Leadership

Leadership Spotlight: Associate Head of School Leo Yoon

August 30, 2024 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Before the annual summer Teacher training, BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s leadership team welcomed Leo Yoon to campus as Associate Head of School. He brings years of experience as a teacher and administrator in the private school world. He also joins our community at an exciting time – our community just celebrated 10 years of educating students in Brooklyn, and our school was recognized as the Best K-12 Private School in Brooklyn, Best Private High School in Brooklyn, and Best Private College Prep High School in Brooklyn according to Niche.com’s 2024 rankings.

Most recently, Mr. Yoon led the Upper School Program at The Wilberforce School in Princeton, New Jersey, where he served as Head of Upper School for eight years. He has been dedicated to educating young people throughout his career. He brings with him almost two decades of experience in education, having served in a variety of roles, including math teacher, student dean, director of middle school, and head of upper school. Mr. Yoon holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from SUNY Binghamton as well as graduate degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary and Teachers College, Columbia University. To help families get to know more about Mr. Yoon, we asked him about his background and ideas as he moves into the Associate Head of School for BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Below is an interview that has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you share what drew you to a career in education?

While I studied electrical engineering in college, I spent my college summers helping out at a youth education center. During my senior year of college, a close friend (who would one day be my wife) asked me what I would do as a career if I could do anything. This led to some honest thinking. I liked engineering, but I loved what I did during the summers–teaching and working with middle and high school students. This probably sounds cliché, but I loved and honestly still love the potential that educators have in making a positive difference in kids’ lives during some of their most formative years. I find it a great privilege and responsibility to be in such a position.

What appealed to you about joining BASIS Independent Brooklyn?

Two things appealed to me most about the school: its commitment to academic excellence and the school environment. The material that’s taught at BASIS Independent is at the highest levels of academic rigor that I’ve seen as an educator. But what’s more impressive is how effectively this challenging material is taught at the school and how students are encouraged and pushed to learn at their highest potential, which leads to the second thing that appealed to me…the school environment. I love that the school is committed to creating an environment where students feel valued and supported to think freely and creatively and, at the same time, are challenged to excel.

Tell us about some of your plans or priorities in the year ahead?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the school leaders, teachers, and some families during the last few weeks and am very much looking forward to meeting the rest of the community. I’m especially excited to get to know the students! Teachers are, of course, fundamental to a school, and one of my main goals for this year is to support them in a way that allows them to further develop their craft as educators.

We understand you are not just a new member of school leadership, but you are also a parent at our school. What difference does that second perspective bring?

As a parent, I understand firsthand many of the hopes and concerns that parents have regarding their child’s education. Having such a perspective allows me to approach decision-making with a deeper understanding and sensitivity toward the potential effects the decisions will have on both students and their families.

Do you mind sharing a fun fact that families might not know about you?

My two daughters, Zoe and Isobel, love rollerblading, and since we recently moved to a place just a few blocks from Prospect Park, I decided to take up rollerblading again to join them on the trail. So, if you see a middle-aged Asian man with two girls rollerblading at the park, feel free to say hello…but only if he looks like he knows what he’s doing (if he looks like he has no business on rollerblades, please assume it’s not me and save me an embarrassing encounter!).

You just moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. What are some of your favorite things about the borough so far?

THE FOOD! My family and I have really enjoyed trying new foods and restaurants. On the recommendation of one of our administrators, we found our favorite dessert spot in Brooklyn so far: Culture (frozen yogurt)! Besides the food, I love that we can walk everywhere! We’ve doubled our daily steps, which bodes well for us since we’ve probably doubled our calorie intake with all the good food!

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.

Bobcat Bytes: Isha T., Grade 12

May 16, 2024 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

This blog series aims to offer a glimpse into the student life of our Student Ambassadors. The BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Student Ambassadors play an important role by representing BISV throughout the academic year in many ways. From cherished memories, to conquering challenges, from time management to immersing themselves in clubs and activities.

Meet Isha T., Grade 12, class of 2024. Prior to attending BISV, Isha attended a private school. Since joining our school in Grade 5, she has been a fantastic member of our school community. Isha’s favorite soccer clubs are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. She says, “I went to both home stadiums when I visited Spain for my 18th birthday!”

Isha loves to travel with her family and has been to several other countries as well. She is also a valuable member of our dynamic Bollywood Dance Team at BISV, where she embraces her heritage and nurtures her love for dance. One standout memory for her last year was attending the Taylor Swift Eras Tour with her best friend!

What have been some of your most memorable moments or experiences at BISV and why?

One of my favorite experiences at BISV was being selected to be a Student Ambassador! As a Student Ambassador, I got the wonderful opportunity to welcome prospective students to BISV and show them around our campus. I also got to speak to prospective students and parents during Open Houses and Information Sessions. I answered any questions that they had and shared all of my amazing experiences at BISV, including the joy I got from representing my school. I’m proud to say that I have been a Student Ambassador for all 7 years that I’ve been at BISV and have truly enjoyed being able to show families how warm and welcoming our community is.

This year we have over 90 clubs at BISV! What are the benefits of participating in our extracurriculars?

Everyone has a variety of interests, whether it be the arts, academics, or sports. One of the things I appreciate most about BISV is how they celebrate students’ individuality by offering a wide variety of clubs. With such a varied group of club topics, it really feels like there’s something for everyone. Participating in clubs and organizations at BISV not only allows you to pursue your passions, but also allows you to form close bonds with club members who have the same interests as you.

How do you manage your time and balance academic, extracurricular activities, and free-time?

One of the most effective ways that has helped me balance my academics, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments was using my Communication Journal, or CJ. I would write down all of my school reminders and events that I had outside of school in order to keep track of everything. Just like I used my CJ to help me manage my time and balance my academics, extracurriculars, and personal commitments, it also came in handy for staying organized. Writing things down in my CJ allowed everything to be in one place, so it became easy for me to keep track of assignments and deadlines.

What are some ideas you had about BISV that you found out to be true or false once you joined the school?

Since BISV is such an academically rigorous school full of high-achievers, I thought I would be surrounded by a competitive environment where I would feel insecure and less accomplished than my peers. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Everyone in BISV is so humble about their accomplishments and best of all, everyone here supports and lifts each other up. The students here are not afraid to ask for help or admit their weaknesses, creating a safe space for everyone to share their thoughts and feelings.

Finally, what advice would you give for incoming students to make the most of their year?

One piece of advice I would give to prospective students is that even though the curriculum at BISV is rigorous, just continue to work hard and seek the help of your friends, parents, and teachers. Also, make sure you use your CJ! It helps a lot when you have several upcoming assignments, tests, and events.

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley 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 Bobcat community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

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!