Before coming to D-E, History Department Chair, Arika “Ari” Easley-Houser taught at Rutgers Prep and several colleges and universities, including Montclair State University and New York University. A socio-cultural historian focused on United States history, she received her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and a certificate in school management from the Harvard Business School. She was recently selected for a National Association of Independent Schools Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. Now in her third year of heading the department, Easley-Houser speaks to the importance of historical inquiry for students and how the history curriculum must reflect and respond to the diversity of students. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
D-E Celebrates the Legacy of MLK
D-E honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. across divisions. During the Lower School (LS) Assembly on Wednesday, students from each LS grade spoke beautifully about how MLK’s dream of racial harmony and equal justice connects to our School’s core values of community,...
National History Day 2026 Highlights
Our eighth-grade students nailed their National History Day (NHD) presentations! NHD projects require students to choose a topic related to a specific theme and conduct research, write a thesis, and create a project that supports their historical argument, shared Mr....
Performing Arts Spotlight: Bringing Passions to Life on Stage
Next in our series of Department Spotlights, D-E Performing Arts takes center stage! Live artistic expressions—from theatre to musical performances—enrich our community of learners, and the possibilities are boundless. “The arts are much more than simply memorizing...
Making Cross-Curricular Connections in Grade 8
Knockout excellence! In an innovative cross-curricular partnership, Ms. Burnett, Grade 8 English Teacher, and Mr. Akula, Grade 8 English/History Teacher, whose students are reading The Berlin Boxing Club, by Robert Sharenow, teamed up with the Health & Wellness...
Reunion 2025: Weekend in Review
D-E was thrilled to recently welcome alumni from the Dwight School, Englewood School for Boys (ESB), and Dwight-Englewood School for Reunion Weekend 2025, with special events for class years ending with 0 and 5. On Friday evening, October 24, 2025, there was a joyful...
Art and Design Students From Australia Visit D-E
D-E’s Art & Design Department hosted 11th- and 12th-grade students today from St. Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School in Perth, Australia, as part of a 12-day trip to the United States the school offers every two years. The St. Mary’s students, 18 in all, joined the...
Sixth Grade Food & Identity Unit Kicks Off
Today officially kicked off the Food and Identity Unit for this year’s sixth graders! The cross-curricular program is a D-E tradition for our youngest Middle School students within their MESH (Math, English, Science, and History) classes. “This unit is about building...