School News

Every year Art Department Chair Nik Vlahos, along with art teacher Zack Davis, choose a central theme such that all boys enrolled in an art class in the fall will create art focused on that particular topic. Some works are collective and others individual. Mr. Vlahos explained, “The collective works are stretched canvas reproductions of the artists’ work we are studying. The trick is to find an artist or artists who can engage a Pre-primary boy and also challenge a Form VI student. This year the boys studied painters influenced by jazz. The artists span from the early 20th century to the contemporary time period, including Stuart Davis, Alma Thomas, Romare Bearden, Jackson Pollock, Elizabeth Murray and Stanley Whitney.

Many of the artworks are now displayed in the Cafeteria and were unveiled to boys in all divisions the week of January 18. Click here for more details and to watch a video about how the art department utilized the concept of the Mellow Pad to influence the boys’ artworks. 

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Browning’s second annual Community Day was a celebration of the school community and an opportunity to take a closer look at the world outside its walls, according to Dr. Betty Noel, diversity coordinator and science teacher, who coordinated the event. The boys and faculty engaged with one another in a number of morning conversations and activities at Browning, including a shared Google Map with pins indicating the many places where the families of each group member hail from. A scavenger hunt and traditional intraschool games were also part of the agenda, followed by a community lunch. The members of Browning’s food services team were pleased to play their part. Faculty members commented on the fact that the younger boys looked up to the older ones, even holding hands with them as they participated in the day’s activities. The older boys were equally happy to be with the younger boys, taking their roles as models and mentors to heart.

Click here to read more and watch a video of boys and faculty discuss the efforts to to partake in a number of community service endeavors that benefited a local food pantry, under-served youth, and incarcerated book lovers, among others.

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Headmaster Clement always looks forward to the Browning and Marymount Family Skating Party at Central Park’s Wollman Rink, held this year on February 11. He especially enjoyed the 2016 event, as Browning’s hockey team wore commemorative badges honoring Mr. Clement’s 28th and final year as head of our school. The next day, he was pleased to wear his winter coat with the badge in place for all to admire. 

Browning and Marymount community members enjoyed hot chocolate and the warm camaraderie that exists between both schools. Along with Headmaster Clement and Marymount's headmistress, Concepcion Alvar, everyone enjoyed seeing “felines on ice!” Browning’s panther mascot and Marymount’s Rory the lion mascot donned their skates to join in the festivities. What a great way to start off the week! View photos.

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French teacher Dominique Bernard reports on an annual class project that combines hands-on fabrication with research and language skills: “Every year we continue the Browning tradition of asking that the sixth grade French students create scale models of famous French monuments and write essays recounting the history of the edifices chosen. As always, the boys creatively built and presented their excellent projects to their classmates! Chapeau les garçons for such excellent work! View photos.

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The Browning community joined together on December 18 in Temple Emanu-El for the School’s annual holiday program, “Circle of Song,” led by Music Directors David Prestigiacomo and Lucy Warner. This festive event began with remarks from Headmaster Clement, followed by readings and performances by individual boys as well as Form I Hand Chimes, Holiday Strings Orchestra, Starbright Strings, Tick-Tock Orchestra, Holly Jolly Dancers, Ovation Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, and Middle and Upper School Choruses. Click here to view photos.

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On December 15 the sixth grade boys, along with teachers Mary Bosworth and Zack Davis, walked up Park Avenue to the Asia Society where they viewed “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms.” Ms. Bosworth explained, “This wonderful exhibit tied in with our study of archeology. We are grateful to one of our Browning parents who works at the Asia Society and is from Vietnam for offering to speak to the boys during our tour. Afterward, she gave us all a Chinese coin and chocolate truffle wrapped in gold paper as a remembrance of our visit.”

This special exhibit was organized in conjunction with the Ayala Museum, located in the Philippines, and features exquisite gold jewelry, including necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings, as well as gold bowls and dishes. Because many of the 120 treasures in this exhibit are so finely detailed, the boys used magnifying glasses to gain a closer look at the incredible work involved in fabricating these pieces. Click here to view photos and read a report of the trip.

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The third grade boys recently took a trip to the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath), billed as "the nation’s first major museum dedicated to mathematics." The facility appeals to a kid's sense of fun with a hands-on learning center that challenges conventional views of mathematics. Ms. Kehoe and Ms. Alterman organized the trip to enhance classroom learning based on the Singapore math program. Click here to view photos and read a report from Director of Communications Design Jeremy Katz '04, who accompanied the boys and teachers on their trip.

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At a Lower School Assembly on December 10, Rhonda Keyser of Cafeteria Culture spoke to Browning boys about the importance of decreasing waste in the School’s dining hall. Originally founded in 2009 by a group of concerned parents and educators as Styrofoam Out of Schools, this group partnered with New York City’s Department of Education School Food and Parsons The New School to eliminate the 860,000 toxic and polluting Styrofoam lunch trays used in school cafeterias every day. View photos and learn more about what the boys learned in the program. For more information on Cafeteria Culture, visit their website at cafeteriaculture.org.

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Coach Dan Ragsdale reports that during the November 30 varsity basketball game against Friends Seminary, Will Jacob '16 netted his 1,000th career point in the second half. Will is the fourth player in Browning’s history to reach this auspicious milestone. Athletic Director Andrew West ’92 said, “Having been a Browning student and watching Adam Friedman ’89 score his 1,000th point in 1989 and later coaching both Terrel Phelps ’11 and Sean Brownridge ’07 as they went on to score 1,000 points in 2009 and 2007, respectively, I know how hard it is to score that many points.”

Coach West added, “From the time he was in Pre-primary, I have watched Will zip up and down the court playing whatever game we were playing and always doing it at a lightning-fast pace. He has always had that extra ‘something’ that is hard to explain and even harder to teach. He is fearless and willing to sacrifice his body in order to get to the basket; he always gives it his all. Outside of basketball, Will is also quite the soccer and baseball player as well as recreational tennis player. I look forward to keeping in touch as fellow alumni. Congrats, Will!” Click here to watch video of his 1,000th point.

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Form V and VI boys in Spanish IV and Conversational Spanish enjoyed a field trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) along with Spanish teacher Elizabeth Suárez and art teacher-chaperone Zach Davis. In a most impressive display of their mastery of the language, the boys conversed entirely in Spanish with Ms. Suárez and Mr. Davis while walking from Browning to the museum and browsing in the MoMA bookstore before their tour.

This field trip augmented their unit on Latin American and Spanish painters, including Joaquín Torres-García, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí. Upon their arrival, the boys and teachers were given a tour by a docent who spoke only in Spanish; Ms. Suárez had specifically requested beforehand that the boys explore the artworks with one of MoMA’s three Spanish-speaking guides. Among the fantastic art viewed that day were two special exhibits, “Picasso Sculpture” and “Joaquín Torres-García: The Arcadian Modern.” The former is described by MoMA as “a sweeping survey of Pablo Picasso’s innovative and influential work in three dimensions; the first such museum exhibition in the United States in nearly half a century, while the latter is billed as “a major retrospective of [Uruguayan artist Torres-García featuring] works ranging from the late 19th century to the 1940s, including drawings, paintings, objects, sculptures, and original artist notebooks and rare publications.” The boys also appreciated wonderful works by Miró and Dalí, including “The Persistence of Memory.”

Click here to read details of the trip and photos, which includes a group portrait of the Browning boys, Ms. Suárez, Mr. Davis and docent Ms. Ada Cruz in front of an enlarged image of Torres-García’s iconic “America invertida” on display at MoMA. 

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On December 7 Dr. Craig Nevill-Manning, director of New York Engineering at Google, Inc., and a computer scientist who founded Google’s first engineering center outside of Silicon Valley, spoke to Form II through VI boys at Browning during Computer Science Education Week celebrated across the world via “Hour of Code” events. Dr. Nevill-Manning completed his doctorate in computer science at Waikato University, New Zealand, in 1996 before moving to the U.S. for post-doctoral work at Stanford University. He was honored in 2010 by the Carnegie Institute as one of America’s great immigrants. Read more about him at carnegie.org.

During his talk, facilitated by Browning parent David Eun, Dr. Nevill-Manning discussed various projects that Google is working on, including self-driving cars, Internet for all, and disaster relief support. He encouraged the boys to get involved with the Hour of Code via code.org.

The day before, Browning’s Director of Academic Technology Saber Khan organized a hackathon series with Columbia Prep and Riverdale on December 6 as part of the Agile Youth Challenge (AYC), a programming hackathon/codeathon competition for students in grades 6-12 with any level of programming experience enrolled at any New York City or area school. Mr. Khan, along with Director of Technology Aaron Grill, led two teams of Browning boys in the competition. He declared, “This was the most diverse hackathon we’ve ever seen!”

Mr. Khan added that AYC was founded by members of several New York City schools, and grew out of the organizers’ desire to blend ongoing learning experiences into the immediate and intense challenges of a hackathon/codeathon. The goal is to bring teams together in friendly competition, give them a chance to evaluate and learn from their performance back at school, and then present another chance to compete and apply what they’ve learned. The second AYC hackathon will take place at Grand Central Tech on Sunday, March 13, 2016. View photos.

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Since the start of the 2015 school year, Browning boys have earnestly taken to heart the School’s mission statement that they be responsible “to the broader community” by lending a helping hand to a number of charitable organizations. Lower School boys led a successful initiative to benefit City Harvest, an organization that provides food to the hungry in New York City. They also participated in the annual McDonald Fun Run in Central Park, which raises money for temporary housing for children diagnosed with cancer. 

Members of the Middle School Student Council organized another successful Thanksgiving Food Drive and Dress Down Day in November to benefit the New York Common Pantry. Together these efforts collected 460 pounds of food and raised $1,298.07, an amount to buy enough food to feed 37 families. The boys and their faculty advisors, Megan Ryan and Dan Ragsdale, are grateful to members of the Browning community for their generous support of this long-standing tradition.

Upper School Student Council members hosted a Dress Down Day in October, with boys and faculty encouraged to wear a pink apparel item in support of Susan G. Komen®, a non-profit organization dedicated to “saving lives and ending breast cancer forever.” The fundraiser raised a total of $1,956.75. As part of this effort, the varsity soccer team donned pink uniforms to raise awareness while on the field. Team member Micah B. ’17 said, “To wear a special pink jersey for a game this season was fun and a really nice touch. It was exciting to go out onto the field in spirit and promote a really good cause with the hope it will lead to other teams raising awareness as well. It is a new tradition that I am proud will continue in seasons to come.”

Earlier this year, Director of Athletics Andrew West ’92 and Modern Languages Chair Megan Ryan coordinated a donation effort for a school in Kenya. Stephen Fleischer ’10 served as the link between Browning and the Kenyan school, Our Lady of Nazareth, where Stephen volunteered this past year. Athletic jerseys, chess sets, games and school supplies were among some of the items given as a result of the collaboration between Mr. Fleischer and Coach West. “Thanks to the generosity of The Browning School, we were able to equip this Kenyan school with basketballs, uniforms, whistles, practice pennies and even a referee’s uniform,” said Mr. Fleischer. “We created Our Lady of Nazareth’s first competitive sports team. Teamwork, sportsmanship and competition are just three of the many benefits that this basketball team imparts to its members.” View photos.

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On November 24, the Browning community participated in the School’s 28th Thanksgiving Assembly in Christ Church. As faculty and boys took their seats, the Form II Drumming Circle performed “Improvisations from the New World.” Headmaster Clement, who began this tradition in his first year at Browning in 1988, welcomed everyone and asked them to quietly reflect on what they are most thankful for. Mr. Clement noted that he is grateful for the teachers who further the goals of the School and that he will miss them when he retires at the end of this school year.

Following his remarks, an ensemble of faculty singers led the community in another tradition, the singing of “We Gather Together.” Next, John Greenleaf Whittier’s “The Pumpkin” was read by a Form III boy, and the president of the Upper School Student Council offered remarks and extended wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all. The president of the Middle School Student Council spoke about the success of the council’s annual Food Drive and Dress down Day which benefited the New York Common Pantry. Their efforts collected 460 pounds of food and raised $1,298.07, an amount that will buy enough food to feed 37 families. He acknowledged the generous support of the Browning community in making this long-standing tradition so successful.

Musical performances always add a wonderful element to this particular assembly.  Chair of the Music Department David Prestigiacomo and Lower School music teacher Lucy Warner worked with the boys for many weeks to prepare for this day. The Ovation Orchestra played Mozart’s “Minuet in G, K. 315,” while the Browning Balladeers (Grade Four) performed a spiritual, “Peace Like a River.” Finally, the Form II Handchimes played “An American Medley.”

A favorite part of the program occurred when Director of College Guidance Sanford M. Pelz ’71 and the Class of 2016 welcomed returning alumni who introduced themselves and indicated the college they are currently attending. As is tradition, the Browning Panther mascot made a special appearance, this year dressed as a turkey. The program concluded with the singing of “The Browning School Song” followed by distribution of the first issue of the Grytte student newspaper. Alumni were treated to a reception back at the School where they mingled with former teachers and Form VI boys. View photos.

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Department Chair and Dean of Students Sam Keany offers the following news about Browning’s Science Bowl Team: “I am excited to report that on November 21, the team won in convincing fashion in the Interschool Science Bowl. Competing against teams from Brearley, Chapin, Dalton, host school Spence, and Trinity, the ‘science Panthers’ made it to the finals with a 4-1 record in the preliminary rounds. Meeting Trinity in the finals for the third straight year, Browning immediately shot ahead with a series of correct toss-up questions (worth four points each) and follow-up bonus questions (worth 10 points each), amassing a lead that the Trinity team never challenged. The final score of the game was Browning 130, Trinity 58.”

Mr. Keany extended congratulations to the Browning team composed of boys from Form III to Form VI, all of whom played in at least one match, and, of course, to their inspiring coach and science teacher Melodie Ting! He added that in a positive turn, the logistics for the tournament were completely organized by Spence’s student team members, and he hopes future host school teams will follow suit. View photos.

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The Middle School boys have been hard at work since the end of September to stage their production of "The Comedy of Errors," directed by Head Librarian Sarah Murphy. With 18 Middle School actors from Browning and four actresses from Brearley, along with a band composed of Middle and Upper School boys, the cast and accompanying musicians entertained a standing room-only crowd on their opening night this past Wednesday! Additional performances on Thursday allowed many members of the Browning and Brearley communities to experience one of Shakespeare's best-known comedies. View photos.

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The fourth grade boys recently spent the morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in conjunction with their study of Ancient Egypt. As they explored the Egyptian wing of the museum, they were able to point out many gods, pharaohs and artifacts they recognized from their readings. The Museum's collection of ancient Egyptian art, according to its website, consists of approximately 26,000 objects of artistic, historical and cultural importance, dating from the Paleolithic to the Roman period (ca. 300,000 B.C.–A.D. 4th century). Click here to view photos and read a report by Director of Communications Design Jeremy Katz '04, who accompanied the fourth grade class on their trip.

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Athletics Director Andrew West '92 provides an overview of the fall athletics season, followed by reports from individual coaches:

It all started in late August when Browning held it annual fall preseason training at Camp Mah-Kee-Nak in Lenox, Mass. The boys set a new record for numbers with 51 boys in attendance, ranging from Form I through Form VI. The varsity soccer team had a few returning seniors who were able to keep the team determined and focused from the start. The major question mark for all the teams was who was going to be the goalkeeper, but that was quickly answered at camp when Conor Harkins, Luke Barba and William Bousquette stepped up and showed the coaches that they had what it was going to take to be their team’ last line of defense! The goalies were even treated to some in-depth instruction from a semi-professional European league goalie, who happened to be working at the camp we attended.

The Middle School Panthers had a very strong season with a balanced squad that was strong at almost every position. They truly started to gel late in the season. The junior varsity team, under the leadership of Coach Lisciandrello and newcomer Coach Blake, really established themselves late in the season as well. The continued serious approach they established last year carried over to help this year’s team.

On the varsity front, Coach Watson, assisted by new Assistant Coach Protheroe, were very proud of the efforts put forth by the whole team. Despite being injured throughout the season, the Panthers gave it their best shot. The season got away from the Panthers during a heartbreaking stretch of five game. They lost by one goal each game and tied one, when they easily could have come away with three or four wins, including a crushing, disallowed game-tying goal from LFNY in the final seconds of regulation. They showed some real “grytte” and continued to fight out the rest of the season, but unfortunately, failed to make the postseason.

Another team that should be very proud of its efforts is the varsity cross country team. Under the guidance of Coach Bernard, these boys had a very successful season. And even more good news for the Panthers is s that the Middle School cross country team also did very well, providing Coach Bernard with some talent down the road.

Click Here to view photos and details from our coaches for Varsity Soccer, Varsity Cross Country, JV Soccer, Form I/II Soccer, 5th/6th Grade Soccer and Middle School Cross Country.

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For the first time, the staff of the student-run Grytte newspaper attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's (CSPA) Annual Fall Conference. Hosted at Columbia University's historic Morningside Heights campus, the one-day regional conference offers schools from across the U.S. sequences focused on writing, editing, management, design, photography and digital media.

CSPA has been critiquing student publications since 1925 and hosting related conferences for students at Columbia since 1940. The CSPA conference website describes the day as "rich and varied, with experienced advisers and journalists serving as session leaders." 

The Grytte staff, whose members range from Form I-VI, attended sessions on writing and editing, staff organization, design and layout and special areas of coverage. One of the youngest Grytte staffers later remarked, "The conference was truly amazing because the speakers we heard from all work at top professional publications such as The New York Times. It was really exciting and definitely a conference I'd like to attend again!"

In between sessions, the boys enjoyed the unseasonably warm November weather on the steps leading to the Low Memorial Library, where they posed for a group shot with "Alma Mater," the bronze sculpture of the goddess Athena by Daniel Chester French, perhaps best known for designing the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Between tips gained at the conferences and rubbing elbows with the Greek goddess of wisdom, the Grytte boys gained valuable knowledge that they are putting into practice as they prepare their first issue of the 2015-16 school year. Plans call for the Grytte to be distributed to the school community and young alumni at the end of the Thanksgiving assembly at Christ Church on November 24. View photos.

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The Lower School enjoyed a very productive month with its community service initiatives, according to Rachel Gerber, who oversees the program. She reports as follows:

The boys collected coins for City Harvest, an organization that provides food for those in need. The total amount collected was an impressive $1,670! The boys in 2G helped separate all of the coins. On Saturday, November 7, approximately 20 Lower School boys participated in the annual McDonald Fun Run in Central Park. It was a beautiful day, and the Browning boys always impress us all with their running skills. Thank you for your support and involvement in both activities! View photos.

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Each fall, the Parents Association’s Browning Book Fair fills the Lower Gym with reading material for all ages. This festive literary tradition kicks off with visits to classrooms by guest authors and an evening cocktail party featuring a panel of writers. Browning boys, teachers and families are never at a loss for finding just the perfect book.

This year's Book Fair raised a total of $46,857, including book sales, donations to the library (114) and classrooms (87), and general store, raffle and bake sales. Congratulations to the parent volunteers: Co-chairs Kathleen Glaymon and Michelle Post; Finance Chair Aimee Smith, and May Kang, who led the book donations effort.

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