You can pay via PayPal or write a check and leave in the PTA mailbox in main office (address to Friends of BNS).
OUR MISSION
Friends of Brooklyn New School is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit fundraising organization run by parents in support of The Brooklyn New School (BNS) and the BNS PTA. BNS is an un-zoned public school serving students in Pre-K through 5th grade. Our inquiry-based curriculum empowers children to creatively solve problems and effect positive change. Within our diverse, inclusive community, children gain a strong sense of responsibility for themselves, each other, and our environment.
OUR NEED
Government funding to NYC public schools is not enough to cover basic costs such as school supplies, science, arts education, and even teacher salaries. Schools rely on their PTAs to fundraise from families to cover costs, which reinforces education inequality and segregation, as schools serving higher-income communities operate on a vastly higher budget than schools serving communities with fewer resources.
In 2016 BNS joined with a group of like-minded schools to pilot a DOE admissions policy intended to combat the trend toward school segregation and inequality. Students eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch (FRL) have priority for Pre-K and Kindergarten admission. Today, 55.5% of Pre-K and 41% of our Kindergarten students qualify for FRL, compared with 33% school-wide. We provide school bus service throughout Brooklyn, and actively outreach to lower-income neighborhoods. Our student population identifies as 42% white, 21% percent Hispanic, 20% black, 12% multi-racial, and 5% Asian.
We anticipate a continued shift toward serving a majority of low-income students in our school. As the percentage of low-income students increases, we cannot rely solely on fundraising from families to support our enriched curriculum. Friends of Brooklyn New School is continually finding new ways to fund inspired education accessible for all.
YOUR SUPPORT
Your financial support will provide 723 Brooklyn children with academically rigorous, hands-on educational experiences that kindle their innate curiosity, teach them to continue asking questions, and inspire lifelong learning. Your funding will go directly to supporting:
Environmental Education: Pre-K and Kindergarten students extend their classrooms into the outdoors, exploring and studying the natural world in Forest School and Shore School. Older students raise trout in their classrooms, and release them into upstate waterways as part of their study of water and the effects of pollution on our ecosystem. They build models of green infrastructure, test pH levels in the Hudson River, learn wilderness survival skills, and study climate change.
Performing Arts: Students work with dedicated teaching artists, learning dance, theater, and music skills that develop their talents, leadership, self-awareness, and self-confidence. Every year, the 4th grade develops and produces an original, full-scale musical.
Farming and Sustainability: We have transformed our schoolyard—once a parking lot—into an urban farm where students grow crops like herbs, okra, eggplant, and lettuce. The yard also holds a pollinator habitat for butterflies; a worm composting station where much of the school’s compost is processed; and a home for three hens. BNS has won multiple awards for recycling/ecological awareness, and is one of the nation’s top 10 Eco-Schools.
Reading: We build confident and enthusiastic readers with the extra support of library staff and reading intervention specialists. Students visit our school library every week, browse and borrow books, and engage in theme-based reading curriculum focused on questions like, “How are you making our world a better place?”
The Extravaganza is an annual event directed by José Garcia that showcases the many talents of our BNS students. The talent performed can be almost anything: singing, dancing, performing a short skit with friends, playing a musical... Read More
BNS / BCS Creating Connections through Songwriting and Poetry Thursday Dec 11 6:00-8:00 pm in the Auditorium BNS 5th graders from Laurie & Navika’s class join BCS 6th graders for an evening share... Read More
You can pay via PayPal or write a check and leave in the PTA mailbox in main office (address to Friends of BNS).
