That philosophy guides the Ethics Department Chair, Sr. Joseph Murphy, for his first-time tenth grade students. Sr. Murphy explains that, “they [students] think of opinions somehow like it’s property that they ‘own it’ somehow, but they really don’t own it fully until they can argue for it. Knowledge in a certain sense is a process, and you have to arrive at a conclusion through a process.”
Over this past Summer 2021, Ethics Department Chair Sr. Joe Murphy contributed a chapter within the anthology Intentional Disruption: Expanding Access to Philosophy (2021) published by Vernon Press. The anthology edited by Stephen Miller outlines how educators in philosophy have implemented the discipline at the pre-college level.
Students are always “in process” in class, formulating their ideas, at times, only in Spanish. Joe Murphy’s chapter “Once a Philosopher-In-Hiding: Teaching Philosophy in Spanish in the USA” details his journey from being the language department chair to trailblazing the now expansive ethics department curricula. He is one of few educators to integrate second language education with philosophical inquiry emphasizing that, “language is a way that we identify ourselves. When we talk and when we use language, it’s one of the ways that we make sense of the world.”
Philosophical education in high schools is often attributed as “critical thinking”. Sr. Murphy argues that what precedes the idea of “critical thinking” is first philosophical inquiry. He has seen what it provides in little moments: parents amazed with how their children have learned to discuss hard questions over the dinner table. Sr. Murphy hopes and implores other schools, administrators, and philosophers-in-hiding to take the leap. After all, they will become the philosophers and leaders of our future.
3rd Grade FLL Robotics Teams Shine at Explore Event
Congratulations to our incredible 3rd Grade First LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Teams, who shined at the recent FLL Explore event at Princeton Day School! “We couldn’t be prouder of our students,” said Ms. Li, Lower School (LS) STEM teacher, who coaches the LS Robotics...
MS “Anatomy of a Human” Consortium Highlights
To launch its Anatomy of a Human Project, 7th grade faculty recently facilitated an Anatomy of Human Consortium, during which several D-E parents graciously took time out of their busy days in the medical field to visit the Middle School and share about their medical...
D-E Community Shines During Annual Cultural Showcase 2026
“Inviting Peace” was the theme of “Our World House: A Cultural Showcase,” a now-annual School event organized by the Department for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB), for which students from the Lower School (LS), Middle School (MS), and Upper School...
D-E Performing Arts Proudly Presents MS & LS Choral Concert Thursday, Feb. 5
Rehearsals are underway for D-E Performing Arts’ next upcoming live concert! The Middle & Lower School Choral Concert is this Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 PM in Hajjar Auditorium (2nd Floor, D-E Campus Center). Look forward to hearing toe-tapping, intriguingly-titled...
PA Hosts LS/MS Book Fair & PJ Party
Paws for reading! Our Lower & Middle School Book Fair, hosted by our incredibly D-Edicated Parents’ Association, kicked off in grand fashion. On Saturday, Lower School (LS) students wore their comfy clothes for a PJ Party in Hajjar Auditorium, where Head of School...
US BLADE Club Hosts Annual Career Assembly
The Business Leaders at Dwight-Englewood (BLADE) student organization hosted its annual Career Assembly this week for the entire Upper School. Building on feedback from last year’s event, which included a single panel of guests from a variety of professions in Schenck...
Sixth Grade Identity Unit Culminates With Food Festival
In a culmination of the Sixth Grade Food & Identity Unit that began two weeks ago, students recently presented their hard work across their MESH (Math, English, Science, and History) classes to D-E families in Hajjar Auditorium. The presentations were followed by...
Swartley Gallery Presents the “AP Art Gallery Wall”
The Swartley Gallery Series’ latest exhibit is the traditional “AP Art Gallery Wall,” featuring the work of AP Studio Art students, on view now through Thursday, Feb. 5. A variety of mediums are represented from Emma Baumgarten ’26, Lily Berger ’26, Celia Binn ’26,...
MS Show Choir Concert “Workshops” Edgar Allen Poe
Families and friends of our Middle School (MS) Show Choir recently experienced a workshop-style live concert centered on the works of famed writer Edgar Allan Poe. Director Olivia Lionetti shared with the audience that the performance, titled "The Tales & Tunes...
Emerging Technologies Club Partners With Women’s Information Center to Teach Digital Skills
Members of the Upper School’s Emerging Technologies (ET) Club recently organized a workshop on teaching key digital tools at the Women’s Rights Information Center in Englewood after learning there was a need for this training in the community. “As a club centered on...