The Browning School

The annual Browning-Hewitt Reunion traditionally held in April was held on October 6 this year at Sutton Place (2nd Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets). Alumni and alumnae classes from 1980-2006 were invited, and guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers compliments of both schools. Thanks to everyone who came out to support this annual event! Please click here for the photos, and log in to the alumni website for a list of attendees.

On Wednesday, October 5th, the 5th grade boys, along with Ms. Seto, Mr. Ragsdale and Mr. Dunham, worked with the New York City Parks Department both at Black Rock Forest and Van Cortlandt Park to assist them in an official study of the salamander population in city and rural forests.  The data collected are being officially analyzed by the Parks Department to help them determine the ecosystem health of the parks in New York City.  So much was learned during the process! Click here to view photos.

On Thursday morning, September 22, the students in Form III boarded a coach bus headed for Greeley, PA, for the annual Form III Pine Forest Camp trip. While clouds threatened rain as the bus rolled northwest, the precipitation held off for much of the first day at the camp, and the boys were able to engage in all of the activities planned at the camp. Upon arrival and with the help of facilitators from The Mountain Workshop, Form III students did team-builiding exercises on the fields before being divided into two groups. One group headed down to Lake Greeley for canoe on the lake, while the other group headed for high-ropes activities at the camp's climbing wall. After dinner in the camp dining room, the boys went back to the lake for late-night canoeing. This time we broke into three groups and boarded  war canoes and headed into the pitch black night. When we returned to shore, a bonfire was blazing and the boys celebrated the day's accomplishments with Somores. On Friday, the boys got up early, packed their belongings, had breakfast and boarded the bus to head for the Delaware River for a six-mile rafting trip down the river. While the weather was not very cooperative, the trip was beautiful. Boys spotted two bald eagles, several blue herons over head and other  wildlife along the shore. We stopped for lunch along the river before finishing the trip at the take-out location in Matamoras. PA. We circled one last time with the Mountain Workshop counselors and debriefed about the entire trip. Each boy was asked to address three questions: What was the best part of the trip? What was your least favorite part? And what did you learn about yourself that you will continue to work on in the coming year? The boys shared thoughtful answers and thanked the Mountain Workshop team for their help in making this a terrific trip. Click here to view photos.

On Thursday, September 15, the 5th Grade headed to Mystic, CT for the class's annual overnight trip. We began with cruise of the Mystic Harbor on the steam ship Sabino, followed by a tour of the Mystic Village Museum. The second half of the afternoon was spent at the Mystic Aquarium, where the boys were able to feed exotic birds, pose for pictures with Beluga whales, and pet manta rays--a few boys even got to pet a small (and harmless) shark. Friday was spent at the Pequot museum, where the boys toured life-size walk-through dioramas depicting Native American life, and a variety of interactive exhibits. Click here to view photos.

Continuing a tradition that we believe is unique to Browning, on Wednesday, Sept. 14, College Guidance Director, Sanford Pelz, led the students of Form V and VI on a three-day tour of nine colleges in New England. All fifty five Browning juniors and seniors, along with Head of Upper School, Jim Reynolds, Dean of Students, Sam Keany, and Admissions associate, Alex Sheridan, boarded a bus early that morning and headed to the first stop, Trinity College in Hartford, CT. After an information session and lunch at Trinity, the group headed for Waltham, MA, where the students toured Bentley College and Brandeis University. At Brandeis, the students were greeted by recent alumni, Stevie Rachmuth '10 and Charlie Reiss '10. On the second day the tour included visits to Boston College, Boston University, where Luca Libani '11 paid a visit to the group, Harvard College and Tufts. On Friday, the final day, the group headed to western Massachusetts to visit Amherst College, where they were met by alumnus David Baird '10, who offered his personal insights on the transition from Browning to college life to the group during an admission's information session. After touring Amherst the final college stop was the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where the boys had lunch and an informative tour of that sprawling campus. The boys returned to Browning at 7 PM on Friday night with a much clearer vision of what types of colleges and universities there are out there and, hopefully, with a better sense of the type of school that will serve them best in their years after graduating from Browning. Click here to view photos.

On Friday, September 9, Form VI, accompanied by the Head of Upper School  and their college guidance counselor, spent a day at Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, NY. The boys participated in low-rope and team-building activities and high-rope challenges that included climbing a thirty-foot telephone pole on which they had to try to stand atop and then jump out to grab a trapeze bar. It was, to say the least, challenging for the boys on many levels. Oh, by the way, they were very well harnessed to a belay line. If the supportiveness and camaraderie of the Class of 2012 are harbingers of the year to come, we are going to have another terrific year at Browning. A great time was had by all. Click here to view the photos.