Headmaster's Blog

The legendary Lionel Hampton Band visited with our sixth grade today, treating the boys to a wonderful session on jazz. The band played several pieces including "When the Saints Go Marching In" and their famous "Flying Home." They also led a discussion about the evolution of jazz in America, from the dance oriented swing bands of Glenn Miller to the Be-Bop of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. This year our sixth grade boys engage in an in-depth interdisciplinary study of twentieth century America, looking at it from a kaleidoscope of perspectives that includes history, poetry, and of course, music.  Today's session gave them a taste of live jazz played by masterful musicians. Below is a clip of the band playing Charlie Parker's "Laird Baird."

Wonderful visit to Trinity last week. Saint David's has a large contingent of alums attending the school. The Saint David flag is flying high on the West Side. We have four from the Class of 2011 graduating this year Daniel, Joshua, Matthew, and Patrick; one Junior, Eric '12; one Sophomore, Julian '13; and two Freshmen, Jake '14 and Stephen '14.  The boys, Mr. Imbelli and I enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation over lunch.  Pictured above are most of the boys. Gathering them all in one place at the same time to capture a photo proved difficult given their hectic schedules. It was fun catching up with them--so impressive. 

The following article by Lower School Reading Coordinator/Learning Specialist Kristen Healy appeared in the summer 2014 issue of Saint David's Magazine.    Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both. The Gordon Library Many years ago, Charlotte’s Web was just one of E. B. White’s novels that my mother read to me on summer evenings between first and second grade. I vividly remember curling up next to her as she read a chapter or two to me each night. I could not wait to hear more of Wilbur’s adventures with his friend, Charlotte. As a teacher herself, my mother knew the value of reading aloud to children. It was a gift she gave to me that fostered my lifelong love of literature. Ultimately, this is what we want for all of our chi...

Yesterday, fifth grade boys went with their Spanish teachers to El Museo Del Barrio on 5th Ave. The boys, who have been taking Spanish through our Spanish immersion program since they were in Pre-K, continue to study not only the Spanish language, but also the cultures of Spanish speaking people. At the museum, they learned about the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a holiday observed in Mexico and other regions with Hispanic populations, on October 31, November 1, and November 2. Museum guides led the boys in observations of three typical, private ornate altars that families build to honor the deceased. The altars feature marigolds, butterflies, sugar skulls, day of dead breads (pan des muerto) and items that would be significant to the loved one. The boys also saw Catrina, the skeleton female who is an icon of the holiday. Boys answered questions about the exhibits in Spanish, sketched features of the altars, and discussed the meaning behind many of the items they saw...

This past Wednesday, the all-women a cappella group, Whim ‘n Rhythm , gave a class and performance for the Saint David's School Chamber Singers. Eleven members of the group, all seniors at Yale University, performed; brightening up what was otherwise quite a dreary, dark morning. Our boys were all thrilled to join the Whim for a vocal warm up that got everyone singing together. After limbering up their voices, our Chamber Singers performed Riu Riu Chiu for the ladies, with one of our boys taking the baritone solo. The Whim then performed four songs for the boys, who were riveted by their stage presence and vocal quality. The class ended with a Q and A session.  The Whim then went upstairs to open 7th & 8th Grade Chapel with their featured song.  Again, the boys were rapt.

I had the great pleasure of spending time with Jevon '11 at Brooklyn Friends yesterday.  He's finishing his senior year.  Neuroscience is a field of particular interest.  We also got to see James '11 at Packer Collegiate.  Thriving, James is interested in a multitude of colleges. It was parents weekend at a number of boarding schools last weekend, after which several schools gave their students a day or two off.  Many of our alums chose to visit their Alma mater including Peter '13 from Hotchkiss, Harry '14 from Middlesex, and Will '14 from Millbrook, who, by the way, recently launched his new band.  Unfortunately, my photograph of Will didn't turn out.  Sorry Will.

Last week, our sixth graders spent two days at Camp Ramapo in Rhinebeck, NY, where they embraced the "Challenge with Choice" philosophy of the Camp. During their stay, the boys engaged in a series of physically oriented challenges and trust- and team-building activities including zip-lines, and high- and low-rope courses.  In one challenge, they were asked to work in groups to figure out how to swing from one platform to another without touching the ground. Throughout the trip, boys relied upon each other for safety and guidance as they addressed all the outdoor challenges presented to them. The experience at Ramapo is an example of concrete ways that thinking can be made visible, as the boys' ideas are put to the test in tangible ways.  It also reinforces the value of working cooperatively and sharing ideas to solve real problems.