Good Neighbors - Horizons at Saint David ’ s
By Taylor Foran ’ 05
One consequence of the “ Year of Remote Work ” is that I ’ ve become very acquainted with my home . At one point , tired of staring at my computer for work , and having exhausted my Netflix library , I looked instead through drawers and closets . Not to clean them , mind you ; I ’ m not that ambitious . Just curious what ’ s actually in there . Out of one drawer I pulled a forgotten picture framed with that unmistakable red border common to Saint David ’ s gifts . Needing something to do , I hung it on my wall . The picture features a John Wesley quote :
students , particularly those from underserved communities , lose more than two months of reading and math skills over the summer .
At a high level , Horizons is one of the many ways Saint David ’ s commits to be a welcoming place for those within our school community and surrounding neighborhood . The mission “ that they be good men ” doesn ’ t pause in the summer , nor does it end at graduation . Instead , the mission looks ahead to , as Wesley says , “ do all the good you can ... to all the people you can , for as long as ever you can .” Many
“ Do all the good you can , By all the means you can , In all the ways you can , In all the places you can , At all the times you can , To all the people you can , As long as ever you can .”
Looking at the frame in my home today , I ’ m reminded of the eight years Saint David ’ s was a home to me .
It ’ s no accident our school sits within three beautiful townhouses , and a historic apartment building . People have always called this place “ home .” But what makes a place “ a home ?” It is more than brick and mortar , it ’ s a refuge . The school was certainly that for me and many families after September 11th . Similarly , the school ’ s response this past year – specifically keeping boys in the familiar space of the classroom – demonstrates Saint David ’ s commitment to preserving normalcy while pursuing excellence . A home also imparts values . Saint David ’ s teaches the Golden Rule . Students learn “ good men ” embrace ethics , morality , and service as much as English , math and STEM . Yet there ’ s another aspect of a “ home .” It ’ s a place to show generous hospitality toward neighbors . One way Saint David ’ s does this is through a program called Horizons .
Horizons at Saint David ’ s was founded in 2011 during Saint David ’ s 60th anniversary year to provide tuition-free , summer academic and enrichment opportunities to students from under-resourced partner schools in East Harlem . The boys join in first grade and return with their same cohort for nine years . The aim is to prepare them to excel with each new year ’ s curriculum while keeping them sharp with what they ’ ve already learned . In academic circles , this is called addressing the “ summer slide ,” a well-researched fact that
Horizons boys building their mini race cars for a Nerdy Derby STEAM class in the summer of 2021 .
Saint David ’ s faculty teach the boys . Recent Saint David ’ s graduates volunteer as coaches . Post-college alumni , like myself , serve on the Junior Advisory Board .
The Junior Advisory Board works across a variety of initiatives , and each opens my eyes in unexpected ways . On a Revisit Day one winter I served as a translator and chaperone . My Spanish is passable , but my sense of direction ( especially guiding second graders around the newly renovated school ) needs help . Fortunately , the returning Horizons boys knew exactly where they were going . Lost , the thought passed my mind : “ I thought I knew these halls , but right now I ’ m in their house !”
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