Culture of Support

2023 – 2024 Subject Advisor of the Year

May 17, 2024 by msnyder Leave a Comment

We extend heartfelt congratulations to our 2023 – 2024 Subject Advisor (SAD) of the Year, Mr. Grant Norcross, from BASIS Independent Bellevue!

Congratulations, too, to our runners-up, Ms. Laura Butchy (Performing Arts SAD) and Ms. Sarah Morehouse (Kindergarten Civics, History & Science and Mathematics SAD)!

The SAD of the Year is a celebration and greater recognition of all the work our Subject Advisors (SADs) do, including providing template syllabi for teachers, creating assessments, collaborating with SETs across the BASIS Independent School network, and working incredibly hard to build subject mastery for each of our students.

“Subject Advisors are wonderful at what they do,” expressed Ms. Linda Louis, Senior Director of the BASIS Curriculum. “It is important to acknowledge the myriad ways they impact our network and to give teachers the opportunity to reflect on how much their work has been positively shaped by their SADs.”

The role of a Subject Advisor (SAD): curriculum and community
BASIS Curriculum Schools have a Subject Advisor for each required course and some electives, all the way from STEM Discovery in PreK to Capstone courses for seniors. A SAD is first and foremost a classroom teacher; experienced BASIS Curriculum Schools teachers apply to take on the SAD role and become extensions of the BASIS Curriculum Team. SADs are responsible for updating the curriculum and refining vertical alignment annually, this task involves looking beyond their classroom experiences, seeking input from teachers across the network of BASIS Independent and International Schools, incorporating insights from assessment data, and considering ongoing conversations in their fields.

The power of a network, leveraged by Subject Advisors
Throughout the year, SADs prompt discussion among teachers of their course(s) and provide valuable guidance to teachers in monthly forums. Teachers can share advice on pedagogy, assessments, and classroom activities, and request resources or assistance. SADs also host network-wide meetings over Zoom throughout the year to cultivate a community of colleagues. Their role in shaping learning outcomes and facilitating opportunities for professional growth and development ensures continuous improvement in the educational experience provided to students.

How SADs are nominated
Teachers across our network were asked to nominate their SAD in an anonymous, voluntary survey. The BASIS Curriculum Team reviewed all entries, carefully considering responses on several critical topics from academic support to community-building and more. Testimonials from advisees about how enthusiastic, helpful, and knowledgeable their SADs are made the decision to choose the winners extremely difficult!

Writes one of Mr. Norcross’s advisees: “I am nominating Grant Norcross because I believe that his approach to teaching math is exceptional, and he has done an amazing job working with us to help us understand our goals while still recognizing the rigor associated with the curriculum.”

Says another advisee: “As a new teacher at BASIS Curriculum Schools, Grant’s resources were very helpful to get started, to have an in-depth idea of the curriculum and possible approaches. He communicated with us often and was very quick to respond after any questions or issues. I felt I had someone who I could reach out to at any point, and I found his comments on my syllabus and other resources useful.”

We are incredibly grateful to our exceptional Subject Advisors for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations on the completion of another school year!

SAD Celebration
To celebrate Mr. Norcross and his achievements the BASIS Curriculum Team supplied a staff breakfast for his campus. BASIS Independent Bellevue Head of School, Dr. Elizabeth Thies, commented, “He is not only an exceptional teacher to the students at our campus, but a stand-out teacher mentor across our network!”

Our Two-Teacher Model Explained

March 13, 2024 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

The Symbiotic Classroom is a hallmark element of our Primary Program, but what does that mean to a parent? How do our students benefit? We take this biology term and translate it into a successful teaching model that pairs a Subject Expert Teacher (SET) and a Learning Expert Teacher (LET). Read on to have this SET/LET relationship explained.

Imagine being back at school, sitting in a class where you already know the material, feeling like you’re “ahead” of everyone else. This is boring! Then you head to a class you don’t like, but it is only because you are struggling to understand the lesson. The teacher is going too fast! Now imagine there was a second teacher in those classes who really knows you. They recognize your strengths and provide enrichment when needed. They identify your areas of growth and provide support to help you achieve your highest potential. This approach best describes the SET/LET model at BASIS Independent Manhattan.

Meet the SET

Subject Expert Teachers (SETs) are just that—experts in their field of study—teaching classes in the subjects for which they received their degrees and are, therefore, most passionate about them. Their area of expertise is their sole focus, allowing them to concentrate on creating captivating, in-depth lessons for all grade levels they teach. Students in grades 1 and above have one SET for each discipline rather than one teacher who teaches multiple subjects.

Meet the LET

Learning Expert Teachers (LETs) span across grades 1—4 and are responsible for one class of students whom they stay with for the entire academic day. In addition to co-teaching with the SETs, LETs provide customized support in those classes, as needed. Because LETs are with just one class all day, they build trust and understanding with their students to better guide them throughout their academics.

The Benefits

Together, these expert teachers focus on building a classroom culture of social-emotional support and academic excellence. The SETs and LETs collaborate to create lesson plans that are both advanced and accessible to all students. The symbiotic relationship between these two teachers in the classroom helps provide:

Minimal distractions and maximum learning,
Flexibility for one-on-one and small group work,
An infectious passion for subjects passed on from teacher to student, and
Individualized attention on student progress and overall happiness.
At BASIS Independent Manhattan, the SET/LET relationship is at the heart of our goal to instill a lifelong passion for learning in our students.

Finding a Connection

In addition to co-teaching with SETs, LETs lead a weekly class called Connections. This course encourages students to utilize their knowledge in a creative way. Students are presented with project-based scenarios that require the use of problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration as they establish links across subjects. Connections shows our students how each subject is related to the other while gaining a deeper understanding of the material.

One of our most exciting Connections projects happens in grade 1 when students combine everything they learn about Ancient Egypt in Humanities, art, science, and engineering. The real-world connections across disciplines occur when they:

Write their name and phrases in hieroglyphs,
Construct pyramids using marshmallows and toothpicks,
Learn about mummies and recreate the mummification process with a stuffed animal and shoebox, and
Explore Ancient Egyptian culture and clothing.

Contact the Admissions Team
Should you have any questions, we invite you to explore our website, visit our school, or contact our Admissions team to learn more.

BASIS Independent Manhattan, a private school offering PreK through Grade 12, is based in Manhattan, New York. Students thrive alongside Subject Expert Teachers as they engage in a liberal arts program with STEM offerings.

On a Mission with our Head of School

September 21, 2023 by msnyder

As we reflect on the first few weeks of school and successful Meet the Teacher events, we are eager to hear from our Head of School, LaNette Hodge. With her focused and intentional leadership style, she has spent the summer collaborating with her staff and crafting a set of core values to guide BASIS Independent Manhattan throughout the 2023-24 year.

Welcome back! This is quite an exciting year for you.

It is! We are so excited and fulfilled. I can say that because we are now a fully mature school with our first graduating class of seniors. It is such a privilege to be able to offer our families not only a comprehensive educational journey from PreK-12 but also a complete and consistent student experience.

I understand that you place great importance on mantras and setting intentions. As a thoughtful and visionary leader, what aspirations do you have for the upcoming school year?

Personally, my journey towards self-improvement is a constant pursuit, and I wake up every day with a purpose to serve others, which fills my heart with immense gratitude. The intentional efforts put in by our team to establish a culture of trust, respect, and pride at BASIS Independent Manhattan is something I take great pride in. This culture resonates in every aspect of our school’s operations, shaping the exceptional educational experience we provide.

While there are a number of goals that come to mind, I have three primary ones for achievement in the coming year, which I would love to share in more detail. I am sharing these goals with our community because I believe that transparency and communication are essential for building trust and success.

Goal #1: Alignment of Mission, Vision & Values

Over the summer, our team carefully created a mission statement that we use as our guide in our daily interactions with one another. I feel we have a renewed sense of teamwork now that allows us to promote a supportive culture of inclusion, equity, and agency.

That effort expands to encircle our school community in which teachers, students, parents, and staff build relationships of connectivity, collaboration, and belonging.

Goal #2: Staff Satisfaction

I am very proud to say that we had 84% retention at both our Lower and Upper Schools, and are currently fully staffed! That is an incredible accomplishment in the current landscape of education and hiring. Our leadership team has done a lot of important work to attract and retain the best and brightest faculty and staff.

Even with the high number of returning, experienced teachers and the addition of pedigreed new teachers to support our school’s growth, we are inspired to push even further. We do that by providing our staff with professional development opportunities and leadership initiatives in a diverse and equitable environment.

Heading from our summer teacher training into this school year, I also could see a renewed sense of collegiality, collaboration, and camaraderie. That kind of positivity spills into the classrooms, trickles down to the students, and is shared with families who then express their appreciation back to the teachers. It’s a beautiful and rewarding cycle.

Goal #3: Culture of Connection & Belonging

Another goal is to continue to build, promote, and foster a school culture of belonging and connectedness—where all students feel included, supported, valued, and respected. This is leading to improved academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. Beyond the student experience, we also encourage a school community culture where affirmation, collaboration, and partnerships thrive and are the valued norm.

That all sounds great, but how do you do it?

Our collaborative leadership approach is helping us to achieve our goals by fostering communication and collaboration across all levels of the school community. We now have an Associate Head of School at the Lower and Upper School campuses, which creates an aligned and supportive foundation. We also have shared office space where we work closely every day, which:

promotes cross-functional school collaboration
facilitates feedback and decision-making efficiency, and
allows us to anticipate and respond to the needs of our students, teachers, or parents

Our success is evident in the positive experiences our families are having and the enthusiastic recommendations they are sharing with their families, friends, and colleagues. It is truly remarkable to witness the increased number of admissions applications we have received in PreK, kindergarten, grade 6, and grade 9 – the traditional entry points for our school. This growth is a testament to the thriving Wildcat school community we are building, and I am eagerly looking forward to the incredible achievements that await us this year, especially with our exceptional Class of 2024!

Cultivating Excellence: Exploring the Dedicated Leadership of BASIS Independent Bellevue’s Dean of Students

September 20, 2023 by msnyder

Welcome Back, Mountaineers!

We hope this message finds you filled with excitement and anticipation as you return to school this fall throughout the PNW. As we eagerly embrace the return of the school year, BASIS Independent Bellevue is excited to introduce you to our esteemed Dean of Students, Ms. Huang. With a rich educational background and a deep commitment to nurturing students’ social and emotional growth, Ms. Huang plays a vital role in our school community.

Meet Ms. Huang:

Ms. Huang’s educational journey is a testament to her dedication to the field of education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Shanghai International Studies University, a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies from Washington State University, and a Master of Education from the University of Washington. Her extensive academic background equips her with the knowledge and expertise to guide our students effectively.

Ms. Huang’s Role as Dean of Students:

As the Dean of Students at BASIS Independent Bellevue, Ms. Huang has set an important goal for herself as an educator. Her mission is to form strong bonds with her students, create a secure and nurturing learning environment, guide students through their educational journey, and help them realize their fullest potential. Ms. Huang understands the BASIS model and approach and what we require that ultimately sets our students up for social, emotional, and academic well-being.

Ms. Huang works alongside Ms. Stienessen, the Director of Student Affairs. Together, their team is focused on creating a supportive community where students are willing take risks, be comfortable with failure, and develop into resilient learners.

Approach to Support:

Ms. Huang firmly believes that students thrive when they are genuinely interested in what they are learning and are motivated to explore and discover knowledge on their own.

Prior to becoming the Dean, Ms. Huang was a founding faculty member, serving as a Learning Expert Teacher (LET) for Grade 3. This experience has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of our school’s culture and the needs of our remarkable students. Ms. Huang as has three years of experience working at a BASIS Curriculum School in Arizona as a Subject Expert Teacher (SET) teaching Mandarin for grades K-4. This experience, along with her experience last year being the LET, helped her fully understand the co-teaching model. To her, it’s the best approach to help students with academic support, as well as challenging them with their potential.

“Students learn best when they are interested in the topics and wanting to learn themselves,” says Ms. Huang. “We can help make this happen by providing different types of learning, creating various activities, and providing intuitive practice opportunities.”

Outside of the Classroom:

Beyond her role as an educator, Ms. Huang enjoys spending quality time traveling with her family, indulging in mint chocolate chip ice-cream, and watching Korean dramas. These interests reflect her passion for discovering new experiences, fostering meaningful relationships, and finding joy in life’s little pleasures.

As we embark on this new school year, we are fortunate to have Ms. Huang as our Dean of Students, guiding and supporting our students on their educational journey. Her dedication to social and emotional learning, coupled with her commitment to creating a stimulating and inclusive learning environment, sets a strong foundation for a successful academic year.

Welcome back, Mountaineers! We look forward to a year filled with growth, learning, and personal development under the caring guidance of Ms. Huang and our exceptional educational team.