The Nightingale-Bamford School

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen

We hope everyone in the Nightingale community enjoyed browsing the incredible selection our Library Department curated for this year’s Book Fair. It was a wonderful two days of celebrating all that is special about reading and books.

Thank you to our parent volunteers and everyone at Nightingale who helped to make this literary extravaganza possible!

Class VI students from Nightingale and Allen-Stevenson invited audiences to join them under the sea last week for their production of The Little Mermaid, JR.! Congratulations to the cast and crew!

Class VII journeyed to Washington, D.C. last week for a jam-packed three day class trip. Complementing their study of Democracy, Civics, and Advocacy: U.S. History and Government to 1800, their itinerary included the Museum of African American History and Culture, the American History Museum, the Capitol, the Holocaust Museum, the National Archives (where they took a tour with Nightingale alumna Marin Nass '13 and viewed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights), Arlington National Cemetery, and multiple memorials. Class VII students and teachers alike are looking forward to incorporating their experiences in our nation's capital into future history classes and discussions throughout the year.

After learning from various types of maps, globes, and atlases, Class III closed out their Geography Unit by becoming cartographers! “The Neighborhood Walk” introduced students to the process of charting a path and orienting themselves on paper. They practiced creating images in a bird's eye view and attending to cardinal directions as they navigated the streets around the school and in their own home neighborhoods for homework. In class, students will create a larger map of their own neighborhoods complete with a compass rose, street names, and a map key to show landmarks and other information.

As Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we’re grateful to the members of our community who shared aspects of their culture with us through panels, playlists, stories, photos, and slideshows. Whether it be music, food, history, changemakers, or family traditions, we're looking forward to continuing the celebration and expanding our appreciation and knowledge of Latine and Hispanic heritage and culture throughout the year.

In Computer Science, Class V students performed a “computer dissection” to further understand what makes something a computer, how information is processed internally, and how the different parts work together. They also learned that machine code, aka binary, is a two digit system made up of 0 and 1 and how computers can express letters in binary. To deepen their understanding, they wrote the initials of their first and last name in binary and then made bracelets representing the letters and the code. Thank you to Ms. Tobajas for sharing this content!

September 17 is National Voter Registration Day! We are proud of our Upper School students who provided the opportunity for our 18+ community members to fulfill this important civic responsibility.

The Middle School welcomed Dr. John Sexton to speak to Class VII and Class VIII tournament debate students and those interested in joining the team this year. Dr. Sexton is the President Emeritus of New York University, the Dean Emeritus of NYU Law School, and the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law at NYU. During his visit, he shared anecdotes from his own debate team experience, how to expertly extend an argument, and the value of listening.

We thrilled to share the incredible news that Isabelle C. ‘25 and Julia G. ‘25 were named the winners of Genes in Space this summer. The national science competition invites students from seventh to twelfth grade to propose a DNA experiment for space. The duo’s original experiment was awarded this exceptional honor out of 681 submissions from 231 schools across 38 states—945 student participants in total.

Isabelle and Julia’s experiment will study the use of phages (viruses that attack bacteria) as therapeutic agents to combat microbial infections in space—where traditional antibiotics are less effective. And where will their experiment be conducted? On the International Space Station (ISS).

Science Department Chair Dr. Mary Beth Spina and Director of the Science Research Program Dr. Naomi Kohen accompanied Isabelle and Julia to the ISS Research and Development Conference this summer, where they presented their research and proposal to a panel of space and science professionals. “It is amazing to see high school students use their STEM skills to solve real world problems,” Dr. Kohen shared.

To learn more about their experiment and the journey to this impressive achievement, head to: https://www.nightingale.org/news/Nighthawks-Win-Genes-in-Space-Competition-2024/

Go Isabelle and Julia! 🚀