First-year students from the Byram Hills Global Scholars program made a shift from last year’s in-school art installation on Yemen human rights, to a virtual art show on the conflict and abuse in Myanmar.

The tenth-grade students studied the injustices taking place in Myanmar as part of the quarter-long unit on human rights. “One objective of this assignment was to teach students about getting the word out and taking action. Art is one way to do that,” said Kim Gewitz, Social Studies/Global Scholars teacher.

“We have worked on other ways to demonstrate support including podcasts, editorials, and volunteering, but agreed on art as the form for students to express themselves for this project,” said Lisa Squadron, English/Global Scholars teacher.  “We discussed famous paintings, photos, music, videos, short stories, and poems related to human rights so students would think about how to use their own creativity and talents to defend or promote human rights.

As a result, students presented powerful art projects ranging from drawings, graphic design pieces, an original piano composition, and even a project that was baked in an oven.

The culmination of the unit was a virtual art show edited to an impactful music track with the message to support and celebrate human rights in the country of Myanmar.

The award has been presented since 2006 to deserving graduating seniors across New York State in recognition of three primary traits: Courage, Character, and Commitment.  The NYS Triple C Award was established to honor seniors whose high school journey included unique circumstances and achievement.  Whether overcoming personal obstacles, succeeding in academic pursuits, participating in community service, or displaying leadership skills, these students provide us with hope for a brighter future. 

Farran Horowitz defied all odds in the summer of 2018 after suffering a near-fatal accident.  Her recovery and resilience remain an inspiration to the Byram Hills community.  Farran hopes to pursue a career in education or physical therapy after college.  She intends to continue her love of fine arts and will attend Bard College in the fall.

Alex Behar underwent brain surgery during the summer of 2018 to address an underlying illness which was causing great discomfort. Alex handled his illness and recovery with grace and dignity and demonstrated tremendous patience as he worked to return to full capacity as a student and an athlete. He returned to wrestling and continued to stand out on the team as a competitor and a leader to other wrestlers. He will be attending NYU next fall where he will further pursue wrestling.

Jordyn Jacobson, 12th grade, and Arielle Goldman, 10th grade, participated in the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center's High School Living History Program this year.  This was a new opportunity for students to participate in an intergenerational program connecting Holocaust Survivors and teenagers. Each student met with a survivor numerous times throughout the year to document and share their stories.  The High School Living History Project not only impacted the individual students, but also the community as students documented survivors’ stories so they will live on, for generations to come, and never be lost. 

Arielle retold the story of Holocaust Survivor, Judith Altman, and published it on a webpage.  She also created artwork, inspired by Judith. Judith Altman: Her Story

After meeting with Holocaust survivor, Betty Knoop, Jordyn will tell her story through a series of diary entries from her perspective, beginning with her 6th birthday and going all the way to her life after the war in the United States. This project will be posted on the HHREC’s website soon.

In a time when many of us feel helpless or isolated, the second graders at Coman Hill Elementary School found a heartwarming way to stay unified and positive.  Messages of thanks were sent with love to the healthcare workers in the Byram Hills School community.

Teachers and students created a slide-show presentation of thank-you messages and sent it to the local medical community through email and social media platforms.

The project was accomplished through remote learning and was a great example of how students, working apart, could complete a cohesive and impactful task from separate locations. “They used our current situation as a way to teach writing for a purpose,” said Mrs. MaryBeth Crupi, Coman Hill Principal.

Students drew colorful, cheerful notes expressing their gratitude which were then compiled into a five-minute slide-show. 

Teachers and parents of the second graders sent the tribute to their personal doctors and other local healthcare professionals, in hopes that the message would extend deep into the community.

Joseph Lentz, a second-grader, said “I feel thankful that so many people are helping other people. I am happy that I have a chance to tell them that.”

Amisha Thakral added, “It made me feel like I was helping those that are helping others to smile.” 

“We felt the assignment started a conversation between the students and their parents about the role of healthcare workers in our community and why they are working so hard to help keep us all safe,” said Ms. Lily Li, Coman Hill second-grade teacher.

Principal MaryBeth Crupi said, “I am so proud of our teachers and how they have utilized our school closure to create a wonderful opportunity for student instruction and how it seamlessly integrated into our e-learning.

Two Byram Hills High School seniors in the Authentic Science Research Program participated in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS).  The competition was originally scheduled to take place on March 25-26th at SUNY Albany. The organizers of the event altered the format of the competition so that students could present their work virtually.  Owen Skriloff (Physical & Computational Science) and Sam Aberman (Biochemistry) were awarded first place in their respective “rooms” during the initial round of the program.

Their initial success enabled them to present to a panel of experts who judged their work against other students from across the state.  Owen Skriloff placed second in the state and Sam Aberman placed fifth.  Owen’s performance has landed him a $1500 scholarship from the US Army, Navy and Air Force.  Owen and Sam will now move on to compete at the national level.

Stephanie Greenwald, Director of the Authentic Science Research Program said, “It is times like this that should make us feel confident that our future is in capable hands.” Sam’s work on CAR t-cell therapy could lead the way to innovative cancer treatments; while Owen’s work brings us closer to an implant that would treat osteoporosis, as well as aid in healing broken bones through the piezoelectric properties inherent in all human bodies.  

In a separate competition, three seniors have been selected to participate in the International Youth Research Conference this fall at Harvard University. This conference provides an avenue for aspiring high school scientists to present their research within a wider community including eminent teachers, scholars and industry professionals.

Congratulations to Meagan Eickelbeck for her work on dog allergens, Taleen Postian for her work on emotional intelligence and political opinion, and Ariana Dan who studied sustainable fashion.

The Dr. Pavlica Authentic Science Research course enables students to perform authentic, original scientific research in an independent manner throughout a three-year program.