Christine Hanaway Maloney joins our Specials Team as the Lower School Art and Design Teacher. Her excitement for Art and Design is readily apparent, and she genuinely enjoys shining that creative spotlight on each and every student. Ms. Christine believes that there is an artist in every child, and she is committed to helping build a community that encourages creativity as a way of being. An important message to her students will include: “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” -Aristotle
Mara Trager joins our team as the 3rd – 5th Grade Literacy Specialist. Her love for reading, words, and language led her to focus her teaching career as a Literacy Specialist. Mrs. Trager believes in life-long learning and enjoys supporting students, as well as teachers, as they get to know themselves as individuals, helping them to reflect on their strengths, and think about next steps. Her goal is to help all students access the curriculum and be successful learners. She is excited to share the importance of process over product, work on differentiated strategies with students, and join a strong community of learners, adults and children alike. Words Mrs. Trager lives by and hopes to instill in all her students is: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
Nia Watson joins – or more specifically rejoins – the Dwight-Englewood community. Ms. Watson has been part of the Lower School in various capacities, most recently working alongside classroom teachers in second and fifth grades. She stepped away to accept a position as a lead teacher in a local public school, and as much as she valued her work there, the pull of Dwight-Englewood Lower School was strong! We are delighted she is rejoining us as a lead fourth grade teacher. When asked what she loves and is excited about, she thought for a moment and shared, “I am excited for joy. To find and share joy with my students. I love seeing the process of learning, and I am so happy and excited to be part of that process with others.”