Larry Brown: A Teacher to Remember
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Scarsdale students and staff were saddened to hear their beloved history teacher, Larry Brown, will be retiring this year after 14 years of teaching at SHS. Students who were in Mr. Brown's classes, consider themselves lucky to have spent the year enjoying his humor and kind personality. "Mr. Brown has the ability to make any subject he taught fun and exciting", stated Steven Berke, one of Brown's students.
Brown has spent his entire teaching career at Scarsdale High School. In fact, he never applied or interviewed at any other school. Brown explained his path to teaching, "I had sold my interest in a business. I was in my late 40's and my wife looked at me and said you're not staying home. Then the next day I went and signed up at Manhattanville to get my certification to teach. I ended up substituting here before I was even certified and while I was here, Mr. Harrison asked me if I wanted to do my student teaching here, under his guidance. A job opened while I was here student teaching which I filled for the rest of the year and when it opened permanently I applied". The SHS community feels lucky that Brown started and ended his teaching career here.
When I asked Larry if he thought that he would like teaching when he first started, he explained to me that he tried to have no expectations and kept an open mind about starting his new career. Brown explained that since he had already been working for 25 years before starting to teach, he was accustomed to the stress of work and did not have trouble with the pace of SHS. "I was certainly satisfied with teaching because you can't help but love the kids in this building. This is the beauty of teaching at Scarsdale. Your colleagues are unbelievable professional and wonderful to be around. The administration is incredibly helpful. The driving force; the beauty of teaching in this building are kids. These kids are remarkable to be around." After a few years of working at SHS Brown was offered an administrative position. "If I wanted to be in the admin world I would have never left business. I was running things, and then I wanted to be with the kids. I did not want to do anything that took me away from being in a classroom with kids". This sentiment displays Brown's outlook and personality as a teacher. Brown looks to make true connections with his students in and out of the classroom.
Mr. Brown plans on continuing his connections with his past and current students even after retirement. When I asked Larry about his plans after retirement, he told me about a charitable organization he is in the process of creating that involves past graduates from SHS. "I am looking to put together a community service organization that will connect with graduates from this building that now live in the area. I started that process of putting together a large network of kids who are graduates of Scarsdale who want to do community service but they don't have the time to organize it". Along with working on community service, Brown said he is involved in a couple business opportunities that will keep him occupied after retirement.
Mr. Brown finds it rewarding to watch students grow over the course of their four years at SHS. "You could tell the freshmen that Thomas Jefferson was black and they would compliantly write it in their notebook and make sure that they share that with you on the next test. And you could tell a senior that the sun is out on a bright day and they will fight with you for 49 minutes. That has been true from my beginning at Scarsdale High School through today. And I love both parts of that, watching the remarkable evolution that kids go through in this building over four years." Mr. Brown also noted that he has stayed in touch with many students who have already graduated. "Watching kids now who I had as juniors and seniors that are out of the building now is amazing. I am having dinner tonight with a student who graduated four years ago. Kids who weave their way through this community are incredible kids. I will be crying at graduation. I will be wearing sunglasses because I will be crying."
Sam Fisch, an SHS graduate who is close to Mr. Brown explained Brown's impact on his life,"Mr.Brown is in my books for being one of the most influential people that I have crossed paths with. He embraccs qualities that most of us can only wish to acquire in our life. As a teacher he attempts to influence those qualities onto his students. Larry pushes his students inside and outside of the classroom to go beyond what they think they can do. By, far, Brown was and still is the funniest, sincerest and most lovable guy I know."
Mr. Brown's emotional attachment to his students has made him an impactful teacher at Scarsdale High School and he will truly be missed.
A Glorious Tribute on Memorial Day
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- Written by Harvey Flisser
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Although organizers feared that rain would ruin the Memorial Day festivities, the day dawned bright and clear. The Scarsdale Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday May 30 were hosted by American Legion Post 52 Commander Thomas Adamo. The Master of Ceremonies was Robert T. Gillin, a retiree from the U.S. Navy and the Parade Marshall was John Steger.
The Scarsdale High School Band performed along the parade route. Jonny Turousky played "Taps". The invocation was given by Deacon Ted Gaskin, a WWII Marine Corps veteran. Other participants were the Scarsdale Police and Fire Departments, PBA Color Guard, the 56th National Guard Brigade, Scarsdale Boy and Cub Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Little League, Youth Soccer, Youth Hockey, Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Companies, SVAC, and Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution.
There was a dedication ceremony at the Scarsdale Memorial Garden honoring deceased members of Scarsdale American Legion Post 52 with a plaque presentation in tribute to Richard Limbacher by Admiral Nelson Heyer, another retiree from the U.S. Navy.
Photos and Text above by Harvey Flisser
We also received the photos below from the ceremony at Memorial Park that followed the parade:
SHS City 2.0 Students Transform Harlem Park
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This year, Maggie Favretti's City 2.0 class of 20 SHS seniors put words into action by planning the redesign and transformation of a park in Harlem's Renaissance Playground at 144th and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The class embarked on the project to create a space for the community, where Harlem families and children could enjoy plants and flowers, learn about, and play jazz and other kinds of music.
When the class traveled to the park to see where they would be working, they met with jazz musician and locally famous florist, Phil Young, along with a community advocate, Michael Allen. Young, Allen, Favretti and a group of Scarsdale High School students. They have made tremendous strides to create the reborn "Harlem Renaissance Jazz Garden".
I was fortunate enough to be a member of the City 2.0 class and help with the process of transforming the park into the Renaissance Jazz Garden. Once our team had made the initial contacts and put together a coalition of support, we had to address the Harlem community board and present our ideas to them. As a group, Ms. Favretti, four City 2.0 students (including myself), Michael Allen, and Phil Young met at the community board meeting to present our pitch for the new garden.
The community board meeting helped create the momentum that the project needed. Ms. Favretti elaborated on the importance of the board meeting and said, "Going to the community board was very helpful to us and informed us of what to do next. We need[ed] to first work with the park system to build support in the community; then the city government will respond to our project once there is a well organized community movement". The community board meeting was also attended by staff from the nearby schools who also committed their support to the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Garden. As the project continues to grow and progress, it is gaining more and more support. As of now, school officials from Harlem Village Academy, Harlem Children Zone Teen Center, the Police Department, and the City Parks Foundation have committed to help the Harlem Jazz Garden develop.
Based on online and in class research it was apparent that community organizing is the most important step in order to keep the project going. Creating a sustainable community base will allow us to receive the necessary signatures of support for the project.
In order to gain the community's support, the Harlem Renaissance Jazz Garden association is hosting "It's My Park Day" on May 21st to help build and fund the organization. Ms. Favretti described the event. "We will meet up with the school government kids from Harlem Renaissance Academy, and at least 20 community adult volunteers who have signed up for planting. Michael Allen has been working all week to clean everything up for the big day." As a group everyone is hoping that after this event, the organization will have enough support to get the necessary signatures in order to apply for a Capacity fund grant.
This Capacity fund grant will allow the group to create a website, receive donations, hire a publicist and pay for the programming of music in the park. Hopefully after the grant is submitted and reviewed, the city's park's department will take over and make further progress on the project.
The City 2.0 class focused on urban design and how to bring about beneficial change in a community. The class and the "Renaissance Jazz Garden" group has faced many challenges throughout the year. When I asked Ms. Favretti what motivates her to keep working on the Jazz Garden, she stated, "Trust, so the hardest thing and the best thing about community based design is trust. In order to build trust there has to be commitment. You have to be committed and once you show that you are committed then you are stuck. You have to be willing to get stuck". One of the hardest things we had to do was prove ourselves to the community and build trust with the community in Harlem we are working with. The class taught me the power of investing myself in an idea to create trust in the project and the wider community.
Scarsdale Students And Their Senior Options Internships
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Every year seniors at Scarsdale High School start their Senior Options programs in early May and begin the transition process out of the school and into the real world. Students end their classes and final tests at the end of April and then begin a 6 week long internship. According to the school website, the Senior Options program is "the culmination of students' careers at Scarsdale High School." Students enjoy ending their classes to begin more practical learning. The program allows students to apply to internships that interest them. Students are able to experience working in the real world, for many students for the first time. "The program allows students to extend the skills and knowledge that they have developed in school by applying them in areas of personal interest." Students and the community both benefit from the student's work programs. Many students work at local venues like restaurants in the village or real estate offices. Other students work in other towns or over state lines. Each student is assigned a faculty member to monitor their progress and what they've learned on the job. Students must keep time logs, signed by their internship employers, and hand them in each week to ensure accountability. "To ensure that this experience will be rigorous and worthwhile, seniors work closely with faculty members", states the Scarsdale website.
At a traditional internship the student works 30 hours a week, 5 days a week. The student chooses to 
intern in a field or category in which they may be interested in pursuing as a career. While some believe the students' senior year would be better completed in a classroom, most of the community supports the Senior Options program and rely on the students' help. Some interesting programs include working at an art gallery or working around horse stables. Scarsdale10583 profiled a couple Scarsdale students and their fascinating internships.
Cara Blumstein is working at Samuel Owen Gallery in Greenwich CT for her Senior Options project. Cara has always been passionate about art and found senior options to be the perfect opportunity to explore the art world. "I am really enjoying learning about both sides of the business of art, both the creative and the selling, as well as everything in between", explained Cara. While at the Gallery Cara performs a variety of tasks, both creative and professional. She is currently assisting in a line of art pieces created entirely out of folded paper butterflies. "At the studio, I sort, fold, and pin the paper butterflies that are cut from vintage comic books and decommissioned currency. Lee, my boss, then uses these butterflies to create large, colorful targets and stars, amongst other things", explained Cara of the art pieces pictured. "I also enter pieces of art into the cash register system and help with other administrative tasks", elaborated Cara. The whole process of creating the butterfly pieces and other art was surprisingly difficult and time consuming. "I was really surprised by how labor intensive creating the pieces is. A lot of contemporary artists use machines to streamline the creation process, but the butterfly pieces are truly handmade, start to finish" described Cara.
While she loves working at the gallery, the working world is new to Cara, like many other senior options students. "Commuting is definitely one of the less fun parts of Senior Options, but I try to pass the car rides by listening to podcasts", stated Cara. She explained that she has a newfound respect for her parents who have been commuting and working hard for years. She now better understands their lives. "I admire that my parents can fit in activities, like exercising or meeting up with friends, before and after work. I come home each day thoroughly exhausted!"
This internship has further inspired Cara to pursue art as a career. "I have always been interested in art, and this internship has only increased my excitement to enter the art world. I hope to pursue a career in the gallery or museum world, and I love working for the Samuel Owen Gallery team!" exclaimed Cara.
Steven Nicodemo is working the counter at the Provisions Bakery in Pelham for his Senior Options. So far he has been taught to work the register and take customer orders by the phone or in person. Steven says he enjoys working at this bakery especially because the bakery has a friendly-family environment. Steven said, "I do have an increased level of respect for my parents because I never realized what it was like to work a 9 to 5 job". So far Steven is enjoying his Senior Options experience and it has opened his mind to possibly considering this venue as a career option.
Mike Blank is working at City Hall for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mike explained what he has been doing "Recently I have been working a lot for the Chief of Staff of Intergovernmental Affairs, making an organized chart that details the hierarchy of everyone working within IGA as well as their contact information and position. I also have been helping her by scheduling interviews with multiple applicants for a high ranking job within the Department of Education" Mike's Senior Options sponsor is is the director of the Department of Education.
Mike has been able to see first hand the problems that his sponsor deals with. Mike explained, "he has been dealing with a charter school that wants to co-locate with a public school in Queens, a situation that has caused protests by parents from the public school. I have been conducting research on the public school for him".
Mike has also "worked for the Director of Social Services by creating a spreadsheet of the governmental representatives (Council Members, Assembly Members, State Senators, and Members of Congress) of the city's homeless shelters. Additionally, I have been helping the DC rep by contacting the offices of New York's congressmen and senators about public constituent events in NYC so that de Blasio can make appearances". Blank explained that he finds his senior options very enjoyable because he is passionate about the topics and issues he has faced in City Hall. He further explained that he enjoys being in City Hall because of the "cool architecture, paintings of political figures, and the demonstrations that happen outside of it fairly often and also the food outside of City Hall is also amazing". He is surprised to see how passionate government workers are about what they do. Mike said the experience has furthered his interest in going into politics and government as a career.
Lucas Tesler is working with groomers at Boulder Brook Stables in Scarsdale. Lucas described his main activities at his job saying, "I care for the horses, clean their stalls, put their saddles on, feed them, work around the barn." Lucas is also in charge of painting the polls that the horses jump over." Additionally I have been doing lots of painting. The horses do a lot of jumping over painted wooden polls and they get knocked and battered with use. I have been tasked with sanding and repainting these polls", explained Lucas. He does a lot of manual labor outside painting and working. He says this new experience has given him a "newfound respect for manual labor. It takes a lot of discipline and energy, and I am not nearly as good at simple tasks as the experienced guys. Believe it or not, there is a right way to sweep the floor." Lucas says that Senior Options has given him a new interest in horses, and he would like to take up riding at some point. He has enjoyed working with the groomers who work there and learning about their lives. "Every single groomer is an immigrant, they speak varying degrees of English. I have spoken to many of them about their personal lives and working at Boulder Brook has given me a new respect and insight into the lives of people who are members of a very different ethnic and socio-economic class than the one I'm used to".
SHS Says Farewell to Beloved Math Teacher Mr. Cappucci
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Scarsdale High School will say goodbye to a beloved math teacher Roger Cappucci who will retire at the end of this school year, after the completion of his 50th year at Scarsdale. Cappucci has been a school favorite for the entirety of his time at SHS. Cappucci teaches by the belief that math is an art form that needs to be worked on by a team. His engaging and interactive classes help his students fully grasp complicated math topics, while also forming bonds with him and each other.
Capucci grew up just a few miles from here but a world away from Scarsdale in Arthur Avenue in the Bronx with three other siblings and his italian immigrant parents. Early in his humble start at P.S 74 and then at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, he loved math and dealing with numbers. He graduated from Fordham University in 1957 and then began his first teaching job at Lincoln High School in Yonkers at just 21 years old. After a couple years at Lincoln he moved to New Rochelle High School, and then finally to Scarsdale High School.
Cappucci says that what he will miss the most at at Scarsdale High School are his many students. He references his 2015-16 B.C. Calculus class as one of his favorite classes of his teaching career. "It's been a real joy with [this year's B.C. Calculus class] because they're so good. They are so good and so giving and cooperative. And you can see it in their faces how they enjoy the learning experiences". B.C. Calculus is the highest level of math available at Scarsdale High School, and he is inspired by the level of determination and devotion that these students show each year. One of his B.C. Calculus students, Aditi Valada, spoke about his dedication to the class. "All of his students have grown very fondly of him and have gotten to know how much of an amazing teacher he is". Another B.C. Calculus student, Stephanie Strek, also praised Mr. Cappucci's dedication. "This class has been pretty tough for all of us, but Cappucci really helped us come together as a class and work together to succeed". Cappucci inspires all of his students, no matter what level math class or level of ability. "Math hasn't always been the easiest subject for me but with Cappucci as my teacher this year I really excelled", said Jake Frishberg, a student in his Pre-Calculus level class.
Although Cappucci has maintained his enthusiasm for teaching over his many years at Scarsdale High School, he has observed many changes in the school. Most obviously, he has witnessed the implementation of widely new technological advances for teaching at Scarsdale. The introduction of graphing calculators, Smart Boards, and even online teacher pages have all changed the ways in which students gain and process information. Mr. Cappucci has also noticed more subtle changes in his students since his start in 1957. "I think they're under more pressure than they were years ago", stated Cappucci. He references the increased competition for grades and colleges for this change. He says that competition in the world today is, "so much more vigorous, and that translates to the pressures that the students have in the school". Although his students may be under more pressure, he hopes he has alleviated the increased competition by creating a welcoming class. "We are all under so much pressure with colleges, AP exams, and parents, but Cappucci makes an effort to make us all feel comfortable and relaxed in his classes. I looked forward to seeing him everyday!", said Strek.
After retiring, Cappucci plans to relax, "play lots of tennis", while continuing to tutor and teach those who are less fortunate. He says he will, "continue to teach and give of myself for those who are in need... to give of myself to them". Cappucci will leave a legacy in Scarsdale High School that will live on through all of his students, past and present. "His legacy has grown by the results of his students and their feelings toward him", praised Valada. "We will all miss you, Mr. Cappucci! Thank you for inspiring all of us", said Strek.
