MMFS Upper School
After a long and extensive search, the Trustees and leadership of Mary McDowell Friends School are delighted to announce that a long-term lease has been signed for an upper school location at 23 Sidney Place, a beautiful early 20th Century property in Brooklyn Heights. The following is an excerpt from a letter sent by Debbie Zlotowitz, Head of School, and Kirk Smothers, Upper School Director, announcing the new building to MMFS families and friends.
Sidney Place is a quiet, tree-lined street in Brooklyn Heights, the historic neighborhood nearest to the southern tip of Manhattan. The site includes two buildings, a former parochial school and an adjacent rectory, with a courtyard in between. This is an ideal location for a number of reasons. First, like our Summit Street building, it has spacious classrooms with exceptionally high ceilings and abundant windows. Next, it is a short walk to Borough Hall, which is a hub for most subway lines entering and leaving the borough. Many restaurants for off-campus lunch are also nearby. Furthermore, the site is a short walk to the Bergen Street building and a moderate one to Summit Street.
The building opened in September 2011. Because the upper school will consist of only grades nine and ten in the 2011-2012 school year, the renovation will take place in stages. The school has been working closely with Marner Architecture to design the renovation of 23 Sidney Place to best serve our upper school. Floor plans and architectural renderings show the first phase of construction which will convert three floors of the main school building into classrooms, offices, a theater/Meeting space/gymnasium, lunchroom, art room, music room, weight room and several other spaces.
Twenty-three Sidney Place provides a wonderful home for the upper school to grow and thrive for many years to come.