Westport Elementary and Middle Schools to Reopen to Full Time Learning
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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Plexiglass divides a lunch table in a middle school cafeteria.Westport Connecticut is like Scarsdale in many ways. It is a train-ride away from Manhattan, it is socially progressive, wealthy and has a similar number of kids in the public school system. Like Scarsdale, Westport places a huge emphasis on public education.
Beginning next week, K-8 students in Westport will return to full in-person learning, with the high school to follow.
The decision was made by Westport’s relatively new School Superintendent Thomas Scarice, who took the reins in July 2020 and vowed to safely and effectively fully open schools as soon as possible in the 20-21 school year.
Westport Public Schools began the 2020 school year in a hybrid learning model, similar to Scarsdale’s model. At the K-5 level, children were broken into two cohorts, A and B. These cohorts attended school in-person daily in the morning or the afternoon, switching schedules each quarter, with every other Wednesday scheduled for at-home learning. Anyone who had to quarantine due to exposure at school or on the bus, at the elementary level, missed two full weeks of in-person teaching as there was no at-home live teaching option, just self (or parent) guided learning.
Middle School and High School students were separated into cohorts a well, attending school twice a week for full in-person days. At home learning days were on Zoom with their teachers and classes. Wednesdays were live-Zoom half days. Quarantined kids could easily switch to remote learning.
Surveys were sent out to parents prior to the start of school and twice since then, asking parents to commit to distance learning or a hybrid model (and now distance learning or in-person, full time). Full distance learning will remain an option for all Westport Public School students during the 2020-21 school year.
When he announced the move to full- time school, Scarice wrote a lengthy position letter to all members of the school district. He cited, “four months of experience in preventing virus transmission in our buildings” as well as success of surrounding districts that have returned to full-time, in-person learning. He had given administrators a deadline of January 8th to submit tentative plans for reopening. Many internal discussions were held and the superintendent decided that schools could and would open with a stringent set of guidelines and a plan to rethink them if necessary.
Knowing that this would come with controversy, especially because vaccinations were just starting, Mr. Scarice outlined the reasons for his decision.
First and foremost, he stated, “…our primary mission is to serve and develop our students…we are also obligated to balance our public health responsibilities with perhaps less obvious risks that have impacted our children as a result of the reduction of on-site schooling.” He goes on to criticize the lack of news about the academic, social, emotional and psychological impact that COVID-19 has had on school-age children. Scarice believes we are just beginning to see the negative impact COVID has had on children. He argues that, “…it is time to move these two obligations a bit more into balance.”
At the elementary level, students will return to full on-site schooling (if their parents choose this option) on Monday, February 1. They will continue to be required to wear well-fitting masks properly at all times except when eating. Wednesdays will be on-site half days to be able to offer help to teachers with the new teaching environment in the afternoons. Lunch and snack will be in the classrooms although some students may be moved to other areas of the school for spacing purposes. Students will maintain social distancing to the greatest extent possible and all desks will have plexiglass barriers.
Middle Schools (of which there are two) will also begin full on-site schooling February 1. In February, Wednesdays will have half-day distance learning to give teachers time to transition with the goal of having middle school students back full time, five days a week beginning March 1. Lunch will be in the cafeteria and the school has set up tables with large plexiglass dividers in order to minimize interaction.
The high school will continue to operate under the hybrid model until further notice, but the plan is for full on-site learning as well in the coming weeks.
Mr. Scarice acknowledges the risks of the full re-opening. Increased numbers of students and staff may have to quarantine if they are in close contact with a positive case. School closures may occur due to staffing issues. Buses will be more crowded and drop-off and pick up will be busier. Furthermore, and importantly, he expects to see a 5-10% increase in people choosing the full distance learning option as has been evidenced by other schools opening up.
The superintendent closed his letter by saying “I am confident that through our resilience we will continue to maintain high levels of safety for staff and students,” noting that adjustments may need to be made along the way.
Responses have been very mixed in Westport. One parent said, “Hooray! I have been disheartened to see that if you’re a child, you can’t go to school but you can go bowling, out to dinner or on vacation to Vail.” Other parents are horrified that teachers are expected to teach to full classrooms prior to being vaccinated.
Following his announcement, recent headlines included a report released by the CDC that found that the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the schools is minimal when mitigation factors are in place like masks and social distancing. Margaret A. Honein, the lead author of the JAMA/CDC report, said, “…the data has really accumulated,” something they didn’t have at the start of the school year. The researchers said they were far more concerned about indoor sports and other extracurricular activities that do not allow for distancing and mask use than the controlled environment of a school setting.
Furthermore, this week the CDC urged schools to reopen with precautions in place and a New York Times article documented a rash of child and teen suicides in a Las Vegas school district.
Read Mr. Scarice’s letter below:
Welcome to 2021
As we complete our second week since returning from the winter break I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and to provide updates to the school community.
In the short time since our return, we have experienced the tragic loss of a beloved member of the student body, Staples senior Timari Rivera, and an historic and unspeakable act of violence on our nation’s capital, all while we continue to confront educating our students in a pandemic.
This school year has been a physical, emotional and psychological test of our collective endurance. We close out the first half of the school year at the end of this month. In the midst of the uncertainty and episodic chaos, I hold a very optimistic perspective for the second half of the school year.
What’s Next
As I shared with the parent community on December 22, 2020, I recommended a cautious approach to our school reopening this year. However, based on four months of our experience in preventing virus transmission in our buildings, and the similar success of peer districts in our region who have been fully reopened, along with the reopening of Coleytown Middle School, I began conversations to intended increase access to on-site schooling for the second half of the school year. These discussions included a full reopening of on-site schooling for all K-8 students and increased access for on-site schooling at Staples.
As a refresher, I asked the administration from each of the three levels to have plans ready for my review by January 8. I received those plans and held numerous discussions this week to determine the most appropriate approach. More specific plans are ready to be shared. Yet, this week was critical in conducting internal discussions.
We have remained on the course I illustrated for the school community on December 22. There is a great deal of work that has been done, and continues to be done, to safely welcome our students back for additional on-site schooling. However, we remain on the timeline shared on December 22.
I will share the overall next steps in this communication, while each building principal will share the details as it relates to their school and their students in the coming days.
The “Why?”
Those who serve our students, namely our faculty and support staff, are the reason for our success. Our collective support of these professionals is critical to the success we have enjoyed for decades. Yet, as a system, our primary mission is to serve and develop our students. In the course of this work, challenges emerge in an ordinary year. In a pandemic the challenges grow exponentially.
As a community, we are faced with obvious public health obligations to ensure that we are responsibly doing our part as a school system to minimize virus transmission. However, we are also obligated to balance our public health responsibilities with the perhaps less obvious risks that have impacted our children as a result of the reduction of on-site schooling.
The academic, social/emotional, and psychological impact on our students is not captured each evening on the news in cases per 100,000, or in positive test rates. Yet, the impact is real, consequential, and warrants mitigation.
It is time to move to bring these two obligations a bit more into balance.
In October, the district partnered with the Tri State Consortium and conducted focus groups with almost 250 teachers, students and parents to identify critical problems for us to solve this year as a result of delivering a pandemic education. Many of the problems that were identified can be addressed, in part, through greater access to additional on-site schooling. The lack of connections with peers and adults, the academic struggles, and the ongoing challenge of engaging students can all be tempered with additional on-site schooling. This move will not eliminate these problems, nor will it eliminate the profound social/emotional and psychological issues that have emerged for some children, but it will ease the effects on the children we serve.
The benefits full on-site schooling are so important, particularly after long periods of remote and hybrid instruction this year and last year, that bringing our responsibilities to public health and our students into balance is warranted.
With less pandemic experience in the fall, I was less inclined to increase the levels of on-site schooling, particularly at the elementary level which provided an “everyday” model. A move to a “pandemic classroom” was not warranted given the uncertainty of the coming months in the fall. That said, given our experience since then, and the experience of our peers in the region, along with the significant benefits of full on-site schooling, in my judgement it is time to begin this transition.
The Transition Process
Elementary Schools
The transition to full time on-site schooling will begin with a full asynchronous remote day for all elementary students on Wednesday January 27 in order to provide teachers the time needed to accommodate their classrooms for full enrollment. A special two day transition schedule (January 28 and 29) will be shared next week by the elementary principals to their school communities which will illustrate how they will gradually welcome back their entire student body, with the first full K-5 day of on-site schooling scheduled for the first day of the second half of the school year, Monday February 1.
From that point forward, elementary students will engage in full school days, with changes made to arrival/dismissal, bus seating assignments, lunch, and recess. The principals will communicate this information, and more, to their families in the coming days.
Given the need for our elementary faculty to deliver their instruction in a pandemic setting, and all of the professional challenges associated with this, like most districts in our region, Wednesdays will remain an on-site half day for students. Afternoons will be reserved for teachers to work with colleagues as they continue to solve instructional problems unlike any they have experienced in their careers as a result of COVID-19.
Lunch will be served in homerooms and efforts will be made to “dedensify” the classrooms where appropriate when serving lunch by accessing other areas of the school building. There will be no cohort switch on January 25.
A parent survey is forthcoming which will gather information on any changes in distance learning requests from parents and transportation intentions (i.e bus or bring your child to school).
The distance learning option will remain for students and this program will be largely unchanged, providing consistency for this population of students. More information about the distance learning option will be provided by the elementary principals in communication to their families.
Middle School
The middle schools will also transition to full time on-site schooling on the first day of the third quarter, February 1. The middle schools will transition the first phase during the month of February and the second phase on March 1. Phase 1 will have all students return in person for full day instruction on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, while maintaining the existing Distance Learning half-day schedule on Wednesdays (February 3, 10 and 24 only). Phase 2 will commence on March 1 with students attending school in person all five days; eliminating the
Distance Learning Wednesday
The middle school principals will communicate directly with their families in the coming weeks. In short, the current daily schedule will continue to be implemented to make the transition easier for our students. Additional mitigation measures will be implemented where appropriate.
A parent survey is forthcoming which will gather information on any changes in distance learning requests from parents and transportation intentions (i.e bus or bring your child to school). Distance learners at the middle school level will continue to have access to live streaming.
High School
Like the elementary and middle school levels, the Staples team has also developed plans for an increase in on-site schooling for students. However, given our tragic loss last week and the impact on the school of working with students to process the events at the nation’s capital, for good reasons, the Staples plans are a week or so behind schedule. In full candor, my expectation last week was that the Staples team would fasten their attention to the work of supporting students and staff as a result of a heartbreaking loss to the school community.
That said, it is expected that these plans will be reviewed and considered for implementation in the coming weeks. The perhaps less obvious effects of the pandemic (social/emotional, psychological) have hit our high school population particularly hard and we have an obligation to respond. I am confident that we will.
The Unintended Consequences
Along with perhaps lessening the negative academic, social/emotional and psychological effects of the pandemic on our students, there will be some unintended consequences. With more students on site it is very likely that we will see increased numbers of students and staff recommended to quarantine in light of being considered a close contact to a positive case.
Additionally, it is also likely that in some instances, a full, temporary school closure might be warranted in response to a positive case that includes many close contacts. Staffing our schools has been a challenge and that challenge has the potential to grow during full on-site schooling.
We expect an increase in the number of distance learners as this has been the case with our regional peers. Districts in the region that have successfully transitioned to full on-site schooling have reported a 5%-10% increase in distance learners at the outset of implementing full on-site schooling.
Finally, our buses will likely see more students on board. Vigilance in mask wearing on our buses, and in all settings will be critical to our continued success.
Final Note
As I shared on December 22, given the performance of public schools across the state, and here in Westport, I am confident that our resilience will continue to maintain high levels of safety for staff and students. It is clear that with continued vigilance in mask wearing, schools can remain resilient while serving more on-site learners safely. Of course, for this school year all parents will be afforded the right to distance learning for their child.
Communication throughout the system will be essential to making appropriate changes as necessary. We will continue to monitor our performance and the effectiveness of our safety measures. In response, we reserve the right to make programmatic adjustments along the way.
You can expect building principals to follow up with families in the coming days as we prepare for this change in learning models.
Sincerely,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Writer Stacie M. Waldman is a mother of two and a former Westchester resident who now lives in Westport, CT.
Paulin Honors Heathcote as a Blue Ribbon School
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Among news of COVID testing, quarantines and remote learning, comes something to celebrate. Heathcote Elementary School was named a 2020 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. On Friday January 15, educators and parents gathered outside the school to receive a proclamation noting this achievement from the office of State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin.
Above see a photo of school administrators and PTA leaders celebrating this honor. From left to right, find, PTA President-Elect Carrie Parker, Assistant Principal Katherine de la Garza, Principal Maria Stiles, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, PTA Prresident Jessice Rosenberg and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Edgar McIntosh.
Heathcote was among four Westchester Schools who were honored in 2020, including Byram Hills High School, Dobbs Ferry High School and Dows Lane Elementary School in Irvington.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes outstanding public and non-public schools, celebrating school excellence, turnaround stories, and closing subgroup achievement gaps. The program recognizes public schools including charter schools, magnet/choice schools, Title I schools, and non-public schools including parochial and independent schools. They are urban, suburban, and rural, large and small, traditional and innovative, and serve students of every social, economic, and ethnic background.
Why Heathcote Elementary School? According to the Blue Ribbon website, "Heathcote School was a model of the modern campus-style that was coming into vogue when McCall's magazine gave it national coverage in 1955. It was built as a translation of educational theory into architecture, based on a humanist approach. Constructed on a rolling hilltop of twenty-two acres, Heathcote dramatizes an indoor/outdoor relationship. Heathcote's unique features begin with a one-level structure that provides grade-specific classroom clusters with a little-schoolhouse atmosphere."
"Programs such as Peer Mediation, STEAM-Maker Space, Circle of Friends, and Citizens of the Week, foster our students' abilities to independently, think, question, and reflect. Heathcote strives to create a nurturing and safe learning environment where all students are free to take risks. We endeavor to promote an understanding and respect for diversity.
Heathcote has a very active parent body that supports such programs as Learning to Look, Artist in Residency, School Play, and After-School Programs. Our students make use of the natural beauty and opportunity offered by our grounds to enrich their academic pursuits. Grades K-5 participates in our gardening program, which enriches our math, science, and social studies curriculum with hands-on garden to table experiences. Love of learning inspires Heathcote's ultimate goal of creating a community of lifelong learners, who are independent, critical thinkers with a social conscience."
Vote By Mail for the School Board Nominating Committee
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Candidates To Run For The 2021 SBNC Election Year
The 2021 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election will take place on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. For the safety of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, this election will take place by mail-in ballot only. Ballots are available two ways:
● by download from the SBNC website (https://scarsdalesbnc.com/), or
● a hard copy ballot may be picked up at Scarsdale Village Hall or the Scarsdale Public Library (54 Olmsted Road) when open.
Residents who are unable to access a ballot by either of these methods may contact the SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair, Kathy Gray, by email at kgrayclapp@aol.com for assistance.
Any resident of the School District may vote who is (i) a US citizen; (ii) 18 years of age or older; and (iii) a resident of the School District for 30 days prior to the election. Completed mail-in ballots must be sent by mail to: SBNC Election Chair, PO Box 172H, Scarsdale, NY 10583. Ballots must be received in the SBNC PO Box at the Golden Horseshoe post office no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. For more information about the SBNC, please visit https://scarsdalesbnc.com/.
Listed below are the candidates from each neighborhood along with their biographies.
EDGEWOOD
ALAN MEIZLIK: 262 Nelson Road
Length of Residence: 12 years
Occupation: Sales Executive Leader, Janssen, a Division of Johnson & Johnson
Education: Temple University (MBA, Healthcare Administration); State University of New York at Buffalo (BA, Health and Human Services); Scarsdale High School
Children’s ages: 14, 12
Civic Activities: Supported Edgewood Fairs for over 8 years; Wrestling support coach (2014-2018); Little League baseball/softball coach (2012-2019); Tour De Cure Team Leader / diabetes fundraiser (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007); Board member, Country Club Ridge Residential complex (2003-2004); Big Brother program in New York City (2001/2002); Helped 9/11 rescue effort by cooking meals at Ground Zero (September 2001)
VALERIE PHILLIPS: 267 Madison Road
Occupation: Attorney and Legal Recruiter
Education: Cornell Law School (J.D. with concentration in advocacy); Brown University (AB with honors)
Length of Residence: 7 years
Children’s ages: 12, 9
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Buddies Initiative – Co-Founder (August 2020 – present); Scarsdale Middle School PTA – Volunteer (2019 – present), House Parent (Fall 2020 – present); Girl Scout Troop 273 – Parent Volunteer (2015 – present), Co-Troop Leader (2019 - present); Junior League of Central Westchester – Member (2014 – present), Board of Directors (2016-2020), President (2019-2020), Advisor (2020 - present); Edgewood PTA – Member (2013 – present), Class Parent and Co-Chair of numerous committees (2014 - present); New York Blood Center – Blood Donor (2016 – present)
CHRISTINE WESTON: 26 Taunton Road
Length of Residence: 10 years
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Parent
Education: Bank Street College of Education (MA, Elementary Education and Literacy); Vassar College (BA, Psychology)
Children’s ages: 12, 9
Civic Activities: Member of Crane Berkley neighborhood board, serving as Secretary and Vice President (2010-present); SMS House parent (2020-2021); Compact Committee to help plan Edgewood Centennial events (2018-2019); Chair, Edgewood Fair (2017); Secretary, Edgewood PTA (2014-2016); Edgewood Class parent: 2013-2020
FOX MEADOW
ZACHARY Z. ALTSCHULER: 17 Hampton Road
Occupation: Investment Management
Education: Columbia University (JD/MBA); Yale University (B.A.)
Length of Residence: 4 years
Children’s ages: 9, 7, 7
Civic Activities: FM Rec Basketball Chair (2019)
LAUREN KITAIN: 11 Butler Road
Occupation: Stay-at-Home Parent (2014-Present); Technical Recruiter at Google (2004-2014);
Education: Cornell University (BS, Industrial & Labor Relations); Scarsdale High School
Length of Residence: 28 years (1984-2004, 2012-Present)
Children’s ages: 6, 3
Civic Activities: Fox Meadow Class Parent (2019-2021); Fox Meadow Community Service Committee (2020-Present)
HEATHER MALLOW: 49 Brite Avenue
Occupation: Currently Stay-at-Home Parent; Associate Director, Bear Stearns (1997-2003); Speechwriter, MetLife (1995-1997); Defense Contractor/Speechwriter, JIL Information Systems (1993-1995)
Education: George Washington University (M.A., International Affairs); Brown University (A.B., Political Science)
Length of Residence: 9 years
Children’s ages: 18, 14
Civic Activities: Volunteer, SHS College and Career Center (2016-present); Co-Chair, SMS Pizza Lunch Committee (2017-2018); Co-Chair, Fox Meadow Pizza Lunch Committee (2012-2017); Vice President, Fox Meadow Executive Board (2014-2015); Co-Chair, Fox Meadow Walking School Bus (2012-2014); Other committees at Fox Meadow Elementary School: Class Rep, Tour Guide, Colonial Fair, School Play, Fifth Grade Activities
GREENACRES
DAVID FENIGSTEIN: 6 Brayton Road
Occupation: Vice President Data Governance - Fidelity Investments
Education: Syracuse University (BA, Economics)
Length of Residence: 15 years
Children’s ages: 14, 13
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Forum Member (2012-Present); Greenacres Rec Basketball Coach (2015-2017)
KATHY STAHLER: 9 Eton Road
Occupation: Currently self-employed; formerly employed in advertising industry (20 years)
Education: University of Pennsylvania (BA, double major in History and Sociology); Riverdale Country School
Length of Residence: 11 years
Children’s ages: 11, 9
Civic Activities: Greenacres PTA Exec. Board, Communications Chair (2016-present); Middle School Sports Swap Liaison (2020); Greenacres Book Fair Chair (2020); Greenacres Play Chair (2019); Greenacres PTA Nominating Committee (2019)
JENNIFER D. TEIGMAN: 26 Rugby Lane
Occupation: Special Education Attorney at Law Offices of Neal H. Rosenberg
Education: Syracuse College of Law (J.D.), Drexel University (M.S., Biomedical Science); Muhlenberg College (B.S., Biology and Computer Science)
Length of Residence: 8 years
Children’s ages: 6, 4
Civic Activities: PTO Co-Chair, Temple Israel Center’s Preschool (2017-2019)
HEATHCOTE
LAUREN HAMMER BRESLOW: 11 Richbell Road
Occupation: Attorney & Nonprofit Executive
Education: Harvard Law School (JD); Harvard School of Public Health (MPH); Harvard College (BA)
Length of Residence: 7 years
Children’s ages: 14, 11
Civic Activities: Pro Bono Attorney, Legal Services of Hudson Valley, Housing Unit; Pro Bono Attorney, Promise of Justice Initiative, Jim Crow Juries Project; Care Call Volunteer, Westchester Jewish Community Services; Foundation Representative, Damon Runyon-Sohn Pediatric Cancer Research Award; Former Board Member, Advocates for Children of New York
JENNIFER GOLDFARB: 44 Colby Lane
Occupation: Real Estate Broker, Compass Real Estate
Education: Yeshiva University Cardozo Law School (JD); Emory University (BBA);
Scarsdale High School
Length of Residence: 11 years
Children’s ages: 12, 10, 8, 4
Civic Activities: Co-President, Murray Hill Middle Heathcote Neighborhood Association; Member of Heathcote PTA; Member, Heathcote PTA Nominating Committee; Member, JLL Task Force, Westchester Reform Temple
QUAKER RIDGE
JONATHAN CHASSIN: 18 Magnolia Road
Occupation: Investment Banking
Education: University of Rochester (Dual BA, Economics and Political Science); City Honors School, Buffalo NY (International Baccalaureate Graduate, Full IB Program)
Length of Residence: 2 years
Children’s ages: 10, 6
Civic Activities: U. of Rochester New York New Leaders Regional Cabinet (2016-Present); U. of Rochester George Eastman Circle (2011-Present); U. of Rochester Fraternity and Sorority Alumnae Council (2008-15); Member of AIPAC, the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council and Mortgage Bankers Association
STEPHANIE ISRAEL: 64 Stratton Road
Occupation: Chief People Officer and General Counsel, CrossBorder Solutions (software co.)
Education: Benjamin Cardozo School of Law (JD); New York University (BA)
Length of Residence: 12 years
Children’s ages: 12, 11
Civic Activities: House Parent, Scarsdale Middle School; Class Parent, Quaker Ridge (multiple years and classes); Spirit Committee Lead, Quaker Ridge (multiple years); Class Parent, Little School (multiple years and classes)
STACEY STRAUSS: 85 Penn Road
Occupation: Sales, Wealth Management
Education: Cornell University (BS, Biometry and Statistics)
Length of Residence: 4 years
Children’s ages: 9, 7, 4
Civic Activities: West Quaker Ridge Neighborhood Association, Treasurer; Quaker Ridge PTA Nominating Committee (2019-2020); Quaker Ridge PTA Volunteer (Book Fair; Learning to Look); Scarsdale Forum Member; Cornell University, Alumni Fundraising Effort
MAURI ZEMACHSON: 7 Harvest Drive
Occupation: Program Director the Chotin Foundation/ Professional Organizer
Education: New York University (M.A.); Syracuse University (B.S.)
Length of Residence: 8 years
Children’s ages: 15, 13, 11
Civic Activities: Chair of the Board, Scarsdale Women’s Campaign - UJA (2017 – Present); Member, National Young Leaders Cabinet - JFNA (2015-Present); Women in Leadership Council – BBYO (Present); Run the West Quaker Ridge/Heathcote Private Bus for QRS/SMS (2016-present); Member, Quaker Ridge Compact Committee (2015/16 and 2017/18)
About the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC)
The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is a committee of citizens elected from across the Village for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education. Members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee and two additional years on the Administrative Committee.
The Administrative Committee would like to encourage all Scarsdale residents to support the SBNC by voting in local elections, considering a candidacy, and making a contribution. The SBNC Administrative Committee runs the annual SBNC elections financed entirely by community support. Any contribution is greatly appreciated.
● Contributions may be made via PayPal online at https://scarsdalesbnc.com/please-donate/
● Checks may be made payable to the SBNC Administrative Committee and mailed to P.O. BOX 172H, SCARSDALE, NY 10583
SBNC Continuing Members
Edgewood: David Benderson, Amy Schiff (Term Ends 2021); Cecilia Anon-Kowalski, Prem Itharat (Term Ends 2022)
Fox Meadow: Laura Gelblum, Seema Jaggi (Term Ends 2021); Swapna Kanekar, Jonathan Lemle (Term Ends 2022)
Greenacres: Jennifer Fischer, Xue Su (Term Ends 2021); Deborah Jeanne Skolnik, Cindy S. Yau (Term Ends 2022)
Heathcote: “Laura” Ying Liu, Chris Marks (Term Ends 2021); Curtis Parker, “Claire” Yin Yang (Term Ends 2022)
Quaker Ridge: Ekta Sahni (Term Ends 2021); Susi D’ambra Coplan, Purnima Srivastava (Term Ends 2022)
2020/2021 SBNC Administrative Members
Sarah E. Bell (SNAP Representative); Ruth Berkowitz, Election Vice Chair (EW); Felicia Block, Resolution Chair (EW); Colleen Brown (QR); Todd Cohen, Resolution Vice Chair (GA); Jordan Copeland (EW); Randi Culang (SNAP Representative); Timothy Dunne (EW); Kathleen Gray, Election Chair (GA); Nikki Hahn, SBNC Chair (QR); Kerry Hayes, SBNC Vice Chair (HE); Brian Hirsch (SNAP Representative); Tao (Jennifer) Hong (FM); Marisa Jackson (QR); Stacey Kaufman, Treasurer (QR); Amy Lewis (GA); Jing Li (HE); Emmanouil (Manos) Makrakis (HE); Elizabeth Massey (EW)
For additional information, please contact Kathy Gray, SBNC Election Chair, at kgrayclapp@aol.com.
Letter to the School Board and Administration: In the Midst of Mayhem, Planning for Better School Days
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- Written by Diane Greenwald
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This letter was written by Scarsdale resident and parent Diane Greenwald:
It’s been nearly a year of school disruption, but with the vaccination comes a glimmer of hope for more normalcy. I admit it’s hard to imagine, but we should still plan for better days ahead. Scarsdale School District should be carefully assessing pandemic-related issues, anticipating that our teachers will need resources to face future challenges. The teachers’ contract is open for negotiation and it’s budget season, so we have an opportunity right now to ensure that funds are available to pay teachers for summer work and make professional development available and mandatory for all faculty.
Like many parents, I wonder how covid-19 has impacted student learning and child/teen development. So much has been derailed, but likely not in clear-cut ways. Scarsdale faculty members have described themselves as first year teachers this year, facing unprecedented re-working of their teaching techniques. We see evidence of their very hard work and we are a grateful community. We are also realistic. While students are resilient, there is sure to be a cost for the significant reduction of school hours, the elimination of most extra-curricular activities, and the reliance on virtual learning platforms and more self-directed assignments. And we are not yet out of the woods.
I am hopeful that the District will soon explain how vaccination rates will change protocols, ideally in dialogue with local public health experts. But even if the District is able to increase in-person learning later this the spring, it will not make up for the lost experiences. Students will come into new grades next year in different places -- different from each other and also different from ever before. I am hopeful that our insightful faculty can help us set our expectations because next year, teachers may feel like first year teachers all over again. The Administration must plan for this inevitable situation.
Last September, we were all reminded that teachers have a 10-month contract, which impacted the District’s ability to start school ready for students. Teachers currently require school-time hours on Wednesdays for planning and the District used most of September for a staggered ramp up. This is unsustainable.
Last July, Scarsdale entered into an unusual one-year contract with the STA. With the teacher contract available for re-negotiation and the budget cycle begun, the Board has an opportunity to consider our needs anew. They can look at funding more planning time for teachers that won’t impact instructional time, like over the summer, when faculty can collaborate and share the challenges and successes of the previous three semesters. The faculty may need time to adjust subject learning that spirals from grade to grade and to discuss impacts to socio-emotional development, with coordination across grades.
Basically, the questions are: how will Scarsdale be ready to meet each child where they are and is there support among taxpayers for investment into school planning work? I encourage the Board to reach out to parents now to understand priorities, and help the administration align community expectations with available resources. Scarsdale commissioned a report from an outside consultant who conducted focus groups and took a survey. Though it was a tight scope, there are some high-level suggestions for improvements, particularly around transparency and communications. How is the report being addressed and are focus groups needed again?
Even with significant stresses on our schools right now, I hope the District will focus forward as well. We all have fatigue but infused with hope, honest reckonings might inspire understanding, buy-in, and positive outcomes for our children attending this leading school system.
High Levels of Lead Detected in Some School District Sinks
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Water testing done in October 2020 at the Scarsdale Schools reveals that lead levels are too high in some outlets at all the schools, requiring lead filters or signage warning against drinking the water.
The NYS Department of Health requires that action be taken when the lead levels are above 15 parts per billion, which translates to 15 micrograms per liter. At Scarsdale Middle School, where legionella bacteria was found in the water in September, water in 25 outlets was found to exceed acceptable levels, with one sink measuring 528 ppb, 35 times the acceptable level. Sinks in the Cooper House, Butler House, Popham House and Fountain House lunchrooms all tested too high, signaling that this water was not acceptable for cooking and cleaning. In one sink in the Butler Cafeteria, the level was measured at 88.7.
The prolonged closure of schools due to COVID increased the risk to the water system. In September, legionella bacteria was found in the water at Quaker Ridge School and the middle school. After the legionella finding in September, the district installed UV/lead water bottle filling stations in the school and all of these have safe drinking water.
In response to the most recent lead test results, outlets with lead levels above the action level were removed from service, except sinks for handwashing. On those sinks, signage is posted to warn against drinking the water. All sinks, other than bathroom sinks, will have a lead filter installed. You can see the report on the Middle School here:
At the high school ten outlets with excessive lead were located, including a sink in Room 288 with a reading of 6,880. Again, lead filters were installed in some sinks and signage was installed in bathroom sinks warning against drinking the water.
At the elementary schools, 3 sinks measured high at Edgewood, (one at 675), 5 at Fox Meadow, 3 at Heathcote, 2 at Quaker Ridge and 6 outlets at Greenacres, which recently underwent a complete renovation. However, the water pipes were not replaced in the old portion of the school. See the reports here: So what’s the upshot? Should parents be concerned?
Dr. Darlene LeFrancois Haber, a Scarsdale resident and a physician with expertise in internal medicine at Montefiore Hospital said, “In terms of your question regarding safe and acceptable lead levels in water, the answer is discordant. In terms of the Scarsdale school levels, clearly there are some very elevated concentrations of lead in the reported water sources, with the most concerning elevations coming from the Middle School lunchroom kitchen sink faucets, assuming that water is the only source consumed?
What is considered "safe", or per the EPA the "maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG)", for lead in drinking water is zero. These non-enforceable health goals are based on health risks and were set in response to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 which required the EPA to determine the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur with an adequate margin of safety. EPA has set this level based on the best available science which shows there is no safe level of exposure to lead. Lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bioaccumulate in the body over time.
According to the EPA lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures.
In contrast to the MCLG, in terms of what levels are "actionable", the EPA action level for lead in water is 15 parts per billion (ppb) although this is not a health-based standard but one that is based upon data for the feasibility to achieve the level. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that this number should be much lower and recommends 1 ppb in schools. The EPA is in the process of reviewing and revising the Lead and Copper Rule (a treatment technique regulation requiring water systems to control the corrosivity of water); however, it is unknown when, or if, a completion date can be anticipated.
EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead. Exposure to lead in drinking water above 15 ppb (the Guideline for Canadian Drinking Water Quality maximum acceptable concentration for lead is 10 ppb) can result in delays in physical and mental development, along with slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Children ages six and under are at the greatest risk because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults and because they are at higher risk of exposure from contaminated water due to the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size.
Fortunately human skin does not absorb lead in water so washing in contaminated water should be safe. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central nervous system, yielding forgetfulness, lower IQs, inattention and learning disabilities, peripheral nervous system impairments causing weakness and decreased dexterity, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells causing anemia and altered immune system function. There is a future risk of osteoporosis in exposed children.
Scarsdale school test results revealed water samples at the Middle School with levels 35-fold greater than the EPA's action level of 15 ppb, at the High School 450-fold, and at Greenacres Elementary 15-fold higher than this standard. Of these schools, of particular concern to me is the Middle School kitchen sink taps in the Cooper, Butler, Popham, and Fountain lunchrooms, where (I imagine) the water may have been consumed.
If any parent is concerned regarding their child's exposure to lead, I suggest they notify their pediatrician and have their child tested."
Attorney Thomas P. Giuffra is a Greenacres resident and a partner at Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo and Plotkin LLLP who specializes in lead litigtaion and medical malpractice. He agreed with Dr. Haber explaining, “The EPA has set drinking water standards in which anything exceeding 15 ppb constitutes an action level. An action level is the level for enforcement. Any finding in excess of 15 ppb would be a violation of EPA guidelines. Lead is particularly harmful to younger children as they have developing brains and lead is particularly harmful to children. The risk to adults is significantly less. Lead poisoning is defined as a blood lead level of 5 mcg/dl in a child. While it has been determined that no lead level is free of risk, a level below 5 mcg/dl is considered acceptable.
Lead in drinking water is different than lead based paint for obvious reasons, it must be intentionally put into the body as opposed to lead dust that can be ingested simply by breathing. Lead in drinking water can be controlled much more easily by simply taking the source out of service or installing filters to remove lead from the water. Water is delivered lead free in our area. But many older structures still have lead pipes and lead soldered plumbing. When travelling through these types of plumbing systems, lead can be absorbed by water.
Lead solder was not banned until 1988, so there are many buildings that have plumbing systems containing lead.
In reviewing the reports for Greenacres, it is very clear that there are significant issues with the two bathroom sinks which have levels of 217ppb and 134ppb. They are located in areas where the ingestion of water cannot be controlled like in a classroom. Those sinks should be taken out of service immediately as the levels are very high and filters should be installed.
The bigger problem that I see is in the middle school. Many of the kitchen faucets have very high lead levels. This is concerning because if food and utensils are prepared using this water, they can become contaminated by lead and ingested. Obviously, this could potentially be harmful. However, middle school students are less at risk to the dangers of lead than elementary age children. However, I do wonder why lunchroom faucets were not tested before now, particularly if they are being utilized for food preparation. The obvious first locations to inspect would be those areas which have the highest risk of ingestion such as water fountains and sinks utilized for food preparation.
The District has properly removed non-conforming sinks, with the exception of bathroom sinks, from service until a lead filter is installed. This partially solves the problem. However, I do not agree with the proposal to not install filters on those sinks located in bathrooms and simply relying on a sign telling kids that the water is not for drinking. A sign is not an adequate solution, particularly in schools that have very young children in its population.
In dealing with lead hazards, rule one is to eliminate the risk of exposure. The only way to safely eliminate the risk of ingestion of lead is to put a filter on every non-conforming sink."
Lead levels in water sources at Scarsdale Middle School
