Dear Upper School Students & Parents, 

Congratulations on an amazing start to the 2026-2027 school year! This week–while shorter than most–has been packed with enthusiasm, traditions, and new beginnings. 

It was wonderful to welcome our new Upper Schoolers to campus for an Orientation on Tuesday afternoon (Thank you to Ms. Sorrenti, Mrs. McGrath, and SGA!) as they prepared for the first day of school. We have 14 new Griffins joining us this year, as well as 46 new 9th graders who are experiencing Upper School for the first time. We also enjoyed celebrating our 35 Seniors on Wednesday morning with a delicious breakfast (Thank you to the Senior parents!) and the traditional Last 1st Day photos. 

Yesterday’s All School Assembly was a wonderful way to ring in the new school year. (Thank you to Ms. Sorrenti, Ms. Wesneski, Mr. Smith & the Concert Band, and Mrs. Brewer!) The Class of 2027 was escorted by the Class of 2039, our Student Body leaders shared a wonderful welcoming message, and Mr. Skeen rang in the year with a call to stay curious while choosing the challenge (on purpose!). 

These first few days are all about establishing routines and learning the rhythms of a new grade level. And, while some things remain the same, many things are new and different. 9th Graders began their semester-long journey through Freshman Seminar this week. The College Counselors assisted with accessing tools and resources that will be utilized in the Upper School–everything from SDS printer setup and joining Google Classroom, to adding the Student Life calendar in Google and logging into Renweb to check grades. And–for AP students–creating and/or updating a College Board account to access assigned work via the AP Classroom portal (and order AP exams!). 9th-12th graders also enjoyed their new “Long Lunch” schedule, which includes extra time for class and club meetings, tutorials, socializing, and play! 

Looking forward, here’s what’s on the horizon for the division: 

• Monday, August 24
  • Parents’ Community All Parent Social: 5:30 PM @ RJ Rocker’s
• Wednesday, August 26
  • Honor Code Signing Ceremony: 11:50 AM in the Barnet Theatre
    • Students should dress nicely for this annual event. 
  • All Sports Parent Meeting: 5:30 PM in Stone Gym
• Friday, August 28
  • Red Out! Dress Down
  • Club Fair: 11:50 AM in Presnell
• Saturday, August 29
  • SAT Prep: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM in the Seminar Room
• Monday, September 7
  • No School: Labor Day
• Wednesday, September 9
  • Upper School Back-to School Night: 6:00 PM in Dent

Fall sports are underway–keep an eye on the team calendars for the most up-to-date information. I’m also pleased to share that various college representatives will begin visiting campus during the week of September 8! Demonstrated interest is an important metric in the college admissions process, so students should be sure to connect with representatives of interest when possible. 

Finally, a bit of gratitude: starting school is no easy feat! Thank you to every member of the Day School community for the contributions that led to this moment. I wish you a wonderful weekend full of rest, relaxation, and recuperation. I’m quite sure that the ‘26-’27 school year will be the best yet, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds! Go Griffins!

With excitement, 

Jenny Glenn
Head of Upper School