Read the Update – August 25th 2020

“This is a book that trusts white children to feel painful feelings about racism.” GSB is inviting author Anastasia Higginbotham to share the story behind “Not my idea”. Please visit Anastasia’s website to watch the “trailer” for the book https://anastasiahigginbotham.com/not-my-idea/

Anastasia Higginbotham (@AHigginBooks) shares NOT MY IDEA: A BOOK ABOUT WHITENESS. Anastasia’s Ordinary Terrible Things book series has taken on the topics of divorce, death, and sex using straightforward language and respecting the reader with each page. Her most recent entry in the series is called NOT MY IDEA: A BOOK ABOUT WHITENESS and it has been one of my most-talked about books ever since a colleague shared it with me at the beginning of this school year. Anastasia talks at length about the work that went into creating this book, laying the art from found materials, handwriting the text, and crafting the story around her own experience of processing racial injustice and White supremacy. It’s an absolutely exceptional book and one that provides the necessary space and language for confronting Whiteness and working against the historic and ongoing oppression of Black men, women, and children.

What does #BlackHistorymonth look like at GSB? 2nd graders loving Harriet Tubman’s story. Teacher Jane Marie: “Several students commented, as we read about the Underground Railroad, that if they had lived during that time, they would have helped with the Underground Railroad. After we finished the book, we then began brainstorming ways that we can be an activist today.” 

Dear Friends & Supporters,

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for: The new GSB building is becoming a reality and it will live at 116 Rogers Avenue in Crown Heights.

We are overjoyed to share with you that, just a few days ago we closed on the property.

116 Rogers Avenue is within walking distance to the Union Temple and easily accessible via the Franklin Ave Subway Stop (2,3,4,5 trains). When demolition and construction are complete we expect that grades K-3 will be at Union Temple and grades 4-12 at the 116 Rogers campus.

With this major milestone, we are ringing in a whole new chapter for GSB students, families & staff. We are so excited to continue this journey with you.

Kathrin & Muriel
with the GSB Team

GSB After School Animation Team at work headed by GSB super parent Anna Bergmann. Check out their amazing work!

Usually the current 5th grade celebrates their graduation into Middle School at the GSB Gala in May. This year the gala was virtual and we received a special video. Still, we owe you a party!

https://vimeo.com/417440970

More Sendung mit der Maus Videos:

GSB students joined students around the world for a Climate Strike on Friday, September 21, a movement inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who staged a solo protest outside the Swedish parliament last year.

All students discussed the issues in their classes and painted signs and then assembled in front of the Brooklyn Museum. The older classes let the smaller ones, teachers and parents in chants. The older students then went on into Manhattan to join the many other schools protesting.

GSB’s Green Committee invited families to a fall beach clean-up as part of the International Coastal Clean-Up Day 2019 on Sep 21. This was a global volunteer effort to clean up beaches for the marine life, shorebirds, and wildlife. They spent the day outside together as a community and learned about pollution and the environmental impact it has on our precious nature.

The clean up took place at the North Channel Bridge and was coordinated by the NYC Audubon and the American Littoral Society. It was a beautiful fall day and we couldn’t have asked for a better turn out.

Dear Families

The GSB 6th and 7th graders would like to invite you to their production of “Alice in Wonderland”!

Please join us for the magic next weekend, January 24th @ 7pm and January 25th @ 3pm at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Commons Theater.

See all the info on attached flyer and make a reservation at the following link if you’d like to attend:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gsb-middle-school-presents-alice-in-wonderland-tickets-90463441589

Suggested donation of $5-$10 will be collected at the door.

“Alice in Wonderland” is the culmination of rehearsals during the first semester of the middle school performing arts curriculum, Performing Arts Workshop (PAW). In this mandatory weekly course, students explore various aspects of theatrical production with concentration on Drama, Dance and Music.

We hope to see you there!

The GSB Winter Celebrations are always a highlight before everybody parts ways for the holidays. All classes prepare performances around a theme. This year’s theme was “All Our Dreams Can Come True if we Have the Courage to Pursue Them.”

Here a few snippets of the performances as well as an impromptu performance by PA president Jabali Sawicki.

The after school class was initiated and taught by parent Susan Dibs. One of the main goals in the class was social responsibility by supporting worthy causes with funds raised. It was also a great opportunity for GSB students of all grades to test their entrepreneurial skills. Kids got to develop a brand, a product or service. They were able hone their sales pitches, set their prices and then sell to the public at the fair.

The class culminated in the inaugural Kidpreneur Business Fair which in invited GSB kids to develop products to sell at the fair. The response was overwhelming and the fair was a huge success with over 60 children selling their wares in the school’s ballroom.

The event was a wonderful opportunity for kids to be inventive & get real life experience at the same time. Many happy shoppers came in to the big ballroom for the 1st Annual KidPreneur Business Fair, that was so full of life, spirit & creativity.

The Kidpreneurs subsequently participated in other school events and had a holiday fair in December 2019.

It turned out the 5th Annual Oktoberfest was a record breaker:
The weather report didn’t promise too much – but no forecast could have predicted how wonderful this event would turn out. It was a full 5 hours of sunshine, dancing, mustard dipping, raffling, cheering, Schuhplatt’ling, beer drinking, prize winning, bounce housing, Berni hugging & of course FUND RAISING! We can’t thank you enough for joining us and enjoying what Vinz and the Oktoberfest Committee have put together. We are overwhelmed with the amount of great pictures that were taken and, without further ado, please enjoy impressions of yesterdays “Blocktoberfest”. We are beyond grateful! A big Danke to all of the friends, volunteers & visitors, that made this event possible!
Eure Kathrin & the GSB Oktoberfest Committee

Photographs by http://www.ifilmny.com/blog and chrispolinsky.com