David O'Halloran, Headmaster - Saint David's School, New York City

A Saint David’s seventh grader stands before a group of his peers in Chapel. He talks about an "Agent for the Good" he has researched—someone, often courageous, who has had a positive impact on others. In this particular case, it is the World War II Hero Desmond Doss, who saw the importance of “fighting” for his country but refused to carry a weapon or kill an enemy soldier in combat because of his deeply held convictions. The seventh grader connects Doss' legacy serving as a medic and saving the lives of his comrades and his enemy with something personal from his own life and with a value drawn from our school's mission. There is no rustling in the pews. The boys reflect on the message of this Chapel and how it might be applied to their own lives. Every boy in this quiet space is connected, bonded with his schoolmates, and feels a part of something bigger than himself. He knows too, that one day, he will be that boy.  The power of spirituality.  It is no secret that ...

In the following entry of our Teaching Boys Initiative blog series, Saint David's Director of Music and Master Teacher Jeffrey Moore explores how participating in performances and productions build transformative competencies, transmit values, and inspire boys to excel. Jose Antonio Abreu, one of the leading educators in classical music and the founder of El Sistema said this: “Music has to be recognized as an agent of social development in the highest sense, because it transmits the highest values  — solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it can unite an entire community and express sublime feelings.”¹ At Saint David’s School, performance begins in the very first years. Each class, from Pre-K through Eighth Grade, presents their work to an audience of peers and parents, whether it is a story, a skit, a play, a lecture, or a musical presentation. But the increasing complexity and demands on our boys to push themselves to another level is the key to their development and succes...

During this exciting first week of Saint David's 75th year, I would like to share excerpts from my opening letter that delve into our school-year theme, "Excel."  A great education from a great school not only trains a boy in reason, virtue, and prudence but instills within him the notion that he must first learn to govern himself before he seeks to influence or govern others. The enlightened classical tradition that informs our program offers an educational vision rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness; in language and logic; and the value of memory and imagination. It believes that a boy is not a vessel to be filled, a problem to be managed, or a consumer to be monetized, but rather a mind, body, heart, and soul (a whole human) to be cultivated and shaped. It seeks to help a boy find balance in his life—at Saint David’s, that’s defined across the academic, aesthetic, athletic, and spiritual—and it recognizes that education at its core is a life-long journey of self-disco...

When second graders construct seasonal models of longhouses and wigwams, they imagine what life inside would be like, and how the real-life Lenape inhabitants would move from one to the other, when winter turned to spring.  After examining primary and secondary sources about westward expansion, third graders "step into the shoes" of pioneers and participate in an Oregon Trail simulation. They gain an appreciation for the pioneer experience and will later imagine themselves as pioneers and write letters "home" to their families in the east. These are but two examples of the boys' "looking and doing" learning experiences through Saint David's nearly 15-year partnership with The New York Historical, New York's first museum -- a leading cultural institution that records over 400 years of American history. Our curricular collaboration with the museum spans the entire school year and is embedded in our program; each week a museum educator works with ...

In the third entry of our Teaching Boys Initiative quarterly blog series, Master Teacher Jim Barbieri explores how providing boys with agency to choose builds motivation and enhances learning. BUILDING STUDENT MOTIVATION THROUGH CHOICE By the time I was eight years old, I had become completely absorbed in all things baseball. Living in New York was perfect for a baseball fan; although I was a Mets fan thanks to my idol, Tom Seaver, I was also interested in learning about all the amazing Yankees stars of yore. How could I call myself a baseball fan if I didn’t know the history and records of stars like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Yogi Berra? I loved collecting baseball cards and reading the career statistics of each player on the back. Looking through my collection one day, I discovered that I shared a birthday with the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente. At eight years old, I was crushed to hear the news that he had died tragically in a plane crash while trying to ...

Organizing fundraisers for The Seeing Eye, making sandwiches for the homeless, and participating in the school-wide Thanksgiving Drive were some of the service projects Ethan K '21, and his fellow classmates engaged in as Saint David's students. These initiatives were embedded in the school program. During a recent Chapel, Ethan, who will attend the University of Notre Dame come September, urged our current seventh and eighth graders to continue the tradition of giving back: "We are called to be good men, to choose others before ourselves. I want to call on all of you to continue this vocation after you leave this building, to make that choice when no one is telling you to." For Ethan, volunteering for two years at the Horizons at Saint David's summer program provided the opportunity to address summer learning loss, which can be as high as 40 percent in some student populations. "I wanted to find a way to help keep others from falling behind," he said to...