About Our School
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 served as Chairman of the Brookline School Committee and was an early advocate for mathematics and technical education. He was also a founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as its second president.
About Runkle School
Runkle is proud of its rigorous academic program, support for the arts, and belief in teaching the “whole” child. Runkle embraces its diverse community and is deeply committed to the Brookline core value of educational equity.
Located in the Fisher Hill neighborhood between Boylston and Beacon Streets, Runkle School serves approximately 615 students in grades PK–8. Runkle is home to Brookline’s Spanish-English Language Learner program and the district’s K–8 Reaching Independence through Structured Education (RISE) program for students with autism.
Collaboration and Learning
Runkle educators collaborate in a variety of ways to support all students. Teachers meet regularly in grade-level and job-alike teams. Teachers have also created opportunities for cross-grade partnerships throughout the years.
This year, cross-grade partnerships focused on:
- Reading (Grades 1 and 4)
- Poetry (Grades 1 and 6)
- Science (Grades K and 8; Grades 3 and 8)
School Community and Leadership
Several Runkle groups are committed to continuous school improvement and community engagement, including the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), School Council, and Student Council.
The Runkle School PTO is an active organization that helps build community through events such as the Family Picnic and annual Halloween Fair in the fall, Ice Skating Night, Math and Science Night, Bingo Night in the winter, International Night, and the annual Music and Arts Festival in the spring. The PTO also organizes the monthly “Music in the Morning” assemblies held in the front lobby.
The PTO supports school activities by supplementing teacher supplies, underwriting class field trips, providing scholarships, and organizing activities that promote school spirit.
The Runkle School Council works on the school’s annual School Improvement Plan and includes six staff members, six parents, and one community member to provide a variety of perspectives on school life.
The Runkle Student Council includes 12 student representatives from grades 6–8. The council fosters school pride and models Runkle values for the community. Students recently helped revise the school’s code of conduct to reflect the values and goals of “The RUNKLE Way.”
The RUNKLE Way
- R – Respect
- U – Unity
- N – Nurturing Ideas
- K – Kindness
- L – Learning from Our Mistakes
- E – Effort