From Emily Sclafani, Dean for Class of 2026
I once had a colleague who was fond of saying “nothing good happens in schools in February.” While he surely exaggerated (the student performances at Coffeehouse and VDay were pretty spectacular), the long slog between midterms and Spring Break takes stamina. Our kids have been juggling demanding coursework with late games and rehearsals on cold winter nights, all while navigating their first round of placement and scheduling conversations and starting to envision their lives at D-E beyond freshman year. It’s a lot! We also heard recently from two really terrific assembly speakers (D-E Alum and app designer Alex Koren and New York Times Senior VP of Strategy and Operations Anand Venkatesan), both of whom had important wisdom to offer for moments like these: do what you love, but stay flexible; try new things and let yourself be surprised; take risks, but don’t risk so much that you’re afraid to fail and learn. This is the surest way to find a sense of purpose and fulfillment in what you do. I hope you’ll join me in reinforcing these important messages at home. The course selection process is almost complete, and Spring Break is just around the corner! May your time with family be restorative.
Best,
Emily