At the BOE Meeting: Statements from Community Leaders on the Crisis in the Middle East
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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Acknowledging the pain that many in our community have been feeling over the past two weeks, was at the forefront of the Board of Education meeting on Monday October 23rd. In his opening remarks, BOE President Ron Schulhof not only condemned the terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7th, but also made clear that The Board of Education does not tolerate any form of hate in our schools. On behalf of the BOE, Mr. Schulhof began the meeting by sharing this statement:
“It’s been an incredibly difficult past two weeks in the aftermath of the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. The Board condemns this heinous act of terror, mourns the lives lost, and hopes for the safe return of the hostages.
Given the deep connection many of our students, families, faculty, and community members have with Israel and the region, the impact in our community has been especially profound and heart-wrenching.
We understand that these events have not only impacted us emotionally, but that there are concerns for our safety in our own community. We are not immune to incidents of antisemitism, islamophobia, racism, and other forms of hateful action or speech. The Board of Education does not tolerate any form of hate in our schools. We have worked over the years to proactively put in place policies and structures to support an inclusive school environment. These policies also ensure our administrators have the appropriate tools and guidance to address inappropriate behavior.
Over the past two weeks, along with the administration, we have been actively engaged in the wake of this attack to support our schools, students and families, faculty and staff, and the entire school community. We are all here each and every day for our students. In this District, we will not be indifferent to the wrongs that occur in the world. We live by our mission of Non- Sibi, not for oneself, and are fortunate to have the students, families, community members, administrators, faculty, and staff that make it possible to come together in these difficult times.
Thank you to everyone for the support, care, and comfort you have shown each other and to our students.”
Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick then offered his appreciation for Mr. Schulhof’s opening remarks and added, “ It has indeed been a profoundly difficult two weeks for our community.” Having previously communicated with our school community on this topic, Dr. Patrick went on to say, “I will confess to having struggled in recent days to decide how best to use these few moments I am privileged to have as Superintendent. I found myself reflecting on other critical moments and events that have occurred during my lifetime, and how those events often mark a time of “before” and “after”. Friday, October 6 - just one day before Hamas’ deadly incursion into Israel- was the 10th annual Global Citizenship Day at Scarsdale High School. Author Colum McCann was the keynote speaker, and he took the opportunity of the committee’s invitation to share his message of fearless hope through radical empathy. Mr. McCann is a brilliant writer and storyteller whose message to young people is to encourage them to know the grief, happiness, love, and sorrow of others to expand the world and to grow more deeply empathetic. Through his work as co-founder of the Narrative 4, he and other authors and artists have run programs in schools and communities all around the world helping those who share their stories to use them as a means to foster a sort of human reciprocity- “You take responsibility for my life; I take precious care of yours.”
Dr. Patrick then described how Mr. McCann helped our SHS students to “explore the idea of a story as a means to ‘..step into the shoes of others in order to be able to step back into our own.’” He added, “This is a message that we, as educators, take to heart. We are working every day to support our students and families by listening, building empathy and understanding, and fostering belonging.”
With this message in mind, Dr. Patrick reminded attendees about two important initiatives that the District is undertaking: First is a “survey to measure belonging as part of our wellbeing, inclusion, diversity, and equity efforts. Faculty and staff will be taking the survey in early November, with students in grades 4-12 and all parents following shortly thereafter.” Information about the survey will be shared on November 8th at the special “Share Out” program starting at 7:30pm in the SMS auditorium.
In addition to the Belong Survey, “We also have our community World Cafe dialogues scheduled for the evenings of November 15 and November 29 in person, and December 6 on Zoom. These conversations are perhaps more important than ever, and we urge the community to come, participate, and be in dialogue with others.”
During Public Comment later in the meeting, PTC President Leah Dembitzer shared a statement on behalf of the PT Council Executive Committee:
“The Scarsdale Parent-Teacher Council Executive Committee (PTC EC) was horrified and deeply saddened by the terrorist attacks in Israel last Saturday and the continued violence in the region. We offer our strength, support, and shared grief to the Scarsdale Schools’ Jewish community and to all others who have been touched deeply and indelibly by these tragic events. The PTC EC strongly condemns terrorism, hate, and antisemitism in all forms.
The PTC EC takes seriously its missions of creating and nurturing an inclusive community and of protecting the physical, mental, and emotional health of Scarsdale Schools’ students, parents, families, faculty, and staff. We believe that wherever and whenever innocent people are persecuted or terrorized, we need to stand together in solidarity and surround them with compassion and strength.
We understand that families in our community are struggling to navigate through this extremely disturbing crisis. We thank our schools for their commitment to supporting all of our students and ensuring that they feel safe emotionally and physically in these troubling times. You may find the resources shared by the District here. Furthermore, our PTC DEI and PTC Wellness committees are available as resources for parents.
Please reach out if we can support you in any way. You may do so by contacting any of our officers or committee chairs directly.”
State Assemblyperson Jenifer Rajkumar Says "Courage is a Muscle to Exercise"
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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“Be courageous. And remember that courage is a muscle, the more you exercise it, the more courageous you become.” This was just one piece of sage advice that New York State Assemblyperson, Jenifer Rajkumar shared with a robust audience at the Scarsdale Library on Sunday Oct. 15th.
Ms. Rajkumar, the first South Asian woman to serve in any New York State Office, was invited to speak at the library by South Asian Students for Justice (SASJ). SAJS “is a Westchester-based organization dedicated to dispelling harmful narratives and injustices against South Asians and empowering and uniting South Asian students.”
In addition to organizing the informative event, Scarsdale High School students, Ravi Vora, Arun Nayakkar, and Rohan Sehgul, also acted as day’s moderators. Through a series of thoughtful questions, the trio helped Ms. Rajkumar detail her experiences as a South Asian woman in government.
Ms. Rajkumar began by describing her early life and how being the daughter of immigrant parents, shaped her work ethic, drive, and determination. Indeed, she credits her parents and her faith for stressing the importance of focus, asking others for help, and being willing to take risks…all attributes which have directly contributed to Rajkumar's success both as a human rights lawyer and as a politician.
When asked about her time working as a lawyer, Ms. Rajkumar explained how even as an 8th grader, she knew she wanted to work to better the lives of marginalized and disenfranchised people. Among many other achievements, Rajkumar described how as a civil rights lawyer, she litigated class action cases on behalf of “workers, tenants and women and was part of the legal team of Velez v. Novartis, ranked by the United Nations as one of the top 10 cases in the world advancing women’s equality.”
Equally impressive, while acting as the Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State, Rajkumar built and led a first-in-the-nation $31 million project to ensure that every immigrant has access to legal representation.
Rajkumar went on to discuss a few of her legislative accomplishments, some of which include passing a “milestone legislative package that gives domestic workers the full protections of New York State Human Rights Law. She also passed a landmark bill establishing New York State’s first-ever Asian American & Pacific Island (AAPI) Commission. As a strong advocate for public safety, Rajkumar passed a bill to expand compensation for victims of crime, which the Governor signed into law.” But perhaps some of the work she is most proud of is helping to establish Diwali as a recognized holiday in NYC public schools and she is confident it will soon be recognized throughout the state.
Having recounted much of her previous endeavors, Rajkumar then highlighted some of her other areas of interest including Artificial Intelligence (both its potential and the need for it to be overseen by the government), 3D printers and how they could help stave off the housing crisis, common sense immigration reform, issues in diplomacy and how we can work to bring people together, and last but certainly not least, working to change classroom textbooks that misrepresent South Asians and Hindus in particular.
Towards the end of the event, Ms. Rajkumar was asked “How can young South Asians get involved?” She responded by saying, “Just go and start. Don’t delay. Volunteer…start somewhere.” She also encouraged students to keep persisting and to be open to failure reminding them that failure is just the first step towards success.
When asked why he thought it was important for the Scarsdale community to hear from Assemblyperson Rajkumar, Arun Nayakkar said, ““When I learned about Assemblywoman’s efforts to get Diwali and Eid as recognized holidays in New York City, I couldn't help but feel that, for the first time, the South Asian voice was truly being heard. So, when the organization got the opportunity to invite her to speak, we immediately jumped at the chance. No matter the nationality or the religion, I firmly believe South Asians will play a pivotal role in the future of this country, and it starts with individuals like Assemblywoman Rajkumar paving the way for our community in government and politics.”
Rohan Sehgul had this to add, “It was great hearing from the Assemblywoman, and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the message of her progress as a leading South Asian voice. To everyone who came out to listen to the Assemblywoman, it was great hearing their opinions and voices on the various topics we discussed. I hope this helped inspire future generations of leaders no matter their race or religion.”
Seeking Candidates for School Board Nominating Committee
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is seeking candidates to participate in Scarsdale’s vital non-partisan process. The SBNC consists of residents elected from across the Village for the role of recruiting, vetting, and nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education.
All residents who are qualified voters and interested in maintaining the excellence of Scarsdale schools are strongly urged to consider running for an SBNC position. Each year, two members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a three-year term on the Nominating Committee, followed by two years on the Administrative Committee. Terms begin in January 2024.
The SBNC Election will take place on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at Scarsdale Middle School. The election snow date is Wednesday, January 10.
If you are interested in running for the SBNC, please visit the Join SBNC – Scarsdale SBNC page on our website for more information and biographical and petition forms. Alternatively, you can pick up forms at Village Hall or the Scarsdale Public Library.
The deadline for candidates to submit materials is Monday, November 13, 2023. Questions can be directed to Deborah Skolnik via email at [email protected].
Praise for Heroic Efforts by School Staff During Rainstorm
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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At the Board of Education meeting on Monday October 2nd, the room was filled with gratitude and appreciation for all of those who went above and beyond to help during the weather emergency on Friday 9/30. BOE President, Ron Schulhof, began the meeting by stating:
“Before going into my specific comments for tonight’s meeting, I would like to thank all of the faculty and staff around the District for managing our schools on Friday and ensuring everyone was able to safely get home. I would especially like to thank our custodians, bus drivers, security guards, and the many other people who were out in the rain helping our students safely get into the buildings in the morning and then get home during dismissal. I think the community would also appreciate knowing that even after most people went home, there were custodians in all seven of our buildings that stayed overnight to ensure any additional rain or flooding was managed. While this is some of the work we don’t often see as parents, these efforts are what keep our buildings running in all types of weather and keep our students safe.”
Our Superintendent, Dr. Drew Patrick, echoed these sentiments and expressed his appreciation for the countless number of faculty and staff who jumped in to make Friday’s dismissal go as smoothly as possible, adding that many stayed late into the day even though they had their own long, treacherous drives home. Dr. Patrick also took time to recognize the efforts of the athletic department in conjunction with the maintenance, custodial, and grounds staff in swiftly repairing and preparing Butler Field after the storm, in order to host a football game on Sunday afternoon.
During the Building Report, Andrew Lennon, Assistant Superintendent for Business, first conveyed his deep appreciation for our bus drivers and all those who work in the transportation office. He described the commotion that resulted from the unexpected severity of Friday’s storm that left multiple phones ringing off the hook and the need for a myriad of drivers to make quick accommodations in order to respond to the weather emergency. Lennon explained how the entire team pulled together to work collaboratively and creatively to ensure that they deliver all of our students home safely. He commended the team on their flexibility and dedication to the safety of our students saying the teamwork of our drivers and transportation staff, their “can-do” attitudes, and their willingness to jump in, was incredibly impressive and left him in awe.
In addition, Mr. Lennon reported that during the weather event on Friday, multiple known “troubled areas” throughout the district were expertly attended to. Because of the attention and hard work of our custodial staff, we were able to keep leaks and water at bay in these spots and there is no new, major water damage to report. He also described how many custodians stayed in the buildings and worked continuously through the night on Friday to ensure the safety of our school grounds.
Both Dr. Patrick and Mr. Eric Rauschenbach described that administrators, faculty, and staff will meet with our DERT team in order to debrief about Friday’s weather event and to review their Emergency Response Plan. They hope to identify areas of strength as well as areas that may need improvement.
During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, PTC president Leah Dembitzer read a statement of gratitude in regard to the storm response:
“Good Evening. On behalf of the Scarsdale PT Council Executive Committee (PTC EC), which is comprised of the four PTC officers and the Presidents of the seven schools, I would like to extend a deep thank you to the District and Building Administration as well as the faculty and staff of our seven schools for your care of our community’s students and District Buildings. A special thank you to our building custodial teams - the best teams around. As it is National Custodian’s Day, the PTC EC would especially like to highlight the incredible hard work and care put forward by the building custodial teams.
The impact of Friday’s storm was unexpected and harrowing for so many in our community. The PTC EC thanks you for your sincere efforts and active communication under difficult and complicated circumstances.”
Dr. Patrick responded by stating that he was proud to be a part of such a supportive and wonderful community.
Other meeting highlights:
The BOE quickly reviewed the external audit report and the corrective action plan and later in the meeting resolved to accept the external audit report for the 2022-23 fiscal year as prepared by EFPR Group LLP and management's corrective action plan (CAP).
In addition to detailing current happenings at each of the elementary schools, in his update Dr. Patrick described a touching memorial service given at SMS for former Principal Mike McDermott. Fox Meadow elementary school will also hold a memorial for former principal Joan McCann.
.-Dr. Patrick congratulated Greenacres Elementary School on being named a National Blue Ribbon School.
-Dr. Patrick also announced that he will hold three Strategic Plan Public Sessions. The Scarsdale Public Schools are launching a series of public engagement sessions to discuss how best to prepare our students and our schools for the future. All community members are invited, and your input will be used to inform our next multi-year Strategic Plan. Please join us -- your voice matters! It's Our Future, Together. For more information and to sign up for one of the sessions please see: https://www.smore.com/ev921-our-future-together?ref=email
BOE Member Jessica Resnick-Ault, reported that the SAFE Coalition met on Monday 10/2 and discussed that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. They also discussed the “Everyone Knows Someone” program to be held on 10/27. For more about the SAFE Coalition click here:
Another BOE member Suzie Hahn who is also the liaison for the PTC, reported that a Special District Share Out Series will take place on Wednesday November 8th at 7:30pm in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium.
The PTC, SHS and SMS PTA joint program committees invite you to join us for an informative, two-part program as presented by district administrators. First Dr. Drew Patrick and Dr. Edgar McIntosh will introduce the Belonging Survey. Building on our theme of Connecting our WIDE (well-being, inclusion, diversity, and equity) Community, Dr. Patrick and Dr. McIntosh will outline the District's plan to engage students, parents, faculty, and staff this fall in a survey focused on belonging. They will explain how the survey fits into the district's DEI work, describe the survey measures and elements, and review the timeline for survey administration. They will also discuss how the results will be communicated and utilized to inform next steps in the work. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions during the session.
Next, Jeannie Crowley, Director of Technology and Innovation and William Yang K-12 Coordinator of Digital Learning & Literacy will share a selection of the survey results from the Technology Survey administered in June 2023. The Technology Department solicited survey responses from faculty, parents, SMS students, and SHS students. The anonymous surveys were collaboratively developed by the Technology Department, the PTC, and the STA. In their presentation, Ms. Crowley and Mr. Yang will highlight how the data artifacts can be used by parents, administrators, faculty, and students to learn more about the technology experiences of Scarsdale Public Schools community members.
A short Q & A session will follow the Tech Survey presentation. All are invited to submit questions prior to the presentation via this form:Technology Presentation Question Submission Form
The presentations will take place on Wednesday, November 8th at 7:30 pm in the Scarsdale Middle School Auditorium following the SMS PTA and SHS PTA meetings beginning at 7pm.
Dr. Edgar McIntosh reported that all of the fifth grade classroom teachers and PE teachers are working collaboratively to update the fifth grade Health Curriculum. When the update is complete, the new curriculum will be made available to parents.
-All NY State Test scores have been made available for parents to view. Though the state has not given the go ahead for any school district to discuss trends, or what the scores indicate for a particular district, as soon as the state gives clearance, McIntosh will present the findings.
Eric Raushcenbach related that the District Emergency Response Team (DERT) recently met to review all emergency response plans and conducted a tabletop exercise to practice what to do if there is a gas leak.
-Raushchenbach also reported that after the injury of an opposing team’s football player at our homecoming game, DERT met with the people who were present and administered care to the player, to debrief and review the response. The team evaluated response times and records and deduced that the timeframe from injury to the ambulance was 12 ½ minutes, in line with an expected timeframe. Raymond Pappalardi, our Director of Athletics, also described how Scarsdale goes above the state requirements and has a M.D. and athletic trainers at every football and hockey game. Dr. Patrick happily announced that the injured player is fully recovered.
Director of Athletics, Raymond Pappalardi presented an Athletics update for the BOE. Among many items, Pappalardi shared a thoughtful Statement of Purpose and also reported:
-In regards to the Field Study, two firms have been identified and are being evaluated.
-Fall enrollment in athletics is up this year and at the highest it has been in 5 years.
-All of our coaches take part in specialized DEI training.
-The Athletic Department is creating a survey that will be distributed to coaches and players before and after each seasonal sport. The department hopes to make sure that they are meeting the needs of all athletes and reaching appropriate goals.
To conclude the business portion of the meeting, the BOE discussed several information and discussion items, including a second reading of policy 5152 (Admission of non-resident students). The Board then voted to approve previously addressed policies, a new textbook for SMS titled Yellow Face, and gift proposals for Scarsdale Middle School, Scarsdale High School, and Quaker Ridge Elementary School.
Scarsdale Boys’ Soccer: Top Dogs, But Still Hunting
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At some point during the Fall 2022 soccer season, the consensus was that the Scarsdale Raiders were the best overall team in New York State. Behind an inspired season from then-senior Nico Galeano, Scarsdale won the NYS title and ended the season with a record of 21 wins to 0 losses. The accolades, both team and individual, speak for themselves. The team closed out the season ranked among the top five teams in the country according to the United Soccer Coaches poll. Seven players received All-League honors, and three players - Lorenzo Galeano, Leo Khang, and Nico Galeano, were named All-Section and All-State. Nico Galeano became the most decorated player in Scarsdale history, being named the Section 1 Player of the Year, Gatorade NYS Player of the Year, and an All-American. Lastly, head coach Marcos Monteagudo was the NYS Coach of the Year and the Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
With such an astounding year of accomplishments, it is no surprise that the Raiders have had a target on their back to start this season. Coach Monteagudo is determined to change the mentality, however. He has often told his players, “Everyone is trying to hunt us down, but we’re the hunters.” The mantra has instilled a sense of confidence in Scarsdale players, leading them to a strong start to the season.
So far, all 3 games of the ‘23 season have gone according to plan. On Tuesday, August 29th, the team headed to Harrison High School, where they routed the Huskies 6-0. Next, they hosted Irvington on Friday, September 1st, again winning comfortably, 4-1. On Tuesday, September 5th, they were engaged in a more low-scoring affair, not scoring until the second half, when Lorenzo Galeano put two penalties away before the Raiders conceded one goal. The 2-1 victory was less of a dominant triumph, but it went down in the win column nonetheless, proving that this team is not afraid of the pressure of a close game.
Despite the losses of an especially strong senior class from 2022, the ‘23 team has shown they have the ability and motivation to contend for a second straight state title. Junior Lorenzo Galeano has played a key role in filling the hole left by his elder brother, stepping up to be the leading goal scorer on the team so far. Many other juniors have also stepped into a larger role this year. Winger Yusuke Sato has improved as a scorer, developing into a solid one-on-one player. Center-back Marc Hajjar has become a physical presence in the defensive realm, and midfielders Lev Stahl, Miles Newman, and Daniel Cisneros have progressed as dribblers and on-the-ball presences. Newman, especially, has been winning a lot of critical tackles.
The senior leadership has no doubt been vastly important to the team’s early success. Captains Henry McAllister, Zach Ruback, Alex Duval, and Lucas Kantor have all embraced their roles, contributing to an intense atmosphere in practice and a confident attitude. Having moved up from No. 3 in the preseason national rankings to No. 2, it is evident that the high school soccer community has confidence in the Raiders’ ability.
It seems that the Raiders have taken their roles as hunters to heart, so far displaying a sharpness on the field and a like-minded focus on defending their state title. They have remained the top dog in the state despite significant senior losses, prompting one to question whether the program’s success does not depend on any one player or group, but instead on a culture of excellence.
Such a culture, aided by Coach Marcos Monteagudo’s drive to inspire confidence, could mean that the Raiders’ program is in the early stages of becoming a powerhouse for years to come – a prospect that should excite all fans of Scarsdale athletics.