This year's Eighth Grade trip to DC was full of a bunch of firsts!  We were able to go on a self-guided tour of the East Wing of the White House.  We were in the very room that President

Obama and the President of Afghanistan, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, would be giving a press conference that afternoon.  And, if that weren't enough, we saw not one, but two motorcades bringing him

to and from the Capitol the following day.  The trip was very exciting for students and adults alike!  Here is a photo tour and description through some of the attractions.  Photos and write-ups by the 8th grade.  Enjoy!

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Eighth Grade Goes to Washington D.C.by The 8th Grade Class

The Eighth Graders went to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. There they saw the Apollo Eleven Lunar module, a Mars rover, the Wright Brothers plane, space gear and many other things. The Air and Space Museum is very interesting and houses rockets and missiles that are taller than the outside building.- Cole

Eighth Grade Goes to Washington D.C.

BROWN SCHOOLE L E T T E R ~ M A Y 3 , 2 0 1 5

Our visit to the National Gallery was very enjoyable. Mr. D provided us with a museum search guide so that we spent our time looking for things together. We saw a lot of famous paintings by a lot of famous painters, some of which included

Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Botticelli, and Leonardo Di Vinci. Overall, it was very exciting to see these paintings and sculptures in person, especially the ones Mr. D had told us about. Personally, I'm hoping to go back sometime!- Sam

Quotes and Reflections

“The best part was seeing the Botanical Gardens.”

"It was worth every footstep."

"The class trip will exceed your expectations! It is the most fun you will have with your classmates and teachers all year!"

“I learned that friends can be there for you, even if you didn’t think you wanted them there in the first place. I learned that friends can be frustrating. But they are always ready with a smile and a laugh to cheer you up.”

“Our eighth grade Washington DC trip taught me many things. Above all it taught me how close Brown School has allowed me to grow towards my friends and teachers and how I can trust that I will be supported by them.”

The Capitol building, sits atop, aptly named, Capitol Hill. It was finished in 1800, in a neoclassical style. But soon after, in 1814, the Capitol was partially burned by the British. The new capitol could house the House of Representatives and the Senate.- Ben

During our trip in Washington D.C our class visited the National Archives. I thought it was a great experience to see the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. It was just extraordinary; I also got to see some very cool paintings that were on the wall. Overall I thought the National Archives was a great experience, and I encourage other people, if they have a chance to visit D.C to go to the National Archives. You get to see American history at its finest. - Michael

Another memorial we visited during our trip was the Korean War Veterans memorial. It is to honor the millions of Americans who served during the war in Korea. There are 19 seven foot tall statues of men walking in ponchos carrying their weapons by their sides. In addition to these stainless steel statues, there is a 164 foot long mural containing 41 panels. The mural depicts the U.S. Navy, Army, Marines Corps., Air Force, and their equipment. The reflective quality of the granite creates the image of 38 statues which is symbolic to the 38 months of the war. It is one of the very memorable and touching monuments that are found in DC.- Caroline

One of the monuments we visited in DC was the Martin Luther King (Jr.) memorial. It had a big statue of Martin Luther King himself along with some quotes we found to be inspiring.  We also reflected about the quotes in our journals.- Caroline

The Hirshorn Modern Art Museum had many intriguing works of art. These modern works of art were very different from our expectations of what the artwork would be like. The pieces ranged from iconic sculptures to artistic films. These pieces were up to our own interpretation and this allowed us to give each piece of artwork its own unique personality and story.- Karson & Olivia

The Jefferson Memorial was mocked and called a muffin for its unusual shape, but I feel that it was something new among the other cookie-cutter buildings around it.

The Lincoln Memorial has a statue of Lincoln sitting in the center of a temple, but did you know there is a face hiding in his hair?

The WWII Memorial has a column for each state joining the war and there is a wall of stars for each solider that died or went missing during the war.-Nikyah

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      On Wednesday we visited the Library of Congress at the Thomas Jefferson Building.  We were able to see the amazing architecture all around in the building and

the inside of the Reading Room’s dome which was 160 feet from the floor.  We got to see the Giant Bible of Mainz and the Gutenberg Bible from

the 1400’s.  We also took a walk through the exhibit on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. - Logan

After meeting Congressman Tonko, one of the interns, Anthony, took us to the Botanical Gardens. When we got there, the first room we went into was the biggest. It had a fountain and a lot of flowers and trees. Another room we went into was for rare and endangered plants. My personal favorite plant was called cephalocereus senilis, or old man cactus, which was essentially just a cactus but with little tufts of fur coming out of it instead of spikes. - Lexi

The students of eighth grade visited the Arlington Cemetery in Washington, DC.This colossal cemetery held the bodies of brave American soldiers who died serving in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Looking at these tombstones made me think how grateful I am for these men and women for their service. We also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, symbolizing all of the fallen soldiers whose identities are unknown.  We are grateful for their sacrifice. Thank you for protecting our country. - Ian

We visited the Holocaust Museum on Thursday, March 26th. The tour of the museum starts with a trip in an elevator to the top floor. Right from the start, the crowded, dark space creates an atmosphere to give a tiny indication as to what it would be like living in the overcrowded ghettoes and camps during the Holocaust. The entire space is filled with videos, information, and photographs from and about the time period. The tour takes a route through the top, middle, and bottom floors before emptying into the Hall of Remembrance, which contains a flame that burns for the victims and the names of all of the ghettoes and camps set up. The whole experience is very touching and very personal. I recommend it to all above the age of 12 or whatever deemed appropriate by a parent/guardian.- Julia

The show, Shear Madness, is a murder mystery comedy that encourages audience participation. The contemporary commentary made the show unique, for example they made a "Zayn leaving One Direction" joke.  The show has four different endings, a different ending for each suspect. The show also has some jokes that go right over children's heads which make it good for ages ten and up. Also, it never has a dull moment. Even during the intermission, you could ask any questions about the show and what was going on if you didn't understand. Overall, the show is enjoyable and something I would definitely like to watch again.- Katelyn

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Please visit the Events page on our website for a full calendar of events.

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday, May 5• Mercado

Thursday-Friday, May 7-8• 6th Grade Trip

Friday, May 8• Family Fun Night 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 9• Brown School Trinkets & Treasures Garage

Sale and Bottle Drive - 9a.m. -2p.m.

Friday, May 15• *Rain Date - Family Fun Night 6:00-8:00

p.m.

May 11-20• Silent Online Auction

Saturday, May 16• Mamma Mia! -Brown School Goes to

Broadway

Monday, May 25• No School/No PLUS - Memorial Day

Upper school beautifying Brown School!!

Mindful MomentsMrs. Vitale delivered a beautiful Stock flower to each class at Brown School. The Pre-K classes mindfully explored the flower during the Thursday rotation of classes. Their descriptions of the flower included:

It smells like sugar, honey, sweet.It feels like a soft pillow, a soft fuzzy catIt sounds like a whoosh as it touches my hairIt looks pretty

Thank you Mrs. Vitale for making our day a little more enjoyable! Thanks also to Anthology Studio for providing Brown School with the beautiful Stock flowers.

Brown School Competes in O.V.A.!On Thursday, April 30th, 24 Brown School students participated in the Olympics of Visual Arts in Saratoga Springs. This event is in its 33rd year, and is sponsored by NYSATA, the New York State Art Teachers Association. There were 36 school districts and an estimated 1,000 people in attendance including students, judges, professional artists, college professors, and art teachers. Brown School collected two 3rd place finishes, a 2nd place finish and three 1st place finishes. Make sure you stop by the main stairwell landing to see some of the artwork on display. Congratulations to all, and we look forward to next year!

This month in Science, the third graders are learning all about plants and their adaptations to survive in the different biomes of the world. They also got to

enjoy planting a class garden while learning about the parts of a plant and

how they look and act differently in each biome so they can survive.

Top row: Groups take pride in their long-term projects. Middle

row: Presenting a long-term fashion project, and working on

the spontaneous problems. Bottom row: Completed

spontaneous problem projects.

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BROWN SCHOOL WISH LIST

While you’re doing your Spring cleaning, think of Brown School. We are in need of the following items:

-a push mower in working condition

-yard rakes & shovels

-garden tools

-a replacement for “Rusty”, our 1998 Dodge pickup truck used for plowing

If you can help us out with any of these items, please contact Wayne Kurtzner, Facilities Director or Mary Frawley, Business Director.

THANK YOU!

Invention Convention SemifinalistsInvention Convention is a regional competition in which students create a new invention or innovation that solves a problem. Students from Brown School were among the 100 chosen as semifinalists.  Congratulations to the following Invention

Convention semifinalists: Mack and Samantha in 1st grade, Ellie in 3rd grade, Charlie and Eva in 5th grade, and Frances, Henry and Bryan in 6th grade.  Many of our semifinalists created models that will be on display at MiSci from May 2 - May 21. A reception honoring the 100 semifinalists will be held at MiSci on Thursday, May 21.

Click to see the 6-8th graders guitar

performance

During STEM, the 5th grade was challenged to design a Tarpul.

Congratulations to the 4th-8th grade street musicians who raised $96.22 for the families of the Jay St. Fire.

Fine Arts and Music Fair

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Tickets

Reception-only Tickets $50/person

Regular Tickets $100/person

Honorary Committee Tickets $200/person or $375/couple

Honorary Committee Members receive priority seating and

complimentary drink tickets at the reception.

®

Many thanks to our event Sponsors for their continued support of Brown School.

Gold Level Sponsor

Silver Level Sponsors

Bronze Level Sponsors

Shane J. Mahieu, AAMS Vice  President  |  Senior  Financial  Advisor

Global  Wealth  and  Investment  Management  

Join us at Proctors for a fun-filled evening

Saturday, May 16

5:00 pm Dinner reception & silent auction 7:00 pm Mamma Mia! performance

Enjoy a charming Broadway show full of feel-good music, and an evening that will leave you

feeling good about supporting Brown School.

How To Buy Tickets

Contact the Main Office or buy online. www.biddingforgood/brownschool

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Platinum Level Donors: ($2,500 and above)Jose and Kirsten AlmeidaScott Morley and Nancy

Nichols-Morley

Gold Level Donors: ($1,000-$2,499)AnonymousJanet and Allen BarnettLara Turney and Frank CoonDavid and Micheline FordKrishna Govindarajan and Helen

HansonHugh Graham and Tina

SciocchettiBeth and Bill MassmannScott PowhidaThe Sandvik FamilyKelli and Mark SmachloSuzanne and Tom SmithMichael and Carolyn SterthousMichele Susko and Fardin SanaiVincent Versaci and Tina

Chericoni VersaciLiz and Joe VinciquerraSalvatore and Patti Vitale

Silver Level Donors: ($500-$999)Dr. and Mrs. Michael BurkeJeffrey Corbin and Janette SchueGE FoundationPamela and Doug HoeffnerGreg Jabaut

Chris Kelly and Kris LowneySue and James McClymondsRuth and Mark OsterlitzPrincipal InvestmentsJill SalvoArt and Joan Storey

Bronze Level Donors: ($250-$499)AnonymousLisa and Richard BiegaTom and Joan BrooksCarlo CioffiJim and Mary FrawleyRobert GachRobert and Debra GeerMohammed and Rae HaouaouiCharles Meeusen and Sophy LaiFelipe Paez and Patti de PaezLisa PerroneDawn and Michael PrzekuratKevin Rosenberg and Natalie

LopasicLotfi SayahiWilliam and Karen SmithArend van der Veen and Christine

ClarkMaureen VinciquerraKathryn West and John Ciovacco

Maroon & White Level Donors: ($100-$249)

AnonymousSusan Arnold and Edward MuhlDr. James and Dr. Lynn Boler

Jim and Lucy CesareScott and Linda CurtisMr. and Mrs. Larry DrebesMyron Dytiuk and Areta

PidwerbetskyMarie and Michael FarielloRosemary FaulknerMary Ann and Tim FrameRosemary FaulknerAnna and Jason GabreeThomas and Cynthia

GoodmanDavid and Sheila GriffinSharon KieltyJim and Emily KlotzErika KoutelisTeri and Carmen LomonocoJoan MahieuDenise MartinCarla MastrianoRob and Betsy MessengerDonna Mitchell and Ronald TysJames Noviczski and Jonina

WilkinsLauren Pine BernsteinThomas and Evelyn ReadChristine RichardsonNancy SciocchettiTom and Sandra SmithWayne P. SmithKaren and John SpinelliAnnu and PR SubramanianAaron Wyngowski

Friend Level Donors: (Up to $99)AnonymousPatricia AchtylCheryl AcknerJason and Nina BenwayPat and Jim BolerTeresa BurkeKim and Doug CooperMichael and Monica DiCoccoLei Zhang and Ye DingCarly FeldmanStephen and Elizabeth

GirolamiEvelyn and Steven GreensteinJeffrey and Jessica HladikAmanda KeilMichael and Maryellen

KoutelisMelanie McGannTim and Pam McLeronBrian and Doulla MertikLinda and Gerald MosseyKaren MuhlMichele and Ryan PezzanoFrank and Mary SalvatoreVal and Ron SandroniUnited WayWilliam and Nancy WinklerKatie ZeregaLei Zhang and Ye Ding

2014-2015 Annual Appeal UpdateWe are very grateful to the following people for their donations. The total gifts and pledges to date to the 2014-2015 Brown School Annual Appeal are $40,229. 

When you support the Annual Appeal, you make an investment in the educational quality of the school, enriching the academic curriculum and enhancing student activities. The uniqueness of a Brown School education, with its tradition of academic excellence and musical and artistic richness, is only made possible by the equally strong tradition of giving by the Brown School community.

Gifts to Brown School are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Did you know you could make your Annual Appeal donation online?

Save stamps, paper, and your time! 

Visit our secure online giving page to make a gift using your credit card,

PayPal account, or bank account. All gifts are processed through PayPal.

Updated May 1, 2015

150 Corlaer Ave. Schenectady, NY 12304

518.370.0366Website: brownschool.org

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