Bronxville Students Show Solidarity with France
By Michael Ganci, Local Media Editor, Syntax, for The Bronxville School
Dec. 2, 2015: Bronxville students gathered before class on Monday morning, November 16, to express their solidarity with and support for France and the victims of the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.
French teachers Toby Gillen, Linita Shih, and Maria Trigosso asked their sixth- through twelfth-grade students to wear blue, white, and red in celebration of the French flag. They also held American and French flags and signs that spelled out "Nous Sommes Paris" – "We Are Paris."
"We wanted to show our support for the families of the victims and all citizens of France," Gillen said. "Especially as New Yorkers, we know all too well the threat of terrorism."
To further demonstrate their solidarity with France, the students have been listening and singing along to the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," in class. One student replicated on a poster board the peace sign with the Eiffel Tower in it, a symbol that has been widely circulating online. The rest of the students have been signing the poster board, which is displayed outside Trigosso's classroom.
"In light of these terrorist attacks, as well as Thanksgiving being so near, this has lent itself to having a conversation with my high school students regarding all that we are grateful for in our lives," Trigosso said.
The Bronxville School has been part of a pen pal program with Collège Montabuzard, a middle school in Ingré, France. It also has been part of an exchange program with France for more than 20 years. Every other year, Bronxville hosts French students for two weeks in the fall, and American students are sent to stay with French families for two weeks in the spring. Gillen said she shared the group picture with a French high school, Le Lycée Victor Hugo, whose principal was moved by the show of support.
"They were so touched by it that they have the picture showing on the main television screen when you walk into the high school," Gillen said. "Here, in class, we discussed with our students how our world has changed and how our perspective of the world in general has changed."
Pictured here: Bronxville high school and middle school students gathered before class to express their solidarity with and support for France and the victims of the terrorist attacks that occurred on November 13 in Paris.
Photo courtesy The Bronxville School
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
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