For 80 years, Fontbonne Hall Academy in Bay Ridge has been preparing young women to become professional leaders who serve their communities with confidence and compassion.
The all-girls Catholic secondary school, established by the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Brentwood, is committed to the mission of promoting the love of God in one’s community and responding to the vocational needs of our time.
As Fontbonne celebrates its 80th anniversary, high-tech campus enhancements and cutting-edge programs strengthen its tradition of preparing young women to be leaders of tomorrow.
In September, the school welcomes members of the Class of 2021 and is more committed than ever to providing its students with the best forward-moving curriculum. The school has replaced all SMART Boards with Triumph 65-inch interactive panels that teachers and students can utilize for lessons and presentations. This technology provides extraordinary visuals and allows up to 10 users to write and draw simultaneously using fingers, a stylus or a pointer. Glassboards have replaced blackboards and whiteboards in the classrooms.
Construction of a new fabrication lab will be completed in time for the start of the school year. The project-based, integrated education program focuses on digital design, digital fabrication and robotics. Students will learn by designing and creating objects and will be connected to a global community of learners, educators, technologists and innovators. Fabrication lab stations will include a 3D printer, laser cutters and engravers, vinyl cutting, video conferencing, drones and several other exciting options.
These changes are being made to support the school’s movement toward project-based learning across the curriculum. Other examples of 21st-century learning include a rigorous STEM program that aims to close the gender gap in STEM careers; an award-winning visual arts pro gram; a religion depart ment that explores Catholic identity, while inviting each student to examine her own relationship with God; an English department that provides the tools for effective written and oral communications in a rapidly changing digi tal world; a social studies department that offers historical perspective on the cultural, social and political issues that affect women today; a world language department that pro- vides students the opportunity to understand and appreciate different cultures; and a wide variety of athletic teams and student activities that develop students’ leadership and collaboration skills.
Last year, Fontbonne announced the inauguration of the Maria Bartiromo Broadcast Journalism Studio, coinciding with its new Broadcast Journalism course. The studio, made possible through the generosity of alumna Maria Bartiromo ’85, is a state-of-the-art environment in which students learn all aspects of the digital and TV news production process. Broadcasts developed by the students are transmitted within Fontbonne and are also made available via YouTube.
Fontbonne students are challenged to achieve their highest intellectual and creative potential in science, math, the arts and humanities with access to the tools necessary to achieve success in their college studies and their chosen careers. Enriched by a diversity of persons and gifts in the school community, Fontbonne develops young women to become global citizens who live and work among people of all faiths and cultures.
