Humanities

More Than a STEM School: Highlighting Our Humanities Curriculum

November 21, 2025 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Manhattan, our reputation for excellence in math and science is well-established. Families often choose us because they know their children will master calculus, physics, and engineering years ahead of national averages.

However, a truly exceptional education requires more than STEM mastery. We are a Liberal Arts school with a distinct focus on STEM, and that distinction shapes every classroom. The same high standards that define our science labs are present in our English and history courses.

Our mission is to cultivate well-rounded students who are as confident analyzing a complex novel as they are solving a differential equation.

two elementary school students read a book together

Why a Content-Rich Curriculum Matters

Our unique approach and advanced academics are supported by research and cognitive science. Studies, such as those highlighted in “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler, demonstrate that early exposure to a deep, content-rich curriculum is the key to long-term academic success.

Wexler’s research confirms what we see in our classrooms: when students build a broad base of knowledge in history, geography, and literature starting in the early years, they develop superior reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. This foundation empowers them to excel in high-level courses later on.

This is why we believe in and uphold our curriculum. From PreK through grade 12, every subject is an opportunity to challenge students and expand their understanding of the world.

Consistency Across the Board

To ensure our humanities program consistently meets these high standards, we have made a strategic investment in our curriculum. We have adopted the Savvas/Pearson program for our core English and history instruction. This resource provides the robust structure and depth necessary to support our advanced learning outcomes.

This alignment ensures that rigor is a constant across every grade level.

two male elementary school students read a picture book together

Building the Foundation: In the Lower School, we focus on critical reading and writing. Even our youngest students in PreK and kindergarten are engaging with texts that ask them to think, not just decode.
Advanced Placement Readiness: Our humanities courses are taught a grade level ahead. This intentional pacing challenges students to take on sophisticated ideas earlier, preparing them for the demands of AP coursework in high school.
Connecting Disciplines: By coordinating our curriculum, we create opportunities for students to see connections between subjects. A history lesson on the Industrial Revolution might overlap with a science unit on energy, deepening understanding in both areas.

high school students in English class doing an activity with notecards spread across the floor

Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Preparing for High-Level Coursework

Our grade 4 students recently explored New York State Native American history. Rather than simply memorizing facts, they built detailed dioramas and wrote analytical explanations of tribal societies.

This project required them to use their research and writing skills along with hands-on creativity to connect geography, culture, and economics—the exact kind of multidimensional thinking they will need for future AP History courses.

grade 4 student shows her history diorama and research writing project

Voices from the Classroom

The heart of our program is our faculty. Our teachers are subject matter experts who are passionate about their fields and their students.

Abigail Bandarenko (Director of Student Affairs, Lower School PreK—5)

Ms. Bandarenko brings a wealth of experience to her leadership role, holding a dual master’s degree in elementary education and literacy from Bank Street and a bachelor’s in English. Having served as a Subject Expert Teacher in humanities herself, she possesses a deep, practical understanding of how literacy develops in the classroom.

Ms. Bandarenko interacts smiling with two early learning program students

“In my role, I see firsthand how a strong foundation in literacy powers everything else. At its core, literacy is the ability to communicate clear understanding through language to express needs and ideas. By fostering these skills in the early years, we give students the tools to succeed in every subject, from science to history. It’s not just about reading and writing. It’s about equipping students to be confident communicators and curious, capable learners for life.”

Ms. Bond discussing topics with a student.

Emma Bond (English Subject Expert Teacher, Upper School grades 9—12)

Ms. Bond’s expertise is grounded in her academic background in English and theology, as well as her immersive study of Shakespeare and philosophy at the University of Oxford. With five years of teaching experience, she brings a rigorous, scholarly approach to her high school English classes.

“In our Upper School English courses, we go far beyond plot summaries. We dive into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of great literature. Whether we are reading Shakespeare or modern dystopian fiction, students are learning to analyze arguments, understand nuance, and articulate their own unique perspectives. These are the skills that shape future leaders.”

The Full Picture of Academic Excellence

True academic success is about balance. The critical thinking skills developed in a rigorous humanities seminar make our students better scientists, just as the logic learned in math makes them sharper writers.

We invite you to see this dynamic education in action. Come explore how BASIS Independent Manhattan prepares students for future success in the real world.

student author holds his book and stands with his parents at a publishing party

Parent Perspectives Shared at Our Fall Open House

November 3, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s recent Open House, several parents spoke on a panel about what drew them to our school and what stands out most based on their years in our community. We wanted to capture the conversation to help others understand what makes our school stand apart. Many thanks to all our parents for sharing their experiences!

Paul C. (Dad to Jasper in Gr. 10)

We were talking to one of my wife’s aunts, who lives in Arizona, and she told us that they’re building a BASIS [Independent] School in Brooklyn, and she told us that we needed to do whatever we could to get our kid into it. She’s an educator in Arizona, so she was very familiar with the BASIS Curriculum. That’s why we came to the school and took the tour, and it was so inspirational. Literally, my wife was crying because it just felt like this is what we’re looking for.

This school has a reputation for being a really challenging school. However, the truth is, in our experience – and it’s been about 10 years now – that BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] is going to make your kid a better student, no matter what their capabilities are. That’s what’s most important.

The other thing that I loved in this whole process and journey, are the relationships that my son has developed with the teachers along the way. They talk about classes; they talk about movies and more. He’s leaned into a lot of different and varying interests here. I think that is possible when you are at a school that has a smaller student body. The school and the teachers You’re able to have a more meaningful relationship with the students and nurture their interests.

Seema S. (Mom to Sonia in Gr. 6):

My daughter, Sonia, started here in third grade, so this is her fourth year at Basis. Our family is very happy with Basis. When we started looking at schools, we were looking at different public and private schools. My husband was very keen on BASIS Independent Brooklyn. He’s an engineer by background. So, he was looking for a rigorous STEM education. I was a little bit skeptical because I wanted a more well-rounded, and I thought BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] might be too STEM-heavy.

We’ve been really impressed with the breadth of the curriculum. For example, Basis offers classes in creative writing, philosophy, drama, music, and choir. The administration has been building out its sports program as well. In fourth grade, the kids put on a school play – Alice in Wonderland, and it was amazing. It was so impressive. The students even designed the props, and the acting was great. My daughter loves her creative writing class. So, I think it’s a very well-rounded education.

Ralf S. (Dad to Frankie in Gr. 5 and Alba in Gr. 7):

I’m the very lucky father of two daughters here at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Frankie is a fifth grader, and it’s her eighth year at the school. Alba is a seventh grader, and it’s her tenth year at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. We came to the school for many of the same reasons as the other parents mentioned. In 2014, there was a newspaper article about a new school in Brooklyn with a world-class learning culture and high-level education that combines that with the joy of learning. It sounded great on paper because that’s a virtuous circle: The more they learn, the more they enjoy learning, the more they learn. It’s just this positive upwards spiral, and that’s definitely been proven to be so over the past 10 years.

Let me just pick a couple of specific reasons why we love the school.

One, my daughters learn a lot overall, but they also learn how to learn. And that’s almost more important to me than any specific subject matter. For example, they learn about time management and organizational skills. It is so important that they learn how to organize themselves, how to communicate, and how to deal with “struggle”. These kids have the skills to learn.

Second, we love that the school normalizes failure. I actually think BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] is a super nurturing school. If you look up the word nurturing in the dictionary, it says that it means “to help somebody develop and succeed.” And that’s exactly what the school and the teachers do.

As mentioned, one example is to normalize failure. For example, in science, let’s say you have a project to build a bridge, you build your project while working with your team. Then let’s say the bridge doesn’t hold the weight that you wanted it to hold. Okay, that’s fine. You deal with it. You talk to your classmates. You talk to teachers, you go to student hours, and you just try again. It’s okay to fail. And then you pick yourself up and try again.

In my opinion, one of the most important things to succeed in life is developing resilience and grit and never giving up. And BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] kids have an abundance of that because they’ve just learned this throughout their classes. I think it’s much better to have these experiences and to learn skills dealing with failure now rather than when you’re going into college.

Rajashree C. (Mom to Leandra in Gr. 5):

My daughter has been at BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] from Kindergarten. Now she is in fifth grade, so we are entering middle school. We have a lot of respect for how they manage the transition from primary to middle school. This year, we’re really navigating what it means to not have what they call a Learning Expert Teacher. Students navigate classes of their own, move from one class to another. A couple of weeks ago I came in for the Meet the Teacher Night, and sometimes I’m surprised by all my daughter learning. I went home, and I asked her, “Do you feel like this is okay?” And she responds very confidently, “Yeah, it’s fine.” And this is how it’s been. It’s been an evolution.

Whatever level your students are at, based on my experience, BASIS [Independent Brooklyn] will help your students grow and be more responsible for their own journey and their own sort of pathways. That’s what’s been most interesting to me – how Leandra has grown.

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Thank you to our parents for sharing their experiences with prospective families, and thank you for the honor and privilege of educating your children!

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

A Day in the Life of a Grade 4 LET – Ms. Strider!

October 23, 2025 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

My name is Ms. Strider and I am the Grade 4 LET (Learning Expert Teacher) at BASIS Independent Bellevue. I stay with my class of students throughout the day, supporting both their academic development and personal growth. While Grade 4 students follow a full schedule similar to upper grades, my role is to help them build responsibility and independence as they prepare for Grade 5. I work closely with our Subject Expert Teachers (SETs) to collaboratively teach each subject, ensuring lessons are engaging and connected across disciplines. Because I see my students in every class, I gain a deep understanding of their learning needs and strengths. This allows me to form meaningful relationships with families and provide thoughtful, and accurate updates on student progress throughout the year.

My day with Grade 4 begins at 7:55 AM when I pick my students up from the multi-purpose room and we head to our lockers to get ready for our day. Students get to say hello to their friends each morning, catch each other up on their fencing practice or dance rehearsal, and get the last of their wiggles out before it is time for class.

Period 1: Science with Ms. Delp!

The first five minutes of each class look fairly similar throughout the day. Students are filling out their CJs (communication journals) and following any directions on the board as a warm up. In Science, students’ daily warm up is to copy down the notes from the board into their science folders so they have all the necessary information ready to go when it is time for a discussion or to start collecting data. Ms. Delp and I work together to provide Grade 4 students with materials, guidelines, and data points for a variety of different scientific activities. In the first month of school, we have measured our wingspans and compared our lengths to that of birds, tested if double stuffed Oreos are actually doubled stuffed, and explored surface tension by adding singular water droplets to pennies. Once we have our notes, completed our experiments, and graphed our data, it is time to clean up, pack up, and line up for our next class.

Period 2: Specials—Music, Art, Drama or Engineering!

Primary students have a variety of specials throughout the week. This morning’s special is Engineering with Ms. DiBattista! Our Specials classes look different than the classic LET/SET model. During these classes, I sometimes work with small groups of students in various levels of reading groups conduct interventions or enrichment. Today, I pulled a few of my students to conduct a reading intervention activity, while the rest of my class did an engineering lesson with Ms. DiBattista. Students’ reading levels are decided by our process of reading assessments that happen once per trimester. With that data, students are placed into small groups, of 3–5 students, and work directly with me on various reading strategies such as identifying the main idea, providing text evidence, or determining character motivation. Building these skills will help students in English class, advance their literacy skills, and most importantly, allow them to be able to read and understand texts independently.

Period 3: English with Ms. Tseng!

Just like in Science class, students begin class by filling out their CJ’s, noting any homework or upcoming assessments, and working independently on their warm ups. Ms. Tseng and I usually collect this work and begin getting students ready for their Novel Study. Currently, we are reading The Phantom Tollbooth! We take turns reading pages in the book between Ms. Tseng, myself, and the students. Learning to annotate texts is a skill we are building and growing in Grade 4. The Phantom Tollbooth is great practice for these skills, as it has several settings and characters. Ms. Tseng may pause the reading to point out a vocabulary word that we need to write down. I may also pause when we meet a new character to take notes about their description and add a sticky note annotation. English class flies by when everyone is so invested in the story! Time to clean up, pack up, and line up for lunch and recess.

Period 5: Math with Ms. Tessler!

These consistent classroom routines make a huge difference in the lives of the students and the teachers. No matter what subject, students know exactly how each class is going to start and exactly what each teacher is expecting their behaviors should be. Grade 4 enters math class, fills out their CJs, and begins their math warm up. Math warm ups are usually a set of problems covering material that we learned the day before. I will go over the warm up with the class, model the work on the board, and answer any questions. Ms. Tessler will get the class set up and ready for notes in their math notebooks. As students are taking notes or working on their independent math assignment, this is a great time for me to look for students who are exhibiting qualities of P.A.C.E (perseverance, active, community, and empathy). Students who show one or more of these qualities at any time during the day receive a PACE Pass. Students turn in their earned passes to the front office to enter the grade level weekly raffle for a chance to win a small prize every Friday. Once all of our daily math tasks have been completed, it is time to clean up, pack up, and line up!

Period 6: Specials or Mandarin!

Three days of the week, Grade 4 has Mandarin class. There are two different Mandarin classes that students are sorted into from the beginning of the year based on ability-level. I do not attend Mandarin class, so I spend this time meeting with SETs, planning reading groups, or having an extra cup of coffee and a snack.

However, this afternoon is Drama with Mr. Mullens! Once all of the students have entered the drama space, filled out their CJs, and listened to Mr. Mullens’ daily expectations, I begin pulling another round of small reading groups. Groups can meet once, twice, or three times a week depending on students’ needs for reading and decoding texts. In Drama class, students are working in three different casts to write their own scripts for the upcoming spring performance. Even though some students are pulled away during the script writing, the entire cast works collaboratively and is able to quickly and effectively fill in any students upon their return to the classroom.

AE (Academic Enrichment) Time!

All students Grade 4 and above have a 20-minute AE period each afternoon. There are a variety of ways to spend a Grade 4 AE period: study hall, brain breaks, or most often, SEL (Social Emotional Learning), lessons and activities. For our SEL lessons we utilize a program called CharacterStrong at BASIS Independent Bellevue. Each month is centered around a character trait theme—October’s is Responsibility. Throughout the month, our class engages in mini-lessons, discussions, videos, and games designed to help students learn about and practice being responsible in their daily lives. Because academic expectations are high on this campus–even in the primary grades–it’s important to remind students that they are more than their grades, and that being a kid is about learning and growing in all areas of life.

Period 7: History with Ms. Rieger!

Our last core class of the day, but procedures and expectations remain the same. Students enter the classroom quietly, fill out their CJs with today’s topic, homework, and upcoming tests. Warm ups in History require students to have their binders and answer the questions on the board neatly on a piece of notebook paper. When the five–minute timer goes off, I read each question with the students and go over the answers. Often in this course there is some background information to read before students can dive deep into the new content, analyze cause and effects, and collect evidence. At the beginning of class I will read the passages with the students and have some student helpers annotate for vocabulary and important details. Then Ms. Rieger will share her slides, photographs, or stories about the time period we are focusing on and begin to ask critical thinking questions to the class. After notes, worksheets, or discussions, it is time to clean up, pack up, and line up once again.

Period 8: PE with Coach Shelp!

“Welcome to your favorite class!” is the way Coach Shelp begins PE. This class is different from Art, Music, and Drama because I always attend PE with my class. PE is a great way to get moving and learn about sportsmanship. Students begin each PE class by jogging some laps around the gym. Once we are warmed up, it is time to play—dodgeball, soccer, pickleball and more! We congratulate our teammates and exchange kind words with our opponents. Time flies in PE and then it is time to grab all of our belongings from our lockers and go home!

After all of my students have been picked up from dismissal, I meet with my co-teaching SETs to collaborate on lessons for the following week. After school you will find me at home in the coziest pajamas crocheting or snuggling with my cat. Another great day in Grade 4!

New Teacher Feature – Introducing Ms. Baseman!

October 10, 2025 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

This school year, we’re excited to introduce Ms. Baseman as a new member of our BASIS Independent Bellevue faculty!

Ms. Baseman joins us as the Grade 5 English teacher and the Grade 7 Creative Writing teacher. She brings a strong academic background and a deep passion for student engagement and creativity.

She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities with a minor in Anthropology from San Jose State University and went on to complete her Master of Arts in Anthropology at Western Washington University. We recently sat down with her to learn more about her passion for education, teaching philosophy, and her experience joining the BASIS Independent Bellevue community.

Professional Background and Experience

What inspired you to become an English and Creative Writing teacher?

Books have always been my first, and preferred mode of travel. As a kid I would stay up way (way) past my bedtime to finish the book I had started that afternoon, or scribble down dialogue for a novella I was drafting. Books were a ticket to another place, access to a new perspective of the world previously unknown, and that is something I have continued to love about literature throughout my life. Reading and writing were always an outlet for me to process, plan, aspire, and imagine. As an educator, I hope to give students the tools to immerse themselves in stories with more depth and complexity through small and large group discussion and multimodal activities.

What are you most excited about in joining this new school community at BASIS Independent Bellevue?

I love working with bright, motivated students. There is a different energy in the room when students are excited to engage in their learning process, there are so many more opportunities to try something new!

What do you hope your students take away from your class?

I hope students leave my class feeling confident. Even if they struggled with a skill or assessment, I want them to leave the classroom knowing how to make the appropriate adjustments to be successful. The skills we are practicing now will set them up for fluency later in their academic career, I want them to know how to be successful as students, and as kind humans.

Writing Focus

How do you help students tap into their creativity in writing?

I feel like I always get my best ideas when I am moving around, though we are limited in space in a classroom, we do our best to get up and move at least once during the class period. This could be for an activity on the board, a gallery walk, or a flash art piece; anything to shift the system!

What’s one of your favorite writing prompts to use — and why?

Oh, I have some creative ones, a few of my favorites are: “Pencil Perspective” where students write from the perspective of their pencil (hilarious what their poor pencils endure in a day), “500 dollars and a Prius” (students plan a cross-country road trip with 500 dollars and a Prius), or playing a few different songs and having students write a setting description or sketch a plot outline.

What advice do you give students who feel “stuck” as writers?

Shift your perspective! Write from a different character point-of-view, get up and physically move somewhere else, or read.

Personal Life and Passions

What are some hobbies or interests you enjoy outside of teaching?

I love being outside, take me somewhere lush and green and I am happy! Anything hiking, camping, moving-around-outdoors I have probably tried. I have had a consistent yoga practice for over a decade, and love to paint. I also love animals and would adopt every cat, dog, cow, horse, rabbit, and lizard available if possible.

What is one personal goal you hope to achieve this year?

Honestly, to make a lunch for work. This has been an unattainable goal for most of my professional life so I am hoping to put together more consistent lunch meals this year!

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?

I lived in Madrid, Spain for a year as a teaching assistant in a bilingual school!

A Mountaineer Welcome!

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Baseman to our BASIS Independent Bellevue community!

If you have the pleasure of being in her class, you’ll likely see her greeting students with enthusiasm, meeting them at their level, and inspiring creativity through engaging writing activities. Ms. Baseman brings a dynamic energy to the classroom, supporting student ideas and encouraging expression in meaningful ways.

Ms. Baseman’s welcoming spirit and positivity shine through in the classroom and around campus, making her a wonderful addition to our Mountaineer family. Let’s give Ms. Baseman a warm Mountaineer welcome as she joins our incredible team!

2024-2025 Year-in-Review: BASIS Independent Brooklyn

August 31, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Dear Families and Staff,

The summer months bring reflection that offers a vital pause—a time to transform our hindsight into foresight. Today, we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our students in our annual reflection, and we honor or Class of 2025 graduates from BASIS Independent Brooklyn as they embark on their university journeys.

Academic excellence unites every corner of our school. We harness data from across our BASIS Independent Schools network not just to measure progress, but also to illuminate paths forward. This is how we master both the art and science of education—turning insight into inspiration and potential into achievement.

This past school year, nearly 70% of our students earned the AP Scholar designation (scoring a 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams). This impressive result is consistent with year-over-year scores, showcasing our program’s strength. Also, in high school, we celebrated our National Merit Scholarship Finalists, Maxwell H. and Gustavo P., and we proudly celebrated three Commended Scholars: James R., Maxim S., and Ryan T. ’25.

We cheered on Gustavo P. ’25 for being named a Presidential Scholarship candidate, joining a total of nine seniors named to the distinction across our network. At the end of the year, we were thrilled to learn that Maxim S. ’25 won the Fellows Scholarship for the best Senior Project across our network. The award is an honor in and of itself and comes with a $10,000 scholarship to college.

Let’s also take a moment to reflect on our seventh graduating senior class! More than 60% of students were offered seats at universities in the top 30-ranked national and international institutions. Today, we can share that our students will matriculate at the following universities and colleges (listed by U.S. News rankings for national universities, liberal arts colleges, and then international universities):

Stanford University (2), Duke University, Northwestern University, Cornell University (3), Washington University in St. Louis, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, New York University, University of California-Irvine, Boston University, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, Purdue University (2), Northeastern University, American University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Hamilton College, Haverford College, and McGill University (2).

*Our Class of 2025 posed with Mr. Harmon, Mr. Brauch, and Mr. Yoon during the start of school last year.*

Celebrating Accomplishments

Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, one thing remained the same—student accomplishments across all grades reaffirmed the vision to hold ourselves to the highest standards. Our educators took pride in providing structure and stability to support content mastery.

Our students excelled in their studies, and their accomplishments outside the classroom made us incredibly proud. An overview of 2024–2025 student accolades and significant developments follows.

Fine Arts

Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition: Eight of Mr. Opirhory’s Digital Photography students were honored in the 2025 awards. Students were recognized with the following regional awards: 3 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, and 2 Honorable Mentions in photography.
Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again!
Band student Nicole J. ’28 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her solo flute audition, performing Sicilienne, Op. 78 by Gabriel Faure at Level 6, the highest degree of difficulty.
Choir student Katha A. ’30 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Our Spring Musical, Shrek, was a rave hit. Upper School drama performances in elective classes were a wonderful celebration of creativity all year long.
Our entire Fine Arts team at the Lower and Upper School hosted wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.

*Scholastic Arts Gold Key Winning Photo “Old and New” by Henry B. ‘28*

Chess/Social Sciences/Languages

Our Bears won the 3rd-place team in the very competitive U1400 division at the Chess Super Nationals! Our K—Gr. 6 U100 team came in 9^th place, and Gr. 3 Milo S. went undefeated with 6 points to medal for second place in K—Gr. 3 Championships. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
Our Bears earned 6^th place in the 2025 All-Girls National Chess Championships in Chicago.
Our inaugural DECA Club headed to the NY State Competition in Rochester, making our school proud.
On the National Latin Exam, our students were decorated with honors: 6 students received Gold Summa Cum Laude, 9 students received Silver Maxima Cum Laude, 12 students received Magna Cum Laude, 13 students received Cum Laude recognition, and one Blue Certificate of Merit for the School.
Nearly all the students in Mr. Bedes’ High School French classes sat for and passed the French DELF (certification) A1, A2, or B1 exams through L’Alliance NY.
Mr. Bedes was proud to induct 16 members into our newly established French Honor Society.
In the Chinese Bridge Competition, Gr. 4 Scottie F. won 3^rd place in the Eastern Region. Two of our Gr. 3 students, Isabelle L. and Bathazar R., also received recognition!

*French Honor Society Induction Ceremony*

Math/Science

Our school won the New York State Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) competition for High School. Thank you to Physics teacher and coach Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.
Our High School Robotics team Ori-Gen went to the Super Qualifier round of the FIRST Robotics Challenge after winning the Inspire Award 3^rd place regionally. It was their first year of competition, and we look forward to another great year ahead.
Once again, a large group of students sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses and comprised one of the largest groups yet to receive accolades from the organization.
NOETIC Math accolades poured in with national winners across several grades across both of our campuses!

*Our High School Science Team won 1^st place in the New York State TEAMS competition!*

Sports

Our Varsity Boys and Middle School Girls Tennis teams won the inaugural CPSAL Tennis Championships!
Our Middle School Flag Football team won the CPSAL League Championships after an incredible season. Go Bears!!!
Our Gr. 4-5 Co-ed Soccer Team won the CONSAT Championships. We are proud of our young student-athletes!
Our Middle School Boys won the CPSAL Indoor Track Championship, and our Middle School Girls came in 3^rd! High School Student Talia L. took first place in the Varsity Girls 1 mile and 800m.
CPSAL Boys and Girls Cross Country Team: Our Bears had a great season, and the High School Boys team took home 2nd Place, High School Girls placed 3^rd overall, and Middle School Boys placed 3^rd overall.
Our High School Flag Football and High School Boys Soccer teams made it to the league semi-finals
CSAA Varsity and JV School Volleyball Team, as well as High School Flag Boys Flag Football, made it to the league playoffs.
Our Varsity Girls Soccer Team had its first season, winning 2^nd place in the CPSAL Spring Classic Tournament.

Community Involvement

This year, our high school team arranged a Fourth Annual Day of Service in the fall to bring our community together and make a difference locally with nonprofits around Red Hook.
Our National Honor and National Junior Honor Society students dedicated more than 2,000 hours to service projects this year!
Our Lower and Upper school community donated hundreds of coats, scarves, hats, and more to our local Coat Drive in the fall.
Our community created more than 200 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
Students in our High School Program conducted a Red Hook Clean Up before Earth Day. They picked up 169 pounds of trash around the neighborhood.

These awards and examples of community involvement are an amazing testament to the school and the power of the curriculum and teachers. Most importantly, they are an incredible representation of our creative, diverse, driven scholars. It is important to us that as a school we prioritize opportunity, finding opportunities for students to showcase their skills, define their interests, and pursue their passions.

Looking Ahead

Without community, academic success is temporary and limited. We have made significant growth as a community this year, and it is our priority to support and grow in the year ahead under the guiding principles of BEARS–Belonging, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Service. Cultivating mutual respect and trust is key for our school after eleven years in Brooklyn.

Teachers continue to express to us that they love this school because they are allowed to teach the subjects they know best, the way they know best. They are allowed to share their passion for their subjects with their students, and this builds engagement. We are excited to bring new faculty into the fold and continue supporting veteran teachers returning to our campus.

As we close our thoughts on the year, we want to salute our Class of 2025 for shaping our sense of community and traditions at our school. What we want to ask from our alumni and parents is to help provide professional advice and even connect our students after they graduate to internships and opportunities as part of our expanded mentorship program.

Overall, we want our students to look back, feel a great sense of pride in their school, and share in the school’s success that they helped create. We have much to celebrate, and we are in an exciting position after eleven years of educating students in Brooklyn. We truly look forward to the year ahead!

Celebrating Young Authors: BASIS Independent Fremont’s 3rd Annual Creative Writing Competition

July 1, 2025 by sarahpeterson Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Fremont, we believe in nurturing creativity just as much as academic excellence. A highlight of student life at our Lower School is the Creative Writing Competition, now in its third year. This year, we’re especially excited to showcase the voices behind the stories—literally. Each of our winning authors recorded a reading of their work, bringing their characters and historical journeys to life in their own words.

Open to all students in grades 4 and 5, the contest offers young writers an opportunity to share their voices, hone their craft, and be recognized for their storytelling talents. The prompt invited students to imagine a time traveler who experiences a historical event or moment in time, and how that experience changes them. Students responded with a wide range of creative, heartfelt, and thought-provoking stories.

Entries were judged by a panel that included Upper School English teachers, high school Creative Writing students, and local author Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs. Ms. Diggs—a published author, speaker, and advocate for children’s voices in literature—brought her expertise and passion for storytelling to the judging process.

We are proud to introduce the three winners of this year’s contest, each honored in a specific award category. Read on to meet each writer, discover what made their story stand out, and hear them share their work aloud in the videos below. From strong character arcs to inventive ideas and beautifully descriptive language, these young writers impressed us all—and we think they’ll impress you, too.

Best Character Development: Arya S. (Grade 5) – “In Memory of Papouli“

Arya impressed the judges with a compelling protagonist whose emotional growth unfolds beautifully over the course of “In Memory of Papouli”. Her ability to build a believable and dynamic character stood out in a field of strong contenders.

Watch Arya read her story below:

Most Original: Arjun M. (Grade 4) – “The Old Way Forward – A Time Traveler’s Tale“

Arjun’s story, “The Old Way Forward – A Time Traveler’s Tale”, took a wonderfully imaginative approach to the prompt, offering a fresh twist on time travel that surprised and delighted our judges. His creativity and risk-taking paid off in a story that felt entirely his own.

Watch Arjun read his story below:

Most Descriptive: Yunxi X. (Grade 4) – “Through the Tube of Time“

With vivid language and detailed imagery, Yunxi transported readers into the heart of “Through the Tube of Time”. Her descriptions made scenes come alive, immersing the reader in every sound, smell, and sight.

Watch Yunxi read her story below:

BASIS Independent Fremont’s Creative Writing Competition is just one of the many ways our Humanities Program fosters a love of storytelling and self-expression. Arya, Arjun, and Yunxi’s work showcases the creativity, imagination, and talent that thrive in our classrooms. We hope their accomplishments inspire others to find their voice and explore their own creative journeys at BASIS Independent Fremont and beyond.

Curious about how BASIS Independent Fremont supports students’ academic and creative growth?

Connect with a member of our admissions team to learn more.

BASIS Independent Fremont is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the BASIS Independent Fremont community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Fostering Literacy in the Early Years as a Tool for Life-Long Learning

March 4, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

To kick off Read Across America Month this March, Head of the Lower School Ms. Rose Miller-Sims reflects on how teachers at BASIS Independent Brooklyn nurture a love of reading in our youngest learners.

At BASIS Independent Brooklyn, our team of educators are united in their drive to foster a love of learning from PreK all the way through high school. In the Early Learning Program, we find incredible joy in seeing those meaningful “lightbulb” moments and balancing a child’s natural tendencies and intentional academic learning. One of the most critical foundational skills students must master in their educational journey is literacy. In the youngest years, this means learning the foundational skills to be an excellent reader. This is why our BASIS Curriculum for the early years includes a robust mastery of phonics with built in spiral review rooted in the science of reading.

As students progress through the grades and curriculum, they begin with the building blocks of literacy and quickly expand to encompass processing information, expressing thoughts and ideas clearly, and engaging in dialogue with peers and the larger community on a variety of topics using both oral and written language. What makes excellent literacy skills extraordinary is that you can explore the world through texts, evaluate information with a critical eye, and synthesize information and experiences to form a unique opinion. We strive to nurture in our students global citizens who can contribute to the betterment of their communities and exceptional literacy skills are at the heart of this goal.

Our exceptional Subject Expert Teachers use the science of reading to teach the fundamentals of literacy in our Early Learning and Primary Programs. Instead of focusing on rote memorization of spelling words, our teachers focus on supporting students to learn the spelling rules and specific sounds that make up the English language. Although these rules may be complex, when broken down into a systematic framework of the language, students are more than capable of grasping, remembering, and applying these rules— what’s more they have so much fun doing it! Not only is reading itself fun in the hands of our amazing teachers, but the games, activities, and hands-on learning in use to master these foundational literacy skills bring so much joy into the classroom.

We have big dreams for our young learners and our utmost goal as educators is to provide our students with the tools to lead the life they choose when they exit our doors and enter the world as adults. Without a doubt, fostering true literacy skills in our students is of paramount importance to their future success.

“The ability to read, write, and analyze; the confidence to stand up and demand justice and equality; the qualifications and connections to get your foot in that door and take your seat at that table – all of that starts with education.” ~Michelle Obama

Learn more about BASIS Independent Schools by inquiring with our Admissions Team today!

Shark Tank Sparks Innovation at BASIS Independent Manhattan

December 6, 2024 by christopherrosenbal Leave a Comment

Hey Sharks… Welcome to BASIS Independent Manhattan!

What does a TV show where stuffy millionaires scour the cerebral seas for tasty new ideas have to do with students at BASIS Independent Manhattan? Turns out, the Shark Tank formula is the perfect intersection between drama, English, and engineering, three subjects that our elementary school students happen to excel in.

Gearing up for our very own Shark Tank

When we announced the annual, interdisciplinary Shark Tank project at our private school on the Upper West Side, the grade 4 students were thrilled. They quickly began to scheme up idea after idea to pitch. But there was still a lot that needed to happen before our little entrepreneurs would be ready for the big day. Our top-ranked teachers got right to work.

Starting on the STEM side, students used the engineering design process to brainstorm and develop their inventions. Engineering Subject Expert Teacher Ms. Delaney explained how this unfolded in her class: “The first step was to guide students through drafting detailed blueprints to transform their ideas into reality. Once we identified their most innovative designs, the class collaborated to create working prototypes they were excited to pitch to the Sharks.”

Shark Tank display of photos and inventions

Moving along to English, this is where students wrote persuasive essays with a strong hook, crucial supporting details, and a concise conclusion. Ms. Lauten (English Subject Expert Teacher, Gr. 4–5) said, “It was important that students understood the connection between their writing and their upcoming Shark Tank presentation, By using these components of a persuasive essay, it was a smooth process pulling out the strongest elements to craft a compelling oral pitch.”

Time for the last leg of the project! In drama students honed their public speaking skills. Ms. Boscolo (Drama Subject Expert Teacher) worked with them on projection, posture, eye contact, and enunciation. She went on to say, “These skills not only enhance public speaking, performing, and presenting, but they also boost individual self-confidence.” It was evident students learned that a solid presentation could make all the difference between sealing the deal or walking home empty-handed.

Learning to manage those pre-pitch jitters

As the looming day drew closer, students’ nerves increased. Here are a few ways our expert teachers supported students throughout the process:

Talked about using a growth mindset to approach challenges with resilience and confidence.
Focused on learning from feedback and seeing setbacks as opportunities for growth.
A special lesson led by our School Counselor emphasized the value of maintaining a positive attitude and believing in one’s abilities.
Teachers gave students strategies to help them stay calm under pressure, using their emotions as motivation for success rather than a reason to give up.

The Big Day

One by one, our young entrepreneurs proudly stood to pitch their ideas, all of which were incredible. Here are a few highlights:

“Tweet,” by Morgan, is a pencil case that has games, music, and lots of other things attached to it. Morgan explained how Tweet can make life more fun and give us easier access to technology.
Ryder pitched “The Lingle Bingle,” a powerful, cheap, GPS tracker that can work anywhere in the world.
“The Reminder Watch,” pitched by Ella, is a watch that glows and vibrates whenever the wearer has forgotten something. And the best part? The Reminder Watch comes in many different shapes and patterns. 😊 Each of our students pitched something that we were proud of.

Success for all

BASIS Independent Manhattan takes great pride in being a top-ranked liberal arts school. We also understand the importance of balancing rigorous academics, such as STEM, with joyful learning. Through interdisciplinary and real-world lessons, like the Shark Tank project, we prepare our students to be inquisitive, solution-oriented collaborative problem solvers.

We are proud of our young entrepreneurs for thinking outside the box and showcasing their innovations!

We invite you to learn more about our Wildcat community at one of our upcoming admissions events. Interested in joining us for the 2025-2026 school year? Our rolling application cycle is now open — apply here!

New Teacher Feature: Introducing Ms. Garza!

October 23, 2024 by jessicagrear Leave a Comment

This school year, we are thrilled to have added 12 teachers to our growing community. One such new addition, Ms. Garza, stands out amongst her peers for her enthusiasm and impressive professional background. She joins us as a Humanities Subject Expert Teacher for grades 2 and 3 and works with our Learning Expert Teachers to help students develop their literacy skills to their highest potential.

Ms. Garza attended the University of Texas at Brownsville where she received a partial scholarship to play golf! She now has over ten years of experience in education and has taught Kindergarten all the way through grade 5. She recently moved from Texas to Washington state in July 2024 and joined our team this summer. Since then, she has demonstrated exceptional competency in the classroom and is a supportive presence for our primary students. We sat down with Ms. Garza for an interview to highlight her experience and get her perspective on being a BASIS Independent Bellevue educator.

Professional Background and Experience

Tell us a bit about your journey in education? What inspired you to become a teacher?

“I began my career as a teacher’s assistant for grades 3 – 5. I did this for two years before being hired as a full-time 2^nd grade teacher. I remained in that role for another two years before I moved on to teaching Kindergarten. I was a Kindergarten teacher for three years. During my role as a Kindergarten teacher, I was asked to observe and help manage a cohort of my peers to provide them with meaningful feedback about their instruction. It was through this that I was later asked to apply to be the Assistant Principal for the school!

I was fortunate enough to be offered the position and then worked as the Assistant Principal for the subsequent three years. I loved my time in the administrative role because it allowed me to get a behind the scenes look at how a school runs, but ultimately, I missed being in the classroom and seeing students grow day by day. I love to see that “Aha!” look from students and I missed out on that as the Assistant Principal. That feeling led me to begin looking for teaching positions again, which brought me to BASIS Independent Bellevue. I feel like I have really come full circle because it was my second-grade teacher that helped me fall in love with learning and now, I’m back in the classroom as a second-grade teacher myself!”

What’s been the most rewarding thing from your journey so far?

“In 2018 – 2029 I was named Teacher of the Year at my school, which was a huge honor for me. I was a member of the founding cohort of educators as the school opened and worked to help improve and grow the school community. It was great to see those efforts recognized”

How do you continue to grow as an educator?

“I really love feedback, and I thrive off being observed by my mentors. Of course, I still get a little jittery when admin comes in my room for an observation, but I truly do feel like it has been the most valuable tool in helping me grow as an educator. It is one of the things I love about BASIS Independent Bellevue. There are so many built in observations from mentors that all want to push you to be better.”

Impact

What do you hope your students take away from their time in your class?

“First and foremost, I want to be a role model for my students. I want to demonstrate a love of reading in my own life and hope that translates to their lives. But of course, I also want to impart valuable skills like reading comprehension and writing. I hope they learn applicable skills for the real world while having fun doing it!”

How do you build strong relationships with your students and their families?

“I think it is very important to get to know your students on a personal level. I make sure to take time during our Morning Meetings to ask about their hobbies and interests outside of school. I want them to know I care about them beyond the classroom.

To extend those relationships with my students’ families, I make sure I have regular communication with them. I love to send home positive notes regularly, so the parents don’t just hear from me when their child needs improvement. This is why our Communication Journal is a helpful tool because it allows me to send home regular feedback that I know parents will see. Most importantly, I try to keep the lines of communication open with families so they know we are working in partnership to support the best outcomes for their child.”

If you could give one piece of advice to students joining our school, what would it be?

“I believe if I had a program like our phonics program, Logic of English, when I was younger, I would have fallen in love with reading much sooner. It is important to know that this program may be difficult at first and will take effort to get used to it. We really do challenge our students and expect a lot from them academically, but it’s so rewarding to see them thrive when they master these concepts. I want students to not get discouraged if things don’t immediately make sense to them because we are all here to help them on their journey.”

Teaching Philosophy

What is your teaching philosophy and how do you implement it in the classroom?

“I make sure I have regular collaboration time with my Learning Expert Teachers because it’s important that we are on the same page when we conduct our coteaching lessons. We always focus on making our lessons engaging and fun so it doesn’t feel like we are just reading from a script. We want our students to be up and using the classroom space, so we often utilize things like stations and centers. I love to see students genuinely excited to learn.”

How do you create an inclusive and engaging learning environment for all students?

“Because of our coteaching model, we can utilize small groups in our classrooms very frequently. We often have two or three groups of students working at a time and this allows those students to have closer connections with the teachers and gives them the confidence to be able to share more within the safety of a small group. It allows us the flexibility to differentiate and meet the needs of students more carefully.

I also observe the different personalities and learning styles of my students in the classroom and try to meet those needs. For example, sometimes we have students that are very bright and sometimes take the opportunity to shout out answers and or be a little bit chatty during class time. For those students, I might assign them a teacher helper task so that they can be empowered to use their outgoing personality for leadership in the classroom.”

Can you share how your experience with BASIS Independent Bellevue has been so far?

“My experience with BASIS Independent Bellevue has been nothing but positive. Our students are so driven and bright and they’re always a joy to work with. But what I really appreciate the most has been the culture of support and positivity that is created by the Administration. Our Head of School and Student Affairs Department are always pushing us to be better educators, and they provide so many resources to help us get there. They truly want to see us grow, and this positive support is unlike any other school I have worked at.”

Personal Life

What do you enjoy doing in your free time when you’re not teaching?

“I love to watch my friends do karaoke – but not do it myself, ha! I also really like activities that get me out and moving. Paddleboarding is a hobby of mine that has grown since I moved to Washington because there are so many beautiful spots for it! I also enjoy traveling when I can. My favorite place I have traveled recently was Costa Rica, because I love to be by the beach”

What’s one personal goal you hope to achieve in the next year?

“I picked up running as a hobby and usually participate in a 5k or 10k every month. My goal for this next year is to successfully complete my first half marathon!”

What’s something that people might be surprised to learn about you?

“I love playing golf! It was something I got into during my junior year of high school because it brought me close to my dad. I used to drive the golf cart around for him while he played until he finally convinced me to give it a try. I ended up being pretty good and was able to use it to get a partial scholarship to college!”

A Warm Welcome!

Ms. Garza has shown her dedication to building literacy and reading skills with our primary students. She goes above and beyond to make her classes engaging and fun, inspiring our students to think critically about the world around them and to become participants, not just spectators. Her energy and enthusiasm for her lessons nurtures a love of learning in each of them and it is clear that students feel supported and cared for in her classroom. We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Garza to our faculty this year and we look forward to her continued contributions to our Mountaineer community!

2023-2024 Year in Review

August 14, 2024 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Dear Families and Staff,

During the summer months, we reflect on the past school year as we reset our school for the year ahead. Today, we celebrate with our community many of the student accomplishments from the past year and pay tribute to our 2024 graduates. We are incredibly proud of our Bears.

Let us start with academics. Data from across our BASIS Independent Schools inform our practice, identify our areas for growth, and allow us to celebrate our successes knowledgeably. For these reasons, we can truly say we practice both the art and science of teaching. Without data, we would not understand our own goals, or we would just assume we were lucky when we met them!

This year more than 60% of our students earned the AP Scholar designation (scoring a 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams). This impressive result is consistent with year-over-year scores, showcasing our program’s strength. Also, in high school, we celebrated our National Merit Scholar winner Jack B. ’24, and 30% of our seniors were recognized as commended scholars.

Speaking of our seniors, let us take a moment to reflect on our sixth graduating class about to head off to the next stage of their educational journey! Approximately 60% of students were offered seats at universities in the top 25 ranked national and international institutions. Today we can share that our students will matriculate at:

University of Pennsylvania (2), Duke University (2), Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Georgetown University (2), Emory University, University of Southern California, NYU (2), Boston University, Northeastern (2), George Washington University, Barnard College (2), Colgate University, Haverford College, Skidmore College, Stevens Institute of Technology, Chapman University, and Cooper Union.

Our Class of 2024 posed on the roof during their senior year. Photo Credit: Danny Dolan at www.dannydolan.com

Celebrating Accomplishments

Throughout the 2023-2024 school year one thing remained the same— student accomplishments across all grades continued to reaffirm the vision behind all that we have built here in Brooklyn. Our educators took pride in providing structure and stability to support content mastery.

Our students continued to excel at their studies and outside the classroom, our students’ accomplishments made us incredibly proud. An overview of 2023–2024 student accolades and significant developments follows.

Fine Arts

Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition: Our students were recognized yet again with many honors this year. One National Gold Key in photography was awarded to Mateo K. ’25; Yuna S. ’24 received a National Silver Key for her work in Digital Art. Many other students were recognized with regional awards: 7 Gold Keys, 6 Silver Keys, and 9 honorable mentions in photography, digital art, painting, and drawing illustration.
Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again! They won top honors at the Hershey Park Choral Festival as well!
High School Choir and Band were invited to play at Universal Studios as part of the Disney Music Series.
Our Spring Musical SpongeBob was a rave hit. Upper School drama performances in elective classes were a wonderful celebration of creativity all year long.
Our entire Fine Arts team hosted wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.

National Scholastic Arts Gold Key winning photo by Mateo K. ’25

Humanities/Social Sciences

High School Debate Team won 1^st place in team and 1^st place speaker in the NYC Urban Debate League Championships.
Our Middle School Debate Club tied for 3rd place in the New York Debate League Championships.
The Grizzly Co-Editors-in-Chief founded our initial chapter of Quill and Scroll International Journalism honor society, initiating six student journalists.
Our Bears won 1^st place team in the very competitive K-5 U1200 division at the Primary Chess National Championships! Our K-5 U900 team came in 7^th place, and our team of two in K-3 U700 tied for 16^th place with just two students. This news came on the heels of winning big at the New York State Championship. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
On the National Latin Exam, Abraham G. ‘29 earned a gold medal, Indi S. ’29 a silver. One of our Grade 6 students Dylan C. was recognized by both the American Classical Association and National Junior Latin League for receiving a perfect score. Four students received gold medals, ten received silver medals in Grade 6 this year as well!
This year we launched our inaugural Quiz Bowl team under the leadership of Mr. Koppel. The team performed well in their first year and look forward to picking up steam in the fall!

Our Chess Team at Nationals. Photo credit: Ian West of ICN

Math/Science

Our MATHCOUNTS team came in 1^st Place in Brooklyn regionals and went on to compete at the New York State Championships. Special shout out to Michael S. ’28 who won top individual honors in Brooklyn. Coach Hughes was very proud of them.
The largest group of students ever sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses and comprised our largest group yet to receive accolades from the organization.
NOETIC Math accolades poured in with national winners across several grades across both of our campuses.
Our school won both 2^nd and 3^rd Place in New York State TEAMS competition. Thank you to Physics teacher and coach Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.

Our Lower School Cubs proudly posing with their NOETIC math ribbons and medals.

Sports

Our Middle School Baseball team won the CSAA league championship after an incredible first season under Coach Starks. Go Bears!!!
Our Middle School Girls Volleyball Team won the CSAA Region 3 Championships!!! Coach Nalipinski was incredibly proud of her players, who participated in this middle school division for the first time.
CSAA Boys and Girls Track Team: Our Bears had a great season, and the High School team took home 3^rd Place in the CSAA Region 3 championship. Given this was their first season, we could not be prouder of them!
Our CSAA Boys Varsity Soccer team made the league playoffs and we were very proud of their determination and drive during the year.
CSAA Girls Volleyball made the playoffs after a tremendous fall season with Coach Nalipinski.
CSAA Co-ed JHS Flag Football team finished 2^nd place in the league! Team spirit could not be stronger, and we want to thank families for showing up consistently to cheer on our Bears.

Coach Starks and our middle school baseball team won 1st place in their league.

Community Involvement

This year our high school team arranged a Third Annual Day of Service in the fall to bring our community together and make a difference locally.
Our National Honor and National Junior Honor Society students dedicated more than 2,000 hours to service projects this year!
Back-to-School Textbook Exchange – Families donated nearly 3,300 textbooks and others bought used textbooks to benefit the Red Hook Art Project.
500 coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets as well as 200 care packages were assembled to support Red Hook’s Redemption Church community.
Our Lower School Cubs created more than 100 toiletry kits around the holidays to share with families in Red Hook through Redemption Red Hook Church.
Our community created more than 100 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
Our Primary School assembled more than 300 bedtime bags for asylum-seeking families through Project Rousseau!
Our High School students formed a chapter of JASA at the school with 16 student members who collectively spent 200 hours spending time with nursing home residents and participating in projects to support them.

Looking Ahead

Without community, academic success is temporary and limited. We have made significant growth as a community this year, and it is our priority to support and grow in the year ahead. Cultivating mutual respect and trust is key for our school after ten years in Brooklyn.

Teachers continue to express to us that they love this school because they are allowed to teach the subjects they know best the way they know best. They are allowed to share their passion for their subjects with their students and this builds engagement. We are excited to bring new faculty into the fold and continue supporting veteran teachers returning to our campus.

As we close our thoughts on the year, we want to salute our Class of 2024 for their leadership in shaping our sense of community and traditions at our school. We are grateful to them and want them to know they always have a place here. What we want to ask from our alumni and parents is help to provide professional advice and even connect our students after they graduate to internships and opportunities. This coming year we will be expanding our mentorship program, and we need the help of our community to open doors for our wonderful students.

Overall, we want our students to look back, feel a great sense of pride in their school, and share in the school’s success that they helped create. We have much to celebrate, and we are in an exciting position after ten years of educating students in Brooklyn. We truly look forward to the year ahead!

Sincerely,

Josh Harmon and Rose Miller-Sims