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...
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...
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...
February is Black History Month, and D-E celebrated with a series of events—from Upper School (US) Assembly performances—to a BHM Exhibit in Hajjar Auditorium for Lower School and Middle School (LS/MS) students. The exhibit featured 15 different sections that highlighted Black contributions in the arts, entrepreneurship, architecture, and more. In the Lower School, students participated in activities including drawing their favorite Black heroes throughout history. In addition, during the MS Assembly this morning, students listened intently to portions of “A Ballerina’s Tale,” a documentary on Misty Copeland’s historic achievement as the first Black principal dancer of a major ballet company. “We celebrate all the people who worked incredibly hard to achieve success when the odds are against them,” explained DEIB Assistant Director Simone Henry Agblonon. “The takeaway is to get to know people as individuals.” Fourth grader Camryn T. ’33, who attentively walked around the LS/MS exhibit, said she loved seeing the poster boards featuring Black people represented in so many different categories. She exclaimed, “Black people can change the world!”
In celebration of Black History Month, the Black Affinity student organization presented an Upper School assembly highlighting Black people in music and entertainment. In his opening remarks, Black Affinity leader Pape Toure ’25 shared that this assembly “centers on...
A recent Upper School (US) Assembly, presented by the Eastern European Culture Club, a newly formed D-E student organization, centered on understanding Eastern Europe. The timing of the assembly was chosen deliberately, says club co-founder/leader Len Glozman ’25, to...
The Jewish Parent Affinity Group (JPAG) recently hosted a meaningful Shabbat Dinner in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall to share the traditions of Shabbat, feast on a D-Elightful spread from Chef Alex’s team, and celebrate the D-E community. “We were joined by...
The sixth grade Identity Unit, for which the theme was how we are what we eat, culminated recently with a presentation in Hajjar Auditorium and a food festival in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall. More than 30 tables displayed sweets, savories, and beverages, from Indian samosas to Puerto Rican coquito, representing students’ cultures and family traditions. “Every student had a role in the celebration, including reading parts of their work, sharing the process, or showcasing part of their project,” says Ms. Sarah Macone, Grade 6 English Teacher. Cayla R. ’31 says the English project was her favorite because, “I wrote about how my grandma had taught me how to make matzah ball soup and how we have made it together every Passover for as long as I can remember.” Of the unit, Cole M-H. ’31 says, “It was surprising how many cultures and ethnicities we have at D-E, yet we all work together as one collective community.” Cheers to all our sixth graders!
D-E celebrated Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, with a series of incredible events over the course of the week, including a faculty and staff luncheon, Lower School activity stations, and Middle and Upper School Assembly programs featuring a dragon dance, an all-division choral concert, an umbrella dance, and a pop-influenced vocal group consisting of Mandarin class seniors. Activities concluded with a dumpling-making demonstration in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall as well as craft stations for students, faculty, and staff to explore. Katie Chen ’26 and Oriana Huang ’26 were at a station to translate fortunes written in Mandarin. “Lunar New Year is a huge part of our Chinese culture,” says Katie. Oriana added, “It was fun to see our classmates experience this [important] tradition together with us… a tradition that we have grown up with and have known all our lives.” Happy Lunar New Year to the entire D-E community!
D-E student performers are hard at work preparing for our Lunar New Year Assembly programs later this week in Schenck Auditorium! Hosted by the East Asian Affinity group, along with the Chinese and Korean Culture clubs, this event will feature choreographed dancing...