, sharecroppers, or other proletarians fall into the same category of ‘bizarre’ as do hippie styles.”

—Donald Barr, Headmaster.

50th Anniversary

Dress Code for the 70’s

1980’s p

First Generation of Children’s Tiles The first tile wall—made from children’s individual ceramic tiles—is created allowing third graders to leave a legacy and mark their departure from Little Dalton.

143

1984 q

1994 q

The student Peer Leadership program begins. Twelfth graders share experiences and common concerns with ninth graders during this yearlong program.

Connections, the alumni newsletter, begins publication in magazine format.

Peer Leadership

1981 p

Connections Magazine

1991 p

Chess, Volleyball, Boys Track

Archaeotype Developed by Dalton History Teachers, Archeologists, and New Lab Software Designers

The Chess program as well as competitive volleyball and boys track begin.

This computerized archaeological simulation software, used by 6th graders to study Ancient History, is an innovative network-based multimedia alternative that utilizes both texts and artifacts as evidence to construct history.

1992 p

1995 p

First Program expands to 63 East 91st Street, providing space for a Science Center.

Dalton’s tradition of hosting Alum Night & Reunions begins, inviting graduates to return to Dalton to celebrate milestone years with classmates.

First Program Expands

1988 q

Reunions

1994 q

Warren Hines ‘88 Night Established

The Dalton School is 75 The celebration takes place on February 27, 1995 at Lincoln Center. The New York Times reports, “The school says that nearly 2,000 tickets have been sold for the celebration. Alumni parent, Tom Brokaw, will be the master of ceremonies.”

Warren Hines ’88 Night honors a young Dalton student who died tragically en route to baseball practice. At this annual event, Dalton community members— led by the cheerleaders— support the basketball and wrestling teams.

1984 p

1991 p

1992 p

1995 p

Teacher Neil Goldberg begins an archaeology program for third graders; students excavate in Little Dalton’s backyard to uncover “artifacts” from New York City.

The “New Lab” is created. It is funded through a generous gift from former Dalton parent and trustee Robert Tishman.

Dalton’s Physical Education Center on East 87th Street, a new 30,000 square foot facility, is dedicated on September 22 and opens on October 30.

Time Magazine features Dalton’s New Lab for Teaching and Learning in its cover story: “Welcome to Cyberspace—The Learning Revolution.”

Archaeology Program

144

New Laboratory for Teaching and Learning

New Physical Education Center

Time Magazine

145

1996 q

2004 q

This program, established by Adah Askew, provides support for students of color and their families.

A Passion for Learning: The Campaign for Dalton goes public with the goal of raising $35 million in endowment to strengthen Dalton.

Dalton Begins Alumni Mentor/ Mentee Program

1995 p

The Peer Tutoring program begins

A Passion for Learning: The Campaign for Dalton

2001 p

2003 p

Dalton adds Mandarin Chinese to the high school curriculum.

Dalton opens its new Performing Arts Center, transforming the basement space into a versatile new home for the music department, with facilities for theater and dance.

Mandarin Chinese now Offered

High school juniors and seniors work closely with faculty while assisting individual students with their studies. Peer tutors meet as a group bi-weekly to discuss educational topics.

Panelists address HS students followed by breakout sessions to discuss the impact of this controversial war.

Presenters: James Cullen, Frances Fitzgerald ’58, John Lawrence, among others.

2004 q

The Middle School and High School Libraries are renovated featuring state-of-the-art technology.

The dedication ceremony is held on December 10.

Dalton students raise money through walkathons, t-shirt and bake sales to benefit the Ujima-Subukia Scholarship Fund for the education of Kenyan students.

Dalton/Kenya UJIMA Project Begins

1995 p

2002 p

Alumni who excelled at Athletics while at Dalton are honored.

Faculty members each receive a laptop and training to help them fully utilize this technology in their classrooms.

146

High School Holds Two-Day Symposium on Vietnam War

2000~2002 q

Dalton’s Library Renovation + Automation

Dalton’s Athletic Hall of Fame begins

2004 p

Performing Arts Center opens

Faculty Laptop Program

2003~2004 p

Dalton’s Original Minds Program Begins An Original Mind Scholar combines extraordinary achievement with a willingness to share ideas. “Our first Scholar, Sculptor and Installation artist Sarah Sze received a MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant during her year with us.” ­—Robert Meredith, Art Teacher Emeritus

2004 p

85th Birthday Celebration Dalton celebrates its 85th Birthday with a gala at Cipriani honoring past Board presidents.

147

2006 q

2008 q

The third floor renovation is completed and features a new cafeteria, a new student lounge, and a new nurse’s office for the 89th Street building.

The high school gathers to celebrate Earth Day with guest speakers from the fields of science, business, and nonprofit organizations. High school students run a successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in the school lobby.

New cafeteria, student lounge, and nurse’s office

High School Holds Sustainabilty Seminar

2005 p

2007 p

Faculty of Color hiring initiative begins. Alumni of Color Mentoring program resumes.

The Board of Trustees adopts Diversity mission statement.

Sixth grade pilot laptop program implemented.

Diversity Initiatives

Laptop Program

2007 p

2009 p

Dalton invites activists from the ’50s and ’60s for a thorough analysis of the civil rights movement’s active phase, 1954–1968.

Caldecott award-winning author/ illustrator, David Macaulay, is Dalton’s Original Mind Scholar for 2009-2010.

High School Holds Civil Rights Symposium

David Macaulay— Original Mind Scholar

2006 q

2009 q

With a goal of $50 million, this Campaign helped fund objectives prioritized in the 2007 Strategic Plan.

51 East 91st Street, a brownstone contiguous with Dalton’s existing buildings, is purchased and renovations begin. This acquisiton expands and improves the quality of the First Program learning spaces.

Go Forth Unafraid: The Campaign for Dalton

First Program Acquires Third Brownstone

2006 p

2007 p

2007 p

2009 p

Original Mind Scholar and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Natasha Trethewey says: “I’ve loved what the program has given me—a year of learning, collaboration, and the magic of making important connections between the work that we all do.”

Gloria Vanderbilt Interviews Anderson Cooper ’85; Lisa Hsia Interviews Deborah Roberts and Al Roker; Gretchen Rubin Interviews Robert E. Rubin; Sarah Brokaw ’88 Interviews Tom Brokaw; Dan Abrams Interviews Floyd Abrams.

The DGI program helps integrate global perspectives in the Dalton School curriculum. DGI “provides students with rigorous, individualized experiences that cultivate global leadership and promote understanding and responsibility in the world community” with trips to locales such as Beijing and Paris.

Robotics teams begin in MS with four teams and 30 students.

Natasha Trethewey—Original Mind Scholar

148

Dalton Alumni Conversation Series Inaugural Year Featuring Dalton Alumni and Parents

Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI) Program launches

Middle School Launches Robotics Team

149

2010 q

2012 q

HS Creative Writing Begins

Health and Wellness Program Begins

Led by English teacher Christopher Hood, students hone their creative writing skills penning original poetry, essays, and fiction.

2009 p

Dalton Celebrates 90th Birthday

Dalton establishes this innovative program to help students navigate today’s complex world and support faculty, staff and parents in understanding the challenges Dalton students face.

2011 p

2011 p

The food symposium brings together farmers, chefs, food writers, community activists, restaurateurs, and artisan food producers to speak to and interact with students to expand their perspective about the world of food with an emphasis on sustainability.

First Dalton Visibility Exhibit held featuring personal photos with narratives on the LGBTQ+ experience in the Dalton community.

Mindful Eating Dalton Food Symposium 2011

Dalton holds a gala with over 1,000 attendees at Chelsea Piers in a night to remember emceed

by Anderson Cooper ’85.

High School Robotics Team Begins HS Robotics launches with one team and four students.

150

Technology Use in Classrooms and on Field Trips becomes More Pervasive Students start using iPads in classrooms and museum trips to take photos, sketch, and annotate; interactive white boards are now in every classroom and laptops are in every backpack.

2011 q

2012 q

DSRP courses reflect Dalton’s view that students will develop a clearer understanding of what it means to be a researcher when exposed to current science research, placing students in world-class research centers in NYC.

Students journey to Buenos Aires, Singapore, and Istanbul as part of Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI) immersion trips.

The Dalton Science Research Program (DSRP) Launches

2010 p

2012 p

Dalton Holds First Visibility Exhibit

Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI) Adds New Excursions

2011 p

Global Online Academy founded To further integrate global and interdisciplinary perspectives into the curriculum, Dalton joins eight other schools in founding this innovative program. The mission is to replicate in online classrooms the intellectually rigorous programs and excellent teaching that are hallmarks of its member schools.

2011 p

2012 p

Diversity training seminars held for faculty and staff, and Dalton leads the HS Student Leadership conference to promote inclusive communities.

Engineering program introduced in fifth grade, girls’ summer engineering program offered, and the high school computer science team—with close to 70 members—becomes the largest academic club at Dalton.

Diversity Initiatives for Students and Faculty

Engineering Program Offerings Increase

151

2014 q

2017~2019 q

Spanish Instruction Begins in Kindergarten

Dalton Begins Most Ambitious Building Project in the School’s History

Kindergarten Spanish instruction begins, integrating STEAM curriculum into daily lessons.

Dalton adds a two-story addition to the 12-story building and repurposes existing space. This facility includes a STEAM center, a new library, a demonstration kitchen, and new art and dance studios.

2012 p

2015 p

Originally a one semester class, the course was designed around the nascent pop-up culture in the culinary world. The first restaurant, in 2012, was inspired

by Ottolenghi in London.

Dalton hosts its first ever Code Like a Girl conference with women computer science trailblazers inspiring 150 high school attendees.

popFood Class Introduced

Code Like a Girl Conference begins at Dalton

2016 p

The Dalton community gathered at the American Museum of Natural History’s Milstein Hall of Ocean Life to toast the first alumna Head of School after 24 years of leadership.

2017 q

Design Project Lab Launches

Teacher/Alumna Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Class and blog launches to promote the integration of Visual Arts and STEM disciplines featuring topics such as toy design, scientific illustration, and forensics.

Judy Slater Geller ’51 reaches her 60th anniversary as a Dalton science teacher.

2013 p

2015 p

The successful annual “A Night of Networking” event begins along with smaller gatherings by professional fields.

High school students organize the school’s first TEDx conference.

152

Dalton Celebrates Head of School Ellen C. Stein

Chris Woebken & Elliott Montgomery from the Extrapolation Factory work with faculty and students using creative approaches, hands-on activities and immersive events to engage the Dalton community with futures studies.

2014 q

Alumni Networking Group is Renamed Dalton Connects

2018 p

Extrapolation Factory Collaborates with Dalton Faculty and Students

Dalton Hosts First TEDx Conference

2016 p

2018 p

The girls varsity soccer team and the girls varsity basketball team each make Dalton history by winning their NYSAIS championships. The football team completes an undefeated season after winning the HVFL Bowl game.

Head of School Jim Best launches new Strategic Plan to help chart Dalton’s path for the next five years. The Strategic Plan focuses on five priorities: The Dalton Student, The Dalton Teacher, The Dalton Citizen, The Dalton Environment, and The Dalton Trajectory.

Dalton Sports Champions

Dalton Launches Strategic Plan

153

Centennial tiles, inspired by our 100th

and made by our community,

are exhibited on the ceiling,

walls and floor at the

First Program’s East Lobby.

A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

INDEX A 1929 Time Capsule Box and 1995 Founder’s Day, 132-133 A Soldier’s Journey, 61 Alumni and Memorable Quotations, 116-117 Alumni Council, 112 Alumni Recollections: High School English Department, 52 An Ode to Stairs, 14-15 Arch Day, 109 Archaeology: Third Grade, 75 Archaeotype, 66 Asian Cultures Club, 99 Automation of the Dalton Library, 40

Dalton Reunions, 114-115 Dalton Song: We Go Forth Unafraid, 111 Dalton Seal, 108 Dalton Student, 21 Dalton Wildlife Club, 94 Dalton’s 1:1 Device Program, 39 Dance: If You Fall I Will Catch You, 44-45 DSRP: Independent Science Research, 36

B Black Rock Forest: Fourth Grade Water Testing, 41 Book Arts, 49 Bookbag, 124 Boys Varsity Tennis Jacket, 90 Buddha on the Second Floor, 126 Building an Ancient City with STEAM, 69 Bunches of Lunches, 92-93

F Faculty and Staff, 20 First Graders Make a Difference in the World, 78 First Program Art: Book Fair Third grade paintings, 85 First Program Chorus, 84 First Program Science: Green Tree Frogs, 86 FLES at First Program is fantastico, 87 Fourth Grade Citizenship Certificate, 73

C Candlelighting, 107 Celebrating 100 Days at Dalton, 80-81 Ceramics: Raku, 46 Charlotte’s Web, 71 Chess Program, 96-97 Christmas Pageant, 127 City Blocks Panorama: Second Grade, 77 Community Service, 25 Computer Science, 34 Computer Science Zero, 60 Country Retreats, 129 Curricular Diversity begins in Kindergarten, 82-83

G Global Online Academy, 23 Greek Festival, 67

D Dalton Conversation Series, 113 Dalton Exterior, 12-13 Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI), 24 Dalton Goes Coed, 130 Dalton Original Minds Scholar, 31 Dalton Planner, 100

E Education on The Dalton Plan, 18 Ellis Island Simulation, 72 Equity and Inclusion: Diversity, 29 Exploring the Islamic World: The Astrolabe, 64

H Haunted Library, 103 Health & Wellness Program, 26-27 Helen Parkhurst, 16-17 High School History: The Assignment, 55 High School History: The Constitution, 54 High School Creative Writing, 48 Homecoming and The Tiger, 91 L Leadership Design Project: Lord of the Flies, 65 Learning Languages in situ, 51 LGBTQ+ Initiatives at Dalton, 104 Life Drawing, 47 M Mathematical toolbox, 63 Mentoring Program, 28

Mother Training for High School Girls, 125 Motto: Go Forth Unafraid, 110 Museum Program, 37 Music program: Commissioning Original Work, 56 Music Program: Jazz, 57 Musical Theater: Second Grade, 76 P Parky: The Musical, 131 Peer Leadership, 89 Peer Tutoring, 88 Phase, 102 Pi Day, 58 Play Street, 95 popFood, 32-33 Progress Charts and Unit Cards, 122-123 R Reading and Writing Books in First Grade, 79 Robotics, 35 S Seal Impression, 70 Senior Initiative, 59 Smock, 120-121 T The Dalton Plan: House, Assignment, Lab, 19 The Daltonian, 101 The Ship: Moby-Dick, 53 The War Years, 128 Theater, 43 Theater: Candlelighting from the Wings, 106 Third grade Tiles, 74 To Kill a Mockingbird, 62 U UJIMA, 98 V Virtual Reality Enhances Classroom Work, 38 Vivant Linguae Mortuae!

Long Live Dead Languages!, 50 W When You Reach Me, 68 159