Beyond Academics: Supporting a Holistic Learning Environment at D-E
In this issue, Michelle Carstens-Potts, Chair of the Health and Wellness Department; Dr. Danny Carragher, Chair of the Human Development Department; and Lisa Wittner, Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), discuss their roles and the programs they implement.
In our next issue, Part II of this series will feature conversations with members of our Student Support Leadership Team, including Dr. Deirdre O’Malley, Director of Counseling Services, and Marc Gladstone, Lead Learning Specialist. Interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
South Asian Affinity Assembly
In March, the South Asian Affinity Group showcased an insightful presentation on South Asian cultures, figures, literature, and fashion. To top it all off, New York Times Senior Editor, Shashank Bengali, zoomed in to talk about his journey as a journalist and...
DEFAC’s March Madness Fundraiser
D-EFAC (Dwight-Englewood Fights Against Cancer) hosted a March Madness fundraiser for young alumna Mariam Abdelhaq ’17 who is fighting breast cancer. Students created teams and paid an entry ticket to enter the basketball tournament. The senior team “Mutant Ninja...
V-Day Performance Raises Funds for Local Women’s Center
The annual benefit performance “V-Day” aims to end violence against women and girls under the global activist movement under the same name, and to empower women of all ages. Mary Heveran (Lower School Music Teacher) kicked-off D-E’s version of this annual event with...
Black Affinity Presents Black History Month Assembly
Black History Month is about recognizing and appreciating black culture and the significant role that Black /African Americans have provided in American History. D-E Black Affinity Group students presented a special Upper School Assembly designed to honor and...
Asian Affinity Group Hosts Lunar New Year Assembly
To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Asian Affinity Group hosted a mini-fashion show and presentation on how different Asian cultures celebrate the holiday. Students also presented how each of their own families uniquely celebrate with food and cultural traditions. It...
Alex Russell-Walker, AP Art History
Alexander “Alex” Russell-Walker’s journey to teaching began halfway across the world in Vietnam. It was after teaching English there that he decided to commit to teaching full-time. Receiving his master’s degree at Columbia University’s Teachers College, he has taught...
Matthew Schade, 7th Grade History
Matthew “Matt” Schade always knew that teaching was going to be a part of his life. He recently discovered that in his second grade time capsule he had written that he wanted to be a teacher when he grew up. Originally from Philadelphia, Schade had only imagined...
Vena Reed, 6th Grade History
Hailing from Yorktown, VA, Vena Reed arrived at D-E in 2020 to teach the 6th grade history class called “Creating Cultures.” The course ranges from the beginnings of human history to the rise of ancient civilizations like Greece and Egypt. Teaching a foundational...
Lee Selected for Special Professional Development Opportunity
This spring Madie Lee, Upper School Equity & Diversity Engagement Coordinator and a history teacher, was selected as one of 120 teachers enrolled in a professional development course sponsored by National History Day, a nonprofit that seeks to improve the teaching...
An Interview with Dr. Ari Easley-Houser
Before coming to D-E, History Department Chair, Arika “Ari” Easley-Houser taught at Rutgers Prep and several colleges and universities, including Montclair State University and New York University. A socio-cultural historian focused on United States history, she received her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and a certificate in school management from the Harvard Business School. She was recently selected for a National Association of Independent Schools Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. Now in her third year of heading the department, Easley-Houser speaks to the importance of historical inquiry for students and how the history curriculum must reflect and respond to the diversity of students. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.