Welcome

It is with great excitement that I greet you as Dalton's 11th Head of School. As a life-long educator, I have always admired Dalton and its devotion to seeing, and then bringing out, the very best from every student.

There is no greater evidence of this than the energy that abounds in our buildings. Whether it is the joy of First Program students belting out songs in Spanish, the laughter that makes its way to the hallways from Middle School Houses, or the creativity that comes from High Schoolers in our robotics lab or teaching kitchen, the kinetic nature of our school’s interactions need to be experienced to be fully understood. The joy of learning at Dalton is palpable and abundant. Our students take on one of the country’s most challenging curriculums with joy and purpose.

At the heart of this is the Dalton Plan, a student-centered philosophy that has been Dalton’s foundation for over 100 years. The three key pillars of the Dalton Plan — House, Assignment and Lab — create a structure where students are at the center of their learning. Thanks to our highly trained faculty and inquisitive, inspired students, Dalton’s rigorous academic program emphasizes intellectual curiosity, independence, risk-taking, and open-mindedness, rather than rote learning. The breadth and depth of our programming in the arts, engineering, and athletics reflects Dalton's deep and longstanding commitment to developing the whole child. The extensive service-learning opportunities, built into the Dalton experience, expand students' understanding of their world and equip them as global citizens. Our belief in the capabilities of our young people is in the very DNA of our school.

Also at the heart of Dalton is our deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We recognize and value the enrichment that comes from a community of people from diverse races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual-orientations and socioeconomic groups. Our anti-racism and other diversity, equity and inclusion goals are intended to deepen our understanding of different experiences and to provide a broad platform for sharing and appreciating those differences. Moreover, we believe that excellence best comes from diverse communities that offer multiple perspectives. At Dalton, we strive to see every child in their beautiful and complex entirety.

So welcome to our webpage. We are glad you are here. We hope that our website, social media channels, events and future conversations will help convey the energy, creative spirit, and intellectual excitement that contribute to the magic that is Dalton, a magic that is seen in the experiences of our students every single day.