New families

Our purpose is to engage our diverse school community in the pursuit of educational excellence and success for all students.

Our values are based on four basic pillars that are followed by both students and teachers, who instill them in order to achieve a climate of harmony throughout the school.

These pillars are:

• Be kind
• Be honest
• Be respectful
• Be responsible

School Year 2024-2025

• Wednesday, August 28th, 2024: Middle and High School Buddy Trips. 
  • Grades 6-8 Buddy Trips
  • Grades 9-12 Buddy Activities
    
    
• Thursday, August 29th, 2024: K-Grade 11 New Families Orientation Morning
  • View Agenda here
• Friday, August 30th, 2024: Early Childhood (Nursery and Pre-K) Orientation Morning
  • View Agenda here

In the link below you will find a description of Middle and High School elective courses for the school year 2024-2025:

• Elective Courses Descriptions Grades 6-10
  
  
  
• Middle School Elective Courses Registration
• High School Elective Courses Registration

The BFIS Libraries are delighted to share this year’s recommended summer reading lists. You can access the elementary lists via the following letter from Mrs. Emma, our elementary librarian. To access the middle and high school lists, please read the letter from Mr. Cevoli, our middle and high school librarian.

To meet the needs of each student’s reading skills and interests, we have compiled grade-level summer reading lists containing a variety of genres and topics.  While we are asking students to read over the summer, we also want to honor student choice.  

The teachers have shared the summer reading expectations with their students. The next school year will begin with activities and discussions related to their summer reading. 

Thank you for supporting your child’s ongoing reading progress!

All students will need to supply their own pair of inexpensive, wired headphones with a built-in mic to use and keep at school. Why is a built-in mic important?

BFIS provides school-owned iPads to students in Elementary K-5. Kindergarten to second grade uses a 2:1 student-to-ipad ratio and third through fifth grade is a 1:1 environment. These iPads are for on-campus use only. Starting in 4th grade, students are asked to bring in an Apple compatible bluetooth keyboard. 

Students in our secondary school (grade 6 through 12) are required to bring a family-owned laptop for use every day at school. 

Minimum requirements for a student’s device: 

• MacOS (preferred), or Windows, (iPad not recommended)
• USB-C Type Charger
• Memory: 8Gb 
• Storage Capacity: 256 GB SSD. (512GB recommended)
• Minimum processor: Intel Core i5
• Wi-Fi AC Integrated 
• Bluetooth 
• Keyboard  
• 720p front camera 
  

For your reference, BFIS teachers use the 13-inch MacBook Air with 8GB RAM.  Any new Apple or Windows laptop should meet these same specifications. Higher models and specifications can also be purchased based on personal need. The operating system must be in English and be able to access BFIS internet. If you decide not to purchase a new laptop, you may provide a used laptop from home as long as it is not older than 3 years and meets the same specifications listed above. We highly recommend that you purchase an Apple device as the school is moving to an all Apple school within the next few years. 

This document outlines the basis and expectations for technology use at BFIS including the 1:1 Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program in Grades 6-12. In order to best prepare students for technology use, please:
- Read this letter thoroughly with your child.
- Discuss the educational purpose and behavioral expectations of the devices with your child.
- Help to establish routines for charging, storing, and safely transporting the device to and from school.

-You will receive a Technology Agreement form to sign through Signatury. 

Typically, School Supplies Lists undergo updates in June. While the contents of the list tend to remain consistent from year to year, we recommend reviewing this information specifically during the summer of 2024.

• School Supplies Early Childhood and Elementary 
• School Supplies Middle and High School 

To enhance communication and make planning easier for our families, BFIS has established a weekly email schedule. Here is what to expect once the school year begins:

On Friday: The Weekly is sent out to families with information from all divisions about what is going at school, events calendar, announcements, messages from the Head of School, Counselors, Principals, university visits and tours, parent workshops, etc. 

• BFIS Facebook Page
• BFIS Parents Facebook Page
• BFIS Alumni Facebook Page
• BFIS Instagram Page
• BFIS LinkedIn Page
• BFIS YouTube Channel