K-12 School for Boys in Manhattan, NY

Buckley School, Manhattan:
Buckley School is a private K-12 school for boys on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York. Having high standards, pursuing excellence, exhibiting concern for each child and maintaining the level of student engagement are goals of our first-rate faculty here at Buckley. In addition to exceptional teachers, what makes Buckley truly special is our focus on the development of the whole boy. We require boys to participate in all areas of school life, engaging the mind, body and spirit. Academically, boys study English, math, science, history and two foreign languages, along with a healthy dose of writing and public speaking.

Education Programs for Boys - Kindergarten through Grade 12: 

Lower School Program:
In the Lower School, our youngest Buckley boys are encouraged to be kind citizens, helpful friends and hardworking students. The curriculum appeals to the innate curiosity of our young students with a focus on independent thinking and mastering academic basics. Our traditional, challenging curriculum is taught in a hands-on, lively environment where creativity and experimentation are encouraged.

The first year at Buckley is called Beginners. Because we believe that it is easier for boys to turn their attention toward academics after they feel socially grounded, plenty of time to play is given to Beginner boys so that they develop friendships with their new classmates. Beginners embark on their academic pursuits by working in small groups with peers ready for the same challenges. This small group learning continues throughout the Lower School classes, giving the teachers the opportunity to develop close relationships with each student and to identify individual talents and foster personal growth.

Middle School Program:
Thinking, reading, writing, speaking and problem solving are the skills in which Buckley's curriculum is grounded. In small group settings, faculty members strive to develop individual talents and meet individual needs. As boys reach each level of competence, they stretch to meet new challenges. Core subjects inclue English, Math, Social Studies, Science and History.

The curriculum extends beyond the teaching of basic skills and challenges students to incorporate values and decision-making as well as abstract, analytical and creative thought processes. A structured schedule, small class size, state-of-the-art facilities and the experienced faculty make Buckley an ideal environment to pursue academic excellence.

Buckley boys in Classes IV, V, VI, develop at a dramatic pace, entering as a boy and leaving as a self-confident, independent and responsible adolescent. In the Middle School boys are expected to keep track of their schedule, maintain their homework assignments, integrate their after-school activities, as well as begin to work with more than one academic teacher.

In the Middle School, boys are expected to keep track of their schedule, maintain their homework assignments, integrate their after-school activities, as well as begin to work with more than one academic teacher. Specific skills include learning how to take notes, how to study for quizzes and tests, how to prepare for long-term assignments, how to adjust to new academic environments and how to speak and perform in front of a group.

Upper School Program:
As boys enter the Upper School in the seventh grade, they progressively take on more responsibility and leadership so that they will be prepared for the challenges of secondary school after Buckley. The faculty continues to guide boys, especially the younger ones, in organizing their day and planning for future assignments. In Upper School, boys have at least six teachers, experts in their field and experienced in teaching study skills. Class VII students begin the study of Latin, so that by the end of the year, most boys will have learned an ancient as well as a modern foreign language. As the boys mature and their course work becomes more complex, they begin to move beyond learning the “what” of their subjects to the “why?” Afternoon study halls are also times for boys to meet with their teachers for extra help, a unique feature of the Upper School.

Boys in Class VII and VIII study current events, culminating in a speech contest about issues of national or international importance. Class IX boys take a year-long course in debate and nearly all the boys participate in the Glee Club, which has four major performances during the year.

In the Upper School, boys are given many opportunities for leadership, such as Student Council representative positions, Glee Club, community service, library, crafts, art and computer. Students are elected to be editors of the school's yearbook, literary magazine and newspaper, and the older boys are appointed as captains of the athletic teams. Class VIII and IX boys serve as ushers during school performances, book fairs and alumni gatherings, and also guide prospective parents on admissions tours.

Visual Arts:
The well-rounded visual arts curriculum includes drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, collage and ceramics. Students work with a wide variety of media to produce two and three-dimensional projects while mastering the basic techniques and fundamental concepts of both representational and abstract art.

Music and Performing Arts:
Singing, music theory and music appreciation begin in the earliest years at Buckley. Music teachers show the boys how to read, write and think musically; foster an appreciation for various musical styles and compositions, and focus on the role of music in history and in different cultures.

Physical Education:
Classes in Middle and Upper School meet one morning and four afternoons. The classes consist of instruction and active participation in baseball, soccer, wrestling, basketball, gymnastics, football, lacrosse, track and field, physical fitness and various games. Physical fitness and skill development are emphasized. Intramural leagues allow the boys the opportunity to benefit from team play and friendly competition.

Foreign Languages:
The Buckley School offers a choice between French and Spanish as part of the curriculum from Classes IV-VIII. Latin begins in Class VII and continues in Class VIII. In Class IX boys continue with one foreign language.

French:
The French program progressively introduces reading, writing, speech, and both reading and listening comprehension. Students are taught, from the very beginning of their studies, to hear and pronounce the language through imitation and analysis. In the Upper School, oral skills, comprehension and knowledge of syntax are stressed. The course involves much student-teacher interaction and material appropriate to the study of the French language and culture. Students will also use the computers to create homepages in French.

Latin:
The Latin program from Middle School upwards emphasizes an ability to translate, the mastery of various grammatical forms, sentence structures and an important basic vocabulary. Since the general objective is to read Latin literature, students are soon introduced to varied selections, drawn from some of the greatest and most interesting Roman authors, covering a variety of subjects. In addition, students develop an historical perspective of ancient Roman life and culture.

In Class IX, the writings of Eutropius, Cicero, Asconius, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Pliny and Petronius are studied in detail. If time allows, students are introduced to the poetry of Ovid.

Spanish:
Students in the Middle and Upper Schools are introduced to the basics of reading, writing, speaking and comprehension by teaching grammar as a function of the vocabulary the students are learning. Lessons are supplemented with computer and Internet activities, as well as with out-of-text readings, when appropriate. The culture of the Spanish speaking world is an important element of the Spanish program.