Wednesday, St. Patrick’s Day, Last Day, 2010

Our last day in Firenze! Weather wise, it was another perfect day. Sunny. The morning was spent admiring the Brancacci Chapel and the incredible work of Massacio, Filippo Lippi and Masolino. Highlights included the fresco cycle of the Life of St. Peter, The Expulsion and the Tribute Money. We stayed Oltrarno—it’s nice south of the Arno—next visiting Santo Spirito, just west of Pitti Palace and about a half mile south of the outer Roman wall, Porta Romana, of the old city.

Lunch today was at Palazzo Capponi. Mr. Ferragamo gave the boys a warm welcome to his and Chiara’s home, and told the story of the difficult but important restoration of the palazzo and the Nazi bombing of the Ponte Trinita, adjacent to the palazzo. The boys were enthralled by this story. We then enjoyed a guided tour of the grand ballroom frescoed from floor to ceiling by Poccetti in the late 1500s/early 1600s depicting the history of the Capponi family. A delicious lunch followed before the boys left to make their way across the “new Ponte Trivita” to the Baptistery to view the South (Pisano, 1333, stories of St. John the Baptist) and North doors (Ghirbert’s first, 1424, stories from the New Testament).

Our final visit of the Italian Study Tour was the Uffizi.

Final festivities have just concluded at Hotel Kraft. The boy’s have had their last meal together. Tommy R. led the boys in celebration of their experience. It was a fun night for all.

Ciao.

Comments

NE Patriot Tom Brady at Saint David’s

Last night, Saint David’s was honored to have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, four time Superbowl champion and three-time MVP winner Tom Brady, as the guest speaker for our Alumni Parents Council Lecture Series. Tom, who is the father of one of our Saint David's boys, addressed a standing-room-only audience in Hyman Hall comprised of our eighth graders, alumni, alumni parents and faculty. Friendly, introspective, witty, and wise, he directed his talk to the delighted eighth graders in the front of the room, and focused on the topic of leadership. “You are the young men and leaders of Saint David’s,” he noted. Tom debunked the perception that leaders are born not made, and credited his leadership abilities to “standing up to and facing fears” and to “cultivating a mental strength,” which he cited as “more important than being physically strong.” He also stressed the importance of working hard, honoring teamwork, believing in oneself and being a good lis

Surf's Up for Horizons at Saint David's

Little can top catching a wave to beat the heat on an exceptionally hot summer's day. Yesterday, as the temperatures soared into the nineties, the Horizons at Saint David's Eighth Grade class traveled to Rockaway Beach with their teachers for surf lessons with New York's premiere surf school, Locals Surf School. The boys have been taking swimming lessons through our program since their first summer with us in 2012. At that time, they were were rising first graders, and our inaugural cohort of Horizons students. Yesterday, they were ready to go, and, as these pictures show, they had a blast while learning a new skill. This is the eighth year of Horizons at Saint David's, a six-week multi-faceted academic and cultural summer experience whose mission is to prevent summer slide in elementary school boys from low-income families. We began the program in conjunction with Saint David's 60th anniversary in 2011, as one way that Saint David's as an ins

"Lord of the Flies" Survival Game

Seventh graders are immersed in an "island survival" adventure related to their study of William Golding's 1954 classic Lord of the Flies . The novel tells the story of a group of school-age boys marooned on an uninhabited island, where they struggle to survive without a government or rules. In this creative, unique activity that spans 10 class sessions, our boys are assigned to belong to one of two "tribes." Using knowledge gained from history classes in the fall, they first determine what type of government system to adopt. During the simulations, they strategize methods to overcome obstacles and acquire resources such as wood, food, shelter, and water. The simulation requires the boys to negotiate, debate, and reflect critically on their decisions as they face challenges to their survival. In journals, they regularly write about their thinking, their decisions and consequences. Writing skills are further developed and honed. In addition to analy

Headmaster's Blog

Search This Blog