Extracurricular Activities & Clubs
Clubs are an important part of student life in the Upper School. Below is a closer look at some of those opportunities.
Our Community
Student Life
At the School for Children, children are immersed in active learning experiences both within and beyond the classroom. Students can participate in a variety of supplemental activities designed to expand their academic development, grow their interests and talents, and provide them with a robust education. Our programs and activities serve a wide range of interests and encourage students to engage in creative, intellectual, and social pursuits.
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Athletics
Upper School students have the opportunity to join interscholastic sports that allow them to strengthen their athletic skills and build good sportsmanship as part of a team. Learn more about sports at Bank Street by following the button below.
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Rock Band
Music is a hallmark of the Bank Street experience, starting in preschool and continuing through eighth grade. Many students further develop their musical abilities outside of the regular music program and some choose to hone their instrumental (e.g., drums, bass, guitar, keyboard) and/or vocal skills by participating in our Rock Band, which rehearses every week, is open to all students, and does not require an audition to join.
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String Ensemble
Students who are interested in learning to play the violin, viola, or cello can participate in the String Ensemble weekly. The program includes practice, lessons, and performances at seasonal concerts and select assemblies.
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Student Led Clubs
Year to year, Upper School students have the opportunity to organize and run clubs with a faculty advisory.
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Student Newspaper
Bank Street Live is an online newspaper published by students. Students become writers and reporters, voicing their opinions and ideas while developing important skills related to journalism, communication, and photography. Students also learn about the research and editing process as they collaborate with their peers. If it’s news to Bank Street students, it’s on Bank Street Live.
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Yearbook
In collaboration with staff, students in seventh grade (12/13s) and eighth grade (13/14s) participate in many aspects of creating the school’s annual yearbook. Students come up with a theme, curate the layout and design, and represent the life of the school through photography and illustrations.
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Debate Club
Created by School for Children students, Debate Club offers students the opportunity to express their opinions about a variety of topics in a safe environment as they develop important skills like organization, critical thinking, and public speaking. One student said,“I would like to take this moment to emphasize the difference between a debate and an argument. A debate is two or more sides arguing what they think is right. It usually has an organized format and is supposed to be respectful. An argument however is two people arguing for two things that they believe. More often than not, it turns into chaos. Another thing that often happens in an argument is that the two people often end up arguing about the same thing. I am a firm believer that … debates educate and end up in someone thinking deeper thoughts.”
Assemblies
Assemblies are held regularly throughout the year, providing opportunities for our students to share experiences and build community.
Lower School assemblies bring children and teachers together through the joys of singing, moving, dancing, stories, and sharing. Our music, movement, Spanish, and library teachers lead our Assemblies, making these gatherings opportunities for young children to experience being part of a wider school community. A couple of times a year, family members participate in Lower School Assemblies. In later Lower School grades, classrooms participate in weekly assemblies in which they share projects or activities related to their curriculum work. Instrumental and dance performances from the music program are often featured.
The Upper School has a weekly assembly program designed around an annual theme. Upper School assemblies include guest speakers, games, student performances, and student celebrations.
The Buddies Program
The Buddies Program at Bank Street is designed to connect our youngest students to our oldest students, thereby strengthening our school’s community as they participate in a variety of activities together and learn through shared experiences. The partnership pairs each classroom with another classroom in a different grade for the full year, often with about five years between the classes. Teachers plan a variety of experiences in and out of school so that children have different ways to access the program and build relationships. In addition to in-school buddy activities, like reading books together, playing math games, and participating in creative science and art projects, younger students often attend school performances by their older buddies, such as the Rock Band concert or Science Expo, an experiential science fair.
Children's Library
For over a century, Bank Street has been committed to advancing children’s literature as a key way to engage young learners. Our school community continues to benefit from its long-standing partnership with the Bank Street Library and Center for Children’s Literature, providing families with access to our children’s library, which includes 83,000 children’s books, one of the largest circulation collections of any independent school in the country. Additionally, each year, the School for Children welcomes a Writer-in-Residence to work with students in the fourth grade (9/10s) on creative writing.
Bank Street Library
Center for Children's Literature
Lunch Program
Our community enjoys a rich selection of nutritious, well-balanced, and delicious meals prepared daily by Butter Beans Kitchen. In addition to providing tasty dishes that prioritize the seasonality of the ingredients and popularity among students, Butter Beans is very intentional about minimizing waste in all of the schools that they service, which has helped to reduce our school’s carbon footprint.
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Auxiliary Programs
Bank Street students can participate in auxiliary programs offered throughout the school year. Our Early Morning Care and After School programs provide Lower School students with a safe environment to learn and have fun before and/or after standard school hours.
Early Morning Care
After School
School-Wide Events
The Bank Street community gathers throughout the year at several school-wide events to celebrate all of the great work our students accomplish. Examples of these events include seasonal concerts, the “Bank Street’s Got Talent” talent show—sponsored by the Parents of Children of Color—the Upper School Science Expo, and the Eighth Grade Musical.