Beyond the Classroom
There have been so many opportunities over the past few months for our students, faculty/staff, and families to enjoy learning experiences far beyond the confines of the classroom. This is all thanks to robust, exciting student life and community service initiatives. From our youngest students involved in Affinity Group-led diversity awareness assembly programs and being mentored in hands-on STEM workshops… to Middle and Upper School student leaders of clubs that are focused on the arts, identity, community service and specific interest areas … our mission is fully in action through D-E’s co-curricular offerings.
The D-E Garden Club, Jazz Rock, INSPIRE ( Introducing New Solutions to Promote Integrity & Respect Everywhere), WISE (Women in STEM Education), JADE (Jewish Awareness at D-E); GSA (Gender & Sexuality Awareness) and Spoonies ( a club dedicated to raising awareness about Chronic Illness) are just a few examples of clubs that have made a wonderful, positive impact on the School over the past few months.
The photos here provide just a sampling of these activities; please see the following pages for more specific examples of our students doing their part to ‘make it better’ through fundraising programs including V-Day 2023 and Art in Action, and affinity group activities celebrating differences.
MS Robotics Showcase Preps Teams for Competition
D-E Middle School (MS) Robotics Teams recently presented a Showcase for faculty/staff, families, and friends, in preparation for their first official competition. The four MS Teams Apex, Nitro, Quasar and Rex each took a turn highlighting the process and motivation...
Thanksgiving Drive 2025: “Making It Better” for Local Organizations
D-E students, faculty, and staff across divisions made a difference in a big way as they participated in our annual Thanksgiving Food and Coat drives. In the Upper School, the Office of Student Life and members of the CODES and HOPE clubs coordinated the collection of...
MS Athletics Fall Season Highlights Reel
Way to go Middle School (MS) Bulldogs! Our MS Teams’ Fall 2025 season recently wrapped up after some fun and memorable moments. MS athletes finished strong in Field Hockey, Cross Country, Volleyball, Tennis, and Boys and Girls Soccer. Explore this topic further with a...
D-E Senior Shares Her Self-Published Book with PreK 4
In a continuation of the “Small Story” book project initiated by Grade 11 Dean Tuc for her Creative Writing class, Upper School students joined the PreK 4 class in the Lower School (LS) for a lesson on author pages. “In their small groups, students will learn about...
“Mostly Miles” Jazz Brunch 2025 is Sunday, Nov. 23, 12 PM!
Our jazz musicians are hard at work rehearsing for Jazz Brunch 2025! D-E’s Stage Band and Jazz Workshop ensembles will perform this annual concert on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 12 PM in Hajjar Auditorium. Director Rob DeBellis has shared that the concert theme is “Mostly...
D-E Faculty/Staff Reflect on the Idea of ‘Mattering’ by Author Jennifer Wallace
“Students are crushed by an unrelenting drive to succeed and then climb even higher...” A series of conversations about the book Never Enough, which delves into the pressure our kids feel to achieve and how a strong sense of “mattering” can act as a buffer to this...
That’s a Wrap on ‘A Monster Calls’
Bravo! The cast and crew wrapped up an amazing series of performances this weekend of “A Monster Calls,” in which the haunting set, created in large part by D-E students with symbolic elements to communicate a sense of entrapment, blended seamlessly with the artistry...
Mr. Daly Offers a Thoughtful Perspective on ‘The Merchant of Venice’
The 10th Annual Leggett-Umpleby Lecture was brought to us by Mr. Fred Daly, who is in his 46th year of teaching and 31st year at D-E, 20 years of which were spent as the English Department Chair. He also founded the D-E Shakespeare Society, now in its 17th year. Mr....
An INSPIRE-ing Conversation About Indigenous Peoples
The Upper School’s INSPIRE club, led by Cam Gennardo ’26, Hayley Cohen ’27, Maia Haber ’26, and Evelyn Chow ’27, recently hosted an open discussion dedicated to Native American Heritage Month. Student leaders presented on the history of the observance, the diaspora it...
Poetry Sharing Across Divisions
D-E’s English Department strives to give students seasonal opportunities not only to write with intention, delving into topics that are representative of who they are, but also to share these words with the broader community. For instance, yesterday The Imperatore...