Winter 2017, Vol. I
The Origins of ISB’s Walk for Water by Nancy Woodruff, President of the ISB Board of Trustees
I’ll never forget my first encounter with Kids for Kids’ founder Patricia Parker. My family was living in London at the time, and my four-year-old son came from school one day with an important message: “In Darfur, the kids have to walk really, really far to get water, and we need to send them money so they can have water and a goat!” His seven-yearold sister was able to fill in a few of the blanks: in Darfur, Sudan, children have to walk as many as seven hours from their villages to collect water for their families. Because of the conflict in Darfur, it is safer for children to go than for adults, who might be attacked or killed on their journey. If only they could have a hand pump in their village, they could have access to clean water without the long and treacherous journey. I attended Patricia Parker’s next Kids for Kids presentation, and I have never since met anyone who can make such an impression on children. She has an unparalleled way of making them understand the experiences of children in far away Darfur, of making
proud to carry the jug, but after a few minutes they were trying to pass the heavy, eight pound jug off to one another. This was experiential learning at its best. When ISB moved to Court Street, Prospect Park was too far, so we tried to think of another way to have a Walk for Water. Walk to the Gowanus? No. When we thought of doing the laps around the block with each child carrying a jug of water, we wondered if it would have the same effect. It turned out that the children loved this activity, and it has become an important ISB ritual. This year, for our sixth Walk for Water, 180 children participated, and we were lucky enough to have Patricia Parker come again from England and speak to both the children and the parents. After her visit, Patricia wrote to me, “Seeing your children’s determination to walk as far as they possibly could, to raise money to help children their own age, so far away, was inspirational. I came back from Brooklyn reinspired by your children, and I want to thank all of you for giving me the courage to go on. “ ISB students collectively walked 2,559 laps during ISB’s 6th Walk for Water! Children who were three or four at the first Walk for Water are now ten or eleven years old; some of the earliest Walkers have even graduated. But the message of the Walk for Water stands clear: what is as simple as turning on the faucet here can be incredibly difficult, dangerous, and sometimes deadly in other places in the world, including Darfur. As global citizens, ISB children understand and empathize with these children and are proud to do what they can to bring water, goats, trees, and other important things to their counterparts across the world.
them empathize, and of persuading them to take action. She had founded Kids for Kids in 2001 after she met a 9-year-old boy in Sudan walking through the desert for water, and she shared her message with many schools and organizations in England. Southbank, my children’s school, organized a yearly Wheel-a-thon with a local school for disabled children, and the children wheeled—on scooters, bikes or wheelchairs— around a local track to raise money for Kids for Kids. Also, when international families moved on to their next posting each year, Southbank donated a goat in their name. When we moved to Brooklyn a number of years later, I was keen to introduce Kids for Kids to my children’s New York schools. My older children organized a presentation and fundraiser at their school, and Owen, not yet six, also wanted to help. At that time, ISB was a tiny, four-year-old school located over a dry cleaner in Prospect Heights, and the oldest children in the school were 7 or 8. Patricia came from England and gave a presentation to ISB, and we organized our first Walk for Water. Forty children, many accompanied by their parents, walked from ISB to the pond in Prospect Park. It was a hot September day, and the walk felt so long that one child was convinced we were walking to Sudan. When we got to the pond, we filled an empty milk with the water and started our journey back. At first, the children felt
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5th Graders Participate in “A Day in the Life of the Hudson River” by Alicia Smith, Lower School Science Specialist Our 5th Grade scientists participated in “A Day in the Life of the Hudson River” on October 20, 2016. During this is a statewide event, students, and community groups collect valuable data on the health of the Hudson River. Our students joined more than 4,000 participants this year to collect data along the river and estuary. Our student scientists recorded data on the weather, current, tide, turbidity, and chemistry of the water from near the mouth of New York Bay, just north of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. They also made a detailed description of the area 4
surrounding the testing site and the amount of water traffic, as this impacts the health of the bay and river. Our data was sent to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to help scientists understand the overall health of the Hudson and the factors (good and bad) that may be impacting the river. We are also maintaining a database of our data for our own longitudinal study. The 5th Graders thought that this was an awesome field trip because they had the opportunity to use professional equipment in the field. Noah (Spanish 5th Grade) reflected that he felt “this big strong feeling to be part of this large learning community” that was doing such great things. We look forward to giving our students the opportunity to participate in this important data collection event again next year, and for many years to come. 5
Letter from the Head of School Dear ISB Community, It has been wonderful being back at ISB after spending two weeks at Teachers College Columbia University participating in the Klingenstein Heads of School Program. I am sure that the program is a wonderful experience every year, but I and my fellow participants were especially grateful to spend time together, as school leaders, during this moment of great change in our country. Our group of 21 Heads of School lead institutions from all over the USA and across the world, including Ghana, Hong Kong, Sweden, South Africa, Germany, Brazil, the US Virgin Islands, and China. We came to the program from young schools and from 100+ year old schools. We represented schools from liberal leaning communities and from more conservative communities; from large urban areas and from small towns; and from secular and from religious approaches (including a Catholic school and an Islamic school). One thing that united us was that we were all drawn to the program by a passion for education and a commitment to being life-long learners. Over the course of the two weeks, we deepened our knowledge about the purpose of education through studying the writings of philosophers such as Montaigne and Dewey, and examining the ways in which systemic racism was and continues to be embedded in the US educational system. We also drew upon each others’ experiences and knowledge to discuss the myriad political changes that were showing up in our news feeds each day. How would the immigration ban impact our communities? Had it already impacted our communities? How would potential change to visa systems impact the movement of our families and staff? How does a school with a small or large Muslim population handle the intense debate around the place of Islam in our country? How do we foster school environments that encourage students to find commonalities and learn about other viewpoints, while also encouraging them to take action with their voices as a form of being engaged in our democracy?
At the end of my two weeks away, I am not sure that I left with any fewer questions than I had when I arrived. However, it did reaffirm for me the importance of ISB’s mission and core values, and how important it is for us to engage in dialogue and learn from our diverse community, as well as to support our students, families and staff who come from around the world. I look forward to sharing the many insights that came out of my time at Klingenstein with the staff and the community, and to continuing work on advancing ISB’s mission and core values. Best, Rebecca Skinner, Head of School and Co-Founder
Staff News & Upcoming Events Natalie Stella Judelson, ISB’s Director of Operations & Advancement, has been accepted into a one-year NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. The fellowship is offered to support the professional development of individuals in independent schools who demonstrate excellence in leadership, a passion for their work, and aspiration to become a head of school. She will be part of the the 2017-2018 cohort and will begin her fellowship in March, with special courses and meetings taking place throughout the year. Assistant Head of School Joe Santos and MYP Coordinator Miriam Butterman will be presenting at the GEBG Global Educators Conference in Los Angeles in April. Their presentation will focus on the benefits of bilingual and biliterate educational environments and will provide guidance to schools on how to use language, inquiry, a multicultural curriculum, and concept-based learning to grow students’ academic skills and connections with the global community. French Prekindergarten Head Teacher Nathalie Trovato has published a book, An Alphabet in Bloom. The wordless book is full of beautiful cut paper art illustrations that encourages children to identify plants, animals, colors, numbers, and objects corresponding to different letters of the alphabet. In March, Art Teacher Jean Louis Frenk will be leading an educator workshop at Queens College. He will be presenting on his personal art practice as well as on ISB as a model Nursery to 8th Grade concept-based and multilingual education. Following the presentation, he will facilitate an art activity for the students via a collaborative and creative process before ending his visit with a reflective conversation with the participants.
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Join us! Visit isbrooklyn.org for more information. ISB Pecha Kucha Evening: Friday, March 10, 6:30pm-8:30pm Grandparents & Special Friends Day: Friday, May 12 (Nursery-Kindergarten) 12th Annual Spring Benefit: Thursday, May 18 Class of 2017 Graduation: Friday, June 16
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“We, as teachers, need to be sure that the students have made this initial connection, the connection between themselves and the unit. If they don’t understand the connection, they won’t be curious to investigate. When the students find their own connections to the unit, they recognize that they also have a role in the investigation process. The students will ask questions, do research, share their research with others, and reflect on what they have learned. Having that connection is a very important first step to launch the inquiry process. The workshops at this conference made me feel more confident about how to implement these steps of the inquiry cycle in my classroom.” Being able to travel back to her home country of Mexico was also an important part of her experience.
Collaboration and Learning Beyond Borders: A Teacher’s Professional Development Experience in Mexico City At the end of October, Spanish Prekindergarten Head Teacher Leticia Gonzalez joined teachers from all over Mexico to attend an IB Network PYP workshop at Tecnológico de Monterrey in beautiful Mexico City. During this conference, Leticia attended many workshops to dive further into one of the themes she is focusing on this year: inquiry. These IB Network conferences are some of the many ways that ISB teachers are able to build upon their expertise and to develop themselves as educators.
“The conference was truly wonderful. It was very interactive, and it involved many group activities that focused on the way that we, as teachers, can generate student inquiry in our classrooms. I had the opportunity to meet teachers from Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. While I was there, the Mexican Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) announced
“Having the opportunity to attend an IB conference in my home country of Mexico was incredible. I cannot describe the difference that this made for me. The learning experience that I had at this conference was totally unique. I felt that I was able to go deeper into the learning process. The instruction was in my native language, the language that I teach in at ISB, and this enriched my overall learning experience. There are some terms that you just cannot give an exact translation. But beyond the language, the cultural interaction was also completely different. Mexico is very different culturally than the United States, and this had an impact on my learning environment in terms of how I interacted with my classmates, with the way that we read each other, our body language, and the way that we show respect for one another. I felt that the atmosphere of this conference truly reflected the learner profile and attitudes of the IB program: the speakers and my classmates were all so caring, respectful, and empathetic. I felt comfortable, relaxed, and so happy to be learning!”
Leticia returned to Brooklyn feeling inspired to share with her colleagues what she had learned and eager to bring her contagious enthusiasm for learning into her classroom. We look forward to seeing the connections that she will help her students make throughout the year!
that it has adopted the IB to be implemented in all the public schools in Mexico, which is very exciting!” LETICIA GONZALEZ
Leticia said that her biggest takeaway from the workshop was how important it is to emphasize the connections that students make with the unit of inquiry. 8
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Celebrating Diverse Books As part of ISB’s commitment to showcasing diverse perspectives in the curriculum, this year’s Literacy Week featured a “Diverse Books Read-aloud” day, when classes set aside time to read a diverse book together and have a group discussion. As part of these activities, the French Nursery class read a book about about multiracial families, Noire comme le café, blanc comme la lune, by Pipi Mandelbaum, and discussed different family compositions. The class also read the book J’ai le droit d’être un enfant, a book about children’s rights. The students reflected on the things that they do in their daily lives that other children might not, such as going to school. They also discussed the homes they live in and how homes can be different around the world. Alicia Smith also participated in the Diverse Books Read-a-loud, using it as an opportunity to launch the 1st Grade’s study of habitats with a Native American myth. The class read the Seneca people’s traditional tale “Turtle Races with Beaver” from the book Keepers of the Animals by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac.
“We Need Diverse Books” ISB PARENT WORKSHOP Literacy Week was not just for students! It also included a workshop co-hosted by the Library and the Diversity Committee entitled “We Need Diverse Books: The Importance of Equal Representation in Children’s Literature,” which provided resources for choosing diverse books for children.
ISB parents and staff, as well as local school librarians, teachers, and neighbors, gathered for the culminating event of ISB’s Literacy Week: a workshop focused on the need for diversity and equal representation in children’s literature. This workshop addressed how we, as parents and educators, can use children’s books to prepare our children for a more global society and foster curiosity, empathy and global citizenship. In this workshop, Jill Eisenberg, Senior Literacy Specialist from Lee & Low Books, the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the country, gave an informative presentation and expertly moderated a panel with authors/illustrators Selina Alko & Sean Qualls. Sean, Selina, and Lee & Low are deeply committed to promoting inclusion and diversity. They discussed the lack diversity in children’s literature today and the work that they are currently doing in this field. The panelists then opened the floor to questions from the audience.
“The workshop on the importance of diversity in children’s books was incredibly timely. I appreciated hearing the stats that demonstrate the lack of diversity, yet felt uplifted knowing that there are people who are trying to influence changes in book publishing. I especially loved the listing of resources for finding diverse books.” YVONNE BRATHWAITE, ISB PARENT AND BOARD MEMBER
Be sure to check out the ISB Library’s Parent Resource page for reading lists of diverse books in Spanish, French, and English, as well as bookstore recommendations.
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of all ages in locations across the world, including Los Angeles, New Delhi, London, Malawi, and now: Brooklyn! On the first day of school, in anticipation of his visit, teachers prepared their students by creating works of art inspired by Tullet’s techniques and palette. Needless to say, the work they produced was phenomenal. To warm up the crowd, Tullet began the workshop with a playful call and response greeting. He continued by reading from a selection of his books. A handful of students volunteered to assist, while the audience was encouraged to echo the readers with a series of silly sounds.
“It was fun to paint shapes with different colors and make a beautiful mess!” STONEY, 4TH GRADE
Hervé Tullet x ISB By Maria Falgoust & Josefin Skoglund On September 8, 2016, over 200 ISB students in Pre-K through 5th Grade kicked off the new school year with a cross-divisional collaborative workshop led by the French author and illustrator extraordinaire, Hervé Tullet. Tullet is the celebrated author of many innovative, colorful, and interactive books such as Press Here, Mix it Up, and I am Blop! He is also well-known for his art workshops, which he has performed for children
Thank you to Hervé Tullet for hosting an incredible workshop. This was an unforgettable day for our students, and it was a great way to set the tone for a year of collaborative learning! Another big thank you to all of the parents, administrators, and teachers who volunteered and helped to make this event a success. We hope you enjoyed seeing this spontaneous work of art come together as much as we did!
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Notes from High School: A Conversation with Leila Narisetti ‘16
Leila Narisetti, an ISB alumna and freshman at The Packer Collegiate Institute, talks about life after ISB.
What is your favorite part about high school? There are so many great things. At Packer, you can choose whether or not you do PE. If you play a sport like I do (soccer), you don’t have to take PE, but you can use the fitness center to work out. There are also so many art and music classes to choose from. There is a program called Fresh Arts, which allows you to try a new art class every seven days so you can choose the class you like for second semester. There is modern dance, hip hop, visual arts, technical theater, instruments... so many choices!
How was the transition to Packer? Are you still studying French? The transition was easy, because there were lots of orientation meetings and a mock school day, where we could meet the teachers and students ahead of time. The biggest change for me was moving from a 5-day schedule to a 7-day schedule. I’m still studying French; I’m in French 4 now, and I will take AP French next year. I’m the only freshman in the class, which was intimidating at first, but I feel more comfortable now. The class is challenging, but in a good way, and I am speaking at a level where I feel comfortable. I’m planning to take Spanish my junior year.
What other classes and activities are you involved in? I’m taking accelerated math (geometry), accelerated physics, history, English, and French. I played soccer this fall, which met four days a week until 7:30pm. Luckily, I have free periods during the day to get work done! I am also part of the Math Team, the STEM club, and Model UN.
You were a Counselor in Training at ISB this past summer. What was that like? It was a super awesome experience! I got to see how teachers feel when teaching kids. It was fun to interact with kids on the teacher side, not as a fellow student, and to see how language acquisition happens. Is there anything in particular about your ISB education that you think is helping you in high school? At ISB, we always focused on the IB Learner Profiles, and I still think about these now. I am open minded when I approach new problems or topics. I take risks when I talk to new people or try new things like volunteering or joining new clubs and activities. I’ve noticed that my classmates are less likely to volunteer than I am, and they don’t want to work in groups, but I am very comfortable working collaboratively. Also, speaking French!
What do you miss most about ISB? Knowing people! My grade now is so big, with so many people. I don’t get to meet most of my classmates and have conversations with them, and I don’t know all of the teachers at my new school. It doesn’t have the same sense of community as ISB, and I miss knowing everyone.
Do you keep in touch with your ISB classmates? I keep in touch with certain classmates - I text with my friends from ISB all the time. We talk about high school and still hang out!
Alumni! Please send us your news and updates, and we will do our best to include them in a future issue of the newsletter. Email them to Christina Hultholm (chultholm@isbrooklyn.org).
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In addition to housing the Library program, the Learning Commons is being used for club meetings, advisory classes, tutoring, and so much more. Small classes and tutoring sessions take place throughout the day in the glass-walled Middle School Study Room, which gets its name because it is reserved for Middle School student use after school and during MS Library hours. Students are able to use this space to study quietly, work on homework, or conduct research for upcoming class projects. Another benefit of the new Learning Commons is that Nursery and Pre-K students now have library classes in the Library rather than in their classrooms. The students are very excited to visit the Learning Commons, and they already know how to use browsing sticks. The students have been proudly giving tours of the Learning Commons to their
The Learning Commons ISB has celebrated another important milestone with the opening of the new Learning Commons, and the excitement and pride for the new space is tangible! Bringing the Library back to ISB’s main campus has made it more accessible and convenient to visit, opening up new opportunities for our students, and welcoming three times more visitors than before. The Library program is integral to supporting ISB’s core values, especially inquiry-based learning and language immersion. With the Library’s move back to ISB’s main campus, students across all divisions now have access to the space. In addition to the Preschool and Lower School students who visit with their classes throughout the day, the Learning Commons welcomes Middle Schoolers during recess, when they have the opportunity to check out books, read, or help out. Middle School students are also using the Learning Commons for study halls during the day and after school. Now that the Technology Office is housed in the Lower Level, it is even easier for students to borrow laptops for class research projects and other activities. With this space, the entire ISB community now has a place to research, work, and read. Teachers have been using the Learning Commons to work during their prep periods, caretakers have been visiting it to read with children after school, and parents have been using it as a place to do homework before activities. We look forward to hosting research skills lessons in the Library for all grade levels, which will support our students’ ability to do independent work and give them strategies they will use throughout their lives. 16
“Since day one, the new ISB Library has been adopted and utilized by the ISB community. It adds cohesion to our school, and it is amazing to see how many families and students instantly feel at home with this much needed resource.” MELISSA, ISB PARENT
“Now that we have room for book displays, we have noticed the featured books flying off of the shelves. The Library now has a Mother Tongue collection as well. If you have children’s books in languages other than French, Spanish or English and would like to donate them, please contact us and help us grow our collection.” MARIA FALGOUST, LIBRARIAN
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parents and caregivers, and we are delighted to see their enthusiasm about reading and learning. The Learning Commons is a place of opportunity, where students are encouraged to strive for and achieve success, develop a passion for reading, and explore the world around them. We are so excited and thankful for this wonderful new space. Here are some of our students’ reactions to the new Learning Commons in their own words: This library is a gift to the school!” OONA, 3RD GRADE
“It’s much bigger and it has more space for books. It actually feels like a library.” MAX, 4TH GRADE “The library is kid-friendly and it has a lot books in different languages and is a nice place for people to come.”
“There is more space to do homework, plus there are tables.” LUCIE, 2ND GRADE
ZACH, 2ND GRADE
“I like the library because whenever people come here the Librarians make them feel like they are welcome.”
“There is more stools so you can reach the books also more computers. I like how the books are spread out and in order.”
STERLING, 2ND GRADE
“This new library is so amazing! It has every type of book anybody would want!” HELENA, 2ND GRADE
ELISE, 2ND GRADE
LUCIA P., 6TH GRADE
“I like the library. It’s a nice space to read books and do my homework.”
“This is now my favorite space in the school” FINNI, 5TH GRADE “The new library is much bigger so the books are spread out and it makes it much easier to find things.” LUCIA, 3RD GRADE
“I love it because the space is really big, there are a lot more books to read, more places to read, and even computers to work with! The shelves are lower, so shorter kids like me can reach the books or get to the high ones with one of the three library stools.” 18
AMALIA, 2ND GRADE
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Thank you to all of the families, administration, Trustees, architects, our Facilities team members, parent volunteers, and Alumni who donated money, time, and thought to this incredible project. If you have not yet had a chance to see the new Library and Learning Commons, please stop by and check out what has our students talking. Our Library team - Maria, Josefin, and Megan - would be happy to show you around! The Learning Commons is open for families and caretakers MondayFriday mornings from 8:00am-8:30am and after school from 3:00pm-6:00pm.
477 Cour t Street, Brooklyn, New York 11231 Main Entrance and Reception at 192 Luquer Street +1 7 18-369 -3023 • www.isbrooklyn.org