By Julie Meade

The 15^th annual Katie Welling Memorial Run/Walk honoring the life of Katie Welling, a 2002 BHS graduate who died in an off-campus fire at Miami University in Ohio at the age of 21, will be held virtually again this year for maximum safety and flexibility due to continuing COVID concerns.  This beloved Bronxville tradition benefits the Bronxville School Foundation.

Participants can complete a 2.5-mile run, walk or bike any time from November 15 through 30.  Walking or running on a treadmill or riding on a stationary bike counts too and is a great way to participate virtually in this wonderful community event!

“Last year, it was incredible to see the many creative ways that people chose to participate in Katie’s Run over the two-week virtual event,” said Rob Crystal, the Bronxville School Foundation’s Chairperson.  “Many people participated from places far beyond Bronxville’s one square mile, while others honored the wonderful tradition of Katie’s Run by finishing the event at the Bronxville School track.  Even though we could not all be together, participants uploaded great photos to a community album that allowed us to share in the virtual event together and feel the special sense of community that Katie’s Run creates.”  The virtual event raised more than $20,000 from over 200 participants and donors.

Participants are invited again this year to upload photos of themselves, families and friends to a community photo album on the event’s registration website at www.bronxvilleschoolfoundation.org.   You can also view some of last year’s great pictures for inspiration!

Katie’s Run/Walk was created by friends and family to commemorate her great sense of humor, infectious laugh and love of life.  With the support of her friends, village residents, Bronxville School faculty, staff and alumni and village merchants, Katie’s Run has raised nearly $240,000 since its inception in 2007.  These funds go to maintaining the excellence of the Bronxville School by enabling the Bronxville School Foundation to make grants for equipment, curriculum and specialized programs that the Bronxville School would not have otherwise been able to afford.  This past year, the Foundation’s support was more critical than ever in enabling our school to reopen safely during this unprecedented time.

“We are honored that the Wellings chose the Foundation as their partner fifteen years ago and look forward to a great event this year,” said Rob Crystal.  “We were thrilled to call Tom Welling our colleague during his years of dedicated service to the Foundation.”

To register for the 15^th Annual Katie Welling Run/Walk, please go to:  https://www.bronxvilleschoolfoundation.org and click on the banner in the upper right-hand corner.

There is no registration fee again this year, but a tax-deductible contribution would be appreciated and would be of great benefit to the Bronxville School Foundation.

For more information on Katie’s Run/Walk or the Bronxville School Foundation, please contact Executive Director, Helena McSherry at (914) 395-0515 or hmchserry@bronxvilleschool.org.

With a book in hand, fourth graders in Derrick DiRienzo’s class moved freely around their classroom to choose which type of seating worked best for their needs. Some preferred reading their book on floor cushions, while others opted for reclined seating or their new desks and chairs.

“In my classroom, the students can choose where they want to sit during independent math, reading and writing time,” DiRienzo said. “This level of choice has promoted both collaboration and productivity but also their independence and responsibility. Choosing the right place to sit is a skill that we are working on because it requires a certain level of maturity.”

Thanks to a generous grant from the Bronxville School Foundation, DiRienzo’s classroom is one of several elementary school classrooms that are equipped with flexible seating options to keep students engaged and to optimize learning. The classrooms are equipped with new desks and chairs that can be easily moved around to encourage collaboration among peers. In addition, they feature various types of floor seating options that allow students to sit in areas of the classroom that are most conducive to their personal productivity.

“The transformational professional development and consulting our faculty has been receiving from Innovation Design for Education has contributed to our understanding of executive functioning,” DiRienzo said. “The newly acquired furniture is aligned to the structures of IDE including but not limited to activity lists, benchmark lessons, the learner-active and technology-infused classroom and authentic learning units. The furniture is creating unique opportunities for us to apply this new understanding of how our students learn successfully.”

While flexible seating refers to the types of furniture, it also refers to the freedom it provides students with. DiRienzo said that, ultimately, he would like to move away from assigned seating and reach a level of full classroom flexibility.

“The fourth-grade team is very appreciative of the Foundation’s assistance in helping us to reach this goal,” he said. “They share our modern approach to classroom flexibility, and we look forward to partnering with them on future projects.”

A colorful, bright and vibrant playground surface – designed to foster creativity and inspire free play – has become a reality at Bronxville Elementary School, thanks to the innovative thinking of district leaders and a generous grant from the Bronxville School Foundation.

The thermoplastic playground surface, which was installed by EduMarking on the blacktop part of the playground, is nonslip, durable and entirely chemical-free to create a safe play area for students. In addition to playing traditional games like foursquare and hopscotch, the students have the freedom to use their imagination, create games and invent their own rules.

“The thermoplastic playground surface has entirely revitalized our old blacktop by turning it into a unique experience ideal for elementary and physical education students,” said physical education teacher Anthony Vaglica, who co-wrote the grant with Assistant Principal Rakiya Adams. 

One of the educational designs features a snail with the letters A through Z to encourage students to spell out words, create obstacles courses and complete tightrope activities while going through the alphabet. Another interactive design is a dragon with the numbers from one through 25, which has inspired students to create their own obstacle courses. Other engaging activities include a maze, a “mirror me” game and a standing long jump station, as well as designs that allow students to set up their own races.

“Our playground has seen more and more students gravitating to the blacktop to challenge their imaginations,” Vaglica said. “Students have been playing traditional games, but the main attraction is the surface and the freedom it allows for.”

Vaglica said the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic sparked ideas for educators to find creative ways to maximize the school’s outdoor space for recess and physical education classes. He credited Adams for her leadership in initiating the grant due to her care and commitment to providing the best experience for all students.

“Each class needed an outdoor area during recess and the new playground surface has done so,” Vaglica said. “Rakiya and I could not be more appreciative and thankful for the support of the Bronxville School Foundation.”