Welcome to Duke School

Dear Friends & Families,

On behalf of all of us at Duke School, welcome to our school.

Welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year at Duke School. This year, we are dedicated to the theme of Building Belonging—an essential aspect of our students' success and well-being. We believe that for our students to truly thrive, they must feel known, valued, and included in our vibrant community. I warmly invite each of you to join us in celebrating and amplifying the many ways we provide a caring environment that supports each student's optimal learning.

From morning meetings and advisory sessions to engaging project work and beyond, our educators are devoted to nurturing critical skills like active listening, empathic perspective-taking, curious inquiry, student voice and discernment, and clear communication. Our leadership team and school trustees selected Geoffrey Cohen’s Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides for our summer reading. Cohen's book provides robust research and practices to help us effectively build a sense of belonging in an "age of division."  Now more than ever, this work is vital in fulfilling our mission of preparing the next generation of problem solvers for our complex world. We are steadfast in our commitment to lead the charge in Building Belonging within every classroom and with each of you.

Our theme resonates deeply as we prepare to unveil the Center for IDEAS this fall. This state-of-the-art, 14,000-square-foot facility is designed to foster innovation, discovery, equity, the arts, and social justice. Within its walls, you will find a vast auditorium, two maker spaces, a sound design and band room, a social justice resource center, and numerous areas designated to showcase student learning through the Project Approach. More than just a structure, the Center for IDEAS reflects our collective commitment to cultivating an environment that taps our students’ phenomenal capacity as learners, inspires our extraordinary educators, and connects our community across campus.

We encourage you to spend time discovering what makes our school so special through our website and that you visit campus to see the wonders of our program for yourself.  Thank you for your ongoing support and for being an integral part of the Duke School community. Together, we can make this school year one where every student feels empowered to flourish.

Warmly, 

Lisa Nagel

Head of School