St. David’s was originally the home of Ruth Hunter Cutting, daughter of Robert Fulton Cutting, known as a prominent financier (he and his brother William Bayard Cutting brought the sugar beet industry to the United States), philanthropist and as “the first citizen of New York.”
The school officially opened on February 5, 1951, and Saint David's began with one teacher and four students. Its purpose, according to its nine[5] founding families, was "to provide a sound substantial education for the growing boy, equal to the best, derived from institutions of a similar level."[3]
While a school in the Roman Catholic tradition, Saint David's has always been lay-run and independent.
Chaplains[6] that serve and have served the school are: Msgr. Thomas Leonard (1968-2003), Rev. Stephen Katsourous, S.J. (2003-2011)[7] Rev. Patrick Bonner, S.T.B., M.S., J.C.L., and Father Christopher Keenan.
In the decades since its founding, Saint David's has undertaken several expansions, adding facilities for its academic and athletics programs.[8] Today, the school community includes 400 students and more than 130 faculty and staff.[3]
As an after-school elective, Saint David's also offers an ice hockey program which begins in kindergarten and is available until 8th grade.[14][15] In the 2018-2019 hockey season, Saint David's won its first ice hockey championship in the Hudson Valley Hockey League by defeating North Park.
In early June 2019, the school was visited by Justin Tuck, formerly of the New York Giants, to speak at an athletics networking event for alumni, parents, and students.[16]
The school has also been visited multiple times by Tom Brady, whose son, Jack, attended the school. Tom Brady has also occasionally held a football toss with students at the school as a fundraising initiative.
Community service
Saint David's participates in many community service initiatives, some of which include their annual Halloween candy drive, their bottle cap drive, and other fundraising projects. They work with New York Cares for their annual coat drive,[17] the Graham Windham Mitten and Hat Collection,[18] Project Cicero for book donations,[19]City Harvest for annual food drives, Ronald McDonald's Fun Run,[20] Florence Nightingale Nursing Home[21] and Terence Cardinal Cooke Nursing Home[22][23][24] for nursing home visits and carols, and It's My Park Day[25] to rejuvenate New York City Parks.[26]
In 2004, the school raised more than $10,000 for the Red Cross and their South East Asia Tsunami Fund.[26] In 2010, they raised $36,000 for Haiti's Recovery Fund.[26] And in 2011, they began a new initiative to raise money to build a school in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with the help of Mimi's Building Blocks[27] and Save the Children.[28] They raised more than $120,000 and Saint David's Kalina School opened in Ethiopia in the fall of 2013.[29][30]
^Jensen, Elizabeth (2008-12-24). "Where the Meal Is Only Part of the Show". New York Times. Mr. Rossi had interviewed Mr. Maccioni for "Eat This New York" and had attended grade school at St. David's School on the Upper East Side with Mauro Maccioni.