tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62215323993612147752024-03-13T22:41:44.595-04:00Headmaster's BlogDavid O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.comBlogger1108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-79981282436824578592019-07-18T15:29:00.000-04:002019-07-18T15:29:17.934-04:00Surf'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 David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-44284007722074478392019-06-25T08:59:00.002-04:002019-06-25T08:59:35.088-04:00Graham Family Visits Saint David's
Last week, Thomas Graham’s Great Granddaughter, Madeline Graham, visited with her mother and friends from the neighborhood. Madeline and her mother, Frances, enjoyed seeing how Saint David's has converted Thomas Graham’s residential hotel into a school. They also were thrilled at the number of our summer camp boys currently using the spaces throughout Graham House.
Other David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-65286207095988533472019-06-18T12:32:00.000-04:002019-06-18T12:32:09.550-04:00Salmanca Study Tour for Saint David's Rising Eighth Graders
Rising eighth graders are enjoying their first days in Spain, on the Salamanca Study Tour. Their teachers report that the boys have already discovered--to their delight--the deliciousness of tortilla de patata and Cola Cao!
During these two weeks in Spain, the boys will spend their mornings in Spanish classes tailored to their individual levels of fluency. Afternoons will feature culturalDavid O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-38073664614488144202019-06-12T08:42:00.000-04:002019-06-12T08:42:29.343-04:00Saint David's Boys Program Mars Rovers
Sixth graders recently honed their coding and engineering skills using LEGO Mindstorms as they built, programmed, and operated model Mars rovers. Working with partners, they completed a series of challenges that rovers would have to perform on Mars: collect rock samples, launch a satellite, and gather astronauts from one base to transport them to another.
This project harnesses boys' David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-91341430737421425932019-06-06T11:17:00.000-04:002019-06-06T11:17:54.731-04:00Navy SEAL Bill Berrien '82 Gives Chapel on Service to Saint David's Boys
Former Navy SEAL and Saint David's Alumnus Bill Berrien '82 fascinated all during his Chapel Talk Tuesday morning to our seventh and eighth graders.
A SEAL for nine years, Bill was a member of two platoons in South America as well as part of a Joint Special Operations unit. He shared his SEAL Trident with the boys, talked about the intensity of training, and noted he remains close to many David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-8948655131616729682019-06-04T11:08:00.000-04:002019-06-04T11:08:51.131-04:00NY Giant Justin Tuck Inspires at Saint David's Networking Event
New York Giant, philanthropist, financier and author Justin Tuck was the guest speaker for Saint David's Networking Event, held last week in our Otto-Bernstein Performing Arts Theatre.
Justin shared with us the story of his recruitment to Notre Dame and credited his success and fortune to having been prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it presented, and even moreso to having David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-66741922383956781442019-06-03T11:37:00.004-04:002019-06-03T11:37:29.175-04:00Saint David's Seventh Graders See "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Broadway
Our seventh graders, having recently studied Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in English class, were thrilled to see the new stage version live on Broadway last week with their teachers. The boys were captivated by the show, which prompted thoughtful questions and comments afterward.
Post show, they were treated to a special talk-back led by cast members. The discussion explored the David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-54669948130932010372019-06-03T11:37:00.003-04:002019-06-03T11:37:23.777-04:00Spring Concert
Our boys in the Philharmonic Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Chamber
Singers performed at this year's spring concert with talent,
exuberance, and passion. With our new theater's acoustics allowing notes and voices to soar, the program featured a diversity of works from composers such as Bizet, Rachmaninoff, Journey, Vivaldi, and Woody Guthrie (and a couple of fun sing-alongs, too)!
David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-65165139075693266552019-06-03T11:37:00.002-04:002019-06-03T11:37:15.639-04:00The Capstone Arco Project in Eighth Grade Humanities
ARCO is the final summary project in our eighth graders' humanities class; a signature learning experience that infuses scholarship with history, art, analysis and rhetoric. For this competition, boys create an original piece of art that is inspired by a famous artist's work. They write a brief biography of the artist and a reflection on the process they used to create their piece.
Last David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-88975003937707012602019-05-28T11:56:00.000-04:002019-05-28T12:09:59.436-04:00Pre-K Boys at Saint David's Experience the Journey of Food from Farm to Table
“From Seeds to Supper” is Pre-Kindergarten's yearlong study about where food comes from and the journey it takes from farm to table. Through dramatic play and hands-on activities, our boys learn and experience all aspects of this process.
This study is active and multi-faceted. After planting seeds in their own classroom garden, the boys carefully observe as the roots take hold and the David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-82436812634510242942019-05-22T15:42:00.000-04:002019-05-22T15:42:46.040-04:00Horizons at Saint David's Celebrates!I would like to share this update from Meg Sheridan, Executive Director of Horizons at Saint David's, about Horizons' recent anniversary celebration:
Close to 200 people gathered to celebrate Horizons at Saint David’s at our third annual Cinco de Mayo event, held May 8th at the Museum of the City of New York. Current Saint David's parents, past Saint David's parents, and Horizons parents all David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-71597506706486426912019-05-22T15:41:00.000-04:002019-05-22T15:41:04.750-04:00On the Run for Ethiopia School Project!
Saint David's seventh and eighth graders bounded out of 12 East 89th Street today to cheers and high-fives by our youngest, as they kicked off our series of Dollars for Ethiopian Scholars walkathons.
Each year, eighth graders spearhead a school-wide effort to provide educational resources to Ethiopian boys and girls. The initiative began in 2011 with the building of the Saint David's Kalina David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-81558975734121393782019-05-21T11:57:00.000-04:002019-05-21T14:41:11.750-04:00A Record Year for Saint David's Boys' Pennies for Puppies Project
Initiated in 2005 by parents Connie Hays (R.I.P.) and Sally Connolly, Saint David's fourth graders work each year on behalf of The Seeing Eye Foundation through the Pennies for Puppies project. The Seeing Eye's mission is to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of people who are blind, through the use of trained guide dogs.
This multifaceted project begins with a visit David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-45873211768880419072019-05-17T16:20:00.000-04:002019-05-17T16:20:56.366-04:00Solar System Model and Rocket Launch in Pre-K STEAM Unit
Our Pre-K STEAM boys recently completed an exploration of the solar system through a hands-on, multi-faceted unit that integrates art and science and is a perfect example of the ways boys learn best.
The unit's purpose is to elicit the boys' knowledge about planets and the sun while dispelling common misconceptions, and to have the boys come to understand how humans are able to learn about David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-86218225723109819672019-05-16T22:11:00.001-04:002019-05-16T22:11:04.528-04:00Broadway Bound - Saint David's Boys and Marymount Girls
The musical, about dreams, was a dream come true for us at Saint David's: the first production done in collaboration with Marymount School on the stage of our new Otto-Bernstein Performing Arts Theatre.
Last night, Saint David's After School Broadway Bound class performed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the Saint David's and Marymount communities. The production was, wellDavid O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-90950500056061745022019-05-15T16:22:00.000-04:002019-05-15T16:22:19.231-04:00Boys Learn Strategies to Approach Exams with Confidence and Reduced Stress
This week and last, Upper School Learning Specialist Consultant David May led workshops for our seventh and eighth graders as they prepare for their upcoming comprehensive exams. In the first, Mr. May outlined three areas of the brain that students rely on when studying: the hippocampus for memory and learning; the prefrontal cortex for organization and time management; and the amygdala for David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-58511074357702178622019-05-14T11:04:00.000-04:002019-05-14T11:04:49.348-04:00Author Aili McConnon Shares Story of Legendary Cyclist and Humanitarian Gino Bartali
Aili McConnon, co-author of Road to Valor, transfixed our seventh and eighth graders on Friday when she shared the story of her book's subject, Italian cyclist Gino Bartali.
Bartali, a 1938 and 1948 Tour de France winner, secretly helped the Italian Resistance during World War II by transporting forged identity documents in the frame of his bicycle and hiding Jews in an apartment he was David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-27188758474530071142019-05-09T15:39:00.000-04:002019-05-09T15:39:12.044-04:00Saint David's Participates in Diversity and Inclusion Conference at DaltonSaint David's is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that respects and honors difference. Toward that end, a group of Saint David's community members recently participated in the 9th Annual Dalton Conference: From Diversity to Community.
Some of the Saint David's participants in the Diversity and Inclusion Conference.
From left: Pedro Morales, Michael A., Romuel P., Allison Vella,David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-34698440416627760872019-05-08T10:29:00.001-04:002019-05-08T13:19:58.176-04:00Saint David's Receives Carnegie Hill Neighbors 2019 Enrichment Award
Last week, architect and Saint David's alumnus Sam White '60 and I had the honor of accepting the Carnegie Hill Neighbors 2019 Enrichment Award from CHN President Lo van der Valk at the CHN Spring Benefit. The award recognizes Saint David's thoughtful design and our collaboration with the Carnegie Hill community during the school's recent expansion and consolidation into Graham House.
WeDavid O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-76034579149733691622019-05-03T12:43:00.000-04:002019-05-03T12:45:51.343-04:00How Far Can It Fly?
Our first graders are exploring
measurement and data with paper gliders. In this math investigation,
the boys fold and fly simple paper gliders, construct Unifix cube trains
to measure the distances that their gliders fly, and create tally
charts that show the flight data collected by the entire class.
The boys then redesign their gliders or make new ones with the goal of improvingDavid O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-57478755323097215962019-05-03T12:41:00.000-04:002019-05-03T12:41:23.678-04:00In Common Sense Media Teen Panel, Eighth Graders Advise Younger Boys on Media Use
Saint David's is committed to facilitating our boys' development into good digital citizens who engage in appropriate, safe, and healthy online behavior. In this effort, the school partners with Common Sense Media. On Tuesday,
Tali Horowitz and current parent Samira Sine of CSM facilitated a Teen Advisory Panel
featuring our eighth graders Jack, Colin, and Will. Members of
the Common David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-78563928737040573392019-05-02T16:28:00.000-04:002019-05-02T16:34:57.048-04:00Saint David's Boys Win Prizes in CIVITAS Art Competition
Teddy and Kaz with their artwork on display at the CIVITAS benefit
Seventh graders Kaz and Teddy have won the second and third prizes in the CIVITAS Seventh Grade Art Competition. The contest was held in conjunction with the CIVITAS benefit Tuesday evening honoring the Frick Collection and its director, Ian Wardropper, for their commitment to preservation and community engagement. The boys David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-80791203395457275952019-04-30T13:54:00.002-04:002019-04-30T13:56:07.107-04:00Saint David's Father and Son Dinner Featuring Mark Whitaker
Our annual Seventh Grade father and son dinner provides the opportunity for seventh graders and their fathers to share an evening exploring what it means to be a good man, the relationship between parent and son, and other mission-related themes.
The speaker at this year's event was author, journalist and media executive Mark Whitaker, who spoke about his memoir My Long Trip Home,
in which David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-20329554758325447562019-04-25T17:34:00.000-04:002019-04-25T17:34:42.894-04:00Boys Experience Democracy in Action
Saint David's sixth graders are in our nation's capital, where their study of American history culminates.
Over these three days, the boys are deepening their understanding of American history and government as they experience democracy in action. Sites they are visiting include Mount Vernon, the Monuments, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the National Museum of American History, the David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6221532399361214775.post-89221121134535229342019-04-18T13:35:00.000-04:002019-04-18T13:35:00.557-04:00Dinosaur Study by Omega Paleontologists
The Omega boys' integrated study of dinosaurs culminated in this morning's Dinosaur Presentation, one of my favorite Saint David's experiences.
During their spring study, the boys had opportunities to work in groups, use maps, conduct research, and explore the concepts of time periods and archaeology. Their study also included a field trip to the Dinosaur exhibit at the American Museum of David O'Halloranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04329815310599963123noreply@blogger.com0