Fox Lane principal congratulates Merit finalists, outlines school initiatives

BEDFORD, N.Y. - Fox Lane Seniors Zachary Cohen and Gabriel Wachowski were honored as National Merit Finalists during the April 23 meeting of the Bedford Central School District’s Board of Education.

Besides their test scores, being named finalists considered their academic records, their extracurricular involvement and personal achievement, noted Dr. Jennifer Amos, principal of Fox Lane High School. Cohen and Wachowski co-lead the school’s Science Olympiad and are active in a host of other school and community programs.  

“Zach and Gabe represent Fox Lane High School exceptionally well,” said Amos. “Their accomplishments today are exciting precursors to what I believe will be dynamic futures.”

Cohen and Wachowski were chosen from among 1.6 million students who took the qualification exam in 2024, and as such represent the top 0.75 percent of high school seniors nationwide. Fox Lane High School had nine scholarship semifinalists. Finalists are eligible for a variety of higher-education scholarships. Among those are the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship as well as additional funds from specific colleges and corporations.

 Amos also gave the board and attendees an update on school initiatives. One is the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), which builds on a program developed last yearto help students succeed by focusing concurrently on their academic, emotional, and social needs. 

“This year, year two, is ‘boots on the ground,’” said Amos. “We knew that to move forward, we had to build a system and a structure district-wide and then replicate things. And what we're offering to support a kindergartner is not the same support that we offer to a senior.”

Fox Lane High School has endeavored to increase opportunities for student input, most notably via a 39-student Principal’s Advisory Committee. The committee encompasses students in all four grades and at all academic levels. They work on topics ranging from restroom conditions, lunch lines, and hallway etiquette to class scheduling.

“We want to make sure that every single student finds ways of being involved in the broader community, doing things that are bigger than themselves, and finding clubs and classes that really do motivate and inspire them to be better humans,” said Amos. “Our job is really to take care of every single one of our students, keeping kids safe [and] looking at students’ physical social and emotional safety.

“We want to make sure that each one of our students has somebody that they connect with – that they know, when things aren't going well, where to turn,” she added.

The high school also launched a student mentoring program to help struggling students maintain their academic performance. It includes such practical ways as homework help from other students. This program has since grown to include middle schoolers, Amos pointed out.

The school recently created a community-based internship program called Aspire, in which students work throughout the year with business faculty on resume writing and cover letters. These teachers also coach them on how to reach out to local businesses for work opportunities. It’s equally relevant to both college- and non-college bound students, Amos said.

“We're aiming to have guest speakers come in, once or twice a week, to talk about their experience and their careers,” said Amos.

Amos also highlighted the school’s dual-enrollment program, which currently works in conjunction with five colleges and universities. Students can earn college credit through this program, and Fox Lane currently offers 10 dual-enrollment courses. It plans to add five more next year, including a world language. “We're really excited about it,” said Amos.