Upgrades, repairs and renovations to the school facilities are generally covered by the District budget and reserves. However, there are times when administrators or teachers want to pilot a new way to design and use space or specialized classroom furniture or equipment where Foundation grants make it possible. It’s important to note that Foundation grants for special facilities, technology or equipment are often paired with training and professional development for staff so that those assets are used to their fullest potential.
Pandemic Response
When the school pivoted to a virtual learning plan in response to the pandemic, many of the resources provided by past Foundation grants were instrumental in enabling the faculty to continue to foster effective learning for our students and keep things as normal as possible under the challenging circumstances. The Foundation's critical support of nearly every technology initiative in recent years enabled the school to transition quickly to virtual learning. In the fall of 2020, the Foundation approved several grants to support the school's re-opening and operating plans including the application of Purezone to high-touch areas at the school and the build-out of Zoom classrooms with large screen monitors, webcams and microphones. These grants helped the school open safely and prepare for and sustain live, hybrid, and virtual learning models.
Elementary School
As teachers adapt the curriculum to teach the skills of the 21st century, the learning environment impacts students. Today's students thrive in adaptive, flexible classroom environments that facilitate student engagement, collaboration, creativity, and connections with teachers. The Foundation has funded grants for flexible furniture in numerous classrooms including the Science and Art rooms. These classroom redesigns will benefit every student in the Elementary School.
The Foundation has also funded audio-visual equipment in three Elementary School playrooms that includes large screen monitors, speakers, wireless microphones, and bluetooth connectivity. The screen and speaker media system supports and enhances Physical Education curriculum as well as mindfulness and yoga exercises. With the use of Air Tame 2, Physical Education teachers can use apps and other capabilities on iPads to cast the screen directly to the monitors in the playrooms.
Middle School
The Middle School Art and Technology rooms have numerous upgrades courtesy of Foundation grants. The Art room improvements increase the functionality and flow of the space. The new furniture provides students with ample room to create, and the chairs give students greater mobility and the ability to collaborate. The teacher's large drafting desk and casting screen allow students to view artistic demonstrations easily. Foundation grants also funded equipment in the Tech room that allows students and teachers to collaborate and work together in a variety of technologies. VEX V5 Robotics Kits have enabled Middle School students to experience programming and mechanical engineering on an authentic level. The robotics kits offer the ability to construct, program, and pilot a student-made robot that can perform simple and complex tasks.
High School
In 2014, the High School principal requested funds for a program called Innovation Fellows. Select faculty members were chosen in a competitive process to spend time over the school year studying cutting edge teaching techniques and bringing them into their own classrooms and to the school as a whole. Over that year, the research being done by the Fellows kept leading back to the importance of flexible, tech-enhanced classrooms that would allow a variety of teaching and learning modalities to prepare students for college and 21st century careers. In 2015, the Fellows requested another grant to work with Fielding Nair Inc, a world-renowned educational architecture firm to design and renovate three pilot innovation classrooms. Trainers from Fielding Nair provided professional development to help teachers use the rooms to their full capabilities.
Fielding Nair also helped redesign the High School Art Studio in 2016-17. Courtesy of a Foundation grant, a new layout, new furniture, and new storage provide better lighting, more space, more flexible drawing surfaces, and easier access to materials for art students and teachers.
District-wide
IDE Classroom Redesign & Flexible Seating: After the work with Fielding Nair, the school partnered with IDE Corp. (Innovative Designs for Education) to redesign additional classrooms and strengthen instructional practice to support students' ability to take ownership of their work. Thanks to the support of the Foundation, numerous classrooms have been outfitted with new furniture and technology based on IDE's learner-active, technology-infused philosophy. Independent of the IDE grants, the Foundation has funded other flexible seating grants that allow students to easily collaborate, participate in dynamic group discussions, and engage in innovative work.
Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy Suite: Through a Foundation grant, the Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) rooms are being combined to create an interdisciplinary space referred to as the OT/PT Suite. The interdisciplinary model will support the current OT/PT suite work and implement sensory integration equipment and techniques. Since the rooms share many of the same students, combining the rooms will provide interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance communication, teamwork, and evidence-based interventions to better support therapy services in real time within the OT/PT Department. The school is partnering with Fun and Function on the design concepts, the selection of effective equipment, and professional development.
Auditorium: The Foundation has been a long-time supporter of upgrades to the auditorium. In 2015, the Foundation was part of a community-wide effort to accomplish a state-of-the-art renovation of the auditorium. The project redesigned the floor elevation, seating layout and created a fully accessible stage and seating area with a wraparound balcony. The restoration of the proscenium, the open fabric-paneled ceiling and the addition of a retractable acoustic curtain in the attic created an acoustically flexible space. Another key feature was the addition of a lobby and gathering space with a separate public entrance. Since the renovation, the Foundation has funded additional lighting upgrades and the replacement of acoustical shells. Most recently, a Foundation grant funded an auditorium projector and black projection curtain to create visually-striking, professional scenic designs for plays and musicals.
Cardio and Weight Room: In 2016, the Foundation approved a grant to renovate the old weight and wrestling rooms into new cardio and weight rooms with safe, state-of-the-art equipment that would accommodate the District’s ever-growing athletic program and Phys. Ed. classes from Middle through High School. Foundation grants added a Vertimax trainer in 2020 and Keiser Fitness trainers in 2021.
Bronco TV Studio: In the fall of 2018, the Bronxville School debuted a new TV studio outfitted by the Foundation. The studio features three cameras, a 4K recorder, LED lighting, teleprompters, an anchor desk and greenscreen, playback monitor, and a control room. Bronxville students operate Bronco TV, acting as anchors, reporters, camera operators, producers, and editors.