School News

David Watson, physical education teacher, reports that a new format for Upper School Field Day turned out to be a huge success!

He offers the following wrap-up: The boys, divided into three color teams with two senior captains in charge, were challenged to compete in running events, teamwork events and group games. Points scored were tabulated during the day at Randall's Island. The team with the highest points total was awarded a trophy that will then be handed down to the winners next year. Thus, "The Panther Games" were initiated for the first time and will hopefully be the start of a new school tradition!

A full team puzzle race started the games, followed by the running events consisting of a 60, 400, 1500 and 4x200 meter relay. Then came tug-of-war, Frisbee target throw, potato sack race and wheel barrow race. After a pizza lunch the teams played soccer, modified softball and touch football. The three teams were named Red, White and Black, which are Browning's colors. After some wonderful close competitions, the Black team edged out the White by 10 points, 134 -124. View photos.

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The Mock Trial team had its best season in Browning history, according to Marcia Wallace, advisor to the boys, who reports: The Browning team participated in a tournament with over 110 schools, both public and private, representing all five boroughs of New York City. After winning solidly in Rounds 1 and 2 against The Yeshiva University High School for Boys and The Bronx High School for Law and Community Service, our team received a bye for Round 3 as one of the 16 highest-ranked teams of the remaining 48. Browning's win against The Bronx High School for Science in Round 4 was an outstanding accomplishment!

The team collided in Round 5 with The High School for American Studies at Lehman College; it was "a match for the ages," as described by the team's lawyer/coach and past parent, Katherine Weinhoff. The judge that night stated, "This evening's trial was the very best competition I have ever been a part of, and there are lawyers out there who are being paid every day but do not handle objections or see the broader picture at the level of today's participants." The boys are proud to have concluded the season seeded #6 of the 16 teams going into this match up. The presence of three Form VI boys who have been a part of the program since Form II provided an exceptional amount of leadership and experience for the younger team members to emulate. View photos.

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The Browning community had a great time at Middle School Field Day this year, according to Director of Physical Education Patricia Zeuner, who offers the following report: Boys were split into five teams for the events, and the teams’ scores were tallied throughout the morning. Upon arrival, the entire Middle School participated in a race that included every student in the division, namely, the newly introduced “puzzle race.” In relay format, students sprinted across the soccer field to receive a puzzle piece from a faculty supervisor. While speed was important, the winner was ultimately determined by the team that finished the puzzle first. It was a great display of teamwork among all four grade levels.

Ms. Zeuner added that following the puzzle race, students participated in four events within their grade level. As is cherished tradition, the boys enjoyed a pizza picnic lunch and some free time in the afternoon when they could play among friends or join organized games of soccer and “capture the flag.” The entire event was a great success, and we feel very fortunate to have had such fabulous weather! View photos.

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Form VI class members received the results of their college acceptances, and we're pleased to report positive news once again this year! Please click here to see the list of acceptances to date. Congratulations to the Class of 2015 on their achievements!

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Head of Middle School Chris Dunham reports on an overnight trip taken with Form I boys on April 9: “The Form I boys, along with Mr. Davis, Mr. Klein and me, spent two days up in the Hudson Highlands. Black Rock Forest was our first stop. The boys seined for macro-invertebrates in the local streams, hiked four miles to Field of Pines, and had a fun campfire (with S’mores!). Mr. Davis and a small crew of students discovered a local cache of Black Rock Forest clay and brought back 10 pounds of it for sculpting use here at school. On Friday, the boys traveled to Storm King Art Center to see its monumental pieces. It was a terrific trip for all!"

The boys began their day on Friday with a group sculpture project inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. They broke into teams and were instructed to assemble an earth sculpture using materials they found in the forest. The teams focused on the use of the elements and principles of design to enhance their creations, which were photographed at the end of the allotted time frame. View photos.

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Spanish teacher Giurissa A. Félix-Grace reports that for the second year in a row, the Grade Five Spanish class presented their Famous Spanish-speaking People project. Using the tools learned in their media literacy class, the boys researched a famous Spanish-speaking figure, answered 10 biographical questions, rewrote their answers in Spanish incorporating the grammar and vocabulary they have learned and presented their reports in Spanish dressed as their historical figures.

A few of last year's visitors returned to Browning, while the rest visited the School for the first time, including Guatemalan writer Miguel Ángel Asturias, Colombian painter Fernando Botero, Venezuelan statesman and military leader Simón Bolívar, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Argentinian writer Julio Cortázar, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, Dominican visionary and founding father Juan Pablo Duarte, Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Mexican painter Diego Rivera, Dominican dictator and military leader Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, and Castilian nobelman and military leader Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar known as El Cid. ¡Bravo a todos! View photos.

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On April 9, the first grade boys proudly presented "The Jolly Postman," a play inspired by a book written and illustrated by Janet and Allen Ahlberg. Grade One teacher Lindsay Burrus proudly reports: "In a few weeks the first graders will begin to learn about the mail system. They will run their own Browning Post Office where students and teachers can send letters throughout the School, with the boys as the postmen. So naturally, this story seemed like a great inspiration for our play! The boys did a fabulous job!"

Lucy Warner, Lower School music teacher, wrote the song the boys sang based on the "The Letter," a 1960s hit by the Box Tops. She, along with Ms. Burrus, teachers Julianne Rowland, Taylor McKenna, Glenn Walker and the parents, of course, were extremely pleased with the boys for learning all their lines and speaking them so loudly and clearly. View photos.

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On April 1, French teacher Megan Ryan, Spanish teacher Giurissa Félix-Grace and art teacher Nik Vlahos accompanied boys in French IV and Spanish II/IV classes to The Frick Collection to view the exhibition, “Coypel’s Don Quixote Tapestries: Illustrating a Spanish Novel in Eighteenth-Century France,” which commemorates the 400th anniversary of the publication of the second volume of “Don Quixote.” The Frick Collection was assembled by industrialist Henry Clay Frick and is housed in his family’s former residence on Fifth Avenue. After their tour, the boys posed for a group photo, taken by Jeremy Katz ’04, in The Garden Court designed by John Russell Pope, who designed the original building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Melanie McMahon offers the following report:

The Frick’s website explains that Cervantes’s “Don Quixote” (fully titled “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha”) was wildly popular when published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615. The Frick’s knowledgeable tour guides explained that the adventures of the knight Don Quixote and his companion Sancho Panza inspired a myriad of paintings, prints, interiors, operas and ballets, as well as Charles-Antoine Coypel’s exquisite tapestries, three of which are currently on display at the Frick. The tapestries, originally accessible only to the wealthy, were hung in Louis XV’s rooms and also given as diplomatic gifts. On loan from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, they were created 100 years after Cervantes’s work was published and were “translated” from a series of 28 commissioned “cartoons” or designs produced by Coypel, painter to Louis XV, over the course of 20 years. Four of Coypel’s original paintings, never before seen in New York, are on display; they are on loan from the Palais Impérial de Compiègne and the Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris. Also included in the exhibition are several of the 25 black-and-white engravings made for the masses by Coypel. Click here to read more about the Browning group's visit.

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Spanish teacher Elizabeth Suárez reports on a number of activities that enhanced the education experience of her students on March 31. “Advanced Spanish students have been studying the life and work of Spanish artist Salvador Dalí as well as the Surrealist movement. In order to complement this unit, the boys went for a guided tour to the Museum of Modern Art with art teacher Zack Davis and me. There they saw Dalí’s “Persistence of Memory,” one of his best-known paintings. They also explored works by Kahlo, Picasso, Magritte and de Chirico, among others. It was a colorful trip!”

Meanwhile, Spanish III students who are studying a unit on Cuba, including the most recent changes in its internal policies and its relationship with the U.S., welcomed a special visitor. Ms. Suárez explains: “Music Department Chair David Prestigiacomo gave a bilingual presentation to our class about his experiences in Cuba, since he knows this island in depth. His husband, Mario, is a Cuban, and they frequently travel there to visit family and friends. His remarks were thought-provoking and emotional; the boys appreciated his presentation and asked interesting questions afterward.” View photos.

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As thoughts turn to spring gardening, Nicole Cotroneo Jolly, an award-winning journalist, film producer and digital content creator, presented “How Does It Grow?” at a Lower School assembly on April 2, immediately after recognition by the Panther mascot of those boys celebrating birthdays. Her interactive presentation explained the sources of the food we eat, bringing boys, via two videos, to farms that cultivate a few “diverse yet common” foods. Ms. Jolly focused her program on cauliflower and mushrooms, as both were served in Browning’s dining hall that day.

Using language the boys could understand, Ms. Jolly explored the themes of each video, including the connection between consumer expectation and food waste. For instance, farmers need to be sure they cover the head of the cauliflower so it remains white and not yellow; otherwise, they will have to discard it. Even though it will taste the same no matter the color, consumers prefer that cauliflower be white. She explained that it is a rich course of vitamin C, while mushrooms can help prevent cancer. Lots of giggles could be heard when she spoke about the use of “penguin poop” as a fertilizer by farmers in California. Ms. Jolly presented a lively and informative program that grabbed the boys’ attention; she asked questions of them, encouraging their appreciation for how their food gets to their table and how they can make healthy food choices.

Ms. Jolly has written over 100 news articles for The New York Times and appeared on The Food Network and The Travel Channel. Her work on food, agriculture and travel has also been published by The Washington Post, Modern Farmer, National Geographic Traveler, Delta Sky magazine, CivilEats and FoodTank. Her web videos have received multiple honors by The Webby Awards for directing and producing. View photos.

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Browning’s varsity baseball team once again headed to Port St. Lucie, Fla., for spring training during the School’s Spring Break. Coach Andrew West ’92 reports: “Because the boys had not set foot on a field before the trip due to all the recent snow, this trip was of great importance. The team showed real promise, with a few surprises mixed in as well. As always, we bonded over a trip to a Mets vs. Nationals game, a movie theater outing, and a night at the arcade and bowling alley. What really impressed us as coaches were the determination and self-motivation of this group. We are eager to get the season started!”

Tennis players of all ability levels also enjoyed the warmth of Port St. Lucie, as they played over the course of four days. Coach Michael Klein reports: “Morning sessions were reserved for drills and practice, while afternoon sessions comprised of actual matches. The players enjoyed Jensen Beach on the last day of the trip.”

For the first time, the track team also traveled to Port St. Lucie. Coach Dominique Bernard reports: “This sojourn was a great experience for those boys who were able to participate. Since the Winter Running Club had ended, it was important to start training as early as possible before our season begins. Although challenging, this track experience was also fun for the boys. They have never been as well prepared as  they are this year for the imminent first competition. We are ready to proudly bear the colors of Browning!” View photos.

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As city temperatures finally rose, another sign of the impending spring season, Browning’s Annual Art Show, opened to applause. Again this year, the show was held in the Lower Gym, allowing the majority of the art work to be viewed in one venue. The ever-popular Pre-primary penguin works were located near the boys’ classrooms, a location now affectionately referred to as “Penguin Alley.” A number of other works were exhibited in the Lobby and hallways on various floors. Parents and their sons (siblings, too!) were delighted to explore and admire the wonderful art accomplished in recent months under the direction of art teachers Nik Vlahos and Zack Davis. Copies of the Grytte student newspaper were also distributed to the parents. View photos.

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For the first time, boys in Middle and Upper School came together in one room to celebrate its winter athletes at a special assembly on March 6. In his welcome to the boys, Head of Upper School Jim Reynolds discussed the importance of our student athletes. He thanked all the boys who participated, remarking that the athletics program is the heart of the School. Before turning over the program to Athletic Director Andrew West '92, he said, "In terms of life lessons and socializing with your peers, the sports programs are incredibly important to that experience. I want to thank all the coaches who have worked tremendously hard to make that happen. Let’s give them a round of applause."

Coach West reported that the winter basketball season at Browning was a successful one with tremendous participation from Grade 5 through Form V. Click here to watch a slide show produced by Director of Communications Design Jeremy Katz ’04 of action shots from the season. Photographers Sandy Pelz ’71 and Christine Bramble took these wonderful photos and spend many afternoons cheering on the Panthers.

View additional photos and season details from the coaches for Varsity Basketball, JV Basketball, Form I/II Basketball Red, Form I/II Basketball Black, 6th Grade Basketball and 5th Grade Basketball.

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Grandparents/Special Friends Day always puts a smile on the faces of Browning community members. On March 9, boys in Grades Three and Four, along with their guests (grandparents, aunts, uncles and/or close friends) enjoyed math, technology, science, history and music classes. The morning began with welcome remarks from Headmaster Stephen M. Clement, III and Lower School Head Laurie Gruhn in the Lower Gym, where guests and the boys took in the Annual Art Show. The latest issue of the Grytte student newspaper was also handed out to guests. The chance to be together for a morning of activities made for many photo opportunities and memories of Browning! View Photos

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On Wednesday evening, Browning was the proud host of an event that was jointly sponsored by The Parents League of New York and the International Boys' School Coalition (IBSC). Over 150 New York City parents attended a talk given by Dr. Abigail James. Dr. James, author of "Teaching the Male Brain", discussed the world of boys from language acquisition to competition, social-emotional development and friendships. Also in attendance were Dr. Joseph Cox (Executive Director of IBSC and former Headmaster at The Haverford School in Pennsylvania), Corinne Keller (Director of Operations at Parents League), and Gina Malin (Director of School Advisory Services at Parents League). Earlier in the day, Dr. James also addressed the Browning faculty on classroom strategies when working with boys. View photos.

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The Form II Physical Science class displayed their creativity in designing their own Rube Goldberg project this winter. Having just covered the subjects of simple and complex machines and energy, the Rube Goldberg project, an annual event, is the perfect combination of these two chapters, as the boys focused on energy transfers in the machines they built. 

The three-week-long project began with an individual white board drawing of a design with one restriction: the boys had to be inventive with the materials they used, as they were not allowed to buy parts. Building their own parts was highly encouraged. They did not disappoint but were innovative and creative in their designs, collaborating with each other along the way. The boys met obstacles and failures head on, constantly rethinking the design up until the final product was built. Tasks included stapling pieces of paper, shooting a paper ball into a trash can, rolling a ball into a can, turning off the lights, sharpening a pencil, opening a drawer, and drawing a line. You may view a video of this project by clicking here.

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On February 23, the sixth grade history classes and the Form I English classes celebrated Browning's seventh Olympian Day. Gods and heroes patrolled the halls, sat for nectar and ambrosia in the cafeteria, and presented their costumes in class. Poseidon with his trident was popular, as was Zeus with his lightning bolts, but Apollo's lyre and Hercules with the skin of the Nemean Lion were more than present. The Great God Pan piped his pipes, and Hades seemed jollier than his reputation. Even Ares lost his scowl. The event followed a class study of Greek mythology and offered Olympian cheer in the dark days of late February. View photos.

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In February, the Spanish II and Spanish IV classes visited El Repertorio Español for an opportunity to view the theatrical representation of Dominican-American poet and novelist Julia Álvarez’s “En el tiempo de las mariposas” (In The Time of the Butterflies). Spanish teacher Giurissa A. Félix-Grace reports: “ ‘En el tiempo de las mariposas’ is a fictional account of the sad and true story of four Mirabal sisters, three of whom were murdered under the violent and bloody regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, known as ‘El Jefe (The Boss). Through the lives of the four sisters, Álvarez perfectly captures the terrorizing atmosphere of a dictatorship. She recounts how the three murdered sisters came to acquire revolutionary zeal and defied the flow of conformity. Within the underground movement, their code names were 'Las mariposas.' " Ms. Félix-Grace adds, “It is important for the boys to recognize the efforts of people such as the Mirabal sisters, how their past actions still affect and influence people today, and, most importantly, that the labor to restore civil liberties is still an ongoing struggle in many parts of this world." View photos.

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The Grade Three boys started the day with laughter and song as they presented “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Silly Tales” to parents and the Browning community on February 26. Lower School Music teacher, Lucy Warner, wrote and directed the songs, and the third grade teachers directed the boys in their acting. Many other members of the school community “got into the act,” supplying paint, costumes, and moral support. The show featured a familiar story line incorporating well-loved folktales, including "Chicken Little," "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "Jack and the Beanstalk." Each tale was humorous and retold with a bit of a twist. "Little Red Riding Hood" became "Little Red Running Shorts," while "The Gingerbread Man" became "The Stinky Cheeseman!" It was all in good fun, and the boys did a fantastic job! View photos.

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Browning art teachers Nik Vlahos and Zack Davis initiated a collaboration across all division levels and curriculum to study the art of Pablo Picasso this year. The prolific results inspired the theme of decor for the Holiday Party and, on the mornings of February 23 and 24, some of the works in the boys’ collection were unveiled in the cafeteria. The Browning community members are appreciative of this wonderful gallery surrounding them as they dine, attend meetings, etc., in this wonderful space!

Headmaster Clement is thrilled that Browning boys of all ages collaborated on this colorful art project. He noted, “I think it is a perfect boys school story. We have older boys helping younger boys, we have boys comfortable working in new ways, and we have boys very proud of a finished artistic project. If this were a coed school, the whole-hearted participation of boys would not be as great.” View photos.

To learn more about how the boys created these large-scale murals, click here to watch a video of how the Art Department incorporated Picasso into the Browning curriculum throughout the division levels.

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