School News

On May 22, Biodiversity Day, Browning's Green Team invited Middle and Upper School students to join forces with a group of enthusiastic naturalists to participate in National Geographic's Great Nature Project. Science teacher and advisor to the Green Team Emilie Wolf, who organized the day with fellow science teacher Dr. Betty Noel, reports: "Using the citizen science app iNaturalist, our teams completed a biodiversity survey of the South-East segment of Central Park. Within one hour, over 200 observations of the flora and fauna of Central Park were logged, and a mysterious animal skull was found! Diversity snapshots like this gather information about the inhabitants of Central Park at a given time. By monitoring the same area regularly, the information will help agencies such as the Central Park Conservancy keep track of how the park and its inhabitants are doing. The Green Team hopes Browning continues to invest time and effort into preserving our broader community and beloved Central Park." Click here to see photos and watch a video of Biodiversity Day.

Browning alumnus Ralph Gardner, Jr. '71, columnist for The Wall Street Journal, visited Browning for Biodiversity Day and focused the May 27 edition of "Urban Gardner" on his experience. Click here to read.

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On the afternoon of May 26, Form V students from Dr. Wisniewski’s Greek I class visited Athens Square Park in Astoria, Queens. The park includes monuments dedicated to the Greek heritage of the residents of Astoria and features statues of the philosophers Socrates and Aristotle, as well as the dramatist Sophocles. After reading passages by these authors, the class enjoyed a meal of traditional Greek food at a nearby restaurant named after Zeno of Cyprus, who founded the philosophy of Stoicism. View photos.

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On May 15, Browning’s Upper School students received a presentation from Alan Lee’s Chinese Kung-Fu Wu- Su Association, a martial arts school based in New York City. The association showcased their different abilities and strengths and discussed their methods in relation to the Boxer Rebellion, which served as a fitting conclusion to a year-long discussion of the 2014-15 common book, “Boxers and Saints” by Gene Luen Yang.

Kung-Fu Wu-Su is a martial art dating back thousands of years. According to their website, "The Chinese Kung-Fu, Wu-Su Association has been a beacon of traditional martial arts in New York City for over 45 years. [Their] founder, Grandmaster Alan Lee, was one of the first to teach this knowledge openly to all, regardless of race. The school he founded continues to pioneer the instruction of a once obscure art."

The group presented to the boys breathing techniques, breaking bricks, one-on-one fighting, and concluded with a “brawl,” in which all of the members incorporated all the demonstrations into this final piece.

Middle School teacher and coach Dan Ragsdale, who has been a student of the group for years, introduced them to the boys at the assembly. Mr. Ragsdale also demonstrated his own skills when he amazed the students by slicing a brick in half with his bare hands! Reflecting on the success of the assembly, Mr. Ragsdale said, "The entertainment value of a martial arts demonstration, featuring hand-to-hand fighting and weapons, is an easy sell at a boys school. The accompanying emphasis on mental discipline as the cornerstone of physical and personal development was hopefully a powerful, if less flashy, takeaway for the students.” View photos.

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In May, fourth grade boys, accompanied by Lower School music teacher Lucy Warner, entertained the Browning community with familiar melodies adapted from Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” for their witty production, “King John and the Abbot of Canterbury.” Besides a king and abbot, the talented cast featured Browning boys in the roles of hosts, noblemen, advisors, Russian, Spanish and Swedish scholars, regents, a court herald and a shepherd.

Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn and Headmaster Clement congratulated the boys on their fine performances, thanking the cast’s parents, fourth grade teachers Bill Cantwell and Meg Epstein, and Ms. Warner and Glenn Walker for their part in its success. View photos.

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The Parents Association’s Spring Benefit 2015 honored Browning Board of Trustees President Jim Chanos P’07, ’09, ’11, who is stepping down from the Board after 17 years of service, including 15 as President. “Zoo in the Sky,” which took place at the Central Park Zoo on May 15, kicked off with a welcome by PA President Ken Metz and a “thank-you” video featuring Browning boys and other community members. Mr. Metz said, “Thank you to the over 440 parents, faculty and staff who came out to honor Jim Chanos at this benefit. Your support helped make the benefit a success, and the money raised will have a significant school-wide impact.” Click here to view more details as well as photos and a video.

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On Tuesday, May 19, the Grytte staff had the opportunity to visit the CNN offices in the Time Warner Center. Browning alumnus Lex Haris '88, executive editor of CNNMoney and 2015 Recipient of Browning's Charles W. Cook '38 Alumnus Achievement Award , arranged the tour in coordination with Grytte Advisor Jeremy Katz '04 and Director of Alumni Affairs Laura Lanigan. The boys were able to watch a live filming, visit a control room and enjoy an intimate round table discussion with Mr. Haris and his colleague, Patrick Gillespie, an economy and markets reporter. Mr. Gillespie said the students "all asked very thoughtful questions and were very well-spoken." Even Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, passed by and said hello to the group. One of the youngest Grytte boys remarked, "It was a great experience to hear from people that have been in our shoes before. They had amazing advice and insight on working at a company such as CNN." Please click here to view the photos.

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Watching the Pre-primary play, “The Day the Crayons Quit,” was as much fun as opening a new box of fresh, never-before-used crayons! The boys’ colorful production, presented during a morning assembly on May 14, was based on the book by Drew Daywalt whose favorite crayon color, by the way, is black. The audience soon learned that these young crayon characters are tired and not getting along at all. For instance, blue needs a break from coloring the ocean in all those coloring books, while orange and yellow each think they are the real color of the sun.

Although each crayon color presents an argument for why he is the best, by the play’s conclusion, each realizes that no page in a coloring book is truly complete without all the hues working in harmony. As the song they sang says, “It’s great to work together...Shake hands today!”

Likewise, no stage production is successful without the help and cooperation of many; the play program noted, “Special thanks to our parents for helping us learn our lines, Ms. Warner for teaching us our fabulous song, Mr. Walker for his help with technology, and Ms. Zeuner for helping to coordinate practice space in the gym.” View photos.

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With the spring sports season drawing to a close, Browning celebrated its athletes on May 11. In his welcome to the Form I-VI boys, Head of Upper School Jim Reynolds remarked that he was impressed with the boys’ ability to balance academic and athletic endeavors, which contributes immensely to the spirit of the School. Before turning over the program to Athletic Director Andrew West ’92, Mr. Reynolds said, “My hat is off to you all."

Coach West noted how diligently the athletics department works to get all the boys involved and offer something that appeals to everyone. He remarked on the extraordinary involvement by boys of all ages this year, with 100% participation from Form III boys. He concluded that if they keep these numbers up, the Panthers will have even greater success down the road.

This spring, varsity baseball won the 2015 regular season NYCAL championship and will represent the NYCAL in the NYSAIS Post-season State Tournament. The varsity tennis team members defended their title as league champions, winning their fifth straight NYCAL League Tournament. The varsity track team finished second in the league.

During the awards ceremony, Coach West announced that Alec M. ’15, Anthony C. ’16 and Liam K. ’16 were selected as NYCAL All League Baseball Players, Del S. ’16 had been selected as a NYCAL All League Tennis Player, and Alejandro O. ’16 had been selected as a NYCAL All League Golf Player. Alec and Del also received the highest ranking of all players in the league from all the coaches in the league, making them the NYCAL League’s MVPs in baseball and tennis, respectively – the highest honor a player can get!

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 Baseball, Varsity Tennis, Varsity Track, Varsity Golf and Form I/II Baseball. Congratulations to all the players on a great spring season!

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Science Department Chair Sam Keany reports that the Lower School Science Exhibition on May 13 was an excellent example of collaboration among many members and departments of the School. On display were projects focused on such fascinating subjects as bubbles, hermit crabs, scissors, cabbage water, jump roping, dissection of squids, owl pellets and the ever-popular frog, to name just a few. The boys are always eager to explain in exacting detail what they have achieved, as proud parents listen carefully and capture the moment with cell phone cameras. Classroom teachers, siblings and older Browning boys are also eager to view the culmination of the Lower School boys’ work. Teachers and boys are thankful for support from the library staff and technology department, as well as the maintenance and cafeteria staff, all of whom contribute to a morning of scientific discovery and sharing of knowledge.

Mr. Keany said, “I continue to be impressed with the scientific creativity of some of our youngest boys. These experiments show most boys that arrangements seldom work out exactly as planned, that modifications are frequently necessary, and that there are surprising things to learn from even simple experiments.”

Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn added, “The Lower School Science Exhibition is an amazing annual event that exemplifies how well our youngest boys have mastered careful and thoughtful problem-solving, along with the process of the scientific method. They have learned valuable lessons of following through, from hypothesis to conclusion, utilizing iPads and in some cases, live critters! The boys learned to plan creatively, think logically, articulate clearly and accept responsibility for their work.” View photos.

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In the wake of the 2014 journalism summit at The Hewitt School, the editors of Browning, Hewitt and Riverdale’s student newspapers came together to write a collaborative piece that focused on the differences, similarities and takeaways from their respective experiences with single-sex and coed education at the pre-collegiate level. Read the article on The Hewitt Times’ website.

This year’s journalism summit, again hosted  by The Hewitt Times, gathered student newspaper staffs from various New York City schools to continue to facilitate collaboration among them and create a network of shared resources. Schools in attendance included Browning, Brearley, Chapin, Dalton, Fieldston, Hewitt, Marymount, Nightingale and Spence. The budding journalists heard from and engaged in a Q&A with two distinguished speakers, "PBS NewsHour" correspondent John Merrow and Martha Spanninger, producer for Soledad O'Brien and Tom Brokaw.

Once again, each newspaper group presented a short presentation of its publication, including information on its role at their school, typical areas of coverage, and new features or improvements from last year.

The third issue of the Grytte, which features a cover story on the nearly-two-decade tenure of Board of Trustees President Jim Chanos, will be released this Friday at the Parents Association Spring Benefit honoring Mr. Chanos at the Central Park Zoo. Those attending should look for a copy of the issue in their evening goodie bag, or you may pick up a copy at the School next week. Click here to view photos from the journalism summit.

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On Saturday, May 2, Browning was one of 24 schools represented at The Dalton School's annual conference on diversity. This year's theme was titled, "From Diversity to Community: Race, Privilege and Community." The morning began with a welcome from Ellen Stein, Dalton's Head of School, who spoke on the school's move to make diversity training a priority for its faculty, staff and trustees. Ms. Stein spoke passionately about the need for open conversations on racial experiences within each of our school communities. The conference keynote speaker was Glenn Singleton (the author of "Courageous Conversations About Race"). Mr. Singleton challenged the audience to address racial conversations in a systematic way. One such way is to undertake the exercise of writing personal narratives and sharing these stories within each community. 

During the morning session, participants broke into constituent groups (administration, alumni, faculty, parents, students and trustees) and discussed each school's challenges and best practices. Lunch was followed by a special presentation by students from participant schools who spoke candidly on their own experiences. Browning was represented onstage by Awen A. '16 and Jamil G. '17. The Browning contingent then met up as a group to share perspectives and reflections from the morning's discussions and developed some ideas for future implementation at Browning. In all, it was a thought-provoking day filled with productive conversation on what can be a challenging topic to address. View photos

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On May, 8, a beautiful spring morning, the boys in Pre-primary and Grades One and Two welcomed their guests (mostly grandparents but also aunts, uncles and/or close friends) and shared their classroom experiences with them. From music to Makerbot, the subject matter was even more fun and interesting when explored together. Headmaster Clement and Head of Lower School Laurie Gruhn were pleased to greet so many smiling faces! In fact, over 130 guests attended this special event. Poignant moments occurred throughout the morning; as one mother said when dropping off her son’s grandmother, “So many generations, so many emotions.” View photos.

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Headmaster Clement invited current and former Browning faculty to a faculty symposium, “Browning in 2015 and Beyond: The View From Four Chairs,” on April 29. The featured panelists were Board of Trustees President James S. Chanos P ’07, ’09, ’11; Director of Technology Aaron R. Grill, 2013 Recipient of the STEM Chair; Dean of Faculty Michael E. Ingrisani, 2009 Recipient of the Stephen M. Clement, III Chair for the Humanities; and Gerald J. Protheroe, 2013 Recipient of the Stephen M. Clement, III Chair for the Humanities.

Mr. Chanos was given a chair bearing his name, parent affiliation, and years of service on the Board; a duplicate chair is housed in the Cook Room. Panelists then presented their views on The Browning School from a historical and global perspective, elaborating on the issues Browning boys can expect to see in regard to technology, education, economics, global affairs and politics. Following their remarks, the panelists entertained questions from Headmaster Clement and the audience, including who and/or what most influenced their career choices.

The Stephen M. Clement, III Chair for the Humanities, established in 2009 in honor of Mr. Clement’s 20th anniversary as Headmaster, is the first-ever endowed teaching chair in Browning’s history. The endowed teaching STEM Chair honors a faculty member who advances the School’s mission in supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics and was established thanks to a $2 million gift from an anonymous donor.

Click Here to view a video and photos of the symposium, along with bios on Mr. Chanos, Mr. Grill, Mr. Ingrisani and Mr. Protheroe.

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Head of Middle School Chris Dunham reports on the trip taken by Form II boys to Washington, D.C., for three days during the week of April 22: “The boys had a superb time. The weather was as good as D.C. can offer, albeit a bit chilly, and that allowed for many excellent Frisbee tosses on the National Mall in between more cultural experiences. The boys, along with Ms. Suárez, Mr. Young and me, saw many significant memorials, including The Vietnam War, World War II and Lincoln Memorials. They also had profound experiences at the Holocaust Museum and Newseum and fully enjoyed The Air and Space Museum. Another major highlight was touring the Capitol and seeing some historic sculptures and paintings. On the lighter side of things, the boys took in a Washington Nationals baseball game and tested their James Bond knowledge at the Spy Museum. All in all, a terrific trip!”

The boys visited D.C. during a year when the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination is being recognized at various venues, including the Newseum, a traditional stop on the annual Browning D.C. trip. A collection of seven special editions of the New York Herald from April 15, 1865, are brought together there for the first time. The collection includes a recently discovered 8:45 a.m. “extra” reporting President Lincoln's death. The boys’ visit to the Lincoln Memorial, a national monument built to honor our 16th President, was more significant this year than ever. Look for extended coverage of this Middle School trip  in the summer issue of the Buzzer. View photos.

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On April 29 and 30, Form III students spent two days at Black Rock Forest gathering data for their biology projects. Dean of Students Sam Keany, who is also Browning's science department chair and vice president of The Black Rock Forest Consortium Board, reports: Enjoying perfect weather, the boys took advantage of their opportunities to explore many organisms in the forest, including spiders, fungi, trees, millipedes and water studies. Each boy had developed a sound question, based on significant background research. Additionally, two groups of boys spent several hours performing much needed community service by digging out stands of Japanese barberry, an invasive plant common around any cleared area in the forest. Many boys also enjoyed a night hike in the moonlight, as well as a game of touch football. The boys were accompanied by Dr. Betty Noel, biology teacher, Mr. Matt Bratnick, math teacher, and me. View photos.

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The Browning School Second Grade boys presented “Diary of a Spider, Worm & Fly” on the morning of April 30, with proud parents and siblings present to cheer them on. Their play was based on the books by Doreen Cronin. Lower School music teacher Lucy Warner composed lyrics and music that set the stage for this adaptation of a story about a bug’s world wherein such questions as “Is Spider getting too big for his own skin?” and “Will Worm learn to stand on his own two feet?” are posed.

Lower School Head Laurie Gruhn congratulated the boys on a stellar show. She also acknowledged the help of parents and teachers in preparing the boys for their parts, and the assistance of Glenn Walker who ensured all the technical aspects were in order.

Before the play began, boys celebrating April birthday were recognized by the Panther mascot, while the Composer-of-the-Month series continued afterward with Ms. Warner and the boys displaying their knowledge of the lives of George and Ira Gershwin. View photos.

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Six Upper School boys performed in the joint Browning/Nightingale production of “Damn Yankees” on April 23, 24 and 25. The musical comedy was staged at Nightingale (with a sneak preview on the morning of Browning's Alumni Reunion), and the audience loved it!

Headmaster Clement said, "Great show all around. I'm always proud of the Browning boys on stage. Nightingale directors Diane Davis and Cynthia Coudert hit home runs!" Lower School teacher Lucy Warner echoed these sentiments, saying, "The Browning boys really 'stepped up to the plate' on this one! A musical home run!" Spanish teacher Elizabeth Suárez added, "I loved this play! I am not a big fan of musicals, and yet I left the theater humming tunes and feeling uplifted by the terrific acting and singing!" View photos.

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The fifth grade science classes enjoyed the beauty of a long-awaited spring, albeit with some spring showers, when they ventured into Central Park on April 21 to spot many of the birds they had discussed in class with Roger Pasquier, a native New Yorker, former Director of Foundations for the National Audubon Society, Inc., and famed birder.

Head of Middle School Chris Dunham, along with science teacher Julia Kingsdale, who accompanied the two groups, report on the class findings: This year’s class had a personal best of spotting and recording 33 species of birds, from robins, to various types of woodpeckers, to grackles, to the city's famous red-tailed hawk, Pale Male, who is roosted on a building on Fifth Avenue across the street from the park. Mr. Pasquier remarked that this year’s class got the best glimpse of any fifth grade class that he has taken into the park, as it soared above, scanning for food for its young.

Browning boys study birds and their migration in the spring, as it is the best time of year to do so. Central Park attracts numerous migrating birds drawn to this scenic area even in the midst of so many buildings. A number of the boys expressed their pleasure at the opportunity to go birding. One boy remarked, "After the rain stopped, we went to see amazing birds with Mr. Pasquier. The entire walk was amazing, and I want to do it again." Another commented, "I thought that going to the park to identify birds' songs was great because now I know how to tell which birds make what songs and where to find them." Before heading back to Browning, the boys posed for photos on the beautiful Bow Bridge. View photos.

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On April 18, Browning hosted an interschool Math Bowl for freshmen and sophomores. Schools participating in this close, spirited competition included Brearley, Browning, Chapin, Nightingale-Bamford and Trinity. Browning and Chapin tied for third place, while Brearley edged out Nightingale-Bamford for first place. Congratulations to all who participated!

Upper and Middle School math teacher Matt Bratnick offered details: The competition consisted of two mathematical “Jeopardy”-type rounds (one involving calculator usage and the other, non-calculator), and another round with teams composing songs about various mathematical topics. Overall, our boys had a lot of fun participating in the bowl, as well as interacting with students from different schools. Moving forward, we hope the math bowl will become an annual event. View photos.

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On Wednesday, April 22, Headmaster Clement and Alumni Association President Michael Beys '89 hosted Browning's Class of 2015 at the annual Form VI Alumni Association Breakfast. Each year at this event, the senior class is formally inducted into Browning's Alumni Association and presented with engraved money clips to commemorate their upcoming graduation. Attendees and speakers at this breakfast included: Alumni Association President Michael Beys '89, Trustee and Former Alumni Association President Jeffrey Landes '83, Director of College Guidance Sandy Pelz '71, Director of Athletics Andrew West '92, Director of Communications Design Jeremy Katz '04, Headmaster Clement, Director of Alumni Affairs Laura Lanigan, Director of Institutional Advancement James Simon and Head of Upper School James Reynolds. The Alumni Association is looking forward to having these 25 new members join its ranks in June! Please click here to view photos.

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