Runkle

The John D. Runkle School has a long and illustrious history in Brookline, dating back to its founding in 1897.

Runkle School is named for John Daniel Runkle, who was a Chairman of the Brookline School Committee and an early advocate of Mathematics and technical education.  He was also a founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and served as its second president.

Runkle is proud of its rigorous academic program, support for the arts, and a belief in teaching the “whole” child. Runkle embraces its diverse community, and we are deeply committed to the Brookline core value of educational equity.  Located in the Fisher Hill neighborhood between Boylston and Beacon Streets, Runkle School has a PK-8 population of 615 students. Runkle is home to the Spanish English Language Learner program for Brookline, and to the district’s K-8 Reaching Independence through Structured Education (RISE) program for children with Autism diagnoses.

Runkle educators work in collaboration with one another in a variety of ways for the benefit of all students. Teachers meet as a team regularly at their grade level and in job-alike groups. Making the most of the K-8 experience, teachers have also created opportunities for cross-grade partnerships over the years. This year, the cross-grade partnerships were focused on Reading (Grades 1 and 4), Poetry (Grades 1 and 6), and Science (Grades K and 8; Grades 3 and 8).

Several Runkle groups are committed to continual school improvement and enhancement including the PTO, School Council and the Student Council. The Runkle School PTO is a very active organization that helps build community at Runkle through our Family Picnic and annual Halloween Fair in the fall, Ice skating Night, Math and Science Night, Bingo Night in the winter, the gala International Night, and the annual Music and Arts Festival in the spring as well as organizing the monthly “Music in the Morning” assemblies in the front lobby. The PTO supports school activities by supplementing teacher supplies, underwriting class field trips, providing scholarships, and activities raising school spirit. The Runkle School Council is actively committed to working on the school’s annual School Improvement Plan and is comprised of six staff members, six parents, as well as one community member to provide a variety of perspectives on life at Runkle. The Runkle Student Council, comprised of 12 student representatives from grades 6-8, fosters a sense of great pride in our school and aims to model Runkle values for the whole community, as demonstrated by their recent involvement in revising our code of conduct to reflect the values and goals ("The RUNKLE way") we hold dear:

Unity

Nurturing Ideas

Kindness

Learning from our Mistakes

Effort