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Doing Good

Our seventh graders have a longstanding tradition of participating in weekly visits to the Carnegie East House assisted living facility as part of our program of studies. Placed on hold during the pandemic, we received the green light to resume the trips this school year. Each Monday afternoon, the boys and their homeroom teachers walk over to Carnegie East House, where, in small groups, they engage with residents in a variety of activities. This past week's visit featured a trivia quiz game, "Name that Tune," and "Guess the Sport" charades.

The boys and residents look forward to these experiences and, because they occur over a sustained period of time rather than as a one-off event, they are able to have more meaningful interactions as both groups get to know each other. At times, engaging with different people--some of whom may be experiencing challenges--is not easy for young people, but it leads to greater maturity, empathy, respect and, ultimately, that deep sense of joy that comes from knowing you have done something good.

As one of the boys put it, "I love getting to know the residents, it feels good and I will miss it when our visits are over."  

At Saint David's, the question, "Where does the good lie?" guides everything that we do across each of our school's four pillars: academics, arts, athletics, and spirituality.

For spirituality, the answer is clear: it doesn't lie in following any particular creed, but rather in the actions we take, the good that we do in trying to be a better person today than we were yesterday.



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