Uncommon Schools Excellence Boys Elementary was brand new when Latasha Smith was searching for an elementary school in Crown Heights for her first-grade son.
At the time, Excellence Boys only offered kindergarten and first grade in a building shared with other public schools.
But something about the school’s mission caught her attention: Students would receive an education in an all-boys setting that would prepare them for college starting in elementary school.
“The type of education was exactly what we were looking for, so we decided to give it a shot,” Smith said.
Now 20 years later, Smith said she is thrilled that she made the decision to send her son, Darien Bondswell, to the charter school, which has since moved into its own private building on Patchen Avenue.
“We got to know everyone and we truly became a village, where we still connect to this day,” said Smith, who organized a 20-year reunion gala for the school on Sept. 28.
Bondswell attended the school through eighth grade as it added a grade each year, then went to Uncommon Charter High School and Mercy College, from where he graduated in 2020.
Bondswell said the Excellence Boys had a profound impact on his life, encouraging him to strive for college in a nurturing environment.
“Going to an all-boys school gave us the opportunity to really focus on school and brotherhood,” Bondswell said. “And as we got into middle school, we didn’t have the distractions that could come with a co-ed school.”
Supporters of all-boys schools point to the same benefits: boys can learn at their own pace without the societal pressure of being compared to girls. In addition, boys in this environment can be less constrained by gender stereotypes and are more likely to thrive in subjects that girls tend to dominate in the earlier school years.
Anthony Bruno, who also attended the school during the early years, recalls the brotherhood nurtured at Excellence Boys as well.
“There was always a strong sense of family, with teachers fostering camaraderie and brotherhood,” Bruno said. “Academically and personally, Excellence Boys instilled a level of confidence that I think no person can ever take away from me.”
After graduating from the State University of New York at Westbury, Bruno slowly began reconnecting with his elementary school. He was a speaker at the 2020 eighth-grade virtual graduation during the pandemic. Two years later, he was invited to back-to-school night, the first time he had been back in the building in a decade.
“Just being inside the building and seeing the kids interacting with each other, seeing the demographics of the teachers, seeing how it changed, how it got younger…it was something I wanted to be a part of,” Bruno said. “The principal offered me a job and I couldn’t say no.”
Bruno said being a student at the school gives him a unique perspective as a teacher.
“I listened to these same exact rules, these same exact expectations, so I’m able to connect with the kids on a different level than most of my coworkers,” he said. “I tell them: I promise you that by the time you graduate here, by the time you graduate high school and get to college, you are going to see the results.You are going to see why your parents wanted to send you to Excellence Boys. You’re going to see why Excellence Boys was pushing college readiness and preparing you for much more than just eighth-grade graduation,” Bruno said.
Cole Edwards, who attended Excellence Boys a few years after Bruno, also recalls the school fostering a sense of brotherhood and community.
“I’m 21 years old now and my friends to this day are the same friends that I had in kindergarten when I was four years old,” Edwards said. “I love them so much and all of them came from Excellence Boys. That brotherhood and community stems from Excellence. But even when we leave Excellence, it stays with us. And even past my close friends, whenever I see somebody from Excellence or even interact with them virtually, it’s always love.”
Edwards graduated from Howard University with a degree in business management earlier this year and now works for GroupM, one of the top advertising agencies in the world. He credits Excellence Boys with his success.
“I was there for nine years and I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for my time at Excellence Boys,” Edwards said. He now aims to serve as a role model for the next generation of boys who are attending the school.
“The sense of community at the school really creates a legacy,” he said. “What keeps me going back is establishing that legacy, connecting with the younger students and helping them to reach their goals, go to high school and go to college and be successful in life.”
Seats are still available at Uncommon Excellence Boys Elementary and Middle Schools from PreK-8th grades, and families can enroll their students here.
