Headmaster's Blog

Last night the Chapel overflowed with our boys and several of their teachers for the Young Alumni Chapel and Dinner,  a Thanksgiving tradition that has grown tremendously each year since its inception in 2006. Alum Chris Landry '06 delivered the Chapel talk to the gathering of our eighth graders,  alumni who are currently in high school, and faculty and staff. Chris, a graduate of Regis and currently a first-year medical student at Columbia, focused his talk on the uniqueness of a Saint David's education.  Recalling a favorite Latin class he took while at Saint David's, he recounted an exam in which the teacher asked the boys not only the expected questions related to vocabulary or the readings of ancient philosophers, but to write an essay that would,  "relate the Latin we learned to the six virtues of Saint Davids: scholarship, spirituality, balance, action, order, and aesthetics. " He noted the value in such an exam question, which asks the student t...

In math, sixth graders learn about proportion by creating a mailbox model to scale. The goal is for each of them to build, from a single sheet of paper, a three-dimensional model that can stand upright in the palm of the boy’s hand. The project involves extensive sketching and multiple iterations of design, as the boys use their math knowledge to determine what will and won’t work, and they learn much by sharing and critiquing their various approaches with each other. In this challenging STEAM project, our boys "learn by hands-on doing," sharing, and problem solving.

Today's lunch featured a delicious vegetable soup (also known as Omega Farmer's Market Soup ), courtesy of the Omega boys' field trip yesterday to the Farmer's Market in Union Square. There, the boys and their teachers learned from a representative of our food service provider, Cater to You, about the characteristics of different types of vegetables. Afterward, the boys were separated into 8 different groups, each representing a category of vegetables, e.g. stems, leaves, or roots, and set to the task of purchasing vegetables from their group. Happily, they returned to school and delivered their edible purchases to our own Chef Elda, whose team turned them into today's healthy and tasty soup. The session at the farmer's market is part of the Omega class's study of careers, and the impact of different jobs in a community. The trip to the market and the process of doing the shopping for today's lunch helped make the concept "from farm to...

Seventh and Second Grade "buddies” met yesterday for an enjoyable session in which the younger boys played computer games designed and created this fall by the older boys during a new Upper School STEAM coding unit. The second graders loved playing the computer games, and their older buddies enjoyed teaching them the rules.  Both grades have been learning coding through Scratch, an MIT visual programming language that is developmentally appropriate for each grade. The boys had a wonderful time together, enjoying the exchange, the play, and the snacks! On several occasions throughout the year, second and seventh grade buddies get together to share in a Saint David's experience, building community among the younger and older boys. Next week, Seventh Grade boys will escort their Second Grade buddy to the school's Thanksgiving Mass.

It was a beautiful, mild, picture perfect fall morning on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  First came the warm-up.  Then all was a blur of red and grey. Coaches, teachers, siblings, Omega boys, and parents cheered as our forty-six second graders dashed by in the annual Turkey Run. Omega boys cheering on the 2nd Grade The boys trained hard during their athletics classes this fall for the 450-meter race held yesterday in Riverside Park, the 43rd Turkey Run in the school's history. All were excited when the big day arrived, spirits were high. This is such a fun Saint David's tradition.  It celebrates through action the camaraderie of our community and signals the arrival of the season of Thanksgiving at Saint David's. The beginning of the best time of year!

On occasion, the parents of members of Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble are invited to early morning coffee concerts, unique opportunities to observe the Ensemble in practice. Yesterday was one of these sessions. The boys were hard at work preparing for the January winter concert as Ensemble Director Phil Hough led us through two selections: one from Haydn's Surprise Symphony ; the other, Wagner's March of the Meistersingers. Along the way, Mr. Hough periodically stopped the boys to note a correction, or to provide interesting information about the composer or a particular bowing technique. We all walked away learning something, and happy to have begun the day with a little music. 

Riverdale with freshmen and sophomores It's been so much fun catching up with alums. Yesterday I visited alums at Riverdale from the Class of 2012: Robert B, Robert C., Alexander H., and James; from 2013: George, Thomas, and Axel; from 2014: Alexander K., Nicholas, and Luke; and from 2015: Matthew, Kevin and Henry. We caught up on all the goings on, including the second Saint David's boy in a row to win the prestigious Humanitarian Essay Award at Riverdale, George. The boys were in high spirits. Riverdale with juniors and seniors When I returned to school, two from Fordham, Sam '15 and Nathaniel '15, dropped by to say hello and one from Regis, Skakel '13.  They too were full of stories and exciting experiences to share. It was great to see them.

Last week fifth grade Spanish classes toured the Day of the Dead exhibit at El Museo del Barrio, New York City's Latino museum dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American art. The exhibit consisted of several traditional Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altars, a Mexican tradition representing the fusion of the Catholic celebration of Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls Day with indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years. They were also introduced to La Catrina, a grandly dressed skeleton that symbolizes Día de los Muertos and the cycles of life and death. During Día de los Muertos, families and friends gather to pray for and remember loved ones who have died. The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1, and November 2 each year. Through this afternoon visit to the Museo the boys were able to expand upon what they have learned in Spanish language classes. As part of an enrichment projec...

Tremendous visit with Reid C. '12 yesterday at Friends Seminary.  In the middle of college applications and the height of his senior year studies, Reid was very kind to spend so much time with us critiquing his transition to high school, his Saint David's School experience and his thoughts about the future. It was fun catching up. Today, I'm off to see alums at Riverdale.

Today in the Hume Library, groups of faculty members had the opportunity to join Mark Church, author of "Making Thinking Visible," and part of the team at Harvard University's Project Zero, for a follow-up study session that focused on "Descriptive Consultancy" -- a protocol for fine tuning strategies teachers have been using to make their students' thinking visible. During the session, faculty members presented a challenge they have encountered and received help from their peers sorting and thinking through the issue, using approaches such as asking clarifying questions, reflecting back and brainstorming possible solutions and next steps. The atmosphere was collegial, and the focus on helping the presenting teacher frame an issue for herself/himself first, before hearing how others frame it and exploring potential solutions.  Our teachers have been working with Mark Church since August 2014, using what they've learned in the sessions to imple...

Now on display in our lobby are these lively collaged images made by our boys as part of a community building project. In several sessions during the fall, Upper School boys new to Saint David’s and their assigned “buddies” participated in creating the art project to help welcome  boys new to our school community. First, the boys and their buddies completed a “getting to know you” questionnaire in which they shared information about their families, likes, and dislikes.  They then created self–portrait type artworks, which incorporated collaged images representing the content from the questionnaire within a silhouette of their profile (4th grade), or a figure in action (5th and 7th grades). The boys and their teachers, Ms. Boccella, Ms. Valdes, and Mr. Meals, enjoyed working on this activity to help our new boys and their buddies get to know one another better through their art. Community is a cherished value at Saint David's; through the school's...

Last week our third graders and their teachers visited Ellis Island, entry point for more than 12 million immigrants from 1892 when it opened, until its closure in 1954. There, the boys walked the same halls as immigrants had, explored artifacts, participated in interactive exhibits, and viewed the American Wall of Honor--some of them seeking the names of their ancestors. Later this week the boys will participate in a mock Ellis Island activity here at school where they assume the identities of immigrants from a variety of cultures. Acting as processors, their teachers will interview them and either "admit," "detain," or "deport" them.  This immigration unit, which looks at immigration's impact on our city, state and nation, will culminate with a visit to the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side, where they will experience how many immigrants lived at the turn of the 20th century. The third grade immigration unit lays a foundation for a r...

Eighth Grade boys selling pies at drop off in November can mean only one thing: Saint David's Thanksgiving Food Drive has begun! Led by the Eighth Grade Student Council under the guidance of teachers Tom Ryan and Gene Romanosky, this is the school's oldest and one of its largest school-wide service projects.  From now until Thanksgiving, boys and families from the entire school will participate in the project, which includes a canned food drive, the sale of holiday pies (to fund the purchase of turkeys), the packing of grocery baskets, and, finally on the day before Thanksgiving, the delivery of meals to three local parishes. What began in 1967 by then assistant headmaster Mal Cleary as a donation of 4 boxes of groceries to The Little Sisters of the Poor , has grown tremendously throughout the decades. Last year, the school amassed over 200 boxes of groceries, 100 turkeys, and over 100 pounds each of bacon and sausage. I am proud of the way our Upper and Lower Schoo...

Were we really ice skating together in 70 degree weather? The calendar said November 2, but it could have been a balmy evening in mid-June. Indeed, the evening was warm in the truest sense of the word. Each year, our devoted Parents Association hosts this party at Wollman Rink, providing the opportunity for us to celebrate with our families all that Saint David's means to us. It was a fun-filled, spectacular night. Thank you to committee chairs Dorian Fuhrman and Barbara Michels, to our PA officers, and all of the volunteers for giving us such a beautiful warm night on the ice.

Friday, October 16th, Peter and William De Luca and Saint David's parent Dixie De Luca attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new, long- awaited playground at the New York School for the Deaf in White Plains, NY. The s chool's old playground was destroyed in October 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, so the school has been without a playground for three years.  It took three long years to find the right company to provide a wheelchair access ible , safe playground and to raise the $125,000 necessary to get it built.   The school's students are predominantly from families who live below the poverty level and thus are dependent on outside donors to provide facilities improvements and student programs that the New York State Department of Education does not provide.   New York School for the Deaf is the second oldest school for the deaf in the United States.  It will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2017.  On a historical note, Alexander Graham Be...

Received today: Dear Candy Drive Committee, On behalf of the MANY happy recipients of your Halloween candy:  Thank you, Saint David's!!     We were able to distribute more than 60 large bowls of candy all around the hospital, and still had enough for some refills.  It definitely brought a smile to everyone’s faces—employees, visitors and patients (for whom  candy is okay)! We really appreciate the donation.  Let’s plan to speak soon about some things we might be able to do for the boys at Saint David’s. Peg B. AVP, Marketing and External Relations Lenox Hill Hospital