Mountains Beyond Mountains

One of the many aspects of Saint David's that I truly treasure are the times we come together to celebrate the essence of our mission and our sense of community. Mass is one of these times.

Today, Saint David's celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent with a mass at Saint Thomas More. In his homily, our chaplain Steve Katsouros spoke of Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains which chronicles the work of physician and anthropologist Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world. Working in Haiti with the poorest of the poor, Paul Farmer cares for the sick.

"Rend your hearts, not your garments." Found in Joel 2:13, this phrase from the Old Testament reminds us of the need to wean ourselves from the material and look within, reflecting upon our actions and thoughts above our possessions. We all have our mountains to climb, and beyond those more mountains. The challenge lies not in being consumed by our own problems, but recognizing and reaching out to others who need our help.

Our Chamber Singers, especially soloists James L., James P., Thomas R., Robert A., Henry S., William H., and Michael McC; the 5th and 6th Grade Recorders, and the 5th Grade Bell Choir; my readers: Lawson K., Rafe H., Nicholas C., (pinch hitting for an absent Will K.) and Theo H. all did a superb job after a long 5 day weekend. It was Saint David's at her best!

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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...

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