Meredith (“Mimi”) Garcia had the unique challenge of teaching “Apocalyptic Lit” amidst the COVID-19 hybrid year. Still, the central questions of the course remained, “Will the apocalypse bring total annihilation, transcendence, bloodthirsty zombies, or all of the above? Will it bring people together or tear them apart?” As a medium, fiction allows for distance from both the material and reality, enough to critically engage with the text. Despite the fantastical, sci-fi qualities to apocalyptic literature, Mimi stresses that each text, from The Walking Dead to Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, speak to questions of human nature and of hope.
Mimi’s new course offering, “Globalization, Literature, & Film”, investigates how globalization and media have come to shape each other and our everyday lives. The course utilizes films like Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) and Walter Salles’ Motorcycle Diaries (2004) to discuss how politics, history, and cross-cultural encounters come to manifest in film. Mimi notes that the entire film industry and how we have come to watch film also plays a role in how we analyze and reflect on the relationship between literature and media—to be both critical of the past and the present.
Spotlight on… Ken Yan ’19
Ken Yan ’19 showing his 3D printer ‘in action’
Spotlight on… Dr. Ami Vaidya ’91: D-E Parent, Alumna, and M.D.
Celebrating Earth Day through Poems
Fifth graders are currently enjoying reading poems by published authors to discuss powerful messages. As part of celebrating Earth Day, 5A students wrote poems inspired by the idea of making a positive impact in our community. Below are just a few samples from the...
Together We Can
Together they stand tall like a champion, Together they contemplate the problem, Together they smell the scent of success, Together they taste their goal, a goal that tastes sweet like sugar, Together they touch hands to symbolize their partnership. This idea of...
Handwashing Message from Nurse Krane
In addition to staying home and maintaining a 6-foot physical distance when we go out, handwashing and keeping our hands off our face are of paramount importance. I have had an opportunity to speak to a few of the zoom classes, reinforcing these “rules”. The short...
D-E Covid-19 Website
D-E Tribune: “Created by Kids for Kids”
Submitted by Kim Lewis Rachel Brainin, Lower School Research/Information Specialist, guided several 5th grade students in the production of the Lower School newspaper called the D-E Tribune. This paper was started last year by two 5th grade students and their...
Computer Eye Fatigue
Submitted by Maureen Krane, R.N. Eye Fatigue During Computer Use As our children’s computer time increases, it is always good to observe them for eye fatigue. Highly recommended by eye care specialists, the 20-20-20 rule will help prevent fatigue. This rule suggests...
Kindergarten Forts!
Submitted by Susan Abramson The Lower School schedule created is intended to provide structure and flexibility. It is meant to provide instruction to be sure children keep learning, but we have also tried to address children’s universal drive to create, explore and...
