About Saint David’s
Welcome from the Headmaster
“Simply put, our commitment to learning stretches far beyond the narrow confines of a classroom or textbook as we enrich and elevate the hearts, minds, and souls of our boys.”
“Ut viri boni sint” is complex in its simplicity. We all want our sons to be “good men,” but what does that mean? What do we as parents and educators need to do to achieve this important goal—and, in so doing, fulfill the aspiration of our school’s founders? The answer lies in another of the school’s guiding ideals: balance.
Saint David’s has a long tradition rooted in the classical notion of balance in all things. Here, balance is achieved by providing a well-rounded education that focuses on four pillars: academics (the first among equals), athletics, arts, and spirituality. Whether demonstrating intellectual commitment and scholarship in a literature or biology class, honoring the game on the field, portraying a character with sensitivity on the stage, or reaching out to those in need, a Saint David’s boy is always encouraged to find “the good,” to rise to the highest levels of personal commitment and achievement.
When they are analyzing oyster beds in the East River or Egyptian art at the Met, performing in our Otto-Bernstein Theatre, running the Reservoir in Central Park, or climbing the hundreds of steps in Florence’s Duomo, Saint David’s boys are citizens of a much wider campus beyond our home on East 89th Street. Longstanding, curriculum-driven partnerships with local historical, scientific, and cultural institutions bring learning to life across our program. Simply put, our commitment to learning stretches far beyond the classroom as we seek to enrich and elevate the hearts, minds, and souls of our boys.
These ideals are intrinsic to our culture. They shape the formation of character through rigorous scholarship, intentional learning relationships, ethical behavior, appreciation of difference, and a deep understanding of what it means to be a responsible member of a community. Our boys distinguish themselves as young men of “ideas and ideals, action and reflection,” and they rise to the challenge presented by our mission: “…that they be good men.”
Leading this community in fulfillment of our mission is exciting, rewarding, and thoroughly enjoyable. I look forward to seeing you in the year to come.
Our Promises
At Saint David's, guiding boys to aspire to be “good men” is more than a motto.
It is the shared mission, inspired by our faith tradition, that unites our entire community—lived out each day as our boys grow in spirit, character, intellect, and strength, discovering their voice and pursuing their purpose.
At Saint David's, the rigorous pursuit of scholarship is grounded in effort, discipline, and purpose.
While academically challenging, we emphasize sustained effort and goal-oriented learning, valuing the process and its outcomes over rigor for its own sake.
At Saint David's, we anchor each boy’s education in the classical Greek ideal of “balance in all things.”
Our holistic approach encourages proportional development —intellectual, physical, aesthetic, spiritual, and ethical — shaping well-rounded boys who value both ideas and ideals.
At Saint David's, committing to best practices in teaching boys and understanding how they learn during their formative years is at the heart of all we do.
Our Teaching Boys Initiative™ deepens our knowledge of how to teach, connect with, and motivate boys—igniting a dynamic, research-informed learning environment for the 21st century.
At Saint David's, cultivating cultural competency through mutual respect and kindness helps form the foundation of our community.
Partnerships with leading scientific, cultural, and historical institutions—both in and beyond school—introduce boys to new perspectives, broaden their worldview, and prepare them to engage meaningfully with the wider world.
Our Mission
The mission of Saint David’s School is to educate boys to fulfill their potential through rigorous academic pursuit, deliberate moral introspection, and critical analysis of ideas and issues. Our boys distinguish themselves as young men of ideas and ideals, action and reflection, who fulfill the aspirations of the Founders “... that they be good men.”
The mission of Saint David’s School is to educate boys to fulfill their potential through rigorous academic pursuit, deliberate moral introspection, and critical analysis of ideas and issues. The classical tradition of balance has guided the school since its beginning. Saint David’s boys are scholarly and creative, aesthetic and athletic. The school seeks to engender intellectual curiosity, appreciation for the arts, skill and sportsmanship in athletics, and an enduring love of learning.
Founded as an independent school in 1951 by nine Catholic families, Saint David’s remains committed to the teachings of the Church. Our community includes boys and faculty of many religious backgrounds. Boys are taught to respect and learn from all religious traditions, to recognize their own capacity for spiritual experience, and to develop strong moral values.
Saint David’s is a true community, known for its sense of family, compassion and kindness. The tradition of the school affirms that elementary education is important in its own right and should always be compelling, joyful, and designed to serve self, others, and God.
Mastery of academic skills and a strong sense of self-confidence enable our graduates to excel at the secondary school level and beyond. Saint David’s boys distinguish themselves as young men of ideas and ideals, action and reflection, who fulfill the aspirations of the Founders “... that they be good men.”