On and Off Campus, BB&N Alumni/ae Office's weekly blog, features contributions by members of the BB&N community, including the student writing panel, current and past faculty, and alumni/ae. Check out some of the latest posts.

Both the Middle and Lower Schools marked the start of their years with some festivities to mark the first week of school.

On September 5^th, Urban Improv, an arm of the organization Rehearsal for Life, spent the afternoon role playing with sixth grade students about issues that impact kids. Delving into topics such as responsibility, school/life balance, prioritizing, and others, the troupe used comedy and improv acting to help students explore common issues within their age group.

Gathering together for their last day as sixth graders, the class of 2024 celebrated the end of their tenure at the Lower School at this year’s closing ceremony.

Ever since 1999, Lower School music teacher Sara Zur had been dreaming of creating a musical play space for kids that would open their imaginations and foster a love of music. During travels in England and Israel, Zur had witnessed sound installations and melodic play areas, including a junkyard in Israel that transformed everyday waste objects into a learning opportunities for children.

Despite a hot and humid day that seemed to favor their energetic and nascent opponents, the Lower School faculty pulled out a narrow victory against the sixth grade in the School's annual kickball game. A staple of spring for more than 25 years on the Lower School campus, the annual event pits teachers against students in a hilarious, fun, and cutthroat game of kickball.

The Lower School welcomed spring with a series of concerts this month, featuring student musicians, singers, and dancers.

When BB&N sixth graders took the stage for their ensemble production of Alice in Wonderland Jr. this spring, many had never acted in front of an audience before. Leaving the Lower School gymnasium following the show, it's fair to say that nobody in the audience cold have guessed that was the case.

As part of a year-long study of energy and the environment, BB&N fourth graders recently hosted an Energy Open House, showcasing their work this semester on renewable energy.

Last weekend's Family Science Saturday event offered Lower School students a chance to settle one science's most ferocious rivalries, gravity versus the chicken egg. Students were tasked to build a device that would protect a raw chicken egg when dropped from the second story of the Upper School's Renaissance Hall, the goal being to build the lightest, successful contraption.

Educator and environmental/social activist Nikki Jones visited BB&N this week as part of the Global Speakers Series, where she presented to fourth graders and Upper School science students about the global water crisis.

Lower and Middle School students finished out 2017 with captivating performances.

For the second annual Robot Extravaganza, Grade 2 students spent the three days before Thanksgiving break planning and building their own robots using classroom materials and the Thinker Lab.