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!”
English Department Spotlight
Mr. Meserole, P’26, ’28, ’30, English Department Chair, shares how teachers in his department “create the conditions for learning.” He, along with other English Department faculty, point to examples of inclusive excellence, self-discovery, and innovation in action in...
US Students “Lunch & Learn” How to Knit
In the latest in a series of Lunch & Learn programming, hosted by the DEIB Department & Student Activities, Upper School students were guided through knitting basics courtesy of Ms. Weinstein, Science Department Chair. These workshops offer our students the...
8th Graders Engage in Service Learning Field Trips
With our D-E mission to “make it better” clearly in mind, 8th graders recently participated in hands-on service learning to benefit local organizations. Students chose from three volunteering programs: Pasta packing at the Community FoodBank of NJ warehouse (they...
US Students “Lunch & Learn” About Social Entrepreneurship
Problem solvers unite! This week the office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging hosted a presentation by Reilly Brooks, Executive Director of Schoolyard Ventures, for students in Grades 10 and 11 about her organization’s Social Innovators Program––designed...
MS Discovery Classes Explore Civil Rights Movements
This week, Middle School students in the Creative Writing, In the News, and Developing Leadership Discovery classes went on a field trip to the Museum of the City of New York. “We had a guided tour on activism in New York, specifically focusing on two movements—LGBTQ+...
D-E 360° Chess Team Competes Well in State Competition
The D-E 360° Chess Team is dominating the board! Twenty-one of our students attended the U.S. Chess Federation’s recent NJ State Championship Event at Brookdale Community College. “Overall, as a team, this was our most successful tournament yet!” exclaimed Grandmaster...
‘Gratitude Is the Word of the Day’ During the Thanksgiving Assembly
There were hellos and hugs all around during the Annual Thanksgiving Assembly on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 25, where students and faculty/staff from each division gathered in the Myrna B. Sherman Gym to express their gratitude in a multitude of ways. The event was...
Get Ready for the MS/US Orchestra Winter Concert
Don’t miss a single note! The Middle School & Upper School Orchestra will perform their annual Winter Concert this Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:00 PM in Schenck Auditorium. The repertoire will include music from contemporary artists such as Eric Whitacre and renowned...
D-E’s Model UN Team Competes at Princeton
D-E’s Model UN team recently attended its first collegiate conference of the year: Princeton’s Model UN Conference. For the past several weeks, club leaders have mentored younger delegates in meetings and even hosted its own conference (D-EMUN) to get the team ready....
Thanksgiving Assembly Gratitude Reel
What a fantastic year so far! In the words of our Head of School, Dr. James Calleroz White, “Thank you for showing up every day!” We wish our incredible D-E community a Happy Thanksgiving—it’s always so nice to see ya! Explore this topic further with a curated video...
