Headmaster's Blog

Rotten Ralph is a feisty, mischievous cat, whose antics in Jack Gantos' books delight young and old readers alike. Last week our first graders retold the Rotten Ralph story onstage in front of their parents and then each boy presented his parents with an original picture book he had written and illustrated, based on the Rotten Ralph series. "Rotten Ralph Goes to Science Class," "Rotten Ralph Visits the Apple Store," "Rotten Ralph Goes Snowboarding," and "Rotten Ralph Goes to the Movies" were some of our boys' titles. You can imagine what trouble Ralph was going to cause in each of these venues, and you can also imagine how proud our first grade author/illustrators were as they took their places with their parents and read them their stories. Throughout this year, through modeling and guided practice, the first graders have become increasingly independent writers, able to write in a variety of genres.

Curiosity drives the Eighth Grade Arco competition, the major spring project in humanities class in which our boys are challenged to create a piece of work in the spirit of a famous modern artist. The boys visit museums and review art books to select an artist whose work speaks to them, piquing their curiosity to learn more about the artist's life and art. Their creations are personal interpretations that incorporate each boy's unique vision and perspective. The boys also write a biography of the artist and reflect on the process they used to create their work. Last week, they presented their artwork and the rationale behind it to a panel of judges during the day and to their parents in the evening. Some of the featured artists this year included Walker Evans, Salvador Dali, Jasper Johns, Keith Haring, and LeRoy Neiman. The boys impressed us with their artistry, knowledge of their chosen artist, and their analysis of their own art-making process. This project, co...

Eight members of Saint David's Model UN participated in the Fieldston Ethical Model UN Conference this past weekend. The boys, involved in committees on the Syrian Civil War, North Korea Reunification and the Somali Civil War, worked with their peers to respond to real-time crises created by the Fieldston facilitators. The conference was run by Ryan Kelly '14 (shown in center of photo), who is a founding member of Saint David's Model UN Club, and head of the Fieldston Model UN Club. Gavin K. '18 was awarded "Outstanding Delegate" for his role as the Somalian Government. The boys had a terrific time and are already talking about next year's conference!

The Parents vs Faculty Softball Game in Central Park this past Friday celebrated sports and community at Saint David's. While the game was in full swing, members of our community picnicked nearby. We all had so much fun watching the game and relaxing together on a warm spring afternoon. Thanks to the Committee on Community and Inclusion for sponsoring the picnic event and to all of the players who, true to Saint David's form, exhibited skill and sportsmanship.

Last week's spring concert featured a diverse and impressive program by Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble, The Percussion Ensemble, and Chamber Singers. The Philharmonic Ensemble boys, conducted by Philip Hough, opened with "Le Rejouissance" (Handel) and "Slavonic Dance Op. 45, no 9" (Dvorak). The Percussion Ensemble, under John Francis's direction, was up next with two Bach pieces: "Musette from English Suite No. 3" and "Bouree in E minor."  (Bach himself, or rather a Bach-impersonating Tom Ryan visited to prompt the boys to perform a "livelier" encore.)  This was followed by 21 Pilots' "Heathens", arranged with talent and skill by eighth grader Andrew D. Phyllis Clark's Chamber Singers began with "Fa Una Canzone" (Vecchi) and "Good Life" (One Republic) featuring soloists Cole K. and William R.  Our school's new a cappella group performed "For the Longest Time ...

To a first grader, the Top of the Rock is the Top of the World. Their city lays out before them in all compass directions, and they can see for miles!  This culminating field trip, which the class took today, enabled our boys to apply what they've learned this spring about landmarks, geography, and mapping. They are fortunate to be able to take advantage of a campus that stretches well beyond the walls of the school to the sites and spaces of New York City and beyond.

This morning, four of our alumni who participated in the Prep for Prep program returned to Saint David's for a panel discussion with our current sixth graders, who will be welcoming two new classmates from Prep for Prep in September.  Prep for Prep prepares promising young students of color from across New York City for entry into independent schools through an intensive and rigorous 14 month course of study that includes two sessions of summer school in addition to Wednesday evening and Saturday classes during the school year. During the discussion, which was led by Director of Admissions Allison Vella, Malik Graves-Pryor '92, Omar Slowe '93, Miguel Sanchez '97 and Alex Agnant '98 relayed how they enjoyed returning to Saint David's, the warm memories they have of the school, and the lasting friendships that they forged here. They also noted that while Saint David's was exceptionally welcoming and made the transition experience smooth, th...