News Detail

"Reach for the Stars" Auction Saturday, Feb. 28

It's time to "Reach for the Stars!"  

The bi-annual gala for Dwight-Englewood School (D-E), the 2015 Auction Dinner Dance, is scheduled for this Saturday, February 28, at Rockleigh Country Club in Rockleigh, NJ.  The event is held to support the School’s Faculty & Staff Fund, and traditionally honors a select handful of exceptional teachers and staff members.  This year’s honorees are History Department Chair Carole DeVito; James “Bud” Praylow, a long-time member of the School’s Campus Security Team; and Fifth Grade Science Teacher Erik Swanson.

The Auction kicks off at 6:00 p.m. with Cocktails and a Silent Auction, which features hundreds of items in categories ranging from “Around the House”;  “Health & Beauty”; Entertainment, Gourmet & Getaways”; “Sports & Electronics”; and more.   At 7:30 p.m., Auction guests will enjoy dinner and dancing and then at 10:00 p.m. the evening will culminate in an exciting Live Auction with enticing items for bid including a 2015 Mercedes Benz; a table for six at the famed Rao’s; premiere seating for a Yankees vs. Orioles game; and a 201 Magazine photo shoot.  To download a list of Auction 2015 Live and Silent Auction items (PDF) click here.  Can't make it to the Auction but interested in bidding? Please click here for our Absentee Bid Form (PDF). 

During the evening’s festivities, there will also be a special moment during which Head of School Dr. Rodney V. De Jarnett recognizes the three Auction honorees.  The first honoree, Carole DeVito, joined the D-E faculty in 1979.  Over the past 35 years, she has taught a variety of courses in the History Department, including ancient and medieval history, art history, and European history.   She was on the founding committee that created the now well-established D-E Senior Focus program along with two colleagues, Rob Brisk and Peter Herzberg. In 1995 Carole became Chair of the D-E History Department, and she continues in this role today. She has received numerous awards and fellowships, including two Fulbright awards, one to India and one to Japan.  Carole has participated in NEH seminars and has received awards for her teaching from University of Chicago and Stanford University, and she spent a full year at Columbia as a Klingenstein fellow studying independent schools and preparing a project on a feminist re-vision of art history.  She credits D-E “for educating her daughter and son in law, Sara and James Farnsworth, introducing her to her husband, the veteran D-E teacher Pasquale DeVito, and giving her a life of community, support, and endless stimulation and growth.”

Bud Praylow
started at D-E in 1999 as one of the first security personnel for the School.  Bud provides campus security during the evening hours – “and so much more” in the words of Special Events Director Bea Movsesian.  Bea notes, “Bud takes care of everyone at the School who is here for after school events, making sure all students are picked up, everyone is safe, and that the campus is secure.  He relates well to parents, students, staff, administration and the community, upholding his high moral character and telling a few riddles here and there.”  In 2002, Carpe Diem, the official D-E School Yearbook, was dedicated to Bud.

Fifth Grade Teacher Erik Swanson has been teaching science, social studies, and assisting with the Creating Original Opera Program at D-E for 10 years.
In his words, “One of my goals as a teacher over the years has focused on keeping my students excited about their learning with the hope of fostering a life-long passion for learning.  In science, for example, I try to make many of my lessons hands-on.  I want the students to be the scientists to instill ownership over their work.  Learning is fun, and the more active students are in their learning process, the more success they will have academically and socially.  We encourage students to take chances and to try even when they are not sure of the outcome.  I also try to model this in my classroom by trying new ideas from Responsive Classroom techniques to mindfulness practices.  We are all life-long learners if we want to be.”
 
Bea Movsesian comments, “We chose the theme of “Reach for the Stars” for Auction 2015 because we believe that this is something that the faculty and staff of Dwight-Englewood prepare our students to do every day!  This amazing night is the culmination of literally thousands of hours of work.  Thanks to the incredible efforts of our Auction Committee Co-Chairs Lenora Klein and Robin Modell, and all our Auction Committee volunteers, we can expect to enjoy another highly successful event.”
 
Additional Auction 2015 details are also available online at www.d-e.org/events. 
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Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631
gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.