Students Across Bronxville School Unite in Community Service Initiatives

Students at the Bronxville School have been dedicated to community service through meaningful and hands-on initiatives.  

At the elementary school, fourth graders, guided by Lauren Wright, are working with Bundles of Joy to collect items and assemble toiletry kits for children living in shelters. Meanwhile fifth graders, guided by Susan Engelhardt, are teaming up with the middle school’s Green Club and high school’s Environmental Club to lead a plastic film recycling effort. They also recently collected various items for residents at the Veterans Home in Montrose. In collaboration with eighth graders earlier this year, second graders collected T-shirts and will create dog and cat toys out of them to donate to a local animal shelter. 

“We talk about how small acts of kindness can make a big impact,” Wright said. 

Middle school students are also making a tangible impact. Members of the Green Club – Violet Muaddi, Ava Palm, Audrey Palm and Elssie Sigourney – have taken the initiative to support a local animal shelter. After planning and organizing a bake sale that raised more than $120, the students used the funds to purchase much-needed supplies. Determined to do more, they expanded their efforts by collecting recyclable items to redeem for additional funds by making trips to a local grocery store to process bottles and collect deposits. Their work continues as they strive to gather more resources before the end of the school year. 

“They really care deeply about pets and wanted to help out at an animal shelter, so they began by researching the needs of the local animal shelters,” said science teacher Karen Green, who co-advises the club with Jennifer Zopp. “While volunteering and donations are always valuable, they recognized that shelters also rely heavily on basic supplies to keep the animals comfortable and cared for.” 

At the high school, students have been involved in a wide range of service projects with guidance from staff advisers, including building and repairing homes, organizing donation drives, and fundraising for causes such as domestic violence support, refugees and housing insecurity. They have also contributed through advocacy, education and community engagement initiatives, working to raise awareness, support vulnerable populations and address social issues. Among the students are Elizabeth Barnes, Lily Delaney, Michaela Doheny, Petra Monogenis, Reese Menon, Leila Moore, MacKenzie O’Gorman, Sophia Petrillo, John Shah, Virginia Shah, Leah Shube, Colette Ungvary, Melissa Vail and Coco Vail. 

“When we work together, we can have a big impact even if the individual actions are small,” MacKenzie O’Gorman said. 

For many students, these experiences have been transformative. Sophia Petrillo reflected on the importance of collaboration in achieving shared goals, while Lily Delaney described a shift in her understanding of service. 

“I used to think it was just about being helpful,” Delaney said. “Now I see it as being involved over time and actually understanding what people need and doing as much as you can to meet those needs.” 

In addition, under the leadership of Marijke Briggs, the Bronxville Teachers’ Association will host a blood drive on April 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Blue Gym. Students from the high school’s Art Club and Social Issues Awareness Club are leading the efforts by volunteering, promoting the event and encouraging their peers and staff to participate. Representatives from New York Presbyterian will also be on-site to share information important health issues.