Middle and high school students and staff welcomed Denise Pope, co-founder of Challenge Success and a professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, and Jon Kleiman, Challenge Success East Coast coordinator, as guest speakers on Jan. 22. They shared practical, researched-based strategies to help students navigate a fast-paced and competitive culture. 

In addition, Pope led a homework workshop with faculty members investigating the effectiveness of homework both in terms of its purpose and length. During an evening session with parents, Pope discussed ideas about how parents can raise a well-balanced student and support their children’s development and well-being in a performance-based culture. She also provided practical information to parents, including the idea of PDF – the idea that all young children and teenagers need playtime, downtime and family time every day.  

“The presentation was extremely well received, with many parents requesting that Denise Pope return,” Bronxville High School Principal Ann Meyer said. “We thank the PTA for supporting Denise Pope’s visit to the school. We would also like to thank the Bronxville School Foundation who have supported our continued work with Challenge Success.”

In the spring of 2017, sixth- through 12th-grade students were among more than 100,000 students from high-performing schools across the country to take the online Challenge Success survey. Administered by the Challenge Success program, a nonprofit group associated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, it measured students’ perspectives on homework, extracurricular activities, sleep, physical health, stress, parent expectations, academic engagement, academic integrity and teacher support. The survey findings also helped guide administrators in deciding which policies and practices might be effective or in need of improvement at the middle and high schools. 

The district’s work around Challenge Success has been entirely funded through the generous support of the Bronxville School Foundation.

On February 28, The Bronxville School will welcome Rachel Simmons, a New York Times best-selling author and co-founder of Girls Leadership, a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to developing leadership skills in girls, as a guest speaker. 

She will share strategies to help young girls move beyond the standards of success to live healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives.

Thanks to the generous support of The Bronxville School Foundation, the district has partnered with Girls Leadership to bring speakers to educate parents, students, and faculty on practical strategies for young women to develop the self-advocacy skills necessary for true leadership.

“We are pleased to continue this important conversation in Bronxville,” said Dr. Mara Koetke, director of curriculum and instruction. “Leadership is one of the four dispositions of the Bronxville Promise, and we feel strongly that empowering our girls to embrace the skills of leadership is central to our mission.”

Simmons will address students and faculty members during the school day and parents and community members at 7:00 pm in the school's auditorium.

The event, which is generously sponsored by The Bronxville School Foundation and the PTA b*Well Committee, coincides with Simmons’s new book release, Enough As She Is. The event is free, but community members are encouraged to register by visiting www.rachelsimmons.com/tour.

Our annual report is out. With 38 grants funded, totaling $655,000, we've had a busy year. 

Pictured from left to right:  Brian Bodell, Erin Krestinski, Tom Welling, John Kelty, Priscilla Bender (Not shown: Our new school superintendent, Roy R. Montesano and school board liaison, Jon Atkeson.) 

Oct 02, 2017:  The Bronxville School Foundation kicks off its 27th year with several new board members as well as a new slate of officers for the upcoming year. Over the years, the non-profit organization has given more than $8.9 million in grants to the Bronxville School to enhance the quality of education by funding new curriculum, technology, faculty training, facilities projects and special materials and equipment. 

Following are biographies of the new board members. 

Brian Bodell is CEO (and Co-Founder) of Finivation, a software firm focused on the community financial services market. Prior to Finivation, Brian was President of qbt Systems, a banking technology and middleware firm. Brian also served as SVP of Community Banking Solutions and VP of Channel Development working in the global online, mobile banking and payments space. Brian was also President of MobileMetrics, a venture-backed mobile software firm in Europe and the United States, a Vice President of E-Commerce at Dean & DeLuca and a Director of Electronic Commerce at RR Donnelley & Sons (NASDAQ:  RRD). 

Erin Krestinsky has a BA from Univ. of Notre Dame in Economics and business. She spent fourteen years in institutional high yield bonds and was part of the initial high yield team of Chase Bank (Chemical Securities). Most recently, she was a Managing Director at CIBC. Since retiring in 2002 to raise her family, Erin has volunteered at the Bronxville School in various positions including the Athletic Council. She has also served in the Bronxville community as a board member of the Community Fund, Gramatan Village Gala co-chair, and taught religious education at St. Joseph's Church for eleven years. She has also served on various committees at Siwanoy Country Club.

Tom Welling has a BS degree with a major in mathematics from Manhattan College.

He is married with two grown sons and a daughter who died in 2005 at age 21.

Tom has lived in Bronxville for 36 years and served on the board of many local organizations including the library, Siwanoy Country Club, NY-P Lawrence Hospital, and as Chairman of Lawrence Community Health Services; he continues to serve on the latter 2 boards.

Professionally, he established a broker dealer in 1978, which specialized in retirement plans for employees of not-for-profit organizations and sold it to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in 1993. He continued to run the company until 2002 when he retired.

John Kelty (BHS, Class of 1984) received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He is Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel to Mariner Investment Group, a diversified, global alternative asset management firm. Before joining Mariner, John served as COO and General Counsel to Maystone Partners, LLC, a multi-strategy hedge fund manager, prior to which he was a Partner in the Corporate Department at Winston & Strawn LLP, specializing in corporate, municipal and structured finance transactions. He also served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York’s Bronx County from 1992 through 1997. A lifelong Bronxville resident, John is a longtime officer of the St. Joseph’s Men’s Club. He and his wife, Daria, have four children: one BHS graduate (Class of 2017), two attending Bronxville School and one attending St. Joseph’s School.

Priscilla Johnson Bender (ex officio member, PTA Vice President) holds a BA in Philosophy and earned an MBA from Georgetown University. She worked in management consulting and business development in Boston and the Netherlands before returning to New York with her husband, Andy, to raise their three sons. Priscilla has been deeply committed to the Bronxville community for over 17 years. Currently she is serving on the School Foundation Board in her capacity as President-Elect of the PTA. She also sits on the Advisory Board of the O’Silas Gallery of Concordia College. In the past, she chaired the Bronxville After School Clubs for six years in addition to serving multiple terms on the boards of the Junior League of Bronxville and the Eliza Corwin Frost Child Center. Outside of Bronxville, she also is a board member of the American Friends of Nyenrode University.

“We are so pleased to welcome our new board members. They bring a wealth of talent, experience, and demonstrated commitment to the Bronxville School and community that will be invaluable to the Foundation. All of us on the Board are looking forward to working with them,” said newly elected chairperson Jennifer Thomas. Formerly vice president of development and vice president of grants, Jennifer has been elected Chairman of the Board replacing outgoing Chairman Lisa Barr. Jennifer joined the Foundation Board in 2012. In addition to her work on grants and development, she also served on the public relations & nominating committees. 

Other directors and officers for 2017-18 include VP Development: Priscilla Newman; VP Grants: Romy E. Coquillette; VP Nominating: Timothy McGrath; VP Alumni: Eddie Sulimerski; VP Public Relations: Nancy Yu Kochansky; VP Finance: Matthew Burnell; VP Legal: Robert O'Hare, Jr; Secretary: Matthew Wetty; Executive Director: Peggy Benziger Williams.

Returning Board Members include Lisa Smith Barr, Lori Beecher, Katherine Calvert, Kelly Mulcahy Dolan, Won Giuriceo, Jane Goodell, Holly Green Gordon, Joseph Hutchins, Eileen C. Marshall, Nancy Marshall, Vincent McBride, Charles Preusse, and David Reilly.

Additional ex officio members include our new school superintendent, Roy R. Montesano and school board liaison, Jonathan Atkeson.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Bronxville School Foundation, please contact Peggy Williams, Executive Director at 395-0515, any Board members, or visit www.BronxvilleSchoolFoundation.org.

Article written by Joseph Hutchins, Member of PR Committee, Bronxville School Foundation. 

Photo courtesy of Peggy Williams.