Rachel Brainin, Librarian, 3rd Grade Teacher, D-Escribe

Jan 27, 2022 | Spotlight on English

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.

INSPIRE Multicultural Showcase Assembly Highlights

INSPIRE Multicultural Showcase Assembly Highlights

This morning in Schenck Auditorium, the Upper School (US) INSPIRE club, which provides a collaborative space for D-E’s diverse community, hosted its annual Multicultural Showcase Assembly. INSPIRE was founded in 2010 by Ms. Rivera Murphy ’11, Dean of Student Life,...

Don’t Miss the MS Show Choir Concert!

Don’t Miss the MS Show Choir Concert!

Rehearsals are in full swing for the Middle School Show Choir as they prepare for their annual winter concert a week from today! The vocal ensemble has catchy tunes, rhythmic beats, and dazzling dance moves in store for its big performance on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7:00...

D-E Celebrates the Legacy of MLK

D-E Celebrates the Legacy of MLK

D-E honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. across divisions. During the Lower School (LS) Assembly on Wednesday, students from each LS grade spoke beautifully about how MLK’s dream of racial harmony and equal justice connects to our School’s core values of community,...

National History Day 2026 Highlights

National History Day 2026 Highlights

Our eighth-grade students nailed their National History Day (NHD) presentations! NHD projects require students to choose a topic related to a specific theme and conduct research, write a thesis, and create a project that supports their historical argument, shared Mr....

What did you think of this article?
D-E Summer 2026 Programs
End-of-Year Celebration Recognizes Faculty/Staff Service Milestones & Awardees, and Honors Retirees
History Department Spotlight: Taking Lessons of the Past Into the Future
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
Commencement 2026: Relishing ‘Moments of Awe’ Now and in the Future
World Languages Spotlight: Making Cultural Connections Through Language Learning
US Farewell & Awards Assembly Highlights
Upper School Athletics Highlights Reel 2025-2026
D-E 360° After Care and Enrichment
Athletics Schedule
Admissions
D-E.org
D-E Today - News and Editorial Content

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...

Read More

Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights

This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is...

Read More

7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations

How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...

Read More

Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele

Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony,...

Read More

Loading...