Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy upper school students are leading the way in innovation, competition and creativity. With exceptional engineering skills, BCHA students are tackling complex problems with precision and critical thinking under the guidance of Dr. Paul Castle, chair of BCHA’s STEM Department, and William Berson, who teaches science. The students’ hard work and creativity shines through in imaginative projects and original designs, while their innovative spirit drives them to create cutting-edge solutions and impactful contributions.

Recently, BCHA students advanced to the next level of the CIJE-Tec VEX Robotics competition, where all three BCHA teams qualified for the playoffs. More than 180 students from Jewish high schools in the tri-state area participated in the tournament.

In addition to the students’ achievements in robotics, the BCHA Upper School Chess Team also prevailed in the inaugural Rookly Chess Tournament, walking away with a championship win after a highly competitive season. This team was also coached by Dr. Castle and Mr. Berson.

Rookly is an online platform that allows players to conduct matches virtually, which enables play with teams across the country. All games take place on the Rookly platform, which integrates video into the chessboard to make competition immersive. One of Rookly’s founders, Amir Moazami, recently attended a very special event at BCHA, where 20 students had the extraordinary opportunity to play against chess GrandMaster Nico Checa.

In a game format once demonstrated on the popular Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit,” Checa played a “simul”—simultaneous matches against all 20 BCHA students, moving from player to player in rapid succession. Following the matches, Dr. Castle congratulated all the participants, noting that GrandMaster Checa was impressed with the students’ level of play and their command over each board.

BCHA students are putting their highly prized STEM learning to work—and play—and representing their school skillfully both in competition and in their day to day achievements. The school community takes great pride in their victories and congratulates these winning teams for their scientific sportsmanship.