GENERAL CATALOGUE 2014 . 2015 Kindergarten – Class XII
610 East 83rd Street New York, NY 10028 (212) 744-8582 www.brearley.org
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 History of the School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Academic Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The Lower School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Upper School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Learning Beyond the Classroom Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Community Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Health and Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The School Community
Student Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Staff and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 College Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
College Entrance 2010–2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Greater Brearley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Endowed Funds of the Brearley School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 2014–2015 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Tuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 School Office Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Board of Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
1 1
01520_Text.indd 1
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Mission Statement Mission Statement
The Brearley School challenges girls of adventurous intellect to think critically and creatively and prepares them for active, responsible citizenship in a democratic society. Within a diverse community and in partnership with dedicated faculty who teach across three divisions, students in Classes K through XII develop a command of many disciplines and a love of learning through the passionate exchange of ideas. Encouraging girls to balance individuality and collaboration further promotes the integrity essential to principled engagement in the world.
2 2
01520_Text.indd 2
8/6/14 10:45 AM
History of the School History of the School
The Brearley School was named for its founding Headmaster, Samuel A. Brearley, Jr. After graduating from Harvard in 1871, Mr. Brearley worked as a private tutor until 1880, when he went to study at Balliol College, Oxford. He came to New York in 1884, when it was commonly thought that “intellectual activity took the bloom from ladies,” and opened a school that was designed to provide young women with an education comparable to that available to their brothers. With courses in English, Greek, Latin, French, German, modern history, drawing, physics, botany, geography and geometry, the Brearley School offered strong preparation for college. An early graduate of the School later wrote that this “first intellectual experience had a novelty and excitement that it is almost impossible for a person born in the twentieth century to understand.”
When Mr. Brearley died of typhoid in December 1886, the School consisted of one hundred twenty pupils and a faculty of twenty. James G. Croswell, an Associate Professor of Greek at Harvard, served as the next Head until his death in 1915. Since 1930, Brearley has been led by five women Heads: Millicent Carey McIntosh, who came from Bryn Mawr College in 1930, went on to Barnard College in 1947 and later became its first president; Jean Fair Mitchell, who had taught in many institutions in the US as well as in her native Scotland; Evelyn J. Halpert, a Brearley alumna and former Head of the History Department, who became Head when Miss Mitchell retired in 1975; Dr. Priscilla M. Winn Barlow, a biologist, who had been Principal of Havergal College in Toronto before succeeding Mrs. Halpert in 1997; and Dr. Stephanie J. Hull, who taught French and women’s studies at Dartmouth College and was Assistant to the President and Secretary of the College at Mount Holyoke before serving as Head of the School from 2003 to 2011. Jane Foley Fried became the fifteenth Head of Brearley in the fall of 2012, following Dr. Winn Barlow, who returned to the School as Interim Head for the 2011–2012 academic year. Ms. Fried previously held the position of Assistant Head for Enrollment, Research and Planning and Dean of Admission at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.
Brearley outgrew its original quarters on East 45th Street when it added a primary program to its six-year college preparatory sequence, moving twice before commissioning its current building in 1929. Following that move, the school day was extended to include the afternoon. At the same time, social service projects and other outside activities introduced students to a wider world around them in the city. In its eighty-five-year tenure on 83rd Street, the School has undertaken many renovation programs, most notably expanding its library, art and science facilities; creating space for a Common Room on the first floor; and adding two stories to the building. The School also purchased a twenty-unit apartment building (1989) on East 77th Street that provides faculty housing and built a Field House (1997) on East 87th Street, which contains regulation-sized basketball and volleyball courts and other facilities. In May 2010, the School acquired a threebuilding parcel at 70–74 East End Avenue to use for future teaching space. The Board of Trustees is currently studying the best use of that space as part of the 2014 Strategic Plan process.
3 3
01520_Text.indd 3
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Administration Administration Head of School
Jane Foley Fried
Administration
Chief Financial Officer
Rahul Tripathi
Dean of Academic Life
James Mulkin, Jr.
Director of Athletics
Tammy Zazuri
Director of College Advising
Carolyn W. Clark
Director of Development
Anne S. Bergen
Director of Institutional Advancement
Lewise H. Lucaire
Director of Lower School Admission
Winifred M. Mabley
Director of Middle and Upper School Admission & Financial Assistance
Joan Kaplan
Director of Technology
Lal Abraham
Head of the Lower School (K–IV)
Maria-Anna Zimmermann
Head of the Middle School (V–VIII)
Tasha Elsbach
Head of the Upper School (IX–XII)
Evelyn Segal
Department Heads
Art
Elizabeth Stainton ’77
Classics
Tom Wright
Drama
Tim Brownell
English
Katherine Barrett Swett ’78
History
Natasha Gray and
Tasha Elsbach, Interim Coordinators
Learning Skills
Linda Boldt ’64
Library
Amy Chow
Mathematics
Maggie Maluf
Modern Languages
Sylvie Lucile
Music
Joan Krause
Physical Education
Sirkka McMenamin
Science
Laurie Seminara
4 4
01520_Text.indd 4
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Faculty and Staff Faculty and Staff
JANE FOLEY FRIED, Head of School
B.A., Bowdoin College; M.A., Tufts University PATRICIA AAKRE, Librarian
B.A., University of Iowa; M.L.I.S., Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science MICHAEL ABBOTT, Piano
B.Mus., Hampshire College, California Institute of the Arts; Charles Banacos, Lennie Tristano, Roland Hanna LAL ABRAHAM, Director of Technology
B.Sc., Middlesex University; Member British Computer Society, CITP MATTHEW AIKEN, Music, Percussion; Room Teacher, Class VII
B.Mus., University of Oregon; M.Mus., Eastman School of Music; John Beck, Charles Dowd FUNKE AKINOLA, Room Teacher, Class II
B.A., Hunter College; Certificate, Wesley Teachers Training College, Ghana ORREN ALPERSTEIN, Admission Assistant
B.A., Vassar College; M.B.A., Columbia University; M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of Education ERIC ANTANITUS, Webmaster; Technologist
B.F.A., New York University; M.S., Polytechnic Institute of New York University AASIA ARIF, Admission Assistant
B.A., Grinnell College; M.A., Columbia University CLEVELETTE AUSTIN, Assistant CFO; Controller
B.A., University of the West Indies; M.B.A., Dowling College; CMA MICHAEL BALDWIN, Drama, Advisor, Class VII
B.A. Skidmore College; Graduate Study, City College, CUNY MARISA BALLARO, Physical Education; Advisor, Class VI
B.A., SUNY Brockport DINA D. BARKER, Physical Education
B.S., SUNY New Paltz JENNIFER M. BARTOLI, Graphic Design and Communications Manager
B.A., East Stroudsburg University ANNE S. BERGEN, Director of Development
B.A., Colgate University KARIN BERNSTEIN, Assistant Head of the Lower School; Mathematics
Coordinator; Co-Supervisor of Associate Teachers B.S., Penn State University; M.Ed., Bank Street College of Education
* Sabbatical Leave, First Semester ** Sabbatical Leave, Second Semester *** Sabbatical Leave, 2014–2015
◊ Half-Time Sabbatical Leave
† Leave, First Semester † † Leave, 2014–2015
5 5
01520_Text.indd 5
8/6/14 10:45 AM
ANNA BIALOBRODA, Art
B.F.A., M.F.A, Otis Art Institute; Independent Study Program, Whitney Museum of American Art MARIAN R. BICKS, Admission Assistant
B.A., Wellesley College; M.A.T., Harvard University NATHAN BLANEY, Art, Carpentry
B.F.A., University of Rhode Island; Graduate Study, Parsons School of Design and Teachers College, Columbia University SHERI L. BLAU, Mathematics
B.S., University of Michigan; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University LINDA BOLDT ’64, Head of the Learning Skills Department
B.A., Bard College; M.Ed., Tufts University School of Education; M.S., Bank Street College of Education GREGG BORNFELD, Accountant
B.A., Queens College, CUNY KARA BOULTINGHOUSE, Admission Assistant
B.A., Boston University; M.Ed., Hunter College of Education MATTHEW BRADY, Music; Advisor, Class IX
B.Mus., Eastman School of Music; Artist/Teacher Diploma, Association for Choral Music Education; Seymour Bernstein, Doreen Rao CYNTHIA BRAUER, Admission Assistant
B.A., Colgate University; M.S., Hunter College KAREN BRILLIANT, Spanish
B.S., University of Hartford; M.S., Long Island University TINA BRISTOL, Admission Assistant
B.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ORY BROWN, Voice
B.Mus., M.M., Westminster Choir College; Christopher Arneson, Will Crutchfield TIM BROWNELL, Head of the Drama Department; Advisor, Class VIII
B.A., Middlebury College MARTIN BURMAN, Guitar
B.A., Bard College; M.A., Wesleyan University; Graduate Study, Teachers College, Columbia University; Happy Traum, Woody Mann ANNIE SPADER BYERLY, Room Teacher, Kindergarten
B.A., Wellesley College; M.S., Hunter College of Education PAUL J. BYRNES, Science; Room Teacher, Class X
B.S., SUNY Buffalo; M.S., Pace University KATHERINE M. CALLAHAN, Lower School Associate
B.A., Loyola University (Maryland) AIMEE MACLAGGER CAREY, Lower School Librarian
B.F.A., SUNY Brockport; M.A., Cleveland State University; M.L.I.S., Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science
6 6
01520_Text.indd 6
8/6/14 10:45 AM
ENVER CASIMIR, History
A.B., Harvard University; Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill HOWARD CHAFFEY, Registrar
B.A., Oberlin College CAROLINE CHANG ’08, English; Room Teacher, Class VI
B.A., Yale University CATHY CHAWLA, Admission Assistant
B.A., University of California at Berkeley; M.B.A., The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania PHILLIP CHEAH, Choral Accompanist
B.S., M.Mus., Indiana University ANNIE CHEUNG-LIVHITS, Science
B.A., Colgate University AMY CHOW, Head Librarian; Department Head; Advisor, Class VIII
B.Mus., McGill University; M.L.I.S., Dalhousie University, Halifax REBECCA CHYNSKY, Room Teacher, Kindergarten
B.A., Ithaca College; M.A., Hunter College; M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of Education LUIGI CICALA, Art
B.A., Colorado College; M.F.A., The New York Academy of Art ANALISA CIPRIANO, Assistant Director of College Advising; Advisor, Class IX
B.A., Connecticut College; M.A., Ed.M. Teachers College, Columbia University JOSEPH CIVITA, Food Service Consultant
New York Community College CAROLYN W. CLARK, Director of College Advising; Advisor, Class XI
B.A., Wesleyan University; M.P.A., Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs DORIS COLEMAN, Director of Facilities
B.S., Cornell University; M.B.A., Pepperdine University JENNIFER COLLINS ’77, Mathematics, Advisor, Class XI
B.A., M.A., Columbia University JOHN COOGAN, Security Supervisor LAUREN COOKE, Lower School Associate
B.A., Colby College; M.A., Bank Street College of Education BENDA CRAIG, Accountant
B.S., York College KENNETH M. CRONIN, JR., Building Superintendent LILLIAN DARCHE, Lower School Associate
B.A., Lehigh University; Alternate Teacher Certification Program, University of New Orleans JOSEPHINE B. DAVID ’61, Director of Communications
B.A., Wellesley College; Graduate Study, University of Oxford; M.A., New York University
7 7
01520_Text.indd 7
8/6/14 10:45 AM
LEILANI DELEON, Administrative Assistant to the Registrar JENELLÉ DEODATH, Administrative Assistant to the Head of the Lower School
B.S., M.S., New York Institute of Technology JILL DIJOSEPH, Receptionist
Fordham University, New School for Social Research, Hunter College JEAN S. DREW, Science; Advisor, Class XII
A.B., Harvard University; Ph.D., University of Virginia MARIA DUCKETT, Special Assistant to the Head of School
B.A., Loyola University (Maryland); M..ork University ***ROBERT D. DUKE, JR., Drama
B.A., Williams College ALEXANDRA SNYDER DUNBAR, Harpsichord
B.Mus., Manhattan School of Music; M.Mus., Juilliard School; Phillip Kawin, Lionel Party DAN EGAN, Admission Assistant
B.M., St. Olaf College; M.A., Eastman School of Music; M.Phil., Yale University TASHA ELSBACH, Head of the Middle School; Interim Coordinator,
History; Advisor, Class VI B.A., Yale University; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University *DALE EMMART, Head of the Art Department (Spring)
B.F.A., Cooper Union School of Art; M.F.A., The Rhode Island School of Design ELIZABETH ENG, Lower School Associate
B.A., Suny Binghamton; M.S. Hunter College of Education PIETRO ENNIS, Computer Educator/Technology Integrator; Room Teacher,
Class VIII B.F.A., New York Institute of Technology; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University ARLENE FABIO, Director of Human Resources
B.A., Tufts University; M.B.A., Clark Atlanta University J. ERIC FISHER, Respect and Responsibility Program
B.A., Susquehanna University; M.A., New York University; Graduate Study, University of Oxford PAUL FOGLINO, Mathematics; Advisor, Class XI
B.A., B.S., Columbia University ROBERTA D. FRANK, Piano
B.Mus., M.Mus., Manhattan School of Music DARCY R. FRYER, History; Advisor, Class XII
B.A., University of Michigan; M.A., Ph.D., Yale University YUSI GAO, Mandarin
B.A., Hebei University; M.A., New York University; Graduate Study, Irkutsk State Linguistic University ASHLEY GARRETT, Admission Assistant
A.B., Smith College; M.B.A., Harvard Business School
8 8
01520_Text.indd 8
8/6/14 10:45 AM
PHOEBE T. GEER ’97, Assistant Director of Development and
Alumnae Relations B.A., Williams College; J.D., University of Virginia School of Law ANDREA M. GILROY, Mathematics
B.A., Hartwick College; M.A., SUNY Stony Brook DEBRA EVE GLICK, Mathematics; Room Teacher, Class XI
B.A., Hunter College; M.A., New York University KATHERINE GOLD, Science, Advisor, Class VI
B.A., Wilfrid Laurier University; M.S., Ohio University MARSHA GOMEZ, Food Service Manager ANNABEL GORDON, Cello
B.Mus., Mannes College of Music; Timothy Eddy, Jerry Grossman NATASHA GRAY, Interim Coordinator, History
B.A., Bryn Mawr College; M.A., Ph.D., Columbia University YONGSOO HA, Network Administrator
B.S., Cornell University; Graduate Study, Syracuse University; New School/Institute of Audio Research BELINDA HAAS, Learning Skills
B.A., Leicester Polytechnic; M.A., University of Minnesota; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University HOWARD HALL, Music, Violin
B.Mus., Mannes College of Music; Graduate Study, SUNY Stony Brook; Teachers College, Columbia University; Vladimir Graffman, Paul Zukofsky THOMAS L. HARRISON, History
B.A., University of California, Berkeley; M.Phil., Columbia University; Graduate Study, University of Washington MARILYN HEINEMAN, Learning Skills
B.A., Thiel College; M.A., M.Ed., Teachers College, Columbia University KATHERINE A. HENDERSON, Physical Education; Advisor, Class XII
B.S., SUNY Cortland; M.S., University of New Hampshire JACQUELINE HESTON, Assistant to the Heads of Classes VIII and IX and to
the Director of Activities B.A., Scripps College HANNAH HOAR, Lower School Associate
B.A., Hamilton College SAMANTHA HOSEIN, Lower School Associate
B.A., University of Pittsburgh NANCY KELLERMAN HOUGH, Cello
B.A., Lehman College, CUNY; M.Mus., Manhattan School of Music; Evangeline Benedetti, Timothy Eddy JACQUES F. HOUIS, French; Advisor, Class X
B.A., Temple University; M.A., New York University
9 9
01520_Text.indd 9
8/6/14 10:45 AM
KATHRYN HUNTER, Room Teacher, Class III
B.Ed., Plymouth University; Graduate Study, Teachers College, Columbia University MARINA JACKSON, Computer Educator/Technology Integrator; Advisor,
Class X (Fall) A.B., Harvard University; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University WHITNEY JACOBS, Physical Education, Dance
B.F.A., Ohio University; M.F.A., University of Wisconsin-Milwuakee KATE JAVENS, Art; Advisor, Class IX
C.F.A., Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts JOYCE E. JERDEN, Receptionist
University of Missouri; Johns Hopkins University KARYN JOAQUINO, Music; Advisor, Class XII
A.B., Princeton University; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University; Clifford Herzer, José Ramos-Santana HEATHER JOHNSTON, Lower School Associate
B.A., Haverford College JOAN KAPLAN, Director of Middle and Upper School Admission and
Financial Assistance; Advisor, Class X B.A., SUNY Buffalo; M.A., New School for Social Research JAMES KARB, Science
Sc.B., M.A., Brown University BRENNA KELLY, Development Associate for Events and Social Media
B.A., Davidson College JESSICA KENNEDY, Admission Assistant
B.A., Fairleigh Dickinson University SYMONNE KENNEDY ’09, Lower School Associate
B.A., Rutgers University RACHEL KERCHMAN, Mathematics; Room Teacher, Class VI
B.A., Bucknell University; M.A., Johns Hopkins University JIA KIM, Cello
B.Mus., M.Mus., The Julliard School; Joel Krosnick JU YEON KIM, Room Teacher, Kindergarten
B.A., Smith College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University **JEE LEONG KOH, English
B.A., University of Oxford; M.A., Sarah Lawrence College; Postgraduate Diploma in Education, National Institute of Education, Singapore MARIA KOUREPENOS, Admission Assistant
A.B., Princeton University SHEILA KRAMER, Science; Room Teacher and Head of Class VIII
B.A., Truman State University; M.F.A., Kent State University; M.A., Columbia University
10 10
01520_Text.indd 10
8/6/14 10:45 AM
JOAN KRAUSE, Head of the Music Department; Voice
B.Mus.Ed., Northwestern University; M.Mus., Hartt School of Music; Artist’s Diploma, Cleveland Institute of Music; Maria Farnworth, Benton Hess TAMMY H. KUO, Mandarin
B.S., University of British Columbia; M.Ed., Boston College ANNA LAMBERT, Art
B.A., Eugene Lang College; B.A., Parsons School of Design; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University CHRISTOPHER LA MORTE, Physical Education, Gymnastics
University of New Mexico; B.S., Hunter College PENELOPE JANE LEMIRE, Room Teacher, Class IV
B.A., Vassar College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University DOUGLAS LEVINE, Physical Education; Advisor, Class X
B.S., University of Maryland; M.S., University of New Mexico LEWISE H. LUCAIRE, Director of Institutional Advancement
B.A., Southern Methodist University MARTINA LUCE, Health Office Assistant; Physical Education, Athletic
Trainer B.S., Slippery Rock University; M.A., Adelphi University SYLVIE LUCILE, Head of the Modern Languages Department; Spanish
B.A., M.A., L’Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 MAURA LYONS, Physical Education
B.S., SUNY Cortland WINIFRED M. MABLEY, Director of Lower School Admission
B.A., University of Pennsylvania; Graduate Study, Bank Street College of Education MAGGIE MALUF, Head of the Mathematics Department; Room Teacher,
Class IX A.B., Vassar College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University THOMAS M. MARCH, English
B.A., Northwestern University; M.A., Ph.D., New York University ALLISON MARCHESE, Physical Education
B.S., Southern Connecticut State University; M.S., Management of Sports Industries GAIL SUSSMAN MARCUS, History; Room Teacher, Class VII
B.A., Cornell University; M.A., M.Phil., Yale University OLIVIA MARTINEZ, Viola, Violin
B.Mus., University of Massachusetts, Amherst; M.Mus., Mannes College of Music; Michelle La Course, Karen Ritscher KEVIN McCOY, Learning Skills
B.A. Fordham University; M.Ed., Manhattanville College; M.S. Fordham University JAMES McDONALD, English, History, Geography; Room Teacher, Class V
B.A., Dickinson College; M.Ed., Rutgers University
11 11
01520_Text.indd 11
8/6/14 10:45 AM
PETER McKAY, Development Database Manager
B.A., James Madison University SIRKKA L. McMENAMIN, Head of the Physical Education Department;
Advisor, Class VIII B.S., Helsinki University; M.A., Brigham Young University ARACELIS MEDINA, Executive Assistant to the Head of School
B.A., Lehman College, CUNY ELIZABETH MÉGROZ, Room Teacher, Class III
B.A., M.A.T., Hobart and William Smith College DANIELLE MEINRATH, Classics, Advisor, Class VII
B.A., University of Cambridge; M.St., University of Oxford; Graduate Work, Princeton University VALERIE MENDELSON ’75, History; Advisor, Class VII
A.B., Harvard University; M.F.A., Brooklyn College, CUNY; Ph.D., CUNY MELINDA T. MILBERG, Admission Assistant
B.S., Cornell University; J.D., George Washington University Law School ANA MILOSAVLJEVIC, Violin
B.Mus., The University of Novi Sad, The Academy of Arts, Serbia; Professional Studies Diploma and M. Mus., Mannes College The New School for Music; Lewis Kaplan, Muneko Otani, Maja Jokanovic JAMES MULKIN, JR., Dean of Academic Life, Classics, Advisor, Class X
B.A., University of the South; M.F.A., Carnegie-Mellon University; M.A., Ph.D., CUNY ERICA MUÑOZ-GONZALEZ, Library Assistant
B.S.W., University of Cincinnati; M.S.W., Fordham University AMY NAGLER, Admission Assistant
B.A., Johns Hopkins University; J.D., The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law MARI NAKACHI, Admission Assistant
A.B., Harvard University; J.D., University of Virginia School of Law KAREN A. NEDBAL, Science
B.A., Vassar College; M.Ed., Harvard University; Graduate Study, Teachers College, Columbia University PATRICIA ANN NEELY, Double Bass, Recorder
B.A., Vassar College; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College JANE NEWMAN, Senior Editor, Communications and Development; Assistant
to College Advising Office B.A., Kenyon College; Graduate Study, New York University MARTHA NEWPORT, Mathematics, Advisor, Class XI
B.A., Baylor University; M.A., University of Texas; Graduate Study, Rice University VIRGINIE S. NIEDERMAYER, French; Advisor, Class IX
Maîtrise en Droit, University of Paris II-Assas; LL.M., University of Pennsylvania JADE NOIK, Lower School Associate
B.A., Brown University
12 12
01520_Text.indd 12
8/6/14 10:45 AM
NICOLE NOUNOU, Lower School Associate
B.A., Mount Holyoke College NIAMH O’DONNELL, Admission Assistant
B.A., Trinity College, Dublin; M.A., Columbia University JOHN O’GALLAGHER, Saxophone
M.M., Manhattan School of Music; B.M., Berklee College of Music ERIN OKABE-JAWDAT ’06, Math Associate, Ipad Coordinator
B.A., Connecticut College KATE HELLER O’REILLY ’76, Mathematics
A.B., Harvard University; M.A., New York University REBECCA OSBORNE, Physical Education
B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University ELIZABETH A. OSWALD, Annual Fund Director
B.A., University of Virginia STACY PAGAC, Administrative Assistant to the Directors of Admission
and Financial Assistance Hunter College; B.B.A., Pace University MADELINE PAGANO, Physical Education
B.S., Merrimack College; M.S., Queens College, CUNY ZACHARY PAPAS, Room Teacher, Class I
B.A., University of California Berkeley; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University KARL PARANYA, Mathematics, Room Teacher, Class IX
B.S., Haverford College ALLISON PATRICK ’02, Science Lab Assistant
B.A., Tufts University; M.Arch., Columbia University DIANA PETRELLA, Clarinet
B.Mus., M.Mus., Canterbury Christchurch University; David Campbell, Leon Russianoff JOY PLAISTED, Harp
B.Mus., University of Minnesota; M.Mus., The Juilliard School; Graduate Study, Conservatoire de Musique, Genève MATTHEW D. PLUNKETT, Physical Education; History; Room Teacher and
Head of Class IX A.B., Lafayette College LISA A. POLLACK, Administrative Assistant to the Head of the Upper School
B.A., Beloit College ALISON POLLOCK, Director of Clubhouse
B.S., Tulane University; M.Ed., Bank Street College of Education FREDI POMERANCE, Admission Assistant
B.A., Cornell University; M.A., New York University SCOTT POMERANTZ, Drama
B.F.A., Five Towns College
13 13
01520_Text.indd 13
8/6/14 10:45 AM
NAOMI PRESS, Admission Assistant
B.S., Cornell University; M.P.P.M., Yale University PENNY PRIOR, Computer Educator/Technology Integrator, Room Teacher,
Class VI B.A., Georgetown University; M.S., Bank Street College of Education OMAR QURESHI, History; Room Teacher, Class VIII
B.A., Franklin and Marshall College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago EILEEN RACANELLI, B.S.N., R.N., School Nurse
B.S.N., C.W. Post College, Long Island University; Diploma, Queens Hospital Center School of Nursing MELISSA RASO, Admission Assistant
B.S., Georgetown University; M.B.A., Columbia University JUDITH REIBEL, Educational Consultant, Lower School
B.A., Smith College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University JEAN RENFIELD-MILLER ’70, Associate Director of Admission
B.A., Connecticut College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University; Ed.M., Harvard University DARSHANIE RISHUDEO, Director of Activities WANDA RIVERA-RIVERA, Spanish
B.A., M.A., Comparative Literature, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras; Ph.D. Romance Languages and Literature, Harvard University ◊ HEYDEN WHITE ROSTOW ’67, English; Advisor, Class X A.B., Harvard University; M.A., Cambridge University; Graduate Study, Columbia University SEAN M. RYAN, Field House Manager; Physical Education
B.S., St. John’s University *TARA NEELAKANTAPPA SAFRONOFF, English; Advisor, Class X (Spring)
A.B., Amherst College; M.A., Graduate Study, Columbia University SUSAN SAGOR, English; Advisor, Class XII
Mount Holyoke College; B.A., Hunter College; M.A., M.Phil., CUNY ***YESENIA SANTANA, Room Teacher, Kindergarten
B.A., Brown University; M.S., Bank Street College of Education KATIE SCHEELE, Oboe
B.Mus., Northwestern University; M.Mus., Boston University; Robert Walters, Robert Sheena LAURA SCHMIDT, Room Teacher, Class I
B.A., MacMurray College; Graduate Study, Teachers College, Columbia University FRANCESCA SCHWARTZ, Clinical Psychologist
B.A., Tufts University; M.A., Ph.D., New School for Social Research FIARA SEALY, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Academic Life
B.A., Simmons College EVELYN SEGAL, Head of the Upper School; Mathematics
Sc.B., Brown University; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University
14 14
01520_Text.indd 14
8/6/14 10:45 AM
LAURIE SEMINARA, Head of the Science Department; Room Teacher, Class XII
B.S., Barnard College; M.A., Ed.D., Columbia University SANDRA SEO, Learning Skills
B.A., Wellesley College; M.S., Bank Street College of Education KATHERINE SHUSHTARI, Lower School Associate
B.A., Emerson College; Graduate Study, Bank Street College of Education KARA SIEGEL, Physical Education
B.S., University of Michigan; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University MIHO KAWAGOE SIEGEL, Piano
B.Mus., M.Mus., Juilliard School; Beveridge Webster, John Perry KIMBERLEE HALPERIN, School Counselor
B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.A., New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development ROBIN C. SLUCHAN, Administrative Assistant to the Head of the
Middle School New York University HELAINE L. SMITH, English
A.B., Boston University; M.A., Hunter College of Education IVAN SMITH, Building Night Supervisor
A.A.S., Bronx Community College LORRE SNYDER, Physical Education; Room Teacher, Class VII
B.S., SUNY Brockport; Graduate Study, Teachers College, Columbia University ANN SPAGNOLA, Admission Assistant
B.A., Hampshire College; M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of Education CLAYTON SQUIRE, Science; Advisor, Class XII
A.B., Harvard University; M.A., San Francisco State University; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University **ELIZABETH STAINTON ’77, Head of the Art Department (Fall); Advisor,
Class XII (Fall) B.A., Wesleyan University JUDY STEIN, Admission Assistant
A.B., Barnard College; Ed.M., Smith College DHIMAS SUGIARTO, Information Technologist; Systems Administrator
Music Business and Audio Engineering, Five Towns College; A+ Training and Certification, Thomson NETg; Mac OS X Server Essentials, Apple Training AKIYO SUZUKI, Music
B.A., Musashino Academia Musicae, Tokyo; M.A., New York University; Kodály Certificate, New York University KATHERINE BARRETT SWETT ’78, Head of the English Department;
Advisor, Class XI A.B., Harvard University; M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Columbia University
15 15
01520_Text.indd 15
8/6/14 10:45 AM
YUE TANG, Mandarin
B.A., Beijing Union University; M.A., Point Park University; Coursework at University of Pittsburgh, TCFL, Beijing Language and Culture University DAWN E. TENEV, Room Teacher, Class V
B.A., University of Massachusetts; M.S., Wheelock College DARA M. TESSE, Art, Ceramics
B.A., Wellesley College; M.A., New York University; Graduate Study, Bank Street College of Education SHARON THOMAS, Educational Consultant, Upper School And Middle School
B.A., Georgetown University; M.S., University College London; M.S., Hunter College School of Education RANDI TIMAN, Room Teacher, Class I; Co-Supervisor of Associate Teachers
B.A., SUNY Binghamton RAHUL TRIPATHI, Chief Financial Officer
B.A., Trinity University; M.A., Claremont Graduate School ELISABETH UMLANDT, Play and Crafts Program
Kindergarten Teachers’ School Marienheim, Salzkotten/Westfalen JAMES VARDELL, Lower School Associate
B.S., Roanoke College JEFFREY VENHO, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn
B.Mus., M.Mus., The Juilliard School; William Vacchiano, Vince Penzarella RENATE VON HUETZ ’72, English
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College MARY S. WADEMAN, Room Teacher, Class IV
B.S., Skidmore College TISH WEBSTER, Photography
B.A., New College of the University of South Florida SABINE WEILER, Accountant/Analyst
B.A., Claremont McKenna College FRANCES S. WHEELER, Learning Skills
A.B, Vassar College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University RICHARD T. WHITE, Science
B.A., Goddard College; M.S., University of Vermont
16 16
01520_Text.indd 16
8/6/14 10:45 AM
KRISTEN WILLIAMS, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Athletics
B.A., Iona College LAURIE WILLIAMS, Classics; Advisor, Class XI
B.A., Wellesley College; Graduate Study, University of Pennsylvania SHERRI WOLF, English; Advisor, Class X
B.A., Yale College; M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Columbia University MICHELLE WONSLEY, Director of Community Life
B.A., Spelman College; M.B.A., M.I.L.R., Cornell University TOM WRIGHT, Head of the Classics Department
B.A., Dickinson College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Virginia CORALIE (COCO) HINES YANG, Room Teacher, Class II
B.A., Connecticut College; M.A., Teachers College, Columbia University HUI YIN, Mandarin
B.A., Beijing University; Graduate Study, Harvard University REVA YOUNGSTEIN, Flute
B.Mus., Manhattan School of Music; M.Mus., Yale University School of Music; Julius Baker, Ransom Wilson SENECA ZAMORA, Class V Co-Teacher
B.A., Loyola Marymount University (California) TAMMY ZAZURI, Director of Athletics; Advisor, Class XI
B.S., University of Delaware MARIA-ANNA ZIMMERMANN, Head of the Lower School
Julliard Pre-College; B.A., Barnard College; M.Mus., Manhattan School of Music; M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of Education; Violin: Louise Behrend, Hamao Fujiwara
17 17
01520_Text.indd 17
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Academic Program Academic Program
At Brearley, students learn to think for themselves and to challenge assumptions. From Kindergarten on, they relish the work of sifting and evaluating the wealth of information available to them, and they rejoice in the life of the mind. Our curriculum is the product of the collective expertise of a highly skilled faculty and is guided by the belief that preparation for the demands of the future is based on a strong foundation in the liberal arts disciplines. Small section sizes ensure that students probe ideas daily—their own, their classmates’ or their teachers’—as well as those of Charles Darwin, Zora Neale Hurston, Mohandas Gandhi or Martha Graham, among others. Teachers balance the intellectual appetite of eager students with developmentally appropriate experiences that they can fully assimilate. The increasing choice of courses teaches lessons in independence and individuality, so that by the time a girl graduates she has assumed full ownership of the shape of her educational program. Brearley encourages each girl to consider her own learning style, or how she approaches and absorbs what she is taught. This focus begins with the strategies that help girls learn to read and write in the Lower School and continues with attention to how they complete homework in the Middle School. In the Upper School, as they begin to tailor their own course programs, girls are able to take into account their personal academic strengths as well as their interests so that they can both continue to develop skills and exploit, with growing exuberance, those they have mastered. Teachers are eager to give appropriate help in individual sessions or in small groups. Occasionally, especially in the lower grades, a student may benefit from help provided by learning specialists and faculty in the Learning Skills Department as a regular part of the school program. The department works closely with the teachers in all divisions of the School, and every effort is made to identify issues and develop helpful strategies early on. The faculty is made up of teachers at all stages of their careers, from talented novices to masters of the art. What draws them to Brearley is the triple inspiration of talented, spirited students; dedicated, thoughtful colleagues; and the high level of intellectual work that all participate in together. With most of the faculty teaching in more than one division of the School, their experience with students at several stages of learning informs thinking about how the curriculum should develop. A math teacher may well teach BC Calculus and Class IV, for example, and art teachers regularly teach both Class II and Class XII. Cross-divisional teaching allows faculty the satisfaction of watching students grow and often leads to lifelong friendships between students and their former teachers. Academic excellence at Brearley is dynamic: it grows out of responses to what happens in the classroom and exploration within departments, and it is further stimulated by a cross-fertilization of ideas within the larger school community and the world.
18 18
01520_Text.indd 18
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The Lower School The Lower School
The Brearley Lower School cultivates an environment in which life is conducted with honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility and courage. Problem-solving skills, the expression of ideas and character development, along with the acquisition and exploration of a language base, are the primary focus of the Lower School. Full of energy, enthusiasm and curiosity, Brearley’s K–IV students inspire their peers and their teachers to learn and think in interesting and varied ways. The School encourages integrity and dignity in its youngest students, as well as mindfulness that they exist not only as individuals but as members of a community of eager learners. There are many opportunities for responsibility and independence on the Lower School floors and, as the girls grow more autonomous, throughout the School. At first, they may act as messengers and visit other classrooms on the Lower School floors at snack time; later on, as they become more adept at individual decision making, they take on the responsibility of unchaperoned trips to the gym, art studios or cafeteria on more distant floors. While the homeroom is the center of the girls’ academic and social lives, they congregate weekly in assemblies to share songs, plays and recitations and to welcome guest speakers on topics such as the history of jazz, children’s literature and caring for rescued wildlife. The development of character forms a substantial part of the Lower School curriculum. Children who are learning how to express and manage their personality display a broad range of behavior as they explore notions of cooperation, respect and community responsibility. In addition to service projects and the beehive of daily life in every homeroom, studying literature and drama helps girls to think beyond themselves. In all Lower School classes, much conversation about peer conflicts and social dynamics arises from reading and other activities. With teachers as guides, Lower School students establish the social and academic skills that will support their learning and growth throughout a lifetime of education.
19 19
01520_Text.indd 19
8/12/14 12:47 PM
Kindergarten Kindergarten
LANGUAGE ARTS: phonics, reading and writing through multi-disciplinary
activities; reading aloud from various genres; oral expression through discussion and presentation; general introduction to letter formation; self-expression through creative writing. MATHEMATICS: number relationships; number combinations to ten; sorting
and classification of objects; measurement of length, weight and time; attributes of shapes; data collection and recording; identification, description and extension of patterns. SOCIAL STUDIES: an exploration of how basic needs are met, families are
constituted and holidays are observed in similar and different ways throughout the world. SCIENCE: study of motion and forces, using marbles; behavior, anatomical
structure and ecology of gerbils and earthworms and their relationships to the rest of the animal kingdom; characteristics of leaves; water on Earth; sinking and floating; dissolving and evaporating; day and night. WORK AND PLAY: time to play, learn, explore and experience through role
playing and problem solving; block building, board games, puzzles and selfinitiated art projects. RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY: weekly class using book discussions, art
projects, dramatic role playing, movement and theater games to focus on character, friendship and resolving conflicts. LIBRARY: weekly period for listening to stories, working on story-related
projects and checking out a book. ART: exploration of many media through work in two and three dimensions;
development of strong fine motor skills. CRAFTS: three-dimensional art projects; lifelong skills such as sewing. MUSIC: exploration of high and low, loud and soft, slow and fast, up and
down, and beat and rhythm through singing and percussion instruments. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: gymnastics, dance and three physical education
classes a week focus on independent skills development, creative movement and on an introduction to spatial awareness, body control and basic locomotor skills; introduction of basic sports skills, coordination, confidence and awareness of self; social interaction and basic health and nutrition concepts; development of a physical fitness vocabulary that includes body part identification, spatial awareness, directionality and movement pathways. SERVICE LEARNING: various activities and projects to benefit All Souls
Soup Kitchen.  
20 20
01520_Text.indd 20
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class I Class I
LANGUAGE ARTS: reading in small groups using phonics and whole language;
plays, poetry and stories for guided reading; focus on oral expression, comprehension and analytical skills as well as handwriting and spelling skills. CREATIVE WRITING: emphasis on writing freely from the imagination and
from the inspiration of literature; story structure, sequencing of events and character development; elementary editing of grammar and punctuation. MATHEMATICS: place value; number relationships and properties; number
combinations to 20; creation and solution of story problems; measurement of length, weight and time; identification and classification of 2-D and 3-D shapes; organization, representation and comparison of data; creation, description and extension of patterns. SOCIAL STUDIES: a yearlong study of New York City, beginning with com-
munity and neighborhood and expanding to the five boroughs with attention to geography, history, landmarks and transportation, and to individual differences and similarities within the classroom community. SCIENCE: properties of air and aerodynamics; comparative study of human and
animal teeth; behavior, anatomical structure and ecology of land snails and their relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom; seed germination; bird anatomy and identification; states of matter and the water cycle; the solar system. MANDARIN: movement, games and elementary vocabulary designed for a play-
ful introduction to oral communication in a second language. RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY: continuation of program begun in
Kindergarten. LIBRARY: weekly period for listening to stories, learning the location of fiction
and nonfiction, checking out books; a unit on stories from around the world in the second semester. ART: introduction to the tools, techniques, materials and practices of the art studio: an accordion bookmaking project that records the journey of a dot as it becomes a line, journeys through space and takes on different characteristics; basic concepts associated with image making, such as shape, texture, contrast, pattern, color mixing and composition. CRAFTS: continuation of program begun in Kindergarten. MUSIC: introduction to rhythmic and five-line staff notation; songs sung during
the year are collected in a music book that grows through the Lower School years. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: gymnastics, dance and three physical education classes each week, including one double period, with focus on locomotor skills and basic sports skills such as throwing, catching and dribbling; jumping and landing techniques; body control and coordination; swimming for one trimester. SERVICE LEARNING: See Kindergarten.
21 21
01520_Text.indd 21
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class II Class II
LANGUAGE ARTS: reading in small groups with focus on oral expression, com-
prehension and analytical skills, with weekly phonics rules and spelling practice; handwriting and grammar. CREATIVE WRITING: emphasis on the stages of the writing process; introduc-
tion to free-form poetry. MATHEMATICS: place value; estimation; addition and subtraction; introduc-
tory multiplication and division; introduction to fractions and decimals; money; properties of numbers; units of measurement; identification and classification of 2-D and 3-D shapes; data analysis; number patterns. SOCIAL STUDIES: recent topics have included exploration of students’
family histories; indigenous culture of Eastern Woodland Native Americans with emphasis on the Lenape; life in New Amsterdam; leaders in the civil rights movement and the influence of jazz, art and poetry as unifying forces in American society. SCIENCE: study of characteristic properties of rocks and minerals; geological
change; behavior, anatomical structure and ecology of a snake; liquid and linear measurement; structure and growth requirements of green plants; sound and light; structure and function of the eye and ear; stars. MANDARIN: in addition to the activities of Class I, first explorations of simple
character writing, including pinyin, and basic sentence building; continued exploration of Chinese culture. RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY: continuation of program begun in
Kindergarten. LIBRARY: further building of skills and exploration of reading for pleasure; a
unit on versions of the Cinderella folktale. COMPUTERS: introduction to computer graphics, including copying and past-
ing objects; short writing projects; introduction to the file server, network login, saving and retrieving files; learning how to explore new programs. ART: an exploration of visual density through the creation of overlapping shapes.
Subject matter varies but often considers the art of other cultures and areas explored in science, social studies and language arts. MUSIC: expansion of rhythmic and intervallic vocabulary through songs with
richer texts and more complicated melodic structure; continued work with the full five-line staff and pentatonic melodies. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: See Class I. SERVICE LEARNING: See Kindergarten.
22 22
01520_Text.indd 22
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class III Class III
LANGUAGE ARTS: reading aloud and silently in small groups from a variety of
genres, with an emphasis on the use of language and on ethical dilemmas; comprehension of plot, themes, characterization; inferential thinking; expository and creative writing; handwriting, punctuation, spelling and phonics; skits and class plays. COMPOSITION: guided writing of a variety of assignments, non-fiction and
creative, in connection with the social studies curriculum. MATHEMATICS: place value; whole number operations; relationships between whole
numbers, fractions and decimals; patterns and functions; comparison of 2-D and 3-D shapes; simplification of and solutions for simple number relationships; probability and data analysis. SOCIAL STUDIES: a comparative study of civilizations in Asia that includes geography, culture, religious beliefs and traditions, civil rights, storytelling and aesthetics. The curriculum is designed to shift between relevant fieldwork in modern day New York City, research and hands-on classroom projects that incorporate indigenous Asian art forms and cuisine. Essential questions related to journey, diversity and tolerance frame this yearlong study. SCIENCE: design and construction of towers and bridges using newspaper
as building material; chemical and physical properties of common household powders; structure and function of human body systems; behavior, anatomical structure and ecology of crayfish and their relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom; variables affecting pendulums; introduction to acids and bases; seasons. MANDARIN: practice of character recognition and writing of simple characters;
sentence structure and distinction between questions and statements, continued exploration of Chinese culture through the celebration of various holidays. RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY: continuation of program begun in Kindergarten. LIBRARY: introduction to the automated card catalog; reading aloud of stories
or chapter books; increased pleasure reading; a unit on fractured fairy tales. COMPUTERS: introduction to touch-typing and computer programming; continued
exploration of computer graphics and animation; reinforcement of the concepts of saving and retrieving files, copying and pasting objects and learning new applications. ART: multifaceted projects inspired by different artistic traditions and involv-
ing preliminary planning and revision as well as spontaneous creative choices. CARPENTRY: development of spatial and mechanical skills through the use of
basic tools and practices of a wood shop and building a small functional object. MUSIC: one period of vocal music; one period of ensemble study in either a
stringed musical instrument or soprano recorder and Orff instruments. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: extension of skills learned in the previous years and their application in more dynamic gamelike situations; introduction of defensive concepts; continued focus on fitness and strengthening activities; gymnastics and dance; swimming for one trimester; introduction to the choreographic process in dance. SERVICE LEARNING: exploration of concepts of economy and charity
through active learning and service opportunities.  
01520_Text.indd 23
23 23
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class IV Class IV
ENGLISH: close reading in small groups and discussion of short stories, novels
and essays; reading, writing, memorization of poetry and of selected portions from sacred texts studied in history; spelling, handwriting and grammar; public speaking and debate; skits and class plays. WRITING: expository and creative writing; formal paragraph writing; mimetic stories; strategies for planning, writing and editing. MATHEMATICS: continued development of computational and problem-
solving skills through work on real-world problems; geometry and spatial relationships; extensive investigation of whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percents to strengthen number sense and computational fluency. HISTORY: a study of immigration; close comparative study of basic tenets of
the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, using sacred texts; topics in the Middle Ages, including the structure of society, the heroic ideal and the role of religion; research reports with bibliography. SCIENCE: properties of magnets; simple machines including levers and gears and
how they use mechanical advantage; behavior, anatomical structure and ecology of selected insects and their relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom; structure, uses and prevention of mold and its ecological role as a decomposer; phases of the moon. MANDARIN: continued speaking, writing and listening to Chinese with focus on
consolidation of learned materials in the previous three years around the theme of “backpack travel,� an exploration of urban modernity and traditional rural life. LIBRARY: along with continuing activities, study of the Dewey Decimal System. COMPUTERS: continued development of touch-typing skills and computer pro-
gramming; creation of slideshow presentations; introduction to desktop publishing. ART: rotating twelve-week courses in ceramics, carpentry and photography. CERAMICS: basic skills associated with working in clay to make a functional
ceramic object, including wedging, hand building, throwing and glazing. CARPENTRY: creation of a functional wooden object from design and cutlist
to final finishing. PHOTOGRAPHY: an introduction to nineteenth-century photography using
pinhole cameras and solargrams. MUSIC: continued vocal and instrumental study of strings or the alto recorder;
English handbells for performance at the Winter and Last Day Assemblies. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: introduction to more traditional team games, with
emphasis on skill application, decision making, specialized skills and sports activities; sportsmanship and responsibility to the group; development of health-related physical fitness; history of games; dance and gymnastics; swimming; running club. SERVICE LEARNING: See Class III.
24 24
01520_Text.indd 24
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The Middle School The Middle School
The Middle School encourages each girl to develop a sense of her strengths as she learns new material and masters new intellectual, social, emotional and physical skills. Recognizing not only the individual needs of each student but also the fact that those needs change from year to year, the program includes a progression of growing responsibility and independence. As in the Lower School, students in Class V learn English, history and geography with their room teacher, but beginning in Class VI all subjects are taught by the faculty of the different departments. As girls learn to navigate a more complicated academic day, they continue to assume increasing responsibility for their work through supervised study halls and through “floats,” extra help sessions that a teacher may propose but that students learn to seek for themselves if needed. Most girls take a language in Class V, either beginning Spanish or French or continuing with Mandarin. Those who would still benefit from reinforcement of their English reading and writing may take a series of skills courses throughout the Middle School instead. All students start Latin in Class VII, and those who no longer need the skills reinforcement may also begin French. Visual arts, music, dance and drama provide an opportunity for students to express their own perceptions and feelings and to appreciate the artistic expression of others. Physical education challenges and nurtures students, whatever their level of ability, as they refine their motor skills and apply them to sports and dance. A no-cut policy for participation on teams further encourages girls to explore and feel comfortable in varied athletic settings. Several important disciplines are taught mostly through integration into other courses. Technology—including word processing, spreadsheets, robotics, programming, presentations and audio resources—is incorporated into the curriculum to support and extend learning. In addition, the curriculum of the Library course in V and VI is integrated into the research programs of other subjects. Public speaking projects form part of the curriculum each year in the Middle School, developing girls’ confidence through the delivery of speeches they have written or memorized. The activity program supplements students’ experience in the classroom and reflects their interests from year to year. Offerings include art electives (photography, ceramics, carpentry), athletic teams and programs, chorus, orchestra, jazz ensemble, drama, dance, a Middle School newspaper, robotics and debate.
25 25
01520_Text.indd 25
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class V Class V
ENGLISH: composition, creative writing, grammar, spelling and handwriting;
reading of novels including The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnny Tremain and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, short stories and poetry (in connection with work in American history); public speaking. MATHEMATICS: continued development of number sense; computation with
positive rational numbers in both fraction and decimal forms; percents; probability; geometry, including area and perimeter; applications and problem solving. HISTORY: American history from the early explorers through the Civil War
and Reconstruction, with related work in English, and introduction to global geography. SCIENCE: exploration of basic concepts of electricity, robotics, properties of
matter and ecology. Activities include wiring a household circuit, building and programming a robot to complete a maze, exploring physical changes and chemical reactions, and maintaining a terrarium. FRENCH: the beginning of a five-year integrated French curriculum, with initial
emphasis on oral communication through the memorization of poems, dialogues and songs. Basic grammar and the reading of simple stories also help to develop comprehension. MANDARIN: continued writing and continued listening and speaking through
poems, nursery rhymes, songs and games; exploration of Chinese culture and further work with simplified Chinese characters. The curriculum is designed to review vocabulary included in the Lower School curriculum, introduce new topics and vocabulary and promote speaking skills through dialogue practice. SPANISH: structured and interactive introduction with a focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students develop their ear for the language and work toward authentic pronunciation through songs, dialogues and short video clips. READING AND WRITING SKILLS: a course for girls who would benefit from
reinforcement in language arts; focus on expository writing, close reading of increasingly complex material and the practice of such study skills as outlining and note taking. This is the first part of a two-year sequence. DRAMA: exploration of the craft of acting; performance of an adapted Shakespeare play at an assembly in the spring. MUSIC: singing, solfﾃｨge, theory fundamentals and group instrumental instruc-
tion. Extracurricular choral, jazz and orchestral ensembles and handbells are offered to all girls in Classes V窶天III. Each girl who studies an instrument privately also has the opportunity to perform in school-sponsored recitals.
26 26
01520_Text.indd 26
8/6/14 10:45 AM
STUDIO ART: emphasis on work from students’ imaginations and on raising visual awareness and understanding through the exploration of design and the basic elements of line, texture, shape and color. Projects are inspired by subject matter in other disciplines and times. Materials include various painting and drawing media, wood, clay, felt and papier mâché; additional units on world crafts, digital photography and sculpture. LIBRARY: exploration and development of personal reading taste, through
stories read aloud and selection of pleasure reading; practice of research skills in connection with student reports on the colonies and on world geography. COMPUTERS: final year of touch-typing instruction that enables students to
complete their writing assignments efficiently. The curriculum also includes transfer of files between home and school, file management, introduction to email and exploration of other software tools. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: introduction to team sports: soccer, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, cooperative games, European handball, floor hockey, softball, track and field, badminton; exploration of different styles and choreographic techniques in dance; red/white monthly competitions that offer leadership opportunities and emphasize good sportsmanship; running club.
27 27
01520_Text.indd 27
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class VI Class VI
ENGLISH: poetry; stories from Genesis (King James Version); Greek and Roman
myths; Homer’s Odyssey; performance of a Greek or medieval mystery play; analytic paragraphs; creative writing. Some reading parallels studies in ancient history. MATHEMATICS: review of fundamental operations with whole numbers,
fractions and decimals; order of operations; negative numbers; ratios, rates and proportions; percents with practical applications; review of area and perimeter; introduction to circles; angles and triangles; circle graphs; statistics. HISTORY: complex ancient societies: Egypt; the development of Judaism from
Moses through Solomon; the rise and fall of the Persian Empire; Greek history through Alexander the Great; Indian history through the Mauryan Dynasty; Roman history through Augustus; Chinese history through the Han Dynasty. SCIENCE: focus on the human species and its ecology. The human body systems
are studied, each with an emphasis on the relationship between structure and function and on the interdependence of all the systems. FRENCH: continued acquisition of basic grammar skills and practice in oral com-
munication; reading of stories related to French and other francophone cultures. MANDARIN: continued emphasis on communication skills through increased
exposure to reading, writing and grammar. Students develop oral proficiency to help them in daily situations. SPANISH: continued emphasis on communication in the present, preterite and present progressive tenses; introduction to cultural topics pertinent to the Spanish-speaking world. READING AND WRITING SKILLS: further practice in the writing of para-
graphs, summaries, essays and creative pieces; researching and delivering an oral report; highlighting, outlining, mapping and taking notes; informal debating. This is the second part of a two-year sequence (see Class V). DRAMA: each English section presents an ancient Greek comedy or tragedy or a medieval mystery play. MUSIC: see Class V. STUDIO ART: continued work on the basic skills of visual expression through projects relating to the study of the ancient world, such as classical architecture, mythological creatures and bas-relief tiles. LIBRARY: selection of books, including biographies, poetry and nonfiction titles;
analysis of the classic Hitchcock film Rebecca; research skills integrated with history classes for a presentation on ancient Rome. LANGUAGE: studies in grammar and composition; public speaking; the nature
of language; etymology and derivation of words; the relationship of English to other Indo-European languages. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: development of greater initiative in such team and
individual sports as soccer, basketball, volleyball, track and field, physical fitness and dance; red/white competitions and running club.
28 28
01520_Text.indd 28
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class VII Class VII
ENGLISH: poetry; grammar; Great Expectations; Julius Caesar; formal introduc-
tion to poetic terms; critical and creative writing. MATHEMATICS
INTRODUCTION TO ALGEBRA: review of order of operations; introduction to algebraic topics, including linear equations and inequalities; graphing lines; solving equations with applications; properties of real numbers; combinatorics and probability; set theory; geometry topics, including parallel lines, polygons, area, volume and surface area; computer programming with Processing; active problem solving throughout the year to reinforce and deepen conceptual understanding. VII ALGEBRA I: development of problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding of algebra through factoring and exponents; radicals; polynomial and rational expressions; solutions of linear, quadratic and rational equations; inequalities; equations and graphs of lines; systems of equations and graphs of quadratic equations. Graphing calculators are used as needed, and students study computer programming with Processing. Active problem solving throughout the year reinforces and deepens conceptual understanding. HISTORY: topics in medieval world history from 200 through 1500 C.E., in-
cluding the development of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism and their spread; the Chinese Empire and its impact on Japan; the Mongol Empire; and the emergence of Europe from feudalism through the Renaissance. SCIENCE: the first part of a two-year physical science program that focuses on
matter, energy and the atmosphere. In the context of the law of conservation of matter and energy, students investigate heat, wave and mechanical energy to explore the causes of weather, seasons and climate change. BEGINNING FRENCH: an integrated introduction to develop linguistic profi-
ciency and communication skills, as well as awareness of the many francophone cultures, through written exercises, skits and poems using elementary grammar and vocabulary. FRENCH: for those continuing from Class V, emphasis on more advanced
grammar skills and sustained speaking through PowerPoint presentations, skits and discussion of stories. MANDARIN: further integration of the four language skills: listening, speak-
ing, reading and writing. Students study grammar in greater depth, continue to learn the vocabulary of daily life and reinforce character writing and typing skills. They also read simplified stories in Chinese, write journals about their daily life and work on oral presentations. SPANISH: continuation of the integrated curriculum, with attention to the use of a broader range of tenses, more extensive vocabulary and more complex idiomatic phrases; intensive practice in speaking, reading, writing and listening.
29 29
01520_Text.indd 29
8/6/14 10:45 AM
WRITING WORKSHOP: for students who do not study a modern language
and who would benefit from reinforcement in language arts, practice in both organization and written expression and comprehension and analysis of works by a variety of authors. LATIN: introduction through reading about daily life in a first-century Roman
family, combined with practice and drills of declensions, conjugations and elementary grammar using the Cambridge Latin program, units 1 and 2. MUSIC, DRAMA: Music and Drama collaborate to produce a Gilbert and
Sullivan operetta in the spring term; the class also attends a dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera. The study of a percussion instrument is added to the offerings in instrumental music. STUDIO ART: exploration of the elements of design through the human figure. Projects integrate graphics, printmaking, costume design and historical context. PUBLIC SPEAKING: lessons on practical application of public speaking skills,
including interview etiquette; storytelling without filler language; introducing and greeting with confidence; and news anchor practice. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: development of more sophisticated game play and skills in soccer, field hockey, basketball, volleyball, softball, lacrosse and track and field; exploration of physical fitness and wellness concepts; refinement of game strategies; participation in red/white competitions and running club; improvisation and choreographic technique. HEALTH: health-related topics such as drugs, nutrition, human sexuality, safety
and peer pressure are integrated into the Middle School advisory program (see Health and Guidance, page 48). This course follows guidelines established by New York State for health education and is taught through films and discussions.  
30 30
01520_Text.indd 30
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class VIII Class VIII
ENGLISH: short stories; grammar; Jane Eyre; poetry; Twelfth Night; formal intro-
duction to narrative structure; critical and creative writing. MATHEMATICS ALGEBRA I: development of problem-solving skills and conceptual under-
standing of algebra through factoring and exponents; radicals; polynomial and rational expressions; solutions of linear, quadratic and rational equations; inequalities; equations and graphs of lines; systems of equations and graphs of quadratic equations. Graphing calculators are used as needed. Active problem solving throughout the year reinforces and deepens conceptual understanding. VIII GEOMETRY: geometric concepts in a more abstract form. The proper-
ties of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles are studied through the use of logic and deductive proofs. Other topics may include locus and transformational geometry. Computer software (Geometer’s Sketchpad) is used to extend and explore concepts HISTORY: global history from 1500 to the late nineteenth century. Topics
include the European conquest of the Americas; the Atlantic slave trade; the Ottoman and Mughal Empires; Ming and Qing China; Tokugawa Japan; the American, French and Latin American Revolutions; the Industrial Revolution; nineteenth-century European imperialism; and the Meiji Restoration in Japan. SCIENCE: the second part of a two-year physical science program that focuses
on matter, energy and the Earth. Students investigate chemical energy and how the Earth’s resources can be conserved. BEGINNING FRENCH: for students who began French in Class VII, continued
development of the four fundamental language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) through structured conversation in class, study of grammar (especially verb forms and pronouns) and written paragraphs. FRENCH: for students who began in Class V, emphasis on more advanced
grammar skills through conversations in class, written compositions, the reading of a version of Le Comte de Monte-Cristo and the viewing of films. MANDARIN: continued development of skills through supplementary audio
and video materials that present students with real-life situations and exercise their ability to listen and speak; further practice in character writing and enrichment of students’ command of vocabulary, as well as expression of opinions in discussions in Chinese. SPANISH: continued development of skills, vocabulary and review of grammar, with emphasis on tenses of the indicative mood and present subjunctive; a short novel is also read. WRITING WORKSHOP: see Class VII. LATIN: study of grammar and syntax, with attention to uses of the participle
and subjunctive in subordinate clauses, in the Cambridge Latin program, units 2 and 3.
31 31
01520_Text.indd 31
8/6/14 10:45 AM
MUSIC: singing and group instrumental instruction. Extracurricular choral,
jazz and orchestral ensembles, handbells and a recorder consort are offered to all girls in Classes V–VIII. Girls who study privately may perform in schoolsponsored recitals. STUDIO ART: drawing and painting from direct observation of the natural world, using inks, pastels and watercolor. Techniques may include collage and mixed media. PUBLIC SPEAKING: introduction to formal and extemporaneous skills of
presentation and exchange, with applications in several disciplines throughout the year. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: in addition to the program offered in Class VII, one
trimester of West African dance and electives in sports such as rugby or cricket; more intensive preparation for interscholastic competition in individual and team sports with opportunities for leadership. HEALTH: discussion of health-related topics through the Middle School ad-
visory program (see Health and Guidance, page 48). Articles from periodicals serve as background, and the girls are encouraged to bring their questions to the groups. Topics include nutrition, body image, eating disorders, decision making, relationships with parents and peers, human sexuality and substance abuse. This course fulfills the New York State requirement for health education.
 
32 32
01520_Text.indd 32
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The Upper School The Upper School
The Upper School represents the final stage in a program that develops a student’s confidence in herself and in her growing skills in many disciplines. Its rich and vigorous academic, athletic and artistic curriculum, centered in a strong community that supports students in their self-discovery, produces resourceful young women who are prepared to find their places in the world outside of Brearley. As they learn to make academic choices, students may take advantage of conversations with a wide range of adults who help them assess their interests and talents and encourage them to take appropriate risks. The curriculum of the Upper School provides choices, within each discipline, both in subject area and among elective topics. Although most students in Classes XI and XII take five courses, some girls, especially those with heavy extracurricular commitments, choose to take four. All students fulfill basic requirements:
1. English through Class XII.
2. Mathematics through Class XI.
3. Biology plus two additional years of science, one of which must be a full laboratory course.
4. Four-credit sequence in one foreign language or three credits in one language plus two credits in a second language. (A language begun in the Middle School receives two points of credit if continued through the end of Class IX.)
5. Twentieth-Century World History, US History and one history elective with a research component.
6. Studio Art, Drama or Music in Classes IX and X. There is no prerequisite in either year.
7. Physical Education through Class XII, including CPR/First Aid; Health in Class IX.
8. Community Service in Classes IX–XI.
Students have many opportunities to pursue their interests beyond the curriculum. The School offers arts activities—photography, sculpture, ceramics, dramatic productions, orchestra and chorus, for example—in addition to the regular courses, as well as writing and publishing opportunities. Students in the Upper School may be admitted to the Columbia Science Honors Program or to Brearley’s Science Research Seminar; they may also participate in math, robotics and engineering clubs or join Interschool advanced math courses as juniors or seniors. Seniors who have exhausted the offerings in a particular discipline are eligible to apply for an independent study program. Acceptance depends on a student’s capacity for extended work on her own, the availability of an appropriate teacher and the nature of the proposed study. In the spring of senior year, most students petition to create their own program, which may include dropping some academic courses to sample new topics in mini-courses taught by faculty or to concentrate on one particular subject through individual independent study. A student may also pursue an extracurricular project or internship that worthily replaces some or all of her academic work.
33 33
01520_Text.indd 33
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Each year, a few members of Class XI spend a semester in New England, either in the Mountain School program of Milton Academy in Vershire, Vermont, or in the Maine Coast program of the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset. Juniors may also study in France, Spain, Italy or China under the auspices of School Year Abroad. Selected students in Class IX may have the opportunity to participate in an exchange program that Brearley maintains with the Godolphin and Latymer School in London. Language Immersion programs in French or Spanish are also available in selected grades and alternating years. Students entering Classes X, XI and XII may apply to join a June travel/study program in Vermont, India or China. In the Upper School, students assume increased responsibility for themselves and others. Heads of student organizations participate in leadership training sessions and learn to encourage the younger students who will eventually succeed them. Students learn to lead in other arenas as well—as athletic team captains or stage managers of the drama productions, for example. The major school publications are run by members of Classes XI and XII and are staffed by members of all the classes.
34 34
01520_Text.indd 34
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class IX Class IX
[Courses are full credit, lasting a full year, unless otherwise noted.] ENGLISH: Their Eyes Were Watching God; sonnets; Macbeth; Pride and Prejudice;
personal essays. GEOMETRY: an intuitive and analytical approach to the mathematics of shapes
and space. The properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles are studied through the use of logic and deductive proofs. Algebraic problem-solving skills are reinforced throughout. GEOMETRY WITH EXTENDED EXPLORATIONS: geometric concepts in a
more abstract form. The properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and circles are studied through the use of logic and deductive proofs. Other topics may include locus and transformational geometry. Computer software (Geometer’s Sketchpad) is used to extend and explore concepts. IX ALGEBRA II WITH EXTENDED EXPLORATIONS: in-depth study of
mathematical relations, functions and transformations; specific topics include polynomial and rational functions, trigonometric functions, exponential and logarithmic functions and the complex number system. TI-84 graphing calculator is used. TWENTIETH-CENTURY WORLD HISTORY: global history from the late
nineteenth through the twentieth centuries. BIOLOGY: life processes, with emphasis on themes of energy flow and ecological interactions; introduction to plant and animal physiology and extensive laboratory exploration into genetics. The course includes a field trip to investigate the ecology of the intertidal zone. FRENCH II COMPREHENSIVE: for students who began in Class VII. The
focus is on listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students also read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince to consolidate their knowledge of grammar and to develop analytical experience. FRENCH II: conclusion of the integrated French curriculum begun in Class V;
introduction to literature through literary concepts taken from their textbook and to literary criticism. Students also read Eugène Ionesco’s La Cantatrice chauve. COMPREHENSIVE MANDARIN I: an introductory course with an emphasis
on practical communicative skills—listening and speaking—supported by drills. Students learn to write and memorize simplified Chinese characters, study basic grammar and develop phonetic awareness in speaking and listening. MANDARIN II: for students who began Mandarin in Class V, a course that
focuses on listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing with the emphasis on formal grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students discuss topics in Chinese customs and traditions. COMPREHENSIVE SPANISH I: introduction to the basic concepts of Spanish
grammar and vocabulary through the four skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading. Cultural topics and customs of Spanish-speaking countries are explored. A wide variety of materials and tools are used to increase proficiency through additional listening and speaking opportunities.
35 35
01520_Text.indd 35
8/6/14 10:45 AM
SPANISH II: for students who began Spanish in Class V, a thorough review of grammar and the addition of topics such as the subjunctive and the passive voice; selections of short pieces by Latin American and Spanish writers. Proficiency is furthered through a wide variety of materials and tools that create additional listening and speaking opportunities. LATIN II: completion of the introduction to basic vocabulary and syntax using
the Cambridge Latin program, unit 3, and excerpts adapted from Roman authors. DRAMA (half credit; throughout the year): introduction to the art of play-making in all of its aspects, from the actor’s approach to the script to the creation of scenery, props and costumes. Particular attention is paid to helping students with skills that serve them well in other areas, including vocal projection, physical poise and strengthened concentration. All students rehearse and perform a full-length play during the second semester. MUSIC (half credit; throughout the year): VOCAL TECHNIQUE AND LITERATURE: fundamentals of vocal technique
and introduction to the solo song literature, ending with a performance. Participation in the Upper School Chorus is required. (Open also to X–XII.) CHAMBER MUSIC/ORCHESTRA: small groups of instrumentalists of like
ability study standard chamber repertoire, ending with a performance. Participation in the Upper School Orchestra is required. (Open also to X–XII.) INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUES: exploration of technique in a small-
group setting of like instruments. This course extends the work accomplished in Middle School instrumental classes and supports the repertoire played in the Upper School Orchestra. Each semester ends with a performance. Participation in the Upper School Orchestra is required. STUDIO ART (half credit; throughout the year): fundamentals of painting, color and composition. Through direct observation, students develop complex compositions and learn about rendering forms in space. The second half of the year includes a large oil painting project, with an emphasis on non-Western schools of painting. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: choice of a variety of lifetime activities that promote health and fitness, including badminton, fitness, Pilates, Tai Chi, running, gymnastics, team sports, Quidditch, dance and yoga. Upper School students can fulfill their requirement by taking three periods a week of P.E. or by participating in one of fifteen interscholastic teams (see Athletics in “Learning Beyond the Classroom,” page 47). All students fulfill the additional requirement of certification in First Aid/CPR by taking the P.E. Department’s First Aid course. HEALTH: trimester course required of all students, offered in the fall trimes-
ter of P.E. in Class IX; a wide range of topics emphasizing informed decisions regarding personal health. Written materials, speakers and a final project are all part of the course.
36
36
01520_Text.indd 36
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class X Class X
ENGLISH: American literature, novels, short stories, essays, autobiographies
and poems from the Puritans through the moderns. Authors include Wharton, Hawthorne, Twain, Thoreau, Melville, Fitzgerald, Morrison and selected nineteenth- and twentieth-century poets. ALGEBRA II: study of mathematical relations, functions and transformations;
specific topics include polynomial and rational functions, trigonometric functions, exponential and logarithmic functions and the complex number system. The TI-84 graphing calculator is used as a tool for extension, exploration and solution. ALGEBRA II WITH EXTENDED EXPLORATIONS: in-depth study of
mathematical relations, functions and transformations; specific topics include polynomial and rational functions, trigonometric functions, exponential and logarithmic functions and the complex number system. The TI-84 graphing calculator is used as a tool for extension, exploration and solution. ALGEBRA II AND PRECALCULUS: an accelerated course covering two years
of math (Algebra II and Precalculus). This course prepares students for BC Calculus and may be taken with the permission of the department. UNITED STATES HISTORY: a chronological survey introducing students to political, economic, social and cultural developments in American history from 1607 to the present. The course incorporates the study of the US Constitution and federal government, extensive work with primary sources and a focused introduction to historiography. In the spring students travel to Washington, DC, to meet with people who work in the government. CHEMISTRY: the nature of change as it relates to chemistry and the environ-
ment, using both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis through creative problem solving, experimental design and cooperative group learning activities. The year is organized into two broad areas: structure of matter and changes in matter. Specific topics include electron configuration; bonding; gas behavior; mole concept; stoichiometry; redox reactions; acid-base; atmospheric chemistry. (Open also to XI and XII.) FRENCH III COMPREHENSIVE: literary texts, including Camus’ L’Étranger;
practice in speaking and writing skills is emphasized. (Offered in some years.) FRENCH III: continued extension and refinement of speaking, writing and
reading skills through in-depth analysis and discussions of works by such authors as Camus or Ionesco that further extend vocabulary and grammar. COMPREHENSIVE MANDARIN II: continued development of skills in communication, reading and writing; broader and more intensive vocabulary and grammar; work with facility and fluency in tones for individual characters, as well as lexical formations and radicals to aid in memorization of characters. MANDARIN III: for students who began in Class V, continued study of gram-
mar and increasingly advanced newspaper vocabulary, leading to discussion of a broader range of issues in Chinese society, history and culture. Students read a selection of short stories and essays from modern authors.
37 37
01520_Text.indd 37
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class X COMPREHENSIVE SPANISH II: for students who began Spanish in Class IX,
an intermediate Spanish course that continues the study of grammar and vocabulary. This course emphasizes oral communication and comprehension. The students read a selection of works from either Latin America or Spain. SPANISH III: review of grammar through the study of literary excerpts from Latin American and Spanish writers. Students also read a full-length novel or play such as Antes de ser libres by Julia Álvarez. LATIN III: selections from Vergil’s Aeneid, including Books I, II (the fall of
Troy), IV (the love of Dido and Aeneas). DRAMA (half credit; throughout the year): concentration on elements of the actor’s art: motivation, objective, physical realization and script analysis in the first semester. Texts include excerpts from Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting and Constantin Stanislavsky’s An Actor Prepares. In the second semester, students consider scenic and costume design, stage management, prop building and some stage carpentry as part of the preparation for the performance. Post-production, they explore elements of playwriting and directing. Students develop a sharp critical eye for what makes good theater, and the class takes an evening trip to see a professional production. MUSIC: see Class IX. STUDIO ART (half credit; throughout the year): expression of volume through
the examination of examples from Old Masters and chiaroscuro. Drawing from observation, students realize their creative vision through a series of preliminary studies and two highly developed pieces. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: see Class IX.
n CO-CURRICULAR OFFERINGS COMMUNITY SERVICE: See Learning Beyond the Classroom, page 46. SCIENCE RESEARCH SEMINAR: a three-year sequence that includes reading and discussion of peer-reviewed scientific articles with their authors, who visit Brearley from various New York City research institutions; cutting-edge laboratory work on RNA interference, Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA sequencing; opportunities for research internships and entry in Intel or Siemens competitions. This program accepts 5 new students from Class X each year for a total of 15 enrolled students.
38 38
01520_Text.indd 38
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class XI Class XI
ENGLISH: elective in poetic analysis (for example, John Donne and the Metaphysical
Poets; Victorian to Modern Poetry; Romantic Poetry; or Bishop, Larkin and Lowell); a required trimester on Greek tragedy and King Lear; and a spring elective on narrative works (for example, The Canterbury Tales; James’s The Portrait of a Lady and other narratives of travel and exile; or Rushdie and Lahiri). n MATHEMATICS FINITE MATHEMATICS: analysis of functions, mathematical modeling, linear pro-
gramming, probability and applications of these topics. Additional areas of study may include voting methods, drug modeling and selected topics from precalculus. (Not available in 2014–2015.) PRECALCULUS AND AN INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS:
extended study of functions and trigonometry begun in Class X. Additional topics may include vectors, conic sections, parametric equations, polar coordinates, probability and statistics, and sequences and series. Calculus topics include limits and derivatives. This course prepares students for the study of AB Calculus. PRECALCULUS AND DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS: extended study of functions
and trigonometry begun in Class X, as well as vectors, conic sections, parametric equations, polar coordinates and graphs, probability and statistics, and sequences and series. Calculus topics include limits, derivatives and applications of derivatives. This course prepares students for the study of BC Calculus. ADVANCED CALCULUS: differential and integral calculus of functions of one vari-
able with applications; power series. Students wishing to take the College Board AP BC Calculus exam will find that this course provides suitable preparation. STATISTICS: an introduction to statistics, including collecting and analyzing data and using statistical inference to arrive at conclusions. (Open also to XII. Not available in 2014–2015.) INTERSCHOOL GAME THEORY (half credit; throughout the year):
Theoretical analysis of game theory taught through applications in economics, politics, business, evolutionary biology, religion, philosophy, computer science and sports, as well as through games such as poker and chess. Quantitative models are developed for strategic situations, and analysis includes optimization and graphical analysis. n HISTORY THE ATLANTIC WORLD: an examination of how interactions between Europe,
Africa and North and South America, from the fifteenth century onward, spurred the creation of Atlantic commercial and political empires. The course emphasizes comparative history and the emergence of modern Latin America. (Open also to XII.) HISTORY OF CHINA AND JAPAN: an investigation into the history and culture of
China and Japan, starting with the momentous twentieth century and then looking back chronologically at developments in both countries. The course culminates in a consideration of disparate responses to European incursions in the modern period, the legacies of World War II and China and Japan in the world today. (Open also to XII.)
39 39
01520_Text.indd 39
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class XI MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY: a survey of political, economic, intellectual
and social history from the French Revolution to the present, based on a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, with emphasis on controversial topics in historical interpretation. (Open also to XII.) HISTORY OF WARFARE: a survey of the history of war from prehistory to the present. Students will examine the development of infantry, cavalry, artillery and asymmetrical warfare. New York City as a theater of war is a major focus. (Open also to XII.) MODERNISM IN ART: significant developments in art from the French Revolu-
tion and the work of Jacques-Louis David to the present. The course considers artistic debates and visual works in relation to the historical and cultural changes wrought by industrialization, war and revolution in Europe and globally. (Open also to XII.) HISTORY OF WORLD ART: The Prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux through
the contemporary installations of New York City galleries, with particular attention to fundamental theoretical issues and historical, social, political and religious climates. (Open also to XII.) (Not available in 2014-2015.) INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION: The Muslim world from its
origins in Arabia to the emergence of an Arabic-Persian civilization. Other topics include Islamic theology and practice; the evolution of political institutions; economy; everyday life and social organization; and cultural and intellectual innovations. (Open also to XII.) (Not available in 2014-2015.) MODERN AFRICA: African responses to the challenges of modernization, European
colonization and nation building. Ghana and South Africa serve as case studies. (Open also to XII.) (Not available in 2014-2015.) n SCIENCE ADVANCED BIOLOGY: intensive investigation of selected topics, including biochemistry, energetics, ultrastructure of cells, information transfer (structure and function of the gene; genetics of populations), evolution, developmental biology, immunology, the morphology and physiology of plants and animals, and ecology and mathematical modeling. Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry. (Open also to XII.) ADVANCED CHEMISTRY: introduction of topics such as molecular architecture,
orbital hybridization, colligative properties of solutions and kinetics. Laboratory techniques emphasize qualitative and quantitative understanding of concepts. Computerassisted sensors help students gather and analyze data and relate chemical topics to real-world situations. Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry. (Open also to XII.) CHEMISTRY: see Class X. PHYSICS: the nature of energy and its interactions with matter through creative
problem solving, experimental design and cooperative learning activities. Topics include mechanical, thermal, wave; electric/electromagnetic energy, and nuclear energy. (Open also to XII.)
40 40
01520_Text.indd 40
8/6/14 10:45 AM
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (half credit in either semester; full credit
if taken all year): the role of science, economics and government policy in developing an environmentally sustainable world. The course considers such topics as energy production, climate change, freshwater resources, agriculture, fisheries, waste management and biodiversity. (Open also to XII.) (Not available in 2014–2015.) INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND WORLD HEALTH (half credit in either semester;
full credit if taken all year): the biology of infectious diseases and immune system response and the principles of epidemiology. Activities include Internet research, individual and group projects, presentations and lectures. The lab component does not fulfill the lab graduation requirement. (Not available in 2014–2015.) COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PROGRAMMING (Divisible into independent half
courses): in the first semester, introduction to basic computer science concepts, as well as to programming through Greenfoot, which teaches the fundamentals of Java. In the second semester, algorithms, source code, debugging of programs, “beta” testing applets, using Java and its major libraries to create “clean” code. Prerequisites: Computer Science or comparable experience. n MODERN LANGUAGES FRANCE CLASSIQUE ET FRANCE MODERNE: an examination of French culture through the history, literature and other media of two key periods--the seventeenth and twentieth centuries. Authors include Corneille, Molière, La Fontaine, Camus, Césaire. COMPREHENSIVE MANDARIN III: speaking and writing through the study of
Chinese culture. Students read simple stories, explore creative writing and learn to present on selected topics such as Chinese cities and festivals. MANDARIN IV: extensive reading of journalism, essays and stories by such authors
as Zhu Ziqing, Bing Xin, Liang Shiqiu and Han Han; discussion of current events; analytical and creative writing; introduction to traditional Chinese characters. COMPREHENSIVE SPANISH III: an intermediate level course for students
who began in Class IX with continued expansion of vocabulary and knowledge of idiomatic expressions. Students also read short stories, excerpts from novels and discuss cultural events of the Hispanic world. SPANISH IV: works by Latin American and Spanish writers, including García
Lorca and García Márquez; review of advanced grammar through the writing of essays; reinforcement of oral skills in conversation and literary discussion, as well as listening and spontaneous response exercises. n CLASSICS LATIN IV: selections from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and from the poems of Catullus. GREEK I (half credit; throughout the year): introduction to Attic Greek. Topics
include the principles of word formation and syntax, Aesop’s fables and the life of Alexander the Great. (Open also to XII.)
41 41
01520_Text.indd 41
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class XI n ARTS STUDIO ART (half credit; throughout the year): advanced work in the studio with in-depth exploration of various drawing and painting media. DRAWING I (half credit; fall semester): comprehensive introduction to advanced
drawing techniques, including linear and tonal drawing and mixed media. Students draw from a variety of subjects, including still life, animals, architecture, landscape and interiors. (Open also to XII.) DRAWING II (half credit; spring semester): figure drawing; working from models,
students complete full figure compositions, head studies, drapery studies and figures in interiors. As in Drawing I, Old Master techniques are studied. (Open also to XII.) MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER (half credit; fall semester): experimental exploration
of various painting techniques, combined with drawing, printmaking and collage. (Open also to XII.) OIL PAINTING: (half credit; spring semester) intensive study of oil painting, exploring color, brush stroke, glazing and composition with a variety of observed and imaginative subjects. (Open also to XII.)
n DRAMA PLAYWRITING (half credit; spring semester): the fundamentals of the play-
wright’s art through in-class drama writing exercises and the study of four contemporary plays. Student work is presented in a play-reading festival. n MUSIC For applied music offerings, see Class IX. MUSIC PERFORMANCE CREDIT (half credit; throughout the year): awarded to
instrumental and voice students who satisfy requirements through a recital given in Class XI or XII. Admission to this program is by audition in Class X or XI. n COMPUTER EDUCATION MULTIMEDIA AND WEB DESIGN: (Divisible into independent half courses):
focus on graphics, animation and sound to create multimedia projects in the first semester; website development in the second semester using HTML, CSS, and WYSWYG editors. (Open also to XII.) (Not available in 2014–2015.) n PHYSICAL EDUCATION: see Class IX. n CO-CURRICULAR JUNIOR SEMINAR: a yearlong class that encompasses college advising and
health education. (Required of all students in Class XI.) COMMUNITY SERVICE: see Learning Beyond the Classroom, page 46. SCIENCE RESEARCH SEMINAR: see Class X.
42 42
01520_Text.indd 42
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Class XII Class XII
ENGLISH: required unit of essays and poetry; electives from late fall through
the winter term in Russian literature (short fiction by Chekhov, Gogol, Pushkin, Tolstoy and Turgenev; Anna Karenina), William Faulkner’s fiction, Virginia Woolf and James Baldwin, South African literature; spring electives determined by interests of students (in recent years, primarily individual projects in fiction, drama or writing). n MATHEMATICS STATISTICS: see Class XI. (Not available in 2014–2015.) CALCULUS: differential and integral calculus of functions of one variable with
applications. Students wishing to take the College Board AP AB Calculus exam will find that this course provides suitable preparation. ADVANCED CALCULUS: see Class XI. LINEAR ALGEBRA: vectors, linear transformations, general vector spaces and the algebra of matrices. INTERSCHOOL MATH: topics in advanced mathematics with students from
other members of Interschool; BC Calculus is a prerequisite or co-requisite. INTERSCHOOL GAME THEORY: see Class XI.
n HISTORY THE ATLANTIC WORLD: see Class XI. HISTORY OF CHINA AND JAPAN: see Class XI. MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY: see Class XI. HISTORY OF WARFARE: see Class XI. MODERNISM IN ART: see Class XI. HISTORY OF WORLD ART: see Class XI. (Not available in 2014–2015.) INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION: see Class XI. (Not available in
2014–2015.) MODERN AFRICA: see Class XI. (Not available in 2014–2015.) POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY: an exploration of works by Western
philosophers and political theorists from ancient Greece to modern times. The aim of the course is not only to introduce students to the discipline of intellectual history, but also to help them think with increasing logic, precision and clarity. n SCIENCE ADVANCED BIOLOGY: see Class XI. ADVANCED CHEMISTRY: see Class XI.
43 43
01520_Text.indd 43
8/6/14 10:45 AM
ADVANCED PHYSICS: extended study of relationships between forces, matter
and energy through lectures, creative problem solving and experimental design. Selected topics include kinematics and dynamics, rotational mechanics, wave mechanics, physical and geometrical optics, and nuclear and particle physics. Prerequisite: Physics. CHEMISTRY: see Class X. PHYSICS: see Class XI. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: see Class XI.
(Not available in 2014–2015.) INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND WORLD HEALTH: see Class XI.
(Not available in 2014–2015.) COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PROGRAMMING (Divisible into two separate half
courses): See Science, Class XI. n MODERN LANGUAGES FRENCH V: FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE CULTURES THROUGH LITERATURE AND MEDIA: French and francophone cultures, including
political and sociological issues, through literature (such as Zola), the news, the Internet and other media. COMPREHENSIVE MANDARIN IV: continued development of proficiency in reading and speaking through projects and presentations. Further expansion of vocabulary on cultural and political topics. MANDARIN V: focus on formal and literal grammatical structures and phrases.
Students will further expand their vocabulary and identify subtle differences between synonyms. Readings include novels from Yu Hua, Su Tong and Han Han and the Analects of Confucius. COMPREHENSIVE SPANISH IV: grammar review and study of the sequence
of tenses; readings and films chosen from various countries in the Hispanic world. Themes are explored through class discussions and essays. SPANISH V: analysis of plays, poetry and prose by Latin American and Span-
ish writers, including García Lorca, Matute, Cortázar, García Márquez and Neruda. Music, art and film enhance study of literature from different centuries and genres. n CLASSICS LATIN V: the Odes of Horace. GREEK I: see Class XI. GREEK II (half credit; throughout the year): continuation of the study of Attic Greek. Students read from the Apology, the Clouds and the histories of Herodotus.
44 44
01520_Text.indd 44
8/6/14 10:45 AM
n ARTS ACTING AND DRAMATIC LITERATURE: examination of world theater from the point of view of actors, directors, playwrights and designers. Plays studied include works by Sheridan, Brecht, Miller, Williams and Mamet. A weekly laboratory session deepens the understanding of the actor’s art through performance of short scenes from significant plays. (Not available in 2014–2015.) STUDIO ART: see Class XI. DRAWING: see Class XI. MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER: see Class XI. OIL PAINTING: see Class XI. MUSIC: see Class IX. MUSIC PERFORMANCE CREDIT: see Class XI.
n COMPUTER EDUCATION MULTIMEDIA AND WEB DESIGN: see Class XI. (Not available in 2014–2015.) COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PROGRAMMING (Divisible into two separate
half courses): See Science, Class XI. PHYSICAL EDUCATION: see Class IX.
n CO-CURRICULAR SENIOR SEMINAR: a yearlong class that encompasses college advising, health
and life skills. (Required of all students in Class XII.) SCIENCE RESEARCH SEMINAR: see Class X.
45 45
01520_Text.indd 45
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Learning Beyond the Classroom Learning Beyond the Classroom
Balance is an important educational principle. In addition to an academic curriculum that ensures a well-rounded education, Brearley offers its students a variety of programs that sharpen and broaden their focus and also provide a different kind of working, thinking—and playful—environment. n ACTIVITIES An integral part of the educational experience, activities provide opportunities to explore new areas, develop talents and become acquainted with students in different grades. Girls in the Lower School may choose from among three optional after-school programs. Clubhouse, in collaboration with the Chapin School, offers activities like in-line skating or creative cooking and baking. On Fridays, girls may stay for a program of play and crafts or organized sports. A further Extended Day program, ending at 5:45 pm, includes reading stories, quiet time and indoor/outdoor play. Activities in the Middle and Upper Schools offer greater opportunities for girls to shape their own programs. Some of Brearley’s numerous co-curricular activities include Middle and Upper School branches of the robotics team, orchestra and chorus, math team, environmental action committee, student publications (the newspapers, literary magazines and the yearbook), drama productions, debate team and an array of art courses, from photography to bookmaking. In the Upper School, students may participate in the Model UN and Model Congress programs and affinity groups like Asian Awareness or Umoja. Organizations like the Athletic Association and the Middle and Upper School Student Government groups are led by students elected from each grade and advised by faculty. Committee involvement offers students opportunities for leadership, public speaking and the planning and execution of events. A Peer Leadership program trains seniors who would like to offer support to students in Class IX in the form of weekly discussions about life issues. Upper School students also serve as counselors in Brearley’s two-week June Summer Start and Summer Interlude programs for younger Brearley students. Summer Start, also open to girls in New York City in K–VII, offers nonacademic activities taught by members of the Brearley faculty. Summer Interlude, a music program emphasizing chamber music, is similarly open to students in III–VIII from other New York City schools. n COMMUNITY SERVICE Brearley’s long-standing commitment to community service complements and supports academic education, in that it requires understanding, compassion, hard work and perseverance. The K–XII program features developmentally appropriate experiences that ensure the continuity of the vision. In this way, students come to see community service not as a task to complete but as an ongoing part of their lives as engaged participants in their various communities. Service begins in the Lower School, with a sequence of annual projects and trips, building on Social Studies and “Respect and Responsibility” classes. These activities give students a sense of their potential to contribute in the world around them,
46 46
01520_Text.indd 46
8/6/14 10:45 AM
even at a young age. In addition to joining activities at the nearby All Souls Friday Lunch Program, students also work within their own school community and post reminders of standards, such as holding doors for others, around the building. Girls in Class IV become buddies to girls in Class I and read with them weekly. The Middle School Service Committee is an active group whose wide range of projects appeals to diverse interests. With the support of the Community Service Coordinator, girls identify and advocate for a variety of activities for the year: their work may range from delivering wrapped gifts to hospitalized children to volunteering at an after-school Head Start program. One constant is the annual Class VIII Carnival, which raises several thousand dollars for a charity chosen by the class. In proposing specific projects and arguing their relative merits, students see the impact of their collective efforts and realize their power to effect positive change. The program in the Upper School is founded on the premise that community service is a habit and that it works best when students are guided in exploring a choice of possible commitments. In Class IX, students participate as a group in a Saturday soup kitchen program and also research and engage in volunteer opportunities offered to them. In Classes X and XI, students are required to make a long-standing commitment to a specific cause, activity or organization. Upper Schoolers may also work through school groups like the Brearley Service Committee and Habitat for Humanity, assist in Lower School classrooms or tutor children elsewhere. In the spring of senior year, students may choose to devote themselves nearly full time to a project of their choice. The Upper School also participates in a service day with the Collegiate School. Classes are suspended so that each grade can work together on a project in the community, ranging from planting trees on Randall’s Island to volunteering at the New York Public Library. n ATHLETICS Brearley has one of the most extensive athletic programs among independent schools in New York City. Athletic programs in Classes V–VIII introduce students to competitive play outside the School. Seven club sports are offered during the year to girls in Classes V–VI. Participation in the program gives many girls their first chance to be on a team, where they learn valuable lessons in cooperation and skill development. The VII–VIII interscholastic program features nine different sports and a junior dance troupe over three seasons. Brearley’s no-cut policy at this level enables girls to explore their athletic interests, since they are guaranteed a spot on the team of their choice regardless of prior experience or ability. In Classes IX–XII, the School fields teams in fourteen different varsity sports, with a primary goal of providing opportunities to as many girls as possible. Many students thrive on the experience of playing several sports a year, and Brearley teams have frequently won league championships and New York State championships in cross country, track and volleyball.
47 47
01520_Text.indd 47
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The School is a founding member of the Athletic Association for Independent Schools (AAIS), competing with many coed and single-sex schools. Training and competition often provide opportunities for travel outside of the greater metropolitan area: recently, teams have traveled to Florida for spring training; the track team has qualified for the Penn Relays; and the cross country team competes in the Brown (University) Invitational. Brearley athletes have the support of a coaching staff of experienced and dedicated professionals, many of whom have college and international sports backgrounds. Over the last decade, Brearley teams have captured more than twenty AAIS championships, as well as nine New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (NYSAISAA) Championships in cross country. A number of Brearley athletes each year go on to play Division I- and III-level college sports. Most of the Physical Education offerings are geared toward lifelong activities and skills and to the management of future fitness and well-being. Each student in Classes V–XII is assigned to the Red or the White team, a tradition that dates from 1923. n HEALTH AND GUIDANCE Brearley considers a student’s emotional health and well-being an important aspect of her education. Following the Lower School courses in “Respect and Responsibility” (see “Academic Program”), students in the Middle School work together in advisory groups. There teachers introduce such topics as organizational, study and communication skills; friendship and ethics; conflict resolution; eating disorders; substance abuse—with a four-day workshop run by the Freedom from Chemical Dependency organization in Class VII and a follow-up visit the next year; human sexuality, including discussions with the School Nurse about body changes in V; a science curriculum on anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system in Class VI; and, in VII and VIII, conversations facilitated at times by outside health educators. Students in the Upper School also think about balance in their lives. Class IX participates in a trimester-long health course that covers topics like nutrition and sexuality and in which they can continue discussions about making individual choices. They also meet weekly with Senior Peer Leaders for informal discussions. The community service requirement allows them to consider themselves in relation to the needs of individuals within and outside their community. These concepts are reinforced in Junior and Senior Seminars through classes with the School Counselor and outside experts in medicine, sexuality and substance abuse and through ongoing opportunities for community service. The School Counselor, School Nurse and Psychologist are available to talk to girls about specific health concerns and to make additional referrals where appropriate. Seniors also address a number of topics (writing a résumé, changing a tire and managing finances, for example) in preparation for college and more independent living. From Class X on, students are in touch regularly with their advisors about academic and personal decisions.
48 48
01520_Text.indd 48
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The School Community The School Community
From Kindergarten on the second floor to Class XII on the twelfth floor, students experience each year with growing awareness that they are part of many communities. n STUDENT LIFE Staff and Support
The Division Heads, who are responsible for the lives of students in the Lower (K– IV), Middle (V–VIII) and Upper (IX–XII) Schools, are well informed about each student’s circumstances and her progress over a period of years and can put immediate concerns in the larger context of their work with students, families and teachers. Classes VIII and IX are each also supported by a Class Head, who reports to and shares supervision with the appropriate Division Head. The Class Head stays with the girls for two years as they negotiate the important personal and academic transition from Middle to Upper School. The Psychologist and Educational Consultants, who work with families, and the School Counselor, who works with girls in the Middle and Upper Schools, are important resources for the whole community. Homeroom teachers serve as a home base in the lives of students in each grade. There are two or three homerooms for each grade until Class X, when the whole class comes together in a single homeroom. In addition to the academic subjects they teach, these teachers work with individual students and coordinate the life of the class as a community. They serve as general advisors for student activities unique to a given grade, like the Middle Eastern feast in Class IV and the Class V trip to Mystic, Connecticut, or activities with greater scope, like Class XII’s organization of Mountain Day, which involves two divisions. Homeroom teachers see the girls in homeroom every day; they are resourceful adults who can give information or offer advice and are also advocates for the girls. Life in the Lower School is centered in the individual homerooms, with most academic subjects being taught by the room teacher. Even after homeroom teachers relinquish their role as subject teachers for the entire homeroom, they join with grade-level advisors in Classes VI–IX to lead weekly advisory group discussions. In Classes X–XII, girls request an advisor from among a group of teachers who have been designated to work with the grade in its last three years at Brearley. These teachers assist the room teacher and meet individually with advisees as well as in advising groups. The Dean of Academic Life, who focuses mostly on curricular development and other academic matters, works especially closely with Upper School students as they select courses for the next year, as well as with the heads of the academic departments. There are fourteen curricular disciplines: the traditional academic subjects, the arts, Physical Education and the more interdisciplinary Library, Learning Skills, Elementary Education and Technology. Department Heads, the Head of the Lower School and the Director of Technology oversee the academic program in their respective
49 49
01520_Text.indd 49
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The School Community disciplines; they are responsible for maintaining standards and for encouraging the development of new curricula. Teachers who share sections of a course meet once a week to discuss, plan and reflect on their work. Schedule
School begins after Labor Day in September and ends mid-June. All regular school days within the school year begin at 8:10 am for everyone. Lower School dismissal times vary according to grades, but all Lower School students and Classes V and VI are dismissed on Fridays by 2:10 pm The academic day for Classes VII, VIII and the Upper School students ends at around 3:00 pm, depending on the day. Each week has an assembly period, during which students attend music, dance or dramatic performances, hear speakers, enjoy demonstrations of student public speaking skills and, in the Middle and Upper Schools, consider the merits of candidates running for school offices. Both the Middle and Upper Schools have weekly gatherings of a more informal sort for announcements and for sharing. In the Lower School, classes run in forty-minute blocks. There is a mid-morning snack, a lunch period and a time for recess. At the end of the day, a transitional period allows girls to move from the fast pace of a kaleidoscopic day to a more serene one, taking stock as they organize themselves, listen to announcements, finish up projects begun earlier in the day or listen to a teacher read a story aloud. The Middle School maintains the framework of the Lower School academic day, beginning with a homeroom period three days a week. Three times a week, in addition to mid-morning snack break, Middle School girls have a full hour for lunch that provides them with opportunities to socialize, work quietly or attend a meeting or activity if they choose. They also have an advisory period once a week. The Upper School day defies easy description, because each course and discipline has its own characteristic configuration of classes in a week. While some courses, especially in Classes IX and X, meet in the traditional pattern of four forty-minute periods a week, other courses operate on a pattern of mingled forty-, sixty- or eighty-minute periods, according to the needs of the discipline. This arrangement makes each day different, with the fixed points of homeroom in the morning three days a week, a half-hour mid-morning break on three days and a longer advisory period on Wednesdays. Lunch periods fluctuate according to a given schedule. Homework throughout the school is carefully regulated. Lower School families are expected to read aloud with their children from Kindergarten on, and girls are expected to read to themselves for half an hour daily once they have developed the skills to do so. Classes II and III have weekly spelling and math assignments to do at home. Girls in Class IV are asked to prepare a thirty-minute assignment at home on weekdays and two on weekends, in addition to reading for pleasure. In the Middle School, the number of homework assignments gradually increases: a student who normally has two or, occasionally, three assignments a night in Class V can expect three, or sometimes four, assignments in Class VIII. With a time limit of forty minutes per assignment, girls are often able to complete some of their
50 50
01520_Text.indd 50
8/6/14 10:45 AM
homework in supervised study halls. A test calendar regulates the number of large assignments that may be due in any given week. With the greater flexibility of schedule and more disposable free time in the Upper School, the number of assignments a student takes home with her fluctuates, not only according to the number of classes she has in a day but also according to decisions she makes about how to use her time. If she joins an athletic team, she will have more free time during the day and less after school; if she prefers to socialize or participates in many activities, she may need to defer her preparation of assignments until she gets home. In accordance with a student’s increasing capacity to work independently, the length of assignments increases to fifty minutes per assignment starting in Class X. Facilities
Brearley’s physical layout supports students’ intellectual, artistic, social and physical activity in each of the three divisions. With indoor and outdoor athletic facilities in the neighborhood and its setting overlooking the East River, the School has the feel of a campus amid the artistic, cultural and other resources of New York City. The twelve-story main building, which serves as the academic home of all students from Kindergarten through Class XII, is full of airy interior spaces and sweeping views. While the homerooms of the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools are grouped in different parts of the building—the ages of students rising with the floors— classrooms and offices of the academic departments are situated throughout. Faculty, staff and girls of all ages come together in the School’s many common areas. The Assembly Hall, with its classical architecture, is the frequent scene of theater productions, lectures, concerts, recitals, rehearsals and community gatherings throughout the school year. Younger students gather with their teachers for lunch at tables in the Common Room, while Middle and Upper School students, faculty and staff enjoy breakfast, lunch and snacks in the cafeteria. Students and teachers also make daily use of Brearley’s two libraries, with their combined collection of 31,000 volumes, dozens of print and online subscriptions, musical recordings, audio books and a film collection of over 2,000 titles, mostly on DVD. Classrooms for most subjects are structured around seminar circles of desks or tables and are equipped with SmartBoards, projectors, laptop sets, wireless access points or other technology; in addition, the Physical Education, Computer Education, Science and Art Departments have dedicated gyms, laboratories and studios. On the science floor, specially designed to take advantage of recycled materials and energy-saving systems, students use a range of electronic tools for experimental and quantitative analysis to explore topics in biology, chemistry and physics—and even design and build their own robots, among other projects. There is also a large science room on one of the Lower School floors. Brearley’s art floor features three dedicated rooms for painting, drawing and sculpture, along with a ceramics room and a photography lab and darkroom. Students’
51 51
01520_Text.indd 51
8/6/14 10:45 AM
The School Community evolution as artists is richly evident in the sketches, paintings and photos that are displayed in the studios, the gallery-like walls of the seventh floor and the lobby and common areas throughout the School. The carpentry room on B Deck serves additional offerings of the Art Department and provides space and equipment for building theater sets. Computer facilities are available throughout the building. Students have access to two large computer labs, one serving the Lower School, the other the Middle and Upper Schools. In addition, there are three smaller computer workrooms, as well as the advanced science research room and laptops for use in the library and classrooms. Brearley’s physical education facilities at East 83rd Street include two gymnasiums, a gymnastics room, a fitness area and a dance studio. The School’s Field House, with regulation-size basketball and volleyball courts and bleachers, is a short walk away, on East 87th Street. This multi-purpose space serves primarily as a site for Middle and Upper School basketball, volleyball and other games and practices. Brearley also makes use of many outside facilities, including the swimming pool and artificial turf fields at Asphalt Green and fields on Randall’s Island. n DIVERSITY When a girl arrives at Brearley, she enters an inclusive community that prizes diversity—what people have in common and how they differ—and recognizes that its students need to feel at home not only in a variety of cultures and ways of approaching and solving problems, but also in the realization that “feeling at home” is a shifting concept. Brearley draws families from the entire metropolitan area—all five boroughs, Connecticut, Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey—and from all socioeconomic groups. Both the percentage of students receiving financial assistance and the average grant per student are among the largest in New York City independent schools. The School emphasizes ethnic and cultural diversity as well: students of color make up 46 percent of the student body. Diversity, and how we think about it, plays an important role in the lives of students and adults throughout the School. Lower School teachers discuss and devise effective approaches to issues of identity in the classroom. Middle School students and their advisors address similar questions as they arise in the burgeoning social world of early adolescence. Interested students can join the Middle School Diversity Committee, which meets weekly with a faculty advisor. The students on the Upper School Diversity Committee also hold weekly meetings, which are open to faculty and staff, and lead regular discussions for the entire division. This committee also sponsors a “common” book or film, which is read or viewed, and discussed, by Upper School students and their advisors in group meetings early in the school year. Among the student clubs in the Upper School are several ethnic and affinity groups that provide support and discuss, celebrate and share their cultures with the whole community. DAIS, the Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students (an organiza-
52 52
01520_Text.indd 52
8/6/14 10:45 AM
tion founded by students of New York independent schools), sponsors meetings, workshops and conferences. Girls share activities and relationships with students in other schools in New York and in other states and countries. They may take an advanced mathematics course, go on an outdoor overnight trip or perform in plays and concerts with other Interschool consortium students. Students participate in exchanges or travel/study programs that allow them to spend time abroad at a school, living with a family and/or learning and working with Brearley teachers. In recent years, students have traveled to London, Paris, Mumbai and Bangalore, as well as to China. An active Parents’ Association meets at regular intervals to discuss topics of general interest and to hear presentations by the Head of School and other senior staff members. It coordinates various events for parents and families during the school year; welcomes new families with events and a buddy program in the fall; and serves as a liaison between Brearley parents and outside organizations like Parents in Action. The parents’ diversity forum We Are Brearley meets several times a year and addresses a full range of issues. Its members serve as a resource for parents, as support groups for parents and their children and as co-organizers of the Festival of Cultures, held every other year. Moreover, they seek to bring their concerns to the attention of the School and to advocate for strategies that promote and support diversity. A new multi-constituent task force, which includes Board members and students as well as faculty, parents and alumnae, has recently been formed to take advantage of a greater range of voices across the Brearley community. Its purpose will be to examine diversity issues of interest and offer advice to the School’s leadership. The opportunities that arise from collaboration among varied perspectives and personalities, different family traditions and multiple talents are at the core of the academic experience as well. Diversity in academic life teaches students how to move between the familiar and the unfamiliar, with an intellectual understanding enriched by formal education. Broad exposure in the Lower School to cultures around the world is accompanied by an equally important focus on culture within the girls’ own community. The Middle School’s global history curriculum develops students’ facility with the comparative method as they encounter cultures firsthand in their study of French, Spanish or Mandarin. In the Upper School, girls develop the ability to see a culture on its own terms rather than chiefly through comparison with others. Having studied the history of African, Asian, South American and European cultures and a broad range of literature—and with the awareness that there are many learning styles and media for the translation of understanding—Brearley alumnae are prepared for the specific challenges of living and working with people from backgrounds different from their own. Supported by intellectual tools, academic diversity is not just a virtuous or moral perspective; it is an essential way of seeing the world for global citizens.
53 53
01520_Text.indd 53
8/6/14 10:45 AM
College Advising College Advising
The college search and application process is an opportunity for students to exercise their decision-making skills, independence and self-knowledge. Brearley offers a comprehensive advising program that begins formally in the fall of Class XI. Although the College Advisors oversee the entire college application process, it is vital that each girl feel confident taking responsibility for and making choices appropriate to her academic and personal goals. The students meet in seminars with the College Advisors throughout Class XI and through the fall of their senior year. In the second half of Class XI, girls begin to meet individually with the Advisors in a series of conversations that eventually includes their parents. The process is a very personal one, in which the Advisors come to know each girl quite well and are thus best able to serve as her advocate throughout. The college process consists of a series of events to educate families about college, as well as frequent meetings and regular correspondence with students and their parents. All of these exchanges depend on honest and open communication. In addition to conversations with Brearley’s College Advisors, families are invited to attend college-related events (including a college fair and financial aid event) sponsored in conjunction with other Interschool institutions. In the fall of the senior year, over sixty college representatives visit Brearley to meet with students interested in their college or university. The College Advisors, as the School’s representatives to the colleges, write a lengthy letter of recommendation for each student, drawing upon their knowledge of the individual girl; the recommendation is supplemented by substantial commentary from teachers and advisors and is endorsed by the Head of School. The College Advisors are available as counselors and editors as the students complete their applications, and they remain a source of information and guidance until a student has made the decision about which college she will attend. While the primary relationship is forged with the student, the College Advisors serve as a resource for parents as they, too, navigate the college application process. Almost all courses at Brearley in Classes XI and XII meet or exceed the standard of the Advanced Placement program; although Brearley courses rarely confine themselves to teaching to a particular syllabus, Brearley students who do choose to take an AP have historically done well.
54 54
01520_Text.indd 54
8/6/14 10:45 AM
n COLLEGE ENTRANCE 2010—2014 Total
Total
Amherst College 2
Oberlin College 4
Bard College 6
Occidental College
1
Barnard College 5
Pitzer College
1
Bates College 1
Princeton University
Boston College 7
Rice University
2
Bowdoin College 6
Rochester Institute of Technology
1
Brandeis University 2
Skidmore College
1
Brown University 8
Smith College
1
Bryn Mawr College 1
Southern Methodist University
1
Bucknell University 2
Stanford University
4
Carleton College 4
Stony Brook University
1
Carnegie Mellon University 4
Swarthmore College
1
Colgate University 3
The Cooper Union
1
Columbia University
17
The Juilliard School
1
Connecticut College 2
Trinity College
2
Cornell University 3
Tufts University
2
Dartmouth College 9
Tulane University
2
Duke University 3
University of California at Berkeley 1
Elon University 1
University of California
13
Emory University 1
at Santa Barbara
1
Evergreen State College 1
University of Chicago
5
Georgetown University 4
University of Colorado
1
Grinnell College 3
University of Illinois School
Hamilton College 1
of Engineering
1
15
University of Michigan
2
Haverford College 3
University of Oxford
2
Indiana University at Bloomington 1
University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins University 6
University of St. Andrews
2
Kenyon College 2
University of Texas at Austin
1
Lafayette College 1
University of Vermont
1
Macalester College 4
University of Virginia
1
Massachusetts Institute
Vanderbilt University
3
Vassar College
1
Harvard College
of Technology 2
10
McGill University 2
Washington University in St. Louis 5
Middlebury College 5
Wellesley College
2
Mount Holyoke College 1
Wesleyan University
7
New York University 4
Williams College
10
Northwestern University 5
Yale University
18
55 55
01520_Text.indd 55
8/6/14 10:45 AM
Greater Brearley Greater Brearley
Brearley alumnae distinguish themselves by knowing exactly why they love their alma mater. The relationship between the School and its past students is notable for the energy and support alumnae give to Brearley: 41% of them contribute to Brearley’s Annual Fund, one of the highest rates of participation among our peer schools. Alumnae maintain close ties with the School through long friendships with their former teachers, through publications and a website that keep them up-to-date on news of the School and through participation in programs and reunions sponsored by an active Brearley Alumnae Association, formed in 1893. Among other opportunities for alumnae involvement, the “610 Connect Program” fosters networking among our alumnae; an Arts Committee invites alumnae to events that provide an inside look at the arts in the city; the Frances Riker Davis Award honors alumnae for quiet giving to their communities; and the Lois Kahn Wallace Award honors the talent of aspiring alumnae writers. Alumnae across the generations serve as resources for one another on both career and personal issues. They take an active interest in students at the School, providing career advice and internships at their workplaces. Brearley alumnae are lawyers, parents, filmmakers, teachers, nurses, designers, writers of all kinds—from poets and screenwriters to journalists—policy makers and politicians, actors, social workers, artists, financial managers and doctors. In addition to alumnae support, Brearley is fortunate in enjoying the generosity of parents, alumnae parents, grandparents and foundations. This support, well-rooted in the School’s long history, makes possible programs for financial assistance, enrichment of the curriculum and student and faculty awards that honor the School’s core values. Members of the Brearley community contribute generously to the School through gifts to the Annual Fund ($3,825,000 in 2013–2014), the Parents’ Association Benefit, the Class XII gift and capital funds. In 2013–2014 parent participation in the Annual Fund reached 99%. Brearley’s endowment is the result of gifts, large and small, over many decades, which have been wisely managed by a volunteer investment committee of the Board of Trustees.
■ ENDOWMENT
Market value as of June 30, 2014: $131,300,000
56 56
01520_Text.indd 56
8/6/14 10:45 AM
School Funds Endowed and Other Capital Funds n FOR THE ARTS ART HISTORY FUND (2001)
Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust and Henry and Patricia Tang. To support and enrich the study of art history. TONY BARLOW DANCE FUND (1999)
In memory of Tony Barlow, husband of Dr. Priscilla M. Winn Barlow, Head of the School from 1997 to 2003 and Interim Head from 2011 to 2012. To enhance the dance program. URSULA LOENGARD BERENS ’47 MEMORIAL ART FUND (1987)
To enhance the visual arts program through demonstrations by practicing artists and trips to view art and architecture. ELSMITH MUSIC FUND (1966)
In memory of Berta and Leonard Elsmith. To award a music prize and to support the work of the Music Department. SALLY W. GANZ VISITING ARTISTS FUND (1998)
Established by her daughters. To bring visiting artists to work with students. ELINOR LAMONT HALLOWELL ’53 MUSIC FUND (1998)
To encourage an appreciation of music in future generations of Brearley girls. THE RACHEL BARRETT SWETT ’07 PHOTOGRAPHY FUND (2011)
Established by Benjamin and Katherine Swett, family and friends, in loving memory of Rachel Barrett Swett, Class of 2007. To support and enhance the teaching of photography, as a reflection of Rachel’s interest and passion for photography. ALICE BEMIS THOMPSON FUND (1985)
Charles G. Thompson, in memory of his wife. For honoraria for guest speakers, particularly in the arts. n FOR GENERAL CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT THE ATHLETICS DISCRETIONARY FUND (1995)
Peter and Mike Gilbert. FISHER/NADOSY LIBRARY FUND (1995)
Robert and Barbara Liberman and Peter and Patricia Nadosy. ALICE F. GOODWIN ’50 LIBRARY FUND (2002)
Bequest of Mrs. Marion F. Goodwin, in memory of her daughter. ISEMAN FUND (2001)
Frederick Iseman and Marguerite Nougué-Sans. To support the teaching of fresh, articulate and effective spoken English as a recognized valuable part of a Brearley education. MARGARET R. LAWRENCE FUND (1983)
A Brearley alumna and her husband, in honor of a longtime teacher in the Lower School. To support the teaching of reading in the Lower School program.
57 57
01520_Text.indd 57
8/13/14 2:32 PM
School Funds Endowed and Other Capital Funds PHYSICAL EDUCATION FUND (1986)
For rental of athletic facilities outside the School, transportation for students and salaries for part-time physical education teachers and coaches. THE GEORGE Z. TOKIEDA FUND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (2007)
An alumna in the Class of ’81, in memory of a much-loved science teacher. To support all aspects of environmental education. TWEEDY LOWER SCHOOL LIBRARY FUND (1987)
Mrs. Gordon Tweedy and her three Brearley daughters. ZAHLER VISITING WRITERS FUND (2004)
Eric and Karen Gantz Zahler. To support the visiting authors program. n FOR STUDENT ACTIVITIES NINA ZINSSER ’76 MEMORIAL FUND (1979)
To support the School’s literary magazine, the Beaver. SELF-GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION FUND (1996)
Toni Krissel Goodale ’59. To encourage and support student involvement and leadership in the life of the School through the activities of the Brearley Association for Self-Government. n FOR FACULTY ART CHAIR FUND (1958)
Barbara Whitney Headley ’21, in memory of her mother, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1894. ANNE LLOYD BASINGER LEGACY (1987)
Bequest of Miss Basinger, Head of the Middle School from 1934 to 1972. For vacations, travel and recreation of members of the faculty. EDNA H. CARLING PHYSICAL EDUCATION CHAIR FUND (1962)
In honor of the Head of the Physical Education Department from 1933 to 1963. CHAIRS FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING (1984)
To support and augment the salaries of three outstanding teachers, in recognition of Brearley’s commitment to excellence. HELENE CHAMPRIGAND CHAIR OF MODERN LANGUAGES (1982)
Margarita Delacorte ’49, in memory of the former Head of the French Department. PHYLLIS GOODHART GORDAN ’31 CHAIR OF CLASSICS (1976)
In honor of Brearley alumna, parent and President of the Board of Trustees from 1969 to 1973. EVELYN J. HALPERT ’52 HISTORY CHAIR FUND (1924)
Named in 1997, in honor of the Head of the School from 1975 to 1997.
58 58
01520_Text.indd 58
8/13/14 2:32 PM
MARGARET RIKER HARDING LOWER SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP FUND (2002)
In memory of the Head of the Lower School from 1963 to 1985 and a faculty member for forty-four years. SANDRA LEA MARSHALL ’73 FUND (1974)
For travel or other pleasurable purposes in recognition of extraordinary personal support of students. MASTER TEACHER FUND (2000)
In honor of retiring faculty each year. To support the mentorship by longtime faculty members of less experienced teachers. MILLICENT CAREY McINTOSH ENGLISH CHAIR FUND (1951)
In honor of the Head of the School from 1930 to 1947. MUSIC CHAIR FUND (1959) LAURA SPELMAN ROCKEFELLER FUND (1984)
Mr. and Mrs. Laurance S. Rockefeller. For faculty salaries. DOROTHY SCHIFF ’20 SCIENCE CHAIR (2004)
The Dorothy Schiff Foundation, in memory of longtime editor and publisher of the New York Post and member of a multi-generation Brearley family. EMILY TOWNSEND VERMEULE ’46 CLASSICS FUND (2002) EMILY V. M. WALKER ’06 FACULTY FUND (2014)
Established by Thomas B. Walker III in honor of his daughter. To support faculty compensation. SERENA MARSHALL WELD ’01 FUND (1934)
Bequest of Miss Mildred Du Bois. To benefit a teacher on sabbatical leave. PRISCILLA M. WINN BARLOW FACULTY SALARY FUND (2003)
In honor of the Head of the School from 1997 to 2003 and Interim Head from 2011 to 2012. n FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT AWARDS ALESSANDRA CHENEY APPLEBY ’44 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1959)
Mr. and Mrs. Ward Cheney, in memory of their daughter. ANNE LLOYD BASINGER FUND (1972)
In honor of the Head of the Middle School from 1934 to 1972. For scholarships, especially for Middle School students. THE BLUTT FAMILY ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITY FUND (2008)
Mitchell and Margo Krody Blutt. To make all aspects of a Brearley education accessible to students. LOUISE CLARKE BODMAN 1911 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1983)
The Bodman Foundation.
59 59
01520_Text.indd 59
8/13/14 2:32 PM
School Funds Endowed and Other Capital Funds
BARBARA SCHNEIDER BRUCKNER ’68 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1988)
For scholarships, especially for students who exhibit an interest in and commitment to community service. SARAH C. CARSLAKE SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1977)
In honor of the Registrar and Director of Admission from 1929 to 1977. ELIZABETH DODGE H. CLARKE 1903 AND JULIA DODGE REA 1904 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1977)
The Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation, Inc. FRANCES RIKER DAVIS 1915 MEMORIAL FUND (1966)
To provide a scholarship annually to a girl who has shown leadership in service to the School and to honor an alumna who exemplifies the spirit of service characteristic of Mrs. Davis. MARY DE KAY SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1982)
In memory of the Head of the English Department and Head of the Middle School. Middle School scholarships. MILDRED M. DONNELLY MEMORIAL FUND (1964)
Lower School scholarships. ANNE DUNN SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1924)
Mr. and Mrs. George D. Selden and a bequest of Miss Frances Arnold. For a student entering Bryn Mawr College. ELIZABETH WHEELER ELLISON ’38 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1987)
Bequest from John Wheeler in memory of his daughter. AMY MAZZOLA FLYNN ’81 MEMORIAL FUND (2014)
Established by family and friends in loving memory of Amy Mazzola Flynn, Class of 1981. For scholarships, especially for students interested in the arts. EDWARD E. FORD FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT FUND (1981)
Upper School scholarships. ELINOR FRESTON ’51 MEMORIAL FUND (2001)
Katherine F. Freston ’48, in memory of her sister. For special assistance in language and/or mathematics for Lower and Middle School students. CAROLINE ZELAZNIK GRUSS SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1999)
Evelyn G. Lipper and Tamara Lipper ’91, in memory of their mother and grandmother. Scholarships, with preference given to a student from a recent Jewish immigrant family. ELIZABETH FRENCH HITCHCOCK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1977) MARIAN L. HOGUE ’41 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1985) JANE FENNELL HOOPS ’37 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (2005)
Bequest of Herman L. Hoops in honor of his daughter.
60 60
01520_Text.indd 60
8/13/14 2:32 PM
KAUFMAN FAMILY FUND (2000)
Eric and Eileen Kaufman. For supplementary financial assistance, with preference given to members of minority groups. CLARA B. KELLNER SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1987)
George A. Kellner, in honor of his mother. For scholarship assistance to deserving students, with preference given to children of employees of not-for-profit educational or research institutions. HEDWIG RIDDER LEACH ’35 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1991)
Orin T. Leach, in memory of his wife. For scholarships, with preference given to students with a strong interest in the study of history. LOUISE LITTAUER SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1985)
Lucius N. Littauer Foundation. For scholarships for students who show the “mental superiority and considerate disposition” of Louise Littauer, a young New Yorker who died in 1876 and “who would have attended the Brearley school had it existed in her time.” THE MCLEAN FUND (1920)
Bequest from Ethel McLean. To support financial assistance. JEAN FAIR MITCHELL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1997)
In honor of the Head of the School from 1947 to 1975. For a partial scholarship for a student in Class VI, VII or VIII who has demonstrated academic ability but whose parents, working in non-profit educational, research or public service institutions, cannot comfortably cover the entire cost of a Brearley education. ELISABETH MOSER MEMORIAL FUND (1990)
Esther Ridder ’43 and Joan Ridder Challinor ’45. For extra assistance to students in the Middle and Upper Schools. READER’S DIGEST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1980)
Dewitt Wallace Fund, Inc. For partial scholarships for students from middleincome families beyond their first year at Brearley. SYDNEY JOELSON SEGAL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1998)
In loving memory by her family. For scholarship assistance to a Middle or Upper School student with an interest in science or math. THE LOUISE G. AND JACOB SKLAROFF MEMORIAL FUND (2011)
Established in their memory by Rachel and Donald Strauber. To help assure that all Brearley students can enjoy every aspect of life at the School. C.V. STARR SCHOLARSHIP MEMORIAL FUND (1995)
The Starr Foundation. SHEILA MULDOWNY STONE ’53 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (2000)
Robert L. Stone, in honor of his wife and augmented by a bequest from Mr. Stone in 2009. For financial assistance for students who strive to be the best that they can be in the classroom, in the Brearley community and in sports or dance.
61 61
01520_Text.indd 61
8/13/14 2:32 PM
School Funds Endowed and Other Capital Funds DELIGHT TOLLES FUND (1990)
In memory of longtime Classics teacher and Chairman of the Classics Department from 1964 to 1979. For scholarships and tutoring or other assistance, especially for students who show an interest in the Classics. FRANCES HYDE ZABRISKIE 1914 SCHOLARSHIP FUND (1973)
The Lillia Babbitt Hyde Foundation. n STUDENT TRAVEL FUNDS JACQUELINE DE COPPET BERTHET ’52 MEMORIAL FUND (1980)
For study in France. CLASS OF 1948 TRAVEL FUND (1998)
In honor of their 50th reunion and in memory of their deceased classmates. For student foreign exchange programs. PEGGY LEHMAN KORN ’37 FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND TRAVEL FUND (2000)
Bequest. To provide financial assistance to broaden students’ horizons with travel and exchange programs. KATHRYN SCHAEFLER PERSHAN ’49 SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY AND TRAVEL (1999)
For travel grants to Upper School students participating in programs related to classical studies or art history. ANDREA V. ROSENTHAL ’84 SCHOLARSHIP FOR OVERSEAS STUDY AND TRAVEL (1990)
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Rosenthal, in memory of their daughter. To enable a deserving Upper School student to travel or participate in summer study, community service projects or other programs overseas. n SPECIAL PURPOSE FUNDS COLLEGE FUND (1998)
Tony and Amie James. To support the work of the College Advisor through enhanced contact with colleges and universities. INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION STUDENT LOAN FUND (1982)
For student loans to accompany the School’s scholarship grants. JEAN FAIR MITCHELL FUND (1975)
In honor of the Head of the School from 1947 to 1975. To give future Heads of School a special resource for curricular or administrative projects that lie outside the regular budget of the School. SCHOLASTIC LOAN FUND (1976)
The Uris Brothers Foundation, Inc. For loans to families in need of temporary financial assistance.
62 62
01520_Text.indd 62
8/13/14 2:32 PM
LOIS KAHN WALLACE ’57 BREARLEY WRITERS AWARD FUND (1999)
To honor Brearley for honing her appreciation of good writing. An award to honor and encourage a Brearley alumna who has begun to publish wellcrafted prose. n FOR GENERAL SCHOOL PURPOSES ENDOWMENT FUND
Includes funds raised for the Endowment Fund of 1920, the 75th Anniversary Fund, the Development Fund, the Capital Fund Program of 1973, the Centennial Campaign, the Campaign for Brearley and the 125th Anniversary Campaign. CROSWELL MEMORIAL PENSION FUND (1915) HELEN LANCASTER HALL ’18 FUND (1993) SOPHIE CONNETT JOHNSON ’25 FUND (1993) THE ALICE MacRAE KISSEL ’29 FUND (2004) MEMORIAL FUND OF THE ALUMNAE (1955)
Alumnae Association. To receive capital bequests under wills or gifts in memory of alumnae, with income supporting the Annual Fund, so that annual giving by memorialized alumnae is perpetuated. RICHARD B. STEARNS, JR., MEMORIAL FUND (1993)
In memory of a Brearley parent and trustee (1986 to 1993). VALERIE VONDERMUHLL ’36 FUND (1979)
Income supports the Annual Fund. n PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION BENEFIT FUNDS Every year since 1978, the Brearley Parents’ Association has produced a Benefit event that brings the entire community together for an afternoon or evening. The use of the proceeds from the Benefit is determined each year by the volunteer Benefit Committee in consultation with the Head of School. In some years, Benefit proceeds have been used for purposes other than endowment; in some years, Benefit gifts to the endowment have been unrestricted. The list here highlights those Benefits that have created funds for specified purposes. 1985 CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Proceeds from “An Evening with Itzhak Perlman.” 1988 ARTS FUND 1992 FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND 1999 “BREARLEY ON BROADWAY” FUND FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Featuring the music of Brearley fathers Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Loesser and Richard Rodgers, the 1999 Benefit created this fund to support the School’s performing arts program.
63 63
01520_Text.indd 63
8/13/14 2:32 PM
School Funds Endowed and Other Capital Funds 2002 BENEFIT SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2004 ARTS FUND 2007 FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND 2008 COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND 2009 FACULTY SALARY FUND 2010 THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2011 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUND 2012 FACULTY SALARY FUND 2013 INNOVATION FUND FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 2014 BREARLEY TEACHING FUND
n CLASS XII GIFT FUNDS Each year, the families of Brearley’s Class XII honor their daughters’ achievements and their Brearley education with a gift to the School. The purpose to which the Class XII gift will be directed is determined by the volunteer Gift Committee in consultation with Class XII and the Head of School. In some years, the Class XII gift purchases something specific for the School (for example, seating for the Assembly Hall balcony or pianos). The list here highlights those Class XII gifts that have created endowed funds for specified purposes. CLASS OF 1981 SCHOLARSHIP FUND CLASS OF 1988 COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND CLASS OF 1992 FACULTY AWARD FUND
To honor the extraordinary commitment of the Brearley faculty to their students. CLASS OF 1993 CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT FUND To expand the offerings of elective courses in the Upper School.
64 64
01520_Text.indd 64
8/13/14 2:32 PM
CLASS OF 1995 SCHOLARSHIP FUND CLASS OF 1996 LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY FUND CLASS OF 1997 SCIENCE ENRICHMENT FUND CLASS OF 1998 VISITING SCHOLARS FUND CLASS OF 1999 FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND CLASS OF 2003 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR FACILITIES AND KITCHEN PERSONNEL CLASS OF 2004 LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT FUND CLASS OF 2005 MASTER TEACHER FUND
In memory of George Tokieda, treasured member of the Brearley Science faculty from 1975 to 2005. CLASS OF 2006 TRAVEL, STUDY AND SERVICE FUND CLASS OF 2007 CURRICULUM INNOVATION FUND CLASS OF 2008 FACULTY SALARY FUND CLASS OF 2010 COMMUNITY SPIRIT FUND CLASS OF 2011 LEGACY FUND CLASS OF 2012 FACULTY TECHNOLOGY FUND CLASS OF 2013 FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION FUND CLASS OF 2014 STUDENT LIFE FUND
65 65
01520_Text.indd 65
8/13/14 2:32 PM
Calendar 2014—2015 Calendar ■ 2014 Tues.–Fri., August 19–22 Mandatory team practices and tryouts for
Upper School athletic teams. Mon.–Fri., August 25–29 Workshops for Upper School student officers;
orientation for new students in V–IX; classes for new students in VII and IX; U.S. team practices; faculty meetings. Monday, September 1
Labor Day: School closed.
Tuesday, September 2
Opening Day XII
Wednesday, September 3
Opening Day V–XI, VII–VIII athletics begin.
Thursday, September 4 K small groups visit. Opening Day I–IV; Early
dismissal at 12:30 pm; MS/US Classes begin. Friday, September 5 K Opening Day; Dismissal at 11:30 am,
V–VI athletics begin. Monday, September 8
Lower School Full Days begin.
Monday, September 15
Music lessons, Middle School activities begin.
Tuesday, September 16
Lower School Curriculum Night.
Thursday, September 18
Middle School Curriculum Night.
Monday, September 22
Upper School Curriculum Night.
Thursday, September 25
Rosh Hashanah: School closed.
Monday, October 13
Columbus Day: School closed.
Tuesday, October 14
Professional Development Day: No Classes.
Wed.–Fri., November 26-28
Thanksgiving Recess: School closed.
Monday, December 1
Entrance examinations for Class IX.
Wednesday, December 3
Entrance examinations for Class VI.
Friday, December 5 Entrance examinations for Classes VII–VIII
and X. Thursday, December 18
Lower School last day before Winter Break.
Friday, December 19 Middle and Upper School last day before
Winter Break.
66 66
01520_Text.indd 66
8/13/14 2:32 PM
Calendar 2014—2015 Calendar ■ 2015 Monday, January 5
School reopens.
Monday, January 19
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: School closed.
Mon.–Tues., February 16–17
Presidents’ Weekend: School closed.
Wed., March 4–Wed., March 11
Examination period, Classes IX–XII.
Mon., March 9–Wed., March 11
Examination period, Classes VII and VIII.
Friday, March 13
Last day before Spring Break.
Monday, March 30
School reopens.
Friday, April 3
Passover and Good Friday: School closed.
Monday, May 25
Memorial Day: School closed.
Thursday, June 4
Last day of Middle School activities.
Friday, June 5
Last day of music lessons.
Tuesday, June 9
Lower School Last Day.
Wednesday, June 10
Middle School Last Day.
Thursday, June 11
Upper School Last Day.
Mon.–Wed., June 15–17
Faculty meetings.
■ TUITION 2014–2015
K–XII $41,900 Tuition includes lunch, books, supplies and class trips. ■ SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS
Weekdays: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Summer Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Closed Fridays in July and August.
67 67
01520_Text.indd 67
8/6/14 10:45 AM
2014–2015 Board of Trustees 2014—2015 Board of Trustees Ellen Jewett ’77, President Christopher L. Mann, Vice President Deborah Davis Ascheim, M.D. ’82, Secretary Noah Gottdiener, Treasurer
Christine Frankenhoff Alfaro ’91
HONORARY TRUSTEES
Reza Ali
Georges F. de Ménil
Nicholas C. Bienstock
Evelyn Janover Halpert ’52
Samara Epstein Cohen ’88
David T. Hamamoto
Virginia Connor
Stephanie J. Hull
François de Ménil
Alan Jones
Jane Foley Fried
Caroline Kennedy ’75
Marisa Gardini ’85
Esther M. Ridder ’43
Ivan M. Hageman
Edward F. Rover
Elizabeth Harpel Kehler ’79
John F. Savarese
Georgia Levenson Keohane ’90
J. Kellum Smith, Jr.
Sarah E. Lewis ’97
Priscilla M. Winn Barlow
Kathleen Moriarty ’71 James Neary
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE
Julia Pershan ’88
Susan Sagor
David B. Philip Naomi Press Modupe Akinola Robinson ’92 Terri J. Seligman ’78 Carter Brooks Simonds ’95 Andrew K. Tsai
68 68
01520_Text.indd 68
8/6/14 10:45 AM