DDE Middle School
Principal's Office
Principal's Bio
It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce myself as the Principal of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School (DDE). My name is Marilyn Cosme Bright and I have been an educator for 23 years. I have been with the Berlin Township school district for over 17 years, first as Principal of the John F. Kennedy Elementary and currently as the Principal of the middle school. Working at the elementary and now the middle school in the same district has given me the unique opportunity of getting to know my students’ families well and establishing long-standing partnerships in their children’s education. Watching the students grow and mature gives me pride in knowing that I have had a role in their development.
Prior to Berlin Township Schools I taught students with special needs and remedial reading. I earned both my master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Rowan University. My New Jersey educator certifications include Principal, Supervisor, Certificate of Eligibility for School Leader (Superintendent of Schools), Teacher of the Handicapped, Reading Teacher, and Elementary Teacher.
DDE Through the Years...
The Dwight D. Eisenhower (DDE) Middle School was built in 1968. There was a small addition of four classrooms added in 1972. In 1993 the school was expanded once again to add the media center, computer lab, art room and music room. In 2000 with the dissolution of Lower Camden County Regional School District and the return of students in grades 7 & 8 to DDE, the school was expanded once again to add the gym, locker rooms and a few more classrooms. The school grounds include a baseball and softball field which are used by the DDE baseball and softball teams. Although the formal name of the school is Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial School, we commonly refer to it as DDE Middle School.
Welcome to DDE Middle School
Welcome to Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School and to the new school year. School has been in session for one week and we are off to a great start! After thoughtful reflections about the past few years of school, the staff and I at DDE Middle School have committed ourselves to relationship-centered learning. We believe and know that before we can impart knowledge to our children or before we teach them to comprehend, analyze, compute and evaluate, we must meet their physiological and safety needs and provide for them a sense of belonging. We are actively doing this through our daily interactions with your children and by building trusting relationships with them and fostering relationships among them. Our goal is for our students to develop into independent and responsible citizens of our school community and beyond.
We know that students thrive on structure and clear expectations. To that end we have spent the past week setting expectations for and with the students. It is our hope that you will support us in this effort by reading through the DDE Middle School Student Handbook, periodically checking the school website, going through your child’s backpack and checking your email regularly. Also, we want to make sure our students are safe. Please make sure we have all of your current contact information, including emergency contact information and contact us when your child is going to be absent from school or late to school. Another simple yet effective way to help your child be ready for learning is to make sure their Chromebook is charged each night and provide a quiet space for reading and homework. At DDE Middle School students will go outside for recess every day possible. So, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.
On behalf of the DDE staff, I would like to thank you for your time this evening and support during what I anticipate is going to be an amazing and awesome year!
Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School is proud to be a Leader in Me School. Leader in Me is an evidence-based PK-12 model, developed in partnership with educators and designed to build leadership in students, create a high-trust culture, and improve academic achievement
We focus on developing the whole child by:
Teaching leadership to every student.
Creating a culture of student empowerment.
Aligning systems to drive results in academics.
We use two frameworks in our work as a leadership school:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People helps us learn and apply leadership skills and gives us a common language for building a supportive school environment.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution helps us to identify, track, and achieve academic and personal Wildly Important Goals (WIGs).