Rigorous Academic Pursuit - Learning in Collaboration with DNA Learning Center

DNA can solve past mysteries and provide groundbreaking solutions for the future.

Our fifth graders are diving into this exciting area of science through Saint David's longstanding partnership with the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor. This winter, the boys are learning from DNALC educators and scientists who co-teach the DNA unit over several weeks with our science teachers. In hands-on labs, the boys delve into the structure and function of DNA and learn how random mutation and natural selection lead to species' evolution.

Last week, the class spent a day at the DNALC Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor where they observed slides under a microscope to investigate how pollen found in food samples from Europe's oldest mummified 'iceman' are able to clue us into his movements in the days before he died in the Italian Alps. They also observed Dresophila fly specimens under a dissection scope to see how genetic mutations in DNA result in a variety of physical traits within the species.

A highlight of the day was a talk given by a scientist who spoke to the boys about her research into how different parts of the brain work together to interpret multi-sensory stimuli.

This immersive learning experience enables our boys to draw inspiration from the combined expertise of their Saint David's teachers as well as geneticists and educators whose careers are devoted to DNA. Over several sessions together, the boys become comfortable interacting with scientific experts who are conducting state-of-the-art research.

Saint David's partnership with DNALC is in it seventh year. This program is made possible by the generosity of our community through their annual giving. It's a signature experience for our boys that inspires them to rigorously pursue answers to complex questions. The mark of a scholar.

For more about Saint David's School, visit www.saintdavids.org

The Wisdom Within - A Matter of Trust

The Teaching Boys Initiative (TBI) is a cornerstone of Saint David’s School’s strategic vision, aimed at developing a robust framework of evidence-based best practices in boys’ education. The initiative’s primary goal is to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, habits, and dispositions of reflective practitioners, enhancing their professional growth and the overall quality of teaching and learning for boys. In TBI's new quarterly blog series, "The Wisdom Within," our faculty share stories that inform, inspire, and encourage reflective practice using evidence-based approaches in teaching and learning for boys. The following inaugural entry, "A Matter of Trust," was written by reflective practitioner and Master Teacher Tom Ryan, who has been inspiring generations of Saint David's boys for more than 53 years. A MATTER OF TRUST …but, I digress. I cannot possibly begin any writing piece, and/or class, without some digression that, as I have said to my s...

"The Wisdom Within" - Bringing Sound to Space

In the second entry of our Teaching Boys Initiative's quarterly blog series, "The Wisdom Within," Saint David's reflective practitioner and Master Teacher Cathy O'Neill explores the pedagogical power of play in the education of young boys. BRINGING SOUND TO SPACE It began with a mound of mangled metal and the vapor of a vision gleaned from recent comments and random fact-dropping by the Pre-K boys. Unsure of what exactly I was looking for, but fueled by the idea of a makeshift rocket to dovetail with our upcoming space unit, I gingerly picked through the scrap pile until my hands grazed an old VW control panel devoid of its dashboard. Eureka! An array of knobs, dials, and buttons - while in reality, dead as doornails - in the right small hands, would become the epicenter of our NASA-inspired dramatic play corner. With a couple of lawn chairs and some old CB radio microphones to round out the set, engines would be ignited by the power of imagination. All systems go...

"The Wisdom Within" - Building Student Motivation Through Choice

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 ...

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

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