A HISTORY OF DALTON IN 101 OBJECTS

Current efforts to enrich the community through diversity aim to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all. The diversity among students currently enjoyed at Dalton has antecedents in the earliest days of the school; at its founding, there was...

“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 Peer leadership Program pairs teams of seniors with freshman groups to help make the transition to high school go smoothly. As a new 9th grade Dalton student, Peer Leadership was one of my first introductions to the Dalton community. Before school began, I...

Since the mid 1990's, the Mentoring Program has provided support for students of color and their families. As the Dalton population has diversifed mentors are increasingly drawn from alumni, including members of Dalton's LGBTQ+ community. Since the mid 1990’s, the...

Section of David Macaulay's library mural drawn during his residency as a Dalton Original Mind Scholar in 2009-2010. Whether creating artwork, poetry or simply inspiring students with their presence, Dalton’s Original Minds Scholars infused the curriculum with...

Helen Parkhurst’s seminal book Education on the Dalton Plan, published in 1922, proposed a complete restructuring of schools to balance individual inquiry with cooperation and community. Widely praised on publication with international recognition, the book serves as...

Portraits of Helen Parkhurst, who founded the Dalton School in 1919 and served as Head of School until 1942. Described as one of the most impactful educators of her time, Helen Parkhurst established the Dalton School (originally called the Children’s University...

Dalton’s comprehensive Health and Wellness Program began in 2012, addresses topics surrounding mental health, sexuality, and nutrition through a social justice lens. Representative objects are a Genderbread Person Ornament that helps clear up misconceptions about...

For more than two decades, Alumni Council members have served as stewards for our community of nearly 6,000 alumni, offering programming and opportunities for connection and support. For so many alumni, Dalton shaped our minds, built our character, inspired our...

The Dalton Alumni Council launched the Dalton Conversation Series in 2007. The conversations have captured the imagination of thousands of Dalton community members who have come to listen, while raising nearly a half-million dollars for Dalton’s scholarship fund....

Faculty and Staff assembled in the Martin Theater, Spring 2018 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,...

In September 1966, 60 boys joined the 120 girls in the Dalton High School, making it coed for the first time in its nearly 50 year existence. Photo of boys and the1969 Yearbook. In September 1966, 60 boys joined 160 girls in the Dalton High School, making it coed for...

The Dalton alumni community continues to expand and grow closer. In answer to the Centennial survey, many alumni submitted quotes from teachers they still recall decades later. When I graduated from Dalton, I never thought too much about what it meant to be a Dalton...

This varsity tennis jacket was given to Co-Captain Nancy Neff '72, the first girl to play on a boys’ athletic team at Dalton in the 1970’s. 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...

In 1995, the Dalton community assembled in the new Physical Education Center to celebrate Dalton’s 75th year and to discover what Dalton’s founders placed in the school’s cornerstone in 1929. Included in the copper box were Parkhurst’s book, Education on the Dalton...

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. Inaugurated in 1983 under the direction of Svetozar Jovanovic and currently under David MacEnulty,...

As one of their service learning activities, first graders use walk-a-thon funds to purchase reusable grocery bags. They attach a note with an illustrated conservation tip and donate the bags to Morton Williams Supermarket to be distributed to customers. Service...

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. The first grade language arts curriculum teaches reading and...

Each September, the Dalton community celebrates Dalton Athletics at Homecoming. Festivities kick off Friday night with high school volleyball games and a pep rally. Alumni and students cheer enthusiastically, led by mascot Ivan the Tiger. On Saturday, the action moves...

Second graders design, build, and detail structures for individual city blocks, which are then assembled into an “island” displayed in the upper music room. This 20+ year project incorporates lessons on teamwork, zoning, architectural design and environmental...

Dalton’s Community Service program, founded by Nora Hodges, dates to 1944. Hard hat and certificate of recognition from Habitat for Humanity given to participants in New Orleans project. “It is hoped that this [community service curriculum] will give you a new sense...

For thirty years, Book Arts students have incorporated handmade paper into their books crafted with a variety of bindings, including techniques from different cultures and time periods. Book by Nina Sloan ’20 It is unusual for a High School Art Program to offer a...

The tradition of life drawing from the human nude, daring in a high school context even today, began at Dalton in the 1960’s. Drawing by Cyan Hunte ’17 The art and practice of drawing of the human figure has lain at the core of the Western artistic tradition since the...

Each of the Kindergarten Houses has its own special project. Each Kindergarten House has its own special project to encourage students to participate as speakers and listeners, to respond to stories and poems and to help develop reading and writing skills. House 32:...

The Creative Writing Program takes its inspiration from Dalton’s motto “Go Forth Unafraid;” it helps students realize that they can write more beautifully than they ever thought they could. At Dalton, any freshmen student could begin one of the Creative Writing...

The Kindergarten team has expanded its project of having each student gather collections of 100 objects and created a week-long series of activities leading up to the 100th day. The whole grade assembles on the steps of First Program, with posters indicating groups of...

For third graders, the tile project commemorates their time at First Program and allows each child to express their individuality and creativity. Started by former Art Department Head Sheila Lamb in the 1980’s, students now create two tiles, one for display and a...

For over thirty years, Dalton’s Museum Program has promoted object-based teaching and learning across the K–12 curriculum, collaborating with teachers and building a collection of objects, specimens and images to enhance visual and scientific literacy. This replica of...

Since 1984, every third grader has used a trowel and brush, the tools of archaeologists, to excavate hundreds of artifacts in a simulated excavation led by archaeologist Neil Goldberg. Each class excavates a different site, all supporting curricula on the Age of...

Every November, third graders celebrate reading by creating a painted illustrations of a favorite scene from a favorite book that are displayed during the annual Book Fair hosted by the Parent Association. Painting by Bryson Wiese ’19 What is your favorite book? Every...

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. When You Reach Me is a mainstay of fifth grade literature....

At a mid-year ceremony, each fourth grade student receives a certificate to signify their Big Dalton citizenship and pledge to uphold the values of good citizenship both at Dalton and in the wider world. The fourth grade’s overarching theme for the year is immigration...

For a simulation of the immigrant experience circa 1900, students create an imaginary autobiography and put together clothing based on the identity of a person who came through Ellis Island. Students complete a questionnaire as part of the examination process. One of...

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...

These modern impressions of ancient Neo-Babylonian cylinder seals in the collection of the Morgan Library were made by fifth grade students in a workshop at the Morgan Library led by Sidney Babcock, Curator of Seals and Tablets, and designed by Michelle Marcus of...

To Kill a Mockingbird introduces eighth graders to the world of 1930’s 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...

Ceramic students gain experience of the raku process when they assemble kilns and fire their work at 1900 degrees Fahrenheit during the annual Raku field trip to upstate New York. Pottery by Treasure Welle ’20 During our annual Raku field trip students gain a profound...

This fifth grade STEAM project has students design an ancient city based on growing needs and unpredictable constraints. Feedback helps expand their flexibility and helps them problem solve. Combining social studies with Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and...

The Dalton Science Research Program (DSRP) supports High School students’ independent research in labs with research mentors. Participant Elana Simon ’14 is pictured at the White House with President Obama. Since 2011, the Dalton Science Research Program (DSRP) has...

Rooted in the idea that good design skills should be incorporated into everyday things, 8th grade CS0 students are challenged to redesign New York City’s flag. Victoria Martin ’22 designed this flag with multiple versions in 2017, using the PencilCode programming...

Recognized for its innovative approach to educational technology since the 1990’s, Dalton’s 1:1 Device Program provides students and teachers with easy access to technological tools. With Dalton’s 1:1 Device program, our goal is to provide students and teachers with...

Seventh grade students examine the astrolabe and consider whether this ancient device reinforces or challenges our modern-day assumptions about technology. All students complete a writing assignment and some students create models. Astrolabe by Manon Astier ’19 and...

As a founding member of the Global Online Academy (GOA), Dalton is one of 75 top independent schools worldwide offering this innovative online resource for elective courses for students. As a founding member of the Global Online Academy (GOA), Dalton is one of 75 top...

Dalton was the first school in New York City to have its own mainframe computer starting in 1970. IBM manual for the 1130 mainframe computer. Eleven months after four research universities transmitted the first word over the Internet, Dalton was the first school in...

Water test kit used by fourth grade students when they conduct field tests to determine the health of streams at Black Rock Forest. This data collection trip helps connect local environmental issues to their study of the global water crisis. How do you get over 90...

Each seventh grade student creates a mathematical “toolbox” as a resource to help them solve challenging problems. A thorough and well organized toolbox helps students develop note-taking skills and assists with “Open Toolbox” quizzes. Students in the seventh grade...

VR technology seamlessly liberates a student’s potential for exploration, allowing them to travel virtually to other countries and to explore Outer Space. Recently, World and Classical Language teachers teamed up with Dalton’s New Laboratory for Teaching and Learning...

Over the past decade, the robotics program has grown from a small after school club to a fully developed program of High School classes, Middle School and First Program electives and after school classes. Pictured: Chuppie, the robot that Uncertainty Principle brought...

In composing choreography and performing, dancers physically support and empathize with each other. Teachers serve as catalysts for movement discovery for serious dancers and non-dancers alike. Posters, photos, video and program notes provide a small sample of the...

Copy of a violin part from Dalton's Suite commissioned in 1955 from the American composer Henry Cowell. This mimeograph is an original violin part from the orchestral work written for Daltons' students in 1955 by the important American composer Henry Cowell. Henry...

Menus from popFood restaurants and Mothers Day brunches, with dishes inspired by restaurants chosen by Dalton students. “Originally a one semester class, the course was designed around the nascent pop-up culture in the culinary world. These are restaurant concepts...

Collage of lunches from photos taken each day by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Chair, World and Classical Languages. 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...

Second graders perform two separate musicals in a celebration of New York City, all with the same finale, a medley of songs about New York. Playbills from second grade musical theater productions. The second grade musical is a culminating experience, bringing together...

Since the 1990’s the Asian Cultures Club has created a supportive community and raised awareness of the rich Asian heritages students and faculty experience at home. ACC hosts several annual school-wide events that draw a wide audience. Here is a selection of...

Candlelighting evokes a range of emotions in participants, from the solemnity of the youngest students to alumni returning after decades away. Theater Department Chair Robert Sloan takes it all in from the wings, where he watches with cue sheet in hand and fire...

For twenty years, since conceived by Middle School Librarian Roxanne Feldman, the Halloween Haunted Library has become one of the most fondly remembered traditions of the Dalton Middle School. The week-long celebration now features elaborate decorations and includes...

Parky, a musical by Carmino Ravosa, composer in residence from 1978–2011, portrayed Dalton’s founder Helen Parkhurst and was performed for the school’s 60th Anniversary in 1980 and again for the 75th Anniversary in 1995. Shown here are set design sketches, a playbill,...

Since 1997, Dalton’s First Program Chorus has drawn students who arrive at school early to rehearse for two concerts. The Winter Concert features mostly American music, while the Spring Multi-Cultural program highlights world music sung in a variety of languages and...

Dalton’s commitment to support theater as an art form dates back more than 60 years! Teachers encourage students to participate; a range of classes and productions are offered each year. Here are photos of performances from the last few decades. This is the program...

Dalton’s jazz program began in 1975, as six students formed a group which then developed into a full curriculum. Throughout its history, Dalton musical directors have produced albums featuring a mix of jazz staples along with original compositions and arranged master...

Alumni share their reflections on the important life lessons learned from close reading and discussion in their classes with the English department. “The hard part was making someone [stressed] like me… enjoy reading difficult books. That was easily the most valuable...

In late spring, Dalton seniors immerse themselves in a Senior Initiative project of their choice. Sara Solomon ’18 organized a panel discussion, sponsored by local Community Board 8, where speakers discussed issues related to formerly incarcerated people re-entering...

“…To a certain extent, I feel as if I have always been teaching and living Moby Dick because it centers on a voyage. In this novel, 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...

While many aspects of Dalton have changed, alumni from various decades describe candlelighting in remarkably similar ways. Candlelighting means many things for the Dalton student: a half-day of school, an assembly, and the tradition of “consecrating this house with...

For more than twenty years, Dalton alumni have returned to the school to reconnect with former classmates, teachers, and coaches as well as to see changes. Reunions celebrate five year intervals after graduation. For more than two decades, Dalton alumni have been...

Phase, Dalton’s legendary night of student entertainment, continues to endure more than 30 years since its inception.  Phase, Dalton’s legendary night of student entertainment, is part talent-show and part initiation into the magic of live performance.  Phase began in...

“In fostering visibility and advocacy through divisional and school-wide observances, in preparing teacher materials and publications, we as a school seek to cultivate involvement and frame learning around the idea of a spectrum or continuum… while showing support and...

Pi Day is an annual High School event marking the occasion of Pi in the calendar (March 14 or 3.14…) and celebrated with lots of pie. 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...

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. The Green Tree Frog study in First Program brings great excitement to the second...

The Dalton Wildlife Club motto is “Conserve, Educate, Respect.” Since 2011, club members have conducted campaigns with long-term environmental partners. Each year brings a new programs, trips, and fundraising efforts. Club sections function as a meritocracy, with...

Samples of soldiers' journals, the culminating project of the Civil War assignment. One of the staples of the 8th grade curriculum is the soldier’s journal, the culminating assignment of the Civil War assignment. Students find themselves assuming the identity, the...

During World War II plans were made for evacuation of the building and the city. At Dalton the youngest students were moved to the lower floors, students were given dog tags and buildings were constructed in Buck's Rock, New Milford CT. for potential evacuation....

Latin study presents an opportunity to engage with the language, philosophy, and culture of the Roman Empire and to explore its influence on our own civilization. Here students visit a Roman ruin. Latin study at Dalton presents an enriching opportunity to engage with...

The Ujima Project was a major initiative in community service and activism at Dalton from 2003 and 2010. Fundraising efforts raised more than $100,000 for the Subukia Scholarship Fund, and provided four years of high school for more than 100 Kenyans. The Ujima Project...

Dalton’s language focused trips help develop language proficiency, strengthen cultural understanding, and global competence. Dalton students in Morocco. Nothing gets a student more excited than being able to express herself or read a sign in situ in the target...

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....

The Dalton History Assignments are the foundation of the collective experience allowing students opportunities for critical inquiry, discussion and group participation. Engage any Dalton grad in a discussion of their experience in History at Dalton and invariably the...

Studying the United States Constitution has long been a touchstone of Dalton’s history curriculum, equipping students with the skills to understand the context, content, and lasting significance of our governing document. An examination of the United States...

Photo of students enjoying Play Street. 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...

Beginning in 1933, the student newspaper has been published continuously for 80+ years. Volume I, No. II, December 1933. 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...

When Chuck Rice automated the Dalton library in 1974–75, the IBM computer he used took up half a room! Since 1999, when Adele Bildersee and the librarians digitized the card catalog, Dalton has enjoyed using a sophisticated and easy online system, with extensive...

After reading Lord of the Flies, 7th graders, working in groups, used Design Thinking to create a “prototype” of a Leadership Plan for the boys on the island and presented their plans to 8th graders for feedback. This planning sheet outlines the problem solving...

The Greek Festival has been the highlight of the Dalton 6th grade experience for generations. One of the oldest ongoing traditions at Dalton, this intellectual journey takes months of preparation and creates lifetime memories. Greek Festival Tile by Anna Rich ’14,...

Sixth grade students learn Ancient History using the computerized archaeological simulation Archaeotype. Developed by a Dalton team of history teachers, archaeologists, and New Lab software designers, students collaborate to analyze the site and construct maps of...

Dalton Global Initiatives provides students with opportunities for immersive cultural experiences and service learning opportunities in a wide range of cultures. The Dalton Global Initiatives (DGI) program is committed to integrating global and interdisciplinary...