JCCMW To Host Two Programs to Help High School Students Prepare for College
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Did you know that the recent shifts in college admissions testing will benefit some students and challenge others? There has been a dramatic shift in college standardized testing and now for the first time, the ACT is dominating the landscape. In response, the College Board, which produces the SATs, is overhauling its SAT and moving its focus from aptitude to achievement. Now you can make informed decisions with the help from insiders in college prep testing and learn about the major changes in the works. The JCC of Mid-Westchester is bringing together experts in this field to help you understand these shifts and discuss optimal strategies to minimize stress and get students ready for the new admissions tests. A Conversation with Jed Applerouth and Cheryl Einhorn will be held on Monday, September 21, 2015 7:30-9:00pm at the JCC. Tickets are $10 – General Admission.
A second program explores what really happens behind the closed doors of a college admissions office? This is your chance to get an exclusive look into the college testing and admissions process with insiders who make the decisions. On Thursday, October 8, 2015, from 7:30-9:00pm at the JCC, the deans and directors of six top colleges and universities will open those doors and dispel the myths about what it takes to get into college. The eighth-annual FREE community-wide event – "Inside the Admissions Office" – is sponsored by the JCC of Mid-Westchester and Woolf College Consulting. Students and parents will learn how decisions are made from the deans and directors of: Case Western University, College of Charleston, Emory University, Franklin & Marshall College, University of Chicago, and the University of Virginia.
Moderated by Mamaroneck-based college admissions consultant Betsy F. Woolf of Woolf College Consulting, students and parents will learn:
• How colleges are considering standardized testing in a year in which a new SAT is unveiled;
• The process behind the decision-making and how colleges evaluate students;
• Whether applying early is a good idea;
• What colleges look for in the personal essay;
• Whether an interview boosts an application;
• How admissions committees treat applications from students with special issues, such as learning differences.
This program is FREE and open to all in the community but reservations are required. Please note that the program has been filled to capacity in the past and there is limited seating.
Register for both programs by clicking here or calling 914-472-3300.
Betsy F. Woolf is a certified educational planner (CEP) who has been assisting parents and students in the college search and application process for more than ten years. She is also an award-winning editor specializing in higher education and secondary school, and has been featured in The New York Times.
Jed Applerouth is a teacher and an educational innovator. A nationally certified counselor with a PhD in Educational Psychology, Jed has researched student cognition, memory, motivation, and learning strategies to enhance the pedagogical strategies of Applerouth Tutoring Services.
Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is a journalist, media consultant and adjunct professor at Columbia University.
For more information about the JCC of Mid-Westchester visit www.jccmw.org. The JCC of Mid-Westchester is located at 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale.
These Lice Ain't Nice; Are 'Super-Lice/Mutant Lice' a Real Threat?
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- Written by: Stacie M. Waldman
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Will treatment-resistant lice make their way to our children's scalps this year? Though new and alarming research on lice is now out, if you are vigilant, these nits probably won't pose a risk to your family.
On August 18th, researcher Kyong Yoon, Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University presented data at the American Chemical Society meeting in Boston showing that 25 states have reported lice that are resistant to common over-the counter (OTC) products. New York, specifically (as well as New Jersey) reported up to three gene mutations. The media picked up on this finding and ran with it publishing titles such as "Super-Lice Strike!" and "Mutant Lice Invade!" as well as "Untreatable Lice." Did just reading that make you itchy?
Are lice really becoming untreatable and is this truly a risk for kids here in Scarsdale? According to the CDC, the answer is basically no. Lice can be resistant to pyrethroid products marketed under the names Nix, Pronto, A-200, R&C, Rid, and Triple X, but it is far from untreatable. Whereas Dr. Yoon recommends that companies develop additional treatments for lice to decrease current and future resistance, there are several other products on the market that one can use (including prescription-only shampoos). In fact, live lice and their nits (eggs) can be picked out of hair without additional treatment but it is time consuming. Furthermore, Yoon readily notes that lice have shown resistance to these products for more than two decades yet they still work the majority of the time. Other sources pointed out that the study was funded by pharmaceutical companies that manufacture prescription-only shampoos.
Here's what you need to know about lice:
• Nits are head lice eggs. They are often confused with dandruff. They are not generally viable if they are more than 1/4" from the hair shaft and therefore don't pose a risk of infestation in and of themselves.
• Nymphs are just-hatched lice. In 7 days they become adults.
• Adult lice are the size of a sesame seed and are tan, grayish, or brown. They can lay 8 nits a day and can live for 30 days. They require human blood (as do nymphs) to survive. Lice cannot live on pets.
• Lice do not prefer dirty hair.
• It may take 4-6 weeks for itching to begin the first time a person has lice. Therefore, a child may be infested with lice for a month before it is diagnosed.
• Lice do not fly or jump. They can only crawl.
• There are 6-12 million lice infestations each year among children ages 3-11.
• Lice do not transmit disease. They need to eat frequently (blood is their food source) so they are usually transmitted from person-to-person directly.
• The Scarsdale PTA does lice screening at the schools although it has not been shown to reduce the incidence of active infestations or to be cost effective according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
A July 2010 publication in Pediatrics (five years before the recent alarming headlines about resistance) emphasized that resistance to treatment for lice is often confused with other reasons that a treatment may not work including misdiagnosis, lack of adherence, or inadequate treatment. The CDC and the AAP both recommend that treatment for lice only be initiated if live lice are found on the head and/or nits are found less than ¼" inch (1 cm.) from the hair shaft. Nits may be removed for aesthetic purposes but they, in and of themselves, are not indicative of a lice infestation. Therefore, children found to have nits do not need to be kept home from school or treated with insecticides. In studies, a "no nit policy" (such as New Rochelle's) has not been found to be effective at reducing head lice and both the AAP and the National Association of School Nurses decry the policy as unjust and lacking scientific justification. Diagnosis of lice is usually made by a parent who sees the crawling creatures. Sometimes a parent will notice the child itching his or her head and it is common to see small red bite marks around the nape of the neck and the ears in a child infested with lice.
Treatment of lice is generally effective. All household members should be checked. Clothing, accessories, and bedding of the infested person should be washed and dried on the hottest temperature possible or dry-cleaned, and the carpet and furniture should be vacuumed. Conditioner should not be used before using an insecticide shampoo and the hair should not be washed with a regular shampoo for a couple of days after treatment. Check with your pediatrician for the safest and most effective lice treatment. There's a service for almost everything in Westchester, so of course there are delousing services. They'll come to your house or you can go to a salon to have the lice and nits removed. Some companies call over-the-counter products poison and tout their own products as safe, effective, natural, and FDA-registered, but don't get confused by FDA-registered versus FDA- approved. FDA approved products undergo a safety and efficacy review by a neutral panel of reviewers versus FDA registered products that are not reviewed nor condoned by the FDA.
One mom I spoke with that recently had a child with a lice infestation said that she called a delousing company because it was her first experience with lice and she had no idea how to treat it. "Honestly, I panicked," she said. "I would try to self treat it next time because the woman from the delousing service was very knowledgeable and empowered me to understand the lifecycle, how the treatment worked, and why I should stay calm and not panic." She doesn't regret using the service that used an all-natural, enzyme-based, non-toxic foam, but she was still finding nymphs in her child two weeks later. She eventually called her pediatrician and went the insecticide route. "I really think combing the hair thoroughly and rechecking every couple of days is necessary," she said. "I could definitely handle it if it happened again and I wouldn't freak out."
The Scarsdale Schools policy reads as follows: "The CDC and AAP recommendation is that students not be excluded from school because of lice. Pediculosis [lice infestation] is considered a nuisance but has not been shown to spread disease. In Scarsdale, our practice is that only students with live bugs be sent home to start treatment. This is in part to protect confidentiality (younger students may march in to class and announce proudly, "I have lice") and to allow parents to get a jump start on treatment, which can be time consuming. Students with nits (egg casings) are encouraged to go home to start treatment as well, but may remain in school until the end of the day."
At the end of the day, lice are a part of growing up and raising kids. Though they cause widespread disgust, Scarsdale has yet to see an army of mutant lice marching through our schools.
Trees Falling on Garth Road
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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We received the following email from Jay of Lulu's Cake Boutique on Garth Road, who was concerned about the condition of trees on Garth Road. In turn, we emailed the Department of Public Works and when then did not respond we asked the Village Manager's Office: See their answer below:
(Received on August 13 from Jay:) Do you know a huge tree fell down on Garth Rd last night and almost hit someone while they were driving? I've told the village about the trees that are ready to fall down and hurt someone and they have done nothing about it. I was hoping you could write about and maybe they will act up before God forbid something terrible happens. It's a serious problem that can be avoided.
Hope you are well,
Jay
From Josh Ringel, Assistant to the Scarsdale Village Manager:
I apologize that no one had responded to your earlier email regarding a tree falling on Garth Road... I followed up as to your request and received the following information from DPW:
- The request received was that a large branch had fallen near the hair salon (near the 711) on Garth Road. The surrounding trees in question were looked at by a member of the Village of Scarsdale Highway/DPW department on 8/14.
- In the interest of immediate public safety, DPW did prune trees along the West Side of Garth Road.
- However, all the trees on the West Side of Garth Road (from Popham Rd to the Eastchester Line) belong to Westchester County and are the responsibility of the County.
- The Village has alerted the County Parks, Rec & Conservation department that the trees need to be inspected by their arborist ASAP.
Please let me know if you have any further questions regarding this matter.
Summer Gift Ideas
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Summer birthdays, barbeques and visits to summer homes often call for summer gifts. We've been giving and receiving quite a few lately, and here are some nice gift ideas for the waning weeks of August.
Indian summer prints from Roberta Roller Rabbit:
Roberta Roller Rabbit has a store in Greenwich, stocked with clothing, accessories and home goods all made with their brand line of colorful Indian prints. A gift from Roberta Rabbit always brings a smile.
Check out this 100% cotton canvas beach tote, printed by traditional artisans in India. Natural variation is celebrated! And see more at Roberta Roller Rabbit at 103 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich.
Zinneas
A summer bouquet from Ramsey's Farm: Scarsdale is fortunate to still have a real farm in our zip code where they grow the most beautiful flowers. Their zinneas brighten our day. Stop by Ramsey Road and pick up a bunch for yourself or a friend.
Summer Rose:
Summer is the season for rose, and Zachys has a good selection of rose from the classics of Provence, France, to modern interpretations from the USA, Spain, Italy, and beyond. Here are two of their favorites for summer gifting and drinking:
Bandol Rose Terrebrune 2014 (750ML) {#397611}, $36.99, $31.44 91 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, Robert 
Parker's Wine Advocate: "Light pink/salmon in color, with classic orange blossom, melon and tangerine aromas and flavors, as well as that salty minerality that's common from rosé from the region, Domaine Terrebrune's 2014 Bandol Rose is medium-bodied, juicy, rounded and nicely textured, with bright acidity coming through on the finish. It's a beautiful rosé to drink over the coming year or so."
Soter North Valley Rose 2014 {#397903}, $24.99, $21.24"... has an almost electric, purple-tinted color in the glass, offering up very forward aromas of fresh cranberries, with bright cherry blossom and red currant notes. On the palate, the wine delights with more red cherry flavors, along with honeysuckle, lemon zest and blueberries." –Winery
Gifts for the modern home from Current Home:
Current Home on Palmer Avenue in Scarsdale has a wide variety of summer gifts perfect for outdoor entertaining. Pictured below:
- Wave Acrylic bowl (from Australia)
- Outdoor ice buckets in bright colors
- Fun cocktail napkins with edgy sayings like: "blah blah blah" "pool, grillin and chillin"
- Napkin rings and napkins by table top designer Kim Seybert
- Melamine plates that look like they are ceramic
Prices range from $24-$200 dollars.
25 Ways That You Know You Live In Quaker Ridge
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- Written by: Zoe Frishberg
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Closer to the town of Mamaroneck than to Scarsdale Village, Quaker Ridge is betwixt and between. Until 1966 it had its own school district, and though now Quaker Ridge kids attend Scarsdale schools, some have a Mamaroneck zip code, get takeout on Mamaroneck Avenue and their parents commute from the Mamaroneck Train Station. Below, SHS student (and Quaker Ridge resident) Zoe Frishberg notes 25 ways you know you're part of this unique identity crisis:
1. You'd rather go to Sammy's Bagels than Lange's for your morning bagel and coffee
2. You spend Halloween at the extravagant haunted houses on Bradford Road
3. In your book, Cherry Tree froyo beats Peachwave froyo
4. No one ever wants to drive to your side of town
5. You have a tab open at Cherry Lawn and the employees know you by name
6. You thought all the elementary schools served hot lunch.
7. When your parents say "the parkway," they mean the Hutch, not the Bronx River
8. It takes 30 minutes to do a pick up at the Scarsdale Train Station
9. You're always the last one in the carpool
10. You know the teacher who cut off students' erasers
11. You buy your Halloween pumpkins at Cherry Lawn or Balduccis
12. You know every shortcut there is to get to "your side of town."
13. You can walk to the Scarsdale Pool – who needs a private pool?
14. A Metro Deli salad can last you an entire week
15. When Cherry Lawn stopped serving froyo your weekend routine changed forever
16. Your elementary school graduation is comparable to a sauna.
17. You get manicures in Mamaroneck, rather than Scarsdale Village
18. There's a drawer full of Mamaroneck Avenue takeout menus in your kitchen
19. Sal's salad pizza is one of the best things you've ever eaten
20. It's quicker to walk to your destination than wait for a Scarsdale Taxi to arrive at your house
21. You still say "Last Licks" when referring to "All Good Things"
22. You remember when Toyo was the only good Japanese restaurant on Mamaroneck Ave
23. You run to Big Top Toys for last minute school supplies
24. PM Pediatrics has saved you an immeasurable amount of time and hassle
25. Exit 22 isn't just an exit... It's a lifestyle
