Skip to main content

True Community

I wanted to take a moment to reach out to each of you in the spirit of our school-wide theme this year "True Community." I have been reminded of the importance of community a lot lately; but none more so than by what I witnessed this week. Saint David's is fortunate, and our boys especially are fortunate, to have a faculty and staff as dedicated, caring and committed as they have. Through pre-dawn car pooling, apartment sharing, incredible flexibility, and an adventurous if not intrepid spirit, our teachers and staff returned the school to a full and comprehensive program this week. The few teachers who couldn't make it in were literally surrounded by water or just unable to arrange for safe or efficient transit from the outer boroughs or suburbs of the city. They all stepped up to cover and support each other. This is a remarkable professional community—a true community in every sense. I can't express easily in words how proud of this faculty and staff I am. In challenging times they have responded to the call and found a way to keep it all moving forward.

As an extended community, we are all just now moving from the shock of Hurricane Sandy to the realization of her incredible impact. Many in our own immediate community were directly affected by Sandy, and many more in our city lost it all. Our community is so caring and responsive. Offers to help and assist have been flooding in. We all know that we have a responsibility to reach out and help with the relief of pain and suffering in ways that make sense. To get us started, the organizers of this year's Skating Party, a great Saint David's tradition--an annual celebration of community--will serve as our relief effort kick-off.

In addition, Monday morning at 8:30 AM in the Smith Room, we will hold a meeting for those interested or able to make it to discuss and coordinate our community's efforts.

Saint David's has also created a Hurricane Sandy Relief Clearinghouse.  It can be accessed through the school's Homepage and through its Facebook page. At the clearinghouse, you can post needs and volunteer opportunities for interested parties.

Inspired by our children's teachers and moved by this community's desire to reach out and support, Saint David's epitomizes her mission's "true community" intent.


Comments

Post a Comment

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
Post a Comment
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more

"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
Post a Comment
Read more