Horace Greeley High School Quakers beat the Poughkeepsie Pioneers 28–20 on October 30th in a highly competitive rematch to become champions of the Independent League with a 7-1 record; last time Quakers were league champs was back in 2010. This year’s team motto was TRUST THE PROCESS and it certainly worked. Congratulations to Coach Kearns, his staff, players and families. — Ron Wohl
Byram Hills
Byram Hills High School Inducts Nearly 90 Seniors into World Language Honor Society
Eighty-seven Byram Hills High School seniors have been inducted into the World Language Honor Society, an achievement that reflects their hard work and dedication to the study of French, Italian or Spanish.
In a virtual ceremony Thursday night, World Languages Chairperson Melissa Stahl congratulated the students and encouraged them to continue their language studies. To become a member of the honor society, students must have an A or A+ final average for three consecutive years. Ms. Stahl expressed her hope that the students “continue as lifelong learners to pursue a meaningful relationship with other languages and cultures.”
Brandon Lutz, a 2010 Byram Hills graduate, delivered the keynote address, lauding the value of learning world languages. Mr. Lutz took AP Spanish at Byram Hills and became fluent in French, Dutch and German at The University of Texas at Austin. He praised the inductees for this “absolutely amazing achievement. Pursuing foreign language is immensely challenging and reaching this level shows not just grit, but highlights you all as ambassadors of a more globally minded world,” he said.
After the address, each inductee’s name was read aloud.
The students inducted for French are:
Sydney Charron
Elizabeth Deeks
Rebecca Frieden
Jacob Geyman
Nowell Gibson
Abigail Krupa
Lucy Kwittken
Nora Lowe
Julia Lucchino
Eleana Morse
John Ndocaj
Nicolas Paslar Bunemar
Ella Pilchik
Emily Pizzorusso
Tanya Postian
Gina Schiliro
Georgia Schwartz
Arianna Tabankin
Sebastian Vasquez
Priscilla Zhang
The students inducted are Italian are:
Luke Abbruzzese
Olivia Addeo
Lily Auster
Zoe Banko
Nicolas Bisgaier
John Blackmar
Irene Byrnes
Amelia Chung
Sofia Cobos
Gabriella Colabello
Brooke Goldin
Samantha Grech
Alicia Huang
Alexandra Ioffe
Jessica Kahn
Hannah Rippy
Michael Rocco
Olivia Tedesco
The students inducted for Spanish are:
Alex Araki-Kurdyla
Derek Araki-Kurdyla
Morgan Aronsky
Lily Auster*
Edith Bachmann
Olivia Barry
Alex Berkman
Sophia Berland
Ryan Bernstein
Nicolas Bisgaier*
Evan Boekel
Joseph Brown
Elizabeth Corelli
Talia Deutsch
Ross Eagle
Danielle Eder
Reese Ertel
Chloe Fang
Danielle Freiberg
Samantha Glusky
Arielle Goldman
Benjamin Goldman
Eliza Goldman
Jake Goldman
Hallie Gordon
Sara Grgurovic
Dylan Haber
Olivia Hazan
Ariana Jones
Jamie Kaplan
Owen Kenny
Owen Kirkwood
Kate Levy
Sydney Levy
Alyssa Margolin
Matthew Marinozzi
Charly Melo
Jillian Nichols
Nicolas Paslar Bunemar*
Bennett Rakower
Max Rosh
Lucy Ross
Maximus Santos
Dylan Schimel
Brady Schlosser
Katerina Schmidt
Chloe Siegle
Arianna Tabankin*
Alexandra Weiss
Hayden Weiss
Lila Zacks
Jane Zeltner
Robert Ziff
*Second language inductees
Area Volunteers Working to “Tie the Town Pink” to Meet SOUL RYEDERS October Goal
“We are so excited to see our community adorned in PINK again this October!” said Deborah Goldman, Byram Hills resident and member of the SOUL RYEDERS board of directors. Goldman and a group of helpful volunteers in Westchester communities will be busy “tying the town pink” in big, bright and beautiful pink ribbons beginning October 1. The goal? To support SOUL RYEDERS 2021 8th annual Tie the Town Pink Awareness Campaign, selling pink ribbons in Byram Hills, Rye, Harrison, Rye Brook and soon in other surrounding towns. Why the ribbons? Here’s how “SOUL RYEDERS” describes its TieTheTownPink mission:
“Once again, this year’s goal is to tie our communities together in support of anyone affected by any type of cancer, regardless of age or gender. All proceeds from the campaign benefit SOUL RYEDERS’ community-oriented, cancer-related programs and services. The secondary goal of this campaign is to emphasize the importance of annual cancer screenings. Because of the pandemic, many of us continue to cancel or delay essential annual medical check-ups, mammograms, skin cancer and other screenings. SOUL RYEDERS wants to encourage our community to make these appointments now for their own health and well-being.
Started in 2014, TieTheTownPink is one of SOUL RYEDERS’ most successful campaigns in both the donations it brings to the organization, as well as the legions of volunteers ages 6 – 86 working together to deliver and tie hundreds of ribbons throughout our communities on the first day of October. Last year over 50 volunteers participated in a safe and socially distant way! They drove around our towns to tie ribbons on more than 750 homes. This rewarding volunteer opportunity is one that can be alone, along with family or as part of an organization or club. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to place a strain on many of our local businesses and therefore, SOUL RYEDERS is once again donating ribbons to those businesses that have supported our TieTheTownPink campaign since 2018 as a THANK YOU for the continuous generosity they spread throughout our community.
SOUL RYEDERS announced new ribbons this year! “Our new ribbons are made from 100% natural burlap material, are environmentally friendly and have been handmade in Wisconsin.”
TieTheTownPink ribbon sales began in late August and will continue throughout September culminating in adorning and tie-ing ribbons October 1st – 3rd.
The ribbons are available for sale online on the SOUL RYEDERS website. SOUL RYEDERS is proud to support our community through our programs, events and campaigns. Your generosity enables us to continue to be a resource for so many in our area. SOUL RYEDERS® is a community-driven organization supporting and connecting those impacted by cancer regardless of gender, type of cancer or age.
For more information, visit: https://www.soulryeders.org/
The Byram Hills Education Foundation Funding Our Students’ Futures

As a Byram Hills parent, I have often marveled throughout the years over the state-of-the-art technology and innovative programming available to our students in our local public school. Byram Hills families have been fortunate to have the Byram Hills Education Foundation (“BHEF”) brainstorming and funding visionary grants complementing an already stellar school district. The BHEF is a non-profit group that has awarded over 430 grants totaling over $5 million since 1994.
The mission of the BHEF is to enhance the education of all students in the Byram Hills school district by funding grants that encourage learning and personal development. The BHEF is governed by a board of directors representing a broad spectrum of the community. The board is comprised of 27 voting directors, consisting of parent and community volunteers. In addition, a group of non-voting board members include Byram Hills Superintendent Dr. Jen Lamia, a teacher representative from each school, and representatives from the board of education.
The BHEF funds two main types of grants: insta-grants and signature grants. Insta-grants can be submitted by teachers at any point in the year, are capped at $2500, and must be implemented that same school year. Signature grants are typically bigger in dollar, can be implemented over two years, and typically follow a lengthier review process. The BHEF relies entirely on donations from parents and the community to fund grants.

Facilitating Getting Kids Back to School
Last summer, in response to the schools being shut down and the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, the BHEF fast-tracked their grant review process and supplied cutting edge ViewSonic Virtual Classroom technology, an idea spearheaded by Dr. Andrew Taylor, Director of Technology at Byram Hills, that allowed our teachers to implement effective hybrid learning for students in different locations through a touch screen monitor and accompanying software that served as a hub in each classroom. They also outfitted every school with new shaded outdoor spaces for socially distanced learning and fresh air mask breaks.
“This was very quick from idea to inception,” recalls Jessica Bond, BHEF president, “but we were able to get it done because of the great collaboration and communication we have with the administration.”
The BHEF Is An Innovation Engine
“The BHEF is capable of doing what school budgets cannot do alone. The BHEF has been behind major initiatives of the District for decades, from 1:1 technology initiatives to library renovations and program development. EVERY child in Byram Hills benefits from the support of the BHEF–at every turn in their school years–and that is a big part of what distinguishes a Byram Hills education,” says Dr. Lamia.
Grant ideas can come from a variety of sources. Teachers are encouraged to submit grant proposals. “It is their classroom,” says Bond, “and if they want to try something innovative or have a need, that’s why we’re here and we try to get that message out to them.”
To generate ideas and foster community involvement, the BHEF has also organized roundtable discussions with the donor leadership members, the Benefactor and Bobcat levels, to brainstorm grant ideas. “We discuss what we hope our kids will have learned upon graduating here and how we want them to feel; things like independence, being an innovative thinker, and happy. Then we talk about what grants might achieve that and where parents currently see successes and opportunities in our schools,” explains Bond. The BHEF holds multiple community and donor events throughout the year and welcomes the community’s input.
Once a year, the BHEF participates in a forum with other school foundations, such as Bronxville, Chappaqua and Edgemont, where they also share and discuss grant initiatives. Throughout its process, the BHEF maintains an open dialogue with the administration. “We work hand in hand with Dr. Lamia and the principals throughout the year to understand where our schools and students need our support and to translate that into successful grants that our community will rally behind,” explains Bond.

Game-changers for the Students
Every year, the grants have been impressive game-changers for the students. This year introduced the ViewSonic technology, enabling virtual learning, and the Written Out Loud program, where kids learned the power of storytelling by writing and publishing their own books. Last year, the Creative Arts Community Center grant created an indoor and outdoor community space at Wampus connecting two contemporary art studios to an outdoor space that will support student learning.
In 2019, the Wellness for Life grant funded a partnership with the nationally recognized Stanford University’s Challenge Success program to assess and support student wellness. The Wellness Initiative in 2018 built an indoor educational playspace at Coman Hill to be used year-round and an outdoor obstacle course at Wampus, all to nurture students’ physical and mental wellness.
The Library 2.0 renovations in 2017 at Coman Hill, Wampus, and H.C. Crittenden integrated STEAM and Makers Spaces, updated presentation technology, modernized learning spaces, and connected the library and computer labs. The Full STEAM Ahead grant and STEAM Labs initiative in 2016 renovated technology labs and gave students at all academic levels exposure to coding, robotics, engineering, electronics, and 3D modeling. Much what Byram Hills families have come to take for granted in the classrooms now was initially funded by the BHEF, from the smart boards to the chromebooks to the cloud computer.
The BHEF also funds smaller but very impactful grants throughout the year. A few examples include new podcasting equipment, alternative classroom seating to support all types of learners, Kindle e-readers, specialized “pupil core eye tracking” glasses for research and athletic projects, a solar telescope, Byram Hills’ first greenhouse to study plants, and much more.
The global scholars program at the high school, which began as a pilot, started with the idea of providing students an alternative to the acclaimed science research program and creating a global competency in students to teach them how to be citizens of the world. The BHEF took a chance and funded a professional development trip to Nicaragua for teachers to learn how to bring this program to Byram Hills, which has since developed into a well-loved robust program.
One of the newest projects funded by the BHEF is the construction of Crittenden Commons, a multi-sport court for basketball, volleyball, street hockey and other sports with an amphitheater style seating area. The seating area will extend outdoor learning opportunities at the middle school. “The English teachers are already picturing doing Shakespeare outside,” says Bond.
How to Donate
Donations of any amount are welcome online at SupportByramHills.org. The Benefactor Circle for those who give $1500 or more and the Bobcat Circle for those who give $750 up to $1499 are leadership circles which include exciting benefits. Additionally, for anyone interested in honoring a teacher, a “teacher tribute” can be ordered online at SupportByramHills.org and the BHEF will send your teacher a special certificate notifying them of your gift in their honor. The BHEF sponsors many fun events throughout the year including an Outdoor Family Movie Night (10/2/21) and a Spring Bash (2022 date TBD). Corporate sponsorships are available with benefits and volunteer opportunities are available for anyone that wants to get involved. Contact the BHEF at bhef1@byramhills.org.
“Today I am Grateful” – Podcast Launched by Local Student
If you are one of the 100 million people who listened to a podcast while stuck at home during COVID, you are not alone. The medium’s popularity has grown exponentially and industry experts anticipate the number of listeners to exceed 125 million by next year.
While you don’t need to be a sound engineer to launch your own podcast, it does take commitment and dedication to expand your listener base and produce interesting content. And that’s exactly what rising Armonk-based 8th grader Anika Bobra did during the pandemic. Launched in December 2020, Bobra’s weekly podcast titled “Today I Am Grateful” focuses on leaders in various fields from education to medicine to non-profits. She interviews one per episode and has had notable guests such as County Executive George Latimer, Senator Shelley Mayer as well as President and CEO of White Plains Hospital Susan Fox.
Bobra asks these community leaders how they have faced the challenges of the pandemic and what they have learned by living through it. She has also profiled many hyperlocal leaders such as Leisa Palmer, a former teacher of Bobra at Wampus Elementary School, District Superintendent Jen Lamia and Peter Simonsen, Police Chief in Armonk. Lamia’s podcast was one of Bobra’s most popular episodes as was the one featuring Christina Brisson, affectionately dubbed the Vax Fairy.
As a student at Random Farms Theater Group, Bobra honed her public speaking skills. “I love to use my voice and I thought a podcast would be a great way to highlight and honor members of our community and share their extraordinary stories,” says Bobra. Bobra credits New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin’s “Happier” podcast as a key influence on her as she conceptualized her own podcast.
A lot of frontline workers were interviewed on Bobra’s podcast and she was keenly aware of having diverse voices represented. While doctors and nurses were interviewed, she also sought out other perspectives such as that of Mr. John DeCicco owner of DeCicco and Sons grocery stores which went above and beyond at keeping both their customers and employees safe during the pandemic.
Bobra estimates that she spends about two to three hours researching a potential guest, an hour editing the interview and then uploading it into a short podcast that averages eight to 10 minutes. With help from her parents, Bobra researched different platforms on Spotify and ultimately decided on Anchor. Her podcast streams on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. In terms of equipment, Bobra’s set up is pretty basic–a school laptop, microphone and Zoom to conduct the interviews.
The concept of gratitude was instilled in Bobra at an early age. Her parents who are both doctors have always emphasized that the secret for happiness is gratitude and appreciating everything you have instead of what you don’t. “You are never too young to be grateful,” notes Bobra.
Bobra believes that her sense of gratitude for these community leaders comes across in her initial communications with a potential guest and has helped her secure influential guests.
Asked if she is an aspiring journalist, Bobra is undecided but she has found it very rewarding to interview people from different career paths. To date, she found the interviews with Senator Mayer and Sheila Patel, CEO of vegan skincare line Graffiti Collective to be her favorites and she has plans on the horizon to interview sources from outside the US as “gratitude is a universal feeling.”
When she’s not out playing on the tennis courts, scheduling interviews or editing her podcast, Bobra has plans on starting an Instagram page for her podcast this summer and possibly a book. With her youthful energy and passion for promoting positivity, Bobra is set to turn all her dreams into reality.
Bobra’s podcast is available on: