It’s Fall 2019 and It’s All Happening at the Upper School
Upper School News for Grade 9 Families
City as Classroom
This fall, our grade 9 students are actively using the city as their classroom to engage in experiential learning to deepen their in-classroom studies in the humanities and arts. Their immersion in the city was launched with our inaugural City as Classroom Day in which grade 9 studio art students explores the work of various artists in galleries throughout Chelsea in Manhattan. Other students explored the history of the village from Stonewall to the former home of James Baldwin. Other exciting learning opportunities are on the horizon for grade 9. Please see below, and please contact the BFS “organizing colleague” whom you see listed as the facilitator of learning.
30 October – Dia de los Muertos: The Making of the Ofrenda
Continuing the work of Karen Sanchez (Class of 2019) from her senior year CAS (Creativity Activity Service) project, the World Language department will spend an afternoon with grade 9 commemorating the Mexican Dia de los Muertos and building an ofrenda to remember and honor loved ones who have passed away. Students will use film, be guided by students’ personal experiences with the day, explore historical context, and use traditional methods to make various ofrenda items and then will build the ofrenda on the third floor of the high school where it will be displayed for two weeks. Organizing colleague: Vanessa Ehler, Department of World Languages
1 November – Follow in the Footsteps of Holden Caulfield
After reading J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel Catcher in the Rye, grade 9 students will better understand the imagery and experiences of protagonist Holden Caulfield by participating in a walking tour of Manhattan. For those of you who remember the book, this learning experience will even include a carousel ride, red hats, and more. Organizing colleague: Rachel Mazor, Department of English
4 December – We the Jury: A Simulation
Half of grade 9 will serve as a jury for a trial simulation at New York Law School to witness and experience how the local judicial system operates in the United States. During the spring semester, the remaining half of grade 9 students will engage in the same experience. Organizing colleagues: Erika Hillstead and Dr. Jon DeGraff, Department of History
Upper School News for Grade 12 Families
A DATE WITH HAMLET ON TUESDAY, FEB. 4, 2020
We are very excited to let you know that the entire senior class will be attending a performance of the Gate Theater’s production of Hamlet at St. Ann’s Warehouse in conjunction with our study of the play. The performance, which is already sold out, will be on Tuesday, February 4 at 7:30.
We will gather at BFS before the performance, and students will be dismissed from the theater. Since the performance is likely to run about 3 hours and 15 minutes, twelfth graders will then have a late arrival on Wednesday, February 5.
This trip is an important part of our English curriculum, and it is expected that all students will attend, so please plan accordingly.
We are so excited to bring our classes to this innovative production! If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Mazor at rmazor@brooklynfriends.org.