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!”
MS Softball
“What a great winning season for MS Softball! We had a team of all 7th graders and 6th graders. Thanks in part to pitching by Lilly Katz ‘29 and catching by Emma Macmeikan ‘29, we had some memorable moments including a comeback win over Passaic with a grand slam...
MS Baseball
“The season highlight for MS Baseball was definitely beating Ridgefield 4-3! After trailing 2-0 after 5 ½ innings the young Bulldogs scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning giving them a 3-2 lead. In the top of the 7th, Ridgefield scored the tying run. In...
Athletics Highlights
Bulldogs fans had plenty to cheer about this Spring 2024 sports season! Our playing fields and courts (as well as tracks and waterways both near and far) hosted hundreds of memorable moments. Some moments were more challenging than others, but they were always representative of student athlete ideals. Consistently demonstrating grit, purpose, and pride, our Middle School (MS) and Upper School (US) athletes gave it their all.
On the following pages you’ll read coaches’ highlights from many of our Spring 2024 teams. Congratulations to not only our Spring Team athletes but also all our coaches, trainers, families, friends and fans. Go Bulldogs!
Private Music Lessons Recital
“Cheers” to all our students who have been taking private music lessons this past year! A cohort of students performed in the annual Private Music Lessons Recital, which was the culmination of their year-long studies. The appreciative, enthusiastic audience was...
“D-E & Me” Exhibit
Our last Swartley Gallery exhibit of the year, “D-E & ME”, was presented by our Lower School (LS) students, showcasing artwork curated by LS Visual Arts & Design teacher, Ms. Christine Maloney. The exhibit includes beautiful self-portraits and other creations...
“sixth Night” Senior Show
“Sixth Night” – an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy “Twelfth Night” - represented a welcome return to a great D-E tradition: the Senior Show! Directed by the extremely capable Tessa Li ‘24 and presented by an all-student cast and crew, the show was both...
All-Choral & African Drumming Concert
Thanks to the annual All-Choral & African Drumming Concert, the entire D-E campus was literally filled with the sounds of wonderful live music! First, an enthusiastic audience of family and friends were treated to “On Broadway: Medleys from Musicals” which...
Cabaret Night
Our Stage Band and Jazz Workshops ensembles showed off their impressive improvisational skills gained over the past school year to bring jazz, funk, and groove to Hajjar Auditorium for Cabaret Night. This year’s Cabaret Night concert also showcased some outstanding...
5th Grade Opera
We love our traditions here at D-E, and the 5th Grade Opera is one of our longest and most notable! Our 5th Grade classes together presented their Original Operas to the Lower School and their families in Hajjar Auditorium earlier this spring. The full production...
Orchestra Extravaganza
We had an extravagant time at our Orchestra Extravaganza in April! This annual concert showcased all of D-E’s division ensembles ranging from our Lower School Band and the Middle School Orchestra to the Upper School StringJam and Orchestra ensembles. Of special note...
