Student Learning

Term Project Week: Hands on Learning and Discovering Passions Through Multidisciplinary Projects

June 25, 2026 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

Term Project Week is a special tradition across all BASIS Independent Schools. At BASIS Independent Bellevue, Project Week is a much anticipated time on campus by teachers and students alike. After a year of learning, studying, and exams, the teachers are eager to create projects around their passions and share them with students. Term Project Week provides a space for students to discover new passions through multidisciplinary projects.

When walking around campus during Project Week you might see students learning how to line dance, while other students are building volcanoes as they learn about Pompeii, and some students may even be designing and building their own race cars. The excitement of Project Week isn’t limited to projects on campus, but expands into the community as well. This year we had students who got to learn about the intertidal zone and explore three different beaches in the Puget Sound. Beyond that we have groups of students who will be traveling to Alaska, France, and Norway for their Project Week.

Take a look at some of the projects we had this year and see what happens when students have the opportunity to explore passions and delve into creative projects.

Wearable Art Studio: Become a Fashion Designer

This project was led by Ms. Tseng and Ms. Haugen for students in grades 3–5. Students got to create custom totes bags, hats, and bandanas using printmaking, fabric paint, and tie-dye techniques. Their project culminated with a runway showcase where the designers got to debut their one-of-a-kind creations!

Chinese Cooking Camp

Ms. Pan and Ms. Chen, two of our Subject Expert Teachers in Mandarin, took students in grades 3–4 on a fun and flavorful journey into the world of Chinese cooking. During this project students used their team work skills to prepare vegetables, meat, and other ingredients. All of the students had a blast growing their confidence in the kitchen. But the best part of this project — trying and sharing the delicious food they created with friends!

Splish Splash

Ms. E-E and Ms. Rieger left campus behind for Project Week and took a group of grade 6–8 students to explore different forms of outdoor exercise, including hiking, kayaking, and paddleboarding. This group of students loved immersing themselves in nature for the week and admiring the beauty of the lakes and forests that are in their own backyard. A highlight of this project was getting to see a turtle in its natural habitat!

Rome 3-D Model Lab

In this project students in grade 7–10 became Roman architects and city planners for the week, as they reconstructed the monuments of the ancient world. Students learned how the Romans designed their cities and the engineering and architectural techniques that made Rome famous. Students then worked in teams to create detailed models of famous Roman monuments, using physical materials and digital tools.

Fiber Arts

Many students in grades 5–10 chose to explore the colorful world of weaving, led by Ms. Dreskin. Students got to explore texture and pattern as they built their own unique woven pieces with yarn and other creative fibers. Artists got to learn weaving techniques, as wells as knotting, fringe, and mixed-material details.

Erupting History: Build a Volcano and Discover Pompeii

Another group of grade 3–5 students explored the history and science behind the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Students analyzed archaeological evidence and created their very own working volcano models of Mount Vesuvius. Getting to make the volcanoes erupt was a highlight for all!

Term Project Week is a cherished tradition at BASIS Independent Bellevue that highlights the joyful learning culture we nurture on our campus. We are grateful for our teachers who work hard to create engaging projects and our students who consistently bring their passion, innovation, and creativity into each project.

Taste the Creativity at Our Grade 3 Food Truck Fair!

June 15, 2026 by anjalijoshi Leave a Comment

As a PreK–Grade 5 school on the UWS, BASIS Independent Manhattan provides authentic learning experiences that connect classroom concepts to real-world applications. Learning comes to life through engaging, hands-on experiences that inspire students to think creatively, collaborate with their peers, and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. One of the most anticipated highlights of the grade 3 curriculum is the annual Food Truck Project, an interdisciplinary unit that transforms students into young entrepreneurs and culminates in a vibrant Food Truck Fair.

Families researching private schools often seek opportunities that combine rigorous academics with hands-on learning experiences. The Food Truck Project is a signature component of the grade 3 curriculum NYC families appreciate for its blend of academics, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

How Grade 3 Students Become Entrepreneurs

The Food Truck Project exemplifies the dynamic learning experiences that make grade 3 such an exciting year. Working in teams, students take ownership of creating and launching their own food truck businesses from the ground up. From brainstorming concepts and conducting market research to designing branding materials and developing menus, students experience the many steps involved in building a successful business.

As they bring their ideas to life, students develop valuable entrepreneurial skills including financial literacy, branding and design, persuasive writing, public speaking, collaboration, and problem-solving. They learn how to evaluate customer interests, make strategic business decisions, communicate ideas effectively, and work as a team toward a shared goal. These authentic experiences help students understand how the skills they learn in the classroom can be applied in meaningful, real-world contexts.

Bringing Learning to Life

Students apply concepts from multiple subject areas:

Mathematics

Create budgets
Calculate expenses and profits
Make financial decisions

Geometry & Engineering

Design scale models
Calculate area, perimeter, and volume

Research & Writing

Investigate global cuisines
Analyze information
Create persuasive marketing materials

Branding & Design

Develop logos
Design menus
Create advertisements

Public Speaking & Collaboration

Present ideas
Pitch concepts
Work toward shared goals

A Showcase of Imagination and Innovation

This year’s Food Truck Fair featured a wide variety of imaginative concepts, each reflecting the creativity and unique interests of its student team.

Breakfast Bank invited visitors to explore breakfast favorites from around the world, offering a menu inspired by global morning traditions.
Slurping Ramen celebrated the comforting flavors of noodle dishes while introducing customers to different styles of ramen and Asian cuisine.
Fry-Days embraced everyone’s love of crispy treats, serving up a creative menu dedicated to all things fried.
Europe from East to West took guests on a culinary journey across the continent, showcasing foods and flavors from a variety of European countries.

Each food truck demonstrated not only creativity but also thoughtful planning, teamwork, and attention to detail. Students proudly shared their concepts, explained their business strategies, and presented the hard work they had invested throughout the project.

Building Confidence Through Experience

Beyond academics, the Food Truck Project helps students build confidence in their abilities. By navigating challenges, making decisions as a team, and presenting their work to an audience, students gain meaningful experience in leadership, collaboration, and public speaking. They learn how to advocate for their ideas, respond to feedback, and adapt when plans change—skills that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.

The project also fosters a growth mindset, encouraging students to take risks, learn from mistakes, and celebrate both individual and team accomplishments. These experiences help students develop resilience and independence while cultivating a lifelong love of learning.

A Project That Evolves Every Year

One of the strengths of the Food Truck Project is that it continues to grow and evolve each year through the creativity and dedication of our teachers. Guided by their Learning Expert Teacher (LET), Ms. Arlinda, and the Grade 3 Subject Expert Teachers (SETs), the project regularly introduces new opportunities for creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, ensuring that each year’s experience is fresh and engaging.

In recent years, students have explored modern marketing concepts by creating mock social media content for their businesses, including developing Instagram profiles that reflect their brand identity and target audience. Other additions have included designing branded merchandise featuring their logos, helping students further explore the connections between marketing, design, and entrepreneurship. These enhancements ensure that each year’s Food Truck Project builds on previous successes while providing new opportunities for creativity and innovation.

A Memorable Grade 3 Tradition

The Food Truck Project is more than a classroom activity—it celebrates creativity, curiosity, and interdisciplinary learning at BASIS Independent Manhattan. At this year’s fair, Grade 3 students proudly showcased their food truck businesses, demonstrating the skills, knowledge, and confidence they built throughout the year. A beloved tradition, the project creates lasting memories while inspiring deeper learning and engagement.

Ready to Experience the Magic of Grade 3 at
BASIS Independent Manhattan?

Our Rolling Admissions application cycle is now open for the 2026-2027 school year. Applications for the 2027–2028 school year open August 1. We invite prospective families to connect with our Admissions team and discover how our engaging, interdisciplinary curriculum helps students grow as confident learners, fearless thinkers, and future leaders.

Apply Now

From Apollo to Artemis: How Kindergarten Engineers are Mapping the Future of Space Flight

June 11, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

While the world watched the successful splashdown of the Artemis II mission, the Kindergarteners at BASIS Independent Manhattan were already deep into their own lunar preparations. In engineering class, a simple pile of LEGO bricks became a lesson in the high-stakes world of aerospace, where our early learning students discovered a fundamental truth: in engineering, every single detail matters.

five students stand in front of a white board that says "We are going back to the moon" and they are holding their straw rockets.

An Interdisciplinary Preview

At BASIS Independent Manhattan, we often speak about our “spiraling curriculum.” For this lesson, that spiral started early. Before picking up a single block, students discussed the meaning behind the name Artemis.

This served as a fascinating interdisciplinary bridge to grade 5 Classics, where students dive deep into Greek mythology and history. By connecting a modern NASA mission to ancient stories, our students could understand how science, history, and culture are never truly separate.

a boy student holds up a design of a space launching system with the rocket and parts labeled in front of a LEGO model.

Mastering Propulsion and Design

The classroom was a hub of “focused fun” as students deconstructed the complexities of a Space Launch System (SLS).

Structural Integrity: Using LEGO, Kindergarteners designed launch systems that required balance and strength to stand tall for “liftoff.”
The Science of Flight: Through “straw rockets,” students experimented with the mechanics of propulsion, learning how force and direction dictate a successful trajectory.

A Facebook post from NASA History that shows the Apollo 12 astronauts with the helicopter flying over to recover them.

A Living Connection to History

The lesson took a personal turn thanks to our Kindergarten Teaching Fellow, Ms. Kelly. She shared a remarkable piece of her own family legacy: her father was a Navy pilot who flew the recovery helicopters for the original Apollo missions.

Students looked at archival photos of these recovery missions, realizing that the “splashdown” they were watching on TV – that the world was watching – connected directly to members of their own school community who were part of this carefully constructed operation’s evolution. This use of primary sources and personal narratives is a hallmark of the inquiry-based learning in our Lower School.

female student sits at a table and smiles with LEGO structures that look like a space launch system in front of her.

“We Will Follow Her There”

Perhaps the most powerful moment came during a discussion about the first female astronaut to journey toward the moon on the Artemis mission. The representation on screen sparked an immediate reaction from several of our students.

“We’re going to follow her there one day so we can explore the moon, too,” they remarked.

What our teachers marveled at most wasn’t that the students learned the mechanics of a rocket, but that they gained the confidence to believe in themselves to accomplish a feat like that in their future. We provide the tools, the content, and the encouragement for them to aim for the stars—literally.

teacher holds a straw rocket with a student standing in front of her pointing up at it like he is asking a question. They are standing in front of a white board that says "We are going back to the moon."

Join Our Next Mission

Our classrooms are spaces where curiosity meets high-level inquiry every day. If you’re ready to see how our Subject Expert Teachers inspire the next generation of engineers and explorers, we invite you to visit our campus or connect directly with our admissions team at manhattan-admissions@basisindependent.com.

BASIS Independent Manhattan is a PreK–grade 12 private school with campuses in the Upper West Side and Chelsea. Our mission is to educate students to the highest international levels through a spiraling liberal arts and sciences curriculum. We are committed to a joyful learning culture where hard work is celebrated, and our Subject Expert Teachers inspire extraordinary outcomes.

Term Project Spotlight: Exploring Creativity Through Glass Blowing and Fusing

June 5, 2026 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

What happens when students step outside the traditional classroom and into a glass studio? In this hands-on Term Project, students in grades 9–11 explored the art and science of glass through both on-campus creation and real-world experience.

Students spent the week working with both hot and cold glass, discovering new techniques and pushing their creativity in exciting ways. On campus, they practiced glass fusion by designing their own pieces, cutting cold glass, and firing their work in a kiln. These projects ranged from detailed pendants to larger glass scenes, each one showcasing careful planning and artistic expression. As Max P. shared, the experience offered “so much creative liberty,” giving students the freedom to explore their own ideas while building new skills.

The experience extended beyond campus with a visit to the Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI), where students worked with hot glass reaching temperatures of nearly 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. With guidance from professional instructors, they rotated, blew, and shaped molten glass to create their own bowls. Students selected their preferred shapes and colors, watching as clear glass was rolled in vibrant frit—small pieces of colored glass—before being transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces. Reflecting on the experience, Rachel Van Dusen summed it up simply: “It blew me away.”

Over the course of the project, each student completed at least three pieces: a blown glass bowl, a small fused pendant, and a larger fused design. Along the way, they gained not only technical skills, but also a deeper appreciation for the medium. As teacher Sarah Hetu noted, “This Term Project brought students a great respect for working with glass—we truly learned that challenging mediums give us the most rewarding work.”

Beyond the techniques, students valued the opportunity to collaborate, create, and enjoy the process together. Mansi S. shared that the project allowed her to “be productive and have fun with my friends and teachers,” while Ximo (George) T. added that he “would definitely do it again.” For some, the impact was lasting—Olivia X. reflected, “Glass blowing changed my life.”

The week concluded with a Glass Showcase, where students proudly displayed their creations for families and staff to enjoy, celebrating all they had learned and accomplished.

From first cuts of cold glass to shaping molten material in the studio, this Term Project gave students a unique opportunity to explore creativity in a completely new medium—one that challenged them, inspired them, and left a lasting impression.

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.

Making Science Come to Life: Every Spring, Our Cubs Watch Life Change Before Their Eyes

June 5, 2026 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

There’s a moment that happens every spring in our Lower School classrooms when a hush falls over a group of young Cubs as they peer into a glass container and watch, with wide eyes, as something that was once a tiny egg or a wriggling larva becomes something entirely different. It’s the kind of moment no worksheet or video can replicate.

That’s exactly why, for several weeks each spring, our Lower School dedicates itself to one of science’s most wondrous stories: the life cycle.

“In an urban environment where kids don’t get as much exposure on a day-to-day basis to nature, anything we can do to bring the natural world to life for students is really important,” commented Head of the Lower School Ms. Miller-Sims. “When you can put a living creature in front of them and observe the life cycle from the beginning, you just see it light up in their eyes in a completely different way than learning about it on a screen, or learning about it in a textbook, or talking about it through a discussion in class. Those moments are just so pivotal, because it is what the children will remember and constantly go back to, even as they age, remembering these foundational experiences.”

Engaging, Experiential Learning

From PreK through Grade 2, our students don’t just read about how living things grow and change; they witness it. Each year, our campus becomes a living science lab as we welcome a carefully chosen cast of creatures: caterpillars that spin themselves into chrysalises, tadpoles paddling in tanks, ladybug larvae inching along leaves, and eggs nestled in a warm incubator, waiting to hatch.

The goal isn’t just to teach biology. It’s to give children a visceral, unforgettable understanding of transformation, and allow them to see that living things change, grow, and become something new, right in front of their eyes.

“When students see something happening in real time, they really learn the best that way,” stated Grade 2 Math and Science Subject Expert Teacher Ms. Witherspoon. “When we have our eggs in our incubator, they can see how they are growing inside. Yes, we have a chart where they can see inside the egg. It’s different when you see it day by day. Once the chicks hatch, they can see how fast they may grow, or that not all chicks are yellow, learning about different colors and different breeds. The joy on their faces when they learn something and see it in person is just really unforgettable.”

Students observing the growth of tadpoles in Kindergarten

Why Hands-On Learning Matters

Young children learn best when they can touch, observe, and wonder. Watching a tadpole sprout tiny legs over the course of a week is a lesson in patience, curiosity, and scientific observation all at once. Checking on a tray of eggs each morning teaches children to look closely for details, to notice small changes, and to ask questions. When a chrysalis finally opens, the room fills with a kind of collective awe that’s impossible to manufacture and impossible to forget.

“The whole school gets involved by the time our chicks are hatching,” said Ms. Witherspoon. “I get parents, all the time, sharing that they are learning just as much as their children are learning. It’s great just to see from our littlest ones in the PreK classrooms to our oldest ones in Grade 2 how they are all just curious at the end of the day.”

These experiences also build a foundation for scientific thinking that will serve our Cubs for years to come. They begin to understand that nature operates on its own timeline, that change is a process, and that the world is full of living things undergoing their own remarkable journeys.

The Lineup This Spring

Each creature we bring to campus represents a different kind of life cycle story:

Caterpillars to chrysalises to butterflies: Students observe the transformation from larva to winged insect, learning about metamorphosis up close.

Tadpoles: The classic frog life cycle unfolds in a classroom tank, day by day.

Ladybug larvae: These spotted favorites go through a dramatic transformation that surprises even the adults in the room.

Chick eggs: Perhaps the most anticipated of all, children gather around the incubator and wait (and wait and wait) for the first signs of hatching. “Chick watch” is the term we use, and this year, Ms. Witherspoon helped welcome the great-grand chicks of the first chicks hatched in her classroom three years ago!

A Tradition Worth Protecting

In an age of screens and simulations, there’s something quietly radical about putting a living creature in a child’s classroom and saying: watch what happens. Our Lower School’s life cycle unit is one of those rare school experiences that students carry with them long after the school year ends- the spring they saw a chick hatch, the morning they noticed the tadpole had legs.

We’re proud to offer our Cubs this window into the natural world, and we are committed to nurturing their curiosity in such engaging ways for years to come.

Students in PreK marvel at butterfly larve

Global Finance And Fearless Curiosity Collide: Brookfield Investors Visit Our Upper School

May 29, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

What happens when some of the world’s leading institutional investors step inside an NYC private school powered by fearless, independent thinking?

[Read more…]

The Evolution of Lab Sciences: From Exploration in Primary Years to Advanced Laboratory Experiences in High School

May 22, 2026 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Bellevue, science comes to life through hands-on experiments, collaborative projects, and engaging investigations that encourage students to think critically and creatively. Across every division, from Primary School to High School, students are actively exploring the world around them in a variety of capacities.

Primary School: Building Curiosity Through Exploration

In Primary School, students are introduced to the wonders of science and engineering through engaging, project-based learning experiences. Throughout the primary years students deepen their knowledge of essential science concepts while teachers inspire a sense of wonder and excitement about the natural world, encouraging them to see themselves as young scientists ready to explore and discover.

In engineering classes, students explored various aspects of STEAM through units on civil and aerospace engineering. During the civil engineering unit, students worked collaboratively to design free-standing paper skyscrapers and environmentally informed cities centered around green spaces. In aerospace engineering, students designed rockets inspired by the Artemis II launch. During presentations, the BASIS Aeronautics Space Administration (B.A.S.A.) voted on the most innovative rocket design, with one winning all-girls team, impressing classmates by designing a rocket capable of cooking s’mores for astronauts during takeoff.

Students also participated in several exciting scientific investigations throughout the year. During a month-long moon phase project, students observed and documented the moon each night in moon journals before reenacting the positions of the Earth, moon, and sun to better understand lunar phases. Students also explored light energy through learning centers focused on how light travels and reflects off surfaces. Another favorite activity came during the measurement unit, where students practiced measuring liquids and following detailed lab instructions. If completed correctly, the experiment resulted in a colorful rainbow, making science both educational and exciting.

Middle School: Applying Science Through Hands-on Learning

Middle School students take scientific exploration to the next level through challenging labs, engineering projects, and interactive investigations. From grade 6–grade 8 students take three separate, concurrent science classes, biology, chemistry, and physics.

In physics classes, students participated in the “Egg War,” where they applied concepts such as Newton’s Laws, momentum, impulse, and kinematics to design vehicles capable of protecting an egg during a head-on collision. Students also explored electricity by building a variety of circuits using batteries, wires, and light bulbs, gaining firsthand experience with electrical systems and experimentation.

Engineering electives have also provided students with opportunities to collaborate and innovate. In grade 6 Introduction to Engineering, students worked together to build and code robots capable of competing in friendly robot battles. Through this project, students strengthened their skills in coding, construction, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Middle School chemistry students recently completed a stoichiometry lab involving a single replacement reaction between Copper (II) Sulfate and Aluminum. Students calculated theoretical yields, conducted the reaction, and analyzed their percent yield based on the copper produced. Biology students have also immersed themselves in the study of anatomy and life sciences through a variety of dissections, including cow hearts, cow eyes, frogs, and owl pellets. In addition, students explored the microscopic world by using microscopes to observe tissues, organisms, and cellular structures.

High School: Connecting Theory to Real-World Science

In high school science courses, students deepen their understanding of scientific concepts through advanced laboratory experiences and independent inquiry. In AP Physics 2, students conducted a capacitance lab in which they built parallel-plate capacitors using aluminum foil and textbooks. By testing how effectively paper functioned as a dielectric material, students were able to apply classroom equations to real-world experimentation and engineering design. In AP Physics 1, students got to build model trebuchets, a medieval siege engine powered by a counterweight. They explored the forces and torques acting on the system and how their design choices affected the range and accuracy of their models.

Honors and AP Chemistry students have also engaged in a wide variety of labs throughout the year, including titrations, acids and bases investigations, and experimental procedure design. Students are often challenged to create their own methods for achieving a scientific goal using only a provided set of materials, encouraging creativity and critical thinking in the lab. But what is the fun in chemistry without some fire? One particularly memorable experiment involved testing metals in flames to demonstrate properties of matter. By combining alcohol with different salts, students produced brilliantly colored flames that brought chemistry concepts vividly to life!

From designing rockets and building robots to conducting advanced chemistry and physics experiments, students across all grade levels are discovering that science is more than just a subject. It is an opportunity to explore, create, and innovate. Through these engaging lab experiences, our students continue to develop the problem-solving skills that will assist them in their future endeavors.

Redefining Student Agency in the Financial World

May 1, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

Josh A. (Class of 2027) remembers watching the markets long before he had a portfolio of his own. Seeing the data move on a Bloomberg terminal at home sparked a curiosity about what it takes to “see the green” on a trade. During high school at BASIS Independent Manhattan, he found peers who shared that same drive. Along with fellow juniors Aidan B. and Finn B., they launched the Upper School Investment Club—a student-led initiative that has quickly become a standout example of high-level academic application and student initiative.

Recently, these student leaders met with Michael Collins, CEO of Spring Education Group (SEG), at the Upper School campus in Chelsea to discuss the future of financial literacy and their club’s unprecedented trajectory in the New York City education landscape.

The founding investors club students stand on the staircase inside the Upper School with CEO of Spring Education Group (SEG) Michael Collins and club advisor, Kirk Murphy. — From L to R: Mr. Murphy (Club Advisor), Josh A., Aidan B., Finn B., and Mr. Collins (CEO, SEG)

A Flight Simulator for Money Management

At BASIS Independent Manhattan, our students can begin taking economics in grade 8 and complete the AP level by the end of their junior year. What makes our students unique is how they engage with finance and the economy as active participants.

Like a pilot practicing in a “flight simulator,” our Investment Club leaders have created a space to implement practical skills in real-life situations without the immediate risk of real-world capital. They run mock trials, build separate portfolios, and rigorously analyze their performance every two weeks. This methodology has already yielded results: in the Trading Day Competition hosted by the Stevens Institute of Technology, Josh A. secured 1st place and Aidan B. took 3rd place among over 800 participants.

A classroom for economics class has a game set up with a Market Tally sheet on the board, worksheets on a desk, and buyer-trader cards laid out. — During their required economics course in high school, BASIS Independent Manhattan students get a taste of the real financial world when they act as buyers and sellers trying to make the highest profits by trading in an “In The Chips” activity.

The Path to a Real-World Endowment

However, for these students, simulations are only the beginning. The meeting with Mr. Collins represented a major milestone: presenting a “proof of concept” to secure SEG leadership’s support for an unprecedented high school model.

The club’s ultimate goal is to transition from mock portfolios to managing a real-money endowment that stays with the school’s Investment Club. By demonstrating their rigorous risk-management strategies and analytical mastery, the students are seeking the buy-in and investment necessary to trade with real capital—a level of responsibility not traditionally seen at the high school level.

**Mastery Through Winning and Losing**

To prepare for that responsibility, the students have developed a sophisticated understanding of risk. They have learned that true mastery often means learning what not to do through winning, and learning what to do through losing.

While their 1st and 3rd place finishes at Stevens brought returns of up to 400% in a month, the students reflected on the experience with a critical eye. “The Stevens competition actually taught us the wrong things,” the leaders shared during the roundtable. “You can go ‘all in’ every time and win in a simulation, but that is just not true in the real world.”

The club saw a different kind of value when they competed in the Wharton Global Youth Program Investment Competition. Though they didn’t take home the top prize, the experience was a catalyst for growth. “Here’s what we did wrong: we didn’t meet the client’s expectations. What we need to do is change our philosophy,” they noted. This ability to identify failure and pivot is exactly why their Investment Club has a strong future.

The 11 students in the 2025-26 Young Investors Club stand in a classroom taking a photo for the yearbook.

Redefining Student Agency in NYC

The conversation with Michael Collins highlighted a core belief at our school: that student agency has no age limit.

“You guys are a concrete example that any high schooler can do this,” shared Mr. Collins. “There’s no requirement to be an adult or a college graduate. At any point in your life, you can start managing money.”

Mr. Collins was particularly impressed by how the founders translated their personal success into a structured peer-to-peer mentorship program, demystifying complex financial systems for the rest of the student body.

The Wildcat Edge

For colleges and universities, Aidan, Finn, and Josh represent the gold standard of grit. They go beyond the BASIS Curriculum, applying the logic learned from their Subject Expert Teachers to identify market trends and manage real-world risk.
For NYC families, this club represents our mission in practice. Students take the techniques acquired in the classroom and apply them to their own inquiries, developing the resilience required for the world’s most competitive environments.

Join Our Wildcat Community

Are you curious about how the BASIS Independent Manhattan experience prepares each child for success? We invite prospective families to visit our campuses and speak with our leadership and students.

Middle School Program Tour (Grades 5-8): May 13
High School Program Tour (Grades 9-12): May 21

Register to Visit Our School Today

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How BASIS Independent Manhattan Grade 7 Students Impressed NYC Art Educators

April 7, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

Recounted by Ms. Hill (Subject Expert Teacher, World History)

Our grade 7 students stepped out of the BASIS Independent Manhattan Upper School to take an eye-opening field trip to the nearby Poster House, America’s first—and only—museum dedicated entirely to posters. This interdisciplinary field trip to see “The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy” helped students make connections between World History and visual art by seeing how Mussolini’s government designed posters that shaped Italian culture.

Identifying the Exhibition’s Key Focus

The exhibition featured 75 pieces from the Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli in Bologna that exposed the intersection of propaganda and art during Mussolini’s rule. The posters were visually stunning, with dramatic designs and vibrant colors that promoted a dangerous political ideology. Many students identified the strangeness of seeing something so artistic on the surface, yet how it was used with malicious intent.

Understanding Propaganda vs. Art

These middle school students were most taken by how much there was to learn from a single poster. Each one had a story to tell. Through deep analysis and thought, students identified the propaganda that the poster was intended to communicate.

By taking on the poster designers’ perspectives, the students weighed what choices they would need to make using just images, colors, and a few words to communicate a specific and complete message. Which colors should be used? How should the text be arranged? What emotions do the images evoke? A student favorite was the “creepy pasta baby,” which demonstrated the lie that Italy was flourishing economically and could support and feed such a vast population in its Empire.

Difficult Questions and Important Lessons

Our students took away from this field trip a key lesson that governments, activists, and companies have used posters to influence public opinion over time. After understanding that some posters encouraged people to buy chocolate with added ingredients to save money, or showed how chocolate and colonialism were connected, group discussions ensued about how even history can be used to change people’s minds.

With this newfound understanding, students are writing essays using propaganda posters from the exhibition. Their goal is to show how Fascism manipulated art and twisted history for its harmful ends.

Final Thoughts

Our grade 7 students found that a small museum can make a big impact, and our students made a lasting impact at the museum, too. The exhibition curator was so impressed by their knowledge, curiosity, and insights that he thought they were high school students in an AP class!

Experience Joyful Rigor Firsthand

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.

Grade 3 at BASIS Independent Bellevue Takes Center Stage!

April 2, 2026 by emilyhughes Leave a Comment

Last week, our grade 3 students took to the stage to bring the city of Megaville to life in our super-charged production of The Amazing Adventures of Super Stan—a wacky musical comedy that is one-half Marvel Comics and one-half Looney Tunes. The show was directed by our wonderful Drama Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Brad.

The play stars, Stanley Marvel who has the most boring job in Megaville, but he’s happy to read his comics and dream his life away. That is, until it’s turned upside-down when he discovers that local hero, The Candy Queen, is actually a super villain determined to conquer the world! Thanks to a secret hero-making formula his grandma invented years ago, Stanley becomes Super Stan, a caped crusader fighting for truth, freedom, and justice with the strength to save the day (and open a really tricky jar of pickles!).

Behind The Scenes

In grade 3, the students spent the first month and a half of the school year working on fundamental skills like voice projection, stage directions, and the three tools of an actor: voice, body, and imagination, during their drama class. After the foundations were established the students were ready to audition for the musical in mid-October. When asked what the audition process was like, Mr. Brad shared, “As a director, selecting which actor will play which role can be a challenge. You want to make decisions that play to both the strengths the actors already possess, but also ones that will allow them opportunities to grow and learn new skills and step outside their comfort zones. I was very pleasantly surprised how many strong singers I had to choose from too!”

Each grade 3 class got to have their own cast and their own show for the musical. This also allowed for flexibility if a student was sick on the night of their show, their double in the other cast could step in, allowing a system for understudies who knew the show intimately. Thankfully, no one ended up being sick the week of the show.

Show Time!

Finally, March had arrived, the month of the show, and all of their preparation paid off with a show full of energy, laughter, and joy! While adding costumes, props, and set are all exciting stages of the rehearsal process, it is the final addition of the audience that brings it all together; there is no show without an audience to receive it. The casts were both a mix of excitement and nerves, which Mr. Brad reassured his students, was totally normal. Putting aside their fears, these actors bravely stepped onto the stage and gave the show their all.

When asked what his favorite part of the musical was, Mr. Brad shared, “One of the most special parts of this musical was how every single actor had an important role to play. Each student had a character name, lines to remember, and featured moments throughout the show—whether that meant delivering a goofy punchline, small group dances, taking part in comical fight sequences, or singing their own solos.”

During the show the two actors who played the lead of Stanley Marvel, Bryan and Shannon, particularly melted the hearts of the audiences with Stan’s eleven o’clock solo ballad Behind the Mask, where the character psyches himself up for the impending final battle, even though he has lost his powers. When asked what it was like to perform in front of an audience, Shannon shared, “At the start of the show I was feeling shy, but then I got so into the musical I forgot there were people watching me!”

Beyond the Stage

Watching these students support one another on stage and rise to each challenge showed just how much they had learned, not only about performing arts, but also other life skills like teamwork, focus, and perseverance. When mistakes happened, the actors had each other’s back; a line was dropped here and there, and the actors kept the show going. When one actor forgot a major prop, the actor playing the evil Candy Queen that night didn’t miss a beat, and she improvised a line ordering her minion to go and find it—brilliant! Some students who were so shy at the start of the year where confidently shouting their lines out with courage. While an entertaining show is certainly the goal, watching these young actors grow and learn is the most satisfying part of the process by far.

This production also showcased some wonderful collaboration across grade levels. Some highly creative grade 6 students helped design and build props for the show, adding extra imagination and personality to the world of Super Stan.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Amazing Adventures of Super Stan on a job well-done! Additionally we are so grateful for Mr. Brad and his hard work to make this show and blog possible. Bravo to all!