Summer Education Program

Don’t let Summer Brain Drain affect your child’s future!  This summer your child can attend Brainy Academy’s summer education program.

* Your child will attend daily classes (Monday through Friday) from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm OR 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

* We are open from July 1st to August 31st and closed only for federal holidays.

* Children study English and Math Daily.  We utilize Singapore Math and logic based approach to English Language.

* Every day we have additional enrichment, including Russian, art and science.

* This program is for children ages 5 to 10.  Every child works on an individual program specifically designed for them.

* Conveniently located on Sheepshead Bay Road, we have experienced instructors, small groups and reasonable rates.

*$150 a week.

Montessori Mommy and Me Classes

Brainy Academy is announcing a new class on our schedule!  Due to popular demand we are introducing a Montessori based mommy and me class, a first of its kind in Sheepshead Bay.  In this class children ages 1.5 to 3 will engage in various Montessori age appropriate activities including sensorial activities and practical life activities. The class will be led by an experienced Montessori teacher with a strong background in working with the very young Montessori students in a well known Montessori school in Brooklyn. This is a unique opportunity to introduce a young child to the incredible benefits of the Montessori environment. Classes last 1 hour.  Trial class cost is $10, subsequent classes cost $25.  Package of 5 classes for $100 is available.

Classes take place on Sheepshead Bay Road, in our headquarter location.  These classes are drop in, first come first serve.  A reservation is strongly encouraged, classes will be closed at 8 children maximum.

Software Engineering High School

This fall ambitious New York City students will have another option to add to their dream high school list. The new Software Engineering High School established by Mike Zamansky, a computer systems teacher at New York City’s elite Stuyvesant High School will open its doors. Unlike many other elite high schools in New York City this school will not look at outside factors such as student attendance or grades in considering admission. Instead it will look at the student’s interest in the subject and the student’s potential for success. Translation – it will accept bright, motivated students of all levels, not just the ones with the best attendance record or grades.

At Brainy Academy we pride ourselves on our strong robotics program (ages 12 to 14) and incorporate programming into our courses. Brainy Academy of New York will be distributing more information to students attending Robotics Classes as it becomes available.

Brainy Builders: Learning through fun

Introduction

Brainy Builders is a fun and unique learning program for children grades 1 through 8. The classes feature teacher guided, hands on activities and lessons.  Each class is designed to help children learn science, mathematics and acquire valuable academic problem solving skills.

The Brainy Builders program was created with the intent of providing much needed mechanics, logic, math and science skills to students. However, Brainy Builders also gives children a fun and safe outlet for their creativity while they learn.

How it Works

A Brainy Builders class out will generally start with a short preparatory introduction given by the teacher. This introduction will focus on information the students can use for the remainder of the class. The material presented will vary depending upon the subject of the class and the age of the students. The introduction material may be a short book, a physics concept (for instance a demonstration of gravity), an example of how something works or a short (5 to 10 minute) age appropriate educational video demonstrating the concept.

The second step of the Brainy Builders class is to provide the students Lego Education sets (and instructions to build them). Here students must sort out Lego pieces and assemble their machines following the instructions. In some cases students will work alone but it is much more common that children are asked to work in pairs. This helps children practice working in teams.  Children are welcome to follow instructions exactly or they can improve on a design.  Creativity and out of the box thinking are encouraged in the class, however, students must always keep in mind the problem they are attempting to solve.

In the final stage of the Brainy Builders Lesson students use the machine they’ve created to conduct experiments. Using the scientific method the students conduct experiments relevant to the lesson, record their results and draw a conclusion.  Depending on the machine they constructed this could involve calculating distance, time or probability of an event occurring.  In some circumstances students might then build additional machines to accomplish other tasks related to the experiment.

Effects

Brainy Builders uses hands on methods to help students learn to process information logically and methodically.The scope and extent of science covered in Brainy Builders is often not covered until high school.  However, because the material is presented in a fun and interactive way children usually have no trouble learning the subjects presented.  While it is very educational, the program is also intended as a fun and a creative outlet.

Learning to internalize both the scientific process and the methodical way in which problems are to be approached at an early age gives these children an advantage in life.  This way of thinking will stay with them well into adulthood, helping in career and in the real world.

Hours of operation for Brainy Academy

Brainy Academy is open 7 days a week and closed only for federal holidays.

We are open for tours and information:

Monday through Thursday  3.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Friday 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm
Saturday 9.00 am to 12.30 pm
Sunday 9:00 am to 2:30 pm

Additional hours are available by appointment.

Please stop by any time during our hours of operation to tour our facility and learn about our programs. If you would like to have your child evaluated for a class or tutoring sessions, please make an appointment in advance.  You may contact us via 347 450 3123 or info@brainyacademyny.com

Open House Dates for Brainy Academy

Brainy Academy of New York proud to announce that our official opening date is on March 1st, 2012. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm and Saturday through Sunday 9.30 am to 11.30 am.

Starting on March 1st you can stop by our facility at any time during our open hours to take a tour and learn about our programs.  If you would like your child to be evaluated for a program please call in advance to schedule an appointment.

We are hosting two open house dates, one on Saturday March 3rd and one on Sunday March 4th. Open houses are due to immediately follow our regularly scheduled classes.  Open house hours are 11.30am to 3.30 pm.

During the open house you will be able to tour our facility and learn about our programs.  We will also have fun activities for the kids!

During the Saturday open house you will be able to  meet Ms. El (our Montessori teacher) and Mr. Burnett (our Lego Education Robotics teacher).

During the Sunday Open House you will be able to meet Ms. El and Mr. Itsokovich (Brainy Builders with Lego Education teacher).

Additional tutors will be on hand to help conduct evaluations in Math, English, Russian and other subjects.

Brainy Academy is located in Brooklyn’s southern neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay.  We are only 2 blocks away from the B and Q train stop for Sheepshead Bay Road.

Lego Education Space Program

Lego Education has recently introduced a new and exciting venture called the Lego Space Program. This is a joint program between Lego Education and the astronauts on board the International Space Station. The program includes interactive learning activities and games that help students to learn about space and physics.  The astronauts aboard the space station conduct various experiments and film them, so that students back on earth can follow along with the experiments of their own.  The Astronauts use Lego machines to demonstrate the various effects of space on gravity and objects.

The program was designed to provide a fascinating and interactive series of learning activities. These activities will spark the interest and imagination of its students while teaching them about space, calibration, distance, accuracy, area, gears and logic.

Activities
Lego has created a variety of activities with Lego projects for students to build and work with. The activities include:

• Trundle Wheel
The Trundle Wheel is a unique machine that students construct and use to conduct experiments in microgravity and measurement. Working with the Trundle Wheel involves use of logic and the scientific method.

• Hammer
The hammer is a project that children build in order to conduct and study microgravity experiments using the scientific method.

• Beam Balance
The beam balance helps students to understand the difference between mass and weight and how they apply in space.

• Power Pulley
Students learn to work with or enhance their knowledge of pulley systems while learning about the effects of microgravity in space on pulleys.

• Space Buggy
The space buggy allows students to find out first-hand how vehicles are used and implemented in space.

• Space Calling
Children learn about satellites including how they work and why they are important both on Earth and to the astronauts in the International Space Station.

Result
The Lego Space station helps students to learn about important physics, the scientific method and space while also helping to develop a life-long love of learning!

Brainy Academy
Brainy Academy in Sheepshead Bay is proud to take part in the Lego Space program. Our curriculum will follow along with the space station activities starting in the fall of 2012. Our students will build the same models, conduct the same experiments and record their results just like the astronauts. With the use of our smart board we will then view the astronaut’s experiments and compare our results.

Employment Opportunities at Brainy Academy

We are looking for a few great teachers!

All teachers must:
– have at least 2 years of experience teaching in a formal educational environment
– be DOE fingerprinted
– have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in education
– be enthusiastic, outgoing and love to teach
– be available to work after school at least 2 days per week
– bilingual (English/Russian) preferred but not necessary
– DOE certification preferred

We offer:
– competitive pay
– supporting, learning inspired work environment
– flexible schedule
– the best and the brightest students in NYC!

Areas of study:
– Montessori early education (3 to 6)
– Mathematics
– English Language
– Science
– Russian Language
– Chess
– Test preparation

candidates please email your resume and cover letter to info@brainyacademyny.com

Montessori Overview

In the 1890’s a children’s physician Dr. Maria Montessori began to develop a revolutionary new philosophy of education.  Dr. Montessori believed that all children are naturally curious and love to learn, a radical idea for her time.  She believed that when a child is provided with a stimulating environment and gentle guidance from a teacher he or she can grow to the full heights of their incredible potential.  She tested out her theories on a group of Italian street children.  In the orphanage she ran she noticed that even the poorest  children or those considered disabled had a natural desire to grow and learn when provided with a stimulating environment.  Maria used her observations to develop  the Montessori Method, which has since grown into one of the most popular teaching systems in the world. Teaching with the Montessori method means accepting the idea that each child is unique and learns at a different pace from his or her peers. Therefore each child is presented with an individual lesson when he or she is ready for it, not when his or her classmates are ready.  Additionally a teacher might tailor the lesson to suit the child’s individual learning style. This allows the Montessori classroom to accommodate all, even the most gifted of children.  In this manner, all Montessori students learn more quickly and easily than children in traditional schools.

Prepared Environment

Montessori students work in a prepared environment that has been fitted with the materials and lessons necessary to facilitate learning in a young mind. Students in a traditional Montessori classroom have access to age appropriate life tools, math, art, language, reading, history and science materials and of course, a teacher. Children in a Montessori classroom are allowed to study this material in whatever order or for however long they like.  As they explore the materials they are gently guided by the teacher to reach new heights of learning and understanding.  This open environment allows a child’s mind to grow freely and without restraint as they study and learn without becoming bored or stressed by difficult or overbearing instruction.

Brainy Academy Montessori Program

In a Montessori classroom students are initially introduced to their learning materials through an individual lesson presented by the teacher. At Brainy Academy these lessons focus on math, reading and all lessons incorporate elements of logic.  Our task is not to simply teach children reading, writing and mathematics but to teach them to think logically and clearly.  The lesson is repeated to each student individually for as long as necessary. Lessons are tailored for each student in order to reflect the child’s interests and learning abilities.  The children then practice the skill they have learned using the Montessori materials in the classroom. This teaching method allows a student to develop a deeper and more thorough understanding of all subject matter presented to them.

Lesson Layout

In a Montessori classroom students are assigned into mixed age groups of 1-3, 3-6, 6-9 or 9-12.  The most common of these age groups is 3-6 because children are most impressionable at this age and learning through the Montessori Method can greatly influence their ability and love of learning. A common classroom set up hosts one teacher and one assistant with thirty or fewer children.  At Brainy Academy we keep our classrooms to a maximum of 12 children.

Effectiveness

With the Montessori method children are taught to use their own natural talents and each child can progress at his or her own pace.  Gifted children are particularly suited to the Montessori classroom since they can go as quickly as their individual learning capacity will allow them to.  Studies have shown that  students who study at a Montessori school, especially during the first learning periods of their lives ( birth to 6), develop stronger math, reading and science skills, more self-esteem, creativity and most of all, a love of learning that will stay with them for the rest of their lives!

NYC Gifted and Talented – District Programs

As of October 2012 some of this information is outdated.  Please click here to view updates:

http://brainyacademyny.com/parkslope/big-changes-with-placement-for-gt-test-you-need-to-read-this/

All children in New York City are qualified to take the gifted and talented test in pre-kindergarden. If the child scores 97 or above he or she may apply to the citywide gifted and talented schools as well as multiple district programs. In the past years the city guaranteed a placement in a district program for those children who qualified. This is no longer the case and placement into a district program is no longer guaranteed.

A child may also take the gifted and talented test while enrolled in kindergarten (to qualify for first grade admission) and in higher grades. However, the child has a lower chance of being admitted into a district program (due to limited number of spots opened after kindergarten) and almost no chance of being admitted into a citywide program.

Programs vary widely by district with some districts offering as few as 3 district wide programs, and some offering as many as 12.  If you reside in Sheepshead Bay (district 21) depending on your actual address you may have as many as 12 programs to choose from. These include popular programs such as Manahttan Beach Gifted and Talented (PS 195) and Mill Basin Gifted and Talented (PS 236). You may rank programs out of your district however your chances of getting into those programs are lower as districted students will be placed first. You do not lose anything by ranking programs outside your district.

In Bensonhurst (district 20) at least 8 programs are available (maybe more depending on your address). A popular district program in district 20 is  (at ps 200) is a bilingual english russian program called “GLOBE.”

In order to qualify for admission into a district Gifted and Talented program the child must score at least 90 on the G&T test and reside in the correct district.  As with citywide schools children with the highest scores are given first priority on a lottery basis.  For instance, lets say 4 year old Alfred scored a 94 and his friend John scored a 96.  Because John has scored 2 points higher than Alfred he will be placed much faster (even if he pulls an unlucky number in the lottery) and therefore has a better chance of getting picked for his first or second choice program.  Alfred, no matter how lucky he might get in the lottery is still going to be placed after John. The best he can hope for is to be the first of the 94s picked. When it comes to district program placement, every point counts.

This article is part 3 of a 3 part series.  Part 1 is available here.