Valedictorian, Salutatorian and National Merit Finalists Announced

Three Dobbs Ferry High School Students have been highlighted for their excellence in all things academic, extra-curricular and for their strength of character. The Class of 2026 valedictorian is Christopher Doherty and the salutatorian is Angela Crowe. Crowe also joins Mateus Hertz-Bird as National Merit Scholarship Program Finalists.

"Dobbs Ferry is full of students that have an intrinsic drive to succeed," said Hertz-Bird. "The school always did a good job of making me feel like I could have big aspirations and that I could seize opportunities and apply to schools that a lot of people don't think they can get into."

Both Crowe and Hertz-Bird will now have the opportunity to win scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program.


"I feel that it would be great to win a scholarship because I've been trying to get into a good school since before I was in high school," said Crowe. "I've always put a lot of work into doing well academically and the SAT because that was what I needed to do to work toward that goal. Being recognized for that work as a finalist is a great feeling."

Doherty highlighted how proud he was to have been named his class's valedictorian, but also emphasized how the Dobbs Ferry community enabled him to succeed all throughout his educational journey.

"This community has always done a lot for me," Doherty said. "That's why I always tried my best to get the best grades that I could and to always pay attention. It's sort of like my way of giving back as a student. Showing this community respect by trying my hardest."

All three are not only excellent students but also superb student-athletes. Combined, they participate in several Dobbs Ferry School District athletics programs, including soccer, basketball, golf, and track & field. They are all also captains of the DFHS soccer teams.

Four Springhurst Elementary School students have been spending their Saturdays at the cutting-edge Thomas J. Watson Research Center learning from some of IBM’s brightest minds. The venerable organization has hosted fourth- and fifth-graders just like our young scientists for the past 33 years and has recently welcomed students from Dobbs Ferry.

“I liked the lesson about polymers,” said fourth-grade student Millie. “We cut open diapers and took out the powder inside. Then we poured water onto the powder and saw how it absorbed the water.”

Despite the advanced subject matter, the Springhurst students were excited to get into the wide variety of science topics every Saturday morning since February.

“Today we made waves with a string,” said Springhurst Elementary student Mikhael. “We also made shapes with salt using vibrations on a metal plate. Now we’re making music with wine glasses!”

The researchers at IBM aim to make complex and elusive topics tangible using hands-on lessons. One such lesson, designed to teach students about waves such as sound waves, asked students to make ringing tones using wine glasses by moving their fingers around the edge of the glass.

“They’ll discover that, as they add water, the frequency of the ringing goes up,” said Dr. Muir Kumph. By the end of the lesson, students were tasked with playing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” with water bottles.

In another lesson with Dr. Ruud Haring, students created a “human circuit,” with students and parents filling the role of wires and logic gates. This translation of complex science topics into interactive, physical activities builds a foundational understanding of otherwise high-level scientific concepts for students. These lessons will serve as a jumping-off point as our students move on to Dobbs Ferry Middle and High School and beyond.

“It’s been fun!” said Springhurst Elementary parent Eric Johns. “Getting to spend the day with Lucy has been awesome, and it’s been bringing me back to some of those lessons I enjoyed growing up. It helps the kids identify if they have an interest in science, as we did. We did the electricity class, and she got her first look at robotics. Now we have a LEGO robot. It’s going to lead to other classes and things for her to get into.”

The Dobbs Ferry School District is dedicated to constantly providing new educational opportunities for our students, both within our district and through partnerships with prestigious organizations like IBM.

DFMS Students Win National History Day Award

Congratulations to Samuel Abelon, Nefeli Antonogiannakis, and Byrn Lee for winning First Place in the Junior Documentary Category in the Regional National History Day competition! These DFMS students will now advance to the NYS competition on April 26 at SUNY Oneonta.

Click here to check out their award winning documentary.

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Dobbs Ferry School District

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Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

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