Community Update - 2025-0926

Dear Blind Brook Learning Community,

It is hard to believe we are almost into October. We’ve had an action-packed fall and are well on our way through another amazing year of learning and growth together. 

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the incredible Homecoming festivities. I was impressed with the work of the High School Senate, and would describe the pep rally as classy, clever, and inclusive. It set a great tone for the HS student body. This “Trojan Pride” extended to the entire community throughout the weekend, with support ranging from our youngest learners to grandparents, alumni, and longtime friends of the district. I want to share with you excerpts from the speech given by sophomore soccer players, Ethan Carey and Kyler Pessin at the pep rally. It aptly captures what Trojan Pride means to our student-athletes and to Rye Brook.

“I want to talk about something bigger than homework, bigger than pop quizzes, bigger than even Friday night lights… I’m talking about Trojan Pride baby! Look around you—this field isn’t just a gym. It’s a coliseum. And we? We are the TROJANS. And Trojans don’t just show up… we SHOW OUT!

You see, being a Trojan isn’t just about wearing blue and white—it’s about having that unstoppable spirit that screams, ‘I AM BLIND BROOK!’ When people ask me, ‘What does it mean to be a Trojan?’ I tell them: it means standing tall, charging forward, and never backing down—because Trojans don’t quit.

Let’s go Blind Brook, let’s go Trojans, let’s make history!"

As if that weren’t inspiring enough, this month we celebrated four National Merit Scholarship semifinalists (Amrit Mohapatra, Simon Riley, Abigail Weintraub, and Jocelyn Zheng) and an additional five commended scholars (Lianne Einav Ferentz, Kayleigh Curran, Dylan Striar, Sami Jazbeh and Pablo Zeitune). For a district of our size to have nine students earn this distinction is a remarkable accomplishment. We are incredibly proud of their hard work, dedication, and the support of their teachers and families.

‘Tis the season of college applications and admissions. Fortunately we have a dedicated school counseling department backed by well-informed educators and administrators. There are a series of supports, beginning with the 10/6 Financial Aid Night, then the College Admission Counselors Panel in early November, and after that, the Junior College Planning evening in January. The landscape is quite different than when most of us applied; noted author and researcher Jeffrey Selingo captures current trends in this recent NY Times article. His most salient point is that “The goal is to uncover hidden gems, shift the conversation from brand names to personal fit, and have students bring their insights to parents to begin a process that starts with a student’s values, not the rankings.”

Our Bluebirds at BMPRSS are also getting in on the school spirit action, with back to back school spirit Fridays. They also recognized International Dot Day, celebrating creativity, courage, and collaboration. We will share more (with pictures) in our next quarterly newsletter. BBMS got off to a great start with their “Start with Hello” week, featuring daily events and activities designed to reduce social isolation, promote empathy, teach students to recognize and help those who feel left out, and create a more welcoming and inclusive school environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Both campaigns are fitting of our Vision of a Learner outlined in our district Strategic Plan of Action. 

At our next Board meeting we will present our District Goals, which are also aligned to our Strategic Plan and the Vision of a Learner. This allows us to have a common language and cohesive understanding of the direction of the District at all levels. I look forward to sharing more with you as the year progresses.

Go Trojans!

Dr. Brian J. Alm
Superintendent of Schools