Our youngest ones have so much wisdom to offer us. Former librarian and now 3rd grade teacher, Rachel Brainin carries on the legacy of Sheila Sienicki and maintains the publication’s spirit. Rather than having students strive to be published, D-Escribe is an open opportunity to explore writing prompts and styles. Teachers mainly submit work from the Units of Study, while also offering students creative prompts to play with style and content.
“Writing is sometimes very prescribed, so the open-ended prompts provide us with more exciting stories. I had a kid who didn’t like to write but then couldn’t stop writing about dinosaurs. In any free moment he had, he would say, ‘can I work on my dinosaurs?’”
Rather than having students strive to be published, D-Escribe is an open opportunity to explore writing as an artistic medium. Rachel hopes to continue to build upon D-Escribe’s wonderful history and to continue to inspire young students.
Recognition of Sept. 11 Continues: Special US Assembly & Lunch & Learn Highlights
The First LS Assembly of the Year Celebrates Community
Mr. Harrell’s Denim Designs Kick Off the Swartley Gallery Series
PA Welcome Back to School Barbecue Highlights
Last Thursday, the D-E Parents’ Association hosted a “Welcome Back to School” Barbecue on Leggett Field that drew a strong turnout and high engagement from across the D-E community! This year’s event included a bubble artist performance, a firetruck to explore on…
Coming Together as a Community to Reflect on Sept. 11, 25 Years Later
Welcome Back! First-Day Energy Shines Bright Across the D-E Campus
Tara Weinstein Book Launches
From Physics to Fiction! Ms. Tara Weinstein, who is D-E’s Science Department Chair, teaches Upper School Physics, and enjoys a range of hobbies from dancing to weaving, can now add published novelist to her list of accomplishments! Ms Weinstein’s debut novel, The Only Way Out Is Through (Blair; 2026), won the independent publisher’s annual Bakwin Literary Award in 2024, and she celebrated its August release with two book launches last month and more to come. To read more about these events and Ms. Weinstein’s literary process, click the link in our bio!
Appreciating the Power of AI: Panel Discussion Sheds Light on Students’ Use and Perspectives
A Look Back at the 2026 HOPE Fashion Show
The 2026 HOPE Fashion Show was a labor of love! The Upper School’s HOPE: Fashion With a Purpose student leaders Lilah Carroll ’27 , Maleah Liao ’27 , Lola Kletsman ’27 , Nina Stevens ’27 , and Crystal Gonzalez-Lawand ’26 organized the show, held annually in April,…
Garden Work Party Highlights
Our D-E Green Upper School student club and the Parents’ Association Garden Project Volunteer Committee co-hosted its final Garden Work Party earlier this season. This was a celebration of the D-E community’s shared efforts in maintaining the Nettie-Louise Coit…











