Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund

Now, Can You Spell … Perspicacious?

December 2, 2018 by Sabra Staudenmaier

The 9th Annual Spelling Bee Raises over $22,000 to Benefit the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund

Senior Scholarship SHARE Members (L-R): Niamh O’Connor, Jordan Ratner and Olivia Ruggiero PHOTO BY SABRA STAUDENMAIER

The eve of Election Day in Chappaqua was quiet, dark and rainy. Students were still acclimating to losing light early in the night, since time had fallen behind by an hour the day before. Schools would be closed the following day for voting that had been anticipated for two long years. The streets were calm, yet the Horace Greeley High School gymnasium was alive with eagerness and anticipation.

Students, faculty, parents and community members were gathered together in a united purpose. It wasn’t for a basketball game or a wrestling match. The words that best suit this event were not Lay-Up or Pinfall. They were words like “crustacean”, “tinnitus”, “chrysanthemum”, “pharaoh” and “perspicacious”.

The mascot of the night was not a Quaker; it was a Bumble Bee. The event taking place was the 9th Annual Spelling Bee. The excitement in the gym was palpable.

The “Bee” is an upbeat and lively event enjoyed by participants and spectators alike. It is organized and run by Horace Greeley High School’s SHARE (Students Have a Responsibility Everywhere) student community service volunteer group. The proceeds raised benefit the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF), which is an organization that helps Greeley graduates fund their post-secondary education. Competing teams were comprised of families, students, members of the community and faculty. There are no restrictions on who can participate, all are welcome.

There were two energized and playful four-feet-tall bumble bees buzzing around, generating enthusiasm. There were balloons, refreshments and prizes. A row of tables crossed the middle of the gymnasium floor displaying white boards, markers and bumble bee-shaped erasers for each team. Two feet in front of these tables were chairs facing the contestants; they were seats for the judges. Behind the contestants was a single microphone for the word pronouncer and a projection screen for the words to be displayed. Along the back wall was an animated crowd cheering in the stands.

The Horace Greeley Spelling Bee showcased students working together to create a fun and inclusive event with the goal of helping their fellow students pay for college.

The Hip Bees (L-R): Beth Reilly, Annalise Curtin & Lisa Bisceglia
PHOTOS BY SABRA STAUDENMAIER

The over 60 teams were distinguished and recognizable in their cleverly themed costumes such as The Bee Gees, The Hip Bees, The Vocabulary Vampires and many more. The building excitement suddenly gave way to silence as a pause for the national anthem marked the official start of the competition. Finally, the 9th annual HGSF Spelling Bee was underway.

The event was divided into rounds. Representatives from the School Faculty competed first, followed by competitors from the Middle School level, the High School level and then the Community. Lastly, there was a championship round between the winners from all competing levels to determine who would earn the ultimate prize of the trophy and winning title.

Hmm (L-R): Helen Harrison, Maria Sanderleaf & Michelle Ramahlo

Words were called out by the pronouncer, then written on white boards by the contestants. Judges held up green or red cards to indicate if the word was spelled correctly or not. At the end of each round the judges would display a number to show how many words each team spelled right. Ties moved onto a sudden death elimination. Prizes, such as bee themed water bottles and stuffed animals, were given to the winners of each section and awarded to teams with the best costumes.

As the closing round drew to completion, the tension in the gym heightened. The pronouncer’s voice called over the microphone with a final “Boards Up!” The two remaining contestants raised their white boards, but only one showed the word “CATARRH” spelled correctly. The 9th Annual Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund Spelling Bee was over. Team Hmm, a trio of Chappaqua teachers and previous winners Helen Harrison, Michelle Ramahlo and Maria Sanderleaf, was awarded the coveted trophy and the title of Queen Bees.

The Spelling Bee requires skill to win; “effervescent”, “bourgeoisie” and “cayenne” are not easy words. But this event is about so much more than determining who is the best speller. The competition was ultimately created in support of a cause close to our town’s heart: education. Seth Berk, a second-year competitor who doesn’t consider himself a particularly skilled speller, remarked that he was “very happy to humble himself in support of the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund; a great cause.” In total, over $22,000 was raised, making it the most successful Bee to date.

Ironically, the HGSF Annual Spelling Bee can be summarized with a word that is not difficult to spell: “Community”.

Congratulations to the participants and the winners and especially to the SHARE students who did an un“bee”lievable job organizing this very special event.

Record Funds Raised as HGSF Honors Key School Leaders

April 19, 2018 by Grace Bennett

The Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF) raised a record $186,000 during a March gala at the Mount Kisco Country Club.

PHOTOS BY HANNAH ROSENBERG

HGSF Gala co-chairs Rachel Rader and Cathy Hildenbrand attributed the sum to generous sponsors, donors and to the lively auction. “This year has also brought an increased number of applicants,” they added, “so we still have work to do to meet our needs.”

Brian O’Connor, a 5th grade teacher for the last 12 years at Seven Bridges, received the Ed Habermann Award. The HGSF lauded his interweaving of ‘CNN Heroes’ into his curriculum. His students have studied, connected with (sending out over 4,000 letters to dozens of heroes on five continents), and learned from these inspiring role models during dozens of Skype conversations and several Hero visits to Seven Bridges. Brian’s program was recognized and featured on the 10th Annual CNN Heroes Tribute live television broadcast in December 2016.

O’Connor’s dad, Jim, introduced his son, as “always a great leader, who led by example.” O’Connor, for his part, quipped, “I try not to screw them up in the ten months that I have them.” He described his goal of always working toward helping kids find their passion, “and see how they can use it to help other people.” O’Connor also enjoys time with his wife, Tara, and their three children–Alix, Jenna, and James. He loves coaching youth soccer, basketball, and baseball in their hometown of Montgomery, New York.

Ellen Miller, a passionate advocate of childhood nutrition, received the HGSF “Award of Distinction.” At Grafflin, Ellen chaired the Grapevine newsletter, Griffin magazine and the Health & Safety Committee. As part of a joint elementary school committee, she was a key architect of Grafflin’s “Eat a Rainbow” program which helped students select balanced lunches.

She chaired Nutrition Committees at Grafflin, Bell, and Greeley. In 2006, Ellen joined the Superintendent’s Wellness Advisory Committee, helping to create the district’s wellness policy and food guidelines. She spearheaded the initiative to have recess before lunch, helped refine food service offerings and pricing, enhanced the district’s “farm to table” focus and established healthier food and beverage choices. Ellenalso joined the Chappaqua School Foundation board in 2006. She worked on the Grants Committee for the majority of her nine-year tenure.

Ellen Miller’s two sons Harris and Trevor poked fun at their mom’s limits on both junk food and her allowance of twice a week red meat dinners. They said they admired her for ‘burning the candle on both ends” as she worked toward a Master’s degree in Food Studies at NYU.

(L-R): Ilene Weinberg, Samantha Potack, Amanda Goodstadt, Tamara Brolin, Robyn Lavender

Wendi Silverman (left), Ellen Miller, Laura Medway

Miller said she encourages kids to “dream big… and change the world.” She said she supports HGSF goals “because it’s heartbreaking when a child’s dream can’t be realized. “ “A child’s dream can be broken in the blink of an eye… Thanks for helping me make their dreams a reality.” — Grace Bennett

HGSF Honorees John Re: “Be Involved” Pat Pollack: “Speak to Children as if…”

April 23, 2017 by The Inside Press

By Grace Bennett

At a late March annual fundraiser for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund (HGSF): In a packed Mount Kisco Country Club ballroom, an outpouring of affection and appreciation was extended toward honorees John Re, recipient of the Horace Greeley Ed Habermann Award, and to Pat Pollack, recipient of the Horace Greeley Award of Distinction.

Notably, each honoree spoke of values HGSF extolls: that of the importance of community involvement and how to let our kids know we believe in them and in their dreams and aspirations of who they can become.

In her remarks, Pat Pollack quoted Brooke Hampton: “Speak to children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical beings on earth for what they believe is what they become,” recited Pollack, a long time nurse in the Chappaqua school district, and founder of New Castle Cares. A video montage, featuring fond reminisces from grateful students, family, neighbors & colleagues, preceded Pollack’s remarks.

For John Re, a long time and award-winning AYSO soccer coach, and founder of the town’s beloved Dawn’s Ray of Hope, Inc., living in a community is all about getting involved. “For me, I thought it obligates you–to be involved,” he stated. “You don’t get to complain about the way things are or the way things are being run unless you are willing to do the work, to put yourself out there, to put in the effort, in order to make a difference.”

According to Alan Nadel, President of the HGSF, the Fund started informally in 1946 when the senior class raised $300 to help students pay for college. Annual fundraisers followed. Over the past 10 years, the HGSF has awarded grants totaling $1,786,000 to 287 Greeley Alums.

“The board works hard each year raising money which, after expenses, is all awarded in grants,” he said. Last year the HGSF awarded $223,000 to 29 Greeley alumni.

The demonstrated need for these 29 grant recipients was over $450,000. “We weren’t even able to cover half. Every year the HGSF works hard to bridge this gap,” said Nadel. “There is clearly need here in Chappaqua, despite the fact that it is an ‘affluent community.’ Need arises for many unexpected reasons including family illness, divorce and death. College is expensive!”

To learn more and/or contribute, visit www.hgsf.org.

HGSF Honoree Pat Pollack
PHOTO BY ANDREW HILLEBRAND

HGSF President Alan Nadel with Honoree John Re
PHOTO BY ANDREW HILLEBRAND

(L-R): Matt Re (John Re’s son), David Perlmutter, past HGSF president, and John Re
PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

(L-R): Catherine Frieder, Mindy Unger, Jennifer Leventhal and Lori Townsend
PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund’s March 10 Spring Gala to Honor John Re and Pat Pollack

February 16, 2017 by Inside Press

The Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund invites the community to its 8^th annual Spring Gala. This event will honor John Re with the Ed Habermann Award for volunteer service to the community and Pat Pollock with the Horace Greeley Award of Distinction for student support that goes above and beyond the role of a school nurse.

Great food and drinks will be served, and we’ll have an amazing jewelry raffle and select live auction prizes, as we celebrate our honorees.

Event Details:

DATE: Friday, March 10, 2017

TIME: 7 p.m.

PLACE: Mt. Kisco Country Club, 10 Taylor Road, Mt. Kisco

TICKETS: Available online at: www.hgsf.org.

RSVP: By February 27, 2017

John Re, Ed Habermann Award

John Re began coaching soccer for AYSO in 1997, and continued coaching for 14 years as his children (Samantha, Matthew and Jason) progressed through the AYSO and CYSC programs, often coaching more than one team, and winning three WYSL Division 1 championships. John has served as AYSO board member, division coordinator and Regional Commissioner. In 2007, John was given AYSO’s Grishman Award, for his long dedication to youth soccer in Chappaqua.

In January 2008, John was appointed to New Castle’s Recreation and Parks Commission, and then re-appointed for an additional term. In June 2015, he was honored by the Westchester Recreation and Parks Society, receiving their E. Mario Cribari Voluntary Service Award recognizing his years of service in New Castle.

In honor of his wife Dawn, who lost her brave battle with cancer in 2011, John (along with family and friends) founded Dawn’s Ray of Hope, a charitable organization supporting cancer patients. Their signature event, the annual all-night softball tournament called Dusk to Dawn, has already raised nearly $50,000. Look for them out on the Rec Field, or form a team and join them, on September 8-9, 2017.

Pat Pollock, Horace Greeley Award of Distinction

Having left nursing to be a stay-at-home mother when she moved to Chappaqua in 1988, Pat joined the PTA, where she combined volunteerism with her nursing background. She was a member of the DAPC (Drug Abuse Prevention Council) and the Health Advisory Council, and she chaired Health and Safety, a committee that, among other activities, sponsored elementary school health fairs and the Great American Smoke Out.

In 1997, Pat co-founded New Castle Cares, a group of community-based organizations that spearhead programs and activities that enhance the social and emotional health of children and families. She particularly enjoyed contributing to the successful publication and distribution of Parent-to-Parent Handbook, What Parents Need to Know About Alcohol and Other Drugs.

In 2003, Tom Cardellichio, a former Bell Principal and Director of Human Resources for CCSD, asked Pat to be a substitute nurse at Bell. There, she found her passion working with middle school students, and in 2004, she became Bell’s full time nurse. Pat spends countless hours supporting students as they navigate the volatile waters of adolescence. She is the go-to person for students and faculty at Bell, providing a safe place and sympathetic ear in times of need.

About the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund:

Established in 1946 by Horace Greeley High School students, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund exists to make up “the difference” between the actual costs of college and all other financial resources available to students and their families. Over the last seventy-one years, hundreds of Greeley students have been awarded need-based grants from the Fund.

Last year alone, we were able to award $223,000 in grants to 29 applicants, but we still had applicants with unmet need. Each year, we strive to meet more of the demonstrated need with your help. The Board hopes that in the future, no qualified Greeley graduate who needs financial assistance for college will be turned away.

An Extraordinary Venue For Art

October 10, 2012 by Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

John Koch, American 1909-1978 — From the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection

A hidden treasure will be revealed this Sunday at a benefit for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund. An exquisite art collection – located right in the neighborhood – will be open to the community for two viewings at 3 and 4:30.

The works on display are from the private collection of the Louis-Dreyfus family. The doyen of these gems, William Louis-Dreyfus, traces his interest in art to his sojourn in France as a young adolescent. “I used to skip school to go to the museums and the Louvre,” he confessed. Today, he pursues his passion at galleries and in artists’ studios.

There are many works by masters including Matisse, Kandinsky and Miro, but these are not the names cited by Louis-Dreyfus when asked to describe the pieces which speak to him. The work he is “most emotionally tied to” is “The Departure of Fruit and Vegetables from the Heart of Paris” by Raymond Mason. This sculpture depicts vendors, laden with their wares, in a truly vivid palette.

Louis-Dreyfus does not focus solely on maintaining and growing his collection. He is also committed to using it purposefully; mainly for the benefit of underprivileged youth served by the Harlem Children’s Zone. When several of his friends prevailed upon him to open his gallery for a benefit for the HGSF, he was happy to accommodate.

HGSF president David Perlmutter has seen the works and is thrilled that members of the community will have the opportunity to visit this gallery. “The breadth of the collection is spectacular,” he noted. He found the work of Bill Traylor, an outsider artist, particularly captivating.

A slideshow and tickets are available at hgsf.org/art.