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

When I visit alums in high school and ask them about their favorite school traditions, they typically cite daily Chapel and our family style lunch as most memorable. Both of these bring our boys together, whether to share time for reflection or a meal. Since Chapel means so much to our boys, we have added a series of new Chapel talks given by our young alumni. Yesterday, Graham Higgins '05 returned to Saint David's to talk to sixth graders and their parents about global climate change. Graham, a graduate of Trinity High School, University of St. Andrew's, and Columbia University, is a Senior Environmental Designer at Atelier Ten. Much of his work involves developing solutions to mitigate climate change's negative impact. "With every challenge comes opportunity," he told the boys and their parents. Citing the example of young Greta Thunberg, he encouraged them to actively participate in environmental efforts and causes that are meaningful to th...

 The Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble took the stage at Carnegie Hall Sunday, performing in A Festival of Orchestras . They played beautifully. Under the direction of their conductor, Philip Hough, the boys had been preparing for this concert since September. The quality of their playing demonstrated the months of effort and practice that preceded the event. Onstage and off, they were consummate professionals, confidently delivering a versatile program that featured these classical pieces and contemporary works: Finale from Surprise Symphony  (Haydn), The Pink Panther (Mancini), Frandaele from L'Arlsesienne Suite No. 2 (Bizet), Promenade and The Great Gate of Kiev   from Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky). The boys were joined onstage by alumni Clifford C.'19,  Brian S. '19, and Hewitt S. '19. We are so proud of the way our boys represented Saint David's, both through their comportment and their performance. Congratulations to Mr. Hough, to th...

With Saint David's Winter Festival of Art and Music underway, we brighten the dark days of winter by celebrating the arts pillar of a Saint David's education. The music celebration culminated this past week with yesterday's Winter Concert for Upper School students and families, featuring classic and contemporary selections performed by our Percussion Ensemble (John Francis, Director ), Chamber Singers (Phyllis Clark, Director ; with Meg Myette, Piano ), and Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble (Philip Hough, Director ; with Aaron Van Heyningen, Assistant Conductor ; and Meg Myette, Piano ). Our Saint David's Philharmonic Ensemble previewed the ambitious program they will play during this upcoming Sunday's Festival of Orchestras concert at Carnegie Hall. Their accomplished performance yesterday showed they are more than ready to perform on the stage of that iconic venue. All of the boys, led by their music teachers, directors and coaches, com...

Session on Stress Management "Taking exams." "Performing on stage." "Roller coasters!" Fifth Grade boys shared a number of situations they found stressful with their Sophrosyne teacher, Mrs. MacNeille. How did they cope in such situations? Avoid studying for the test or auditioning for a part? Amplify by wallowing or acting out? Or, did they learn to be emotionally agile: flexible with their thoughts and feelings without letting them take over? Classes like these in our Sophrosyne program address our boys' character development and social-emotional wellbeing. An ancient Greek virtue, Sophrosyne signifies excellence of character and a healthy state of mind, characterized by self-control, moderation, and awareness of one's true self. In class, boys are reflective and approach topics in relation to their personal, family, and shared values. At the heart of the program, is the underlying truth that it is by knowing one's self and cult...

On the days leading up to today, we held special Chapels to commemorate the legacy and message of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We spoke about how Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was a seminal moment in the Civil Rights movement. A boy in each Chapel -- Nicolás S., Lachlan M., and Kaz M. -- then read the speech in its entirety. Fifty-seven years following the March on Washington, we reflected upon Dr. King's words and deeds, as we celebrated and honored his memory.  The Chapels concluded with Mr. Best leading the boys in singing one of Dr. King's favorite hymns, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord."  On this day, we recognize one man who had a profound impact on this country—not with sword, but with pen—a country which has been grappling with the sin of slavery since its founding.  As I said to the boys: "My generation hasn't done enough to combat racial injustice and inequa...

Dr. Derrick Gay , internationally recognized consultant on issues of global citizenship, diversity and inclusion, returned to Saint David's this week to visit with Lower School boys and lead discussions with Sophrosyne teacher and Assistant Head of Lower School Kathryn Hunter about respecting difference. To introduce the topic, Dr. Gay read Strictly No Elephants. The book, selected by Lower School Librarian Gretchen King, is about a Pet Club that excludes elephants because they are too different from other pets. After the reading, the boys expressed their takeaways, and how the book's theme might extend beyond animal characters to people. "You shouldn't judge a boy on being different," said one boy. "We are all different," observed another.  Boys also noted the need for empathy. For four years, Dr. Gay has been helping us deepen a culture of inclusion and respect at the school through a series of workshops with boys, faculty and parents, organiz...

Yesterday, Lower School boys were treated to a morning concert by the First Orchestra (Grades 1-3), Lower School Percussion Ensemble (Grades 1-3), and Philharmonic Ensemble (Grades 3-8). Directed by Carla Francis, our budding musicians in First Orchestra played  D String Song ,  Fuzzy Wuzzy  (with the Pre-K boys accompanying in song), and  The Gingerbread Man . The new Lower School Percussion's first-ever performance featured  French Folk Song  (traditional), under the direction of John Francis. They were followed by the "big boys" of Saint David's School Ensemble, conducted by Philip Hough, who provided the audience with a sampling of what the Ensemble will perform later this month at Carnegie Hall: works by Haydn, Mancini, Bizet and Mussorgksy. All of the groups were so impressive, their performances reflecting the hard work and dedication of the boys, their directors, and coaches. Saint David's values "balance in all things" and the ...

Our fifth graders are finalizing the libretto for their mini-operatic production, conducted through Saint David's year-long collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera. The story is a hero's journey, set on Mount Olympus, that ultimately celebrates peace and brotherhood over war. Recently, as a group of our boys worked in the "Writer's Room" with professionals Michael Littig and Tom Cabannis, they were also learning the importance of collaboration, particularly of respecting each other's differing ideas. This is one way to build empathy. While sympathy involves a common feeling between people, empathy requires the capacity to stand in an other's shoes, to perceive the world from unfamiliar, sometimes uncomfortable perspectives. It is easy to respect those who think, believe, and value the same things we do. An empathetic person is able to respect those who think, believe, and value something different. We recognize that it is vital for our boys ...

Teaching and learning is not just about finding the right answers. It is about asking the right questions. Schools must continuously reflect upon and review their curriculum in order to remain effective and innovative, and to ensure that they are preparing their students for success. Today, our faculty participated in discipline-specific professional development workshops in which they analyzed their curriculum across grade levels, looking at the sequencing and content against desired outcomes.  In each area of study, faculty closely examined what we teach and why we teach it, using a framework structured around Saint David's four pillars (academics, arts, athletics, spirituality) and our mission's call for the boys to "distinguish themselves as young men of ideas and ideals, action and reflection." Some examples: Modern language teachers spent the day with Independent Consultant and World Language Specialist Leslie M. Grahn in a session that focus...