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“Throw your precious opinions out the window!”

Jan 27, 2022 | Spotlight on English

That philosophy guides the Ethics Department Chair, Sr. Joseph Murphy, for his first-time tenth grade students. Sr. Murphy explains that, “they [students] think of opinions somehow like it’s property that they ‘own it’ somehow, but they really don’t own it fully until they can argue for it. Knowledge in a certain sense is a process, and you have to arrive at a conclusion through a process.”

Over this past Summer 2021, Ethics Department Chair Sr. Joe Murphy contributed a chapter within the anthology Intentional Disruption: Expanding Access to Philosophy (2021) published by Vernon Press. The anthology edited by Stephen Miller outlines how educators in philosophy have implemented the discipline at the pre-college level.

Students are always “in process” in class, formulating their ideas, at times, only in Spanish. Joe Murphy’s chapter “Once a Philosopher-In-Hiding: Teaching Philosophy in Spanish in the USA” details his journey from being the language department chair to trailblazing the now expansive ethics department curricula. He is one of few educators to integrate second language education with philosophical inquiry emphasizing that, “language is a way that we identify ourselves. When we talk and when we use language, it’s one of the ways that we make sense of the world.”

Philosophical education in high schools is often attributed as “critical thinking”. Sr. Murphy argues that what precedes the idea of “critical thinking” is first philosophical inquiry. He has seen what it provides in little moments: parents amazed with how their children have learned to discuss hard questions over the dinner table. Sr. Murphy hopes and implores other schools, administrators, and philosophers-in-hiding to take the leap. After all, they will become the philosophers and leaders of our future.

9th Graders Experience History

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D-E’s Upper School (US) History Department faculty last week facilitated field trips for 9th graders to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Cloisters, and the New York Public Library. “The goal of our trip to the Met was to compare similar kinds of art—pottery,...

Bulldogs are Beautiful!

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What makes Bulldogs beautiful? Join us and celebrate ALL that makes Bulldogs beautiful during our Bulldogs are Beautiful week of giving for D-E’s Annual Fund! D-E’s Annual Fund supports all aspects of student life at D-E, from academics, arts, athletics, and...

D-E 360° Fosters ‘Chess Culture’ at D-E

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The growth of D-E 360°’s chess community over the past year has been incredible. Earlier this spring, D-E hosted the first-ever ChessFest on Sunday, April 27, facilitated by Grandmaster Mackenzie “Mac” Molner, who coaches the Chess Team. Overall, we placed first out of four teams in the K-2 division, first in the Grades 3-5 division out of seven teams, and second out of two teams in Grades 6-8. Team members Arthur P. ’36, Oliver Y. ’36, and Justine B. ’29 also won individual prizes. “Our students represented D-E very well, and for a lot of them it was their first time playing in a tournament,” says Coach Mac.
In addition, for the first time in program history, the Chess Team will represent D-E in the US Chess Federation’s SuperNationals VIII Tournament in Orlando, Florida, from May 9-11. “The SuperNationals only take place once every four years, so it’s super special that we have 10 students signed up to go,” says D-E 360° Director Dr. Sherronda Brown. “We’re proud to see these young people challenge themselves to become adaptable, confident and joyful learners. Join us in celebrating and wishing them well!”

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