Horizons at Saint David's 2020

A Few Members of Horizons at Saint David's Class of 2020 in earlier year of program.

As we proudly celebrate our first graduating class of the Horizons at Saint David's program (most of whom have been with the program since kindergarten), we also reflect on the unique accomplishments that have been achieved amidst a challenging time.

This spring, family engagement rose to new heights and our diligent team, led by Executive Director Hope Lippens, assisted Horizons families to secure necessities that ensured their safety and well-being. We also created the "Horizons at Home" program to encourage continuity in communicating weekly charts of activities to keep students active on all fronts (academic, physical, and arts). As part of this initiative, the "Pen Pal Project" allowed students to send in letters and pictures to their peers.

With the need to run the program virtually this summer, every student had his own device, thanks in large part to our Saint David's community who donated Chromebooks and laptops to the Horizons program.

A constant of our program is the passionate base of young Saint David's School alumni who participate as volunteers during the core activities of the summer (This year, 27 alumni volunteered). In so doing, our weekly themes (relationship building, teamwork, health and wellness, creative thinking, and leadership) moved forward. Re-informing the bond between our high school age alums and our Horizons boys is an essential component to our mission.

Zoom sports classes continued at least twice per week. Coaches Imbelli and Dominguez brought smiles through the shared screens and promoted good health practices during quarantine time. To complement the activity, “The Relax Room” was offered as a social-emotional learning class to help with daily mindfulness and socialization activities.

Each week, guest speakers from outside the community added a valuable voice for the boys. These speakers shared stories that inspired our group and brought a diverse array of experience. A special thank you to our Advisory Board members for their aid in coordinating these special events.

The Horizons at Saint David's summer program began in 2012, as part of Saint David's initiative to contribute to the greater common good. Its mission is to prevent academic slide by providing a rich six-week academic and cultural experience for boys from low-income, diverse families, from kindergarten through eighth grade. For more on the program, visit https://www.sdshorizons.org

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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