Welcome Back, Alumni!

Last week, two cherished Saint David's traditions that kick off the holiday season brought upwards of 200 alumni back to our school and were a reminder of the strong ties in our alumni community.

The Young Alumni Chapel and Dinner gathers together our high school age alumni and the current eighth grade for a Chapel talk given by a fellow young alumnus. Held the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving, it is an opportunity for our graduating class and the young alum community to gather, reconnect, and share at the start of the holiday season.

This year's speaker, James Wood '11, recent Cornell grad, shared with the boys sports stories from the book Range, Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, about the importance of trying out different paths in life and of recognizing that failure can be an effective teacher.

"Saint David's did a great job exposing me to an array of disciplines that allowed me to figure out who I am, to shape me," he said.

It was so good to see James and to welcome back all of the high school alumni present--150 strong!

The evening also included a photo with the Class of 2019, whose legacy gift was the outfitting of the Innovation Lab, and presentation of a check to Save the Children in the amount of $13,000 for the fundraising the Class of 2019 led in support of the second school we are building in Ethiopia.

On Wednesday, alumni returned for the annual alumni/faculty lunch and, fortified after a good meal, the Odds vs Evens basketball and soccer games. Odds won the basketball; evens, soccer.

I have no doubt that after these events, when alumni left Saint David's to attend their family Thanksgivings, they did so with the warmth and good feeling that true fellowship elicits.

I look forward to seeing these boys and more of our alumni community at our upcoming Christmas Gathering.

Resilience in the Teaching of Languages

Above: The Nerf microphone ball enables boys learning remotely to hear their classmates well. The pandemic has challenged educators to reinvent and reimagine units of study to keep learning engaging, regardless of how it is delivered. The following article, written for Saint David’s Magazine by our Modern Languages Chair Dr. Victoria Gilbert and Lower School Spanish teacher Flor Berman, addresses how this was done in the Spanish immersion language program at Saint David's. Ms. Berman and Dr. Gilbert, recipient of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers' Ruth E. Wasley Distinguished Teacher Award, presented on the topic at NYSAIS’s Flexible Classroom Conference last summer. How Spanish Classes Have Bounced Back Resiliency implies an ability to bounce back, but as teachers working with the youngest learners in the school, we would reframe resiliency as the opportunity to reimagine. Whether boys are learning through a face-to-face experience or through the med

The Role of Faith in Social-Emotional Learning and Psychological Well-Being

The following article by our School Psychologist, Dr. Michael Schwartzman, appears in the current issue of Saint David's Magazine : During one of my first observations in a Saint David’s classroom 15 years ago, I witnessed two first grade boys in a verbal altercation. Although it was contained just between the two boys, their observant teacher had them talk it through and then shake hands on being in a better place for having done so. I was very impressed, and still am, with this approach that the school takes many times throughout the day. It helps establish a firm idea of how to behave, especially in social situations where emotions can be stirred and run high. Through this experience repeated consistently day in and day out, better, more productive ways of engaging become increasingly integrated by the boys as they develop socially and emotionally in interaction with each other. As the School Psychologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about the touch points for student and t

Storytelling Demonstrates Understanding

Their time had arrived. As the lights dimmed in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre, the astrophysicists, a mix of jitters and excitement, awaited their opportunity to share insights and stories about the workings of the universe. Which planets might support life? Is there water on Mars? What are Dwarf Planets? "Let's take a look at our closest neighbor, Venus," invited one presenter, before revealing that the planet - while ideal in proximity - has surface temperatures of 900 degrees F: "Imagine - standing on the surface would be like being burned alive!" Later that same day, in our Graham lunchroom, early 20th century immigrants of all ages from Italy, China, Ireland, Russia, among other countries, waited, with hope and determination, their turn to be interviewed for admittance to America. It wasn't going to be easy. They would be asked pointed, potentially life-altering questions by various processors. "What's that cough? It doesn't sound good,&qu

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

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