Mercoledi Marzo 16

As the Palazza della Signoria was being prepared for the big celebration tomorrow——the 150 anniversary of the Unification of Italy—we were preparing for our departure. It is kind of ironic that Italy’s Unification is celebrated on the Irish St. Patrick’s Day, but, this is Italy, and what could be better!

The rain that set in late yesterday stayed with us throughout the day—our first full wet day since leaving New York ten days ago. Try as it may, it didn’t disrupt our plans. A brisk walk across the Arno to view the fresco sequence by Masaccio, Masolino, and Filippino Lippi depicting the life of St. Peter in the Brancacci Chapel was followed by lunch at Palazzo Capponi. Below is a recap of the Capponi experience.

In the pictures here, we see the boys in the cloister at Saint Maria del Carmine listening to a lecture after viewing the Brancacci Chapel.

While at the palazzo, thanks to the generosity of a wonderful Saint David’s family, the boys viewed the magnificent ballroom of the palazzo decorated with frescos by the mannerist painter Poccetti.

A visit to the Ufizzi brought our day to a close.

After dinner, Colin J., Student Council President, hosted Final Festivities at Hotel Kraft, leading his classmates in reflections on their Italian Study Tour experience, and in song and dance. It was thoroughly entertaining and very touching.

Tonight we pack.

Comments

OLIVER!

This morning our fifth graders continued a great year-end tradition at Saint David's, The Fifth Grade Musical. The boys performed Oliver! and they were fantastic, providing impressive performances and demonstrating great vocal ability. They have been mastering the dialogue and musical numbers for weeks, and clearly gave it their all. Congratulations to the cast on a job well done, and to their Producers/Teachers James Hubbard and Jamie MacNeille, Director Phyllis Clark, Musical Conductor Jeff Moore, and the Parent Committee of Cynthia Chapman, Susan Kissane, Tara Neumann, Joyce Restituto, and Ann Roberts. Musical theater is alive and well at Saint David's!

Fascinating Art Talk by Michelle Marder Kamhi at Grandparents Event

Yesterday evening, independent scholar and critic Michelle Marder Kamhi ( www.mmkamhi.com ), co-editor with husband Louis Torres of Aristos , an online review of arts; author of Who Says That's Art? A Commonsense View of the Visual Arts ; and grandmother of two Saint David's boys, gave a thought provoking talk on art for our grandparent community. An advocate of objective standards in arts scholarship and criticism, Ms. Kamhi focused her talk on the ways in which art critics such as Clement Greenberg promoted the shift from representational art to abstraction. Kamhi argues that the abstract and post-modern art prevalent today, which often requires explanation by docents in order to be understood, goes against art's purpose. Taking issue with Greenberg's contention that representation is an expendable convention of painting, she quoted the late art critic John Canaday: "Art is the tangible expression of the intangible values that men live by." ...

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...

Headmaster's Blog

Search This Blog