Skip to main content

Horizons at Saint David's Summer II--Freaky Pets!


Freaky Pets perform at Horizon's
The school's strategic commitment to reaching out and contributing to the greater good took another huge step forward this summer with the second season of Horizons at Saint David's.  Directed by Julie Sykes and her team of exceptional teachers, Courtney Hopkins, Meghan Patterson, Melissa Ferrer, Lindsay Buhr, and Leah Kaplan, and accompanied by a host of volunteers, Horizons at Saint David's has delivered a program specifically aimed at preventing academic slide in children from low-income families.

This summer, a second cohort of seventeen boys from Harlem public schools were added to the first cohort of seventeen, making total enrollment 34.  Rising First and rising Second graders have been at Saint David's for the past 5 weeks participating in a full academic enrichment program. 
In addition to its heavy emphasis on academic skill maintenance, the program has also provided daily sports and swimming instruction at Asphalt Green, art and music classes, and specialized field trips.

Yesterday, the boys were treated to a performance by Freaky Pets Live--a live show of fun, singing, dancing, juggling, hoola hooping, cycling, and a heart warming story about being separated from loved ones.  The boys just ate it up. Kevin Wulf, Charity Farrell, and Jennifer Machen were exceptional on the stage and the production crew could not have been more talented.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

Digital Universe Unit With AMNH-Hayden Planetarium Kicks Off

The second year of our unique partnership with the American Museum of Natural History-Hayden Planetarium kicked off on Friday when the sixth grade had their first session of the Digital Universe unit. The session included a private viewing at the planetarium in which boys were able to explore the entire universe. They and their teachers were invited to view the show from the vantage point of the floor in the center of the round theater, staring up into the apex of the dome. What an amazing perspective! Museum educator and astro-visualization expert Nathan Belomy took the boys on a tour of the observable universe, allowing them to get a feel for the scale of distance and size in the universe. In a fun activity related to scale, the boys set down  a volleyball (representing the sun) at 79th Street, and walked for blocks down Columbus avenue with the planets in our solar system represented by a variety of smaller objects – a cupcake sprinkle, a marble – predicting and then measu

"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