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.
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