Fun Follows Fire Drill

As part of DCD's readiness plan, we often practice exiting the building in the event of a fire or other emergency. Thursday morning, the first drill of the year was a little different, the silence and efficiency of everyone exiting the building and lining up on the fields in front of the school followed by a fun hula hoop challenge orchestrated by Athletic Director Mark Jackson.

Everyone Is Invited to the PA Welcome Breakfast

All parents are invited to attend the Parent Association Breakfast on Friday, September 22, at 8:00 a.m. in the Lawrence Room to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.  Members of the PA Executive Committee will describe the various activities and volunteer opportunities that take place during the year, which are a wonderful way for parents to get involved in the life of the school.  Parents will have a chance to sign up at the conclusion of the meeting or they can send the volunteer sign-up form after the meeting to Sharon Perkins Allen,  [email protected] . Parents can also fill out the online form by clicking here.

PIN Meeting to Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

The Parents' Independent School Network (PIN), a non-profit organization of independent schools in the greater Boston area that provides parent education opportunities, will hold a meeting at The Chestnut Hill School, 428 Hammond Street in Chestnut Hill, on Wednesday, September 27, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. The topic of discussion will be "Diversity and Inclusion," and will feature a discussion led by Dr. Carlos Hoyt, Ph.D., LICSW, who is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Wheelock College. ( There is no parking on the Chestnut Hill campus, but street parking is available on Suffolk Road or Kingsbury Road.)

Middle School Classroom Observation for Lower School Parents

Wondering what happens in the halls and classrooms of DCD's middle school? Mark your calendar for our Classroom Observation morning for DCD lower school parents on  October 17, 8:30-10:30 a.m. This is an excellent way for current parents to step into our classrooms to see middle school students and our talented faculty in action! 

If you're thinking ahead to the secondary school search process, listen to what some of last year's eighth graders had to say about their middle school experience and the success they had in finding the right fit in a school after DCD:  Student Voices!

Culture Club, a group for lower school children of color in Grades 1-5, will be meeting on the following Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.:  October 18, November 15, December 13, January 24, February 14, April 11, and May 23.  The mission of the group is to create a comfortable place where children can feel free to talk about their experiences, nurture self-esteem, appreciate differences, and celebrate similarities. Age-appropriate games and activities are integral to each meeting. Children belonging to one of the following racial/ethnic groups are invited to attend any or all Culture Club meetings: African American, Latino/Hispanic American, Asian American/South Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern American, or Multiracial American. Please contact Lynne Mayard at  [email protected]  to sign up or request further information.

Click here for more information and the registration forms online.  Please note: Your child does not have to be enrolled in EDP to sign up for either program, and there is  no additional EDP charge unless your child is staying past 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact Tom Nash, Director of EDP, [email protected]. 

Wednesday, September 20

Day 5

Thursday, September 21

Rosh Hashanah: No School

Click here to view the entire calendar.

Massachusetts Children's Book Award

Once again, we will be promoting the nominees for the Massachusetts Children's Book Awards (MCBA) during the 2017-2018 school year at DCD. Even though I've written about this program before, I would like to explain it to parents who have never had a fourth, fifth, or sixth grader who is participating. This voluntary reading incentive program has become a popular event for many students. Started by Dr. Helen Constant in 1975, it is administered through Salem State University. Twenty-five books are nominated for the award, and our voting for the DCD favorites will take place in late winter.

There are many obvious benefits to reading along with us for the next few months. Students are often introduced to authors who are unknown to them before this, and they return looking for other books by them. Some of the authors, like Liesel Shurtliff and Tom Angleberger, are already favorites of many intermediate readers. An important benefit that may not be obvious is that our readers become critics. They learn how to evaluate literature through plot, characters, and interest, and they have fun doing so. Throughout the next few months, I'll highlight some of the nominated titles. ...