Our boys are naturally curious. As parents and teachers we are sometimes annoyed by this, but it is
an essential component in their development. If we want our sons to grow intellectually, morally, socially,
and spiritually, we need them to ask questions and seek answers. We must hone their intellectual curiosity by
cultivating a deep and persistent desire to know. We want our boys to ask and seek answers to the “why”
questions, not to stop asking at the surface level. While we want them to enjoy their experiences, it is critical
that they also probe deeper, peel back the layers, and confront the foundational ideas of particular issues and
experiences.
Aristotle named curiosity as one of his second order virtues. The contemplative life is achieved, he
argued, when we attain the cardinal virtues of Courage, Wisdom, Temperance, and Justice through a second
order virtue. The virtue of Wisdom, for example, is not attained through gaining additional facts and details,
rather it is attained through curiosity. This curiosity may come naturally to a young child, but it must be
celebrated and cultivated by us as teachers and parents, lest it be lost. If we become more intellectually
curious about the shifting popular trends of our culture, and reflect on the school’s mission in the context of
our boys’ futures, we recognize the heightened importance of instilling a discerning global perspective as part
of a Saint David’s boy’s education.
“Disinterested intellectual curiosity,” G. M. Trevelyan, the late 19th century British author and
historian wrote “is the life-blood of real civilization.” Without it a citizenry is subject to hostile takeover.
Being curious without prejudice and without bias is essential to a well-informed, educated citizen. Cultivating
cultural competency and deepening our commitment to inclusivity are fundamental to boys’ development as
good men and to their eventual success at navigating an increasingly complex economic, social, and political
landscape. Toward this end, following preparatory work by the faculty and the Committee on Community,
we are excited to begin a partnership this year with Dr. Derrick Gay, an internationally renowned educational
consultant on issues of inclusion, diversity, and global citizenship.
We live in the greatest city in the world and the richness it affords is unquestionably unparalleled. A
major focus of our ongoing Curriculum Initiative has been to take advantage of this reality, moving the boys
outside the walls of their classrooms and deeply connecting them with premier scientific, cultural, and
educational institutions. As we launch the 2016-17 school year, these sustained partnerships have blossomed
and multiplied. Our Cold Spring Harbor partnership enters its fourth year. Rising eighth graders are the first
class to have worked with CSH in Fifth Grade. As a result, we have restructured their science program to
deepen the boys’ experience. Eighth graders will work rigorously with CSH scientists during 19 visits this
year, completing two rounds of DNA barcoding, and spend a full day at the CSH laboratory and research
center, conducting labs and working with geneticists.
In a new partnership with the Guggenheim Museum, Second, Seventh and Eighth Grade boys will
spend between nine and twelve extended art sessions in situ at the Guggenheim, studying the iconic
architecture of the building, critiquing modern masterpieces from the permanent collection, and working
under the guidance of museum curators and our distinguished art teachers. The units of study will culminate
with a special exhibit of student work at the museum to be viewed by boys’ families and members of the
school community. We have also modified the art schedule to better support our educational program by
lengthening the art blocks from 40 to 80-minutes in Grades Two and Eight. Our existing partnerships with
The Metropolitan Museum in Fourth and Eighth Grade, the Gilder Lehrman Institute in Fifth and Sixth, The
American Museum of Natural History and The Frick in Sixth Grade, and The New-York Historical Society in
First and Second will continue.
In addition to our new and deepening partnerships, we have created several new or extended
curricular programs. In the Third Grade boys will be introduced to a new interdisciplinary STEAM unit
entitled The Nerdy Derby. Applying math and science knowledge, they will examine and compare small and
large data sampling in a no-rules car building and racing competition. By examining friction, mass, and
aerodynamics, the boys will test variables, record results, and analyze individual and aggregate data to inform
design decisions before entering their vehicles in a series of contests. Our Third Grade history program has