56 Students Receive Academic Awards at SHS Ceremony
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On Wednesday, May 3rd, the Scarsdale community was proud to celebrate students who have demonstrated exemplary achievements, academic excellence, and service to the community at the 2023 annual Scarsdale High School Awards Ceremony. Principal Kenneth Bonamo delivered the night’s opening remarks and was delighted to honor and recognize students who have personified the school’s motto, non sibi—not for oneself alone. The students selected to receive awards personify this motto for the leadership positions that they have assumed within the community and their efforts to make the world a better place.
Awards were distributed by the leaders of Scarsdale High School’s academic departments in the following disciplines: English, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Music and Performing Arts, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages. Students were also recognized for demonstrating qualities valued by the Scarsdale community—kindness, compassion, and tenacity.
Dr. Karine Schaefer, the Department Chair of the English Department, was proud to distribute the Brown University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Audrey McGinn Creative Writing awards to those who have not only demonstrated a love of literature but also the ability to synthesize and communicate complex ideas and analyses with a degree of sophistication beyond their years. Dr. Schaefer distributed the Audrey McGinn Created Writing Award to Abby Ruth Michaelis, a gifted writer, and poet, who commands the attention of her readers through a striking sense of voice and with breath-taking turns of phrase. Michaelis recently drew inspiration from Frankenstein to write a ghost story that rivals the works of Mary Shelley and Lord Byron, capturing the complexities and vulnerabilities of human behavior.
Next, Dina Hofstetter and Debra Asher-Zitrin distributed the Excellence in Visual Arts 2D, Excellence in Visual Arts 3D, Media, Friends of Music & the Arts Elisa Draper Art History, and the Friends of the Music & the Arts Permanent Collection awards to students gifted with special enthusiasm and talent for the Fine Arts. The Elisa Draper Art History Award celebrates the memory of Elisa Draper, a fifth-grade teacher at Quaker Ridge Elementary School who touched the lives of hundreds and who is remembered as a cherished member of our community. Tobey Rosewater was the proud recipient of this award for his scholarship and budding enthusiasm for art history.
Ms. Asher-Zitrin and Elisa Forte, the District Coordinator of Music & Performing Arts, were thrilled to distribute the Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Music & Performing Arts Department, Friends of Music & the Arts Drama awards to several young, skilled, and devoted musicians for their outstanding commitments to the Music & Performing Arts and the Scarsdale community. The Orchestra Awards was given to Andre Couto, the Master of the Concert and Chamber ensembles. Couto recently performed at Lincoln Center, and his contribution to our community’s Music and Performing Arts programs has been inspiring.
Maureen Ellison-Connolly, the Department Chair of Mathematics, Computer Science, and STEAM, was delighted to recognize the achievements of the talented young men and women of this community who demonstrate tremendous creativity, superior problem-solving, and a deep appreciation for the beauty of mathematical thought. The Rensselaer Mathematics & Science, Technical Services, and Math Faculty awards were distributed to students who embodied these qualities. Leon Rhode received the Rensselaer Award for his participation in specialized quantum computing courses and outstanding performance at many mathematics competitions.
Nicole Pisano, the Department Chair of the Science Department, recognized the achievements of bright and creative students who demonstrated a commitment and passion to science and the ability to conduct cutting-edge research projects in their respective fields. Ms. Pisano awarded the Excellence in Science, Excellence in Research, Bausch & Lomb, and the Science Department Faculty awards to students who have exemplified these qualities and tirelessly strive to improve their understanding of the natural world. Cindy DeDianous was awarded the Excellence in Science award for not only her ability to think critically and draw connections between the realms of science but also for being our first finalist at Regeneron STS, a highly competitive and prestigious science research competition for her exemplary research on diabetic retinopathy, a condition that may result in vision loss and blindness in diabetic patients.
Following Ms. Pisano, Jen Maxwell, the Department Chair of the Social Studies department, awarded students who display a passion for social studies inside and outside of the classroom. Ms. Maxwell announced the Social Studies Achievement, Excellence in Social Studies, and Social Studies Faculty awards to diligent students, who bring perspectives and knowledge that enrich the learning experience of the classroom. Isabelle Goldban received the Social Studies Faculty award for her exemplary performance in multiple Social Studies electives, where she is always willing to take a contrarian position to challenge her peers to think critically.
Mary Leech, the Department Chair of the World Languages Department, distributed the French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, and World Languages Department awards to talented students who have demonstrated curiosity and mastery of language. These students not only rapidly engage with new content and synthesize eloquent and thought-provoking responses, but display a high regard for diversity, skills fundamental in today’s world. Amanda Nudelman received the Spanish Language Award for her mastery of the language, both written and spoken. Thomas DiLorenzo was given the Latin Award, not only for his easy and effortless use of the language but also for using his skills to contribute to the community. DiLorenzo has spent countless hours tutoring young, often disadvantaged students, in Latin for several years.
Finally, students demonstrating tenacity, kindness, and resilience were recognized for their contributions to the school and local community by various members of the Counseling Department and other prominent members of our community. Dean Iosepovici, Counseling Department Chair, gave the Counseling Department Award to Oleksandr Romanenko. Romanenko’s life was turned upside-down by the war in Ukraine, which forced him to flee his home and seek safety. He arrived alone at Scarsdale, where he is staying with family, and was recognized for his incredible strength, courage, and tenacity.
Mr. Bonamo closed the evening by recognizing two students who have offered great service to our community with diligence and distinction. Carly Gelles was the recipient of the Faculty Award for her thirst for knowledge and exemplary achievements, among them mastery of Spanish, Latin, Mandarin, and American Sign Language and outstanding performances in Speech and Debate. Over the summer, Gelles worked as a counselor at Gallaudet University, a private research university for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C. There, she taught children American Sign Language, and even received her own sign name, “Eyelashes.” Receiving a sign name is considered a gift and an honor and demonstrates acceptance into the Deaf community.
Varun Bansal, recipient of the Principal's Award Varun Bansal received the Principal’s Award for his contributions to the school and local community during his time serving as School President. According to Bonamo, Bansal was “compassionate, analytical, and energetic.” However, his reach extended far beyond the typical student leader role. Bansal pioneered the creation of the school’s team for the Wharton High School Investment Competition, founded the DECA club, and volunteers at a local community center, helping residents file their tax returns.
Below is a comprehensive list of the evening’s awards and recipients:
English
Brown University Award - Natasha Pereira
Harvard University Award - Sebastian A. Verrelli
Princeton University Award - Anna Mone
Audrey McGinn Creative Writing Award - Abby Ruth Michaelis
Fine Arts
Excellence in Visual Arts 2D Awards - Orly Iris Kornstein & Olivia Liu
Excellence in Visual Arts 3D Award - Anna L. Toscano
Media Award - Joseph M. DiMartino
Friends of Music & the Arts Elisa Draper Art History Award -Tobias Rosewater
Friends of Music & the Arts Permanent Collection Award - Leila E. M. Kerr
Mathematics
Rensselaer Mathematics & Science Award - Leon Rode
Technical Services Award - Andrew I. Lewis
Math Faculty Awards - Jackson Thomas Fielding & Matthew Zhao
Music & Performing Arts
Band Award - Isaac B. Wood
Chorus Award - Steven C. Su
Orchestra Award - Andre A. Tsou
Music & Performing Arts Department Award - Hyunjin Lee
Friends of Music & the Arts Drama Award - Eliot I. McClafferty
Science
Excellence in Science Award - Ali El Moselhy
Excellence in Research Award - Jaden V. Tepper
University of Rochester - Bausch & Lomb Award - Kevin Daniel
Science Department Faculty Awards - Cindy Y. DeDianous, Tyler H. Handler & Sebastian A. Verrelli
Social Studies
Social Studies Achievement Award - Ivanna O. Nwokeji
Excellence in Social Studies Awards - Jesse Green & Lana Weiser
Social Studies Faculty Awards - Isabelle J. Goldban & Daniel Rublin
World Languages
French Award - Hyunjin Lee
Latin Award - Thomas D. DiLorenzo
Mandarin Award - Estelle J. D’Alessio
Spanish Language Award - Amanda D. Nudelman
Spanish Literature Award - Mason Y. Lau
World Languages Department Award - Carly S. Gelles
School Wide Awards
Steve Corbin Academic Success Award - Nathaniel P. Lewis
Casey Ferrone Memorial Award - Elizabeth L. Wachs
Counseling Department Award - Oleksandr Romanenko
Junior Scholarship & Service Award - Maya Vora
Junior Academic Excellence Award - Nina Maor
Yale Book Award - Kyle Pidedjian
The Scarsdale Inquirer Awards - Jade D'Agostino & Irene Li
Judith E. Weil Kindness Award - Alexandra C. Schwartz
Scarsdale Rotary Club Awards - Jedd D. Frydman & Rose Kinoshita
Retired Scarsdale Teachers’ Association Award - Daniel Rublin
Scarsdale Foundation Award - Matthew L. Barotz
Michael V. McGill Book Award - Anushka Kumar
NYS Comptroller's Student Achievement Award - Sophia M. Garcia
NYS Office of the Attorney General “Triple C” Awards - Riley E. Iasiello & Nicole Y. Zhou
Dartmouth College Award - Yuval Cherki
Halliday Clark, Sr. Memorial Award - Sebastian A. Verrelli
Billy Safian Humanitarian Award - Anna F. Feldstein
Scarsdale High School Faculty Award - Carly S. Gelles
Principal’s Award - Varun Bansal
Student Teams Present Innovative Solutions at First Global Entrepreneurship Challenge
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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Heather WatersOnce again Scarsdale High School stands out as a vanguard in innovation and global education. On Friday April 28th, the SHS Design Lab and Steam Program hosted its first annual Global Entrepreneurship Challenge (GEC) inviting six other international teams to find solutions to universal problems that are experienced around the world.
The program, spearheaded by SHS teachers Heather Waters and Lisa Yokana, used the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which “provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” as inspiration and a framework for the student’s work. Using the seventeen sustainable goals as guidance, students were encouraged to find a local issue and work in a team to find realistic solutions. According to Waters and Yokana, the teams from each school met with one another throughout the problem-solving process to share their thoughts about the issues at hand, and to exchange local perspectives and cultural norms.
Also during the process, students were given the opportunity to pitch their solutions to an array of expert mentors (including U.N. representatives) for commentary and feedback before the final submission and presentation. These experts included:
Amir A. Dossal- President, Global Partnerships Forum- Distinguished Fellow, Health & Healthcare, World Economic Forum
Anna M. Polomska-Risler -Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development
Will Kennedy- Senior Program Officer, United Nations Office for Partnerships
Khalid Elachi- Executive Director of MCW Global Education in under resourced communities
Oliver Libby- The Resolution Project Entrepreneur
Joan Ai– Founder, Prepared Child- Co-Founder, Blanchard House Institute
Joan Dulitz- Teacher of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairment
Michelle Sterling- Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council-Sustainability Mentor
Ron Schulhof -Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council-Sustainability Mentor
Jonathan Hooper- Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment
Fast Fashion
The Austin Eco Bilingual School
First to present their idea to the audience, was The Austin Eco Bilingual School who traveled to Scarsdale all the way from Argentina. The team of six high school students began by detailing the problems with “fast fashion” and the detrimental impact it has on our environment. According to the team, fast fashion contributes to 10% of global co2 emissions, 85% of garbage, and 20% of global water pollution. Their solution was to create a program starting at their own school called Upcycle: Reduce Your Fashion Footprint. The team created an app that creates a centralized process and allows people to quickly and easily resell their used clothing. The team from Argentina had great success with their app and program at the Austin Eco Bilingual School and hope to expand it to the rest of their community and beyond.
Let’s Swap
Next to deliver their presentation was the Uccellis Team from Italy, who attended the event via Zoom. The Uccellis Team describe the problem they were trying to tackle by stating, “High school students don’t have enough academic support: supplies have a huge economic toll on them and their families and they aren’t very sustainable, the need for extra school tutoring courses adds to the economic impact.” To minimize this economic and environmental toll, the team from Italy created “Let’s Swap” a website that “improves quality education by sustainably providing and facilitating academic support exchanges between high school students.” The website allows students to connect with other students and communicate about what they would like to exchange. The website provides users with a variety of options including school supplies, textbooks, tutoring, and other miscellaneous materials. In closing, the team shared that they hope to “provide all students with the opportunity to learn and to have access to books and online tutoring.”
Ron Schulhof providing praise and feedback to the teamsAlways There
The BPK Penabur Team, from Indonesia, also joined the event via Zoom. This team created an app to provide users with various safety features that coordinate to emergency services wherever they happen to be in the world. They named the app Artemis, which the team related means “Always There” in ancient Greek. The App, which can be used in several different languages, includes components like maps and tracking services, emergency numbers for whichever country you are in, important news headlines, and online education to teach users safety techniques and self-defense. Artemis was designed to help prevent abductions so in addition to tracking services and links to call local emergency services, users can fill out a missing person report right in the app.
Heartbeat in a Box
The Bolles School from Jacksonville, FL., also made the trek to Scarsdale to present their GEC idea in person. This team aims to help homeless people by providing them with medical supplies and pamphlets in a portable, sustainable bag which they dubbed, “Heartbeat in a Box”. As the team explained in their presentation, healthcare is a basic human right that many of the 150 million homeless people in the world don’t have access to…a situation the Bolles Team hopes to help remedy. Each “Heartbeat in a Box” includes pamphlets in multiple languages that help decode medical jargon and have simple visual instructions. The bags, created for the homeless population in Jacksonville, also contain eco-friendly bug spray, sunscreen, homemade soap sheets, gauze and tape, led lights and an alarm system for dangerous situations. While these bags were designed with the specific needs of the Jacksonville population in mind, the Bolles Team also interviewed coordinators of a shelter in the northeast so they would be able to adapt the bags for homeless people in various climates who might have different needs.
The Uccellis Team from Italy Table Tunes
Our hometown SHS team, (Henry Nova, Chelsea Berson, Daphne Boockvar and Alex Tretler), aims to help students with fine-motor skill issues have better access to playing instruments and enjoying music lessons like their peers. As the team explained, most musical instruments are created for able-bodied people who own fine-motor dexterity, preventing many impaired students from enjoying the benefits of learning how to play music; benefits like reduced stress and improved cognitive function. To help alleviate this disparity, the SHS Team invented a musical device they call Table Tunes. To ensure that they built a thoughtful and appropriate musical device, the team met with music and special education teachers from Scarsdale and further abroad. With advice from these experts, they were able to produce an easy to use, ergonomical, and sustainable device that helps to bring smiles, joy, and a sense of connection to its users. Another key element of Team SHS’ Table Tunes idea is that they published instructions to recreate the device online, allowing anyone with internet access to replicate Table Tunes, truly making the idea accessible to all.
Cerita Plastik
The Bolles Team from Florida
To close out this amazing event another team from Indonesia, The Binus School, joined virtually to present their solution to the “significant and persistent problem of plastic waste that poses a threat to the environment and human well-being”. To combat this problem, the Binus Team developed Cerita Plastik, an upcycling program, “Where waste turns into treasure and dreams turn into reality.” As they describe, “our goal is to convey stories through plastic creations and contribute to the existing government programs on waste management.” Some of the products the team plans to create include stylish brooches, bags and pocketbooks, and even furniture.
With its motto of “Non-Sibi” (not for self, but for others), the Scarsdale district continuously messages the importance of listening, collaborating, and demonstrating respect for other perspectives and cultures…but the Global Entrepreneurship Challenge was a powerful opportunity for students to practice these important life-skills in real time. Every one of the impressive teams that showcased their hard work, was poised, well-spoken, and demonstrated a sense of professionalism far beyond their years. The ingenuity, resourcefulness, and dedication to this year-long project was on full display during each presentation.
The team from Scarsdale High School presented "Table Tunes"Heather Waters who said the event was “a great opportunity to connect with the larger global community and to recognize that we all face the same issues” was too humble to highlight that her own hard work and dedication to this project saw her honored with the Global Expression and Thought Prize for the Entrepreneurship Challenge curriculum which she developed in partnership with Lisa Yokana.
Time to Prepare for Regents and AP Exams
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(The following is sponsored content from Regents Review)
AP and Regents exams are approaching and Regents Review will be again be holding their one-day test prep classes at SUNY Purchase. Learn more about their classes at RegentsReview.com.
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Every year expert teachers evaluate the material and updates the material as needed. For example, this year, there is a brand new Regents exams in U.S. History. Materials have been updated to reflect these changes, and teachers are well-versed in the new exam format.
Regents Review understands the challenge of exams that cover an entire year’s worth of information. Most students struggle to remember topics that they learned earlier in the year. Instructors alleviate this stress because they teach them everything they need to know for their exams.
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Customers can register at PassTheRegents.com or RegentsReview.com – or by phone at 877-339-5970.
Up in the Air at the SHS 2023 Carnival
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Newtown Shows returned to Scarsdale High School for the annual carnival on Friday April 28 and Saturday April 29. The main attractions were the large carnival rides which seem to get bigger and more daunting each year. We founds kids high in the air and screaming in delight on the Super Round Up, the Rock Star and Pharoah’s Fury with younger children enjoying gentler rides below. There was food, arcade games and creative offerings from high school clubs.
Fortunately the rain held off to allow the community to enjoy the fun.
Here are comments from Assistant Principal Andrea O’Gorman.
“The SHS Carnival was a wonderful success. The event is organized by the central School Government, with each class government hosting one of the aspects of the event from preparing and selling food to offering games and activities, including the always popular Dunk Tank!
Many of our student clubs offered additional activities including face painting, flower sales, arts and crafts and even the opportunity to play with a remote controlled robot.
All proceeds from the Carnival are donated to charity with this year's funds going to the World Wildlife Fund, the Paulie Strong Foundation and Lifting up Westchester. We are grateful to the many community members who came out to support our mission of Non Sibi or Not For Oneself Alone.
Expert Warns About Risks to Mental Health and Academic Achievement From Marijuana Use
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Since the legalization of marijuana in New York State you can hardly walk down a street in NYC without being hit with wafts of pot smoke or running into a pop-up dispensary. With its decriminalization, people’s perceptions of cannabis also seems to have changed. Partly aided by clever advertising touting all of the “benefits” of cannabis, a larger population of teens and parents think of it as a relatively safe and benign drug to use. But are these perceptions true?
On Tuesday March, 28th Scarsdale Action for Youth (S.A.Y.) hosted a community meeting with Dr. Amelia Arria who informed her audience about the detrimental effects cannabis can have on academic achievement and mental health. Dr. Arria, a Professor and the Director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, spent ten years with 1,253 students, researching the impact of excessive marijuana use on academic achievement.
Dr. Arria began her presentation by highlighting statistics and information. Some significant points included:
-Because of stress related to the pandemic and other influencing factors, teens are experiencing increased levels of mental health issues and say they need our support now more than ever. Parents are the best and most available support for their children.
-In recent years, alcohol use has decreased but cannabis use has increased especially among young adults ages 18-25. Dr. Arria noted a large increase in use among young women.
-Even the cannabis industry believes that people under the age of 21 should not be allowed to use cannabis but our current policies work against this. Cannabis is very easy to access.
-The cannabis that people use today is vastly different from what parents may have experimented with growing up. Today’s cannabis is much more potent and contains way more THC than even 10 years ago. Because of how different cannabis is today, we have no longitudinal studies of the long term effects of modern cannabis use.
-There are many misperceptions in regard to cannabis use including that it is a substitute for drinking alcohol. In fact, oftentimes cannabis and alcohol are being used together.
In the next part of her presentation Dr. Arria explored how cannabis use can negatively impact academic achievement. During the discussion, she emphasized that it is not only grades that are affected but also the “human skills” that are needed to succeed both academically and in the job world; skills such as: motivation, verbal and written communication skills, problem solving skills, resourcefulness and so much more. In one slide Dr Arria pointed out that college grads think they are far more prepared with these types of skills than employers do. A few of the other ways cannabis use can impair academic achievement include:
-Neurocognitive tests and other scientific research have proven that cannabis use negatively impacts the developing brain and that the more frequent the use, the greater the deficits.
-Cannabis use impairs cognitive function including perception and focus, selective attention, and learning and information processing…all of which are essential for maximizing academic potential.
-Cannabis use can hijack reward pathways of the brain. The immediate gratification associated with drug use can detract from other priorities like fulfilling responsibilities. A student’s focus on academic pursuits becomes blurred as drugs become more valued.
-Cannabis use can cause short term cognitive effects, cloudy thinking, and lack of motivation.
A lack of motivation and the desire to initiate tasks becomes more persistent with more frequent use.
-College students who used marijuana in the last year were twice as likely to skip class.
-There is a strong correlation between chronic use of cannabis and college drop out rates.
-Marijuana use is associated with lower reading and math scores on standardized tests.
-And yes, among the university research group, marijuana use was found to markedly affect a student’s GPA.
In addition to the ways in which cannabis use can affect a student’s academic achievement, Dr. Arria explained that colleges and universities are overwhelmed with mental health issues and how these issues are confounded by an increase in marijana use. While many believe that cannabis can help improve stress and anxiety, Dr. Arria described that actually the opposite is true. Though cannabis use can provide a short term mood change and an escape from uncomfortable feelings, it is an unhealthy coping skill that interferes with the opportunity to work through discomfort and learn effective coping strategies. Because users don’t learn to effectively deal with their problems, in addition to temporarily disengaging from their responsibilities, using cannabis as a coping strategy can actually worsen stress and anxiety and can trigger the onset of more adverse problems. Dr. Arria emphasized that science has proven over and over again that marijuana use can exacerbate existing disorders and is especially dangerous for the developing brain. She also highlighted the significant association of cannabis use with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, suicide behaviors, and psychosis and schizophrenia. And while smoking pot a few times in high school might not trigger any of these potential problems, it is important to consider influencing factors such as age of initiation, frequency of use, potency, and genetic or biological risk factors.
So knowing all of these risks, what are parents and caregivers to do? Dr. Arria suggests that first and foremost, prevention is key…the longer people delay the use of marijuana, the better. While treatment for cannabis use does exist, it is hard to find and isn’t always successful. Some of Dr. Arria’s other suggestions for parents include:
-Learn to detect individuals at risk for substance abuse such as: re-prioritization of activities, spending time partying at the expense of school obligations, trouble sleeping without cannabis or alcohol, difficulty socializing without cannabis, not being able to take a break from using, and using substances to cope with stress.
-Maintain constructive communication. Have conversations about OPPORTUNITIES to use substances and peer use.
-Help your children visualize their futures.
-Maintain vigilance and facilitate help-seeking
-Know the safety nets offered at schools and in the community (In Scarsdale we are fortunate to have RESET which is a free program of prevention education and early intervention designed for Scarsdale youth ages 13-16 who have become “substance involved” with nicotine, alcohol, and/or THC. For more information For more information, call 914-723-3281 or email info@sfcsinc.org.
-Counter misperceptions. The cannabis industry has done a great job of advertising products as safe and beneficial for your health…make sure kids know the facts and how to find information from reliable sources.
-Help improve your child’s health literacy. Make sure your children have the ability to find and understand health information and services, and how to make well-informed decisions about their health.
Dr. Arria suggested that one of the best ways to protect children is to set limits and boundaries for them, adding that how parents talk to their child about alcohol and cannabis use, really matters. Data from the Maryland Collaborative 2020 survey found college students who believed their parents disapproved of cannabis use were less likely to use marijuana. It also found that parents who only provided harm-reduction messages (i.e. how to be safe while drinking and that some alcohol is acceptable) were at the highest risk of drinking excessively in college.
For more helpful information about this topic and so much more, please see the Scarsdale Advocates for Youth website. To learn more about Dr. Arria and her work, please click here:
