| It’s likely safe to say that high school students who spend the better part of their week in classrooms and navigating the hallways give little thought to their surroundings and the history of the building. This weekend, however, eight Bronxville High School students took on the special role of conducting tours of the school for dozens of alumni from the classes of ‘70 to ‘02, who were celebrating their respective reunions throughout the weekend. In addition to alumni, Remy Bhatia, Rachel Conniff, Drew Doyle, Ted Heraty, Aarna Pal-Yadav, Remi Mellinghoff, Natalia Metzger, and Tony Tao-Guerrero led several groups of parents and grandparents of alumni and current students, former faculty, and community members through the original and newest parts of the building. The event was organized by the Bronxville School Foundation as part of the Centennial celebration on Saturday September 24th. As the student tour guides walked through the halls, they spoke about The Bronxville Promise as a way to explain to their participants how the Promise informed some of the significant changes to the building, such as the flexible learning spaces, the Innovation Center, and Bronco TV’s studio. Classmates from ‘79 and ‘80, Mary Taylor Behrens and Helen Knapp remarked on the newly designed spaces in the school, “A lot has changed, the school has clearly evolved through innovation.” Of particular interest to many on the tour were the two fifth grade classrooms on the fourth floor, which used to be called Gwinn Hall, home to seventh and eighth grade classrooms and a performance space, as well as the former girl’s gym which is now the orchestra room. The Library, Meadow Atrium and Cafeteria also made significant impressions on the attendees. As they led their groups up and down the stairs of the connected buildings, the students spoke of community-based projects such as the Bronx River Research program and the composting program in partnership with The Greenburgh Nature Center as examples of learning opportunities in the school. Both initiatives started with Foundation grants. For student guide Remi Mellinghoff, the tour was made extra special because her former Kindergarten teacher Mary Ellen Mullen was in her group. “ I was so excited to see her. I have such fond memories of my kindergarten year and having her as my teacher. Ms. Mullen now has two grandchildren in the school,” said Remi. Natalia Metzger, also a student guide, enjoyed hearing the alumni’s stories about some of their high school classes, “I found it hard to imagine that they had a typing class because we use computers in every single one of our classes today. Typing is just second nature.” Remi added, “And [they had] a card catalog system in the library.” Many of the innovation initiatives and advancements that were highlighted during the tour were made possible by the Bronxville School Foundation’s grants program that is funded by donations from alumni and the school and village community. This includes new flexible furniture and technology in classrooms, Bronco TV studio equipment, the Design & Innovation Center, to name a few. This year, the Foundation and the PTA partnered to fund an outdoor classroom project as a Centennial gift to the school, with construction planned for the summer of 2023. Evan Haynes (class of ‘70) lives in Maine and was here to celebrate his reunion over the weekend, “This is my third time back to visit the school. There have been so many changes. The resources available to these students are remarkable. The Bronxville School is always changing and evolving, yet the community remains as supportive as ever.” Relatedly, Remi shared her reflection on the day, “It makes me wonder what The Bronxville School will look like when we come back years from now.” |
FOUNDATION SPONSORS STUDENT-LED CENTENNIAL TOURS
October 14, 2022
FOUNDATION SPONSORS STUDENT-LED CENTENNIAL TOURS