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Spellbinding Fun at BASIS Independent Fremont’s TK/K Fall Social!

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This month, BASIS Independent Fremont’s youngest learners eagerly anticipated one of their first social events of the school year — the annual TK/K Fall Social. Student socials, sprinkled throughout the academic calendar, provide invaluable opportunities for young minds to extend their connections beyond the classroom, forge new friendships, practice essential emotional-social skills, and engage in a variety of fun activities. This year’s TK/K Fall Social, held on Friday the 13th of October, took on a thrilling Halloween theme. The scary and silly festivities promised an extra dose of fun, creating lasting memories for these budding scholars. Let’s delve into the delightful details of this year’s affair!

Adorable Costumes Galore!

Our little Bumblebees truly stole the show, demonstrating their ghostly or glamorous spirit through an array of costumes! From friendly ghosts to daring superheroes and whimsical witches, each child’s creativity shone brightly. We couldn’t help but “ooh” and “ahh” when our tiny Bumblebees transformed into characters from their wildest imaginations! 

Pumpkin Painting Extravaganza!

The enchantment continued with a Pumpkin Painting Extravaganza! Our little artists dived into an evening of creativity, transforming ordinary pumpkins into magical works of art. Witness the joy on their faces as they brought their pumpkin masterpieces to life! 

Trick-or-Treat Design Delight!

Glittery rhinestones, feathers, bold colors, or a spooky nightscape—what’s your trick-or-treat style? Our Bumblebees explored their artistic side by decorating bags to carry sweet treats on Halloween night. The room buzzed with excitement as imaginations ran wild, resulting in one-of-a-kind creations. Feast your eyes on this dazzling display of trick-or-treat bag artistry!

Monster Mash Dance Party!

The night took a lively turn as our little Bumblebees danced the night away at the Monster Mash! Laughter filled the air as they grooved to silly tunes and played delightful games with their friends. The joy of pure, carefree fun radiated from every corner of the room. 

Unwinding with Art

After all the dancing excitement, it was time to settle down for some coloring and arts and crafts. Tiny hands worked diligently to create mini-masterpieces, marking the perfect end to a magical evening. Here’s a heartwarming glimpse into the serene world of creativity our little Bumblebees explored! 

The TK/K Fall Social marked an enchanting Friday the 13th, for our littlest Bumblebees, serving as one of their earliest and most cherished memories of playful bonding with friends beyond the classroom walls. This delightful first is just the inaugural chapter in a series of moments that will shape their journey at BASIS Independent Fremont. From here on, memories filled with joy, creativity, and a strong sense of community spirit await our Bumblebees as they navigate the exciting path of their educational adventure. This Fall Social was not just an event; it was a precursor to the wonderful experiences that will unfold during their time at our school.

Learn more about BASIS Independent Fremont’s Early Learning Program here. 

BASIS Independent Fremont is a grades TK-12 private school based in Fremont, California, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum.

Unleashing the Spirit of Sport

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This year marked the inaugural year of the Bumblebee Games, BASIS Independent Fremont’s new annual sports day. This eagerly anticipated event saw students come together to showcase their athletic abilities, team spirit, and, most importantly, to have fun! A sports-focused day holds a special place, igniting the competitive fire in young hearts. It’s a day filled with joy, teamwork, and valuable life lessons that will leave a lasting impact on these budding athletes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the excitement and benefits of The Bumblebee Games!

Healthy competition thrives where sportsmanship takes center stage. Teaching students about fair play, respect, and the importance of embracing both victory and defeat is vital. Through a range of sports activities like relay races, soccer matches, tug-of-war, and obstacle courses, children learn to collaborate, communicate, and support each other. This inclusive atmosphere fosters a sense of camaraderie among students, regardless of their skill levels, emphasizing that participation and effort are where victory is born.

Engaging in sports activities during sports day not only promotes physical fitness but also encourages students to lead active lifestyles. It presents an opportunity for children to discover their athletic interests, try new sports, and develop their coordination and motor skills. Through friendly competition, they can better understand the value of regular exercise, teamwork, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The Bumblebee Games act as a catalyst, inspiring young minds to pursue sports beyond the event and embrace physical activity as an integral part of their lives.

Participating in a sports-focused sports day helps children build confidence and self-esteem. As they navigate various challenges and triumphs, they experience personal growth. From overcoming individual obstacles in an obstacle course to supporting teammates in relay races, every success fuels their belief in themselves. The cheers and applause from peers and teachers uplift their spirits, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment. This newfound confidence transcends the sports day, empowering students in their academic pursuits and personal lives.

Above all, a sports-focused sports day creates lasting memories that students will cherish for years to come. The excitement, laughter, and sense of accomplishment become shared experiences that bind classmates together. Whether it’s the joy of crossing the finish line, the pride of scoring a goal, or the support and encouragement exchanged among teammates, these moments become a part of their elementary school journey. These memories not only foster a sense of belonging but also ignite a lifelong love for sports and camaraderie.

BASIS Independent Schools Mean Business

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Congratulations to “Rainbow,” our student team from BASIS Independent Fremont, on winning the inaugural “BINS Means Business” competition. This is a startup pitch contest that any high school student or student team from each of our BASIS Independent Schools (BINS) can enter. The contestants competed locally at each of their schools, presenting a business idea following the Y Combinator pitch deck format. Then the school winners advanced to the finals, which were held on February 25th over Zoom. The five finalists split $10,000, with $5,000 and $2,000 awarded to the winner and runner-up, to allocate to a charity of their choice.

Angela Z. and Lauren W., both students in BASIS Independent Fremont’s Class of 2026, presented their innovative idea for an environmentally friendly and biodegradable smart umbrella – the Parapluie. All of the judges were impressed by the sophistication of their presentation as well as the great potential of their product. “I’m ready to order mine right away,” commented one judge!

“We could not have done it without the help of Mr. Ong, our instructors, and our peers, who have supported us and guided us throughout this entire journey,” said Angela and Lauren. “It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with everyone along the way, and we’re honestly a bit sad that it’s over! Those couple of sleepless nights and that intense feeling of stressing out before each round will only pass down as precious memories. So, thank you, everyone, for supporting us so that we could see a rainbow at the end of this memorable road!”

Mr. Ong, Economics and Business Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Fremont expressed his pride and congratulations.

“Heartiest congratulations to Angela and Lauren, co-founders of the Rainbow Company, for their outstanding performance. It was a pleasure to work with them on this project. This inaugural business competition at BASIS Independent Schools is a great initiative to strengthen the BASIS Curriculum in business and finance, and, as a DECA advisor, I look forward to continuing to nurture our students’ business drive and lay the foundation for their future success in college and beyond.”

Second place was awarded to Scarlett S. in BASIS Independent Manhattan’s class of 2024 with her company Gard-Eco, a home delivery service for home gardens in New York City.




Scarlett S., Class of 2024

“I loved stepping out of my comfort zone by participating in this competition, and I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience,” said Scarlett.

Student teams competing in the final all received prizes of $1,000, with the winning team receiving $5,000 and the second place team $2,000. The money is donated to a charity or cause of choice.

Rainbow has decided to donate their prize money to the charity Doctors Without Borders. GardEco has selected the organization Choose Creativity.

Congratulations are also in order to our three school finalists across the network:

  • Brooklyn – Alexa L. ’24 pitched a Sustainable Fashion app that would help facilitate used clothes donations and drive consumers to purchase from sustainable clothing retailers. She will donate her $1,000 prize to Little Essentials, a non-profit in Brooklyn helping underserviced families with gently used clothing donations for babies and children.
  • McLean – Melis O. and Shaun J. ’24 pitched their Sustainability Index Platform and Marketplace concept. They will donate their $1,000 prize to Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
  • Silicon Valley – Roshan A., Nathan W., and Max W. ’24 pitched a business idea called Chlarity. They donated their $1,000 prize to Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

BINS Means Business – Expert Judging Panel

Ms. Catherine Lu
Ms. Catherine Lu is a venture capital investor at Alumni Ventures, where she makes investments in startups at their earliest stages of development. Previously, she held product management roles at DataVisor and Palantir. Prior to that, she co-founded a retail analytics startup that was acquired by Palantir. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.

Mr. Amrit Saxena
Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early-stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent-sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015. Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded sevenU.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three-time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Mr. James Shin
Mr. James Shinn is a general manager and entrepreneur with a series of technology start-ups in the fields of digital signal processing, cyber security, data analytics, autonomous mobility, cryptocurrency, and generative artificial intelligence. He has a Bachelor of Arts and Ph.D. from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.

BASIS Independent Schools Means Business Competition: Fremont Claims Inaugural Title

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Congratulations to “Rainbow,” the student team from BASIS Independent Fremont, on winning the inaugural “BINS Means Business” competition. This is a startup pitch contest that any high school student or student team from each of our BASIS Independent Schools (BINS) can enter.  The contestants competed locally at each of their schools presenting a business idea following the Y Combinator pitch deck format.  Then the school winners advanced to the finals which were held February 25th over Zoom. The five finalists split $10,000, with $5,000 and $[2,000] awarded to the winner and runner up, to allocate to a charity of their choice.  This year’s theme was “sustainability” and students participated from BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Fremont, Manhattan, McLean, and Silicon Valley.

Angela Z. and Lauren W. both students in BASIS Independent Fremont’s Class of 2026 presented their innovative idea for an environmentally friendly and biodegradable smart umbrella – the Parapluie. All of the judges were impressed by the sophistication of their presentation as well as the great potential for their product. “I’m ready to order mine right away,” commented one judge!

“We could not have done it without the help of Mr. Ong, our instructors, and our peers, who have supported us and guided us throughout this entire journey,” said Angela and Lauren. “It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with everyone along the way and we’re honestly a bit sad that it’s over! Those couple of sleepless nights and that intense feeling of stressing out before each round will only pass down as precious memories. So, thank you everyone, for supporting us, so that we could see a rainbow at the end of this memorable road!”

Mr. Ong, Economics and Business Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Fremont expressed his pride and congratulations.

“Heartiest congratulations to Angela and Lauren, co-founders of the Rainbow Company, for their outstanding performance. It was a pleasure to work with them on this project. This inaugural business competition at BASIS Independent Schools is a great initiative to strengthen the BASIS Curriculum in business and finance, and, as a DECA advisor, I look forward to continuing to nurture our students’ business drive and lay the foundation for their future success in college and beyond.”

Second place was awarded to Scarlett S. in BASIS Independent Manhattan’s class of 2024 with her company Gard-Eco, a home delivery service for home gardens in New York City.

Scarlett S., Class of 2024

“I loved stepping out of my comfort zone by participating in this competition, and I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience,” said Scarlett.

Student teams competing in the final all received prizes of $1,000 with the winning team receiving $5,000 and the second place team, $2,000. The money is donated to a charity or cause of choice.

Rainbow has decided to donate their prize money to the charity Doctors Without Borders. GardEco has selected the organization Choose Creativity.

Congratulations are also in order to our three school finalists across the network:

  • Brooklyn – Alexa L. ’24 pitched a Sustainable Fashion app that would help facilitate used clothes donations and drive consumers to purchase from sustainable clothing retailers. She will donate her $1,000 prize to Little Essentials, a non-profit in Brooklyn helping underserviced families with gently used clothing donations for babies and children.
  • McLean – Melis O. and Shaun J. ’24 pitched their Sustainability Index Platform and Marketplace concept. They will donate their $1,000 prize to Turkish Philanthropy Funds

  • Silicon Valley – Roshan A., Nathan W., and Max W. ’24 pitched a business idea called Chlarity. They donated their $1,000 prize to Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

BINS Means Business – Expert Judging Panel

Ms. Catherine Lu

Ms. Catherine Lu is a venture capital investor at Alumni Ventures, where she makes investments into startups at their earliest stages of development. Previously, she held product management roles at DataVisor and Palantir. Prior to that, she co-founded a retail analytics startup that was acquired by Palantir. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.

Mr. Amrit Saxena

Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in the Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015.  Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded sevenU.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Mr. James Shin

Mr. James Shinn is a general manager and entrepreneur, with a series of technology start-up’s in the fields of digital signal processing, cyber security, data analytics, autonomous mobility, cryptocurrency, and generative artificial intelligence. He has a Bachelor of Arts and PhD from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Mountaineers Unite to Support Earthquake Relief

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Our Mountaineers in Grades 6 – 7 hosted a concession stand this past week to raise funds for earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.

Thanks to the generosity of our Mountaineer families and students, our community raised $3,000. A special thank you to English Subject Expert Teacher, Ms. Marlow, for coordinating this event and demonstrating the importance of empathy to her students.

Ms. Marlow joined BASIS Independent Bellevue after living and teaching in Turkey for eight years. Most recently, she taught at an International Baccalaureate high school in Istanbul. Upon hearing about the earthquake, she reached out to her friends in Turkey on how to help.

The concession stand created an opportunity to help families in immediate need. All proceeds from the concession stand will be given to AKUT Search and Rescue Association, a Turkish NGO operating rescue missions in the disaster area.

This student run concession stand brought our community together and showed students the value of participating as global citizens by helping each other when disaster strikes far from home.

“It is a gentle reminder that while this world may seem like a vast place, ultimately, we are all connected through our humanity,” expressed Head of School, Ms. Thies.

BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school, opened with Grades 2 – 7 to start and will add a grade level each school year as we expand to a full middle and high school (Grades 5 – 12).