Our very own 4th Grade Learning Expert Teacher (LET), Mr. Chris, recently embarked on an astronomical adventure! Traveling with his family to Gatesville, Texas, he experienced the awe-inspiring phenomenon of a total solar eclipse and shares it with us here. Mr. Chris’s dedication to this experience reflects his passion for learning and exploration. He brings this same energy to the classroom every day, inspiring his students and colleagues.
A Glimpse Through Mr. Chris’s Lens
A passionate amateur astronomer, Mr. Chris meticulously planned this trip for a year. Witnessing totality for a breathtaking 4 minutes and 15 seconds was an experience he won’t soon forget. While we can’t fully replicate the magic of the moment, Mr. Chris brings his infectious enthusiasm to life through incredible photos and an engaging video. Read on to hear his first-hand account.
This week, a rare celestial event cast a shadow over our part of the world – the awe-inspiring total solar eclipse of 2024! I hope everyone had a chance to safely observe this remarkable phenomenon.
For me, the experience transcended mere observation. I had the incredible fortune of traveling with my family to Gatesville, Texas, where we witnessed totality unfold on a quiet country road, nestled between a cow farm and an army base. Being just outside the direct path, we were still treated to an unforgettable 4 minutes and 15 seconds of complete darkness.
I’m excited to share some photos and a video with you, including some stunning close-ups captured by my dad’s telescope. You’ll see details like Baily’s Beads and the sun’s corona, which the telescope rendered in an almost mythical green hue, although that is not the actual color.
In the video, you might hear us mention seeing solar flares. While scientists haven’t recorded any flares during this eclipse, what we witnessed were actually solar prominences – massive, long-lasting structures on the sun’s surface. The largest one in our photos is a staggering 3.5-4 times the diameter of Earth!
The sudden drop in temperature and the eerie darkness during totality were truly striking. We had planned to observe the cows’ reactions, but once it hit, we were too busy being awestruck! It was an experience filled with pure wonder and excitement.
Sharing this experience isn’t just about how amazing it was, but also about encouraging you to chase your own astronomical adventure. While total eclipses are rare in North America, they occur more frequently elsewhere. Check out this website to explore the next 15 total solar eclipses. If you ever get the chance to witness totality, don’t hesitate! It’s an experience you won’t forget.
Happy stargazing!
You can meet passionate teachers like Mr. Chris at our upcoming Open Houses and admissions events – learn more. He is also hosting a Nature & the City summer program at BASIS Independent Manhattan Lower School – view details and register here.
Our recent World Fest was an unparalleled success, and we can hardly wait to take you through the highlights of this unforgettable event. Wildcat families led this galvanizing celebration, showcasing the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and heritages of our community through food, performances, and activities.
A Feast for the Senses World Fest’s crowning component and main attraction was a bountiful buffet of foods from around the globe.
In addition to the feast of flavors, our fabulous lunch partner Butter Beans hosted a sushi-making.
Exploring the World Through Culture
But the fun didn’t stop with food! Attendees were treated to interactive experiences like Masala Bhangra dance lessons, a bindis and bangles table, and even workshops on Chinese calligraphy and paper cutting. Performances of Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance) and piano playing highlighted the talent of our student body as well. All of these activities plus the display tables were a fantastic opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions in a hands-on way.
A Celebration of Our Diverse Community
One of the most heartwarming aspects of World Fest was seeing the incredible diversity of our Wildcat community represented. We were thrilled to have families share their heritage from countries and regions including China, the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Israel, Jamaica, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vietnam, and more.
Building Bridges and Looking Forward
World Fest was more than just a fun event; it was a celebration of the rich tapestry that makes our school community so unique. Staff, students, and families came together to share their cultures, build bridges of understanding, and create lasting memories. The buzz is already building for next year’s World Fest! Our families are brimming with fantastic ideas to make this event even bigger and better. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this cherished tradition.
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Wildcat Family Committee, every single family, student, and staff member who participated, and all the parents who worked tirelessly to bring back this amazing event for the first time since 2020. Your dedication, effort, and commitment to this event was impressive and highly appreciated!
Considering joining our Wildcat family? World Fest is just a glimpse of the vibrant and inclusive community we’ve fostered here. We invite you to explore our website, visit our school, or contact our Admissions team to learn more about what makes our school so special.
BASIS Independent Manhattan, a private school offering PreK through Grade 12, is based in Manhattan, New York. Students thrive alongside Subject Expert Teachers as they engage in a liberal arts program with STEM offerings.
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 Ruhi M., Grade 9, class of 2027. Prior to attending BISV, Ruhi attended a public school. Since joining our school in Grade 6, she has been a fantastic member of our school community. This year, she joined the BISV Rock Climbing Club. She says, “Nothing beats the feeling of successfully finishing a hard climb!”
Outside of school, Ruhi enjoys engaging in activities that bring her joy, such as playing competitive table tennis. She feels playing sports teaches her how to not give up even in the prospect of failure. She also loves singing and cats!
What have been some of your most memorable moments or experiences at BISV and why?
One of my most memorable school experiences was performing as a part of the BISV choir. I chose choir as my elective in Grade 8 as I have always enjoyed singing. I got to sing every day alongside the rest of the choir. During my time in choir, not only did I become a much better singer, I made some great friends as well. Over the school year, we worked incredibly hard in preparation for our choir performance. Prior to this event, I have performed onstage many times as I also play piano, but I found this performance to be rather different. There was still the anticipation, excitement, lights, and audience, but this time I was able to share this experience with my amazing friends. I am incredibly grateful to our music teacher, Ms. Jay!
This year we have over 90 clubs at BISV! What are the benefits of participating in our extracurriculars?
Joining a club at BISV has a lot of benefits. Clubs are an easy way to try something new. There are a lot of academic-related clubs such as Science Olympiad, Robotics Club, and DECA that compete in competitions. Last year, BISV hosted 40 teams for the Silicon Valley Robotics League Finals. There are also volunteering clubs such as Key Club, Paws, and the NJHS/NHS (National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society). Personally, as a member of the NJHS, I believe joining clubs like these can give you a very rewarding experience. Joining allowed me to give back to the community in fun ways that I might not have tried if I didn’t join the club. There are also a lot of clubs related to art or sports such as NJAHS (National Junior Art Honor Society), Digital Art, Rock Climbing, Cross Country, and many more. I enjoy these clubs because, after a long day of school, these can be a great part of the day to look forward to. For me, I am a co-secretary of the BISV Table Tennis Club and a coach. I’ve found that being a coach has given me a lot of confidence in myself and my ability to help others. Having these roles in the club has allowed me to find a community of people at BISV who also share an interest in table tennis.
How do you manage your time and balance academic, extracurricular activities, and free-time?
As the school day goes by, I make additions to my To-Do List. I make sure the list is easily accessible, so I can look at it and edit it anytime. After school, I reorganize the list in order of how long how they will take to complete. For me, this helps because I prefer to get smaller tasks out of the way first to clear my mind for bigger tasks. I also utilize my time at school the best that I can. At BISV, there are office hours in which teachers hold sessions after classes where students can go and ask their questions. I have met multiple teachers who have spent hours throughout the year helping me as best as they can to understand concepts and I am very grateful to them.
What are some ideas you had about BISV that you found out to be true or false once you joined the school?
Before I joined BISV, I had heard it would be much more challenging than my current school. However, I wanted to join BISV because I wanted a challenge and that is what I got. Initially, I had the idea that the rigor would lessen my love for learning, but this was not true at all. It is the most amazing feeling to reflect on how much I have learned and grown since joining the school three years ago. One of the biggest differences I saw between my old public school and BISV is the quality of teachers. Teachers here are not only passionate and knowledgeable in their field but also teach very well. I truly believe that BISV can help reveal to you your true capabilities.
Finally, what advice would you give for incoming students to make the most of their year?
For any newcomers with an idea to start a club, it is worth it to pitch in your ideas as running your own club can become a valuable part of your time here at BISV! In addition, it’s important to not get stuck on what you can’t change. If you messed up on a test, don’t let that failure affect the future. If you are taking a break to relax, don’t stress by thinking of past mistakes or possible future outcomes. Don’t take on more extracurricular activities than you can handle or you might find yourself getting burnt out during the year. Do what makes you truly happy and can give a boost to your day. This is also an important message for parents deciding what classes to put their students in. Remember, your time is precious, so choose what you do wisely. Last, it is important to stay in the present and focus on what is in front of you. Keep going and always have faith in yourself!
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.
The last week of school means Term Project Week at BASIS Independent Bellevue! Term Project Week is an opportunity for students in all grades to work with their peers on multidisciplinary projects and to engage in a fun, new activity or trip with various grade levels. Students are grouped with Term Project Teachers for each project.
These projects challenge our students to be cooperative learners and to function as a team. We offer a variety of options, and strive to add new projects each year based on both faculty and student interest.
This summer, members of World Travel Club embarked on a voyage to England, France, and Italy. World Travel Club is led by our Latin and Classics Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Hui-Peterson. Over the course of nine days, our students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in various European destinations. This expedition marked the inaugural European journey for many, making it a truly memorable experience.
“We visited many historical sites, which provided a hands-on experience not only in history but also in cooking, customs, and more,” said Mr. Hui-Peterson. “Our BASIS Independent Bellevue Mountaineers enjoyed the time they had to indulge in food and culture, and explore stumbling upon these magnificent sites as they walked through cities.”
The trip to Europe included six of our Subject Expert Teachers and several of our parents who helped guide our students around three different countries.
This year marked the inaugural year of the Bumblebee Games, BASIS Independent Fremont’s new annual sports day. This eagerly anticipated event saw students come together to showcase their athletic abilities, team spirit, and, most importantly, to have fun! A sports-focused day holds a special place, igniting the competitive fire in young hearts. It’s a day filled with joy, teamwork, and valuable life lessons that will leave a lasting impact on these budding athletes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the excitement and benefits of The Bumblebee Games!
Healthy competition thrives where sportsmanship takes center stage. Teaching students about fair play, respect, and the importance of embracing both victory and defeat is vital. Through a range of sports activities like relay races, soccer matches, tug-of-war, and obstacle courses, children learn to collaborate, communicate, and support each other. This inclusive atmosphere fosters a sense of camaraderie among students, regardless of their skill levels, emphasizing that participation and effort are where victory is born.
Engaging in sports activities during sports day not only promotes physical fitness but also encourages students to lead active lifestyles. It presents an opportunity for children to discover their athletic interests, try new sports, and develop their coordination and motor skills. Through friendly competition, they can better understand the value of regular exercise, teamwork, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The Bumblebee Games act as a catalyst, inspiring young minds to pursue sports beyond the event and embrace physical activity as an integral part of their lives.
Participating in a sports-focused sports day helps children build confidence and self-esteem. As they navigate various challenges and triumphs, they experience personal growth. From overcoming individual obstacles in an obstacle course to supporting teammates in relay races, every success fuels their belief in themselves. The cheers and applause from peers and teachers uplift their spirits, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment. This newfound confidence transcends the sports day, empowering students in their academic pursuits and personal lives.
Above all, a sports-focused sports day creates lasting memories that students will cherish for years to come. The excitement, laughter, and sense of accomplishment become shared experiences that bind classmates together. Whether it’s the joy of crossing the finish line, the pride of scoring a goal, or the support and encouragement exchanged among teammates, these moments become a part of their elementary school journey. These memories not only foster a sense of belonging but also ignite a lifelong love for sports and camaraderie.
During the quiet months of summer, we make it a priority to reflect on the past year right before the rush of back-to-school begins. Now we wanted to share some lessons learned, celebrate accomplishments, and pay tribute to our 2023 graduates.
Let’s start with academics. We spend many hours reviewing our academic outcomes as a data-driven school. Our data informs our practice, identifies our weaknesses, and allows us to knowledgeably celebrate our successes. 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 assume we were just 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 3 AP Exams). This is consistent year over year and showcases the strength of our program. But it isn’t due to the fact that fewer students are opting to take APs. Not at all. In fact, we ordered 315 AP exams this year, the most ever in our school’s history.
Also in high school, we celebrated our National Merit Scholar winner Maren W. ’23, and we also now have exciting national merit scholarship news with our rising seniors. We have the longest list of commended scholars and finalists in our school’s history. A third of our rising seniors were recognized because they scored in the top 1% on the PSAT in NY state. This is significant even by BASIS standards!
It’s not only in high school that we’re seeing success. We had plenty of year-over-year increases in the Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP) assessment which measures primary and middle school students’ growth in verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative reasoning, and mathematics. Our 8th graders had a 7% increase over last year’s averages, while 4th and 5th respectively had 6% and 3% increases over last year’s averages.
But what about our current seniors? Our 5th graduating class? We’re incredibly proud of them! 40% of students were offered spots at colleges in the top 25 ranked national and international institutions. We had students accepted to:
Amherst College, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Imperial College London, New York University, Northwestern University, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, University of Toronto, University of Virginia, Williams College.
Four out of 22 of our students applying to colleges this year received offers of admission from Cornell University.
Our 2022-2023 school year was one of a return to traditions and events we desperately missed – from the Spring Musical to Debate competitions and Senior trips. We embraced seeing each other in person at Coffee with Administration meetings and added Open Gyms and fun activities. Kids enjoyed field trips once again and we were happy to have a year that brought them together more.
Celebrating Accomplishments
Throughout the 2022-2023 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 2022–2023 student accolades follows, broken out by discipline.
Fine Arts
Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition – Our students were recognized yet again with many honors this year. One national Silver Medal in drawing and illustration (see image on right). Five regional Gold Keys, 5 Silver Keys, and 8 honorable mentions in photography, digital art, painting, drawing illustration.
Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again!
High School Band was asked to play at the New York City Marathon to cheer on the runners and engage the spectators.
Our Spring Musical The Addams Family 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 put on wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.
Photo: The 2023 Spring Musical The Addams Family. Image taken by Danny Dolan ’22 @dannydolan_
Humanities/Social Sciences
Our Debate Club sent our teams to city championships and to state championships. One of our students, Isaac W. ’24, even won the top “team” award at a competition over Spring Break!
The Grizzly Co-Editor-in-Chief Laila G. ’24 won the prestigious Al Neuharth Student Journalism Award and is representing New York State in their student journalism conference in D.C. in June. Photo: A winning team at the Primary School Chess National Championships. We are still making room for that big trophy in our trophy case!
Our Bearswon 5th place team in the very competitive K-6 U1400 division at the Primary Chess National Championships – despite being down one player! Aiden C. ’30 also placed 6th individually at nationals. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
Sameer M. ’28 was a semi-finalist at the National History Bee and the U.S. Academic Bee as well as a quarter-finalist at the International Geography Bee
Samantha G. ’24 was published in the University of Pennsylvania’s peer-reviewed journal Perspectives on Urban Education for her reflections on life and school in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hunter R. Rawlings III Cornell Presidential Research Scholar: Noah L. ’23 was awarded the prestigious Presidential Research Scholarship to Cornell University, where he will be attending this fall. Only 230 students are inducted each year. This was based on his academics and past research project for Trinity Church Wall Street.
Math
Rising senior Alex R. ’24 won the 2023 Strogatz Prize – MOMATH National Mathematics Communication Competition – for his submission visualizing the topic of gradients and vector fields from his Multivariable Calculus. He drew a gradient/vector field of his face with the angle/direction changing according to position in 3-day space. You can see his facial expressions and colors used depending on movement along the axes.
Our MATHCOUNTS team came in second in Brooklyn and went on to compete at the New York State Championships.
The largest group of students ever sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses.
Photo: Ms. Reyes and Mr. Kaponyas pose with their students who participated in Math Kangaroo this year.
Science
A rising senior Charlie P. ’24 was named the 2023 Borlaug Scholar in the World Food Prize New York Youth Institute on his paper and presentation about obesity in Nauru.
Our school won second and third place in New York States TEAMS competition. Thank you to Physics teacher Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.
Sports
Our Co-ed JHS basketball team won the CONSAT league championship after an undefeated season under Coach York!!! Go Bears!!!
Our CSAA Boys Varsity Soccer team made the league playoffs and Coach McCollum was very proud of their determination and drive during the year.
CSAA Girls Volleyball made the playoffs after a tremendous fall season with Coach Nalipinski. They continued Volleyball Club this spring and are looking ahead to next year!
CSAA Co-ed JHS Flag Football team had a strong first year and made the playoffs with Coaches Wekilsky and Ryan. Team spirit could not be stronger, and we want to thank families for showing up consistently to cheer on our Bears.
CSAA Co-ed JHS Outdoor Soccer: Our Bears had a great season, won both semi-final games, and made it to the league finals. While they did not win, they showed great determination and teamwork. Athletic Director McCollum and Coach Kevin were very proud of our Bearsll
USATF Junior Olympians
Tasi-Ann C. ’25 earned the title of NY Junior Olympian for both Long Jump and Triple Jump. She also placed third in the Long Jump event!
Isaiah C.’28 was named a NY Junior Olympian in 200m and 400m races. He competed against students one to two years older than him and achieved the top position!
Photos (Clockwise from Upper Left Corner): 2022 Girls Varsity Volleyball Team, 2022 Varsity Boys Soccer Team, 2023 CONSAT Coed JHS Basketball Champions, and 2023 CSAA Coed JHS Outdoor Soccer Team.
Community Involvement
This year our high school team arranged a Second 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!
Students worked to redistribute more than 8,000 lunches to RHAP throughout the school year to the Red Hook Art Project. High School students regularly volunteered for Homework Help and even the gala. Families supported RHAP by attending the annual gala as well!
Back-to-School Textbook Exchange – Families donated nearly 200 textbooks and others bought used textbooks to benefit the Red Hook Art Project.
Our first School Supply Drive in partnership with School Tool Box provided 80 school supply boxes to students through Red Hook Initiative.
500 coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets as well as 200 care packages were assembled to support Red Hook’s Redemption Church community.
Toy Drive – Families donated more than 175 toys requested by parents who visit Good Shepherd counseling and wanted presents to give their children during the holidays. Our Lower School families donated nearly 50 games and toys to the Myrtle Avenue BKLYN Association.
Our community donated more than 310 food items to Community Help in Park Slope and created more than 300 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
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, allowing students to showcase their skills, define their interests, and pursue their passions.
Looking Ahead
Without community, academic successes are temporary and limited. We have made significant growth as a community this year, and it will further our students’ academic success and our school’s reputation. We see this anecdotally in the conversations we have together and the cultivation of mutual respect and trust. Not every conversation is one where we agree – nor should it be – but we continue to make our students’ growth and well-being the priority. But beyond the anecdotes, we also see our community’s growth in our achievements outside the classroom.
We all recognize that opportunity in class and to a large extent out of class comes down to the talent of our teachers. We also recognize that the curriculum that attracts families and students to BASIS Independent Brooklyn comes to life in a teacher’s hands. We have worked hard to recruit teachers who bring something extra to the school and we continue to attract talented teachers.
Teachers love this school because they are allowed to teach the subjects they know best the way they know best. They’re allowed to share their passion for their subjects with their students and this builds engagement. We worked hard this year on retaining teachers and the retaining of teachers worked us hard as well. But we’ve learned a lot about bringing new teachers into the fold and creating more consistent expectations and disciplinary approaches to supplement autonomy in the classroom. We will continue to support teachers in their transition to our school and growth with us and we have many veteran teachers that have stepped up to become involved in supporting their peers.
As we close our thoughts on the year, we want to salute our Class of 2023 for shaping our school. We are grateful to them and want them to know they always have a place here. Our team is already planning homecoming events around the Winter Break and Senior Projects when students return from their universities. 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 formalizing and 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’re in an exciting position moving into the year ahead marking our 10th school year educating students in Brooklyn. We want our students, teachers, staff, and families to feel a part of all our community has built together and the great opportunities ahead.
Photo: Co-valedictorian Katey B. ’23 addressing her peers at graduation. Image here and at the top of the blog post taken by Danny Dolan ’22 @dannydolan_
We know there’s nothing like being on campus, in a classroom, among our students and faculty and witnessing the BASIS Curriculum first-hand. To deliver that experience, we are thrilled to provide a look inside the BASIS Independent Manhattan Upper School (serving grades 6-12). During the summer, while many people travel and the building undergoes improvements and upgrades, we are pleased to offer the next best thing with this virtual video tour.
Click on the link below to start your tour right now! You will see that the facilities and unique spaces represent a vibrant culture and a learning environment driven by curiosity and passion. For some context behind the visuals, students consistently emphasize the supportive and collaborative nature of our school. When asked about the community, they mentioned that every teacher knows each student, and the student body has a close-knit familiarity. The sense of camaraderie creates a nurturing environment where everyone feels connected and valued.
Please watch the tour to step inside our 40,000-square-foot campus, which also includes a 12,000-square-foot rooftop. The tour also takes viewers to Chelsea Piers, which is conveniently located across from campus and where we have P.E. classes, sports programs, and various special events.
Step into our Upper School: Grades 6 – 12 Campus Tour
If you have any questions after viewing the virtual tour, please contact our admissions team at manhattan-admissions@basisindependent.com or sign up for our interest list for more information.
BASIS Independent Manhattan, a PreK-grade 12 private school, has two campuses in New York City. The Lower School (PreK – grade 5) is on the Upper West Side while the Upper School (grades 6 – 12) is located in Chelsea. Stay connected with us by joining our interest list.
Our very own 4th Grade Learning Expert Teacher (LET), Mr. Chris, recently embarked on an astronomical adventure! Traveling with his family to Gatesville, Texas, he experienced the awe-inspiring phenomenon of a total solar eclipse and shares it with us here. Mr. Chris’s dedication to this experience reflects his passion for learning and exploration. He brings this same energy to the classroom every day, inspiring his students and colleagues.
