.png){kind=logo}
June 2026 Newsletter
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who has supported this year's gala. We are grateful to the family and friends of Melissa Garville for allowing us to spend the evening honoring her legacy.
Thank you to our alumni speakers, Neena Osman, BJP class of 2023, & Alicia Cage, BJP class of 2018. We are glad to hear your stories and support you as you continue your journeys with grace.
Thank you to all attendees and supporters for making our Gala a resounding success. We are thrilled to announce that we raised over $700,000 at this year’s event, setting a new record for BJP! This result would not have been possible without the care and enthusiasm of our community.
Staff Appreciation Month
May was staff appreciation month! We believe our BJP teachers and staff are some of the most dedicated people we know, and we were thrilled to celebrate their hard work. We spent the first week in May recognizing our staff by having catered lunch at the school. We also created a wellness lounge sponsored by Tiffany Aliche (@thebudgetnista) and a parfait bar sponsored by the FSA. To round out the week, faculty and staff gathered for an all team bingo night. Thank you to parents who went above and beyond by providing breakfast and other gifts for our teachers. Thank you to our faculty and staff for your hard work and care for our students.
Morgan Library & Museum
Our sixth graders had their annual field trip to the Morgan Library and Museum on Tuesday, May 12. The trip included a guided tour of the museum and library, and students participated in numerous activities lead by museum docents. One activity asked our sixth graders to read hieroglyphs on a Mesopotamian seal in the museum's collection and translate the message using the key provided. Our students attend library once per week, so having the ability to experience the difference of a non-academic library gave our scholars insight on history originating both at home and very far away.
Parent Appreciation Breakfast
On May 15, we invited BJP parents to join us in the morning for a parent appreciation breakfast. Parents enjoyed bagels and pastries while having the chance to catch up with teachers and experience the life of a BJP scholar. Our teachers gave parents a taste of the BJP curriculum, asking them a few questions like, "Do you know the difference between a homonym and a homograph?" and, "What is the formula for the area of a triangle?" Thank you to our BJP parents for consistently showing up for their students and greater BJP community. We hope you enjoyed your morning at school!
Former BJP teacher Jake Braithwaite was recently featured on the AMDG Podcast, where he had the opportunity to speak on his final days of preparing for ordination to the priesthood. He reflects on how BJP impacted his Jesuit formation, as he worked at our school not only teaching, but also staging liturgical readings as short plays and slam poetry. We congratulate Jake on all his hard work, and his upcoming ordination taking place at Fordham University Church on June 13. To listen to Jake’s episode on AMDG, please click the link in the title or image of this section, or use the button below.
Eighth Grade Retreat
The eighth grade retreat is a milestone for our scholars, this year taking place on Friday, May 29 at BJP. We asked students to consider what it means to have lived an academic career living the Jesuit model of education, as the retreat is based on the Kairos model. Students were asked to arrive in comfortable clothing, remove their shoes at the door, and come prepared with a willingness to share and an openness to listen. Ms. Locario led the retreat, asking our BJP scholars to enter the space with a mindset to come, see, and trust themselves and their peers. We are proud of our eighth graders for all they have done while at BJP, and hope they can take this time to round out their journeys and move forward, continuing to grow into men and women for others.
Rep your HS Day
We invited our eighth graders to celebrate a dress down day with us by showing off their (new) school spirit. 28 of the 29 members of the eighth grade graduating class have been accepted into competitive catholic high school's across New York, including schools like Regis, Saint Savior, Xaverian, and Saint Peter's Preparatory. We are so proud of our soon to be graduates, and glad they could celebrate their successes together while serving as role models for their younger peers!
Saturday Program: The Final Splash
May 30 was our final Saturday program of the year, aptly named "The Final Splash." Students spent Saturday morning getting their hands messy, tie-dying shirts, hats, bags, and more to prepare for the alumni picnic this July. After finishing their tie dye projects, students worked on a "collaboration canvas." Scholars were asked to use paints, markers, and glitter to work together and make an image that represents "the final splash." The artwork had to creatively, yet clearly, display the theme. Moreover, students had to find a way to bury each team member's signature and a BJP element within the artwork itself. The day finished with a trip to the park and pizza, rounding out another wonderful school year and Saturday morning programming.
Garden of Eden Benefit Concert
Following the Saturday program was the first annual Garden of Eden Benefit Concert in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Our steppers performed their routine, joining others in a powerful and uplifting evening as NYC-based dance companies, schools, and ministries came together to inspire hope, healing, and encouragement through the art of dance. Eden's faith-based event celebrated community, creativity, and the importance of mental wellness. All ticket proceeds were donated to Directions for Our Youth, a NYC nonprofit. Congratulations to our steppers on another wonderful performance, and thank you to our greater BJP community for showing up and supporting mental wellness.
Student Spotlight
BJP would like to recognize students Makai Thaxter and Randi Charles on receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation this past month! Makai and Randi, we are so proud of how you've grown in your journeys of faith, and we are excited to watch you continue to become men and women for others within the Jesuit community. Congratulations to both of you for this milestone!