The Browning School

Browning Community:

The Administrative Team met at school this morning, and we were joined by Alka Singh, PA President, by phone, and Ken Metz, PA VP, in person. I think we had a very productive session, and our group will communicate again on Sunday by phone. We expect to have Browning running on Monday morning.  We discussed a number of topics, and made a few decisions.

On Monday, Nov. 5, early dropoff will be available at 7:45 and the doors will open at 8. We know travel will still be complicated, so we will not be keeping track of lates/tardies the first week.

We also know all in our community have experienced trauma, some clearly more than others. Lower School teachers will address the issues in the classroom, and Middle and Upper School grades will begin with assemblies. We want to encourage community service and relief efforts, including educating and fundraising, among our boys.

We discussed the academic schedule and efforts to address a week of missed classes, and will engage the faculty in these topics when they return. Obviously no major tests will be given on November 5. We will expect the boys-- and the adults-- to do the best they can.

The Book Fair will be concluded on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Parent volunteers and boys' visits will take place then, and the remaining books will be packed up at the end of the day. Basically, nothing will happen in the Lower Gym on Monday.

The November Parents Association meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 8:15 a.m. in the Lower Gym. We hope for good attendance, both to share information as well as stories of Sandy.

While the building has not been serviced this past week, we have taken the opportunity to open the windows now that the storm has passed to air out the classrooms. This old fashioned treatment is usually held off until Thanksgiving. In addition, we expect our food service to be ready to go on Monday.

We are eager to regather the Browning community on Monday morning!

-- 

Stephen M. Clement, III

On October 18, the sixth grade boys, along with teachers Mary Bosworth, Dan Ragsdale and Emilie Wolf, headed off in the early morn to the Greenkill Retreat Center in Huguenot, N.Y. Ms. Wolf reports: “The weather was ideal for the outdoor team-building activities the Greenkill naturalist had in store for the boys. They climbed up a forest mountain, worked together to balance beams, get through giant spider webs, and run through ropes, just to name a few of the activities. They even invented a group crawling method never before seen at Greenkill. We definitely gave the naturalists a taste of Browning ingenuity! The boys showed off their acting skills in a fireside performance of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax before hitting the sack for a well-deserved (but not all-around successful) night’s sleep.”

Ms. Wolf added, “The next day presented more of a challenge as the boys faced survival skills training in the rain. They showed true grit as they ran around to the instructions of the experienced naturalists. The weather did not stop them from learning how to build a fire or have the courage to tasted evergreen tea (a brew reputed to have saved the pilgrims from scurvy ‘back in the day’). It was great to see the boys work together, learn new cooperation skills and build a stronger bond with the beautiful fall colors of New York’s wilderness as a back drop.” Click here to view photos.

On October 26, the fifth and sixth grade classes received a visit from second grade teacher Rachel Gerber's Israeli cousin and his friend. Ms. Gerber reports: "Both young men are currently serving in the Israeli army and are completing their fourth year. The Browning boys asked thoughtful questions and heard about the importance of discipline, perseverance and respect. They also heard first-hand commentary about serving one's country and the daily lives and duties of Israeli soldiers." Click here to view photos.

The annual Browning Book Fair began with a Lower School Assembly on October 25 featuring visiting author-illustrator Stephen Savage whose award-winning works include Where’s Walrus and Little Tug. Head Librarian Sarah Murphy introduced Mr. Savage, and both boys and teachers were instantly enthralled. Early in his presentation, Mr. Savage showed a larger-than-life slide of his famous walrus peering out a window of The Browning School. He proceeded to entertain his audience with a discussion of how he began writing and drawing at a young age, eventually moving from the Midwest to New York City. In fact, many of the Big Apple’s iconic places, such as Central Park, are included in Where’s Walrus. Mr. Savage even had the boys on their feet, “diving” like walruses depicted in his book.

Mr. Savage spoke of his love for bridges and water-related activities, all of which inspired his book, Little Tug.  He noted that his books generally take two years to complete. He is also an illustrator for newspapers such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and has been an adjunct illustration instructor at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan since 2001. Mr. Savage returns on the morning of October 29 to sell and sign his books. Click here to view photos.

Spanish teacher Giurissa Félix reports that on October 18, her Advanced Spanish class had the privilege of hearing art teacher Zachary Davis speak about his experience in Argentina this past summer, including a slide show of his trip. She noted, “The class saw a video of the master potter, with whom Mr. Davis worked, explaining how to ‘throw’ a pot in a dialect and accent unfamiliar to several of the boys. At the end of the presentation, the class shared their own personal experiences of ‘culture shock’ and language learning, as well as the importance of knowing how to speak one’s own heritage language.” Click here to view photos.