Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS)

🌟 Exciting Leadership News! 🌟

We are thrilled to announce Recy Benjamin Dunn has been selected as the next Executive Director of Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS), with an official start date of July 1, 2026.

Recy was the stand-out candidate who best captured the values, strengths, and hopes of BUGS. Following a comprehensive national search, he was chosen for his powerful combination of strategic leadership experience and deep alignment with the BUGS mission. Recy is excited to join the BUGS community and is eager to partner with the Board, families, staff, and students in this next chapter.

In his own words: "BUGS commitment to educate students to build a sustainable, fairer, and greener future resonates deeply with me. I am honored to join this community where strong academics take place in a wonderful warm, supportive environment."

We look forward to introducing Recy to our community! Co-Founder and current Executive Director Susan Tenner will ensure a smooth transition throughout the summer before she begins her next big adventure after 17 years co-founding and leading BUGS.

We were thrilled to welcome our 7th grade families to Spring Open Classrooms!

We hope you enjoyed this opportunity to see students' progress and growth and a preview of end-of-year projects. We are so proud of their engagement, critical thinking, and hard work!

Thank you again. ❤️

Today and always, we remember and honor the members of our community and beyond who answered the call to serve and devoted their lives to protect our country.

May you have a meaningful Memorial Day.

Way to go! Coach Geo pep talk.

🏀

Staff vs students happening now at BUGS!

A big Thank You 👏 to everyone who joined us for our 6th Grade Open Classrooms! It was a beautiful culmination of our "Cultivating Growth" theme to open our doors and give you a glimpse into our end-of-year progress and projects.

The energy in the rooms was incredible, and the students were absolutely thrilled to show off their growth and share the creative ideas and high-level skills they’ve been sharpening across all content areas.

Witnessing them proudly present their hard work was a highlight for our entire team! Thank you again. ❤️

Join us this Friday, May 15, for the 8th Grade Sustainable Design Expo! 🌍 Our students have been busy investigating solutions to the climate crisis and exploring climate-resilient design features through site visits to Bush Terminal Park, Industry City, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and by speaking with community leaders, elected officials, and neighbors. They also visited Solar One to learn about solar energy and the new wind energy education center Windscape Brooklyn.

We are excited to see student teams present their adaptive reuse designs to families, community members, and judges. A huge shoutout to our program partner, Institute for Public Architecture 🏗️ and program funder Con Edison 👏

BUGS is thrilled to celebrate and be part of a movement preparing students with the skills to grow as leaders and problem solvers.

For more info about the Expo, reach out to [email protected].

Passport to Gratitude: A "Tour De Force" Recap! ✈️🌍

Last week, our BUGS staff traveled around the world for Staff Appreciation Week, and we couldn't have reached the finish line without the incredible generosity of our BUGS PTA and our amazing families! 💚

Our journey was fueled by your support:

🥐 Stop 1: Paris – We kicked things off with a hearty Parisian breakfast that made Monday feel like a dream.

☕ Stop 2: London – Afternoon Tea featured those iconic scones from Alice's Tea Cup (a true fan favorite!).

🍝 Stop 3: Italy – Our PTA treated us to a MASSIVE Italian Pasta Bar from Psta. (Note: No photos exist because it was devoured almost instantly—it was that good! 😋)

🍰 The Sweetest Detours – The week was filled with even more local love, including stunningly delicious treats from our very own BUGS parent, ! BUGS ADORES YOU!

To our teachers and staff: You are the "force" that makes BUGS move.

To our families: Thank you for helping us celebrate our team in such a grand, global way. We are so grateful for you. Your love and support makes us grow🌱💚

Check out some highlights from our travels! 📸✨

We are grateful for the mothers, grandmothers and wonderful mother figures who give our students the support and love that help them thrive. We celebrate and appreciate you! 🌷🎉

Happy from .

And, to our National Green Schools Society (NGSS) for hosting the plant sale.

❤️2026