Welcome to the Winter 2024 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.

Exploring the Properties of Snow and Ice

Throughout January, the 5 North children continued on their journey exploring the properties of snow and ice. Mother Nature must have known what they needed to further our winter exploration as a light snowfall made everything possible for the children to have a hands-on experience. They observed the Garden from the Garden Room lobby and predicted how the snow would feel. They armed themselves with shovels and a bucket and ventured out to the Garden. They first noticed that the snow was cold. They made tracks in the snow and then began to fill their large bucket with snow. They made a few snowballs and even attempted to make a small snowman.

The class decided to take the snow inside to the classroom. To their surprise, in a short amount of time, the snow disappeared and all they found was a bucket of water. What happened? The class decided to add a plethora of natural materials - pine cones, leaves, rocks, sticks, and tree branches to various-sized containers and place them outside overnight. When they returned to school the next morning, they found the water had once again transformed, this time into ice. They brought the ice blocks back to the sensory table to touch and explore.

Children learn best when they can use their senses to discover and see concepts playing out in the physical world around them. The class was fascinated to find the natural materials trapped in the ice and experimented with different ways of melting and breaking the ice to pry the materials out. They were interested in the holes and hollows left when pebbles were removed. Some students noticed the sound made by tapping on the ice and the smell of the pine needles. Others enjoyed lifting the ice blocks up, turning them over, feeling textures, and spinning them around as they melted.

What's Inside Our Bodies?

Children in classroom 4 South began a science study of what’s inside our bodies by studying the heart and blood! They learned about the annual Brick Blood Drive and role-played being a donor and a worker taking blood donations from the classroom stuffed animals. The children did some writing for blood drive posters that were displayed around the school. They also created thank you cards for every donor!

On the day of the Blood Drive, the class went to the Watson Hall balcony to quietly observe from above while they drew their observations on clipboards.

As the study continued, the class also enjoyed a visit from Dr. Sachedina who talked to the class about being a pediatrician! She showed the class her tools and gave them activity books about the body. Here are some comments children made during the presentation:

You can break your bone if you fall down from a height.

Blood connects to your heart.

One time I broke a bone and I had to have an x-ray and a cast.

And casts are big Band-Aids.

Once I had a popped elbow.

Sometimes when it’s quiet and I’m laying down I can hear my heart. 

Music in Chapel



Every week in Chapel our community sings together as part of the service. As classes enter the Chapel, they take their places and join in singing Enter, Rejoice and Come In. Those schoolmates who are still filing in are delighted to hear the classes already seated singing a welcoming song to them.

After the candles are lit we always sing This Little Light of Mine. Most of the time we sing just one verse, but sometimes we do several, including a verse in Spanish. The lyrics are the perfect underscore to the message that lighting the candles reminds us that God’s love is with us, and even when we snuff them out, the light and love remain within us wherever we go.

After a message and the prayer, we sing another song together. The songs are different each week but the messages of love, sharing, kindness, and gratitude are always present. Some Brick favorites are Love Grows, Take A Little Love and Pass It On, and Thank You for the World so Sweet. After the benediction we sing the Goodbye Song as the classes walk out out waving to each other and very often high-fiving Pastor Evans or Ms. Fabian.

Before our Christmas Chapel the children learn carols and holiday songs to help lead the service. This special Chapel Service is not a performance but rather an opportunity for each class to be part of leading worship through song. Songs are carefully chosen to help each age group feel successful and create an opportunity to learn a variety of songs with seasonal messages of merriment, hope, and peace, including traditional Christmas carols. Having our family and caregiver community join us for this chapel makes it a beloved tradition that sets a joyful tone for the season.

Giving to Brick ❤️️ Show Your School Spirit

Please consider supporting Brick’s 2023-24 Annual Appeal. Your involvement and support are instrumental in helping us maintain the level of excellence in the education we provide to our students. All gifts are deeply appreciated, and no gift is too small. Participation is a powerful demonstration of our shared commitment. Please join us in supporting the Annual Appeal. Reach out to Susan Johnson with any questions.

Going, Gaining and Growing: 2023-2024 Professional Development Highlights



Brick’s Faculty has been busy participating in a broad range of meaningful professional development opportunities this school year. Here are some highlights:

• Learning Through Block Play, Teaching Beyond the Square: This interactive workshop focused on practical ways to turn classroom block corners into exciting learning centers that foster independence, cognitive development, and cooperative play.
• CSEE Early Education Summit, Reimagining Emotions in the Classroom: This seminar focused on rewriting the story of emotion as an effective classroom management tool that can facilitate learning. Participants explored the fundamentals of emotions, the neurobiology of the threat response, and the language of play.
• Brick Faculty School Visits to Partner and Peer Schools: These meaningful visits promote collaboration and inspiration with local partner and peer schools. From observing Kindergarten classroom environments and reflecting on readiness practices to connecting across age levels and studying current practices, school visits foster excellent learning and development opportunities for all.

In addition, Staff and Administrative Team members have attended numerous NYSAIS workshops and conferences including Effective Communication with Parents, Gender and Human Sexuality Conference, Assistant Heads, Division Heads, and After School Directors Conference, and The Annual Conference for NYSAIS Heads of School. Later this Spring, Farley Bills will attend and present at the Admissions, Placement, and Financial Assistance Professionals Conference which she is currently helping to plan.