The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Chappaqua School Foundation

The Harlem Wizards are Coming to Town!

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Chappaqua’s favorite day of hoops and alley oops is back on Sunday, January 26that 1:30 pm. Come watch the beloved teachers of the Chappaqua Challengers as they take on the Harlem Wizards! This annual highly anticipated event, hosted by the Chappaqua School Foundation, is the definition of local family fun. Not only an opportunity to support your schools, it’s guaranteed laughs as the tables are turned and the kids cheer on their teachers.

Make this event even more memorable by purchasing the coveted Benchwarmer or Courtside Plus VIP seats! Both include premier seating, a meet & greet with the Wizards, a souvenir lanyard, team poster and discount on team jerseys.  The newly introduced Benchwarmer seats, however, is the only way to watch the action straight from the Wizards bench and includes a half-court photo opp.

Don’t miss out on the fun and purchase tickets today.

Courtesy of the Chappaqua School Foundation

Three Key Organizations Supporting Education in the Chappaqua School District

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Chappaqua School Foundation

The mission of the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF) is to enhance the education of Chappaqua’s students by fostering innovation and funding meaningful initiatives beyond the scope of the school budget. CSF connects Chappaqua Central School District educators’ creativity, imagination and dedication with community support, engagement and investment. The result: CSF empowers educators to improve the quality of education by making innovation possible throughout the district. Since 1993, CSF has invested nearly 4 million dollars through the funding of over 340 educational grants positively impacting every school, every grade and every student in the District. chappaquaschoolfoundation.org.

Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund

Photo by Grace Bennett

Sending a child to college can be a significant financial challenge. Since its founding in 1946, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF) exists to make up “the difference” between the actual costs of college and all other financial resources available to students and their families (i.e. loans, scholarships, work-study, student and parent savings) by giving grants to Greeley students and alumni to cover these financial deficits. HGSF is a nonprofit organization whose Board of Directors is composed of community members. It is funded by caring neighbors and members of the New Castle community who want to ensure that every student can realize their dream of a college education. hgsf.org

Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program

Photo by Ari Bennett

The Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program (CSSP) was founded in 1968 when two longtime Chappaqua friends despaired over the educational crisis in New York City. Now entering its 51st year, CSSP offers a bridge between the Chappaqua community and students from under-resourced high schools in the Bronx. It is an academic enrichment home stay program during the month of July when 24 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors stay with two different host families and take courses in STEAM, Shakespeare studies, creative writing and film making. Afternoons are spent taking tennis and swim lessons and engaging in community service and other workshops and activities. Students have attended many wonderful colleges and universities, and have gone on to join the workforce in a multitude of professions.

CSSP recently hosted its first annual college transition day for CSSP students entering college in the fall; an active Alumni Association has  been formalizing a mentoring program between CSSP alumni and students in college. chappaquasummerscholarship.com 

Courtesy of the Chappaqua School Foundation, Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund and the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program.

Chappaqua School Foundation Spring Benefit – Friday, April 26th!

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CSF Spring Benefit and Raffle Tickets Now Available Online
April 26 at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club
 
 
Cocktails, Hors D’Oeuvres & Dinner
Silent Auction & Raffles
Grants Showcase Presented by Teachers & Students
Music by:
Horace Greeley Quaker Notes
Horace Greeley Stage Band
Total Entertainment
 
We hope you will join us for a wonderful community evening celebrating our schools.
 
 
Thank you to those families who have agreed to serve on our Benefit and Outreach Committees, our Spring Madness participants, our silent auction donors and our corporate sponsors.
 
The Chappaqua School Foundation Board

Chappaqua School Foundation
P.O. Box 202
Chappaqua, NY 10514
 
 
 

Spotlight on Community Day 2018: A Yearly Tradition Courtesy of the Rotary Club Filled with Fun for All

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Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

The aroma of roasted hot dogs and cotton candy competed with the sounds of guitar strums and cheering children at the 2018 Community Day. The Rotary Club-sponsored event brought more than 70 organizations to the heart of Chappaqua. Kids sporting butterfly face paint and their parents interested in various local groups lined the train station parking lot. The September 15th  event served not only as a community gathering but also as a chance for organizations to network and fundraise.

“We are here to support the community of Chappaqua,” attendee and Chappaqua resident Dara Dubs said. “It is also great to see old and new friends and our kids love going on the rides.”

While groups including the Chappaqua School Foundation and Chappaqua First Responders return to Community Day each year, Tea Town, and the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors were a few of several organizations who participated in the event for the first time. This year’s Community Day also featured new activities for children, including a pony ride and a scavenger hunt.

But not only did little kids take advantage of what the 2018 event had to offer, Greeley students also attended, performed and volunteered at Community Day. Executives from Greeley’s largest community service organization, S.H.A.R.E, distributed T-shirts for A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure, adding to the bracelets, pins and flying discs that various non-profits and local businesses also circulated.

(L-R): Barbara Klein, George Furman, Donald Roane, Peter Davidson PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG

Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

“Jonathan Taub’s message has been to keep Casey in everyone’s mind, to keep honoring him and to never forget him,” Kassin said. “Being here is a great way to carry that on.”

As community members of all ages enjoyed the activities that local groups sponsored, Rotary Club of Chappaqua president Eileen Gallagher said Community Day also serves as a natural way to bring attention to the Rotary Club itself.   

“We look forward to more and more people coming each year,” Gallagher said. “We really want people to know we are here for them.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN GREENBERG
(L-R): Sarah Platkin, Catherine Zhu, Jordan Rattner, volunteers from S.H.A.R.E.
PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG

Chappaqua School Foundation: Inspiring a Generation through Innovation

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CSF Board Members
PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON, DOUBLEVISION PHOTOGRAPHERS

In a town known for its top-notch school district, excellence in education is the expectation amongst Chappaqua residents. Any variations in school rankings are analyzed, dissected and actively discussed. The Chappaqua Central School District (CCSD) is characterized by its challenging curriculum, a committed faculty and an impressive array of innovative programming at every level.

It’s the common perception that Chappaqua’s high property taxes are responsible for such programming. In fact, over 75% of the school district’s budget is allocated to fixed costs, with little leftover to support programs that do not fit into the category of core academics. Therefore, funding is supplemented privately by organizations such as the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF). CSF fills the void, enhancing the students’ education by fostering innovation and funding meaningful initiatives beyond the scope of the school budget.

Making the Grade

Marjorie Troob, President of CSF, was unfamiliar with the foundation’s significant role in the district until she attended the CSF Spring Benefit eight years ago. “During the president’s speech, my ears perked up,” Troob recalls. “She was discussing a district-wide initiative to raise $75k for SMART boards for incoming 3rd graders, the grade my son was entering. It immediately impressed upon me how enriching this addition would be to the classroom. I thought that by reaching out to my network within the community, together, we could make this happen quickly.” Her efforts were fruitful and Troob, realizing the influence of CSF, joined the board two years later and became a fixture in the organization.

Since its inception in 1993, CSF has raised over $3.8 million, funding over 300 educational grants and innovative projects. The Board of Directors is comprised of approximately 30 parent volunteers. “Our Board members represent each of Chappaqua’s schools and come with diverse backgrounds and skill-sets, providing us with broad insight into the heartbeat of the community. They are highly collaborative, committed and dynamic, not to mention that we have some of the nicest people you will ever meet.”

Fundraising efforts are conducted throughout the year with events including Mom’s Night Out, the Harlem Wizards basketball game, a Beginning of School event for preschoolers and their largest fundraiser, the Annual Spring Benefit. “It truly never gets boring,” Troob adds. CSF also hosts the Janet L. Wells Faculty Innovator of the Year Award and CSF Grant Recipient Ceremony that recognizes faculty who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to delivering educational innovation to their students.

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Granting Wishes

The foundation works alongside CCSD, teachers, parents and students to identify significant strategic initiatives for the schools that are innovative and meaningful. “The school budget is so tight and set six months in advance. CSF funds projects that wouldn’t otherwise be covered,” explains Troob. CSF ensures that teachers can realize their educational aspirations by applying for two types of grants known as Instagrants and traditional grants. Instagrants are smaller grants that are under $2,500 and experience a quicker approval process. These are ideal for teachers who require grants for projects they wish to implement during the school year. Traditional grants are awarded through a more vetted process for programs that tie into the curriculum and take longer to develop.

When discussing just some of the recent grants, Troob enthusiastically lists a wide range of projects including an indoor hydroponic garden, LEGO robots, 3D printers, coding blocks, digital telescopes, kindergarten book-packs and robotics equipment saying, “Many are innovative, while some are more functional, yet all make a meaningful impact on the students who are the recipients. The ideas truly get better every year.”

The Horace Greeley High School iLab is an example of a grant that left a monumental impression on the entire district. CSF was instrumental in developing this space approximately six years ago. Reminiscent of a sleek, startup office, the lab was designed using the latest technology and features furniture that encourages collaboration and project-based learning. This installation ultimately transformed the district’s curriculum.

Troob explains, “This project went beyond simply upgrading furniture. The concept of taking a fresh look at how we can integrate innovations into a learning space was cutting-edge.  Since then, CSF has partnered with the district to create innovative learning spaces and classrooms in all six schools. This is not the case in many neighboring districts.”

Giving Students a Voice

CSF encourages students to weigh in through the Student Advisory Council (SAC), a student-run, CSF Board-supported, advisory group at Horace Greeley High School. Formed in 2015, the council began with only eight members and has evolved into a major branch of the foundation, boasting 65 members. Nona Ullman, Vice President of Innovation, describes just how valuable the students’ contributions are saying, “They play the role of management consultants, interviewing teachers and analyzing data on how our grants are improving education.

This year, they piloted a new concept, ‘Grant Sharktanks,’ where students brainstormed ideas with the goal of increasing student-written grants. As a result, three new student-written grants have been funded including Yogibos, a rainy-day activity cart and an outdoor classroom at Bell.” She adds, “Through the SAC, we are providing students with an authentic learning experience that empowers them to make a major contribution to their school community.”

New Beginnings

As Troob begins wrapping up her term as president, she reflects upon the previous year, saying, “Its been a time of new beginnings as we welcomed new administrators including a new superintendent and identified a magnificent new venue for the Spring Benefit at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club featuring a host of new auction items. As we look to the future, it continues to be an exciting time as we begin collaborating with the district to launch a targeted grant that seeks to provide a digital one-to-one learning environment in our schools.”

Throughout changing budgets, administrators and even weather, it is certain that CSF is committed to harnessing the power of the Chappaqua community to maintain the highest standard of excellence for all of its students