A Brush with Fame - My Meeting with the Iron Lady
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For reasons I cannot explain beyond the anglophilic enchantment occasioned by my abiding JAMES BOND STUPOR, I recently decided to watch THE IRON LADY for the first time. I had no idea it was so heartbreaking. Meryl Streep is astonishing in this role. I love the way historical events are woven in to the story of Thatcher's personal life and ascension to the world stage. But (politics aside), to see the (then) most powerful woman in the western world's decline and her Churchillian "nevah give up" spirit as she fought to defy and deny that inexorable decline, was devastating.
When my family lived in London in 2003, I went to the same, small, family medical practice as the Iron Lady. I discovered this one day when I was seated in the waiting room with my ailing 8-month-old baby on my lap. Twin rivulets of green goo surged from both of his nostrils each time he exhaled, as if in some sort of bacterial race to the finish. Not surprisingly, the seat next to us was unoccupied.
Tired of absentmindedly entertaining myself by secretly handicapping the mucus race each outing, and tired of cleaning it up, I looked to see a new person enter the room and thought "Wow, that looks EXACTLY like Maggie Thatcher!" At first, she was alone. I dismissed the thought, figuring "probably every dowager of a certain age in Belgravia has that hairdo and one of those suits. Thatcher must be a fashion trendsetter among the "smart" septuagenarians in the Knightsbridge crowd, and this gran is one of her Robert Palmer girl knockoffs"
But then, in a split second, four enormously burly men in suits trailed in behind her with eyes darting from side to side. Every Englishman in the room instantly scrambled to grab any reading material within reach and began to busily feign reading something, -- a newspaper or magazine ... anything to avoid the horror of eye contact with A FAMOUS PERSON. Some papers were even grabbed in such haste they were upside down! I was the ONLY one in the room who actually looked at the former Prime Minister, and as she scanned the place for a seat, I smiled at her. She beamed appreciatively and plopped down right next to us, chatting me and my baby up for the next forty-five minutes as we waited for our doctors. (YES SHE HAD TO WAIT TOO!!!)
What followed was one of the most fascinating and puzzling conversations of my life--3 parts small talk, 1 part politics/work-life balance. At times, just when I thought she was an elderly person who seemed to be losing it, she became incredibly lucid, and every bit the wily powerhouse I expected her to be. I asked her about how she balanced child-rearing duties with her rather high profile career ("Norland nannies are the best!"), and then I eased in to soliciting her opinion on Britain's purported role (by many resentful Brits) as "Bush's lap dog" in the war in Afghanistan we had just begun. She was bobbing and weaving like an old pro, artfully ducking a reporter's questions...
And then, suddenly, a different look came over her face and she seemed to slip back into the "dotty old lady" role again. She smiled broadly at us, as if we were old friends she'd spotted from across a great expanse of distance and time, and, switching gears seamlessly, she tenderly picked up my baby's foot ...."JOSHUA" she called out at a volume that had stood her in good stead in her many parliamentary debates, "The kingdom is yours!", she declared. She seemed to be shouting down an opponent at the same time as addressing both my son's green rivulets and his tiny foot, now nestled in her hand: "My tiny good man, the KINGDOM is yours!!!" At that moment, her doctor with the multiply-hyphenated terribly, terribly English name strode grandly into the room, putting on a show for the rest of the crowd... for anyone who might not have been aware of his A-list patient.
"BARONESS!!!" he summoned her...loudly..."Please come with me!!", and she was off....
When I saw the scene of "M.T" being checked out in the doctor's office in THE IRON LADY, all I could think was..."Where's the adorable baby with the sinus infection??"
Contributor Sharon Dizenhuz is a former reporter and anchor on New York 1 News and a Scarsdale mom.
After-Prom Fiasco in the Making?
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With final exams approaching this month and the end in sight for seniors, prom is in the spotlight. While prom and after-prom are seemingly rites of passage for high school students, what should be a festive and joyous celebration has in some prior years ended on a sour note.
Each year, one or more seniors orchestrate an after-prom party, and this year is no different. Following in the footsteps of two older siblings, a Scarsdale High School senior has planned and sold tickets to an after-prom party, this year to be held at a Manhattan club, 49 Grove. As reported in an online Scarsdale Maroon article (June 8, 2011) regarding the 2011 after-prom party, "According to many, the venue appeared overbooked. 'I guess they sold more tickets than they were actually allowed to,' said a junior boy. Club manager Tracey Hill expressed her frustration with [the SHS organizer]. 'He lied to us. I don't know how many [tickets] he sold, he told us 280, [but] I would say it was over that [number],' she said."
Tickets to this year's after-prom went on sale this week in a public parking lot in Scarsdale: $80.00 per ticket for the first 50 tickets sold, and $95.00 thereafter.
While after-prom venues have been oversold resulting in overcrowded and possibly unsafe conditions in the past, the tradition amazingly lives on. In some cases, students who prepaid exorbitant amounts for tickets have been denied access to the event, though, from a safety perspective, this year it could be fortuitous. The 2013 after-prom venue, 49 Grove, is a basement space as described in the following comments posted on the popular website Yelp:
"#1 most serious complaint: a basement bar WITH NO REAR EXIT. No way out except for the same tiny ENTRY STAIRCASE you entered. For 200 people? One narrow staircase? Clogged with people coming down, all wearing heels. Single-file. Are you kidding me? How does this place stay open; its a death trap and a body-count waiting to happen."
"49 Grove has terribly low ceilings, is carpeted and they jam people in like anchovies."
"Pay a ton of money for the chance to stand around in utter discomfort.... mill around in a *windowless* basement...? Pay a $20 door cover"
While there were some positive comments on YELP about 49 Grove, this does not appear to be a suitable venue for 17 and 18 year olds.
Of course safety is the primary concern, but if this year's after-prom is anything like the 2011 after-prom affair, $80.00 - $95.00 doesn't buy you much. According to the Scarsdale Maroon article with regard to tickets that ranged in cost from $70.00 – $90.00 for the 2011 after-prom party, "Tickets guaranteed entrance into the club, and the party organizers charged an additional $5 for unlimited, non-alcoholic drinks. There was no food served, other than pretzels and chips." Students and parents feel scammed by after-prom organizers who charge astronomical ticket prices that possibly allow only entrance (tickets appear to cost $20.00 for admission to 49 Grove for non-SHS patrons) to an overcrowded club and nothing more. Perhaps it could be said that parents should not provide students with funds to purchase after-prom tickets, but many students have money they have saved from jobs or other sources so they can purchase the tickets themselves.
From the online Maroon article about 2011 after-prom: "Multiple kids threw up upstairs and also broke tables, so the staff at the club closed it off and sent all of the guests downstairs." And so ended 2011 after-prom. Will this be the case for after-prom 2013...or worse?
This article was submitted by a concerned Scarsdale parent.
Scarsdale Students Excel at Science Olympiad and Upstate Science and Humanities Symposium
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The Scarsdale Middle School Science Olympiad Team participated in the 2012-13 Lower Hudson Valley Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 2, 2013. The 38 members of the team have been practicing their individual events since last October, and neither super storm Sandy nor the ensuing blizzard could deter their progress. This year there were 32 teams from 22 middle schools participating at the tournament, which was hosted by the Scarsdale Middle School. The competition was composed of 20 events, some where the students had to build and bring a device to operate, some where students studied techniques (like laboratory skills) and then were asked to use these skills in the event and some where the students studied information and took a written exam. Two of Scarsdale's 3 teams placed in the top 5, with one team taking 4th place and one taking 1st. As a result of the showing at the regional level, the Scarsdale team will now go on to represent the region at the state tournament on April 12 and 13 in Syracuse. SMS has participated in Science Olympiad since the 2001-2002 school year and every year since then has earned the privilege to represent the region at the state level. This year the SMS team will be joined at the state competition by Ardsley Middle School, H.C. Crittenden Middle School, Pearls Middle School and South Orangetown Middle School.
The team is coached by Jay Gandelman, Cristine Gilliland, Ken Raff, Laurie Ciccone and Jeff Tuttle. Additional coaching support was provided this year by Jeff Williams and Travis Richards.
This year's team consisted of the following students:
Anika Agarwal, Joie Liew, Daniel Beitler, Jonathan Lin, Maya Bharara, Ben Mayer, Mois Bourla, Alex Mayer, Derek Chi, Adina Mistry, Conde Philip, Milena Nutrobkina, Dey Sneha, Megumi Ohara, Dhuri Shamika, Keshav Rastogi, Claire Gillespie, Zara Ridgway, Michelle Glantz, Riina Nola, Daniel Goldstein, Arvind Sindhwani, Eric Hansen, Nakul Srinivas, Ben Hezi, Isabella Stewart, Sara Hezi, Omar Thenmalai, Sally Ho, Ken Tomita, Mel Holmes, Ambika Venkatakrishnan, Ryan Jacobowitz, Joe Weintraub, Jonathan Koenig, Yaseen Grant, Robert Koenig, Zhao Maxwell and Rhea Kothari.
SHS Science Research Students Take Home Awards at Upstate Symposium
On Wednesday March 13, 2013 two Scarsdale Research Students advanced to the 28th annual Upstate Junior Science and Humanities Symposium hosted by the University at Albany. Students from 33 schools from all over upstate New York attended this event. In the Speaker Sessions, Kathryn Evans placed 2nd in Biology and in the Poster session, Jamie Tanzer took 2nd place overall in her group. Congratulations to the students for participating in this very exciting day.
SSTTE Religious School Open House Sunday April 7
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Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El, a reform Jewish congregation, will host an open house at its religious school on Sunday, April 7th, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. The school is located at 2 Ogden Road in Scarsdale, and the event is primarily for parents and their children ages three to eight years old.
Attendees will be able to meet the professional staff, sit in on a typical class and engage in a dialogue about the school and its approach to Jewish education. Refreshments will be served.
About Scarsdale Synagogue
Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El is a Reform Jewish congregation committed to creating a covenant community of shared lives and real relationships. Founded in 1961, the Synagogue was joined by the memberships of Tremont Temple of the Bronx in 1976 and Temple Emanu-El of Southern Westchester in 2008. For further information about the religious school, please contact:
Rebecca Shubert, Temple Educator
Scarsdale Synagogue
Temples Tremont and Emanu-El
Tel: (914) 725-5175
College Admissions: A Guide to Tutors, Test Prep and College Advisors
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Preparation for SAT's and ACT's, tutoring for academic subjects and applying to college are key concerns of college-bound students and their parents. Over the years we have received many inquiries from friends and acquaintances about finding the right tutor, test preparation program and college advisor. In order to help you locate local resources, we reached out to a few providers to learn more about what they offer. Here's information from those that responded, as well as a listing of others in our area.
Collegistics provides students and their families with a caring, highly-informed, and personalized college application experience. Drawing on our collective expertise and resources, we guide and support students on their individual journeys to college. Our unique, multilayered team approach ensures unparalleled counseling in all matters relating to the college process. Frequent meetings and communications establish a warm rapport that facilitates the exchange of ideas in a collaborative and comfortable environment. Serving a select number of students each year, our practice delivers strategic and data-driven guidance as we craft a plan tailored to the needs of each applicant. Collegistics provides an individualized framework to manage and streamline the many facets of the application process. We help reduce stress, allowing students to put forth their best work. At Collegistics, every partner is fully familiar with each student's current profile assuring unmatched depth of coverage, backup, and virtual 24/7 accessibility. Good advising makes a difference. Good advising helps students reach their goals. Visit our website at www.collegistics.com to learn more. Collegistics can be reached at info@collegistics.com or 914-282-3820.
JCC Academic Center programs are designed to help high school and middle school students reach their greatest academic potential. We offer a full range of test prep, college admissions, and academic enhancement programs including PSAT/SAT Prep, ACT Prep, SAT Subject Test Prep, Regents Prep, Writing Skills, College Essay Application Workshops, Time/Paper Management and Speed Reading classes. All instructors are expert in their field and offer private tutor quality and results at a fraction of the cost. Classes are small, allowing for individualized attention and are led by dynamic, experienced instructors. In addition, special lectures focused on the college admissions process are offered. "Inside the Admissions Office" (October 2013) brings deans and directors of a number of colleges together for a panel discussion and insight into the process; "The Ins and Outs of Applying to College" (April 28, 2013), is an admissions discussion with Jacques Steinberg, best-selling author of The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College and creator of the New York Times college admissions blog, The Choice, and Steven Singer, former Director of College Counseling at a top independent school and faculty, Harvard Summer Institute for College Admissions. For information on all JCC Academic Center programs visit www.jccmw.org, or contact Lisa Itzkowitz, Director, JCC Academic Center, 914-472-3300, x275, academiccenter@jccmw.org, JCC Academic Center, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583, 914-472-3300, x275
Lee Ciancio (Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, cum laude) offers private one-on-one 
tutoring in the SAT and ACT, specializing in reading and writing. He teaches SAT test preparation at EF International Academy, a private boarding school located in Tarrytown, where he is solely responsible for program development and course curriculum. Unlike the major tutoring chains which adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and spend virtually all their time teaching strategies, tips, and tricks, he focuses on developing underlying skills and is able to tailor sessions very specifically to each student. This approach has met with great success. Stellar references from families throughout Westchester, Rockland, and Bergen counties are available upon request. Please call for a consultation at 845.596.5323.
Princeton Review: Whether prepping for college or graduate school, all standardized tests (in theory, at least) provide colleges with one common criterion that can be used to compare all applicants. Balancing work from the school you're already in, plus sports, clubs and everything else in life is hard enough. Why not make test prep easy? From regularly scheduled classes to one-on-one personalized tutoring, The Princeton Review offers a variety of ways to help you get to the school and education you deserve. Learn more at www.PrincetonReview.com or call (888) 759-7737.
Landa Lotta, Spanish tutor available to help your child! Tutor with over 15 years experience teaching all levels of Spanish language. Degree plus years of global business experience in Europe and Latin America. Reasonable rates. Call or email today ~ ¡adelante! 914.588.8977, llk925@gmail.com
Teachers-to-Tutors, Inc. offers private in-home tutoring as well as test prep courses in Westchester County. Our goal is to help students reach their full potential by improving study skills, building self-confidence, and raising individual grades and test scores. Our tutors and course instructors are actual teachers, most of whom hold permanent NYS certification in one or more subject areas. Please feel free to check us out online at www.teacherstotutors.com or call us at (845) 268-TEST.
And also consider:
Advantage Testing: One-on-one tutoring: Rigorous long-term Test Preparation: Tutoring with outstanding results. www.advantagetesting.com. 914 921-6700.
Allan Schneider Tutoring: Teaching students to teach themselves. www.allanschneidertutoring.com. 914 261-2986.
Bespoke Education: Working closely with families to craft customized tutoring programs for individual students' needs. www.bespokeeducation.com, 914 231-7309.
Carol Gill Associates: Educational consultants who have been serving families with extraordinary success for over twenty years. www.collegeplus.com, 914 693-8200.
College Advice 101: Jane C. Hoffman, MBA, College Admissions Advisor and Educational Consultant,with proven track record of providing personalized guidance to help students identify, apply and gain admission to the best colleges for them. www.CollegeAdvice-101.com, 914 833-1573
Craig Aronson: Offering SAT Test Prep. Formerly of Princeton SAT Review. www.td.edu/sat.html
Ivy Global: SAT Prep, private academic tutoring, assistance with writing college essays: www.ivyglobal.com, 1-888-588-7955
Kaplan Test Prep: SAT Tutoring for 1:1 support. www.kaptest.com, 1-800 527-8378.
TestTakers: The Smart Choice for Test Preparation. www.ttprep.com., 914 723-4448
Zoffness SAT Prep: to maximize your academic performance on the SAT, www.zoffnesssatprep.com, 914-462-7797
Varsity Tutors: Award winning academic tutoring and test prep. www.varsitytutors.com, 917-215-4373
