Brooklyn, NY Head of School Start Date: July 1, 2019 Bhmsny.Org Mission Guided by the Philosophy of Dr
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS MONTESSORI SCHOOL BROOKLYN, NY HEAD OF SCHOOL START DATE: JULY 1, 2019 BHMSNY.ORG Mission Guided by the philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, Brooklyn Heights Montessori School is a diverse community committed to educational excellence, serving students in preschool through grade 8. At our center is respect for the individual child’s development and potential. Our carefully designed environment encourages the student’s natural curiosity. We inspire a love of independent learning and foster critical thinking by engaging students in a challenging and meaningful curriculum. By encouraging personal responsibility, leadership, and respect for self and others, we teach children to be thoughtful and confident citizens of the School and the world. OVERVIEW Situated in the heart of brownstone Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights Montessori School (BHMS) seeks a compassionate and visionary leader to inspire its vibrant and stimulating community as its next Head of School. BHMS is a diverse community committed to educational excellence, serving students in preschool (age two) through grade 8. Offering each student a distinctive educational experience, BHMS prepares children with the critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and social and community mindedness essential for success in our rapidly changing world. The continuity of BHMS’s Montessori program through grade 8 makes the School unique in the New York City independent school world. At BHMS, students learn core subjects while focusing on understanding the process of discovery. They thrive in a directed environment that is supportive of individual learning styles and provides latitude for children to learn at their own pace. Dedicated and mission-driven teaching, joyful learning, and a spirit of collaboration among families and staff have created a prospering school ready to welcome its next leader. In May 2018, the current Head of School Martha Haakmat announced that the 2018-2019 school year would be her last at BHMS. Following Martha’s lead, the new Head will ensure BHMS’s continued program excellence and competitive position, while keeping the School solidly grounded in the Montessori philosophy and traditions that have made it a remarkable community of success. The next Head of School will find a close-knit community of confident, engaged children, a dedicated faculty and staff, a strong and effective administration, and an institution in a solid financial position. The School is whole-heartedly supported by its trustees, parents, and alumni. Talking about the future, one school administrator noted, “We are ready to take our place as the best progressive school in Brooklyn.” The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 1 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Fast Facts Students Enrolled: 272 Zip Codes Represented: 26 Students of Color: 36% Student to Faculty Ratio: 7 to 1 Faculty and Staff of Color: 51% Faculty Holding Advanced Degrees: 74% Athletic Teams: 8 competitive varsity and junior varsity teams Endowment: $616,000 Total Financial Aid Awarded for 17-18: $1.4 million Students Receiving Financial Aid for 17-18: 21% SCHOOL HISTORY Brooklyn Heights Montessori School was founded in 1965. The original goal was to provide an innovative approach to learning, centered on respect for the individual development of every child. The founding families and community leaders wanted to create a dynamic school that reflected the diversity of their community. Over its 53-year history, BHMS has expanded from a church basement, to a school above a bookstore, to a school in a converted factory building, to a beautiful, four-story building, to now, a school – including a renovated adjacent former firehouse and brand new outdoor space – with over 57,000 square feet of space. The School’s original philosophy has flourished, giving students the ability to problem-solve and transfer solutions to new contexts, preparing them for the complexities and opportunities of the 21st century. STRATEGIC PLAN A thriving school depends on an engaged community and ongoing commitment to self-reflection and planning for the future. The Strategic Plan is a crucial element of that commitment. In late 2013, the BHMS Board of Trustees approved the formation of a Strategic Planning Task Force who developed and implemented a community-driven process that culminated in the 2015 BHMS Strategic Plan. The three areas of focus that emerged as goals for BHMS for the five years following adoption of the Plan were: to evaluate and develop program excellence and support students, teachers, and families; to ensure that BHMS maintains financial sustainability for its families, employees, and other stakeholders, while maximizing its resources to support its programmatic goals; and to raise the profile of BHMS and strengthen the school-parent partnership. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 2 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com THE SCHOOL Today, BHMS serves approximately 270 children, ages 2 to 14. It is the only two-year-old through eighth grade Montessori program in New York City that is fully accredited by both the American Montessori Society and the New York State Association of Independent Schools, giving it a competitive advantage. Last year, nearly 250 students applied for 67 available seats. The School enjoys a high admissions yield with 51% of families accepting an offer of admission. BHMS is firmly grounded in Montessori principles and relies on the expertise and guidance of 39 highly trained, Montessori-credentialed teachers schooled in child development and brain-based research. They guide children into their love of lifelong learning and into the best selves they can be by tapping into the intrinsic curiosity within each child. At BHMS, students have a unique opportunity to create meaningful relationships with their teachers and their peers as they spend three years in the same classroom and advisory groups, growing from novice learners to leaders and teachers of others. Additionally, students have many opportunities to interact across programs, fostering a community that feels like family. Students become creative, academically powerful, and intellectually strong graduates who attend an impressive and varied array of high schools. The School supports an educational environment that recognizes diversity in all of its forms. With 36% students of color and 51% faculty of color, BHMS is proud of its diverse and strong community. Families come from a wide range of Brooklyn neighborhoods, and a strong sense of community and shared philosophy unites the School’s constituencies. Respect for self and others, respect for the community and environment, and respect for diversity provide the foundation for students’ work and teachings surrounding compassion, empathy, and the responsibilities inherent as a global citizen. One community member affirms that, “We are a better community because diversity is a big part of our value system.” BHMS’s commitment to diversity is active and intentional and is undertaken by every community member: to be aware of ourselves and each other, to take care of our community – local and global – and to name and oppose inequity and injustice when it is present. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 3 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com ACADEMICS BHMS is proud to offer a consistent Montessori curriculum throughout all grades. In keeping with its mission, the School offers a stimulating educational environment that fosters students’ intellectual curiosity and growth, critical thinking skills, compassion, and the ability to be actively engaged in their own learning. The spiraling, integrated curriculum develops a deeper understanding of academic subjects which are linked by unifying themes that encompass the fine and performing arts. Rooted in excellence, the academic program is designed to educate the whole child – socially, emotionally, physically, academically, and intellectually. Mixed-age, diverse classes are guided by passionate and engaging teachers. Most programs at the School, with the exception of the Twos and the 7th/8th grade program, follow a three-year cycle. This allows teachers to gain an intimate knowledge of each student’s individual learning style and potential. Teachers prepare environments designed to facilitate choices for children, and act as role models and facilitators in an atmosphere of respect, grace, and courtesy. By the time students reach 8th grade, their interests and learning styles are more defined, and they are well prepared, poised, and ready for high school and life beyond. Each child develops the self- respect, respect of others, and understanding of his or her place in society that will allow him or her to thrive in the world as an adult. The impressive record of high school acceptances in the public and independent school world serves as testimony to the success of the School’s programs. Says one parent, “I’m so proud of my daughter. What she can do as a result of her time here couldn’t have happened elsewhere.” The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 4 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Lower School The Lower School at BHMS consists of the Twos, Preschool, and Lower Elementary programs. The Montessori-inspired Twos classroom is tailored to each child’s interests and developmental stage, and is organized to a child’s sensibilities, making it easy for them to share, play, and learn how to choose what interests them most. In the four mixed-age classrooms of the Preschool, children ages 3-6 begin to become self-confident problem-solvers while developing a more complex understanding of their world. Small and individual group instruction and open-ended work periods encourage children to develop concentration and make independent choices. Weekly music classes introduce them to music from around the globe. Twice- daily recess makes play an integral part of the day. Each year of the Lower Elementary program for grades 1-3 explores a variety of courses on math, science, creative writing, language, literary critique, Spanish, and the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program (art, music, dance, and drama), as well as regular physical education classes and daily recess.