Diversity, Equity and Belonging
The Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Committee of the BFF works in partnership with the school’s Diversity, Equity and Belonging efforts. This committee hosts an annual event in consultation with the school. 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.
New Families
This committee makes sure that new families at BFS feel connected, welcomed and immersed into our community. Starting in the previous spring, newly enrolled families are contacted and communication continues throughout their first year. Specific efforts include a buddy program and school sponsored events that educate, welcome, and serve to integrate families.
Service Learning and Civic Engagement Committee
The goal 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.
Blue Pride 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 also encourages attendance at school athletics events throughout the year.
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 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 Classroom Family Leads and Division Clerks, and work with the Advancement team to send grade-wide emails that encourage contributions to the school. This committee holds four meetings per year.
Friends at Friends Committee
This committee works with the school, Care Relations Committee and Quaker Life Committee to further enhance the role that Quakerism plays at BFS. This committee organizes the annual Quaker Cemetery Clean-Up in Prospect Park.
WinterFest
WinterFest is a joyous day of celebration of the season of light. In the past, the school has been filled with the laughter of children sprinting from the face painting booth to carnival games to the magic show to a cupcake decorating competition. This event serves as a fundraiser for the school’s annual giving efforts. This event may include in person and/or virtual activities.
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. Family and colleague volunteers develop a theme and invite guest artists to the school to work with BFS students.
Colleagues Appreciation Committee
This Committee will identify opportunities throughout the school year to celebrate all BFS colleagues in an equitable manner. This committee will also lead Colleague Appreciation Week in May, which is meant to express the gratitude and care that the Brooklyn Friends School community feels for all colleagues.
Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Library support the libraries of BFS by assisting library colleagues as needed. Each year, this committee holds one or two book fairs which raise funds to be used at the library’s discretion, usually for guest author visits and other special library programming.
Spring Gala
The Spring Gala is an annual festive community building celebration for attendance by families and colleagues. The connection and fundraising event usually includes auctions, music, dancing, food, and drink. The funds raised are used at the school’s discretion. The direction of funds is laid out to the community at the time of invitation.
