The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Byram Hills

Triumph for Byram Hills Varsity Hockey

by

Byram Hills’ 5th Annual Pink the Rink fundraiser against breast cancer was a great night for BH Varsity Hockey, as the team won for the 4th consecutive year against their Route 22 rivals Fox Lane 11-1. The bigger victory was that the team achieved their goal and raised over $10,500 toward breast cancer research. The Bobcats sported pink hockey sweaters and socks, and Fox Lane got into the spirit with bright pink skate laces.

“We are so proud of our boys and girls,” said Charity Lunder, whose daughter is the goalie, the only girl on the team. “With four sets of siblings on the team, it’s a school record. My son Robert (a senior) and my daughter Grace (a junior) are wrapping up three years of playing on the same team, a dream come true for parents!”

The game took place before an enthusiastic crowd at Brewster Ice Arena, with Bobcats Ethan Behar and Robert Lunder scoring hat tricks. The Bobcats record is 7-4, and they expect to notch more wins in the weeks ahead. The team extends thanks to all in the Byram Hills Community, as well as Fox Lane, who contributed to the success of this campaign.

Eight Byram Hills High School Seniors Named National Merit Finalists

by

All eight of Byram Hills High School’s National Merit semifinalists have advanced to the next round of the 62nd annual academic competition and are now finalists, the school has announced.

The finalists are William Amorosana, Isabelle Chong, Thomas Daillak, Indra Dan, Timothy Eng, Noah Jacobs, Sabrina You and Juliana Zepf. They comprise roughly 4 percent of the school’s senior class of 207 students.

National Merit finalists (L-R): William Amorosana, Noah Jacobs, Timothy Eng, Indra Dan, Sabrina You, Thomas Daillak, Juliana Zepf, and Isabelle Chong

“We are extremely proud of these exceptional students for their hard work and for their achievements,” said Byram Hills High School Principal Christopher Walsh. “Being named a National Merit finalist is a great accomplishment, and the fact that eight of our seniors have reached that level is testament to the incredible student body here at Byram Hills High School.”

The seniors were named semifinalists in September by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. That achievement was based on their PSAT scores. They are now among the 15,000 students nationwide to be named finalists, for which they were required to show consistently high academic achievement throughout all four years of high school and in any college coursework.

The designation allows them to compete for about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth $33 million that will be offered in the spring.

“Our National Merit finalists are pursuing a wide range of interests in the sciences and humanities, and we know that they are going to excel in whatever they choose to do in the future,” said Mr. Walsh.

 

Seven Byram Hills Senior Athletes Sign with Colleges on National Signing Day!

by

(L-R): Emma Fruhling, Matt Groll, Ally Steffen, Jack Beer, Steven Max, Sylvie Binder, David Noel

Applauded by friends, family and the school community, seven Byram Hills High School students signed up to play on sports teams at colleges including Georgetown and Columbia universities in the National Signing Day celebration.

The annual day in early February marks a celebratory inking of letters of intent to accept athletic scholarships and other offers to play on teams at colleges across the country. The Byram Hills students agreed to join sports programs in soccer, basketball, fencing, crew and golf.

“Today we recognize seven amazing athletes representing five different sports,” high school Coach Matt Allen told the 200 supporters filling a section of the bleachers for the ceremony in the school’s upper gymnasium. “They are each well-rounded, intelligent and hard-working young men and women who will undoubtedly represent Byram Hills to the greatest of their abilities.”

 

The scholar athletes and the schools they will attend are:

Jack Beer, soccer – Georgetown University, Hoyas

Sylvie Binder, fencing – Columbia University

Emma Fruhling, soccer – Ithaca College, Bombers

Matt Groll, basketball – Franklin & Marshall College, Diplomats

Steven Max, crew – University of California, Berkeley

David Noel, soccer – Eastern Connecticut State University, Warriors

Ally Steffen, golf – University of Richmond, Spiders

One by one, the athletes were called to a dais decked in Byram Hills Bobcats colors of red and blue, where they signed their symbolic letters. Rob Castanga, the district Athletic Director, thanked the friends and family members for attending, and for supporting the athletes.

“It does take a family,” he said. “There are a lot of people involved in helping these dreams come true.”

 

Byram Schools Enter the Future

by

The future is looking bright for members of the Byram Hills School District. The District’s Building Technology Coordinators (Rekha Singh, Al Lovelace, Dawn Seines, and Joanna Nash), along with Byram Hills Director of Technology Dr. Andrew Taylor, are rolling out a series of educational developments in the coming years, hoping to boost their science and technology footprint. These advancements include a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) education initiative that employs coding, robotics, and 3D modeling to encourage interactive, hands-on learning, as well as a classroom re-purposing to allow for technological advancements to be utilized throughout the school day.

schooldistrict_4

The robotics element is one of the most innovative in recent years. “Our goal at Byram Hills is to develop the leaders of tomorrow,” Dr. Taylor explains, “and to do that we need to develop students that can think creatively, work collaboratively, and communicate effectively.” Hence, their plan. The middle school classrooms, which will use this approach, the BOT Spot (Best of Tech Spot), the most, will incorporate an interactive projector, which casts images onto the floor, set up as challenges for the robot to complete. The task is then to program the robot to complete the challenge set forth for the student. For example, if the floor projects a set of apple trees, “one challenge could be for the robot to water the apple trees,” Taylor explains. “[The students] will program the robot to go up and down the rows on the board, and water each one.” Other challenges include creating a robot that will turn lights on and off, or one that will pick something up and carry it to a student. “It’s all about problem solving,” Taylor comments, “[and] coming up with a scenario and designing and programming a robot to help solve the problem.” Taylor points out that both elements of coding and robotics are part of a major update to the Middle School Technology Curriculum.

Robot. Photos by Matt Smith
Robot. Photos by Matt Smith

Fueled by a transition to using cloud-based, wireless Google ChromeBook computers for teaching purposes in 2014 –“we didn’t really need these computer labs anymore, and we wanted to think of new ways of using them,” notes Taylor–the room’s repurposing equips each classroom with a state-of-the-art projector called Span by Nureva, which casts images onto a large whiteboard, up to 40 feet in length, for students to embellish and interact with. The technology is such that large groups of students can add to the board simply by walking up to it and drawing on it with their finger. With the drag of one’s pinky, the board can shift and expand, allowing for multiple users to work on one problem, or in one area, simultaneously. Additionally, given that the content is online, it can also be viewed or edited on any projector or device in the classroom.

Through the genius of technology, too, those students still seated while others are up working at the board will also be able to contribute to the lesson through a software connection in their ChromeBooks–which Taylor can only see as an invaluable advantage. “If I have a typical interactive whiteboard in a classroom, I can have a couple students up there, but the rest of the class is kind of passive. With this new [advancement], I can have 30 students up at the board and have students contributing [to the lesson] from their seats. It’s great.”

He adds that these new developments may also encourage new teaching styles, noting that teachers are devising creative ways to utilize the boards while giving their lessons.

With this technology, “we’re looking to create more interactive lessons and games that engage and involve students,” comments Taylor, on the subject. “With such large boards, we can empower students to be active learners in the classroom. [It’s about] making learning fun.”

While this initiative brings about exciting changes that are no doubt cause for celebration, Taylor’s fully aware that it’s not all without its fair share of challenges: “We’re shifting the education [model] and changing the structural strategies,” he says of the initiatives. “Moving to a new model of learning is difficult, and takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight.” Taylor also acknowledges “not all of this type of technology is made for schools–some are made for homes–so there’s [also] some adjustment we have make in that regard as well.”

Dr. Andrew Taylor demonstrates the new technology.
Dr. Andrew Taylor demonstrates the new technology.

But all in all, he’s ready to enact the new system. “We’re doing things that haven’t been done in schools ever before,” he says, with a smile, extending his thanks to the Byram Hills Education Foundation for all their financial support: “We couldn’t have done it without them.” Additionally, on the subject of next steps, Taylor mentions “Phase 2,” which involves bringing this new technology into the three on-campus libraries, as well as building an additional classroom, deemed Hub21, to allow these connections to be accessed from a central location. “We are combining research-based learning strategies with modern technology…some of it will work, and some of it may not,” Taylor says, summarizing his objectives. “But we’re thoughtful in our planning and excited about where we’re headed…and where the future will take us.”

The Byram Hills Central School District is located at 10 MacDonald Avenue in Armonk. For more information, visit www.bryamhills.org

Matt Smith is a writer and regular contributor to The Inside Press. For further information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

Dr. William Donohue, Superintendent, Byram Hills Central School District

by

Pinksy D'Angelo Studio Photo
Pinksy D’Angelo Studio Photo

By Eileen Gallagher

Admired, respected and well-liked by all, Dr. William Donohue is a name familiar to most, if not all, families in the Byram Hills School District. With the start of the new school year quickly approaching, Inside Armonk caught up with this Big Man on Campus to bring him up close and personal.

What you might be surprised to learn about Dr. Donohue…

He has travelled to 36 countries at last count. Taking advantage of some time off during summer and winter breaks, Donohue visits locations across the globe including exotic destinations such as Cambodia, India, or the Mediterranean. Much of the excitement of his travels comes from sketching out his plans ahead of time. Donohue loves to visit places “with historical or cultural interest.” He is fascinated with everything historic and romantic about ancient culture, and has a collection both at home and in his office of antiquities from Asia and Africa. “I like to understand and learn, where has this been? Who made this?”

What does he love about his job?

Donohue admires institutions.

Describing one of his passions, Donohue phrased it as “trying to build a quality institution that offers something lasting and valuable for the community.”

“Institutions offer so much,” he continued. “You meet a variety of people, and have the chance to learn about those beyond the family.”

Donohue feels that our academic institutions make us civilized. “There is a sense of tradition, of belonging to a community.”

Donohue also enjoys “getting to influence the influencers.” He continued, “I reach many more kids than if I was in the classroom.” He does, however, miss the dynamic conversations with kids that would take place throughout the day in his capacity as a teacher.

How did he become involved in the field of education?

Originally from the D.C. area, he felt as though he “coasted” through his high school years–school was just not something that he put a lot of energy into. It wasn’t until his undergraduate years at the University of Maryland that his interest in studies was awakened. Inspired by his coursework and some of his professors, Donohue pursued a degree in English. He didn’t stop there, however. Continuing his education, he earned a master’s degree in counseling from The George Washington University, and then a master’s in administration from Harvard. Ultimately, he attended Columbia University in New York and received a doctorate in administration.

Donohue, who lives on the Upper West Side, had been an English teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, and the director of guidance before serving as the Byram Hills High School principal for 11 years beginning in 1997. “It was a great time–the district was growing, there was a need for programming, and change…”

What would he like parents to know?

Donohue advises parents to make a connection with their child’s principal. The principal is the most important person to contact if there is an issue for a child. Having established a relationship with the principal beforehand, parents will feel more comfortable meeting again should challenging circumstances arise.

What is so special about the Byram Hills School District?

“The community and schools are so closely tied. Everyone from the superintendent to the teachers feels accountable to the community.” Donohue spoke of how everyone has worked to build a coherent system from top to bottom, as a team.

Armonk also has a very active “succession planning initiative.” According to Donohue, about half of the administrators in the district have come from within. As such, some administrators have given up tenure up to three times as they moved into higher positions, including the superintendent.

There is a culture of high expectations in Armonk. As such, the Board of Education has set in place a Five Year Renewable Tenure plan, ensuring that teachers maintain the high standards that are so valued in the district.

What does education look like going forward?

Technology is about to bloom in education, similarly to industry in the 80’s. There is a shift from teachers as information providers to helping students manage information and solve problems with it. Physical classrooms are becoming more dynamic, with students having access to information at any time and from other sources.

What would Donohue change about education if he could?

The current reform obsession. “It is a one size fits all method, with sizes often being determined by someone who hasn’t been inside a classroom since their own school days. This is careless, dangerous, and arrogant.”

Growth and change are part and parcel of a highly sought-after school district such as Byram Hills. With Donohue at the helm, the Byram Hills School District is in excellent hands.

Eileen Gallagher is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Inside Chappaqua and now Inside Armonk. The mother of a college junior and high school senior, and former teacher and PTA chairperson, she has a great deal of respect and admiration for those in the field of education.