Project VOICE and Saint David's

Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye, Co-Directors of Project V.O.I.C.E., visited Saint David's today to deliver a "Living Poetry" performance for boys in Grades Six through Eight.

The two Spoken Word Poets have performed internationally and travel around the world to provide Spoken Word performances and run poetry workshops in schools. They performed their poems, rich in imagery, humor, and insight, both individually and jointly for the boys.

Sarah and Phil began with a poem about spoken poetry itself, noting its ubiquity: "poetry rose with the first sunrise" and is "found in the words of Gandhi." They sought to demystify the writing of poetry for the boys, emphasizing that the most important thing is to write frequently to develop a habit of writing, and that while poetry need not be factual it must be truthful. Defining for the boys the nuanced difference between "fact" and "truth" in this genre was a fascinating aspect of their presentation.

Tips offered to Saint David's young poets were that it's okay to write "bad" poems, that the trick is to write through them; and that a Spoken Word Poet should ask himself three questions: "What do I want to write about?", "How will I write about it?" and finally, "How will I perform it?"

Following the performance, Sarah and Phil answered questions from the boys and, later, met with sixth graders in their classrooms where they conducted the first of two poetry writing workshops.

Today's special program is an outgrowth of the school's Curriculum Initiative, which expanded the school's creative writing curriculum and the school's ongoing commitment to the development of rhetoric in a variety of forms.

Comments

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

Headmaster's Blog

Search This Blog