The genesis of “Beyond Empire” comes from a personal place. As a first-generation American of Trinidadian immigrants, who came to the US amidst Trinidad’s independence from the UK, Stephen Bailey finds that it is imperative to trace these stories. The central questions of the course ask, “What is it to move beyond empire? How do people understand themselves in a new context? How do you reacquire or reinvent yourself?” What underlies the curriculum is the belief that through investing in the literary worlds of other cultures, students can be world scholars and compassionate readers.
Stephen emphasizes reading a breadth of literary styles like poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc. to think critically about how language is used. With challenging material from authors and playwrights like Tayeb Salih and Lynn Nottage, Stephen asks for courage from both his students and himself; the courage to ask hard questions and to listen to different voices and opinions. “That is where true inquiry begins!”
STEM Symposium Spotlights Innovation in Action
The Emerging Technologies Club recently hosted a STEM Symposium for students in the Upper School and Middle School to share their passions and STEM knowledge with the school community. Club leader Jared Mosseri ’27 described the Symposium as “a great way to explore a...
D-E 360° Hosts 2nd Annual ChessFest
Our 2nd Annual D-E 360° ChessFest is in the books! More than 70 players from all over the region joined us in the STEM Building, including our own D-E Bulldog Chess Team. The daylong event balanced intense matches with casual blitz play with Grandmaster Mac Molner and...
D-E Celebrates Earth Week
In honor of Earth Week, the Upper School Environmental Club planned a series of events to raise awareness about sustainability practices. They also created a slide show of facts about climate change and simple ways to make a big difference that were displayed on the...
D-E Productions Nominated for Theatre Night Awards
Bravo! D-E Performing Arts is thrilled to announce that our musical production of CARRIE received 12 nominations and A Monster Calls, the Upper School Fall Play, received 11 nominations for Montclair State University’s annual Theatre Night Awards. The awards, known...
D-E Hosts the 2026 Student Summit on AI
The D-E Student Committee on Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), advised by Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross, recently hosted the Student Summit on AI in the STEM Building. The event brought together students from schools such as Newark Academy and Kent Place “to...
Congrats to Cum Laude Society 2026 Honorees
Seniors from the Class of 2026 were recently honored for their academic achievements and community leadership in co-curricular endeavors, service, and other activities, at the D-E Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony in Hajjar Auditorium. D-E Head of School Dr....
Calliope Wins Gold!
Kudos to Calliope 2025 for receiving national recognition by earning its 1st Gold Crown Award in 43 years! This is the highest award given by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) to arts-literary magazines. “This has been the most incredible news,” said...
Art in Action Paints Windows for Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
In what has become a D-E tradition for Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, members of the student organization Art in Action, advised by Art & Design Faculty Rachel Brusky, wielded window-painting markers for a vibrant spring refresh of the Campus Center windows. These...
Service-Learning Initiatives Inspire 7th Graders
Seventh Graders recently learned about service learning first-hand from organization founders and high school students who started their own community programs. Students gathered in the 7th Grade Porch to listen to a panel, moderated by Ms. Patel and Ms. Butterman,...
MS Assembly Recognizes Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
During a recent Middle School (MS) assembly, students were incredibly privileged to hear directly from Nana Lawton, a Holocaust survivor and great grandmother of Brian G. ‘31, in recognition of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). The assembly started with Justin...
