Friday, November 20, 2009

Board Reviews High School Programs

Continuing a series of school reviews, Bronxville High School Principal Terry Barton gave the Board of Education and the public a comprehensive overview of school programs and services. He described the core subject areas, new electives, technology progress, and many features of the school climate and extracurricular/leadership opportunities. Barton stated, "Within a successful high school we all know that an important key to success is our faculty. Not only do we have teachers who have a tremendous command of their content area, but also we have teachers who care about students: Teachers make the difference. Relationships made during the high school years often prove to be long lasting and enduring."

Questions from the Board of Education focused on technology instruction and educational software, the role of colleges in improving our curriculum, extra-help opportunities, on-line courses, the daily schedule, and world languages.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Construction Update

At a special meeting earlier this month, the Bronxville Board of Education voted to terminate its general construction agreement with Xavier Construction, one of the District’s four contractors involved in the boiler room project. This action was taken as a result of the contractor’s failure to perform its work on the project in accordance with the terms and conditions of its contract with the District. In addition, the Board was concerned about significant and persistent safety issues at the work site.

Since taking this action, the District has taken steps to secure the construction site, eliminate all safety issues identified by our construction manager and architect, and ensure that the site is protected from the weather.

All the school’s utilities and heating infrastructure are in place and operational, and the District believes that this suspension of activity will not affect the normal operation of the school through the rest of the year.

The District and its representatives are currently engaged in discussions with the contractor’s bonding company concerning completion of this project in a timely manner. We will keep the community apprised of these discussions as we work toward a satisfactory resolution.

Projections Show Overall Stability, Changes by School


The annual enrollment projects, prepared by FACTSNY, show overall stability in Bronxville's K-12 enrollment. The 2009 total of 1538 is expected to decline slightly to 1503, a change of about half of one percent. As relatively large cohorts of students move into the Middle School, however, we see changes at each school. The Elementary School is likely to lose 67 students over the next four years (though kindergarten estimates are notoriously unpredictable). In contrast, the Middle School population is expected to rise from 363 to 412 -- 49 students. During this same period, the projections estimate a loss of 17 students. These fluctuations have implications for staffing levels and budget allocations that will be considered as the 2010-11 spending plan is discussed by the Board.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

One Person Can Make a Difference

The Bronxville School hosted a successful, well-attended Family-School Partnership Workshop on November 9, 2009. Using Greg Mortenson's book, Three Cups of Tea, as a springboard, the event included students from all three schools. Brooke Gogel, SFL President, introduced the participants. Dr. Viji George, President of Concordia College, moderated the program and framed the presentations with remarks about global interdependence. About 175 people attended, including students, teachers, and a few parents and community members. After greetings from the International Club, eighth graders' comments about the book, and a description of the High School's Global Seminar, the audience heard presentations involving service projects and visits to Ecuador, Iran, Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Congratulations to all who participated and helped plan the event, especially Denise Lutter, Teacher Center Director. Barbara Dhyne and Marcie Frishman organized the International Club, the Fifth Grade Team supported Millie Guzman and the Ecuador project, and Mary Schenck worked with the eighth graders. Jim Agnello and Beth Agarabi have been active in the Nicaragua Bridges to Community project.

The complete agenda, including a list of participants, can be found here. A power point sample of the evening is below.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Subscribe to Bronxville's Electronic Newsletter

Each year the Bronxville School publishes an Annual Report and a budget summary, mailed to all Bronxville residents in November and April, respectively. A district calendar, produced each August and mailed to all district parents, is also available to other residents upon individual request.

In addition, the District publishes an electronic newsletter, Across the Bronxville Schools, that is e-mailed to all parents about once a month, usually following the Board of Education regular meeting. Parents receive this newsletter automatically and do not need to sign up. Interested members of the public -- including students, alumni, and current and former residents -- are welcome to subscribe to this newsletter by clicking on the link below.

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