BFS
Our Strategic Vision

Compassion, a BFS and Quaker tradition

The program of our first commencement, from 1910 BFS has always strived to be compassionate for its community, particularly for its students, both while enrolled at our school and forever after. Compassion is often found at the core of the Quaker Testimonies. One of the nicest BFS archival finds remains the “BFS chapter” from the personal […]

BFS school-year beginnings, today and yesterday

Brooklyn Friends School began its 148th school year this month with its traditional convocation. Our opening assembly for older students, held at the Brooklyn Meeting House on Schermerhorn Street, came to be known as convocation in the early 1990s, yet this year’s largest-ever student body required separate convocations for the middle and upper school divisions. […]

BFS “head” count. Heads of school, that is…

Stuart Smith, 1968 to 1978 Since 1867, BFS has had 19 heads of school, not including interim heads. Over the years, the title of our school’s highest administrative role has evolved from principal to headmaster to today’s head of school. The history of each administration is unique, fascinating and lengthy, so today I’ll only give […]

100 Years Ago at BFS

BFS Commencement and Important AnnouncementsBrooklyn Daily Eagle, June 6, 1914 This week, your friendly historian decided to time-travel back one hundred years to the 1913-1914 school year at BFS. Turning once again to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at one of my favorite sites, fultonhistory.com, I found this page containing the article, “Friends School to Have […]

Miss Woodward, innovator at BFS and beyond from 1900 to 1951

  Examining the history of Brooklyn Friends School means also examining the history of education in Brooklyn and New York City. Brooklyn Friends School has a long history of educational innovations, but it also has a long history of allowing innovative educators to implement their ideas at BFS. Ella Frances Woodward exemplifies our long-standing commitment […]

BFS Playground on Grace Court, 1914 to 1923

  In 1914, Friends School – as it was then called – was expanding at all levels, with its young high school program being one of them.  Our athletic program had only just gotten off the ground and it was soon clear that the school needed athletic facilities to go further.  Our second athletic director, […]