School News

The third annual Biodiversity Day sponsored by Browning’s Green Team was another huge success! After the opening address at Christ Church, boys, teachers, staff members and guest naturalists broke into groups and headed to Central Park, where they dodged the raindrops to complete a Bioblitz/Biodiversity survey. Approximately 100 species were identified!

In another “point of pride,” dollars raised by the day’s Dress Down Day amounted to $1,500 and were donated to the Wild Bird Fund and the Central Park Conservancy. Click here to read more and view photos from the day. 

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The annual Form VI Alumni Association Breakfast took place on Wednesday, April 19. Head of School John Botti and Alumni Association President Andy Sandberg '01 led the festivities in recognizing each member of the Class of 2017 with a special gift from the Alumni Association in honor of the seniors' upcoming graduation. The following officers, Trustees and alumni faculty members also spoke to the boys about their involvement with the Alumni Association: Stuart Orenstein '00 (vice president of the Alumni Association), John Moran '97 (secretary of the Alumni Association), Jeffrey Landes '83 (Trustee), Richard Weaver '75 (Trustee), Sandy Pelz '71 (director of college guidance), Andrew West '92 (director of athletics) and Jeremy Katz '04 (director of communications design). Director of Institutional Advancement Jim Simon, Head of Upper School Jim Reynolds and Director of Alumni Affairs Laura Lanigan were also in attendance. The Alumni Association looks forward to Graduation Day, when these 25 members of the Class of 2017 will officially join its ranks! Please click here to view photos.

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The annual Alumni Reunion saw a record turnout of 192 guests this year! On Friday, April 7, alumni ranging from the Classes of 1950 to 2014 returned to Browning for the Upper School assembly, True Grytte Society and Consecutive-Year Donor Luncheon, and the Reunion reception.

For the first time since its establishment in 1991, the Charles W. Cook '38 Alumnus Achievement Award was presented to two alumni faculty members: current Director of College Guidance Sanford M. Pelz '71 and former teacher and administrator Eric Ordway '67. Mr. Pelz and Mr. Ordway were honored during the reception with an award ceremony led by Head of School John Botti and Alumni Association President Andy Sandberg '01.

Earlier in the day, an Alumni Career Panel presented at the Upper School assembly and featured three alumni employed in varied fields: Spiros Frangos '87 (chief of surgery at Bellevue Hospital), Peter Gordon '84 (head of Hilltop Country Day School) and Patrick Murtaugh '97 (co-founder and brewmaster of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery). At noon, the annual True Grytte Society and Consecutive-Year Donor Luncheon was held for the 11th year at a nearby private club where guests were treated to a special musical performance by Browning's newly-formed a cappella group, the A CaPanthers.

Nearly 200 guests gathered in the Kurani Gym for the evening reception. In addition to the Charles W. Cook '38 Alumnus Achievement Award presentation, the Stephen S. Perry '76 Memorial Class Representative Awards were presented to the following class representatives: Steven G. Schott '72 (most outstanding overall), Charles B. Davis '07 (most outstanding correspondent) and Ahmed El-Razi '08, Philip Devereux-Demetriad '08 and Nicholas P. Rango '08 (most outstanding fundraisers).

Please click here to view photos. The Alumni Association is grateful to all who helped make this event possible!

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Nearly 100 guests gathered in the Kurani Gymnasium for the second annual TEDxYouth@BrowningSchool, a live speaker series of profound innovators. Anderson Harp and Melodie Ting served as faculty advisors to the 25 Middle and Upper School boys comprising the executive team and supporting volunteers who organized the event.  

From September to February, a dynamic team of organized, self-managed and hard-working individuals met on Tuesday mornings before school to oversee the many requirements of hosting a TEDx event. Following approval of their 16-page application, an amalgamation of Browning’s student talent collectively joined their skills to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience open to anyone in the greater NYC community free of charge, namely, the TEDxYouth@BrowningSchool event. Click here to watch a video, read more details, and view photos of the event.

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In the snowy days leading up to spring break, the Browning community admired the impressive artwork created by Browning boys under the direction of art teachers Nik Vlahos and Zack Davis. The Annual Art Show, which took place in the Kurani Gym and other areas of the School, was attended by proud parents and siblings, as well as the boys, faculty and staff. With each school year, the boys outdo themselves, as the youngest ones learn the fundamentals of art and the oldest perfect their self-portraits. Please click here to view photos of the event.

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Over 70 students from 12 New York independent schools gathered in Browning's Kurani Gymnasium for the 2017 Interschool Journalism Conference. The event, hosted by the Browning Grytte staff, gathered student journalists from across New York City for a panel with seasoned industry professionals as well as a breakout session wherein editors, writers and photographers alike could discuss the common challenges, issues and successes they face as student journalists. Click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the conference.

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The Browning A CaPanthers brought down the house at the annual Interschool Acappellooza hosted by Spence. Music teacher Richard Symons reports: "At least 150 students from various private schools performed to two sold-out audiences who were treated to close harmonies and incredible voices. This was the A CaPanthers' debut performance at this event and, judging by the audience's reaction, it certainly won't be their last! The boys will be back in action soon, as they take to the stage at Trinity on March 10 at 7 p.m. for Think Pink, which will raises fund for breast cancer research. Click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the festival.

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The Great Minds in Science Series brought two highly accomplished medical professionals to speak at Browning on February 24. Dr. David B. Levine, emeritus professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as historian, author, educator and lecturer, along with Dr. Jedd D. Wolchok, chief of the melanoma and immunotherapeutics service and holder of the Lloyd J. Old Chair in Clinical Investigation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The two speakers discussed the practice of immunotherapy in combating cancer and the various career paths in medicine. Please click here to view video, read details and view photos.

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On February 22, fifth grade boys visited the Buehler Challenger Space and Science Center for Browning's annual Mission to the Moon simulation activity. During their simulated space flight, students were responsible for tasks pertaining to an area of the mission, including navigating the spacecraft, analyzing lunar samples, and ensuring the health and safety of the flight crew. The students spent time operating both in mission control and in the spacecraft.

This experience capped off the Grade Five astronomy unit in science class, during which the students studied the nature and origins of our Moon, the Moon's effects on our tides on Earth, and the history of lunar missions, among other things. During the field trip, the students demonstrated not only a strong understanding of lunar science, but also the teamwork and focus required to undertake such a complex set of tasks. Ultimately, Browning's fifth grade mission crew completed its required assignment, successfully constructing and deploying a lunar probe and landing safely on the Moon's surface. Well done, boys! Click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the field trip.

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The winter sports season at Browning was an overall success. Although we did not hang any new banners, I believe many teams took major strides forward as we continued to build the program to achieve more consistency. The varsity basketball team made the playoffs this year with a very young squad, while the junior varsity team won many games and made it to the playoffs as the #2 seed before losing to Calhoun due to some injuries.

The Forms I and II Red and Black teams consistently won and improved, while the fifth and sixth grade teams struggled to win but showed some nice progress nevertheless. The varsity squash team entered its second official season and continued to improve with a 6-3 overall record and increasing numbers. The fencers also represented Browning well, with many victories and great leadership. All and all, it was a great season!

Click on the following links to view additional photos and season details from the coaches for Varsity Basketball, JV Basketball, Squash, Form I/II Basketball Red, Form I/II Basketball Black, 6th Grade Basketball, 5th Grade Basketball and Fencing.

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The Browning/Marymount Skating Party at Wollman Rink in Central Park on February 27 marked the 20th anniversary of this annual event. Along with other members of the Browning community, Head of School John Botti and his family enjoyed the skating, music, food and raffle prizes. Mr. Botti also acknowledged our young hockey players who enjoyed an exciting and successful season. Our Squirt Select team took first place in the Lasker Cup, defeating Buckley, St. Bernard's and Saint David's, while our Mini Mite and Mite teams came in third and second in their respective tournaments. Please click here to view photos.

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Since 2003 Browning's Form II French students have participated in the annual Middle School theater festival at the Lycée Français de New York.. The Browning boys came away with three awards, the most notable being the 2017 Premiere Scène Special Jury Prize. Well supported by his talented peers, one of our boys was awarded the best non-French speaking male actor trophy. The boys also received a special award for "best pronunciation and articulation." Click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the festival.

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Alexander Heffner, host of “The Open Mind,” a 30-minute public affairs show on PBS, spoke to a number of groups at Browning on February 13, including parents, Middle and Upper School boys, and the student newspaper (Grytte) staff. His topic, “Civility, Truth and the Future of American Democracy,” focused on the need to engage in face-to-face discussions and the ability to “agree to disagree.” The importance of debating a given topic in depth and with civility is central to democracy, according to Mr. Heffner, who was a keynote speaker at a recent conference held at the University of Copenhagen. A graduate of Andover and Harvard, Mr. Heffner is also a native New Yorker. Click here to view photos and more details.

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On February 8, boys in Grade Five through Form II utilized the School’s facilities – from science labs, to the dining hall, to the art rooms and Kurani Gym – as they welcomed their parents, faculty and staff to Math-Science Night. This annual event always proves exciting, with the boys geared up to explain the original projects they have designed and executed. Months in the making, their assignment demands that they incorporate mathematical analysis of their data as a central component in reaching a final conclusion. Click here to view photos and more details.

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Thirty-three Browning gentlemen were among over 1,500 players competing in 14 grade/rating divisions in the New York City K-12 Chess Championship held in Brooklyn on February 4 and 5.

On the first day, one of our ninth graders tied with one other player for first place in the High School JV division; this was his first chess tournament experience and included a speed chess tiebreak playoff for the first place trophy and title of NYC Champ. He won and is now NYC High School JV champion! Our high school team took the fifth place award. 

On the second day, our K-1 team (consisting of five Pre-primary boys and seven first graders) tied for first place with Collegiate, ahead of Speyer, Columbia Prep, Avenues, Trinity, and 20-plus other teams. Our Browning team held superior tiebreak points to bring home the first-place trophy. Click here to view photos and more details.

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Our Upper School Model UN delegates spent four full days of spirited debate in Philadelphia at the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC XXXIII). The competition was severe with 3,000 students from all over the USA as well as Colombia, Venezuela and China in attendance. The boys performed strongly in an exceedingly competitive conference. Our delegation representing the Republic of Yemen gave it their best effort. One of our Form V boys gained a Verbal Commendation as Bai Chongsi on the Joint Crisis Committee on the Guomindang, the Chinese Nationalist party. Click here to read more details and view photos of the conference.

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As a complement to their social studies curriculum on the origins of Manhattan and the study of its Woodland Natives, the third grade boys visited the Museum of the City of New York to learn about the Lenape tribe, the island’s original inhabitants who lived here 400 years ago. Please click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the trip.

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Topics covered during a Lower School Assembly on January 12 were tied to the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. During this assembly led by Glenn Walker, advisor to the Multicultural Club, Lower School boys learned about the first-hand experiences of Upper School boys regarding inequality and the universally uncomfortable feeling of being “left out.” The boys left with much to ponder and consider in terms of being sensitive to the feelings of others, regardless of their appearance or beliefs. Please click here to read more details and view photos from the assembly.

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Over the recent course of a 15-month period, Browning conducted an in-depth self-study as part of its 10-year accreditation review by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). NYSAIS is a voluntary organization whose members agree to adhere to a set of best practices and principles for schools. Head of School John Botti notes that the self-study “provided important introspection” and was a conduit for “shared community conversation.” Please click here to read more details.

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This year’s Community Day offered boys at all levels the opportunity for celebration and camaraderie, as well as the chance to serve the greater community beyond Browning. The entire Upper School student body traveled off site to participate in community service at various organizations, while the younger boys learned more about the global implications of access to water. Click here to watch a video, read details and view photos from the day.

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