Summer 2020, Vol. 7
ISB’s First Common Read
In August 2019, Head Librarian Maria Falgoust and MYP Coordinator & Middle School English Language and Literature Teacher Katie Rogers teamed up to introduce the idea of a “Common Read” to the entire Middle School student body, as well as ISB’s Faculty and Staff. Over the summer, all chose to read either We are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai and Liz Welch or Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. The “Common Read” provided a wonderful opportunity for students and faculty to connect through a shared experience of reading.
“The book, We Are Displaced, resonated with me on a very personal level, as I come from Chile and grew up during Pinochet’s regime, and my two older siblings went into exile because their political affiliations made living in our country dangerous. One thing stood out to me from reading this book is the fact that children and women are more vulnerable, yet education is a powerful tool for self-growth and empowerment. Discussing the book with my colleagues was great. Many of us had similar opinions about the stories, and I loved discussing the book with them.”
Before school was in session, the faculty and staff took a break from their busy classroom preparations and gathered one afternoon to discuss their summer reading. The staff broke into groups across all different language tracks and departments and engaged in powerful conversations with one another about the reading.
The following week, students came ready on the first day of school with a one-page response to their reading. The entire Middle School gathered together and posted colorful, creative, and thoughtful responses around the gym. Students and teachers spent time doing a “gallery walk,” exploring their classmates’ interpretations.
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SPANISH VISUAL ARTS TEACHER
Advisors led mixed-grade level discussion groups, and teachers were impressed with the way that the conversations took off. Next, students returned to the gym for a special assembly with Liz Welch, the co-author of We Are Displaced. Liz spoke about her experience writing the book with Malala Yousafzai and shared some of the stories of the young women from the book. “The Common Read was inspiring and allowed us to start the year communicating and sharing personal stories as a community. I read the stories compiled by Malala and was reminded of our common humanity, common joys, and sufferings as human beings. I felt it also related wonderfully to the theme of the year and our efforts to continue to establish kindness as an important value at ISB.” EMILIE BERGER, FRENCH TEACHER
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
“I enjoyed reading an autobiography about Trevor Noah and then having people to discuss it with. I thought that it was a good book. There were a lot of interesting events that happened in the book so it was nice having lots of people to discuss them with.” MARION, 6TH GRADE STUDENT
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“Most rewardingly (for me as an English teacher especially), through the Common Read, we were able to acknowledge that reading and discussing literature can help us build community. We were able to create a shared consciousness around ideas of oppression, injustice, resilience, and hope. To me, that was a really amazing thing to see!” KATIE ROGERS, MYP COORDINATOR & MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE TEACHER
Our first Common Read was a great success and a truly inspiring way to launch into a year of learning together as a community. ISB’s Multicultural Book Club also continued the conversation later in October where fellow parents and staff members came together to discuss Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. This summer, along with the 7th and 8th Graders, staff and faculty will be reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi or the original version, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. When we return this August, we are looking forward to starting the year with deep conversations around the themes presented in these books. We invite all community members to join in for this summer’s Common Read!
Small Kind Acts with Big Impact At the beginning of the school year, Head of School Joe Santos announced kindness as the theme for the year. The theme was inspired by a conversation between Joe and Marianne Tober, Middle School French Language and Literature Teacher & French Individuals and Societies Teacher, on the subject of how kindness can be taken for granted and it takes intentional effort to maintain positive values. A staff “Kindness Task Force” was formed to create and introduce initiatives to bring this theme to life in the classrooms and hallways and bring the community together through kindness. In early December, the Kindness Task Force helped to organize an ISB Kindness Day. French Pre-K 4 Head Teacher Anne-Sophie Devouassoux, one of the Task Force leaders shares, “Kindness Day is the first action in engaging in a school-wide conversation. Kindness is all encompassing – it’s about compassion, meaningful compliments, empathy, social connection, and how we relate to one another. It goes way deeper than the dictionary definition of the word. It affects all facets of learning and life.” Leading up to the day, members of the Kindness Task Force shared interesting articles and facts highlighting the importance and benefits of being kind, including how kindness increases lifespan, happiness, energy, and confidence. Throughout the week, teachers engaged students in conversations about kindness, what it means, and why it is important to be kind to ourselves and each other.
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Kindness Day was an opportunity for students to reflect on the positive feelings that they can create for themselves and others through being kind. Students participated in various activities ranging from reading stories about kindness to practicing a meditation routine. The culminating activity of the week invited all students and staff members to reflect on acts of kindness that they had either given or received recently and then write them down or draw them on post-its, which were displayed on classroom doors all throughout the school. “Teaching about kindness provides students with a meaningful and emotional connection, which gives them a deeper motivation for success. We wanted to find an activity that would engage our students around this idea of kindness. The idea for the post-it activity was inspired by the IB philosophy of inquirybased learning. It was our way of inviting our students to ask themselves what they know about kindness and how it makes them feel.� ANNE-SOPHIE DEVOUASSOUX, FRENCH PRE-K 4 HEAD TEACHER
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Middle School Counselor and High School Placement Coordinator Lily Infante, another member on the Kindness Task Force, reflected on the activity, “Creating these post-its encouraged students to expand their perspective as they reflect on both giving and receiving acts of kindness. The post-its created unity between the Middle School, Lower School, and Preschool, and this shared activity really brought everyone together. I love that the teachers, the Business Office, the school nurse, and everyone joined in, and you could see the post-its displayed outside of every classroom and office. Having everyone participate with the same goal of appreciating kindness felt unifying. There was a positive air throughout the whole school!” Spanish 2nd Grade Head Teacher Yolanda Navarro, also a member of the Kindness Task Force, added, “Kindness is connected to caring, which is one of our IB learner profiles that we foster throughout the entire curriculum. On Kindness Day, we were all paying particular attention to kind acts during that day and acknowledging them in a special way. It was very meaningful that this was a community-wide experience for everyone to participate in.” Themes across the post-its included students highlighting the importance of sharing, returning lost items, giving compliments, helping each other, and being intentionally inclusive through hugs or hellos, and a variety of other acts that make a world of difference in someone’s day.
Yolanda, noted one of her students’ reflections from the day, “One of my students pointed out that if we foster kindness and if we treat each other the way that we all deserve to be treated, this will have a ripple effect, spreading and touching all of the hearts in the world and creating a better place to live. She concluded that if we are kind, we can have peace.” Marianne, reflecting on how kindness impacts teaching and learning, shared, “We, as teachers, are here to help students develop into who they are and who they want to become. It’s not about standardized knowledge. It’s about development as individuals in a community context. It’s about understanding languages and cultures. Kindness is the base of open-mindedness and open-heartedness. When you learn with emotional intelligence, you’re learning for life. You’re learning life skills. Kindness is in the way you exchange ideas.” 5
2019-2020
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Reflections from Joe on the School Year Dear Community, It feels strange to end the school without the sounds of the class parties and spring concerts, the joyous gatherings and tearful farewells, and the excitement of the imminent summer vacations buzzing through the hallways. While we weren’t able to be together physically to celebrate the end of the year, I want to take this moment to acknowledge this extraordinary year in our school’s history and to express my gratitude for the strength that this community has shown throughout these past few months. When we closed our school’s doors in March and launched into distance learning in April, our school community was called on to show incredible resilience, and ISB rose to the challenge. I was especially astounded by our teachers, who built a comprehensive distance learning program in only a matter of weeks. It was truly amazing to witness their creativity, flexibility, and dedication as they strived to bring meaningful and enriching learning experiences to their students during these unprecedented times. The spring and summer of 2020 will also be remembered as a time of reckoning and outrage against the racial inequalities inherent in many systems in the United States. ISB’s commitment to diversity has been an important pillar for our school since its founding, but we know that we still have so much work to do. This national reckoning has galvanized our school community to reflect and to engage in difficult and open conversations about how racism can manifest in our own institution. We are committed to creating and maintaining an anti-racist school at ISB, and this work has taken on a renewed need for action. During this time when we are watching history unfold before our eyes every day, I am reminded of a quote from Terry Pratchett’s I Shall Wear Midnight, “There have been times, lately, when I dearly wished that I could change the past. Well, I can’t, but I can change the present, so that when it becomes the past, it will turn out to be a past worth having.” 2020 will be a year that we will all never forget, but I know that when I look back on this year, something that will always stand out in my mind is the way that our students, faculty, staff, and parents came together, cared for each other, and lived out our school’s mission, even under immense obstacles. We were apart, but we were always connected. We worked together to adapt to a completely new way of learning. We have accomplished so much together as a community, and I can’t help but feel inspired and optimistic for our school’s future and what we can all accomplish together next. Wishing you all a rejuvenating summer, Joe Santos Head of School
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Sustainability Buildingthrough a More Community Sustainable Action World
By Maria Falgoust & Josefin Skoglund
Throughout the school year, the ISB community has taken on several initiatives to promote sustainability within our school’s walls and beyond. The PA’s Green Dragons Committee, the Middle School Action for Climate and Environment (ACE) Club, and the Staff Sustainability Task Force have been leading the way in organizing ways for our school community to engage in collective action. ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE AT THE PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH In September, students of all ages and parents turned out in force to support the People’s Climate March. While some students attended the March, students who remained at school devoted their time to neighborhood clean-up. “It was really empowering to all be there together. The kids really understand that the way we do things impacts the planet; they are ready for change and to be part of the movement.” CAMILLE L., ISB PARENT & GREEN DRAGONS CO-CHAIR
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LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY In October, the Parents Association and the Green Dragons co-hosted a film screening of Tomorrow (Demain), a French film which highlights different ways people around the world are taking action to address environmental issues. The film screening continued the dialogue around climate change and shared positive and constructive possibilities for the future. As parents and older students watched Tomorrow, younger students watched a favorite film on the topic of sustainability: WALL-E. The week following the film screening, Perrine HervÊ-Gruyer, modern permaculture farmer and international champion of sustainability, visited ISB in November. During her visit, she discussed the sustainable farming methods used on La Ferme du Bec Hellouin, located in the heart of Normandy. Perrine spoke with students, parents, and staff members about how her farm manages to produce a bounty of organic fruits and vegetables, while simultaneously protecting nature and increasing biodiversity, all without the use of any machines or fossil fuels. While she was on site, Perrine also visited ISB’s grounds and gave her recommendations for implementing a sustainable garden at ISB.
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FACULTY & STAFF SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRACTICES Faculty and staff members on the Sustainability Task Force have been discussing ways that our school can continue to support sustainability through encouraging student action and supporting zero-waste practices. The Task Force also introduced a pledge to reduce waste and further promote sustainable habits. STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY In November, students in the Middle School Action for Climate and Environment Club took a trip to the Gowanus E-waste Warehouse to recycle ISB’s e-waste collection, which has been installed in the Technology Office.
The ACE Club has continued to implement and promote composting at ISB, and this Fall, they introduced composting to the Preschool classrooms. In December, the club members visited Kindergarten classrooms to teach them about how to use their classroom composting bins.
The ACE Club also updated their website to share resources with the community on recycling and making art from reusable objects. They have experimented with creating cleaning products for the Preschool classrooms that are natural and nontoxic. They also shipped off a five pound box of used crayola markers for recycling, adding to the fifteen pounds already previously recycled.
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“It’s about supporting a change in culture. The ACE Club started five years ago as a 6th Grade student action and since then, students have been leading the way. Students care about tomorrow. They’re excited about sending a positive message and about the possibilities for innovation that can come from this urgent need to care for our Earth. They want to focus on the solutions.” MURIEL STALLWORTH, PYP COORDINATOR AND FRENCH VISUAL ARTS TEACHER
THE PA’S GREEN DRAGONS FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO MINIMIZE ISB’S ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT Additional initiatives brought by the PA committee, the Green Dragons, have also gained momentum this year. The PA and the Green Dragons have helped to organize numerous initiatives to promote sustainability as a community such as reusable breakfast kits for classroom breakfasts, a composting station at school events, and more. As a result, ISB has cut down drastically on coffee cups and coffee boxes, and reduced unnecessary waste. The Green Dragons also organized two clothing swaps at ISB, a Halloween costume swap and a winter gear swap, both of which were a huge success! The swaps provided an opportunity for families to donate and find new clothes for their children, who are always growing and quickly become too big for their clothes. The swaps also give families an opportunity to recycle clothes that may otherwise end up in a landfill. “The clothing swaps are really important because it’s an opportunity where you can have a positive impact. First, you’re cleaning out your closet. Second, you can find clothes that are the right size and cheaper. It also inspires a conversation about the fashion industry and how it is the second largest polluting industry.” CAMILLE L.
We are looking forward to seeing these environmental initiatives continue to gain momentum and evolve next year!
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New Affinity Spaces for Students, Staff, and Families Now in its second year, the Lower School Students of Color Society (SOCS) has been an opportunity for students of shared affinities from different classrooms to come together in an environment where they represent the majority. This year, ISB’s Affinity and Alliance programs have also extended to include Middle School students, families, and faculty and staff. The mission of the Lower School Students of Color Society is to affirm, protect, and nurture the racial and cultural identity of our students by creating a sense of community among ISB’s students of color. The meetings provide the time and space for students of color in Kindergarten-5th Grade to connect to one another, share their personal stories, as well as to examine the world around them in a comfortable and inclusive setting. When asked to describe their experience in SOCS, the words that came up most often in the students’ comments were “community”, “respect”, and “fun.” Students are encouraged to explore and embrace the wonderful qualities that they each possess, to celebrate the ways that they are each different from each other, as well as their commonalities. Stories, games, and activities also provide entry points for students to ask questions, find answers, develop their voices, and confront issues about race and ethnicity. Discussion topics have included skin color, self-worth, Black History Month, media, standards of beauty, microaggressions, injustice by the police, and the Black Lives Matter movement. These meetings have given the SOCS facilitators, Perrine Pradel, Christina Wellington, Christine Laurore, and Rosa Torres, valuable insights into ways ISB’s curriculum and culture can support children on the path to identity development.
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The meetings are also forums for students to share their thoughts and feelings and to offer each other support. In one meeting, the group spoke about times that they felt they didn’t belong, discussing the emotions that accompany that feeling. During another, students shared their fears and what keeps them from taking risks. Each child wrote down their fears on a slip of paper in pencil. The group discussed how fears get in the way of taking risks and doing what they want to do the most and how it is important to stand up to these fears. The students then thought about the qualities that they have which make them feel strong, and give them the courage to face these fears. They wrote their strengths over their fears in marker and explained why these things make them feel confident and less afraid. The papers were then put together to make a chain, as a beautiful display of the students’ support for one another. Although SOCS is now only in its second year, Director of Preschool and SOCS facilitator Rosa Torres has found that the relationships students have gained through SOCS have enabled them to feel less alone with their emotions, helped them build a stronger sense of self, and empowered students to voice their challenges and seek guidance when needed. “It is extremely rewarding to see how SOCS students support each other through discussion of the common challenges that many face as underrepresented racial groups.” Moving forward, the SOCS facilitators want to go beyond celebrating identity and continue to explore systemic inequities. “We want to ensure that our SOCS group translates conversation around identity-related issues into action that helps mitigate those issues at ISB and their communities at large,” says Rosa.
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Following the lead of the Lower School Students of Color Society, the Middle School just launched its own Students of Color Affinity Group, better known as SOCA. Why the name, SOCA? Soca is a musical genre originating on the Caribbean twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s. Soca fuses musical styles of calypso, chutney, soul/funk, latin, cadence, and traditional West African rhythms. During one of the group’s first meetings, as the group enjoyed a potluck lunch of empanadas, Caribbean curry chicken, arroz con gandules, roti, and pineapple upside down cake, the students and facilitators Melissa Mack and Kimesha Reid-Grant concluded that because of Soca’s blend of influences, the name “SOCA” more accurately represents what the group embodies and stands for at ISB.
As with the Lower School SOCS, the SOCA meetings have been a space for Middle Schoolers across grade levels who share a common experience to find community and to support and affirm each other’s identities. This space, in turn, allows students to engage with others in their community in a more honest and deep way. This was seen in the group’s February meeting, a special meeting that was open to allies. The meeting was a great success; conversation prompts were used to facilitate eye-opening conversations between SOCA members and allies around racism, identity, and oppression. Diversity Coordinator and SOCA facilitator Melissa Mack hopes that these conversations can be integrated more naturally into the classroom. “I don’t want these topics of racism and bias to be taboo subjects for our students. It is my goal to help build an anti-racist school culture, where these conversations can happen more candidly and fluidly in the classroom.” Each school year, SOCA plans to host two meetings which are open to allies so that allies can educate themselves about ways to support their peers beyond these affinity spaces, and so all students can gain perspective by learning about each other’s experiences.
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Another goal Melissa has for the Middle School SOCA is for students to feel empowered to take action, be it in their immediate school community or as part of a larger initiative. “I would like to see them draw on their experiences as a student of color to make positive change in their community; although, the responsibility of driving forward this change can’t entirely rest on students of color. It is the entire community’s responsibility to build and maintain an anti-racist culture at ISB and to hold each other accountable.” In February, ISB’s Parents Association hosted the first-ever parents of students of color social event. During this event, SOCS and SOCA parents and facilitators engaged in empowering conversations around the enrichment of students of color at ISB. Meetings and outings for faculty and staff of color were also beginning to take off in early 2020 before ISB closed its campus. “These parent and staff affinity meetings are muchneeded spaces for groups in our community, but we also want to bridge these conversations across constituencies so that we can all partner to create an anti-racist school. This is everyone’s work, and there is still so much left to do,” says Melissa. Following the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, staff and faculty members held several meetings over Zoom this spring to grieve, reflect on our society’s inequitable response to provide justice for Black people, and discuss how they can confront racial injustices in our society in their roles as educators. For these discussions, the staff met both all together as a faculty and staff and also in three affinity groups: one for staff who identify as Black, one for all staff of color who are nonwhite identifying, and one for anti-racist allies who identify as white. Staff members reflected on their personal experiences, their work and teaching practice, and their observations about the inequities in our own institution. These conversations were at times, difficult and uncomfortable, but above all, they were energizing, as the groups thought about ways that ISB can take deliberate action to promote inclusion and equity and to ensure that there is anti-bias teaching and learning happening at all levels. These affinity groups and meetings have been critical to ISB’s ongoing work of creating and maintaining an inclusive and thriving school community, where every student, staff member, and family is represented and supported. This is only the beginning of so much more to come, as ISB continues to educate our students to advocate for themselves and for others, and as our entire community takes steps towards becoming an anti-racist school.
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The Community that Learns Together, Grows Together ISB students weren’t the only ones embarking on a language learning journey this year! Throughout the Fall and Winter, fifteen staff and faculty members took group French and Spanish classes at ISB. Each week after school, a group of teachers and staff step out of their classrooms and become students themselves in Spanish and French. Through these classes, teachers found a deeper connection to their students, colleagues, and work. The classes, run by Insituto Cervantes and Coucou French Classes, have continued to grow in size and popularity. Staff and faculty love that the school encourages them to pursue lifelong learning, and these classes are just one example of how ISB supports language learning holistically. We sat down with a few of the staff members who have been taking these classes to hear about their experiences. Middle School Math Teacher Brenna DiCola shared, “ISB is unique in that language is one of the core values of our community, and students understand that importance and embody that value. I was a Spanish major in college, and I always wanted to work in a school that values the love of language learning. Language gives us an opportunity to connect with the world. Understanding culture through language is powerful. The love of language learning helps everyone relate authentically with each other - students and students, teachers and students, and teachers and teachers. It brings everyone together.” Spanish 5th Grade Head Teacher Karuna Hernandez also spoke to how ISB’s multicultural community reinforces language learning, “The school environment makes it feel natural to speak many different languages. It’s completely normal to be from different places and to bring different places with you.” Teachers in these classes have noticed how their experience has given them a new perspective on how they relate to their students. Middle School French Language and Literature Teacher & Individuals and Societies Teacher Guillaume Roper-Sirvent reflected, “My father was born in Morocco, my grandfather was born in Italy, and my other grandfather was born in Spain, so I grew up around a lot of languages. I love taking these language classes because it puts you in the students’ position. It reminds you what it is like to be a beginner student in the process of learning.”
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At ISB, language is reinforced throughout all subjects, and the teachers who have taken language classes shared with us how this pertains to their classes more specifically. Brenna noted, “We constantly connect math to language, whether students are exploring unit rates and terminating decimals, or learning how to translate word problems into equations. Math is a type of grammar. It’s all connected - English, Spanish, French, and Math. Math notation is a language, and learning the rules of the language allows students to dive deeper into mathematics. What’s exciting about math is that it’s a universal language.”
Fall French and Spanish Classes in Action ISB’s shared value of lifelong learning continues to bring our community together as faculty have seen the impact of their language learning in their work. Karuna shared, “Taking this French class has definitely made me reflect on my work at ISB as a truly multilingual experience. It has expanded the way I teach and relate with students and colleagues.”
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A Glimpse through the Generations at 477 Court Street Anthony Trani joined the ISB community this year when his daughter began Kindergarten with us. While it was his first year dropping his daughter off at ISB, he’s been involved with our school for generations before ISB opened its doors at its current location, 477 Court Street, in 2010. Anthony shared with us his family’s memories in the school and the neighborhood over the years. “Before ISB, this building was a Catholic school, Saint Mary’s Parish School. My dad and I both attended Saint Mary’s growing up. Our family has been in Carroll Gardens for 80 years, and our girls are now the fifth generation to live in our house which my great grandfather bought when he came over from Italy. The core of the school’s building is still the same. I peeked into the room where I went to Kindergarten, which was fun. Walking through the halls, I remember the parish hall where the gym is now and what the library used to be like when it was the cafeteria, where we would have Cub Scout meetings. Coming back to the same building, I can see the new and the old mixed together. I have vivid memories of running into teachers and classmates in the stairwells.” While some things have changed, Anthony shares that what has remained consistent throughout the years is the strong sense of community in the neighborhood and at the school itself. “One thing that I’ve loved about being a part of the neighborhood for multiple generations is the community. You can never walk down Court Street without seeing someone that you know and you almost have to account for extra time because you’ll always see someone. ISB fits in perfectly with the neighborhood because the school is all about community. We’ve been welcomed with open arms, and it means a lot to come into a place with great families who are so supportive of one another.”
Photograph of Anthony’s father’s 4th Grade class from 1951:
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Kindergarteners Discover Uruguay Without Ever Leaving ISB! A Cultural Exchange Between Two IB Schools Across the Globe By Eli Hetko, Associate Librarian
Over the summer, Head Librarian Maria Falgoust traveled to Uruguay on a Fulbright-Hays scholarship to study the country’s education system, history, and culture. As a part of the program, she designed a curriculum for our Kindergarteners centered around the Uruguayan education system and involving a partnership with fellow IB school, Saint Brendan’s School, located in Montevideo. This exchange was intended to increase cultural awareness, build global competencies, and give our students a better understanding of Uruguayan culture. “What an incredible experience the Fulbright-Hays Uruguay program granted me! After spending a month in Uruguay, it was exciting to return to ISB full of inspiration. I wanted to create an educational and fun project that would broaden our students’ perception of the world and give them a better understanding of how geography and culture influence our daily lives.” MARIA FALGOUST, HEAD LIBRARIAN
All of the Kindergarten teachers, including Maureen, Nuria, Neva, Estelle, Claudia, and Amanda as well as Maria and Associate Librarian Eli, contributed to this project by helping our students gather and organize information about their lives here in New York. Spanish Visual Arts Teacher Carolina Bermudez also lended her creative skills to helping direct the books’ illustrations. In music class, Melanie taught both Kindergarten groups how to sing the Uruguayan song “El Gallo Pinto,” which the Kindergarteners can now often be found singing! 19
The project kicked off in late October in Kindergarten Library class. Maria gave students an introduction to Uruguayan culture by sharing photos from her travels, as well as artifacts and ephemera. Next, Maria read the thoughtprovoking book Same Same, but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw to continue the conversation about cultural similarities and differences. “I recall hearing the cheers of excitement from students the first time the Uruguay floor puzzle was completed. It is visible that students acquired an abundance of knowledge and truly memorable experiences through the project.” MAUREEN DONOHUE, KINDERGARTEN ENGLISH TEACHER
Parent volunteers and Library Committee members Sabina and Pauline were kind enough to combine the illustrations, text, and photographs together into beautiful books. ISB parents Mariana and Majo also made a sweet contribution to the project: they led students in a hands-on alfajores-making workshop. Alfajores are much-loved South American dessert, made with dulce de leche, cookies, and coconut. They are popular in Uruguay and also in Mariana and Majo’s home country, Argentina.
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“Supporting this project has been amazing! In Spanish Kindergarten, kids were excited to share their knowledge of Uruguay, as we found out that we have some connections in our class through relatives who still live there. All of the kids were curious about their new friends’ lives in Montevideo; I heard so many great questions! But the best part for me was the alfajores workshop. Everyone enjoyed making and eating them!” SABINA S., SPANISH KINDERGARTEN PARENT & LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEMBER
In late November, our Kindergartners participated in a video conference with their partner class at St. Brendan’s. After saying hello, the ISB group sang ‘El Gallo Pinto,’ and the St. Brendan’s students performed a condombe dance. Next came a Q&A period. The student groups were very curious about one another and asked many questions. ISB students wondered why the St. Brendan’s group wore uniforms, and they asked us if we have a swimming pool. We found many similarities between our IB schools, as well as a few differences. In early December, the Kindergarteners presented their project during a Lower School Assembly. All in all, this project was a great success and students enjoyed the opportunity to connect with peers on another continent! “This was a wonderful project! It was great to see the collaboration across Kindergarten with students, parents, teachers and staff members of ISB. The Kindergarteners break into big smiles every time they hear the word ‘Uruguay’ because they feel that they understand many aspects of the country, its culture, traditions, clothes, food, and music. This experience has definitely reinforced their open-mindedness.” NURIA MONTERO, SPANISH KINDERGARTEN HEAD TEACHER
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Science Meets Design in 6th Grade During the first semester, as an engaging introductory unit to Middle School Science, our 6th Grade scientists explored what it means to be a scientist.This Fall, students learned about scientific measurements and the metric system. As a part of this unit, students explored the intersection of science, technology, and design through their 3D STEM Project. This project enhanced students’ spatial reasoning and understanding of scale and geometry. Middle School Science Teacher Kimesha Reid-Grant commented on this project and said, “We are intentional about creating connections between subjects.” Design Teacher Pat Hough agreed, “Connecting science and technology makes each subject area more accessible. There is a lot of science in tech and a lot of tech in science so combining these two together reinforces the connection between the subjects and the real world perspective.” Design Class The students started by designing their own 3D homes in their Design class with Ms. Hough. They learned about the process of design and 3D design software. Using TinkerCad, they worked in groups of two to develop their own 3D homes with certain guiding parameters for the base, windows, roof, and the additional shapes involved. Their designs were brought to life using our 3D printer!
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Science Class After students finished designing their 3-D structures in Design class, they then used their creations in Ms. Kim’s Science class, where they learned about the scientific measurements of area, mass, density, and volume. In Science class, students began by writing procedures to guide their process. To learn how to measure mass correctly and how to write a correct procedure for the measurement of mass, the students experimented first with sugar. Once they mastered measuring mass with sugar, students moved on to measuring their 3D Homes. Students examined their designs and measured the mass of their structures, the area of the windows and doors, and more! Pitching and Presenting Their Findings Culminating this unit, 6th Grade students presented their findings and pitched their unique structures to their peers as well as Head of School Joe Santos! Each group of students shared the details and dimensions of their 3-D construction as well as information on their procedure and process for how they determined their final measurements. Ms. Kim shared, “Through projects like these, the students see the connection in math, design, science, and English too – it’s all connected.” Ms. Hough reflected, “I think what makes ISB’s STEM and Design program unique is that it includes a lot of hands-on opportunities. Each child is able to learn in a way that makes sense for them.”
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Staying Connected During Distance Learning Our community has shown tremendous strength, flexibility, generosity, and creativity during these unexpected times. As members of an IB learning community, we have a shared philosophy that values those attributes which make us lifelong learners, deep thinkers, and compassionate citizens. These attributes always exist below the surface, quietly guiding us in our daily work, and in the last few months of this school year, members of our community have drawn upon these attributes in the most inspiring ways. We are taking risks and asking questions; we are caring for one another; we are prioritizing human communication and connection; we are establishing new principles and embracing a new balance in our lives; we are continuously thinking and reflecting together. In short, we have been given the gift of seeing why the IB puts its Learner Profile attributes at the center of the program model; these are the life skills that will always be important for our students. Whether it’s learning about pollination and designing planting pots in art class or exploring Earth’s spheres in science class or participating in mathematical scavenger hunts, ISB teachers found creative ways to design student-centered adventures and inquiry-based explorations to ignite students’ curiosity and passion for learning in this new virtual context. Powerful connections continued to grow. Preschoolers came together for circle time in their target languages in French and Spanish. Lower School Students connected with a wide range of guest speakers in their classes from all around the world, ranging from discussions with author and documentary film and television producer Susan Robeson as she read Grandpa Stops a War to a live broadcast by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Institute at Columbia University for a presentation on tree rings. Middle Schoolers connected for special Friday electives and checked in every day during morning and afternoon Advisory to reflect on their days together. Students also continued to explore languages, the arts, and the power of storytelling through their classes and special events. The Library hosted a special Mystery Reader Series that gave students the opportunity to hear from familiar faces including former teachers, Alumni, parents, and staff members in Spanish, ISB’s Founding Head of School Rebecca French, and English as they share Skinner and Former ISB Spanish Teacher their favorite bilingual books. Karina Bustamante gave a special bilingual reading all the way from Dubai! 24
Students joined together for an outstanding performance by Antonio Rocha, acclaimed storyteller and mime extraordinaire. Originally from Brazil, he tells tales from all over the world and his culturally diverse performances feature a range of themes, from ecology to respect to conflict resolution. Ana Aranda also joined ISB students to lead wonderful art workshops in both French and Spanish. She introduced her own artwork and also led a fun Chupacabra monster drawing demonstration using some surprising art materials: salt, lime, and spices!
ISB students continued to take the initiative in their learning through compassion and leadership. During the week of Earth Day, the Action for the Climate and Environment (ACE) Club created a list of Earth Day actions and led the community in joining in actions from the comfort of their own homes. The Middle School Student Council organized a Spirit Week for the whole school to celebrate school spirit even while we were apart.
This new distance learning environment has invited us all as learners to be more creative and connected than ever before. It has given us the opportunity to join in powerful collaboration, as we continue to build deep and meaningful connections.
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La Tierra en Movimiento
Investigating and Reporting on Natural & Anthropic Disasters Around the World The 5th Grade “Moving Earth” unit encompasses the changes on the Earth and how those changes can affect our lives. No one could have predicted that students would be exploring this unit while living through a historic pandemic, but the current context gave students a deeper connection to their studies and a very real lens through which to develop inquisitive questions. Students launched the unit by investigating the Earth’s changes and the human response. To explore this, Spanish 5th Graders interviewed people who have lived through various disasters from all around the world. “We are living through a disaster right now. I knew that this unit had to be something students could really connect with, and there are so many people who can share their own stories about a disaster that they lived through. This unit gave students a level of global understanding that I don’t think they would have had without the interview component of this project; I don’t know if we would have taken the unit in the same direction if we had been in the classroom, but there was a sense of urgency in the current moment.” KARUNA HERNANDEZ, SPANISH 5TH GRADE HEAD TEACHER
To begin, students conducted their own research and thought about the central question focused on human response. 26
As each student discovered more about the relationship between the changes on the Earth and how people respond to those changes, students adjusted their central idea and crafted a more individualized question to make it their own. Through their investigation, students sorted disasters into two categories, anthropic and natural disasters, and analyzed the impact of these disasters. After selecting topics ranging from nuclear plant explosions to tornadoes and tsunamis, they entered the research phase of the inquiry cycle, using maps, videos, graphs, and articles to seek answers to their questions. “Asking questions is the primary tool for learning. Understanding the quality of your questions and the connections you can make as you develop them is important,” said Karuna. Students used their digital notebooks to explore their respective topics in small groups and focused on examining the differences between fact and fiction – what they know versus what they confirmed to be true through real sources. To dive further into research methods and best practices, Associate Librarian Eli Hetko joined the class to support students in finding relevant sources and developing deep inquiry-based questions, preguntas indagadoras, on the articles they had read.
After doing their own research on various natural and anthropic disasters, students began their interviews with special guests from our community, connected through teachers, families, and friends at ISB. The first interviewee was a familiar face for students, Spanish Visual Arts Teacher Carolina Bermudez. Carolina shared her story of living through an earthquake in Valparaíso, Chile as a young girl. Students were very curious about her experience, especially as she spoke through the eyes of her teenage self. Next, students interviewed Susan Sonny, a child psychologist from San Juan, Puerto Rico who helped children through Hurricane Maria. Susan spoke to how children could cheer up their parents and the elderly by playing and continuing to have fun as children do. She said that knowing how to have fun is a very important skill that children should cultivate in their lives. Susan left students with the message that they are the inspiration for others in difficult times and because of this, it’s the children who are leading the way. “It was really beautiful to see the faces of our students as they heard the message that children lead the way,” said Karuna. Following Susan, Matías Roura recounted his personal experience from a mudslide in the region of Patagonia, Argentina where the mud had piled up everywhere, reaching three to four feet high. He referenced maps and shared photos of the animals native to Patagonia as he shared his story. Students learned about the grassroots response to the mudslide and how people worked together to dig up the mud that had accumulated. Day after day, the residents would continue to dig up the mud, using only small shovels. The city then produced tractors to remove the mud that had been dug up and piled in the middle of the paths. Jean-François LeBorgne, from Brittany, France, shared his experience in the navy during an oil spill in 1978 from Amoco Cadiz, a large supertanker transporting oil near the coast of Brittany. His son, Anthony LeBorgne, translated from French to Spanish for the class. Students learned about the effects on the animals and about the legal issues related to the accountability of this disaster. Who’s responsible for such a disaster, is it Brittany, France or Amoco, the U.S.? Anthony shared that after a long battle, the French mayor won the lawsuit. Nonetheless, to the students’ surprise, it was mostly the people who lived nearby who helped with collecting the oil and the clean up. 27 3
Students also interviewed Grace Jaramillo, a reporter and columnist for El Comercio de Ecuador and The New York Times. Grace spoke about her experience as a reporter during the earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. As students prepared to lead their own news reports as their final project for this unit, they had different types of questions for Grace, relating to her profession: How should you dress when reporting on the scene? What is the character of a journalist? What is the appropriate language to use? What gestures may be helpful when reporting live? How do you relate to the victims amidst a disaster? Grace shared that when reporting on disasters, it’s important to recognize that you need to be ready to help at any moment.
Lastly, students interviewed Dr. Manuel JimÊnez, a veterinarian and agrarian from Puerto Rico, about his experience taking care of pets and farm animals during Hurricane Maria, the recent earthquakes, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Students interviewed him live from the veterinary clinic as he shared that while people may stop going to the doctor during disasters, they do keep going to the vet for their pets. Manuel pointed out that, just like people, animals are also very sensitive to disasters. Students brought their dogs to the screen to join in the interview. Hearing firsthand accounts from people who have lived through and responded to disasters was powerful and felt all the more relevant to our students as they experience this historic pandemic. Through the students’ research, conversations, and writing, they were also able to further develop their Spanish language skills. Speaking with people from many parts of Latin America was an authentic way for students to connect and continue to practice their language skills. After interviewing people about their own personal experiences, students were asked to play the role of reporters during a disaster themselves and create their own news reports on one specific event from their initial research. 28
For their final topics, students chose to present on the Black Plague, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami, a nuclear plant explosion in Fukushima, Japan, the oil spill in Kuwait during the Gulf War, and the five Plastic Islands in the ocean. In their reports, students focused on the human response to disaster, as well as a description of each disaster, the problems and effects, the solutions, and their advice.
For their final reflection on the unit, students drew on their PYP learner profiles. They identified the attributes, skills, and attitudes that they utilized during this unit and gave examples of how these learner profiles helped them. Students referenced their development in open-mindedness, communication, cooperation, analysis, and more. “A learner profile that I have developed is to be an inquirer. My partner, Max and I had to answer questions that helped us write a script for our news report. I also developed more communication skills such as how to make presentations. I used cooperation the most because we worked in partnership a lot.” AARON, 5TH GRADE
In her own reflection on the unit as a teacher, Karuna shared, “I was impressed by students’ questions throughout the unit and I could see their maturity increase throughout this process. I was inspired by their resilience and level of curiosity for what’s happening in the world, even when it’s not good news. Their Spanish language development also grew exponentially because they wanted to be able to communicate and refer to experts and reference different voices. This unit is so connected to what we’re living in. It has helped students face hard things in a very objective way without fear. They have this new strength through questions. They are developing questions and using questions to not be afraid about entering the conversation. That impact is immeasurable.” 29
ISB’s Digital Art Gallery, Celebrating Art Making To celebrate our student artists this year, the Art Department created an online visual arts gallery, featuring student work from Pre-K 3 through 8th Grade. For more art and the full show, visit our website!
Preschool
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Lower School
Middle School
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Announcing the Appointment of Natalie Stella Judelson as Assistant Head of School In July 2020, Natalie Stella Judelson was appointed as International School of Brooklyn’s Assistant Head of School. Natalie just recently celebrated 10 years of leading the daily operations and advancement work at ISB. She holds a BA from Tufts University and a J.D. from Boston College, and she completed the NAIS Aspiring Heads of School program in 2018. Prior to joining ISB, Natalie practiced corporate finance law for several years in New York. As the mother of three New York City independent school graduates and from her experience serving on the Executive Committee and as a Trustee at Village Community School for eight years, Natalie brings a deep knowledge of independent school life to her work. Natalie has also served on three additional not-for-profit boards in education and the arts in New York City. In her role as Director of Operations and Advancement, Natalie has taken the lead on the school’s fundraising, marketing and outreach, and other strategic initiatives. She has exhibited a profound commitment to the mission and values of ISB, and she has helped to usher ISB from its emerging stages to its current position of a leading independent school in Brooklyn. Natalie has introduced countless initiatives at the school, including the school’s revised branding and mission statement, as well as stewarding the fundraising and construction of the school’s larger capital projects, such as renovation of the North Building and the Learning Commons, as well as the new play yard. She has served and continues to serve on various committees at ISB, including the Strategic Planning Committee, Development Committee, and the 2020 Reopening Committee. In the Assistant Head of School role, she will continue leading the Operations and Advancement teams, and in addition, she will take a greater role in the strategic planning work of the school.
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Staff Highlights In the Fall, Claudia Jones and Neva Palacio (French and Spanish Assistant Teachers) attended the NYSAIS Beginning Teacher’s Institute, a three-day conference focused on supporting professional and personal growth for first year teachers and assistant teachers.
In addition to teaching Spanish Pre-K 3, Elisa Hevia is an artist and puppeteer. To connect these worlds and share her talents, she led an Enrichment class after school on creative bookmarking.
Spanish Pre-K 4 Assistant Teacher Rebeca Cognet used her passion and expertise in theater and film to offer another new Enrichment class, Children’s Theater en Español. Students had fun getting into character and preparing for their performance of Sumac y la búsqueda del lago mágico. This year, MYP Coordinator Katie Rogers joined the Guild of IB Schools (GIBS) of the Northeast, an Association of International Baccalaureate World Schools as one of the Vice Presidents of the MYP Programme. GIBS works to promote and develop IB programs through building a strong network of schools and sharing resources. Katie works with PYP Coordinator Muriel Stallworth, who serves on the GIBS Board as one of two Vice Presidents of the PYP Programme, to organize monthly round table meetings, support educators of PYP and MYP schools, and create opportunities for collaboration between schools, teachers, and students. They were both instrumental in planning the Annual 2019 GIBS Conference, which focused on learning, leading, and promoting the inquiry mindset. The conference was so popular that it sold out this past October!
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Staff Highlights (Continued) In December, Melissa Mack (Diversity Coordinator), Rosa Torres (Director of Preschool), Christina Wellington (Spanish 1st Grade Head Teacher), and Perrine Pradel (French Pre-K 3 Assistant Teacher) had an inspiring and energizing experience at the 2019 National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference, on the theme of 1619. 2019. Before. Beyond. Amplifying Our Intelligence to Liberate, Co-create, and Thrive. This annual conference provides a space for people of color in independent schools to connect, learn, and build new skills to support their work.
In February, Natalie Judelson (Assistant Head of School), Delphine Michaud (Director of Lower School), Kristen Moreland (Enrichment & Summer Programs Director), Michelle Tran (Staff Accountant), and Danielle Valenti (Communications Director) attended the NAIS National Conference in Philadelphia. This annual three-day conference is attended by over 5,000 independent school educators from all over the nation, and we were fortunate to have so many of our administrators attend. The theme of this year’s conference was Your School, Your Legacy. Associate Librarian Eli Hetko also completed his Masters in Library and Information Studies from Queens College this school year. Eli’s classes focused on school librarianship, including topics such as information literacy instruction, reading motivation, and selecting high-quality resources that support the academic curriculum. Recently, he was given the Lucille Thomas Outstanding Future School Librarian Award highlighting his skills in practice and his academic merit. 34
Spanish 2nd Grade Head Teacher Yolanda Navarro has been sharing her passion for language education with educators across New York City and abroad. Yolanda has been collaborating with Instituto Cervantes to support their Dual Language Program for New York City public schools. Yolanda also began working as a Languages Advisor to Abiding Heart Education, an organization in Nepal that provides a unique approach to education focused on the Buddhist view, meditation, and the Waldorf/Steinerian-based pedagogy. In her work with this organization, Yolanda has been advising and collaborating on the design of a Tibetan and English bilingual program for underserved kindergarten and elementary students, which will be used in many of the schools and monasteries connected to the organization.
Staff & Faculty Milestones,
Celebrating Five and Ten Years at ISB! We are very grateful for the outstanding commitment from our Faculty and Staff who reflect ISB’s mission through their deep investment in our students’ education. 5 Years of Dedication: Cristina Dominguez-Delgado, Spanish 3rd Grade Head Teacher Andrea Kientz, Assistant to the Head of School Quennie Lamy, French Pre-K 4 Assistant Teacher Perrine Pradel, French Pre-K 3 Assistant Teacher Alicia Smith, Lower School Science Specialist & Middle School Science Teacher Michelle Tran, Staff Accountant Danielle Valenti, Communications Director Mariko Watt, 5th-8th Grade Music and Performance Arts Teacher April Yuen, English Language Coordinator & English 5th Grade, Head Teacher Rosa Zarama, Spanish Pre-K 4 School Aide 10 Years of Dedication: Carolina Bermudez, Spanish Visual Arts Teacher Sandra Bueno, Events & Database Manager Itzel Mendoza, Special Education Coordinator (Preschool) & Spanish Nursery, Head Teacher Natalie Stella Judelson, Assistant Head of School Alan Sze, Controller
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Our Little Dragons!
Welcoming our little ones... We would like to celebrate all of our Staff and Faculty who have recently had a new baby and welcome them to the ISB Family!
School Aide & After School Teacher Melvin’s Baby, Ezra
Spanish 3rd Grade Head Teacher Cristina’s Baby, Liam
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5th-8th Grade Music and Performance Arts Teacher Mariko’s Baby, Sophie
Technology Director Jordan’s Baby, Elliot
Middle School English Teacher Amelia’s Baby, Clio
Congratulations to the Class of 2020! We will all never forget the Class of 2020’s graduation! Before the ceremony, Director of Middle School Richard Brownstone and MYP Coordinator Katie Rogers went on a tour of Brooklyn to present our 8th Grade graduates with their diplomas and graduation caps. For Graduation this year, we were joined virtually by families, faculty, trustees, grandparents, former teachers, and friends as we looked back on their time at ISB and celebrated the accomplishments of this extraordinary group of young advocates, adventurers, and leaders. During the ceremony, Middle School faculty members made remarks about each individual student as they shared in the celebration. While we weren’t able to be together in person, we look forward to welcoming this group back on campus as soon as we can in the new school year. ISB Class of 2020 graduates will be attending the following schools: Academy of American Studies, Beacon High School, The Berkeley Carroll School, The Boerum Hill School For International Studies, Brooklyn Friends School, Columbia Secondary School, Edward R. Murrow High School, High School of Art and Design, Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, The Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences, Lycée Pasteur de São Paulo, Midwood High School, Millennium Brooklyn High School, NYC iSchool, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Rudolf Steiner School, Saint Ann’s School, Townsend Harris High School, and United Nations International School.
Class of 2020, we are so proud of you, and you will always have a home at ISB! 37
Congratulations to Ariane Barth is levelheaded, empathetic, and knows herself better than most adults know themselves. She is an activist, a hard worker, and a dedicated friend.
AĂŻda de Souza-Nianduillet is confident, determined, and compassionate with a strong sense of self. She is always focused on her goals and never hesitant to help others.
Ariane Charles is someone with such an innate confidence and maturity that one forgets she is still a young person. She brings a warm energy, a sense of calm, and honesty to her studentship.
Ebun Coker is confident, kind, grounded, caring, and independent. She has an incredible mind and a wildly unique sense of humor.
Charlotte Giles is a true artist, creator, and leader. She is incredibly quickwitted, innately smart, and able to debate on any topic.
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Elsie Michaelson is enthusiastic and determined; she excels at everything she puts her mind to all while remaining a positive and happy person.
the class of Class2020! of 2020! Frida Nicosia is multitalented, compassionate and giving; she is a visionary artist who takes risks and a mature leader who will make the world a better place.
Emil Francfort is someone with a fiery drive who will do amazing things, with the confidence to think deeply before speaking carefully, directly, and passionately.
Joaquin Gil is caring, kind, committed, and funny. He has a great intellectual curiosity and the willingness to push himself every day in everything that he does.
Johnny Henriquez is a sensitive artist, a persistent athlete, an honest and caring friend, and the unofficial branding consultant to the ISB Dragons.
Joaquin Moen is a philosopher, a deep thinker, an artist, an athlete, a caring friend, and a calm presence.
Luc Mieville is a caring and empathic high achiever who inherently understands that the key to success is learning about yourself. 39
adventurers
Maia Wellington is a Luzmina Sindisinger, an academic who Hernandez is someone keeps her sights set high who lights up every room she enters. She is a and then works hard to achieve her goals. She deep thinker, a sensitive and talented artist, and a is talented, passionate, grounded, and always good friend. eager to help others.
Margaux Amieva-Unger is honest, thoughtful, mature, and has a truly unique sense of humor. She speaks her mind and speaks truth to power.
Maya Beshir-Renard is a dedicated student and a caring friend who loves to laugh. She writes beautifully, injecting her deep sensitivity into everything she writes.
Noah Langley is someone who is thoughtful, kind, grateful, and good to his core. He is creative, curious, persistent, and intelligent.
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Mischa Panchal is a passionate leader, learner, and risk-taker. She has her feet planted firmly on the ground as she reaches higher every day in all of her pursuits.
advocates
Quentin Stallworth is an activist, musician, and filmmaker, with a contagious energy for the things he loves and his mind set on changing the world.
Simran Singh is a confident, cooperative, and inquisitive person. He is a loyal friend, with impressive principles, and a great sense of humor.
Sunny Bettles is a sensitive soul and a poet with a great sense of humor and positive nature. He is someone with a caring manner and high emotional intelligence.
Sylvie Weeks is selfaware, inquisitive, and independent. She is wise beyond her years and can often be found inhaling books in the library.
Theo Boumendil is humble, sensitive, and loyal. He doesn’t just take on challenges; he simply moves forward with courage as if the challenges don’t even exist.
Theo Haythe is someone who can always make others laugh with his sharp wit. He is a hardworking, present, and a loyal friend.
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LEADERS Valentina Serka-Bermudez is an empathetic and thoughtful person. She is a social activist who deeply cares about others and will leave a beautiful mark on the world.
Verena Santiago Silberger is someone who changes the dynamic in every room she enters, bringing a positive attitude, maturity, creative thinking, kindness, and care for others. Violeta Serka-Bermudez is self-assured, creative, and fiercely intent on making equality a reality. She is a committed friend who will passionately defend and support others.
Zander Sargeant is hardworking, determined, and diligent. He is someone who, with his drive, intellect, and heart, succeeds in everything he chooses to do. 42
Alumni Updates
Our Alumni have been busy learning and leading after their time at ISB. We were thrilled to see many of our former students at this year’s Alumni events. The annual Alumni & Staff vs. Dragons Soccer Game was hosted in November this year at an awesome, new venue, Socceroof (designed by ISB Alumni parents at Atelier Architecture 64!). The teams had fun playing the game against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline at sunset and hanging out in the lounge.
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Later that month, 10 Alumni from the Class of 2019 returned to campus to share about their high school experience with the Class of 2020. They answered many of the 8th Graders’ questions and shared their words of wisdom and encouragement. It was great to hear that they are all adjusting so well to their current schools and felt well prepared for new challenges in high school.
In early March, Alumni from the Classes of 2017, 2018, and 2019 attended the Dragons Basketball Classic at Saint Joseph’s College. They joined with staff, faculty, and the Middle School Dragons Basketball Team and faced off in a very close game! After the game, Alumni, faculty, and staff reconnected over dinner nearby.
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The Class of 2016 is on to their next adventure! It’s hard to believe it, but members of ISB’s Class of 2016 graduated high school this year! While we were unable to welcome this Alumni class back to ISB for a reunion this spring because of our campus closure, we will be inviting them for a reunion event in conjunction with the Class of 2017 in 2021 so we can catch up with them about their post-high school adventures. Among the colleges and universities the Class of 2016 will be attending are: Bard College, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland), Santa Monica College, Sorbonne University (France), St. Francis College, SUNY Purchase, The Cooper Union, University of Brighton (UK), University of Edinburgh (UK), University of Oregon, University of St. Andrews (UK), and University of Vermont.
Planning for New Alumni Events Next Year We always love seeing our former students and are looking for new ways for Alumni to gather and connect. ISB Alumni, do you have ideas about how you would like to connect with your former classmates? Write to Communications Director Danielle Valenti at dvalenti@isbrooklyn.org.
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Support ISB and visit us online! To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Excellence, click here
WE DEVELOP ADVENTURERS. CREAMOS REPRESENTANTES. NOUS FORMONS DES LEADERS.
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