Newly Tenured Teachers and Administrators Honored At Board Meeting
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- Category: The Goods
High School Tenured Teachers with Board President Bill Natbony
Proud teachers, administrators and their families came to the Board of Education meeting on Monday night May 7 to celebrate the granting of tenure to 16 district teachers and administrators. Board President Bill Natbony explained that the tenure process is taken very seriously, and recommendations reflect high quality work, drive, and achievement. He also noted that many candidates this year were administrators, who should also be thanked.
Dr. Hagerman gave a brief history of tenure at Scarsdale, which was first implemented in 1909 as a way to protect teachers' jobs. Prior to its implementation, board officers could dismiss an entire faculty of teachers. He also noted that the tenure process sets high expectations and that tenure is attained and not obtained.
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Drew Patrick gave a detailed look into the tenure process. Teachers and faculty are given a probationary period of employment where they are monitored and measured against standards of performance. Using the Charlotte-Danielson Framework for teachers and other proven standard for administrators, teachers and faculty undergo multiple clinical observations which are elaborated in written reports and reflections. There are also drop in observations, and both formal and informal mentoring. Candidates create portfolios of their work, and all of these components, along with feedback from other members of the school community, are considered in the decision to grant tenure. He said, “We believe that the rigors of the tenure process are commensurate with the importance of that achievement”.
Middle School Tenured Teachers with Bill Natbony
Before presenting each candidate with a flower and a handshake, Patrick read some reflections from the candidates regarding their teaching and growth. When asked why he/she taught, one candidate responded “I teach because I hope to shape lives and to change how my students feel about learning … It is not about students remembering specific lessons or trips we have gone on … it’s about the way they’re thinking has changed since they have been in my class. I aim to build intrinsically motivated, self-sufficient learners who will be successful in whatever path they choose.” On growth, one candidate said that “Working alongside so many talented and knowledgeable colleagues has undoubtedly contributed the most to my professional growth. I’ve been fortunate to work with an amazing team of teachers who not only supported me in countless ways, but have shared their ideas and approaches to specific lessons, projects, and ways to best differentiate the needs of my own students”.
The board congratulated the newest teachers and administrators who were granted tenure.
Here’s the list of the district’s newest tenured teachers:
Heathcote:
5th grade Teacher Ashley Cooper
3rd grade Teacher Lisa DeGrazia
World Language Teacher Shaun Johnson
1st grade Teacher Deborah Rubin
Greenacres:
3rd grade Teacher Jaime Deppert
Quaker Ridge:
1st Grade Teacher Lauren Adler
Special Education Teacher Zulmira Muzzio
Scarsdale Middle School:
Social Studies Teacher William Maldarelli
House Counselor Emma Wixted
Scarsdale High School:
Special Education Teacher Cara Kopatz
Science Teacher Dylan Prendergast
Administrators:
Quaker Ridge Principal Felix Gil
Director of Instructional Technology Jerry Crisci
Assistant Superintendent for Business Stewart Mattey
Director of Physical Education, Health, and Fitness Raymondo Pappalardi
Elementary School Tenured TeachersAll but Raymondo Pappalardi received tenure unanimously. Before passing on the motion, board member Nina Cannon said, “I do not support tenure for Mr. Pappalardi at this time. I would prefer a fifth probationary year”. This forced Mr. Pappalardi’s tenure status to be decided by vote. When taken to ballot, Mr. Pappalardi was awarded tenure on a 6-1 vote.
Also recognized that night were new teachers and administrators who will be joining the district next year, including Edgar McIntosh, who will succeed Lynne Shain as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. Mr. McIntosh currently serves as the Director of Instruction and Human Resources at Briarcliff Manor.
Photo credit Vicki Presser.
Library Offers a Range of Virtual Resources to Cardholders
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Plans for the new library are full steam ahead with the announcement that the campaign has met – and exceeded – their goals. That means that the Scarsdale Library will soon move to the “Library Loft,” their temporary quarters at Supply Field. And while there won’t be as much physical space for the public, the library has beefed up the range of digital resources library cardholders can access virtually.
Here’s an impressive list of online resources for virtual access to books, audio books, movies, magazines, graphic novels and comic books, music and lots more. Even more content is to come – on May 1, patrons will also be able to access Acorn Television! Stay tuned.
Some of this content is free and for others, all you need is your library card number and password, which in most cases is the last four digits of your home phone.
Here is the link to the page on the Scarsdale Library website with all the resources:
Recorded Books is the largest independent publisher of unabridged audiobooks and a key provider of digital content to the library and school market. Book and audiobook titles from major publishing houses are distributed along with exclusive audiobook titles produced by Recorded Books and narrated by professional, award-winning actors.
With Kanopy watch over 30,000 documentaries, classic and indie films. On Desktop, Mobile and Roku for students, professors and library patrons.
The Cloud Library offers E-books for all ages, available for use with the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android products, Kindle Fire and Windows PCs. Download the app, sign in with your library card and find your book. Features include bookmarking and notes and syncing on multiple devices. Click here to get started. A Scarsdale library card is required.
OverDrive is your main resource for downloadable library ebooks and audiobooks. Log in with your Scarsdale Library Card and get access to additional content available only to our patrons. The collection includes over 11,000 eBooks and over 3000 audio books.
Book Browse: The very best books entertain, engage and enlighten. They wrap us in their world, giving us a window into the lives of others or a mirror to reflect on ourselves. These are the books you’ll find on BookBrowse. BookBrowse offers reviews, “beyond the book” articles, recommended reading for book clubs, read-alikes, books by themes, author interviews and more. A Scarsdale library card is required.
Hoopla offers access to over a million titles in six different formats: Movies, TV, Music Albums, eAudiobooks, eBooks, and Comics/Graphic novels. You can check out 5 items a month and there is no waiting.
Zinio is now RB Digital. Please download the RB Digital App on your device to continue enjoying the same digital magazines, with no holds, no checkout periods and no limit to the number of magazines you can download. A Scarsdale library card is required.
Comics Plus is an online streaming service that provides access to thousands of digital graphic novels, comic books and manga. The catalog currently includes over 7,000 digital graphic novels, comic books and manga from over 80 major publishers catering to all ages and interests. Available genres include fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction, memoir, biographies, classical literature, mystery, horror, fantasy, romance, and, of course, superheroes.
Freegal is a downloadable music service that the Westchester Library System subscribes to. All you need to access the service is your Westchester Library card. Patrons now receive five weekly downloads and three hours of music streaming per day.
Total BooX lets WLS patrons read, share and discover books with no restrictions, no waiting lists and no tokens. *Please note that Total Boox is currently in beta*
With Google Books, search and preview millions of books from libraries and publishers worldwide using Google Book Search. Discover a new favorite or unearth an old classic.
Healthy Teen Brain Day on April 19 and a New Website and Social Media Presence for DATF
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
The Scarsdale Drug and Alcohol Task Force (DATF) will present Healthy Teen Brain Day at the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium on Thursday, April 19th from 2:45 to 6:00 PM. All students in grades 5 through 12 are encouraged to participate and parents welcome to attend.
A professional docent assisted by DATF high school volunteers will lead students on a tour through a mega inflatable brain. The docent will discuss the effects of alcohol, marijuana, nicotine and other drugs on brain function and mental, physical, cognitive and social health across the lifespan. An Escape the Vape Room, fun table activities, “foggles” substance use simulators, free food, information and a gift will be provided. Food will also be available for purchase to raise funds for a summer development program for DATF youth members.
Clinicians from White Plains Hospital will be present to answer questions and distribute information. The Scarsdale Police Department will be running a prescription drug take-back event. At 4:20 PM, elected officials will be issuing a proclamation citing April 19th as Healthy Teen Brain Day in Scarsdale.
A more formal program, including classroom curriculum on brain anatomy, function and development, will be presented to all seventh grade students in science classes on April 19th and 20th, with tours of the mega brain focusing on substance use prevention.
This event was made possible through a wide-ranging collaboration among many different sectors of the Scarsdale community; it has received in-kind support from the Middle School and its Science Department, as well as financial support from White Plains Hospital, Scarsdale Parks and Recreation Department, Maroon and White, and Scarsdale Rotary Club. Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Services and the Scarsdale Police Department also provided in-kind support .
The Drug and Alcohol Task Force are also expanding their online presence to reach a larger audience with more timely information about substance use and its effects on youth brain development and health. They believe that social media can present a biased view of substance use, glamorizing it or downplaying risks. Their goal is to be a resource for accurate information in order to redress some of these biases. They also hope to increase the ability of parents to discuss these issues with their children and youth to access and assimilate well researched information in order to make healthy choices to protect themselves now and into their futures.
These online media platforms will be used to communicate with youths, parents, and other interested groups, providing updated information regarding alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes and other substances and their health effects and risks.
Addresses for each site are:
Website: ScarsdaleDATF.com
Facebook: Scarsdale DrugAlcohol TaskForce
Instagram: DAFT_Scarsdale
Snap Chat: Scarsdale DATF
Twitter: @DATF_Scarsdale
You Tube: Scarsdale Drug & Alcohol Task Force
The Task Force strongly recommends that the community follow the DATF on social media and visit the DATF website in order to stay up-to-date on the latest DATF activities, become better educated about these substances and learn about prevention activities being conducted in Scarsdale.
LWVS To Hold Candidates Forum April 30 for Contested School Board Election
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale encourages informed and active participation of Scarsdale citizens in our local government and election process. This year, the Scarsdale School Board election is contested, and the League will host a Candidates Forum on Monday, April 30, 2018 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm in Rutherford Hall of Scarsdale Village Hall, 1001 Post Road. The three candidates for the upcoming School Board election, Woodrow Crouch, Pam Fuehrer, and Alison Singer, will be participating in the Candidates Forum. There are two open School Board seats involved in the election. Alison Singer is running unopposed for one Board seat, and SBNC candidate Woodrow Crouch and incumbent Pam Fuehrer are running opposed for the other Board seat.
We encourage all members of the public to attend the Candidates Forum to hear the candidates discuss issues and answer questions. Audience members will have an opportunity to contribute questions to be answered by the candidates. For those who cannot attend, the event will be recorded for playback on Scarsdale Public Access TV and SPTV video on demand.
The Scarsdale School Board election and School budget vote will take place on May 15, 2018 from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm at the Scarsdale Middle School Gym. All eligible voters are encouraged to vote.
For more information about the upcoming election, including voter registration, absentee ballot information, and voter eligibility, please visit the voter services page on the LWVS website at www.lwvs.org or the Scarsdale Board of Education voter information page here.
Over 400 Run in Snowy Conditions on Sunday
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Over 400 runners participated in races in Scarsdale organized by the Recreation Department on Sunday March 25. The races took place a week earlier than last year, and instead of spring weather, runners actually ran in the snow.
74 children participated in the fun run, 118 people ran the 15K and 202 ran the four mile race. The overall winner of the 15K race was Peter Brady with a time of 53:57 and the overall winner of the 4 mile race was Andrew Levy with a time of 23:13. The overall female winner of the 15K race was Rachel Levine Rilander with a time of 1:03:52 and the first female runner in the 4 mile race was Caroline Shannon with a time of 26:08.
The Recreation Department worked with the Scarsdale Police Department to close off roads and reroute traffic, with the Public Works Department to repair potholes to prevent injuries and SVAC to care for any who were injured.
We took a few photos of the runners warming up after they completed the course in the high school cafeteria.
(Pictured at left: Caroline Shannon and Andrew Levy)
Did you run? Please send your photos to scarsdalecomments@gmail.com to share below.
Elise Boucher placed second in the 4-mile run
Steve Gruber (4th Place Men 60-69) and Liz Gruber (1st Place Women 60-69)
The Dellacava Family - Nicole, second from right, placed 5th overall among females in the 4 mile run
Simone Wiener finished 4th (women's 40-49), Marcy Engel finished first (women's 50-59)
Pictured (left to right) Adam,Sydney,Rachel and Noah Rilander. Rachel was the first female runner in the 15K race.
Team WeRun
Team WeRun
This year more than twenty members of Team WeRun participated in the 48th Scarsdale 15K & 4M Runs. The team performed well, with three age group first places and one age group third place.
First Place, 15K M40-49, Shangyuan Luo, 00:58:38
Third Place, 15K M30-39, Wengang Ji, 01:03:55
Fourth Place, 15K M30-39, Meiliang Wu, 01:04:57
First Place, 15K F30-39, XiaoJuan Hu, 01:07:00
First Place, 4M F40-49, Hongwei Zhou, 00:31:23
The team practices regularly along the beautiful Bronx River Parkway trail on Saturday mornings. For more information, please contact Lisa Tan at lisatan@yahoo.com.
WeRun Winners
