Brooklyn Friends School

Wholeness and Well-Being is a shared responsibility across the BFS community, led by the Counseling Team and the Learning Support Team. The approach is holistic, strength-based, affirming of belonging, and integrated throughout the school. All students experience social emotional learning (SEL) in their classrooms, health and wellness programming, middle and upper school advisory programming, health classes, and other aspects of the curriculum. The Learning Support Team focuses on diverse learning styles and uses a tiered system embedded in daily learning to provide appropriate interventions. Counselors work with teachers, families, Leadership, and outside providers to meet health and wellbeing needs, and partner with health teachers to deliver wellness programming. The programming evolves with research and best practices to respond to students' needs.

The Learning Support Team honors diverse learning styles and fosters belonging, with diversity, equity, and belonging practices at the center. Learning support uses a tiered system embedded in everyday learning to increase access to curricula. Learning specialists support teachers and may work directly with students who need additional interventions. They collaborate with divisional leadership and the Counseling team, and coordinate with families to align support in and out of school. The goal is for students to gain independence and to generalize strategies beyond the classroom.

Counseling is a central component of BFS's mental wellbeing support. The Counseling Team works holistically, integrates considerations of identity and development, and collaborates with teachers, families, leadership, and outside providers to address health needs. Across learning communities, counselors support wellbeing through advisory programming, health classes, and wellness initiatives. All students access SEL through their daily learning and health programming and have a dedicated counselor if needed. The program uses a tiered approach to meet varying wellbeing needs and provides immediate care during crises when needed, connecting with outside providers as appropriate. The programming evolves with current research and best practices to respond to students' needs.

The school informs parents at the earliest appropriate juncture about any disciplinary event and its consequences. If the event is serious, a three-way conference with the parent, child, and school administration may be required. The school handles these situations in its in loco parentis role, balancing the needs of the individual child with maintaining a learning environment that is respectful and free of disruptive behavior. The overriding goal is to provide a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all. If a child reports alarming behavior or a potentially dangerous situation, the school investigates thoroughly and protects the reporting individual from retaliation.