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The Montessori philosophy teaches children the most important kind of competition: competition with oneself. By focusing on mastery and self-correction, students strive to grow in their learning and push themselves to expand their understanding.
Hudson Montessori School understands that competition is a part of life, especially in the STEM field. With the support of the historically non-competitive Montessori background, our school encourages our students to try everything, including competition and collaboration with other students and schools in our community. Our young scholars have excelled at competitions, clinching prizes in contests around our region and beyond.
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Awards and Accolades
Future City
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2025-2026
Most Creative Use of Materials: Team Arvum
• Afsheen K.
• Maddox B.
• Caeden S.
• Raunaq S.
• Aaron T.
• Abhay P.
Best Food Waste Management: Team Cybershock
• Dane S.
• Matthew G.
• Kalyani A.
• Rea R.
• Vihaan R.
• Aaron K.
8th Place Overall: Team From the Ground Up
• Alice M.
• Indira G.
• Sophie L.
• Max J.
• Anvi G.
• Derin T.
2024-2025
Award for Best Economy: Team Cybershock
• Vihaan Rastogi
• Rea Ramavat
• Mathew Goncharov
• Kalyani Asok
• Dane Sabitov
• Aaron Kowalski
2023-2024
Special Award Winners: Best Visualization of a Smart, Sustainable City
• Eleanor Tinio
• Sean Kowalski
• Atharva Agaskar
Future City Team Participants
• Zach Costa
• Mike Blum
• Anish Dharurkar
• Avi Mehandru
• Seher Khetpal
• Mira Strzodka
• Jaanvi Chhatbar
• Kaelyn Sanvictores
2022-2023
Team Award:
Most Environmentally Friendly City
Team:
Zach Costa, Anish Dharurkar, Seher Khetpal,
Avi Mehandru, Kaelyn Sanvictores, Mira Strzodka, Eleanor Tinio
Billion Oyster Project Symposium
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2024-2025
Middle School Exemplary Awards
• Rea R. and Afsheen K. - Smog Busters
• Matthew G. - Using a Cost-Effective, AI-Powered Device to Detect Algae Blooms
• Aaron T. - Sustainable Modular Housing and its Benefits to the Environment
• Elly S., Scarlet P. and Ava J. - How Combined Sewage Overflow Impacts The Hudson River
• Vihaan R. and Aaron K. - Traffic and Air Pollution in New York State
• Dane S. - How Invasive Species Affect Oxygen Levels in the Hudson River
• Sebastian R. and Maddox B. - Air Pollution in the Hudson
• Kalyani A. - How Light Pollution Affects the Growth of Plants, Specifically Dinoflagellates
• Seher K., Sophie L., Zoe R., Alice P., Indira N., Caeden James S., Sophia H., and Mia L. - ECO ECO ECO Presents
• Savir S. - How the Water Quality of the Hudson River Affects the Oysters
• Avi M. - Automating pH-enhanced Decontamination of PFAS in the Hudson Harbor to Improve Water Quality
• Jaanvi C. - Treats to Trash
• Floyd G. - NY Harbor, Do Ferries Affect Them?
• Mike B., Jackson L., Joel V. - Investigating Combined Sewage Overflow
• Kaelyn S. and Mira S. - Urban Heat Island Mitigation with Lichens
Upper Elementary (4th and 5th Grade) Exemplary Awards
• Mila M., Nina S., and Saira P. - "Pollution Through the Hudson" and book title "My Journey Through the Hudson"
• Vidyuth M. and Ashay S. - "History of the Hudson River" and book title "Adams and the Hudson River"
• Kaavya C. and Shreshta K. - "The Tick That Got Me Sick"
Anvi G. and Rishima S. - "Water Warriors in Skirts" Interviews
• Max J., Ayan A., Surya N. - "The Majestic Hudson River"
• Connor O., Zain A., and Abhay P. - "Pollution in the Hudson River" timeline
• Sierra M. - Water Pollution
• Luna and Anushka - Oysters and Pollution
Honorable mentions
• Raunaq - Clear Wonders in the River
• Ryma and Lihi - Timeline of Hudson RIver
• Olivia - Bird Migration
• Samarth -Oysters in the Hudson River
• Maddox G, Alec Jacob L and Derin T, Changing landscape - Geography of Hudson River
• Asher, Valentina, Leo B - Hudson River Food Web - Day in the life of Hudson River
2023-2024
Five projects from our school received exemplary project awards. Our Eco Club won an Exemplary Award their Citizen Science and community outreach program, featured their work, highlighting their World Fish Migration Day event. Their work featured the American Eel Project.
Eco Club Team:
• Kaelyn Sanvictores
• Seher Khetpal
• Avi Mehandru
• Eleanor Tinio
• Mia Lightman
• Sophia Hardin
• Anish Dharurkar
• Zoe Rivera
• Rea Ramavat
• Caeden James Schrag
Exemplary BOP Award on their research work on “The Silent Threat: Air Pollution and its impact on the Hudson River.”
• Alice de Medeiros Pita
• Kalyani Asok
• Sophie Lu
• Sophia Chung
2022-2023
• Krisha S. unveiled two canvas portraits created using recycled materials as her artistic medium. Small pieces of trash and plastic that often end up in the river, like soda tabs, were taken from trash to treasure as upcycled art.
• Alexandra B., Ziva M., and Mira S. created an entertaining Powtoon teaching viewers about the oyster population in the New York Harbor. This educational video explained the role oysters play in our local ecosystem and why it’s so important we all do our part to protect them.
• Seher K. and Jaanvi C. presented a new chapter of their novel they began writing last year titled Hudson’s Trio: A Travel Back in Time. The 32-page chapter continues the fictional storyline based on the uniqueness of the Hudson River. The novel explains the history of the river basin chronologically and how the river was polluted. The latest chapter transitions to highlighting the passage of the Clean Water Act and how it impacted the Hudson River’s health.
Thermo-Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge
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2023-2024
National Thermo-Fisher Nominees
Alexandra Blum and Mira Strzodka
2022-2023
National Thermo-Fisher Nominees
Avi Mehandru and Atharva Agaskar
Hudson County STEM Fair
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2024-2025
Gold and Special Award: United Airforce Research Laboratory for Outstanding STEM Research
• Seher Khetpal - Taking Control: Mental Awareness in Families, Schools and the Workplace
• Avi Mehandru - Electrochemical Filtration of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Optimizing Activated Carbon Adsorption with pH Monitoring and Adjustment
Gold and Next Generation Scientist Award
• Mila Mitchell- How Different Colors Affect the Learning Process
Silver
• Mira Strzodka & Kaelyn Sanvictores - Urban Heat Island Mitigation with Lichens
Bronze
• Mia Lightman & Rea Ramavat - Escape Room and Mental Wellness
Advancing Equity Through Innovation - Thermo Fisher
• Ryma Ramavat- Tiny Flavors - Spherification with Vegetarian Caviar
2023-2024
Gold
• Avi: Optimizing Artificial Tissue Generation Through Real Time Monitoring and Correction of pH of Culture Media
Silver
• Aditya: An Effective Way to Use Essential Oils as Antibiofilming Strategies
• Jackson and Michael: Exploring the Impact of Combined Sewer Overflows on the Hudson River
• Mia and Rea: Board Games and Mental Wellness (Different Ways That People Feel Based on
Interactive Board Games)
• Seher: Taking Control - Social Emotional Learning and Mental Awareness in Schools
Bronze
• Afsheen: SafeHands: Empowering Dementia Patients
• Alexandra and Mira: The Effects of Floating Wetlands on Water Quality
• Caeden and Zoe: Exploring the Impact of Greenhouse Structures on Climate and Agriculture
2022-2023
Individual (6th Grade)
Gold: Avi Mehandru
Individual (7th Grade)
Silver: Atharva Agaskar
Bronze: Rowan Jerger
Team (5th Grade)
Gold: Trisha Kannan and Rea Ramavat
Team (6th Grade)
Bronze: Jaanvi Chhatbar and Seher Khetpal
Team (7th Grade)
Silver: Alexandra Blum and Eleanor Tinio
2021-2022
Individual 5th Grade
• Silver: Aditya Palit (Pedestrian Safety System)
• Bronze: Avi Mehandru (Biofuels - From Greenhouse Gasses to Green World
Individual 6th Grade
• Bronze: Sean Kowalski (Lessen the Micros)
Team Grade 5 and 6
• Silver: Alexandra Blum and Gabrielle Smart (The Mood Corner)
• Bronze: Ziva Mezreicher and Mira Strzodka (Sleep Study - Are you a Morning Lark or Night Owl?)
MathCounts Competition
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2023-2024
State Competition
Second Place Winner: Hudson Montessori Math Team
Regional CompetitionSecond Place Winner: Hudson Montessori Math Team
• Sean Kowalski
• Mira Strzodka
• Avi Mehandru
• Mike Blum
Competition Qualifiers
• Anish Dharurkar
• Atharva Agaskar
• Seher Khetpal
• Afsheen Kirupakaran
• Maddox Bacon
• Sean Kowalski
• Mira Strzodka
• Avi Mehandru
• Mike Blum
2022-2023
Top Scorer:
Avi Mehandru
Team:
Atharva Agaskar, Zach Costa, Anish Dharurkar, Seher Khetpal,
Sean Kowalski, Avi Mehandru, Mira Strzodka
2021-2022
Math League Participants and Winners
• Zach Costa
• Anish Dharurkar
• Sean Kowalski
• Vidit Jain
• Aditya Agaskar
• Matthew Goncharov
• Sophia Chung
• Michael Blum
• Shakti Agrawal
• Neil Gupta
• Afsheen Kirupakaran
• Rea Ramavat
• Rohil Shah
• Seher Khetpal
• Avi Mehandru
• Ziva Mezreicher
• Aditya Palit
• Mira Strzodka
American Mathematics Competition (AMC)
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2025 Edyth May Sliffe Awards for Distinguished Mathematics Teaching in Middle and High School(https://maa.org/edyth-may-sliffe-awards/)
Ms. Vidya Menon
2024-2025
• First Place: Avi Mehandru and Michael Blum (tie)
• Second Place & Certificate of Achievement: Dane Sabitov
• Hudson Montessori Team: School Merit Roll (65 total points)
2023-2024
Michael Blum - Honor Roll Certificate and Certificate of Achievement
School Participants
• Anish Dharurkar
• Atharva Agaskar
• Seher Khetpal
• Afsheen Kirupakaran
• Maddox Bacon
• Sean Kowalski
• Mira Strzodka
• Avi Mehandru
• Mike Blum
• Jackson Lin
Scripps Spelling Bee Qualifiers
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2025-2026
• 1st Place: Maddox Bacon (Tied for 6th place in Hudson County)
• 2nd Place: Shreshta Khandekar
• 3rd Place: Kaavya Chhatbar
2024-2025
• 1st Place: Anvi Gupta
• 2nd Place: Michael Blum
• 3rd Place: Raunaq Sood
2023-2024
• 1st Place: Atharva Agaskar
• 2nd Place: Anish Dharurkar
• 3rd Place: Jaanvi Chhatbar
2022-2023
• 1st place: Atharva Agaskar
• 2nd place: Avi Mehandru
• 3rd place: Alexandra Blum
Mathematical Olympiad (MOEMS)
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2022-2023
Top scorer:
Avi Mehandru
Participants:
Atharva Agaskar, Zach Costa, Anish Dharurkar, Seher Khetpal,
Sean Kowalski, Avi Mehandru, and Mira Strzodka
Hudson River Data Jam
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2023-2024
Elementary School
Grand Prize: Aditya Agaskar
Middle School
M&T Rising Young Scientist Award: Atharva Agaskar
2022-2023
Elementary School
Grand Prize: Elijah, Neil, Caeden, and Joel
Honorable Mention: Afsheen Kirupakaran, Mia Lightman, Kalyani Asok
Runners Up: Aditya Agaskar, Sophia Chung, Sophie Lu, Vihaan Rustogi
Middle School
Honorable Mention: Jaanvi Chhatbar, Kaelyn Sanvictores
Runners Up: Atharva Agaskar, Avi Mehandru
Computer Mathematics League
2022-2023
Grade 4
• 1st: Neil Gupta
• 2nd: Michael Blum
• 3rd: Trisha Khannan
Grade 5
• 1st: Avi Mehandru
• 2nd: Ziva Mezhericher
• 3rd: Seher Khetpal
Grade 6
• 1st: Zach Costa
• 2nd: Sean Kowalski
• 3rd: Anish Dharurkar, Gabrielle Smart, Alexandra Blum
Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge
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2023-2024
Top 10: Atharva Agaskar and Zach Costa

Awards and Accolades
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