Don’t Fear the Third Grade (or Why I Love My Child’s Teachers)
Polina Bulman – May 11, 2018
When my daughter, Sofia, started third grade earlier this year at Success Academy Bensonhurst, I was nervous. Third grade — that means the start of state testing. And while I knew that Success Academy scholars generally do very well on these tests, I was concerned that “test prep” was all she would get out of […]
Success Parents and Scholars Ask, “Why Isn’t the Mayor Giving Our Schools Space?”
Success Academy – September 26, 2017
With 112 chronically underutilized school buildings and a total of 65,000 empty seats available — parents are asking why is the city taking so long to find space for Success Academy middle schoolers. District families know what their middle school options are — why are Success parents treated differently?
In Just Three Days, SA Bensonhurst Scholars Traveled the World
Karen Mira – April 20, 2017
If you had dropped by Success Academy Bensonhurst last Wednesday, you would have been in for quite a treat: Music, dance — and even magic tricks — from countries like China, Georgia, and Russia filled the auditorium during our school’s first ever Multicultural Week Talent Show.
The Mouse that Brought the House Down
Maddy Levine – March 23, 2016
It’s easy to put down a book after finishing the last page, but a great book like the one our school read can open up many possibilities and bring people closer together.
A Bensonhurst Birthday Bash
Leah Robertson and Polina Bulman – November 9, 2015
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Success Academy Bensonhurst principal Jonathan Dant opened the school doors at 7:15 a.m. to greet scholars as usual, only to be surprised by a large crowd of families and scholars singing “Happy Birthday” and wearing outfits that looked, well, a little familiar.
Mother: What the Times Didn’t Report About Success
Maria Uzhca – April 22, 2015
I am the parent of a kindergarten scholar who attends Success Academy in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. When my daughter started, she did not know any English since we only speak Spanish at home. I was so worried about this because I thought she would stay behind due to her poor language. But no, she did not; her teachers really took the time and worked very hard with her.
My 5-Year-Old Daughter Picked a Great School
Evangela Mason – April 17, 2015
My daughter, Miah, attends Success Academy Bensonhurst in Brooklyn, and I had ample opportunity to decline my seat to the academy if I felt like it was going to be too much. The discipline of the school is well needed for schools and, truthfully, it’s NOTHING different from how I raise my daughter. My expectations of her effort, knowledge, and determination are on the same level as that of Success Academy.
A Parent’s Perspective: Open Letter to The New York Times
Polina Bulman – April 13, 2015
Recently, The New York Times published an article about Success Academy, and it left me with a heavy heart. Success Academy is known for its joyful rigor, but the Times reporter described only the “rigor.” So I felt that I had to share my family’s experience and talk about the “joyful” part.