The Upper School’s first installment of “BC Talks” this school year focused on “Neurodiversity, Mental Health, and Disability Justice.” Students and faculty welcomed disability rights activists Lauren Melissa Ellzey and Lydia X.Z. Brown who spoke about disability justice and cultivating acceptance for neurodivergence. After their remarks, the speakers held sessions for the community to ask questions and consider ways to bring disability justice in their everyday lives.
“BC Talks” is an annual series that provides students with opportunities throughout the year to learn about topics and issues relating to social justice and encourage thoughtful discussion.
BC MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOLERS VISIT THE MET
Upper and Middle Schoolers made separate excursions to the city’s seminal art institution to check out exhibits related to their respective coursework.
For the Upper School, Latin students went to the Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color exhibit to explore the Greek and Roman galleries. They were asked to reflect on the "myth of whiteness" in the ancient Mediterranean world and how the white marble statues we see in museums were not always that way--in fact, they were painted with bright, lifelike colors! And in the Middle School, 5th graders also visited the museum to investigate artifacts from Ancient Egypt! The budding Egyptologists used their guiding questions from their humanities classes to interpret works of art and identify how they relate to Egyptian history and traditions.
HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SPEAKS TO MIDDLE SCHOOL ABOUT HIS STORY, ANTISEMITISM & BIGOTRY
Holocaust survivor and author Allan J. Hall visited 5th and 8th grade humanities classes to share his story. Students asked him questions about his experience as a young child fleeing his native Poland following Nazi invasion, how he adjusted to life in the United States when his family immigrated here, and his decision to break years of silence and use his story to educate others. Mr. Hall engaged with students on the topics of antisemitism, bigotry, and our collective responsibility to stand up for what is right. He has kindly made his memoir available for our community to read herefor free.
4TH GRADERS VISIT RESERVATION TO LEARN HOW ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS THE WATER SUPPLY
4th graders traveled to the Ward Pound Ridge Watershed which is part of a 4,000-acre reservation of wooded trails, wildlife, and streams. They discussed topics such as where our water comes from, how forest environments filter the water we drink, and how to examine water to determine if it’s clean or not.
SENIOR SPEAKERS
Congrats to our latest round of Senior Speakers, Julian A., Fatou N., and Oskar R.!
Julian shared how playing it safe and not veering from your comfort zone can prevent you from engaging from the greater world around you- Julian expressed plans to branch out and take risks in college.
Fatou spoke about what a challenging, yet ultimately rewarding experience it was to study abroad in France for a year, improving Fatou’s French skills and gaining a “second family” along the way.
Oskar explained how, after experiencing feeling alienated and disinterested in learning during the pandemic, what followed was the rediscovery of a love for design. This process of creation reengaged and inspired Oskar to take on a passion project.
Upcoming Events
Reminder: The Parent Association's weekly Bulletin is the definitive guide to their events. The PA emails it directly to all parents & guardians, so please refer to it for full information on all their activities and meetings.