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.
End-of-Year Celebration Recognizes Faculty/Staff Service Milestones & Awardees, and Honors Retirees
The annual Faculty & Staff Celebration, held under the big tent on Leggett Field, closed out the school year in a meaningful and festive way, honoring both personal accomplishments and the work of our teaching and staff community as a whole. In addition to employees,...
Upper School (US) Community Update – 6/30/26
LS Last Assembly Celebrates Pride Month & Honors Departing Faculty/Staff
During the final Lower School (LS) Assembly of the school year, we celebrated Pride Month and wished farewell to faculty/staff who are moving on and our 5th graders who are ‘moving up’ to middle school. In the assembly’s Community Connections segment, LS students,...
History Department Spotlight: Taking Lessons of the Past Into the Future
Now that the 2025-2026 school year is in the rearview, it’s a fitting time to reflect on lessons learned and how they can impact the future—and to spotlight D-E’s distinguished History Department. “Students really try to think about historical questions as things that...
String Society 2026; Grand Finale Concert on Friday, June 26
This past week D-E enthusiastically welcomed a group of highly exceptional young musicians for String Society 2026. This intensive summer day camp program for “stringers” has been joyfully playing for nearly three decades, and in the words of the committed...
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is just...
7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations
How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...
D-E Performing Arts Honored With Theatre Awards and Nominations
Bravo! Out of 107 participating plays, D-E Performing Arts’ production of A MONSTER CALLS earlier this year received the top honor of a “High Superior” rating at the Theatre Night Awards ceremony in May. “We were one of 16 plays credited with this honor, placing us in...
Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele
Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony, and...
Class of 2030: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights
The Class of 2030 is moving on up! During a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium, 93 8th graders celebrated the transition to high school with a ceremony filled with warm memories of their Middle School experiences and words of advice to guide them into their next chapter....