The genesis of “Beyond Empire” comes from a personal place. As a first-generation American of Trinidadian immigrants, who came to the US amidst Trinidad’s independence from the UK, Stephen Bailey finds that it is imperative to trace these stories. The central questions of the course ask, “What is it to move beyond empire? How do people understand themselves in a new context? How do you reacquire or reinvent yourself?” What underlies the curriculum is the belief that through investing in the literary worlds of other cultures, students can be world scholars and compassionate readers.
Stephen emphasizes reading a breadth of literary styles like poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc. to think critically about how language is used. With challenging material from authors and playwrights like Tayeb Salih and Lynn Nottage, Stephen asks for courage from both his students and himself; the courage to ask hard questions and to listen to different voices and opinions. “That is where true inquiry begins!”
LS Fall Festival Highlights
On a bright and sunny October day, a beloved tradition—the Lower School Fall Fest—returned to Leggett Field. The D-E Parents’ Association hosted the event, which welcomed D-E families to come out to enjoy fall-themed inflatables,...
The Latest Buzz: MS Hosts Beekeepers Visit
Like the Nettie Coit Teaching Garden, D-E’s Apiary offers our students another on-campus opportunity for experiential learning. Grade 6 Dean Ms. Urbanowski recently facilitated a hive demonstration by beekeepers Simon and Ian, who assist with maintaining the bees and...
Upper School, Lower School Students Team Up to Write a ‘Small Story’
In a beautiful display of cross-divisional partnership, the Creative Writing class of Ms. Stephanie “Tuc” Tucker, Dean of the Class of 2027, is working together with the PreK 4 Class of 2039 on a book lesson. “This semester-long project will culminate with the...
Lower School Assembly Celebrates Respect, Hispanic Heritage
The Lower School’s second assembly of the year focused on the core value of Respect and acknowledged those in the D-E community celebrating Hispanic History Month. After a welcome message from Mrs. Lopez and a meditative “Mindful Minute,” teachers, staff, and...
Black Affinity Goes to the Met
D-E’s Black Affinity Group, with the support of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Office, recently organized a field trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, primarily to see the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit on Black dandyism. The trip gave...
Middle School Day of Peace Assembly Promotes Positivity
There was an aura of tranquility in Schenck Auditorium as Middle School students gathered recently for a Day of Peace Assembly. Students and faculty/staff members were invited to contribute a spoken-word piece or a vocal/instrumental performance about peace, kindness,...
Spotlight on Our D-E Community: A Message from Dr. CW
The start of the new school year always brings energy and excitement to D-E! To show how and why our School is such a vibrant community of learners, we will share in the coming months a monthly series that sheds light on our mission, our core values, and academic...
Upper School Class Trips Foster Community Among Grade Levels
Every fall, students in the Upper School participate in grade-specific class trips that have become a rewarding D-E tradition that combines…
Mandarin Students Take On Tea Whisking
As part of a unit on China’s Song Dynasty, from 960 to 1279, Ms. Zhao’s Mandarin 3 students recently received a hands-on lesson in the art of “diancha,” or tea whisking. Ms. Zhao demonstrated how to use a bamboo whisk to mix finely ground tea powder with hot water to...
MS Celebrates International Dot Day
holiday—inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book, “The Dot—that encourages people of all ages to “make their mark” and discover the power of their own potential and creativity.” After listening to the story, sixth graders were introduced to D-E’s Human Ed qualities of...
