World Day

Each day brings a unique energy and excitement here at the New City. Every Friday, for instance, dawns a new “World Day,” a day that can include everything from geography lessons— usually in the form of the seven continents and five* oceans rap**—to interviews with New City alumni to current events reports from students.

A few weeks ago, we had a special musical guest, Patrick, who grew up in Madagascar and now plays bass guitar professionally in New York City. The kids played some of our favorite After School songs—“Shout Hallelujah!” and “Blind Man”—with Patrick on bass and then he played a few songs on his own. Every one sat in rapt attention—I’ve never seen it so quiet—as Patrick made his six-string bass sing out in melody and rhythm. This guy was good. Really good. Afterwards, Patrick shared about his life—what it was like growing up in Madagascar, how he first became interested in music, how he became a Christian and how his faith impacts every aspect of his life. For the kids in After School that day, Patrick’s message was one of encouragement and inspiration about the significance of a life devoted to God, and the opportunities that may come through practice and dedication.

I must add that during question and answer time, one of our second-graders raised his hand and asked, “Did you know that you’re almost as good as Kyle?” I like this kid. He’s always got my back. His question, I suppose, could be attributed to a sort of “home-town bias,” but hey, I’ll take it.



*As I diligently researched information on the (to my knowledge) four oceans, I came to the discovery that a fifth, The Southern Ocean, had been added by the International Hydrographic Organization (I am not making this up) in 2000. It is perhaps also important to note here that my childhood suffered a bit of a shock a couple years ago with the sudden exclusion of Pluto as a planet from the Solar System; with the addition of an ocean I feel a kind of consolation.

** The Continents and Oceans Rap

North America! South America! Antarctica and Africa!
Then comes Europe and Asia and finally Australia!
These are the seven continents, its true,
But what about the oceans, the five oceans blue?
There’s the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian
And up in the North, the Arctic, too.
The last of the oceans in this little rhyme,
That one’s called the Southern, and that makes five!

Nautical Etymologies

Last summer, I learned to sail. And, having earned my degree in English, I was delighted to learn that many common phrases in the English language have their origin in the nautical world. For example:

Spring is upon us and we’ve been making headway as we chart our course for the upcoming City Sail season. This summer we hope to set a new tack, introducing our teen-sailors to the world of racing. And so, with Pastor (Captain) Trevor at the helm and (first-mate) Kyle on board, we have set sail with our sights set on acquiring a sailboat designed for racing. We’ve tried our best to remain even-keeled about the whole adventure, but we can’t help but get excited about the notion of finding a J/24 or J/105 sailboat (or J/22 or Colgate 26... You get the picture...). We’ve been writing letters, making phone calls, striking up conversations with random folks at the marina… the whole nine yards. We’ve had some leads, but so far nothing has solidified. We certainly won’t let that take the wind out of our sails; we’re ready to take this thing down to the bitter end.

If it comes to mind, pray for a sailboat for City Sail!