Blog

Posted by on Monday, March 7, 2016

Leveraging curiosity to build nonfiction reading skills and set a foundation for critical thinking Each day, lower school teachers and students spend an hour focused on locating information, summarizing important facts, isolating the main idea, and using text-based evidence to support a conclusion. Harlem Academy fourth-grader Benjamin loves science fiction. When he discovered in his nonfiction unit that his favorite books are based on real science, he started reading more science books. “ Read more...

Tags: lower school, English

A Trusted Adviser and Role Model

Posted by on Sunday, March 6, 2016

Clifford Alexander with Harlem Academy's eighth grade class.

Clifford Alexander with Harlem Academy eighth graders.

Clifford Alexander to speak at Harlem Academy's Spring Benefit on April 28 Mr. Alexander spent decades in public service as a counselor to U.S. Presidents and as a champion of civil rights. An attorney and businessman, he was born and raised in Harlem. He attended Fieldston School, then Harvard where he was president of the Student Council, and Yale where he received his law degree. In July 1963, he was Read more...

Tags: Spring Benefit, history

Making the Most of Summer

Posted by on Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Three students look over balcony at Vassar.

Eight Harlem Academy students earned full scholarships to attend summer programs for gifted students at Exeter, Vassar, and Yale.

Manny, Malik, and A.J. at the Summer Institute for the Gifted at Vassar.

This past summer, eight of our middle school students accepted full scholarships to attend academic programs for gifted students at Phillips Exeter Academy, Vassar College, and Yale University. These highly selective opportunities let them sample schedules and a Read more...

Tags: summer, boarding school

A New Approach to U.S. History

Posted by on Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Mr. Robertson leading a discussion with the Class of 2015.

Harlem Academy’s U.S. History course begins with “The Boston Massacre,” the famous etching by Paul Revere. From the image students understand the story – the slaughter of citizens, the abuse of power, the massacre that triggered a revolution. But then they read the first-hand accounts from local leaders, the British commander, and other witnesses. Suddenly the story is less clear: soldiers accosted by the Read more...

Tags: middle school, history

Celebrating Our Fourth Commencement

Posted by on Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Harlem Academy Class of 2015

Last Friday, we celebrated our fourth commencement and welcomed 14 new members of the alumni into the ranks. After thanking the families for their partnership in the work with their students, Head of School Vinny Dotoli invited the class to lead the program. In front of students, families, supporters, and staff, each graduate introduced one of their classmates, capturing reflections from their teachers and families about how Read more...

Tags: alumni

Visiting a Top Research University

Posted by on Friday, June 12, 2015

Students work on building an automated watering system for plants out of discarded computer parts.

The Harlem Academy middle school recently traveled to Troy, N.Y., to spend three days on campus at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The annual visit, called Collaboration for Innovation, is intended to inspire students in the STEM disciplines. Students have the opportunity to work with professors, visit the Hirsch Observatory, stay overnight in college dorms, and Read more...

Tags: middle school, STEM, college, trips

Check Mate

Posted by on Friday, June 5, 2015

This year, with the help of Chess NYC, Harlem Academy has set up a program to teach all of our students this classic game. National Chess Master Majur Juac leads classes with students from every grade, with each class meeting with him for one hour each week. Mr. Juac teaches students the basic rules of chess and then moves into strategy and maneuvers. Chess is a fun way to encourage planning, concentration, and problem solving. We have extended the program into next school year, adding an Read more...

Tags: chess, electives

Harlem Academy Alumna and the 9/11 Museum Ambassador Program

Posted by on Thursday, May 21, 2015

Wassa Bagayoko '13 on the left. Photo courtesy of Jin Lee and the 9/11 Memorial.

On Monday May 18, Harlem Academy alumna Wassa Bagayoko graduated from a special internship program for high school students at the 9/11 Museum. The 9/11 Museum’s Ambassador Program provides 10th through 12th graders with an in depth, semester-long look into the events of 9/11 and their commemoration. Students participate in seminars on what led up to the terrorist attacks, the Read more...

Tags: alumni, history

Shakespeare Smackdown Success

Posted by on Monday, May 11, 2015

Harlem Academy students at the Shake Smack

Last week, three groups from Harlem Academy performed of scenes from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the 2015 Shakespeare Smackdown (ShakeSmack) hosted by the Classic Stage Company out of Greenwich Village. Most of the teams were from high schools, but Harlem Academy teams of sixth through eighth grade students took both first and second place. In preparation for ShakeSmack and as part of our electives offerings, our 12 students worked hard over the past 4 weeks rehearsing their Read more...

Tags: middle school, Shakespeare, English

Students Present Projects at Rafael Viñoly Architects

Posted by on Tuesday, April 7, 2015

3D model build by a Harlem Academy student

Yesterday, the grade-eight class visited the Rafael Viñoly Architects studio to present projects to a panel of architects. During the past five weeks of science class, students have been working on creating architecture projects with professional architects. Each student was tasked with designing a 400 square foot building for an existing open lot at 110th Street and Fifth Avenue that could serve the community. First, students developed a concept design, then they created perspective Read more...

Tags: middle school, architecture, science, STEM

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