School News

Humorous, tear-jerking, stirring and heart-warming describe the readings by 16 Lower School boys chosen to represent grades three and four at the annual Lyman B. Tobin Public Speaking Contest on April 24. Preliminary rounds judged by Middle and Upper School teachers had taken place beforehand, resulting in four finalists chosen from each of the homerooms. Headmaster Clement commended the boys for their powerful recitations and cited Browning alumni, including governors and other statesmen, who may credit the School for cultivating their own public speaking skills. Even William Shakespeare (born 450 years ago yesterday!) might have smiled down as one of the boys read his “Witches Poem” from “Macbeth.”

Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn introduced each finalist, who then re-stated his name and the title of his reading to an audience of proud family and faculty. The winners of the contest, two third graders and a fourth grader, were announced later in the day by Ms. Gruhn and will be recognized at the Lower School Awards Assembly in May. The winners chose to recite the following: “Lorenzo Liszt, Nonscientist,” a poem by Kenn Nesbitt; Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” and a speech by Matthew McConaughey from the movie, “We Are Marshall.”

Lyman B. Tobin, a Browning teacher for 34 years, became Headmaster in 1948 and under his leadership, public speaking was established as an important part of student life at the School. The tradition is perpetuated today with this contest which takes place at the Lower, Middle and Upper School levels. Objectives are to develop effective public speaking skills, to memorize a significant piece of poetry or prose, to learn how to deliver the piece effectively, and to develop poise and self-confidence speaking in front of an audience.

Browning extends its thanks to the contest judges, including Teri Lawrence, head of school at The Resurrection Episcopal Day School; Gina Malin, director of school advisor services at Parents League of New York; and Frank Patti, head of lower school at The Hewitt School.

Upper School boys took their turn at public speaking the next day, with nine boys choosing to participate in the annual Lyman B. Tobin Public Speaking Contest. Two separate categories, oral interpretation and original oratory, allowed them to either interpret the work of another or to write and present an original piece. A Form VI boy and a Form IV boy placed first and second in oral interpretation, presenting “The World is a Business” monologue from the movie, “Network,” by Paddy Chayefsky, and “Past, Present and Future of NASA” by Neil Degrasse Tyson, respectively. Winners for original oratory were both Form V boys who presented “The Things We Learn” and “His Legacy,” respectively.

Head of Upper School Jim Reynolds remarked, “The judges found the entire field of presenters outstanding. Their deliberation was challenging because of the strength of the presentations. Please congratulate not only the first and second place presenters, but all of the boys for their courage to stand in front of their peers and faculty to present their speeches. The judges were tremendously complimentary of Browning in general, noting that everyone in these boys’ lives must be doing something right!”

The judges included Sarah Lederman, former history department chair and teacher at The Dalton School; Alex Ragone, head of middle and upper schools at City and Country School; and Amani Reed, head of school at The School at Columbia.

Middle School boys concluded the series of three Lyman B. Tobin Public Speaking Contests on May 2, following the Lower School boys on April 24 and the Upper School boys on April 25. First-place (Gold) winner was a Form II boy, with boys from Forms I and II and Grades Five and Six winning the Silver. Every one of the 16 participants showed amazing skill at memorizing and delivering his recitation in front of the entire community, a daunting task at any age! Reading selections included Jim Valvano’s speech as a recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award; Eric Schmidt’s commencement address at Boston University; “Digging” by Seamus Heaney; the speech by Herb Brooks from “Miracle” and Nelson Mandela’s speech upon his release from prison.

In preparing for this annual event, boys in Grade Five through Form II are required to memorize a significant piece of poetry or prose containing at least 14 lines, with four students from each grade chosen for the finals.

Head of Middle School Chris Dunham commended all the participants and thanked the judges, including Matthew Stewart, head of The Caedmon School; Pat Ranar, consultant in the faculty diversity search, Interschool; and Bill McCartney, upper school head at The Town School. The Middle School teachers are to congratulated for all their hard work with these fine public speakers! View photos.

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On April 22, Browning celebrated Earth Day with a dress down day for all divisions to raise money for a most worthy cause. The School community rose to the occasion and successfully showed its support for the protection of our planet, according to science teacher Emilie Wolf who advises the Green Team at Browning. Both the boys and Ms. Wolf expressed their appreciation: “Thank you for your amazing support today!”

Ms. Wolf’s team of boys orchestrated this event, collecting $3 from each student who “dressed down.” All funds raised will be put toward the implementation of “green actions” around The Browning School. Participants received a Browning Green Team Reusable Bag and the chance to sign the Students Take On Plastic (S.T.O.P.) Pledge initiated by The Town School. This pledge aims to reduce the use of plastic bags and, instead, promote the use of more environmentally-friendly bags. In advance of Earth Day, teachers showed a video documentary focused on this subject.

Other “earth-saving” initiatives at Browning include the implementation of reusable mug lids to reduce trash in the school cafeteria, as well as promoting Instagram’s #bagitnyc effort to decrease plastic pollution on our city streets, as endorsed by The Hewitt School, The Town School and others. The boys and their teachers hope their personal efforts will motivate family and friends to follow suit and do all they can to preserve and protect our wonderful, irreplaceable “Mother Earth.” View photos.

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It's a sure sign of spring at Browning when Middle School boys become birders, and this year was no exception. Head of Middle School Chris Dunham, along with science teacher Betty Noel, accompanied fifth grade boys to Central Park last week to study many of the birds they had discussed in class. Roger Pasquier, a native New Yorker, former Director of Foundations for the National Audubon Society, Inc., and famed birder, had spoken to the boys earlier during a visit to Browning. He returned to the School (as he has done in prior years) and kindly accompanied each class on a tour of the park where he pointed out numerous species, from robins, to various types of woodpeckers, to grackles, to the city's famous red-tailed hawk, Pale Male, who was twice spotted scanning the park for pigeons and squirrels.

From the moment they stepped on to the sidewalk, the boys began searching for birds and recording their findings. Mr. Dunham held up photos for the boys to view and aid in their sightings, while Mr. Pasquier answered questions and helped students spot the many birds along the way.

Browning boys study birds and their migration in the spring, as it is the best time of year to do so. Central Park attracts numerous migrating birds drawn to this scenic area even in the midst of so many buildings. A number of the boys expressed their pleasure at spying so many species, as well as their enjoyment at being in the park and the "great outdoors." The bright yellow forsythia and budding trees in Central Park were a picturesque backdrop to the nests and birds they soon discovered. Before heading back to Browning, the boys posed for photos on the beautiful Bow Bridge and Bethesda Fountain. View photos.

 

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Spanish teacher Giurissa A. F. Grace reports that for the first part of their second semester project, the grade 5 Spanish class researched a famous Spanish-speaking male figure, wrote biographical reports incorporating the grammar and vocabulary they have learned, and presented their reports in Spanish dressed as their historical figures. Browning was visited by the following people: Argentinian writer Julio Cortázar, Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Argentinian dictator Augusto Pinochet, Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, Colombian artist Fernando Botero, Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, Castilian nobelman and military leader El Cid, Guatemalan writer Miguel Ángel Asturias, Mexican artist Diego Rivera, Nicaraguan writer Rubén Darío, Puerto Rican educator and philosopher Eugenio María de Hostos, Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, and Dominican visionary and founding father Juan Pablo Duarte. ¡Bravo! View photos.

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On April 14, the Middle School students headed to Randall's Island for Middle School Field Day. Director of Physical Education Patricia Zeuner reports: "Students in each grade were split into teams for morning events, including a 50-yard dash, relay races, tug of war tournament and football throw challenge. After the morning events concluded, students reveled in some free time on the open fields playing various pickup games of taps, frisbee, soccer, baseball drills, tag and many others! Following a picnic-style pizza lunch, students had the opportunity to join organized games of soccer, Capture the Flag, kickball and, newly introduced, angleball. Thanks to everyone who contributed; the day was a great success!" View photos.

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The Form II Physical Science class members were tasked to design simple rockets using vinegar and baking soda as an extra credit project over a recent weekend. Their teacher, Melodie Ting, explains: "The classic baking soda and vinegar reaction has been seen over and over again in making volcanoes erupt. The boys were tasked to take that same concept and build a rocket out of water bottles. We have been studying different forms of energy in class, and the basic idea of this project was to take chemical energy (baking soda and vinegar reaction), and convert it into kinetic energy (rocket blasting off!)." Watch the results in this video.

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In observance of April as Poetry Month, five of Browning's finest poets performed their work at the Independent Voices reading and publication launch at Barnes and Noble on April 11. Two of the boys served as hosts in addition to reading their work. Those attending report that an attentive crowd of students, parents, and proud English teachers from all over Manhattan were thrilled by what they heard and saw; that is, "strong students presenting strong art." View photos.

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“Stone Soup,” a folk tale told in many countries and a 1947 classic by Marcia Brown, emphasizes cooperation and resourcefulness, two “basics” that first grade Browning boys have come to respect. In fact, the boys’ production on Thursday, April 10 is an excellent example of applying their knowledge and knack for showmanship on stage.

The boys presented “Stone Soup” for an audience of parents and community members. Their enunciation and projection skills were impressive, as was their spirited singing of “The Sharing Song” adapted by Lucy Warner, Lower School music specialist, who assisted with choreography. The program notes include recognition of all those who helped make the boys’ production such a success: “The first grade would like to thank Ms. Warner for such a beautiful song; the Browning maintenance department for setting up today; the technology department for help with projection; Ms. Gruhn (Head of Lower School) for your support; and finally, our parents for their love and support!” Of course, the boys also have their terrific teachers and assistant teachers to thank as well, including Ms. Epstein, Ms. Rossman, Ms. Harwood and Ms. Rowland.

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Middle and Upper School science teacher Melodie Ting reports exciting news: "The Form II boys in physical science class exploded with ideas when presented with the task of designing and building their own Rube Goldberg project. Having just covered simple and complex machines and beginning the topic of energy, the Rube Goldberg project is the perfect combination of these two chapters as the boys examine energy transfers in the machines they built. This was a two-week-long project that the boys started on an individual white board drawing out their designs with one restriction. They had to be inventive in the materials they used, as they were not allowed to spend money buying parts but to use what they had both in the classroom or at home. They did not disappoint; they were innovative and creative with their designs, collaborating with each other along the way. They met obstacles and failures head on, constantly rethinking the design right up until the final product was built. Tasks included stapling three pieces of paper, shooting a ping pong ball into a cup three feet away, shooting a paper ball into a trash can, pouring water into a cup, sharpening a pencil, opening a textbook, lifting an object up by one foot, and calling a phone. Click here to view video. 

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Fresh from Spring Break, Browning boys and teachers attended assemblies that proved informative and inspirational. Michael Tribe, a partner with the architectural firm Peter Gisolfi Associates, was a special speaker at the Lower School Assembly on April 3. He addressed the boys and explained the many renovations currently taking place around the School. Mr. Tribe described the ultimate benefits of this construction, accompanied by Lower School Head Laurie Gruhn who elaborated on what to expect in the coming months.

The next day, Middle School boys were updated on the same topic by Head of Middle School Chris Dunham who emphasized that the “flow” of traffic through the building will be the most notable improvement thanks to the addition of a light-filled center staircase. Other speakers that morning included Athletic Director Andrew West ’92, who spoke about upcoming field days and the fact that Middle and Upper School boys will compete in separate events this year.

Fifth grade teacher Dan Ragsdale and Middle School Council members explained the inaugural “CitizenChip” Initiative which will promote the ideals of the Citizenship Awards presented at the end of each school year: The objective of the CitizenChip Initiative, which will run from April 7 through May 16, is to acknowledge and reward students for displaying the qualities of a good Browning citizen, including promptness, neatness, respect, scholarship, sportsmanship, integrity and cooperation. Every Middle School faculty member will receive a few CitizenChips, each of which can be distributed to any Middle School boy who is “caught” in the act of being an exceptional citizen. The winning grade will receive a special treat to be determined by Mr. Dunham.

Finally, Mr. Dunham showed a video clip of an eighth grade Pittsburgh, Pa., boy who has advised the U.S. Government Printing Office on how to save money by changing the font it uses from Times New Roman to Garamond. Mr. Dunham told Browning boys that they, too, might aspire to apply their scientific knowledge in such a way.

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The varsity baseball team headed to Port St. Lucie, Fla., for spring training during the School’s Spring Break. A member of the team offers this report: The team enjoyed the great weather and fantastic fields and grew as a unit during the practices and games. In the first game against the Raiders of Jersey, Pa., the team lost, but the boys learned valuable lessons and increased their stamina for the next day. The team reached a low point against a baseball academy affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, then bounced back and bonded over a trip to the Mets game and local movie theater. The boys rallied around strong pitching performances and a strong defense in the third game, defeating the Newark Academy Minutemen. The team played to their full potential during their fourth game. The boys enjoyed their last night in Florida at a local arcade. The team handled adversity like true Browning gentlemen, and they were outstanding competitors.

The tennis team traveled to Port St. Lucie for the second year, while for the first time ever, the golf team practiced on three championship courses at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie.

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In early March, science teacher Emilie Wolf and the boys in her astronomy class traveled to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Ms. Wolf notes, "There they absorbed the knowledge of the halls, pondered the secrets of dark matter, and met with an astrophysicist who explained what it is like to pursue such a career and what astrophysicists are currently researching."

Ms. Wolf and her class explored the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, Cosmic Pathway and Hall of the Universe, as well as the Hayden Planetarium and Hayden Big Bang Theater.

The boys enjoyed watching the new space show, "Dark Universe," which is described on the AMNH website: "In stunningly detailed scenes based on authentic scientific data—including a NASA probe’s breathtaking plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere and novel visualizations of unobservable dark matter—'Dark Universe' explores this new age of cosmic discovery and reveals the mysteries that have been brought to light so far."

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The Browning School’s Annual Art Show is like a breath of spring each year. Due to the renovations in progress, the 2014 show was held in the Lower Gym, allowing the majority of the art work to be viewed in one venue. The wildly popular Pre-Primary penguins were located near the boys’ classrooms. A number of other works, including self portraits, books by the graphic design students, and fantastic colorful cities fashioned by boys using MakerBot 3D printers were exhibited in the Lobby. Parents and their sons were delighted to explore and admire the wonderful art accomplished in recent months under the direction of art teachers Nik Vlahos and Zack Davis.

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Winter athletics at Browning this year had its up and downs. The varsity Panthers struggled at times during the season, which I believe was partly due to the fact that the team consisted of eight Form III boys who had grown used to the shorter seasons with half as many games. The long season took its toll on the squad, but with such a young team and a solid core, the future is promising.

Coming off a very difficult 2013 season, the junior varsity team improved a great deal throughout the season. With many boys playing basketball for the first time at Browning, the team started the season having difficulty scoring; however, by season’s end, the boys had found their rhythm and competed at a much higher level. Forms I and II were divided into two separate teams, the Red team coached by Dan Ragsdale and the Black team led by first-time Browning Coach Glenn Walker assisted by another new coach, Andrew Wolf. Both teams played a full schedule of games, allowing more playing time for all the boys, with both having winning records.

Special congrats to the 7/8 Red Squad for bringing home a co-regular season championship! The fifth and sixth grade teams had great success as well, both finishing 8-2 and 10-1, respectively. All and all, it was a great season, and I am very confident that we will put Browning basketball back on the map in the very near future. For now, it’s time to break out the bats, gloves, clubs, rackets, and track shoes, as it’s time for spring! View photos from Varsity Basketball, JV Basketball, 7/8 Basketball, Grade Six Basketball and Grade Five Basketball. –Andrew West '92

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The Middle School finalists made an impressive showing at the Laura P. Muhlfeld Spelling Bee on March 7. Head of Middle School Chris Dunham said, "There was tension, there were tears, there was laughter, and there was some top-notch spelling! A huge thanks to Mr. Dearinger for moderating and to Ms. Hurwitz and Ms. Murphy for judging."
 
The winner is a Form II boys who also won last year...congratulations! First and second runners-up are in sixth and fifth grade, respectively. The teachers in the audience expressed their amazement at the difficult words the boys spelled so flawlessly. All the finalists handled themselves with aplomb and showed nerves of steel in front of so many members of the Browning community.
 
The day before, high-fives, handshakes, pats on the back and loud applause were the order of the morning during the Laura P. Muhlfeld Spelling Bee on March 6 as the Lower School finalists (second, third and fourth graders) encouraged and complimented one another. Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn said, “This was one of the most intense, competitive and impressive spelling bees in Lower School history! We owe tremendous thanks to Kevin Dearinger, moderator, and our judges, Susan Levine and Sarah Murphy, for their ears, eyes, insight and compassion. I am pleased to announce that the winner is a fourth grade boy, and our runner-up is a second grade boy!”

English teacher Kevin Dearinger spoke to the boys beforehand, breaking the ice and quelling nerves by asking participants and the rest of audience if they knew how to spell his last name. Like many of the homophones (weather, whether; steak, stake) they would soon be challenged by, “Dearinger” can take on many different spellings as well, he said. Mr. Dearinger also noted that this long-standing annual contest was later re-named for Laura Muhlfeld, a retired faculty member.

The boys in the bee were not easily stumped, having studied so diligently with teachers and family members to prepare and make it to the finals. Finally, the competitors were narrowed down to two boys who provided the audience with many a nail-biting moment until a winner was declared. Though disappointment is naturally a part of the experience, most participants were pleased to have been part of the event, knowing they tried their very best on the toughest words, and later posed for a photo. To be so young, standing in front of so many, and making a valiant attempt to spell words such as “occasionally” or “rhinoceros” takes true “grit” or, as sometimes spelled here at Browning, “grytte.”

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Story Pirates, a well-known group of performers who turn students’ writing submissions into musical theatrical productions, visited Browning on February 27. Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn proudly notes, “When this group performed at our Lower School Assembly, four of our own Browning boys saw their creative writing come to life on the ‘stage’ of the Lower Gym.”

As the name of each boy was announced prior to the staging of his work, wild applause broke out for these “playwrights in the making!” All but one of the shiest authors later posed for a photo with the performers. The music and antics of the actors certainly charmed the boys and teachers in the audience that morning. Colorful quilted screens served to disguise the lively performers during costume changes, as they literally pulled hats and props from over-stuffed suitcases.

One of the most entertaining plots revolved around good (the angel on one “shoulder”) vs. evil (the devil on the other), adapted from a submission about whether Mom’s freshly baked pie might be sampled before Thanksgiving dinner, or not touched until the proper time, as she so carefully instructed. Comedic moments ensued as music and mayhem broke out, followed by a delightfully “devilish” ending.

According to the group’s website (storypirates.org), it is “a nationally respected education and media organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people.” The site adds, “We offer a variety of tools to make learning more engaging and effective. Dually based in New York and Los Angeles, we are best known for the Idea Storm Program, a master-class writing workshop that brings teaching concepts to life, followed by a musical sketch comedy show featuring stories by students and performed by professional artists.” 

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Headmaster Clement's Form VI Expository Writing Class met for the last time on Thursday, February 20 over breakfast. Prior to the start of the class, the Form VI boys heard from Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions Janet Lien, Director of Alumni Affairs Laura Lanigan and Head of the Upper School Jim Reynolds. Following those remarks, Headmaster Clement led the students in an analysis of the written works they produced during the trimester. 

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Browning’s Form II French students demonstrated their “French touch” on February 1 at the annual Middle School theater festival at the Lycée Français of New York. French teacher Dominique Bernard offers this report, including news of the trophy awarded to one of the boys: “As the imposing amphitheater filled up, the pressure was tangible for the 200 talented young participants whose assignment it was to present a short performance of five to seven minutes based on this year’s theme of changement (change).”

Mr. Bernard continued, “The quality of all the plays was remarkable and perhaps even better than in the past. In addition to the regular distinctions and diplomas, the jury decided to attribute five major awards. Thanks to his great work, and admirably supported by his talented peers, one of our boys won the hearts of the six-member jury and was awarded the ‘best non-French speaking male actor trophy.’ This was a superb achievement indeed! The Lycée Français won the best play award. It was, as it is every year, an enjoyable and engaging activity. The numerous Browning parents who attended the event had every reason to be proud of their children.” Photos courtesy of Lycée Français

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A highlight of the year for many in the Browning community, Middle School Math-Science Night was held on February 5. Math Department Chair Michael Klein and Science Department Chair Sam Keany offer the following synopsis of this popular event:

Annually, students in Grade 5 to Form II perform original science experiments incorporating increasing mathematical rigor into their research. This year, the boys presented their math and science projects to faculty and parents. The new cafeteria and lower gym proved to be versatile event locations providing spacious and comfortable viewing of projects for boys in Grades 5, 6 and Form I. Form II boys presented their work on SMART Boards to small groups of parents in symposium formats in the new library and technology center and classroom spaces. 

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Browning's Model UN delegation returned safely on Sunday afternoon after spending three days at the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. History Department Chair Gerry Protheroe provides the following report: "ILMUNC 30 was the biggest UN in their history with over 3,000 students attending from all across the United States, Latin America and China. Two of our boys received Outstanding Delegate awards for their work on the United Nations Human Rights Council. This was a remarkable achievement, as both were alternates for boys who were unable to attend. One boy was asked to join with only a week to go! The other should be congratulated for his excellence in debate and for ensuring that his young partner understood his role and maintained his energy level throughout the three days. Many thanks to the irreplaceable Kevin Dearinger (English teacher) for his strong support for the delegation." 

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