ATHLETIC
The Athletic Committee works with the BFS Athletic Director and PE Department Chair to promote and support the athletic endeavors of BFS students.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION
This is an inclusive event promoting the culture, history and traditions of peoples of the African Diaspora. Parent, faculty and staff volunteers develop a theme and invite guest artists to the school to work with BFS students. The “main event” is comprised of a community dinner with performances and activities for the entire school.
DESIGN
The Design Committee will address any and all design needs that may arise and for which BFS may request BFF assistance. Volunteers offer their experience, ideas and services in graphic design, web design, interior design, architecture, photography and the fine arts. Projects may include event promotion, the beautification of school facilities, and more general, cross-discipline aesthetic consulting.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION
The Brooklyn Friends School BFF Equity and Inclusion Committee holds regular meetings to discuss relevant topics and is committed to furthering conversations with all families about the importance of diversity at BFS. Volunteers work with the BFS faculty, staff and administration to support the school’s commitment to diversity, one of its core values, and to help plan an annual March event. Any and all parents are welcome to join.
FACULTY/STAFF APPRECIATION BREAKFAST
For many years, the BFF has made sure that contributions of the Brooklyn Friends School’s faculty and staff to our children’s lives do not go unrewarded by hosting the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Breakfast at the end of the school year. All of the school’s teachers and staffers are invited to join us at this joyful early morning event, at which they are served breakfast by volunteer parents and receive a small token of our appreciation. Volunteers help celebrate our faculty and staff with 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 faculty/staff, and attending the event.
FAMILY FOLK DANCE
The Family Folk Dance is an intergenerational celebration of traditional dance in early January. Led by Performing Arts Chair and caller Margaret Bary, this fun family event is geared toward the Lower School grades but is open to all ages. The dance features a live band and guest 4th grade callers. Volunteers are needed for setup and breakdown, staffing the refreshment area, and taking photos.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
BFS has two libraries: a Preschool, Lower School and Middle School Library at 375 Pearl Street as well as an Upper School Library at 116 Lawrence Street. Volunteers help with various library duties, such as covering and re-shelving books, and with planning and staffing the Committee’s two annual events, the Winter Book Fair and Spring Used Book Sale.
NEW FAMILIES COMMITTEE
The New Families Committee is designed to acclimate families that are new to the BFS community. The 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 a number of events, including, the New Families Coffee Hour in the fall (a question and answer session for families whose children have just begun the new school year), the New Families Dinner, and the New Families Roof Party, both of which take place in the spring. The spring events welcome families whose children will be entering BFS in the following school year. Volunteers attend the events to field questions, and generally help the new families feel comfortable. Designated liaisons in each class or grade welcome new families to BFS at the beginning of each academic year, host informational coffee hours in the fall and serve as an all-year resource.
SERVICE LEARNING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
The BFF Service Learning Committee works in collaboration with the Office of Service Learning & Civic Engagement and the All-School Service Learning Committee to raise awareness throughout the parent body about BFS service learning and to connect parents and families to service learning opportunities in the BFS community and the 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.
SPIRITWEAR
The Spiritwear Committee procures BFS logo apparel and other items designed to boost school spirit. It is also in charge of overseeing the sale of these items, at cost, to the BFS community.
SPRING GALA
Held every Spring and run by the BFF, the Spring Gala celebrates all that is BFS and is the primary fundraising event for the school, raising money for financial aid and the financial aid endowment. The BFS Spring Gala is where we get to dance, eat and bid to support our community and our school. Volunteers help organize the BFF’s largest fundraiser of the year. There are many ways to help: venue research, catering, theme development, soliciting auction donations, and setup. This year’s Gala was on Friday, April 5, 2019 from 7pm to 11pm at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Read about the 2019 Gala celebration now.
WINTERFEST
The Brooklyn Friends School Winter Fest is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the winter holiday season within our creatively-rich and diverse BFS community. A favorite annual tradition, the Winter Fest also raises funds to support the School. The WinterFest is a fabulous all-day family event, open to the public and held in our Pearl Street building, and coincides with the BFF Winter Book Fair. Winter Fest activities include a Holiday Craft Market, food, live music, plant sale, and a wide selection of children’s activities, games and workshops running throughout the day.
BROOKLYN FRIENDS FUND
Brooklyn Friends Fund is a committee that works closely with the Advancement Office on the annual giving campaign. Committee members contact fellow parents directly to encourage contributions to the fund. 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 BFF Wrap Party.
ENROLLMENT
BFS parents positively promote the school and its community all over the city and even the world. Whether it is to a relative at a wedding, a neighbor at a block party, a friend at the playground, a colleague at a business meeting, or a fellow traveler at the airport, you are sharing stories of your family’s life at BFS and encouraging others to inquire about or apply to the program. The Enrollment office is looking for parents from all divisions who are already actively advocating for BFS and who are eager to represent the school at admissions tours and events or who would like to talk to prospective families about BFS throughout the year. In order to serve, we would prefer that families have children who have been enrolled for one year or more at BFS. Most importantly, though, we encourage the involvement of those who are passionate about their present experiences at BFS and the school’s future possibilities.
