BSF Updates

The Foundation Board is launching a search for a new Finance Administrator. A position description outlining desired qualifications and job responsibilities is provided below.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and its mission is to enhance the quality of education at the Bronxville School.

The Foundation has two part-time employees, the Executive Director (“ED”) and the Finance Administrator (“FA”), and a volunteer 30-member Board.  The FA supports the ED in most administrative functions, especially fundraising and office administration. The FA interacts with the Board members, whose work is organized into eight sub-committees.  The most active office administrative work comes from the Development, Finance, and Grants sub-committees.

The FA must be a team player with good interpersonal skills who is flexible and can work independently.  The FA must be proficient with Microsoft Word & Excel (including mail merge) and Google Suite and have strong bookkeeping skills as well as experience working with a database, preferably donor software. The FA must have good working knowledge of accounting and banking. The Foundation utilizes Quicken software for its accounting and financial software and DonorPerfect for its donor database. Maintaining donor records using the DonorPerfect database and accounting and financial records using Quicken software is one of the most important aspects of the Finance Administrator’s job.

Primary Functions

1. Support the ED and Foundation Chair in all areas requested.
2. Maintain and update DonorPerfect donor database.
3. Maintain financial records using Quicken software, processing all Foundation income and expenses.
4. Process all mail and contributions, including but not limited to:

a)  Processing all cash, check, stock, online PayPal and matching gift contributions,

b)  Preparing and processing all bank deposits,

c)  Recording all gifts in both Quicken and DonorPerfect,

d)  Regularly reconciling Quicken and DonorPerfect for accuracy,

e)  Reconciling bank accounts, PayPal account and Vanguard accounts monthly and quarterly.

5. Prepare all letters of acknowledgment.
6. Process all payments, including appropriate recording in Quicken and writing of checks:

a)  for administrative expenses,

b)  for grants payments (including compilation of requisitions, purchase orders and other appropriate documentation for the Foundation’s records and facilitation of grant payments to the school district).

7. Assist in the preparation, processing & tracking of grants paperwork.
8. Generate all DonorPerfect and Quicken reports monthly and as requested; understand the essentials of creating reports and running queries in a database.
9. Backup DonorPerfect and Quicken on a regular basis.
10. Prepare information required for annual audit, prepare and assist with auditor information requests, and communicate with auditors as needed.
11. Monthly, and as requested, provide Board members with their assigned donor lists; work with VP Development on annual updates to assigned donor lists.  
12. Prepare and coordinate community drive and alumni drive mass mailings and process returned mail.
13. Maintain Alumni Walk brick lists and process orders.
14. Coordinate Alumni reunion tours.
15. Assist with the Annual Katie Welling Run and other special events.
16. Maintain and order office supplies as needed.
17. Reserve meeting rooms for monthly Foundation Board meetings.
18. Attend Foundation Board meetings, as needed.
19. Answer the phone and respond appropriately to Board members, faculty and/or staff who come to the Foundation office with questions.

This position is part-time. The role is in-person at the Foundation office located in the Bronxville School at 177 Pondfield Road in Bronxville, NY and requires approximately 25 hours per week during the school year.  Summer responsibilities such as checking mail and making payments require intermittent office visits.  Estimated annual compensation is $30,000 to $32,000.

Applicants should email a resume and cover letter highlighting relevant experience to Helena McSherry at hmcsherry@bronxvilleschool.org.

By Jane Moynihan

Teachers and staff at The Bronxville School enjoyed free pickleball classes this spring, thanks to a unique initiative of the Bronxville Adult School (BAS) and the Bronxville School Foundation. 

Offered as a way to thank faculty and staff for their service and taught by Bronxville School PE teacher and popular Bronxville Adult School instructor Matt Fisher, the classes took place twice a week in the gym after school.

Over the course of the 5-week program, 35 teachers, aides, clerical staff, therapists, coaches, and nurses had fun while learning to play what is one of America’s fastest-growing sports. 

The classes were offered through the Bronxville Adult School using a grant from the Bronxville School Foundation. 

The idea was originally conceived during the Covid pandemic. Helena McSherry, Executive Director of the Bronxville School Foundation, explains, “the Foundation wanted to express its deep gratitude for everything the staff did for our school during that challenging time and also to support their health and wellness.”  

The Bronxville Adult School chose pickleball because it is the hottest sport around, one of the most popular classes at BAS, and also because Matt Fisher was on board to teach. Fisher is a certified pickleball instructor and also teaches in the after-school program BASC. McSherry says, “The Foundation couldn’t be happier that so many members of our dedicated staff enjoyed the classes.”

Describing the experience, Fisher says the goals for the class were to “have fun, learn the game, get a workout, and make connections with other people.” Teachers were happy to learn a game they could play outside of school over the summer, and he notes, the mix of players led to new relationships with others who work in the building. 

Bronxville music teacher Uma Karkala says, “taking pickleball classes was the highlight of the spring semester. Not only has it been a great way to exercise, it has been a great social and learning experience. Matt Fisher is an excellent teacher and is clear and patient with all the different levels of players.” 

Most of the players did not have any pickleball experience when they signed up for the classes, but by the end of the program, everyone could play the game. According to Fisher, although it was not a competitive atmosphere, some teachers and staff have become passionate about pickleball. 

Pickleball is just one of over hundreds of courses offered through the Bronxville Adult School. 

Registration for the fall semester will open in early August. To sign up for the BAS newsletter, please visit bronxvilleadultschool.org. You can follow BAS on Instagram and Facebook.

Photos courtesy Bronxville Adult School

By Deirdre Doheny, VP, Public Relations, The Bronxville School Foundation

June 7, 2023: The Bronxville School Foundation announced its 2023 grant awards, giving $530,000 in resources to benefit the Bronxville School’s K-12 student body.

The grant requests came from teachers, administrators, coaches, parents, and students.  This year’s grants supported meaningful projects designed to enrich the educational experience for all grades and support the goals of The Bronxville Promise.  The grants included professional development, health and wellness initiatives, new equipment, and enhancements to facilities and classrooms, as well as new programs and curriculum updates. 

Jennifer Lescott, the Foundation’s vice president of grants, said “The Foundation board is grateful for the tremendous generosity of our community that enabled the funding of 36 grants totaling $530K this year. We were fortunate to receive a robust slate of grant applications, including both critical off-cycle applications as well as regular cycle requests.  Grants were submitted not only by educators, staff, and administration but also parents and students.  This year’s grants include resources for teen mental health training, artificial intelligence courses, civil discourse sessions in the high school, and a programmer in residence – all strategic initiatives the Board of Education has encouraged. We’re so fortunate for the generosity of our community to enable this depth of investment in our students and innovative approaches across all areas from academics to arts and athletics.  Thank you to the community for enabling the Foundation to be a vital resource to the Bronxville School.”

Foundation Chair, Brian Bodell, added, “The Bronxville School Foundation continues to drive innovation and differentiation for the Bronxville School and our students.  We want to thank the Bronxville community for their continued support and all of the administrators, teachers, students, and parent grant writers for helping us stay ahead in the arts, technology, athletics, and professional development.  More than 600 donors contributed to the Foundation’s community drive, and many others supported the alumni drive, Katie’s Run, and the newly created Coach Bob McGrath Fund for Athletics and L. Gordon Harriss Fund for History. Total contributions received by the Foundation this year exceeded $500K and helped to fund this year’s grants. This strong collaboration between our community and the school ensures our students will excel in the pursuits of their choice and truly live into the Bronxville Promise”.

Following is a complete list of the approved grants for the 2022-2023 school year:

PROGRAM & CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp for Seniors 

Artificial Intelligence Courses – Year 2

Chamber Music Performance Coaches

Civil Discourse in High School

Commissioned Musical Piece for MS/HS Band

Hacker Camp

ITS Troupe – 2023

National History Day Post-Pandemic Research – Phase 2

Programmer in Residence

FACILITIES

Auditorium Projector & Black Projection Curtain

Bronco Barn Bottle Filler Station

Enhanced Athletic Training Room 

Flexible Furniture for Life Skills/Speech  

Furnishings for Staff Lounge/Lunchroom

Gaga Pit

Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy Suite

EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS:

Art Display Boards & Cases

Biotech Startup Supplies for High School Science

Book Vending Machine for Elementary School

Boys and Girls Track and Field Record Board

Decodable Texts for Kindergarten – Second Grade

Flexible Seating for First Grade Classroom  

Lacrosse Goals

Percussion Equipment for Band

Portable Sound Equipment for Performing Arts

Probeware for High School Science

Refurbishment of Scout Field Batting Cages

Steeplechase Equipment

Tools & Equipment for Construction of Performing Arts Sets  

Velocity training for Bronxville Athletes

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

“Design Thinking” Sessions – Phase 2 for Elementary School

“Design Thinking” Sessions – Phase 2 for Middle School

IMSE Orton-Gillingham Reading Training for Kindergarten & Special Education

HEALTH & WELLNESS:

Meddy Teddys for Mindfulness

Strength and Conditioning Specialist

Teen Mental Health First Aid Training 

Photo: Brian Halling’s Entrepreneurship students sharing their research and development presentations for the Foundation’s “Project Let Us Seed Fund You” grant. Courtesy of Bronxville School Foundation

On a Thursday evening in early March, an audience gathered at the New York Historical Society to celebrate the 50th anniversary of National History Day. Famous historians, documentary filmmakers, and Historical Society executives were in attendance as the host of History Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum, Don Wildman introduced the main attraction – Bronxville students Leo Nevezhin, Katherine Gunduz, and Anne Petrillo. The students were exclusively invited, along with their teachers Dana Landesman and Christina Reidel, to present last year’s national winning group exhibition project: Chernobyl Disaster: How Diplomatic Pressure Pushed the Soviet Union to Mitigate the Disaster and Created International Debate on Nuclear Energy. “It was extraordinary to see Leo, Katherine and Anne so eloquently field questions from the history channel host and audience members,” said Ms. Reidel. “As their former ninth grade teacher, I took great joy in seeing their knowledge, skills and maturity grow over time. It was wonderful to see that student history research could reach the caliber that was exhibited through Leo, Katherine, and Anne’s project.”

The National History Day (NHD) Competition has been a part of Bronxville High School for eight years. The program has been led by Ms. Landesman and Ms. Reidel, and it’s a highlight for students and teachers alike. Projects led by the students themselves offer an opportunity for deeper understanding through extensive research and creative presentations of their claims in a diverse range of formats – exhibitions, documentaries, performances, research papers, or websites. Through multiple grants from the Bronxville School Foundation, professional specialists in these areas have visited the school and worked with students to improve the quality of their projects and enable them to compete at the highest level.

“Through the process of working on my project, I learned how to think and organize information in a creative way,” said Leo. “Understanding the different perspectives through multiple sources, including newly released research around the anniversary of Chernobyl, I discovered it to be a great historical example of how collaboration between nations can solve big world problems.”

The NHD program is built into the ninth and tenth grade social studies program at Bronxville High School. And this year, Bronxville had 34 of its high school students and, for the first time, five eighth grade students who won at the National History Day Regional competition in West Nyack on March 25th. They are expected to revise and improve their projects using evaluations from their judges to prepare for the New York State Competition at SUNY-Oneonta on April 24th. “My eighth graders voluntarily entered projects into the regional competition. Through the NHD work some students were able to pursue their passions, photography, military technology, running/film making respectively. One student and her family took a trip to the Eastman Kodak museum in Rochester to explore the archival material on her topic,” said Ms. Reidel.

“The accomplishments of our students are nothing short of astonishing. The NHD program aligns with many of our school’s beliefs and values in education, as outlined in The Bronxville Promise, along with the Innovative Designs for Education (IDE) work we, as educators, have been doing on a district level over the past several years,” said Ms. Landesman. “NHD projects lean on executive functioning, time-management and organizational skills that are critical to student empowerment, success, and leadership in school and beyond.” 

To that end, upperclassmen have parlayed their NHD experience into an opportunity to mentor other students by helping them with their projects as they prepare for upcoming competitions. One such student, Leo Nevezhin, has taken the knowledge gained from his NHD successes to invite a larger conversation that will take place in Bronxville School’s auditorium on June 10th at the first-ever TEDx Bronxville HS event. Leading a team of 20 Bronxville High School students, Leo is tapping into creative thinking and task-oriented organization to harness the voices from the Bronxville community, school, and experts from the greater metropolitan area. 

“Our theme for TEDx Bronxville HS is ‘Movement is Everywhere’. I was inspired by the nearby Bronx River and felt it was important to have a local connection that complements the broader concept of moving forward,” said Leo. “Mostly, I wanted to do this to give people a voice who don’t always have one.”

It has been a notable year for Bronxville’s history buffs and we are thrilled that Ms. Landesman has been named as a nominee for National History Day Teacher of the Year representing New York State. Nominees demonstrate a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the NHD Contest. 

“This award recognizes the very best educators from across the nation and beyond,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “These educators are leaders and innovators in the teaching of history. They engage their students with hands-on, inquiry-based learning with primary sources. I congratulate them on their well-deserved nominations.” 

The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians and announced on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the National History Day National Contest Awards Ceremony in College Park, Maryland.

“It has been an incredibly rewarding experience running this program for the past several years with Ms. Reidel. The best part is seeing students stretch and grow the skills that are so important in school and life,” said Ms. Landesman. “I am impressed by their work, year after year.”

Pictured: Students enjoying the Elementary School Picnic tables. Photo courtesy of Bronxville School Foundation.

By Deirdre Doheny, Public Relations, VP, Bronxville School Foundation

Jan.20, 2023: The Bronxville School Foundation is pleased to announce that it has kicked off its 2023 grant cycle. Faculty, administrators, staff, students, parents, and community members are encouraged to submit grant applications.  The grant application, information about the application process, and summaries of recently approved grants are available on the Foundation’s website, www.BronxvilleSchoolFoundation.org

The Foundation is eager to support grant requests that fulfill the Bronxville Promise which enables students to lead, to innovate, to engage the world, and to think critically.

This year’s deadline for grant applications is March 1, 2023.

“This year we are excited to fund grants that will continue to enhance the learning experience of all Bronxville students. We hope to receive applications that will focus on the arts, athletics, student support services, and technology, said Jennifer Lescott V.P of the Grants Program.  “The innovative programming, state-of-the-art technology, and equipment that the Foundation supports really help us all, as both an organization and as members of the community, to fulfill the Bronxville Promise.   Our partnership with the Bronxville School’s administration, educators, students, and parents, enables us to provide a solid framework of innovative program development, equipment, and technology to our school.” 

Since its inception in 1991, the Foundation has awarded more than $ 12 million in grants that focus on piloting new programs, pursuing creative ideas, and providing equipment and facilities in the areas of science, arts, athletics, technology, and curriculum development.

For further information or inquiries, please contact vice president of grants, Jennifer Lescott , at jennifer.lescott@gmail.com, or the Foundation’s executive director, Helena McSherry, at hmcsherry@bronxvilleschool.org.

By India Hammer

Bronxville Elementary students are learning about how to make a personal impact on the planet in small and large ways. During the November GRATITUDE Be3 assembly, they watched with curiosity as Noah Brennan, Sustainability Educator at The Greenburgh Nature Center, picked up a container of trash and emptied its contents onto the auditorium stage. The students’ eyes went wide and chuckles spread through the crowd as they gazed upon the mess before them. Then Noah said, “Now, let’s talk about the best way to clean this up.” 

Refuse belongs in waste receptacles, but what if all waste isn’t created equal? The answer is to prioritize what can be recycled. As the Sustainability Educator shifted through the items on the stage, he asked the audience which container it should go in: Paper, Trash or Commingle? Hands shot up as he displayed each item. 

Paper bag? “Paper!” Metal can? “Commingle!” Plastic fork?, “Commingle!” Glass bottle? “Commingle!” Then he held up a plastic bag. Although, once again, most answers were “Commingle!” one student volunteered the correct answer – trash.

Noah told the student he was correct and then  asked him why a plastic bag cannot be recycled. Without missing a beat, the student replied, “Because it has a different chemical compound.” And that is exactly right. The students learned that items like plastic bottles, utensils, and containers are made up of a similar type of plastic, but plastic bags are not. Additionally, plastic bags can get tangled up in recycling machines and cause damage. While plastic bags such as small food baggies get tossed in with non recyclable trash, there is an option for plastic shopping bags. These can be recycled at local grocery stores. 

Another tricky item? A potato chip bag, which is a compound of plastic fused with foil. While this item isn’t recyclable, it can be reusable. Noah demonstrated this option by putting the chip bag inside a plastic bottle, explaining that in some parts of the world where resources are hard to get, this has been used as material for insulation. And for those students who enjoy crafts, Noah encouraged everyone to make something cool with recycled materials.

Once all the items had been sorted and placed in their appropriate receptacles, Noah turned the attention back to the audience. He asked, “Who likes food?” The response was an astounding sea of “Me!”. This brought Noah to the final ‘R’ of the three R’s: reduce. Making a small adjustment in the ways we dispose of waste can have a big impact on the health and future of the environment. Food scrap recycling not only reduces the amount of waste generated, it can create fertile soil that can be used to grow flowers and vegetables. It also provides food for worms who are essential to the fertilization process. When asked, “Who here composts at home?” many hands were raised among the crowded auditorium.

This is just the start of an educational journey for these Bronxville Elementary students. This week, Greenburgh Nature Center kicked off food scrap recycling lessons in each of the classrooms at BES.  Noah sat with Ms. Kalaj’s fifth grade class on Thursday, picking up where he left off during the Be3 assembly a few weeks ago. He asked if the students noticed the new green bins in the cafeteria. One student raised her hand, “Yesterday, Emily, Grace, Ella, and I put our orange peel in the green bin!” Some of the other students laughed, and another student shared, “We have a thing with oranges in this class.” Noah talked about all kinds of food items that can go in the green colored bin. For example, sandwich crusts for those who do not like them, banana peels, chicken bones, and even Oreo cookies.

Bringing the conversation back to the third ‘R’ reduce, Noah asked the students to take a guess at how much of food gets thrown into the trash. The students thought the estimate was somewhere between 10-30%. In fact, the percentage is closer to 40%, or over a billion pounds of food. When food waste is added to non-recyclable trash, it all gets sent to a facility that uses fuel and natural gas to condense it. The students were asked what gets released into the atmosphere as it burns. “Carbon Dioxide!” they called out. “What are things in nature that take the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by absorbing it, also known as the process called carbon sequestration?” asked Noah. Several students knew of the two big ones: trees, through the process of photosynthesis, and algae that grows in oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and moist soil.

Making the connection between how waste is disposed of, and how it is decomposed, the students learned about other life forms in nature that play an important role in the decomposition process. Some examples are mushrooms (which Noah likened to a magician), vultures, and insects such as worms, and even cockroaches. Noah brought with him one of Greenburgh Nature Center’s mascots, Charlie the Cockroach. Charlie was a popular guest amongst the elementary students, with many asking to see him up close and even hold him. Noah explained that while cockroaches are helpful in the composting process, similar to worms, they are slow workers. The large amounts of food waste generated from BES will now be composted using an off-site hauling company that will deliver it to a facility that uses machines that can more quickly decompose food waste through climate controlled temperature and humidity.

In the multipurpose room where the students have lunch, parent volunteer Maria Terjanian, was manning the three waste receptacles, and offering assistance to students when separating out their trash with the new addition of the green food waste bin. Maria, who has a child in each of the Bronxville schools, has been working together with the group of BHS students who started the food scrap recycling initiative, and BES administrators on implementing the program in the school. Seeing it come to fruition, and witnessing it in action, has been very exciting. “After only two days, there were already students who were directing others on where to put their trash,” said Ms. Terjanian. Assistant Principal Anthony Vaglica appreciates the bigger picture of the food scrap recycling program, “It is great to see so many within the school so invested in this work because of the positive impact on the environment. The students are very interested in the environment, and they understand the benefits of properly disposing of waste. My hope is that with the support of the school foundation, this will ultimately become a K-12 program and extend beyond the school and into the community.”

The program was made possible through a grant from the Bronxville School Foundation, written by high school students and BES administrators, Ms. Adams and Mr. Vaglica. “The food scrap recycling program is a very special grant for many reasons,” said Helena McSherry, Executive Director of the Bronxville School Foundation. “High School students brainstormed the idea and then worked collaboratively with faculty to bring this program to Bronxville and educate our younger students about the importance of this initiative. We are very grateful to them. I can’t think of a better example of students living out their commitment to the Bronxville Promise — To Innovate, Lead, Think Critically, and Engage the World.”  

 In its sixteenth year, the Katie Welling Memorial Run/Walk was held in-person on Saturday, November 26. Given Covid restrictions, Katie’s Run had pivoted to a fully virtual event for maximum safety and flexibility in both 2020 and 2021. This beloved Thanksgiving tradition, which honors the memory of Katie Welling from Bronxville High School’s Class of 2002, returned this year as an in-person event with a virtual component for out-of-towners. More than 300 people registered to participate in the event which benefits the Bronxville School Foundation.

This year’s event also honored Tom Welling, Katie’s wonderful dad who passed away in March. Tom led the planning for Katie’s Run/Walk every year since its inception and was a true friend and asset to the Bronxville community.

Many friends of the Welling family arrived early Saturday morning to help set up for the event and register participants. It appeared as if no time at all had passed as they settled into their posts from previous years and helped guide new volunteers. “The enduring love and support from so many friends of the Welling family was evident,” said the Bronxville School Foundation’s Chairperson Brian Bodell. “We are so happy that we were able to gather together again this year to honor both Katie and Tom.”

Mayor Mary Marvin was in attendance, and Guidance Counselor Jim Agnello from the Bronxville School kicked off the race on a bullhorn at the front entrance of the Bronxville School. Twenty-six community volunteers, many with their children as helpers, closed the course to traffic with the Bronxville Police Department ensuring the safety of runners and walkers along the route. Members of the Welling family and friends welcomed runners and walkers at the finish line, and Thomas Welling, Jr. handed out medals to the winners. 

“Many of the same smiling faces we saw in photos submitted from the last two year’s virtual events were here in person and expressed happiness to be running and walking together as a community once again,” said the Foundation’s Executive Director, Helena McSherry.  “It was nice to see so many of the traditions of the event back with runners and walkers crossing the finish line at the Bronxville School track and friends catching up after the race.”

The way that Bronxville’s school staff, alumni, community members, and town merchants supported the event was very special. “As they have in the past, many generous merchants contributed to the event,” said the Foundation’s Alumni Chair Katie Shah. “We are grateful to Lange’s Deli, Park Place Bagels, Mrs. Morgan’s Flower Shop, and Tryforos & Pernice for donating refreshments and beautiful flowers for the event and to the Bronxville Running Company as well for lending their space to us for registration and bib pick-ups ahead of the in-person event.” 

The virtual option continued to allow friends from far and wide to participate even though they were not in Bronxville on Thanksgiving weekend. “People come up with really creative ways to participate virtually,” said Deirdre Doheny, the Foundation’s Public Relations Chair. “The Williams family sent in a run photo from Cape Cod and a second photo of their post-run polar plunge!” Beyond the Bronxville area, people showed their support from California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Nicaragua. 

Registrations and donations totaled $15,750, with 262 runners and walkers participating in person, 59 people participating virtually, and 66 other donations.

The event was established by Katie Welling’s many friends and her family to commemorate her wonderful sense of humor, infectious laugh, and love of life. Katie died in an off-campus fire at Miami University in Ohio in 2005. She had just turned 21.

Thanks to the support of the Bronxville community, Katie’s Run/Walk has generated more than $280,000 since its inception.  Contributions to Katie’s Run allow the Foundation to fund grants for facilities improvements and equipment, faculty training, curriculum development and specialized programs at the Bronxville School.

For more information on Katie’s Run/Walk and to view this year’s photo album, please visit https://www.bronxvilleschoolfoundation.org/katie-welling-memorial-run-walk-2/.

Photo courtesy of Helena McSherry.