Community Message

Dear Blind Brook Families and Friends,

While Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow this week, winter isn’t slowing the great progress of our Blind Brook scholars. We have so much to celebrate, so here are just a few highlights.

In the Arts, Charlie Sindell earned four Gold Keys and Grier Gidez received a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. We hope you will join us this weekend for one of three performances of The SpongeBob Musical presented by Blind Brook Middle School. Ticket information can be found here.

In Athletics, our winter teams continue to shine. Boys Basketball stands at 13–4, highlighted by an electric Homecoming win and senior Tyler Taerstein surpassing 1,000 career points. Girls Basketball sits at 10–5, competing strongly against larger districts, led by record-setting senior Kendall Konigsberg. Varsity Cheer will compete next week in the League and Section championships, with All-League honors for Ava Muoio and Lexi Budde. Indoor Track & Field delivered standout performances at the League Championships with multiple event titles and ten athletes qualifying for Sectionals. Boys Swim finished 4–4, with George Papaioannou advancing to Section 1. Ice Hockey recently celebrated a big win in overtime on senior night. Our modified and JV programs are also enjoying excellent seasons. Best of luck to all our student-athletes as postseason competition begins. 

Each of our schools is celebrating Black History Month with programming that honors the contributions of Black Americans in shaping our nation. This week is also National School Counseling Week, which highlights the vital role our counselors play in supporting students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development. We are grateful for these dedicated professionals and all they do for our students every day.

As a reminder, schools will be closed for Presidents’ Day recess from February 16–20.

We would also like to keep our families informed of our progress in exploring the Universal School Meals program. In the near future, the district will issue a request for proposals for consulting firms to further evaluate the program’s financial and operational implications. This analysis will guide our understanding and help determine whether pursuing this opportunity makes sense for Blind Brook, while keeping us on schedule and preserving the option to participate as early as the fall should we decide to proceed.

Finally, as shared in my correspondence on Wednesday, High School Principal Mark Greenwald will be retiring after many years of service to our community as a resident, teacher, administrator, and principal. The position has been posted and the recruitment process is underway. We are seeking parent volunteers to serve on stakeholder groups that will help evaluate candidates as the process unfolds. If you are interested, please email Vivian Groccia at vgroccia@blindbrook.org.

Great things are happening in Blind Brook schools. See you around campus!

Dr. Brian J. Alm
Superintendent of Schools