Chair of the Classics Department John Young elaborates on a recent trip taken to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Form III Latin students: Owing to the ease with which the stories and their heroes can be allegorized to demonstrate spiritual, moral and political truths, classical mythology has inspired artists of all times and places and continues to do so today, as Form III Latin students discovered at the Met. They have been reading mythological adventures in Latin and visited the museum to see for themselves different artistic expressions of their reading material. Click here to watch a video and learn more details.
Read MoreThe Search Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Passno as Browning’s new Head of Middle School. Ms. Passno, director of outreach and public purpose at The Spence School, will begin her term on July 1, 2018.
The Committee is impressed by Ms. Passno’s many years of teaching at the middle school level, as well as her administrative experience and collaboration with the three division directors at Spence in building a vision for purposeful and ongoing service learning among all grade levels. She also founded and co-directed the Teaching Institute at Spence and serves on the faculty of Teachers College’s Klingenstein Summer Institute. Her 10-year career at Spence and her additional independent school credentials – including positions at Boston University Academy and The Webb School (Tenn.) – have prepared Ms. Passno for her new role at The Browning School. Click here to read more details from our Head of School.
Read MorePanther Pride alert: During the February 1 varsity basketball game against The Loyola School, Alex Liptak ’20 netted his 1,000th career point in the second half in front of the first and second grade Panther Games Day crowd. He is the fifth player in Browning’s history to reach this impressive milestone. Click here to watch a video and read more details.
Read MoreBrowning's Form II and Form IV French students participated in the annual Lycée Français theater festival, where they won awards for best non-French speaking male actors as well as the “Coup de Coeur” for humor and wit – a superb achievement indeed! Click here to view details, pictures and a video recap.
Read MoreOn the evening of January 25 at the Concerts on the Slope (COTS) performance in downtown Manhattan, 11 third and fourth grade boys exemplified Browning at its best! Our Lower School “superhero announcers,” dressed in colorful capes and masks, opened the concert, each confidently and clearly presenting information about the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla – one of our school’s featured Composer of the Month musicians – as they introduced Falla’s composition “Ritual Fire Dance.” (Falla is also known by the Lower School students as a featured “superhero composer” in the book “Zap! Boom! Pow! Superheroes of Music,” which correlates with their Composer of the Month studies. Click here to learn more about the event.
Read MoreThe Browning School’s annual Holiday Program, held on December 22 in Temple Emanu-El, heralded the season with its theme of “Hello, Holidays!” Led by Music Department Chair Lucy Warner, along with Richard Symons, Middle and Upper School music teacher, the program was attended by the entire Browning community, including parents and extended family members. Click here to view photos and read details.
Read MoreOn December 21, Browning held its fourth school-wide Community Day during which the entire student body (Kindergarten to Form VI) interacted and focused on a division-specific theme. Director of Equity and Diversity Dr. Betty Noel noted, “This day is a wonderful opportunity for the older students to demonstrate leadership and camaraderie with their younger peers and for the younger boys to make connections with the older ones." Click here to view photos and learn more about the workshops.
Read MoreThe Grytte newspaper staff was awarded a Gold Medalist rating by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) for the issues published in 2016-17 by boys in Grade Four through Form VI. The Medalist Critiques are the written evaluation of the publication compared against a set of printed criteria as completed by CSPA judges.
In November, to celebrate the anniversary of its inaugural issue that same month in 1897, the staff visited the offices of The Street on Wall Street as well as attended CSPA's journalism summit at Columbia University. Click here to learn more about about the paper’s 120th anniversary celebrations as well as view video and photos.
Read MorePerhaps the next best thing to getting a puppy as a present this holiday season is the chance to experience a “meet and greet” right here inside the red doors of Browning! Again this year, a group of therapy dogs and their owners-handlers from New York Therapy Animals were guests at a Lower School assembly on December 7. These gentle, friendly canines of varying ages and breeds play a comforting role in the lives of boys, girls, men and women when they and their owners volunteer at schools, libraries and hospitals in the city on a regular basis. Click here to learn more about the lively program full of puppy love.
Read MoreThe Grade Six two-day trip to Greenkill YMCA Camp, in Hugenot, N.Y., engaged our boys in a rich environmental education program that supports their work at Browning. Click here to view photos and details.
Read MoreThe varsity basketball team enjoyed a five-point victory (44-39) over the Churchill School at the Barclays Center on November 21. Coach Dan Ragsdale reports: "The boys were pleased to enter the holiday weekend with a win. Without a doubt, what was most gratifying about the experience was the tremendous support of our Browning community. From colleagues, to parents, to students from every division, Browning pride was on display and undeniable. On behalf of the team, the coaches extend our heartfelt thanks for such enthusiastic support!"
Read MoreFor 30 years, Browning has celebrated the season of thanks with a Thanksgiving Assembly attended by the School community. Held on November 21, the event began with a welcome from Head of School John Botti, who remarked that he is grateful to work with the students and all of the fine people at Browning. A number of boys addressed the audience, reading from such works as President John F. Kennedy’s Proclamation 3560 – Thanksgiving Day 1963 and remarking on the annual Middle School Food Drive, which garnered 370 pounds of food for the New York Food Pantry’s efforts to provide 1,000 local families in need with a Thanksgiving feast. Click here to view photos and read more details on musical performances.
Read More“As You Like It,” the annual Middle School Shakespeare production, was directed by Head Librarian Sarah Murphy and performed in November by 25 actors, including students from The Brearley School. Adding to the success of the production were student stage crew and technicians, as well as some Upper School boys whose musical talent enhanced the overall staging. Click here to view photos and more details.
Read MoreAlthough the wins at the varsity and junior varsity level were hard to come by this season, I was pleased with the grit and determination the boys showed. They stuck with it and were playing much better as the season came to a close. The 7-8 Grade Panthers played extremely well from start to finish and will undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost to the other teams, starting as early as next year. The varsity cross country team enjoyed a strong season, finishing first at a handful of meets and third at the championships. The 7-8 Grade cross country team also consistently improved throughout the season and will fuel the varsity program next year. Go, Panthers! Click here to view photos of the soccer and cross country teams.
Read MoreLast year's Lower School Halloween parade proved so popular that there was little doubt it would become an annual event. In the afternoon of Halloween Day 2017, the boys donned their costumes and paraded around the block. Head of School John Botti channeled the Harry Potter book series by dressing as Professor Albus Dumbledore (a very wise wizard and headmaster, indeed!) and leading the parade with two Lower School "helpers."
Earlier in the afternoon, older Browning boys got into the Halloween spirit as well. In keeping with yet another Browning tradition, the Kindergarten boys sang their ever-popular Halloween song during an October 26 assembly. Click here to listen and view more photos.
Read MoreThis year’s Halloween-themed Book Fair saw students, parents and faculty browse a wide range of books and meet local authors on Family Day. They also enjoyed a variety of games, arts and crafts, and prizes while dressed in their favorite costumes. Click here to view photos and learn more about the two-day event.
The Alumni Association featured a CFO Panel at this year's Class of 2000 Distinguished Speaker Series on October 25. The three panelists, all current parents, included Peregrine Broadbent P '29 (CFO of Jefferies), David Granville-Smith P '21, '25 (CFO and COO of A+E Networks) and Jane Nielsen P '18 (CFO of Ralph Lauren).
The evening began with an alumni donor roundtable in the Wilson Room, where an informal half-hour was spent discussing a variety of topics with the three CFOs. The many challenges that each one faces within their respective industries, particularly in light of the digital world and the current political climate, were touched on.
The panelists and alumni donors were then joined by more alumni, as well as current and past parents, in the Kurani Gym for the panel presentation. Head of School John Botti introduced each CFO and then turned things over to Mr. Granville-Smith, who acted as moderator. The three panelists spoke about their backgrounds and how they ended up in their current roles. Mentors, education experiences, and the balance between professional and personal lives were also discussed. Questions from the audience highlighted some of the ways in which the CFOs manage corporate culture, operations in different countries and company strategy. Following the panel and audience Q&A, a reception was held for all guests in the lobby.
The Alumni Association extends its sincerest gratitude to Mr. Broadbent, Mr. Granville-Smith and Ms. Nielsen for giving so much time and effort to make this evening possible for our community. Please click here to view the photos.
Read MoreThe Browning School has won the 2017 High Honor Award in the Institutional Category from the American Institute for Architects Westchester-Hudson Valley, according to Peter Gisolfi Associates, the architectural firm responsible for the renovations of the School over the course of five years. At the completion of this project, three distinct buildings had essentially become one. Click here to learn more.
Read MoreThe Lower School boys received a special presentation by the puppets and puppeteers from NYC Kids Project. This entertaining and enlightening puppet show aimed to educate the boys on various disabilities they may encounter in other children, including Down Syndrome, ADD, blindness, cerebral palsy, and so on. The two teaching artists-puppeteers encouraged audience participation and discussion about inclusion, allowing for many questions from the boys. Click here to read details and view photos.
Read MoreLower School Community Service Coordinator and Kindergarten teacher Caitlin Coleman thanks all those who contributed to the Hurricane Harvey and Irma Relief efforts. The Browning community raised $2,121.19 to benefit affected schools through Donors Choose, which allows teachers to request much-needed supplies for their students and dedicates a particular portion of their site to Harvey and Irma relief. She also extends her appreciation to those who generously supported a second fundraiser benefiting victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Browning’s three-day event raised $1,235 for Habitat for Humanity, which will help rebuild homes lost in this disaster. Click here to read more details.
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