Headmaster's Blog

Children in front of the newly expanded Saint David's Kalina School. I want to share an updated progress report on the Saint David's Kalina School, which opened its doors in the fall of 2013 in Tigray, Ethiopia, and which was officially opened on our visit there last summer. The elementary school for Grades One through Four was built by  Saint David's boys in cooperation with Save the Children. Before the Saint David’s Kalina School was built, few children attended school in the area.  This year 387 boys and girls attend school, a 62 percent increase compared to the previous two years (before Saint David's Kalina School was built). The new ECCD classroom block. In each of the past 5 years of our work with the Kalina community, our boys, led by the eighth grade, have organized several fundraisers, informational events and projects. Our efforts have been so successful that this past February, we were able to complete a new Early Childhood Care and Develo...

The following article by English Chair Karen Davis, appeared in the winter 2015 issue of S aint David's Magazine : When one steps into the pages of a literary novel, an immediate transformation takes place.  It is about experiencing the fictional world of the protagonist on his or her terms, exactly as that character experiences it. The beauty of great literature is that it creates an automatic transport system through all kinds of difficult journeys, giving the reader amazing access into that which can be experienced from the safety of one’s own sofa on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon.  Even more than that, tapping into the feelings of connection and empathy that are built through such literature should be the ultimate goal in reading shared texts in schools because it, “prompts the reader to imagine the characters’ introspective dialogues. This psychological awareness carries over into the real world, which is full of complicated individuals whose inner lives are usuall...

Our sixth graders are with their teachers in Washington, D.C., experiencing democracy in action as they spend three days exploring our nation's capital. Among the experiences the boys will have during their stay are visits to the Smithsonian and the Capitol, a monuments tour, and a special session at the Supreme Court with one of Justice Kennedy's law clerks. This is the fourth year of the annual DC tour; it is the culminating experience of the boys' two-year sequence in American history. What better way for our boys to explore this year's school-wide theme "Ideas and Ideals" than to immerse themselves in the ideas and ideals of their republic in its capital.

We are placing an emphasis on the thinking process, on "making thinking visible" throughout our curriculum at Saint David's.  A poignant example of this was evident in a fifth grade science lab this morning where the boys were found exploring ecosystems.  Today's lab opened with the boys' teacher leading them in a discussion that addressed questions about ecosystems. They were encouraged to verbalize their thinking and to record their ideas.  The lab itself involved introducing animals (snails and goldfish) to the aquariums that the boys had already built.  After the boys carefully transferred the animals into their aquariums, they observed and recorded (drew) what they saw, noting the movement patterns of the animals.  Asking boys to document their thinking while being actively engaged in a project in this way helps to spark ideas, unmask connections and deepen understanding of the scientific concepts being studied. 

A visitor to a Kindergarten class this morning would have observed boys in motion--gleefully covering their classroom in multi-colored strips of tape-- red, blue, pink, orange, yellow tape everywhere--on the walls, strung across desks, even on the doorknob. All of this action was part of an innovative session with an educator from the Guggenheim, our neighboring museum, which the boys will be visiting soon. The educator talked to the boys about installation art, art that is experiential beyond 2- or 3-D. The class discussed how lines can convey emotion (e.g. straight lines may represent tranquility, while up-and-down lines anger or agitation)  and related this to the works of Van Gogh. Then the boys got up and got creative, turning their class into a colorful work of installation art that they could move within, outside of and around. This is a wonderful way for our young boys to understand installation art by engaging in the process of creating it.

Nightingale girls visited with our first grade boys today for a morning of fun and socializing. Last week, the boys spent time at the girls' school and today they were even more excited to host their new friends and show them their classrooms.  Saint David's provides a number of opportunities throughout the year for our boys to connect and bond with our neighboring schools. These include the eighth grade art lectures and the orchestra coffee concerts with NBS girls; third grade concerts with Spence students, and a piano recital at Steinway Hall with Marymount girls.

Sunday was the opening reception of our second graders' art exhibit at the Child Mind Institute in New York City. "What We Love to Do In, On, and Around Water" featured waterscapes in crayon and watercolor resist done by the boys. Art teachers Melanie Fidler and Maria Valdes asked each boy to recall happy memories around the theme of water and to create a picture depicting that memory. Their works are colorful and wonderfully detailed. In creating them, the boys were inspired by their study of Hokusai, Homer, Monet and Seurat, the use of color to create mood, and a variety of art concepts including landscape and horizontal line. Boys first sketched their works, refining them before creating the final picture. The Child Mind Institute sponsors showings of student work on a rotating basis and Saint David's was invited to participate. Art Chair Jenna Boccella coordinated with the Institute to install this show of our second graders' work. About fi...