Students in the Preschool are learning about self-identity through creating life size portraits of themselves.  Once their body outline is traced, this work asks them to name, distinguish, and represent different parts of themselves. 

Upper Elementary and Middle School students presented their research projects to students, faculty, staff and families at the Learning Expo. 7th and 8th grade students researched scientists who identified as a woman and/or person of color. 4th-6th grade students created mini-museums as part of their explorer unit. Students studied objects in context, observed and measured attributes, and created an object story about its past, its journey to its found location, and its original purpose. 

Each year, 7th and 8th grade students are paired with 1st and 2nd grade students for Reading Buddies. Reading Buddies meet in the library every Friday morning. Developing a relationship over the course of the school year, older students not only help younger students strengthen their reading comprehension, they are mentors and important role models. 

These Lower Elementary students are working on the Timeline of Life, one of the Montessori Great Lessons. The Timeline of Life is a visually stunning, meticulously detailed 12-foot long timeline spanning the Cambrian Period to the end of the Cenozoic Era. In Lower Elementary, students learn about the time periods and the introduction of species. They use the information as a launching point for in-depth research projects. When they get to Upper Elementary, students revisit the Timeline of Life with more complexity, drawing broad connections, and drilling down deeper to hone the research skills needed in Middle School. 

Peer learning is a pillar of the Montessori Method. The task of communicating a newly learned skill gives students a chance to consolidate and reinforce their knowledge. Students learn from their classmates in a productive way. Mixed age classrooms give children the experience having different roles within the class community. This cycle offers students the opportunity to teach themselves, learn from one another, and to assume leadership roles. It also teaches important life skills like empathy, cooperation, and strong communication.

Each Trimester, 6th-8th grade students choose which discipline they would like to focus on for their Visual & Performing Arts Selective. Dance, music, and acting students work together to produce the Trimester I play, which this fall was Roald Dahl's The Witches. The final production was fully built from the imaginations of the students. In addition to performing, students blocked they play, designed the costume aesthetic, choreographed the dances, and selected the music, taking ownership of every aspect of the world of the play.

On Friday, September 20, many of our students joined millions of people around the globe in taking to the streets to demand change from world leaders on the climate crisis. At the demonstration in Foley Square and Battery Park our students used their voices to protest government inaction on climate change three days before the Climate Action Summit at the United Nations

Community Meeting is an important tradition at BHMS. On Friday mornings students, faculty, and staff gather in the Firehouse from 8:30-9:00am for 

Community Meeting, which can take many forms. Sometimes we host a guest speaker, artist, or performer. Sometimes students present to each other about work they are doing in class or something else they are passionate about. Sometimes Community Meetings are led by faculty and staff. In all cases, they are a chance for our community to spend time together, share an experience, and strengthen our connections to one another.

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Our 7th and 8th grade students kicked off the year with a three day overnight trip to the Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, NY. As part of their climate justice curriculum, they studied water ecology and learned where New York City water is sourced. They also grew stronger as a community through team building exercises. 

Over the summer our 4th-6th graders created multimedia projects inspired by a book they read. They presented these at the Upper Elementary Reading Museum. The projects included illustrated story boards, architectural building models, baked goods, three dimensional sculptures and more!

One of the favorite works in the Preschool is the dry pouring work, where the task is to get all of the objects from one vessel to the other without spilling any. Learn more about Montessori materials and the  Montessori philosophy.

In Lower Elementary, students have the freedom to move through their work cycle, firmly supported by their teachers. Students autonomously learn to manage their time, move through the classroom, and select the materials they need to complete their work.