Headmaster's Blog

Throughout the year, the Saint David's community expresses its gratitude and finds ways to give back and do good. At Thanksgiving, this commitment to service comes into even greater relief. Our Parents Association Committees are doing amazing dedicated work, running the various fundraising drives that mark the season, such as Operation Gratitude, shown below. Over the past few weeks, our eighth graders, under the direction of Mr. Tom Ryan, have led the entire school in collecting canned goods and selling a record 700 plus pies to raise money for the purchase of frozen turkeys. This morning, the meals were loaded into vans by the boys and delivered to local churches. (Storage of all these goods this year was a bit of a challenge, but it's amazing how many pies you can fit into a small office when need be!) In the Thanksgiving Chapels I gave yesterday, and at today's Mass, we came together to offer prayers in thanksgiving for all that we have, most importantly ...

On Friday, I joined our Omega boys for their Career Fair, the culmination of their study on jobs and careers. I met with future basketball players, race car drivers and soldiers, among others. It was great to also see Brooks L. '17 there, enjoying his younger brother's (a future cartoonist) presentation. The boys loved sharing their career study books which incorporated learning in Spanish class, and were filled with original illustrations, and what they've learned about how their selected careers impact communities. Their energy was contagious!  

Last night we gathered under the stars for the Parents Association's annual Family Skating Party in Wollman Rink, an evening when we celebrate our community of families. The party raises funds for the wonderful and varied initiatives that our PA committees embrace each year. Thank you to last night's Chairs: Greg Baer, Adriana Kothari, Amanda Moran, and Leticia Presutti for all the work they did to bring this special event to fruition.

Alumnus Jack Kraus '12, sophomore at the United States Military Academy at West Point, gave the Chapel Talk this morning to our seventh and eighth graders. Jack told the boys of an experience he had had at Grand Central Terminal at Christmastime, when he was a senior at Lawrenceville. While waiting for a train and having breakfast at the Terminal, he noticed a man who was homeless. The man sat down and opened a container of food. Before the man ate, he bowed his head and prayed.  That moment made Jack realize that there was so much in his own life that he took for granted. Here, before him, was someone who seemed not to have a lot, but who was grateful for what he did have. "My challenge to all of you here today is to 'earn this,' " Jack said, drawing upon the last line in the movie Saving Private Ryan ; noting how fortunate they all are to be at a school like Saint David's, and how vital it is to give back by contributing to the greater good. ...

A crisp fall day. Perfect for a race in Riverside Park. Yesterday our second graders participated in the annual Turkey Run tradition.  It was blur of gray as the boys raced 500 meters past cheering family members and faculty. The boys had been training hard in sports class for the big event, and it showed! This year marks the 45th anniversary of this great tradition, and the 20th anniversary of it taking place in Riverside Park.  It is such a fun morning that builds class spirit and is also a wonderful way to mark the beginning of the holiday season.

In the New Upper Gym On Friday, we celebrated the topping off of our expansion and consolidation project with a morning hardhat tour for our early supporters, trustees, and contractors. The group visited the sites of the new lobby, performing arts center, middle gym and eighth grade commons. Our tour culminated at the very top--in our new full-size middle school upper gymnasium. In the New Auditorium It is incredibly exciting to stand in the space, experience the progress to date, and the ways in which all these rooms are taking shape. As Board President Dan Connolly '77  noted, we've come this far due to the tremendous support of so many in our community: donors, trustees, administrators. We are grateful in particular to Trustees John Menz and Craig Wood, Co-Chairs of the Expansion Logistics Committee, who were so instrumental from the very beginning. Without their expertise and vision none of this could be possible. Inside the New Lobby Soon we wi...

This morning's Math Bowl at the Rochester Room was a tight race. At the half, the mathematics competition could have gone to any of the four Upper School Teams: Euclideans, Pythagoreans, Archimedeans, or the Newtonians. In the end, the Euclideans claimed victory in the speed round, nailing several tough questions in quick succession, leaving all of us in the audience a little more math-savvy! As usual, Tom Ryan did a fantastic job as emcee, and the math department came up with challenging, entertaining and at times tricky math problems. A great day for math and all!