10.02.23 September Recap

Our September together was a very busy one! From our first day back, where every student rang the bell to begin their upper school journey, to last week’s Back-to-School Night, we are truly beginning to establish ourselves in community together. As we move into Fall and the excitement of class rep elections, Spirit Week, and Homecoming, I wanted to share some notes and reminders:

Planned Absences and Signing Out

When a student has a planned absence, it is important that they fill out a Planned Absence Form and have all teachers sign it. These forms are available in the Upper School Office. The Dean is the last person to sign the form and then it is turned in to our Attendance Officer, Ms. Florio, to enter into My DE. Also, please note that any student who is leaving early, even when a parent calls or comes to pick them up, must sign out in the Upper School Office. Also, students must sign in for late arrivals or returns from appointments.

Lockers

Students receive lockers for PE classes and can still request a locker in the Campus Center or Leggett to store their books and belongings during the day. We encourage students to use these lockers to secure their belongings while on campus, so reach out if your student still needs a locker.

Course Schedules and Changes

The Drop/Add period is officially closed and students should be settling in to their first semester courses. Occasionally, a level change (between CP and Honors) might be initiated through the instructor or department chair, but those would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students should reach out to their teacher if they still have any question about their course placements.

Student IDs

Last week, all students should have received their student ID cards from their advisor. Students should have their ID cards with them at all times to show they are members of the DE community, and they are also necessary for using the printer and making copies. Please have your student reach out to me if they are missing the card or if there are any problems (wrong picture, etc) and I will take care of i.

Thefts

Unfortunately, so far this year several students’ belongings have been stolen from the locker room while they were in Health & Wellness class. Actions like these are in violation of our community norms and are completely unacceptable. Kim Lalli made this clear at the Morning Meeting last week when she addressed the Upper School about this breach of community trust directly. Students are provided with lockers and encouraged to use them at all times to secure their belongings, but we recognize how frustrating the situation is and will continue to work to create and maintain a safe environment for everyone in our community. Our new Director of Campus Security is working on specific language for the handbook around this issue and a clear protocol for the school and families to follow when theft of personal belongings happens.  We will continue to encourage our students to be thoughtful and critical when deciding how to manage their belongings on campus and work together with faculty, staff, and campus security to look into the losses so far and how to prevent them in the future. We appreciate your partnership in this effort.