Joyful Balance at Year-End

Two recent culminating projects at the end of this school year - in the third and eighth grades - exemplify not only our "joyful balance" yearlong theme, but also how boys learn best: through active experiences that engage their attention, sustain their concentration, and result in superior performance.

On Nerdy Derby Race Day, as the mini race cars fly down the 50-foot track (generously designed and constructed by a parent of one of our boys), there isn't an inexpressive face in the crowd. Our third graders, wide-eyed, excited, breath-held, wonder if the cars they designed, built, tested, and revised after several runs through the engineering cycle, have what it takes to be crowned the Fastest, Slowest. or King of the Hill.

The third grade Nerdy Derby is an interdisciplinary immersion in math, science, and artistic design. Our boys embrace this no-rules miniatures car building and racing competition. Weeks of collaborating on close observation, data gathering, and drawing conclusions lead up to the final event - a friendly competition where the boys cheer not only for their own cars, but also for those of their fellow classmates, and revel in the shared experience. One boy's wise assessment of the project? "I love it. Especially getting the data, because that's how you get answers."

On another day, our eighth-grade boys confidently answer questions posed by a panel of judges composed of external teachers and art professionals about the boys' original artwork: its inspiration, meaning, significance, any obstacles they may have encountered during execution. The boys have been challenged to create an original piece of art in the spirit of a famous artist, paying homage to the artist while generating their own unique creation and artistic interpretation. Their presentations are self-assured and scholarly, their artwork impressive, as is the growth and maturity they demonstrate.

These projects, like so many at our school, employ research-backed elements such as teamwork, competition, creating products and motor activity, which stimulate and hold student interest, leading to deeper learning that lasts. They also provide boys with the opportunity to experience a true joy of learning, particularly when born from overcoming a challenge or tough spot - whether that be a tricky design for a race car or an ambitious mixed media artwork.

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...

Jack Mullin '12 : Reflections on a Mom's Love

The Chapel talk tradition at Saint David's provides faculty and alumni with the opportunity to share with our boys meaningful and inspiring personal stories: their experiences, lessons learned, challenges overcome. The annual Fifth Grade Mother-Son Chapel gathers our fifth-grade boys and their mothers or mother figures for a special shared pre-Mother's Day experience; a Chapel Talk by a young alumnus who reflects upon the role his mother has played in his life. This year, we welcomed former Student Council President Jack Mullin '12. Jack's family has deep roots with school. His older brother Patrick graduated in '08 and his dad, Terry, in 1973. Jack's talk centered on the impact both his alma mater and his mother, Immy, have had on his development into the man he is today. Below are excerpts that I would like to share: "My family's multi-generational lineage is a testament to the incredible sense of community Saint David’s fosters, and I too hope I have...

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

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