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!”
US MultiCultural (INSPIRE Club) Assembly Highlights
This week the Upper School (US) INSPIRE student organization, focused on identity and culture, hosted a Multicultural Showcase. INSPIRE leaders Asher Cohen ’25, Musashi Shabazz ’25, Maya Jarrett ’25, and Cameron Gennardo ’26 gave opening remarks introducing the eight...
MS South Asian Cultural Showcase Assembly Highlights
The celebration of South Asian culture continued this week during the Middle School (MS) Assembly, where the focus was on India and the diversity within its 28 states. Following a lovely rendition of the national song of India, students learned about Bollywood (it...
Grades 2-4 Music Concert Next Thursday, March 13
D-E’s Lower School students are hitting the right notes as they practice for the LS Spring Concert on Thursday, March 13! LS Music Teacher Fiona Crawford is directing the concert, featuring grades 2, 3, and 4, which will include traditional children’s songs,...
Winter Team Athletes Senior Shout Out
CHEERS to all our Upper School Winter Teams Senior Athletes! We congratulate and thank all our Class of 2025 athletes for their hard work, D-Edication and contributions over the years!
LS South Asian Culture Exhibit Highlights
Namaste! Lower School students enjoyed a South Asian Culture Exhibit today in Hajjar Auditorium, with interactive stations where they could explore the arts, jewelry, clothing, and artifacts of India and surrounding countries. They had a chance to color mandalas, get...
Announcing D-E 360° String Society 2025: Kaleidoscope!
Calling all D-Edicated string and flute/clarinet students: Save the dates and experience all the colors of music with D-E 360° String Society 2025: Kaleidoscope! Our exceptional D-E music teachers, including Ani Kalayjian (Cello); Ella Heifets (Violin / Viola); and...
D-E Faculty/Staff Share Learnings on AI in Education
The future is here! Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education was the theme of a recent Professional Development Day for all faculty and staff. In her opening remarks, Interim Head of School Preeti Fibiger declared, “To ‘meet the challenges of a changing world,’ we need to understand what those changes are.” This made spotlighting rapidly evolving AI technologies a natural choice for our community.
Sessions were interactive and offered opportunities to engage in productive discussions about how students can use AI most effectively. When used correctly, “AI builds confidence with students to write a strong paper,” noted Ms. Diane Christian (D-E English Department faculty member) during her session on thesis writing with AI.
The day concluded with a student panel discussion, moderated by Soham Bafana ’25, and featuring Sylvie Yao ’27, Jared Mosseri ’27, Reya Shah ’27, and Lucas Brown ’25, who gave their perspectives on using AI in the classroom, such as the idea that AI can help visual learners. Ultimately, said Mr. Justin Weiner (D-E History Department faculty member), during his session on deepfakes, “AI won’t remove the human touch.
APUSH (AP US History) Students Progressive Era Highlights
What do Progressive Era Reformers and Speed Dating have in common? In D-E’s AP U.S. History (APUSH) classes, students used this format to learn about historical figures from the Progressive Movement in the late 19th century to the early 20th century and how their...
MS/US Students Participate in Science Bowl Tournaments
D-E eighth-graders Jazzy H. ’29, Sehyun C. ’29, Haeley C-B ’29, Defne V. ’29, and Samir P. ’29 recently participated in the NJ Middle School Science Bowl Tournament at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. “The team collaborated to solve difficult problems in STEM areas...
Ethics Bowl Headed to Nationals at UNC Chapel Hill!
D-E’s Ethics Bowl Team is headed to Nationals for the first time in 14 years! After winning a virtual match in the Northeastern Division, our team, coached by Philosophy and Ethics Department Chair Joseph Murphy, is heading to North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the...
