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Brooklyn Friends and Families

All parents and guardians are automatically members of Brooklyn Friends and Families (BFF) at Brooklyn Friends School. The BFF is a volunteer group of parents who serve on a variety of school community committees and plan about 20 school-wide events throughout the academic year.

*The 2020-2021 school year may force us to change and adjust our usual efforts but our goal of building community remains the same. Thankfully, Zoom offers us the opportunity to host additional and more intimate events than usual! As a result, we’d love your help to organize any of the following events aimed at adults and/or children:

  • Trivia nights
  • Movie nights
  • Author and speaker events
  • Film screenings
  • Open mic night
  • Cocktail making and cooking events
  • Speed-dating style meet & greets
  • Other ideas are welcome! Email us at bff@brooklynfriends.org.
Read more about the BFF and sign up to the volunteer below.

Volunteer for BFF

Your time is an invaluable contribution to the Brooklyn Friends Community, and there are a huge number of ways to be involved!

  1. The BFF LEADERSHIP includes executive officers, who serve two-year terms, division representatives, and committee heads. They meet once a month to ensure that all goals and directives are being met, and to communicate their thoughts and concerns to school administrators.

  2. CLASS PARENTS are the vital link between each grade and the larger BFS community. Class Parents reach out to families and make them feel welcome, encourage participation in school events, attend meetings with their division heads, and foster communication among parents, the BFF, and the school administration. Read more about being a Class Parent.

  3. BFF Committees include: Black History Month Celebration, Design, Equity and Inclusion, Friends of the Library, Service Learning, Spirit Wear, Athletics, Colleague Appreciation Breakfast, Family Spring Celebration, Family Folk Dance, New Families, Spring Gala, and WinterFest. Members select their interest and dive right in to helping the school! Scroll further to read descriptions of these committees.

  4. OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES include joining the Fundraising Committee and working closely with the Advancement Office on the annual giving campaign and teaming up with the Enrollment Office to represent the school at admissions tours and events or talk to prospective families about BFS throughout the year.

Our Signature Brooklyn Friends & Families Events

WinterFest

WinterFest is a joyous day of celebration of the season of light. The school fills with the laughter of children sprinting from the face painting booth to carnival games to the magic show to cupcake wars. We are working to transition WinterFest to a virtual platform. For information and to join in the planning, contact the WinterFest Committee. 

Black History Month Celebration

Black History Month at BFS is an inclusive month of events promoting the culture, history, and traditions of peoples of the African Diaspora.  Parent and colleague volunteers develop a theme and invite guest artists to the school to work with BFS students.  The “main event”  comprises a community dinner with performances and activities for the entire school.  We are working to transition this celebration online. For more information, please contact Chair Josianne Leacock.

Embracing Diversity

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee hosts an annual event aimed at educating families on this important work. The school is responsible for educating our kids, and DEI hosts this event to ensure that parents keep up!  Previous events have included: Standing Up for What is Right: Learn How to Be an Upstander, Parenting Past Pink and Blue: Beyond Gender Norms and Stereotypes, and We Are BFS: Family Diversity and Our Children’s School Experience

Colleagues Appreciation Breakfast

Show everyone at BFS how much we appreciate them at a joyful early morning meal. Volunteers serve a delicious catered breakfast and give a small token of appreciation.  Volunteers help celebrate our colleagues by planning and participating in this breakfast at the end of the school year. Tasks include designing invitations, working with outside caterers to create a menu, purchasing a special gift for colleagues, and attending the event. 

Committees

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Brooklyn Friends School BFF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Parents (DEIP) Committee holds regular meetings to discuss relevant topics and is committed to furthering conversations with all families about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion at BFS.  Volunteers work with the BFS colleagues and leadership to support the school’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to help plan an annual March event.  All parents are welcome to join.

New Families

This committee aims to assist families as they transition to the school by acting as a resource; fielding questions and checking-in periodically during their first year.  The committee hosts the New Families Coffee Hour in the fall. Volunteers also attend Enrollment events to field questions, and generally help the new families feel comfortable.  We especially love to have help from recent New Families who can empathize with the experience.  Join today to start planning for the spring!

Service Learning and Civic Engagement Committee

This committee raises awareness amongst BFS families about service learning and connects families to service learning opportunities in the BFS and broader community. The aim of the BFF Service Learning and Civic Engagement Committee is to serve as a bridge and involve the parent body of BFS in the school’s commitment to incorporate ethical and social value into the curriculum through service learning. The Committee also collaborates with other BFF Committees to integrate service learning into our school-wide events. 

Spirit Committee

The Spirit Committee promotes school spirit at BFS through 1-2 annual Blue Pride days and through the sale of spirit wear. This committee procures BFS logo apparel and other items and sells them at cost to the BFS community. 

College and Career Conversations

This committee organizes conversations among BFS family adults designed to inform BFS students about options for their lives after BFS. In the past these have taken the form of a panel discussions, small group chats and 1:1s.  Work required includes recruiting parents, tracking potential participants, advertising events and setting up Zoom calls. 

Fundraising Committee

The Fundraising Committee works closely with the Advancement Office on the annual giving campaign and other school-wide fundraising efforts.  Committee members contact fellow parents directly, connect with class parents and VPs, and work with the Advancement team to send grade-wide emails that encourage contributions to the School. The BFF committee holds four meetings per year.  Members are also invited to optional cultivation events such as the Leadership Council Cocktail Party, the New Families Roof Party, the New Parent Welcome Reception and the End of Year Celebration.

Friends at Friends Committee 

This Committee works to understand, explain, and practice Quakerism. Through meetings and events, this committee seeks to unite the entire family community through a commitment to Quaker Values and Quaker practice. In addition, the committee practices the Stewardship testimony by organizing the annual Autumn Quaker Raking at the Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park

Committees we look forward to bringing back after COVID

Friends of Athletics

Friends of Library

Family Folk Dance

Fundraiser Party

Volunteer with the BFF

  • Google Form

    Volunteer with the BFF

Related Pages

Be a Class Parent

Class Parents play a vital role at BFS.  As representatives of the BFF, they are the link between each grade and the larger BFS community.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Friends School is entrusted with the stewardship of the institution so that it is strong and vital for the next generation of students and families.

Academics

Brooklyn Friends School integrates a rich learning environment with a compelling history of values-driven education and a dedicated and diverse community.

Student Life

Student experience at BFS embraces participation in athletics, the performing and visual arts, extracurricular activities and clubs, and service to the community.