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Celebrating Our Global Heritage: A Look at International Day

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International Day at our BASIS Independent Fremont Lower School is an inspiring and vibrant celebration attended by over 800 enthusiastic students, staff, and family members. This special event brought together our diverse community to honor and showcase the rich cultural tapestry of our world, featuring representations from 12 countries across every continent. From singing in a multitude of languages to sharing fascinating tales of global heroes, the day was a beautiful reflection of our commitment to valuing the arts, people, and diversity.

Valuing the Arts
The highlight of BASIS Independent Fremont Lower School’s International Day was the incredible artistic expression of our students. They took to the stage with captivating dramas, delving into the heart of different cultures and bringing their stories to life. Each performance was a journey into a new world, filled with unique customs and traditions. The melodies of over a dozen languages filled the air as students sang songs from their represented countries, creating a harmonious blend of global music. Our school’s corridors turned into an art gallery, displaying vibrant art pieces that represented each country’s essence. These creations were not just displays of talent but also of deep respect and understanding of the diverse cultures that make up our world.

Valuing Each Other
At the core of International Day is the celebration of people who have shaped the cultures of the world. Students embarked on a journey of discovery, learning about significant figures from their chosen countries. They created engaging projects, from biographies of historical heroes to tales of mythical beings, each telling a story of human achievement and imagination. These projects were shared with other students and parents, fostering a sense of connection and admiration for the people who have contributed to our global society.

Valuing Diversity
The essence of International Day is the celebration of diversity. It is a day when the vastness and variety of the human experience are on full display. From cultural contributions and scientific accomplishments to the unique landscapes and languages of different regions, the event was a vivid reminder of the richness of our world. Music from different continents echoed throughout, and discussions about the diverse ways people live, think, and create fostered a deeper appreciation and understanding among our community.

International Day was more than just a day of celebration; it was a meaningful exploration of the world’s cultures, a testament to our school’s commitment to multicultural understanding and respect. As we move forward, the memories and lessons from this day will continue to inspire us to embrace and celebrate the diversity that makes our world so wonderfully complex.

We look forward to each year’s International Day, where we will once again come together to celebrate our global heritage and the unifying beauty of our diverse world.

Learn more about student life at BASIS Independent Fremont 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.

2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

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Congratulations to the 2023 winners of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. We wanted to celebrate the inspiring student work from BASIS Independent Brooklyn this year by sharing the work with our community. Students have created visually stunning and meaningful imagery, and we wanted to share many of the pieces honored by Scholastic in the hopes of inspiring others. We are proud to see them brilliantly uphold the BASIS Independent Brooklyn standard for setting the bar high for our school community and rising to meet those goals. 

“Our students’ hard work has led to great outcomes,” commented Head of School Josh Harmon. “I’m proud of their creativity and the execution that earned them their awards. Thank you to our teachers for inspiring and guiding our students to express themselves and capture their unique perspectives.”

Overall across BASIS Independent Brooklyn, 13 students were recognized with awards in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Competition. A full list of students honored follows:

  • Olivia B. ‘27 – Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration)
  • Katey B. ‘23 – 2 Gold Keys (Photography)
  • Laila G. ’24 – Silver Key (Digital Art)
  • Samantha G. ‘24 – Honorable Mention (Photography)
  • Mateo K. ‘25 – Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration)
  • Avi L. ‘24 – Gold and Silver Key (Photography)
  • Yorgo M. ‘27 – Gold Key (Photography)
  • Alex R. ‘24 – National Silver Medal, Gold Key, and 2 Honorable Mentions (Drawing & Illustration)
  • Yuna S. ‘24 – Silver Key (Digital Art)
  • Arthur S. ‘27 – Honorable Mention (Photography)
  • Beckham V. ‘26 – Honorable Mention (Photography)
  • Isaac W., ’24 – Honorable Mention (Photography)
  • Maren W. ’23 – 2 Silver Keys (Photography)

Art Awards
On top of the regional accolades, this year Alex R. ’23 was honored with a National Silver Medal in recognition of exceptional work in drawing and illustration. His award-winning work was displayed in the national exhibit that toured the country. 

“Alex is a wonderfully talented artist,” said Ms. Heather Corbett, Fine Arts Subject Expert Teacher. “He had a solid background in realistic drawing coming into class this year and has worked to expand his comfort zone by exploring 5-point perspective in colored pencil, portraits in acrylics and landscapes in watercolors. He is generous and encouraging with his peers and thoughtful in his approach to both his work and the work of his classmates. I am very pleased to have been able to get to know and teach him this year.” 

Alex R. ‘S National Silver Medal Drawing:

“Congratulations to this year’s winners,” said Mr. Opirhory, Fine Arts Subject Expert Teacher. “Their dedication to the arts and unique vision represents the best of our community. With art ranging from photography to digital art, and drawing they continue to impress.”

Proud of his students, Mr. Opirhory provided background on each one that we wanted to pair with their recognized entries. All of his students awarded Gold and Silver Keys follow alphabetically.

“Katey Brickner’s contributions to the arts at BASIS Independent Brooklyn have been extensive through the years.  Her artistic merit is immense.  She works in a variety of mediums and it’s great to see her gain acclaim for her photography.  These images are a direct reflection of her creativity, emotional intelligence, and dedication to skill.”

Katelyn B.’s Gold Key Photograph “Veil of Silence”: 

Katelyn B.’s Gold Key Photograph “The Web Whisper”:

“Avi Lockner has excelled at capturing stark and vivid imagery.  His photography set such a unique mood with his use of contrast and composition. Dark in tone, they confront us with their underlying ideas.”

 Avi L.’s Gold Key Photography “Works”:

“Yorgo Malafis is a newcomer to photography yet he’s created a number of wonderful works in a short time. He has an eye for iconic and structured imagery and accentuates order in urban environments.”

Yorgo M.’s Gold Key in Photography “The Wall”:

“Yuna Stechert Is an amazing draftsperson/painter. Her talent working with figurative narratives improves with each piece. She works with oil, acrylic, gouache, and watercolor with an attention to detail and a solid understanding of what makes a great image.”

Yuna S.’s Silver Key in Digital Art “Fleeting Happiness”:

“Maren Williard’s photographs are a spectacular look into the idiosyncrasies of life. This is done so succinctly by juxtaposing the roles of children and adults in a comedic and introspective fashion.” 

Maren W.’s Silver Key in Photography “Eve’s Temptation”:


Maren W.’s Silver Key in Photography “They Grow Up So Fast”:

Dean of our High School Program Mr. Goldman was proud to share that Laila G. ’23 was awarded a Silver Key for her layered and deeply-historical work created as part of his AP U.S. History class. Dean Goldman shared that it is an “impressive synthesis work, encompassing multiple centuries, and asserts her answer to the question ‘What is the Story of America?'”

Laila G.’s Silver Key in Digital Art “The Pursuit of Happiness”:

Our students continue to inspire us. We are extremely proud of them, their intelligence, artistic vision, and – most of all – their potential. 

Unleashing the Power of Creativity: Celebrating the Fine Arts at our Inaugural Festival

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The excitement was buzzing as students, faculty, staff, and parents gathered together to celebrate the fine arts through the New Works Festival hosted in April. The New Works Festival was a thrilling and dynamic week-long event that celebrated the creativity and innovation of our student artists, and our Fine Arts department. The festival provided a platform for artists to share their creativity and talent.

Developed by our Fine Arts Team including, Mr. Escobar, Music Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Mullens, Performing Arts Subject Expert Teacher, and Mr. Narmita, Visual Arts Subject Expert Teacher, the New Works Festival showcased original pieces of art, short plays, and musical compositions.

“The New Works Festival gave students a chance to create their own work and use their own voice in the work they do,” said Mr. Mullens, Performing Arts Subject Expert Teacher. “This festival provided our Mountaineers the opportunity and outlet for creative and critical thinking skills.”

Music Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Escobar

“This festival provided an excellent opportunity for students of all grades and experience levels to showcase their talents,” shared Music Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Escobar.

Mr. Escobar held auditions for students to play a piece they loved and were comfortable with in a solo setting. This format allowed students to learn what it is like to audition and rely solely on themselves and their confidence to perform. Mr. Escobar had more than 50 students audition to participate in the festival. From these auditions 18 students were selected to perform either their audition piece or a new piece of music.

In preparation for the festival, Mr. Escobar met once with each student for individual rehearsals. Students were encouraged to practice at home for their performance as well. Each night during interludes we heard from multiple pianists, vocalists, and more!

Mr. Escobar said, “The New Works Festival was an important representation of our Fine Arts Department because we made history! During our inaugural year we came together as a department to showcase the amazing things are students are capable of and it was a huge success. Students shared that when it was all said and done they were proud of themselves and their peers performances, while parents shared they enjoyed all aspects of each evening.”

Performance Arts, Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Mullens

Students in Grades 2 – 4, were provided script frames, with the order in which characters spoke however the lines for each character were left blank. Students worked together in groups to use their imagination to fill in the blanks and build a cohesive script, all the while developing their characters.

In Grades 5 – 7, students had a blank slate. Students collaborated together in groups to develop a short story from scratch including identifying a location, time period, characters, lines, story themes, and more. They focused on character development and were allotted a time of five to ten minutes for each short play.

Students worked on stage craft after school alongside their parents, and grandparents, which created a wonderful atmosphere and memorable community moments. The New Works Festival also included a well-organized Stage Crew who ensured a seamless transition between plays, musical performances, and art gallery presentations each night of the festival.

“Students developed their collaboration skills by working in pairs and groups and these interpersonal skills are invaluable in the world today,” said Mr. Mullens, “Giving students the opportunity to stand in front of an entire audience teaches students how to communicate their original ideas in an effective way, which is a critical skill to develop.”

Visual Arts Subject Expert, Teacher Mr. Narmita

Students from Mr. Narmita’s Grades 6 – 7 elective Visual Arts class prepared weeks in advance to prepare original art pieces that correlated with dramatic performances each evening. During this preparation period, students first had to understand the stories being told on a basic level. They then collaborated as a class in a round table discussion to brainstorm a variety of ways visuals could be created to connect with each story. From there each individual student had the artistic freedom to create a visual using the medium and materials of their choosing.

“I wanted to give creative freedom to the students in this process to empower them to make informed artistic decisions and follow through with those choices,” said Visual Arts Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Narmita. “While this festival was extremely collaborative in nature, students ultimately had autonomy in the creation of their project, which allowed them to trust themselves and make the art classroom their home. From this experience, students have a greater understanding of interdisciplinary subjects and how things can partner together.”

The New Works Festival was an outstanding celebration of the Fine Arts and brought together our school community in a truly memorable way.

Fine Arts Subject Expert Teachers BASIS Bellevue

“How collaborative, wonderful, hardworking and how dedicated as a group,” Mr. Mullens expressed. “It was spectacular to put our minds together and create a space for the students.”

Students are already looking forward to next year’s festival discussing performance ideas with our Fine Arts Subject Expert Teachers!

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).

Visual Arts Students Honored for 31 Day Inktober Challenge

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Visual Arts Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Narmita, launched the popular Inktober challenge this school year for his Grades 5 – 7 art students.

To celebrate the completion of the challenge our Mountaineer students participated this past week in an exclusive Inktober 31 Day club induction ceremony. Members received a certificate, poster, and pin. Altogether 34 students completed this challenge. Congratulations Mountaineers!

Inktober drawings from BASIS Independent Bellevue students.

Inktober is a 31 day drawing challenge that takes place during the month of October. Artists from around the world participate in this fun and active challenge, which was created by Jake Parker. During Inktober, students are provided a different word each day to prompt one ink drawing. Participants have the option to use black ink, pen, or marker. Words used this Inktober included farm, gargoyle, and scurry.

Mountaineer Claire F. (Grade 7) receives her Inktober pin and certificate.

“It’s not a competition, it is a challenge to improve student’s drawing skills, and make drawing a regular habit in the day,” says Mr. Narmita. “The hardest thing about art is getting started! Inktober and the daily word helps students get started on something and use creative freedom.”

Visual Arts Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Narmita.

Mr. Narmita also taught students several book binding techniques such as stitching. Students then hand stitched books of all 31 drawings to showcase.

Student’s book of 31 Inktober sketches.

Student’s book of 31 Inktober sketches.

“Inktober was a way for me to improve my skills,” says Claire, Grade 7. “It was a good experience to challenge myself and the daily word prompts helped me to get out of my comfort zone.”

Students, and even some of our Mountaineer parents who enjoying drawing, are already looking forward to next school year’s Inktober challenge.

Watch Mr. Narmita create the Inktober banner!