StudentStandouts&FacultyEndeavors
Student-Led Effort for St. Jude
Dwight-Englewood School
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his spring a group of fifth grade students organized and implemented a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Organizers Diya Bhatia ’22, Hyeri Chun ’22, Emma Lagana ’22, Sunaya Mueller ’22, Naz and Nehir Ozden ’22, and Sophia Seriale ’22 started by inviting classmates to donate gently used toys and books for resale. During their recess periods and after school, they sorted the materials, put prices on them, and created flyers advertising the sale. Since they thought most of the items would appeal to younger students, they decided that the sale would be for students in kindergarten and first and second grades.
Environmental Honors for Don McNeil, Lynne Algrant
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wo members of the D-E community were honored by the Flat Rock Brook Nature Association in Englewood at its biennial Recognition Dinner and Auction this spring for outstanding volunteers and community support. Don McNeil, a faculty member of the Science Department, became the first-ever recipient of Flat Rock Brook’s Environmental Leadership Award, given for the countless hours of time and excellent guidance that he has provided to that organization over the years. Additionally, City of Englewood Councilwoman Lynne Algrant, who also is a D-E parent (Isabelle ’17; Haley ’21) and wife of Upper School Principal Joseph Algrant, was recognized with the organization’s Community Leadership Award. The Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is a 150-acre nature preserve with more than three miles of hiking trails and hundreds of annual educational programs. Its mission is to preserve the woodlands within its boundaries and to provide outdoor educational experiences to thousands of adults and children each year.
The effort was the brainchild of Emma Lagana, who says the idea of helping children at St. Jude came to her last Christmas when she was reflecting on how fortunate she is. She pitched the idea to the other fifth graders, who decided they wanted to help. The event ultimately raised more than $500. She says, “The day of the sale, I felt really excited and nervous. During the entire process I learned how to work with a group and how to keep organized. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’m glad that we helped St. Jude!”
D-E science faculty member Don McNeil (back row, first on the right) and D-E parent Lynne Algrant (front row, third from left) were both recognized for their outstanding voluntarism at the Flat Rock Brook Center’s spring gala.
Lisa Mordkovich ’15 Represents United States at International Philosophy Olympiad
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isa Mordkovich ’15 was one of two students to represent the United States at the 23rd International Philosophy Olympiad, held in Tartu, Estonia, in May. She was selected via a national essay-writing contest of the American Philosophy Olympiad (APO). Essays must be written in a language that is not the national language of one’s own country. Lisa, who will attend Middlebury College in the fall, wrote her philosophical essay in Spanish. A rewarding part of Lisa’s trip to Estonia was the time delegates spent interacting with one another, “having thought-provoking conversations with them, and sharing your various perspectives with each other.” She says, “These kinds of experiences are so rare, so I feel incredibly lucky that D-E provided me with the opportunity to seize them.”