Welcome to the Spring 2026 issue of Brick by Brick, The Brick Church School’s newsletter for parents and grandparents of alumni, adult graduates, friends of the school, and our current families. It is our pleasure to share a window into the current life of the school, with highlights from our classrooms and special school events, as well as updates about alums, and ways to stay involved in our vibrant community. | |
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Greetings from Marie
Dear Friends,
We had a fabulous year celebrating the school's 85th birthday and making preparations for the classroom expansion projects outlined in our 2025 Strategic Plan. Thanks to the tremendous generosity and support of our community, construction is now underway to create additional spaces for our students. We cannot wait to reopen in September with 10 beautiful classrooms, where every group including our 2's classes will attend school 5 days a week!
Read on to learn more about the classrooms and teaching teams for next year and the joyful spring we had this year.
Warmly,
Marie
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We are pleased to share the teaching teams and locations for each class for 2026-27.
Twos Classes:
2W AM and PM: Head Teacher Ranu Singh; Associate Teachers Kyle Cherry and Kassinda Federson
2B AM and PM: Head Teacher Jasmine Schmidt; Associate Teachers Jyothi George and Hanan Kenyatta
Threes Classes:
3N AM and PM: Head Teacher Victoria Ortiz; Associate Teachers Lucy Bukowska and Carol Garcia
5N AM and PM: Head Teacher David Bedard; Associate Teachers Louisa Gear and Inzata Toure
5S (AM only): Head Teacher Stacy Wender; Associate Teachers Hulya Khambatta and Frances Quiroz
Young Fours Classes:
2N: Head Teacher Heidi Fong; Associate Teachers Taylor Hamersley and Connor Wright
2S: Head Teacher Megan Raelson; Associate Teachers Emily Abelson and Angie Seracini
4's/5's Classes:
4N: Head Teacher Jennifer Goncalves; Associate Teachers Tina Mackler and Molly Revenson
4S: Head Teacher Katherine Gregory; Associate Teachers Karina Pineda and Liz Schack
YS: Head Teacher Bernisse Flores; Associate Teachers Jaci Barker and Isabel Goss
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2026 Spring Celebrations! | Grandparents and Special Friends Visiting Day | | | | Culminating Classroom Experiences in 4 North & 4 South | | |
4 North Science Lab
The 4 North scientists were so proud of their hard work over the past few months! They were so happy to have family members visit and the transformed classroom. Many of the other classes and Brick community members were also able to come and experience their lab.
Afterward, the 4N students shared their favorite parts of the lab in a reflective journal entry: “My favorite thing was the planets and putting my hand in the oobleck.” “I liked wearing the lab coat.” “I liked the space section and how you could go in the spaceship. And all the colored lights.” “My favorite part was my mom coming to the classroom.” “I liked the volcano eruption.” “The oobleck because it was super gooey and I love the texture.” “The planets because they were super cool colors.” “The jellyfish. That they were shiny.” “I love the fish hanged up on the wall.” “The rocket - how you can stand up in it.” “The volcano and how we made the lava explode.” “Hard to choose because I liked everything.” “The space center because it had the rocketship and the planets and Oppy.” “The volcano eruption because it looked so soapy.” “I liked the oobleck because it was so slimy and sticky.” “I liked the planets because they were so pretty.” “I liked the ocean area because I liked to be the bird.” “I liked the turtle race and that there were birds trying to get the turtles.” “I love space. It is so cool. I love it so much."
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4 South Aquarium
4 South worked up to the last minute, preparing for their aquarium. Every time they thought all the penguins were finished, more children decided they really wanted to make one. They were so proud to show the narwhals, giant squid, bioluminescent creatures, and, of course, penguins at their aquarium! They also featured pufferfish, jellyfish, yarn turtles, clay starfish, and coral reefs made from clay and colored pasta
Everyone took turns working in their show, handing out tickets, and explaining the parts of the room. Here’s their script: Welcome to the 4S dolphin show! Our dolphins don’t live in little tanks. They swim in the ocean, happy and free. When they hear the music signal that a dolphin show is about to start, they can swim in and join the show if they want to. I wonder if any dolphins will come today? Let’s start the music… The trainer gives hand signals and rewards the dolphins with fish. For the first trick, the dolphins will point their beaks up, then down, and then wave! The dolphins like it if you clap! For the second trick, the dolphins will come up out of the water as far as they can and spin in a circle! Next, the dolphins will take turns to go through the hoop. Different dolphins may like to go through the hoop in different ways! Don’t forget to clap! Now comes the medical check. The trainer will listen to each dolphin’s heart and give it pretend medicine. That way, if the dolphins are ever sick or need real medicine they will not be scared to get help. While each dolphin gets a checkup, the others can swim around or do their own tricks. Our last trick will be dolphins popping up through the hoop and talking to you! Good job, dolphins! Here are your fish!
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Service Learning at Brick | 2025-2026
This year marked the launch of a dedicated Service Learning role on the Parents Association. The goal was to introduce our children to community service in age-appropriate ways while creating opportunities for families to connect through meaningful outreach efforts.
In the fall, Brick families participated in the African Dream Academy Red Bag Initiative, a program with special ties to Brick through former Head of School Lydia Spinelli, one of the organization’s founders. Families assembled red gift bags filled with school supplies and other essentials that were sent to 1,500 schoolchildren in Liberia.
Winter initiatives included a holiday toy drive, the Project Cicero book drive benefiting under-resourced public schools throughout New York City, and a community blood drive. In the spring, families contributed to cereal and fruit-and-vegetable drives supporting Grassroots Grocery, as well as our third annual children’s clothing drive, which supported multiple organizations focusing on children in need during early childhood.
Throughout the year, Brick families also participated in seven Meals on Wheels deliveries, bringing both meals and companionship to homebound seniors on the Upper East Side.
Each initiative provided opportunities for children to learn about kindness, generosity, and being a good neighbor. Pastor Tom and Mrs. Bills reinforced these lessons through chapel discussions that connected service activities to Brick’s core values.
Thank you to all the families who participated this year! Your generosity, time, and enthusiasm helped make service learning a meaningful part of the Brick community. Through these experiences, our children are learning that even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
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Where Are They Now? Catching Up With Brick Alumni
Former Brick Church School student Kate Casciato is making an impact both in and out of the pool.
Kate, who attended the Brick Church School along with her four siblings, is now a junior at the Dalton School and has dedicated much of her time to promoting water safety for young children. A lifelong competitive swimmer, Kate founded the student initiative “Own Your Float. Learn to Swim” and was recently named a Teen Ambassador for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance.
Through her program, Kate visits preschools and elementary schools to teach children important water safety skills in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate way. Her presentations emphasize that while swim lessons are essential, simply talking about water safety can help children develop awareness and confidence around water from an early age.
During her classroom visit at Brick, Kate read a story she wrote, Captain Goggles Saves the Day!, reviewed water safety rules through interactive activities, answered students’ questions, and led a coloring activity designed to reinforce key lessons.
Kate has also presented at several other preschools, including All Souls School and International Preschool.
Reflecting on her time at Brick, Kate shared that the Brick Church School will always hold a special place in her heart, making the opportunity to return and educate the next generation especially meaningful.
We are proud to celebrate Kate’s leadership, initiative, and commitment to helping keep children safe. Her work is a wonderful example of how Brick alumni continue to make a positive difference in their communities.
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Brick’s 85th Birthday Annual Appeal
Thank you to all the current families, alumni families, grandparents and friends who have already supported our 85th!
❤️ 97% of current families have participated
❤️ Over 30 Grandparents have donated in honor of their grandchild(ren)
❤️ 100% of the Day School Committee and Staff have participated
We are so grateful. All gifts are deeply appreciated, and no gift is too small. There is still time to support Brick as we implement our strategic plan to renovate our indoor and outdoor spaces, launch a five-day Twos program, and increase financial aid and teacher professional development. Our fiscal year closes on June 30. All gifts received will be reported in our Annual Giving Report. Your support is instrumental in helping us maintain the level of excellence in the education we provide to our students.
Please reach out to Susan Johnson with any questions. THANK YOU!
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Connect with Us!
To update your contact information, share an update on an alum, or to let us know about someone who would be interested in receiving Brick by Brick, please email dayschool@brickchurch.org.
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