Upper School boys enjoyed a special workshop with visiting author Gordon Korman last week in the school's theater. The author of over 100 books for children and teens, Gordon has been publishing fiction since he was just a child himself -- he wrote his first book in the seventh grade! The boys loved hearing that story, and enjoyed hearing Gordon talk about where all his ideas come from and what the process of writing his novels is like. Several boys stayed after the book signing to receive writing advice.

The Visiting Authors Series is hosted and funded by the PA Visiting Authors Committee in collaboration with Saint David's Upper and Lower School Librarians.

The Lionel Hampton Big Band visited the fourth and fifth graders at Saint David’s on Tuesday, April 9. Two members of the band, Christian Fabian and Cleve Guyten, have been coming to the school for workshops since 2021. The boys were treated to an overview of the development of jazz music, from Swing, to Bebop, to Cool Jazz, and finally to the music of Lionel Hampton himself. Each band member spoke about his instrument, or about improvisation and how jazz music differs from Classical music. The combination of saxophone, doublebass, piano, and drums provided the boys with both infectious rhythms and tuneful melodies. The boys enjoyed learning about jazz, and listening to the live sounds of master musicians.

On Friday, April 5th, Saint David's fourth grade boys made the voyage to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate a culmination of their study of Ancient China. As part of the grade-wide history curriculum, this trip represents a highlight in their continued exploration of ancient civilizations through their in-depth studies of China, Egypt, and Greece. During the visit, Saint David's boys' critical thinking and study skills were honed through note-taking activities and advanced observation exercises.

Following the recent 'Silk Road' adventure in which the historical trade route came to life for students to research and develop their own characters, write authentic journal entries, and set about acquiring goods while dressed in thematic costumes, having the opportunity to study MET artifacts and tangible history gave the boys a new-found appreciation for the depth of the unit and study.

At Saint David's, fourth grade is the first time in which boys study part of history that is both long ago - and far away; in relation to both time and physical distance. The trip to the museum helps to bring this history to life as they navigate this sophisticated concept and further prepare their skills for the upper school years of our Saint David's curriculum.