Break Down Classroom Walls

Last week our second grade boys traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to build on their knowledge of the American Revolution.

To prepare for the trip, the boys have been studying how New Amsterdam eventually became the New York Colony and why the colonists were upset about a remote monarch ruling over their land.

At the museum, boys visited the American Wing, where they critically analyzed Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Getting our boys out of the classroom through field trips such as this, which amplify and deepen their learning, is something we've been focusing on at Saint David's throughout all grades.

Next week, our fifth grade boys will be engaged in hands-on work in a forensics DNA Lab located in the city, our sixth graders will be at the N-Y Historical Society examining the Gilder Lehrman Collection, a unique archive of primary sources from America's past, and our eighth graders will be heading off to JFK International for their 10-day Italian Study Tour. All of these experiences are important outside components of comprehensive interdisciplinary units of study.

We are fortunate to be in a city that offers myriad opportunities for us to "break down walls of the classroom" and Saint David's boys are taking full advantage of it!

Comments

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...

Headmaster's Blog

Search This Blog