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.”
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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. Unique to the Lower Elementary is a three-year global cultures core curriculum that provides a framework to which many subjects are linked. Each student has an advisor who helps guide self-directed work plans, although students also have the opportunity to work with all six teachers across the three mixed-age classrooms. Small group instruction is broken up by grade, level or class, depending on the subject. Lower Elementary also marks the start of community service projects and opportunities to take advantage of New York City’s cultural resources.
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Avenues: The World School Bay Ridge Prep Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Brooklyn Friends School Brooklyn Prospect Charter School Brooklyn Technical High School Choate Rosemary Hall (CT) Dwight School Edward R. Murrow High School Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Friends Seminary George School (PA) Grace Church School Middle School Léman Manhattan Preparatory School “Middle School is more amazing than ever; I can’t wait for my Leon M. Goldstein High School for the kids to get there,” says one Lower School parent. The Middle Sciences School division houses both the Upper Elementary (UE) Millennium Brooklyn High School and Middle School (MS) programs. The Upper Elementary Montpelier Public High School program consists of three mixed-age classrooms for grades NEST+m 4-6. Building upon the skills and content of the Lower Poly Prep Country Day School Elementary curriculum and following a Montessori approach, Professional Performing Arts High the UE program teaches students to approach their work School holistically, builds their ability to think abstractly and critically, Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts and guides them toward adolescence. Academic challenges St. Andrew’s Cathedral School increase to appropriately match the student’s level of skill (Sydney, Australia) and areas of interest. Students continue their study of The Beacon School Spanish, and the VAPA program offers robust mandatory The Berkeley Carroll School and selective options in dance, drama, art, photography, The Brooklyn Latin School ceramics, and more. Overnight trips begin in UE, giving The Calhoun School students the opportunity to explore different ecosystems The Hewitt School and environments. Team sports begins in 5th grade. The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School The culminating cycle at BHMS is Middle School, a two-year The Nightingale-Bamford School sequence, which includes grades 7 and 8. The curriculum The Packer Collegiate Institute of the Middle School establishes thematic links between Trevor Day School social studies, science, and the humanities, with the school United Nations International School year divided into six-week-long learning modules. In each Westover School module, the thematic link is maintained through lessons, York Preparatory School
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 6 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com discussions, and assignments. Travel expands in Middle School in the form of a three-day wilderness retreat and a student-selected, planned and funded year-end trip. Each successive year culminates with one of two in-depth, personal explorations—the Expert Project or the Magnum Opus—that students present at a symposium for the BHMS community. Students also engage in a year-long literary study of a Shakespeare play that includes the production of the work in its entirety in the Firehouse Theater.
The heart of the Middle School experience is the advisory program in which students are assigned to one of four faculty advisors and peer advisory groups to discuss relevant topics and issues. Beginning in 7th grade, students, advisors, and parents work in partnership to find the high school for each student.
Athletics
The athletics program at BHMS focuses not only on athletic ability, but also on sport-specific skill development, whole body conditioning, and mental resilience. Students are introduced to the concept of athletic competition, while coaches support them in managing their role as a student-athlete. The BHMS Mustangs compete against other New York independent schools that are similar in size and philosophy. Sports offered include co-ed soccer, co-ed volleyball, varsity boys basketball, varsity girls basketball, and track and field for grades 7 and 8; and co-ed junior varsity soccer, co-ed junior varsity basketball, and track and field for grades 5 and 6. This program has expanded significantly in the past five years and continues to be a well-supported integral part of the community.
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Extensive renovations of existing buildings, as well as the development of an adjacent former New York City firehouse (purchased in 2009), have allowed BHMS to grow while offering students an exceptional learning environment on one expansive campus. Individual suites for each program mean that students learn and develop in the security of their own peer group, while large communal teaching spaces are shared by all programs. BHMS is an architecturally united structure: the entrance to the Firehouse Theater links the first floor; a shared terrace links classrooms and the learning kitchen on the second floor; and a brand new skywalk connects the third floor VAPA suite to the award-winning green roof and outdoor classroom.
The Twos and Preschool classrooms are on the ground floor of the Court Street building. The Lower Elementary suite on one half of the Court Street building consists of three classrooms, a common room, and break-out space on the second floor. The Upper Elementary suite occupies the other half of the second floor of the Court Street building and includes three classrooms, a common room, and a shared outdoor terrace. A large learning kitchen and outstanding library accommodate all students. The Middle School suite occupies the second floor of the Firehouse and houses expansive mathematics, science, humanities, and arts classrooms, a break-out area, and a shared outdoor terrace. On the third floor, a large, designated Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) suite houses art and ceramic, music, and maker/photography studios, and a Spanish classroom encircling a common area used as a media gallery to showcase the work of students. The fourth floor houses the School’s gym.
BHMS recently completed its “Raise the Roof” project, which included renovation of the third-floor classroom and gallery space and new construction that added significant outdoor learning space, including a turf field for athletics, to the roof of the Firehouse.
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Current parents agree, “New York is an amazing place to live and raise a family.” Brooklyn Heights Montessori School is located in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, and the School’s families generally come from the surrounding areas. A dynamic, thriving community 20 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, Cobble Hill is characterized by its diversity, charming historic atmosphere, and the devotion of its residents to the pleasures and advantages of city life. Cobble Hill feels like a small town within a large metropolis; familiar faces are the norm.
Cobble Hill and its surrounding neighborhoods are home to an extraordinary collection of cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Barclays Center and beautiful Prospect Park. Rapidly developing Brooklyn Bridge Park is an emerging city landmark; scenic piers, iconic Jane’s Carousel, and seasonal attractions from movie screenings and pop-up pools to free ferry rides keep the activities going year-round. All this adds up to a neighborhood that can feel worlds removed from New York’s typical hustle and bustle, while remaining convenient to all of the city’s most exciting perks. Brooklyn attracts an eclectic cross- section of residents who span a variety of professions, educations, backgrounds, and interests. From local to global, artistic to financial, and young to old, the community offers something for everyone and provides an incredible place to raise and educate children where diversity, community and humanity connect and continue to prosper.
The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 9 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com Opportunities and Challenges
• Effectively herald BHMS’s commitment to (and results of) Montessori to school families and to the greater New York community. • Continued collaboration and partnership with the Board to ensure that business operations work effectively to support all programs, from the Two’s through 8th grade. • Continued championing and nurturing of the joyful and loving BHMS community. • Continued commitment to diversity and social justice within a Montessori approach. • Need to educate, build awareness, and market the advantages of a Montessori education in a fiercely competitive New York City public and private school landscape. • School must expand strong Advancement programs in order to extend BHMS’s sphere of influence and cement its reputation as the gold-standard of Montessori schools.
Desired Qualities and Qualifications
• A humanist who is warm, enthusiastic, and accessible. • Thrives on working directly with children and their families. • Ability to work closely and comfortably with the Board in a true partnership in governance, leadership, and fundraising. • Montessori training and experience is strongly preferred but not a prerequisite. • Demonstrated success as an administrator. • Deep diversity experience and commitment. • Savvy communicator with various constituencies. • Ability to maintain and enhance program excellence. • Deep professional network and marketing skills to enhance BHMS visibility. • Fundraising experience. • Proven experience in the “business” of education. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates 10 [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials:
• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; • A current résumé; • A one-page statement of educational philosophy and practice; • A list of five professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:
Ralph Davison Senior Consultant [email protected]
Amanda Riegel Senior Search Associate [email protected]
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