A Puppet Show and Book Talk with Author David Ezra Stein

Last week, children's book author/illustrator David Ezra Stein visited Saint David's School for a special presentation in the Otto-Bernstein Performing Arts Theatre. He and his wife Miriam entertained our Pre-Primary and Grades One and Two boys with "Interrupting Chicken; the Puppet Show," based on his book Interrupting Chicken, which received a 2011 Caldecott Honor.

The boys were delighted by the show and fascinated as David and Miriam explained how they had created the puppets and the mechanism that controls their movements. David then read aloud his latest book: Interrupting Chicken: The Elephant of Surprise, and talked in detail about the writing/drawing process behind it. Riveted by the show and presentation, the boys eagerly asked questions about David's approach to writing, and all received signed copies of his book.

By the end of this spring, all grades will experience an author visit, thanks to the vision and efforts of PA Author Series Co-Chairs Liz Carey and Ann Roberts. These special opportunities to interact in person with published authors inspire our boys to find their voices as authors/illustrators, and assist them in becoming confident, effective writers.

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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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