Grade 2 Explores Masks and Faces at The Met

Last Friday, second graders visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art with their art teachers Ms. Boccella and Ms. Fidler, for a guided tour entitled “Masks and Faces” in conjunction with their mask making unit in art. In homeroom groups, boys viewed a selection of masks and images of heads and faces from various cultures. These artifacts included a hammered gold Sican funerary mask made in Peru in the 10th century and a carved wooden Janus (two-faced) fire spitter helmet mask from the Ivory Coast.

Our boys explored concepts of shape, form, color, symmetry, exaggeration, and ritual in these works. They also had the opportunity to engage in some observational drawing of the masks they examined. This out of the classroom experience, as well as what they have been learning about masks in their art classrooms will inspire the boys' own creations back at school.

We provide our boys with plentiful opportunities to learn by exploring and examining real artifacts, through partnerships with several educational and cultural institutions in our city and beyond. In so doing, we strive to deepen their understanding and broaden their perspectives. It is from this place of comprehension and thought that boys are empowered to explore ideas, old and new, and the ideals behind them.

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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

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