Distinctive Programs
FlexFriday
FlexFriday includes time to make academics real, learn more about our community and culture, experience the arts, and learn from those in the FlexSchool community.
A cornerstone of the FlexSchool experience has always been FlexFriday – a weekly opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning to the real world through experiences such as field trips, service projects, science labs, hands-on activities and live interactions with professionals in the field. We are pleased to say that we continue to provide FlexFriday enrichment programming despite the Covid-19 crisis. When restrictions are in place, our FlexFriday options each week may include:
- In-person option: An outdoor opportunity for students to connect in person for fun, hands-on, experiential learning activities, while practicing all safety protocols.
- Virtual option: FlexSchool’s virtual speaker series features exciting activities such as live, guided tours, learning activities, speakers from a variety of fascinating professions and more!
-
-
Pleasantville Community Garden
-
Recent FlexFridays: Bronxville
List of 4 items.
-
Cardboard Carpentry Workshop
-
Maple Sugaring
-
Pleasantville Community Garden
-
Westmoreland Sanctuary Pond Study
Recent FlexFridays: Berkeley Heights
List of 4 items.
-
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
-
Raptor Trust
-
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
-
Metropolitan Opera, NYC
Recent FlexFridays: Cloud Classroom
List of 4 items.
-
Blankets of Hope Kindness & Creativity Workshop
-
Museum of Aviation
-
Sea Lion Monitoring, Alaska Sea Life Center
-
Virtual Murder Mystery
FlexFriday News
-
Spreading Warmth and Hope
At last week’s special multi-campus FlexFriday event, FlexSchool students crafted handmade messages of kindness and support, and attached the notes to warm blankets to be distributed to individuals experiencing homelessness. Then they were treated to a live Q&A with Mike and Nick Fiorito, founders of the charity Blankets of Hope. Students shared some of their own charitable endeavors and were able to get advice from the experts on how to take it to the next level.Read More -
Bronxville Explores Alchemy
Read MoreBronxville students were riveted on Friday as medieval studies fellow Dr. Christine Axen, Ph.D. led them on a fascinating tour through time to explore the history of alchemy. -
FlexFriday: Celebrating Indigenous Cultures
November is Native American Heritage Month, and in honor of this cultural celebration, Bronxville students traveled by bus to our Berkeley Heights campus to share a special FlexFriday event.Read More -
Pick A Card, Any Card!
Read MoreBronxville students learned how to fool the eye, predict human behavior and more — and then got to try out some tricks themselves — when professional magician “Magic Dave” Ferst led a workshop on a recent FlexFriday visit. -
Cultural Explorations on FlexFriday
As we prepare for a special multi-campus event with the Red Hawk Native American Arts Council later this month, our respective campuses have been busy exploring different parts of Native American history and culture.Read More -
The FlexSchool Bubble Factory
At FlexSchool, we love hands-on, project-based learning! This week, FlexSchoolers were challenged to transform math class into their own bubble factory. They applied their math skills to every stage – from calculating their daily output, to comparing shipping rates to making and testing a real bubble solution. Who knew math class could be so much fun?Read More -
Growing Goodness
Students from both FlexSchool campuses rolled up their sleeves for a FlexFriday volunteer day at the Pleasantville Community Garden, which grows fresh, nutritious food for donation to local food pantries – an important component of a crucial food supply that might otherwise only include nonperishable and canned foods.Read More -
Enjoying The Outdoors
FlexSchool students on both sides of the Hudson River enjoyed a crisp, sunny winter’s day in the outdoors this past FlexFriday.Read More -
Do you have what it takes to be a video game producer?
FlexSchool students got to meet video game producer Steve Patterson on a recent FlexFriday virtual visit. Steve told the story of how he broke into the business, and shared his best tips for building a successful career in this exciting field!Read More -
Virtual Exhibit: The Cardboard Box Challenge!
Ever since cardboard entrepreneur Zachary Rotholz of Chairigami introduced FlexSchool kids to the art, science and business of cardboard carpentry in a hands-on workshop, our students have been busy designing and executing their own original creations for our Cardboard Box Challenge. Last week, the students exhibited their work in our Virtual Fair -- and Zachary even returned for the event, to see everyone’s finished products!Read More -
Overcoming Challenge with Para-Equestrian Alanna Clark
Read MoreNotice anything unusual about this multi-sport athlete? Alanna Flax-Clark has tried all kinds of sports – from surfing to skiing, kayaking to curling, and rock climbing to ziplining – all despite having a wheelchair! After showing signs of quadriplegia at a young age, Alanna persevered and rebuilt her life – twice!The competitive para-equestrian and disability advocate shared her inspiring story during a special FlexFriday virtual visit. -
Solving Ancient Mysteries with DNA
Meet our oldest FlexFriday visitor ever: Otzi – a 5,300-year-old mummy with a mysterious past. FlexSchool students got to meet Otzi and learn about DNA science on a virtual visit to Cold Spring Harbor Lab.Read More -
Creativity Unleashed!
What do functioning gears, sturdy dorm furniture and a pair of goggles have in common? They can all be crafted out of cardboard! At a special all-campus event, The Cardboard Carpentry Workshop, FlexSchool students got a crash course in creative cardboard engineering and artistry from entrepreneur Zachary Rotholz -- and then got a chance to put their new skills into action.Read More -
Can you spot fake news? FlexSchool kids can!
In the second of our special three-part FlexFriday series on media literacy, visiting speaker Ashley Yates gave students an eye-opening tour of the many ways misinformation – and disinformation – can sneak into our lives.Read More -
The Social Dilemma
In a thought-provoking FlexFriday event, the second of a special three-part series, FlexSchool students watched the conclusion of the important Netflix original docu-drama The Social Dilemma. They then acted as cultural ethnographers and journeyed into a guided intellectual discourse surrounding the history of digital media, as it relates to the film, and what it all might mean to us today. Students then created a special presentation to share what they learned with their younger classmates.Read More -
Alexa, Play A Round Of Applause!
This afternoon, students in FlexSchool’s Build Your Own Alexa Skill class celebrated a big accomplishment: A skill they built together is now certified and published by Amazon!Read More -
FlexFriday: Space Travel!
Read More
Which planet could float on water? Which moon in our solar system could potentially host alien life? What releases the energy of 12 million volcanoes? FlexSchool students learned the answers to these questions and many more during a live virtual tour of the solar system with mobile planetarium guide Matther Meyer. -
Spooky Coincidence?
Read More
What were the odds that two FlexSchool students, on two different Halloween hikes, in two different states, would each gently catch and release a praying mantis at about the same time? Also spotted on FlexFriday: A frog, a snake, horses, ducks and turtles -- not to mention a PacMan, a Pokeball, a JoJo Siwa impersonator, the grim reaper and more! Berkeley Heights students visited the Loantaka Brook Reservation, while Bronxville students visited Rockefeller State Park Preserve, and a festive fall day was had by all! -
Rainy Day Fun on FlexFriday
When our FlexFriday hike was rained out, we let FlexSchool students take their pick of two exciting virtual events: The Maker Faire or The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.Read More
-
A Meeting of the Creative Minds
Within moments of being introduced to poet Eve Hoffman and artist Sal Brownfield, FlexSchool students flooded the chat with single-line poetry -- some silly, some sweet. The creative duo paid a virtual visit on FlexFriday to discuss Celebration of Healing, their jointly created book of portraits and the accompanying stories of 21 individuals whose lives were impacted by breast cancer.Read More
1
/
20
