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.
Fifth Graders Explore “The Best Part of Me”
In an effort to promote self-confidence, self-awareness, and ultimately foster empathy, the teachers in Grade 5 used The Best Part of Me, a book by award-winning photographer and educator Wendy Ewald, to drive a story-sharing project this past fall. Through striking...
Lower Schoolers Explore the Story of the Hudson River and Their Role as Earth’s Stewards
The Lower School’s Hudson River Project for second, third, and fourth graders is an exciting place-based approach to learning developed by science teacher Elizabeth “Beth” Lemire. It is also an interdisciplinary curriculum that uses Native American storytelling and...
Middle School Explores “Humans of D-E”
Humans of New York is the brainchild of photojournalist Brandon Stanton, who set out to photograph New Yorkers on the street and “create an exhaustive catalog of the city’s inhabitants,” a project that has evolved into a blockbuster blog, two bestselling books, and a...
Grade 9 “Identity” Seminar
The first semester Grade 9 Seminar at D-E is designed to help orient students to life in the Upper School. This year the seminar focused on exploring the concept of identity within a diverse community, and it relied heavily on students feeling comfortable enough to...
Students Attend National Diversity Conference
The People of Color Conference (PoCC) for faculty and staff and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) for students, sponsored by the National Association for Independent Schools (NAIS), brought nearly 6,000 attendees to Anaheim, CA, November 30-December...
Chess Masters at Play with D-E 360° ACE (Aftercare & Enrichment)
By Sharon Keigher, ACE Program Director Welcome to a place in the Lower School where the Queen may be the most powerful player in the land and where you can capture a King with brainpower alone. Welcome to the Chess Club offered through D-E 360° AfterCare &...
String Society Welcomes Project Trio to Summer 2018 Program
String Society, a D-E 360° Summer Connections program for “exceptional string musicians,” will partner with the critically acclaimed Project Trio in 2018. Project Trio will work with students in small ensembles and will be the featured guest performer in the Grand...
Arts Highlights Winter 2017
D-E students, faculty and staff, and alumni together have all created a rich environment of artistic expression thus far this 2017-18 academic year. Featured performances by instrumental ensembles, including Stage Band and StringJam, provided appreciative listeners...
Swartley Gallery Welcomes Artists Springer, Stein, and D-E Alumna Giancarlo ’10
D-E’s Swartley Gallery fall and winter exhibits have included works by a caricature master, a jazz singer and painter, and a multimedia artist who is a D-E graduate. Painter and caricature artist Dan Springer was featured in “Concept & Character,” an exhibit in...
Romeo and Juliet: A Shakespeare Classic Set in Hajjar STEM Center
D-E Performing Arts Department’s version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet performed in November to two sold-out audiences. The production, staged in Hajjar STEM Center for a new twist on the tragic classic, included performances by D-E student and faculty actors....








