Our School

Brooklyn Free Space is a place where children grow and develop with the nurturing guidance of our dedicated and experienced administration and full-time teaching staff. As a cooperative, we are a community-based organization in every aspect of our operation, as well as our philosophy. Our school is run by a combination of committed member families, professional teachers and administrators who work together to create a warm, diverse and responsive environment for our children. 

BFS accommodates 62 children in four classrooms--Jitterbug, Dragonfly, Sunshine and Rainbow, with a student-teacher ratio ranging from 4:1 to 6:1, depending on the students’ ages.

Philosophy

Our philosophy at BFS is rooted in the knowledge that children learn best through play. Our classroom environments are created to support this belief and allow children to interact with peers and learning materials in the many manifestations of play. Recognizing that, though children grow in predictable stages, each child should be treated as an individual. All children have their own learning styles and interests, and we believe that when we meet each child where they’re at developmentally, and respect their interests, ideas and self-expression, then we help plant the seed for a life-time of appreciation for the joy of learning.

A caring and positive atmosphere serves as a warm and happy place for preschoolers to learn. Building a bridge from home to school, we guide the children through the continual development of positive self-image while forging collaborative social relationships. We promote the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of the children by giving them the opportunity to make sense of the world around them by doing, interacting, exploring and experiencing.

Classroom routines are designed to balance structure and free choice, active and quiet times, and celebrate the process rather than the product, which fosters a sense of both accomplishment and pride. The learning journey is based on the interests of the children, and is facilitated by the thoughtful planning, observations and participation of the teachers.

As educators, we see ourselves as continual learners, and this is demonstrated by the active, ongoing professional development that our teaching staff engages in. We are co-learners and co-researchers with the children as we explore the world around us together.

We value the active involvement of families in our program, both through cooperative and classroom participation. This involvement enables the children to see their parents as important and involved members of the school community.

Parents gain valuable insights and techniques from the expertise of the staff and, at the same time, share their own observations, talents and interests so that we work together to create a warm, dynamic learning environment. At BFS, school is a shared experience, a concept that we hope will continue throughout the educational process.

Commitment to Diversity

We believe that all forms of diversity—whether it be economic, racial, gender or in regards to family structure—benefit the entire community. Creating a heterogeneous school environment for our children, which reflects the make-up of our city and the world at large, is crucial for healthy development of self and cultural competency. To do this, we seek out a diverse applicant pool, paying close attention during our lottery to the racial and ethnic makeups of each classroom. We also ensure that our workshops and events represent many different voices and are accessible to all. 

To realize this goal in practice, our teachers work to provide classroom resources that offer opportunities for our young children to learn about the diverse world around them and to question the unavoidable exposure to stereotypical thinking around issues of race, culture and gender.