Student Services | BASIS Independent Brooklyn (2024)

Ongoing student support is a critical part of our academic program. Deans regularly monitor student performance and proactively identify those who need support or are making exceptional strides.

All teachers are required to hold weekly office hours that are available to students (and guardians) who want to check in on progress, review content or homework, work on some extra skills, and more.

Whether a transferring student needs to catch up on material or a student is struggling in a particular class, a customized student support plan is necessary. Deans play a very specific role in developing and orchestrating a plan for students who need additional support above what is offered in the classroom. They meet with the student and assess, then they employ strategies such as extra teacher hours, peer tutoring, executive functioning and organizational support. Whether a student is on a Student Support Plan or not, we celebrate success as students inevitably make strides towards achieving their individual goals as scholars.

In every grade, teachers focus on the development of two fundamental competencies: efficient organization and productive time management.

The BASIS Organizational Skills for Success (BOSS) program works on honing these skills, particularly useful for new students just starting the program. BOSS not only focuses on executive functioning skills to prepare students to tackle complex tasks, but also helps students transition into BASIS Independent Brooklyn as they get to know fellow classmates and academic expectations.

BASIS Independent Crash Courses are offered to new middle and high school students to give them exposure to courses they may have missed, before the start of the school year. These courses are offered before the start of the school year in Latin (incoming grade 6), Biology, Chemistry, and Physics (grades 7–9). Students will have an opportunity to receive academic enrichment and a basic orientation in vocabulary and theories from their future teachers to ensure they feel confident on their first day as a BASIS Independent Brooklyn Bear.

Peer tutoring is purposefully designed to be a hallmark of our school. Held as an after-school program, it is designed to achieve two outcomes:

1. To encourage academic confidence. Peers are often sufficiently well-equipped to explain a concept to a struggling student, and we want to give them the chance to demonstrate their knowledge.
2. To normalize asking for help. Students become more comfortable with asking for help when they seek it, not just from teachers, but from fellow students.

Early Bird is an extension of the school day available to all students before the start of school from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM. This hour provides a place for students to complete homework or quietly socialize with friends in a supervised environment. Students must remain in the designated area before their classes begin. There is no fee for Early Bird.

Late Bird is an after-school extension available to all students from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM; it is fee-based for all Early Learning through Middle School students. We provide students with a structured, quiet academic environment to complete homework and an opportunity to socialize with friends in a supervised environment.

BASIS Independent Brooklyn offers a lunch program to students of all ages. We partner with Butter Beans to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. Butter Beans offers gluten-free, nut-free, organic, and farm-to-table options

We encourage families at both campuses to make use of nearby public transportation options; we offer free or reduced MetroCards for students who plan to use public subways or buses. The BASIS Independent Brooklyn Upper School campus in Red Hook is conveniently located near stops for the B61 and B57, as well as the F and G trains at Smith & 9th Street Station. BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School is located centrally in Downtown Brooklyn near stops for the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, D, F, G, N, Q, and R trains; the LIRR at Atlantic Terminal; and many MTA bus lines, including the B25, B26, B38, B52, B54, B57, B61, B62, and B67.

Families are also welcome to use CitiBikes, bikes, strollers, skateboards, and scooters. We have storage at both campuses for these modes of transportation.

BASIS Independent Brooklyn offers a “Connector” bus between our locations for families with students at both our Upper and Lower School campuses.

Our fee-based transportation program at the Red Hook campus includes morning and afternoon bus services throughout New York City. Our bus routes attempt to accommodate the majority of students who sign up, and they are carefully planned with each school year. Please inquire directly for more details on our current routes.