Comings and Goings at the Scarsdale Schools
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At their May 18th meeting, the Scarsdale High School Board of Education announced the retirements of Nancy O'Rourke, Mark Goldberg, Paula Magaletti, and Alice Yugovich. In addition, twelve teachers and administrators were granted tenure and a new principal was hired for Quaker Ridge School to replace Robyn Lane who will retire at the end of the school year.
Nancy O'Rourke, a first grade teacher at Edgewood was the first to be honored, and was praised for her "smooth beginnings to Kindergarten" where she was known to have her students "happily seated in a circle around their new teacher." Mrs. O'Rourke was known for her intellectual curiosity, and passion for the subjects she teaches. She is an avid reader, and has taken initiatives to teach other Edgewood faculty, teaching a Scarsdale Teachers Institute course, "Teachers as Readers." Mrs. O'Rourke is also a member of the COMPACT committee, and was known for her leadership and dedication to the program during their focus on literacy and reading instruction. Mrs. O'Rourke's reputation stretched well beyond the walls of her classroom, as evidenced by students' responses to her retirement, "Mrs. O'Rourke, well I never had her but she's good."
The second teacher to be recognized was Paula Magaletti, the Spanish Language teacher from Heathcote Elementary. Señora Magaletti, as she is affectionately known, has taught at Heathcote for 28 years. She was called "an ideal teacher, who makes her students passionate about language, and uses fun as a teaching tool." Heathcote Principal Maria Stile, praised Señora Magaletti for her "versatility and style," saying, "One year she has a classroom, and then another year she has a classroom on a cart. But through it all Spanish continued at Heathcote, and Señora Magaletti delivered instruction with passion and grace, engaging her students and helping them to grow." Current Heathcote students even wrote poems to honor Mrs. Magaletti; here is one from a current 5th Grader:
We learn Spanish and play games,
Hola, Como Estas?
We say all day
I wish Spanish wasn't done,
It's so much fun for everyone!
Madrid project, rainforest, too,
This poem is meant for you!
We learn Spanish and study places,
We wish we had Spanish on a daily basis
We say the weather and say the date,
When we go to Spanish we hope we're never late
Retiring Heathcote art teacher Alice Yugovich, or Ms. Y as she is called, and Señora Magaletti are best friends and will go off into retirement together. Ms. Y was a mainstay at Heathcote, having taught there for the past thirty years. She helped both students and teachers and made sure everyone got the help they needed. Since she taught every single student at Heathcote, she had little extra time but was generous with it. Maria Stile said, "Anyone who ever entered Heathcote commented on how impressive the artwork was, and they all wanted to meet the teacher who was responsible for the breadth and exquisite quality of the work Ms. Y was able to inspire." Ms. Y will also be remembered by Principal Stile and the rest of Heathcote as someone who embodies John Steinbeck's great quote: "I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." Heathcote PTA President Karen Palaniappan said, "Ms. "Y", we wish you much happiness in your retirement. Our children's lives are more colorful because of you."
Mark Goldberg, who will retire from the Physical Education at Heathcote elementary, was unable to attend the meeting.
New Principal at Quaker Ridge:
Dr. Joan Weber announced the probationary appointment of Felix Gil as Principal of Quaker Ridge School. She described an extensive search and intensive interview process resulting in Dr. Gil's appointment. Dr. Gil joins Scarsdale from Summit, NJ where he is the Principal of Franklin Elementary School. He has been a Social Studies teacher as well as an Assistant Principal and Principal in New York City schools. He holds a BA in Latin American Studies from New York University, an MS in Bilingual Education from City University of New York as well as an MA in Public School Organization and Leadership from Teachers College of Columbia University. He recently defended his doctoral dissertation in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tenure:
Also announced were tenure appointments of the following twelve district staff members:
Julie Abbe, Special Education
Patricia Almanzer, Foreign Language
Kenneth Bonamo, Principal, SHS
Eileen Cagner, Special Education
Robert Daly, Social Studies
Michael Divino, School Counselor
Michael Egan, Science
Christopher Griffin, Assistant Principal, SHS
Jessica Gutta, Special Education
Nicole Jakymiu, English
Jamie Quinn, Mathematics
Heather Waters, Social Studies
Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team Poised for Playoff Run
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- Written by Geoffrey Fitzgerald
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Can the Scarsdale Girls Varsity Lacrosse team bounce back after graduating its star and goal scoring record-holder Lindsey Repp? Unfortunately, maybe not. Last year, the team finished the regular season with 10 wins and 7 losses. As this year's regular season came to a close on Thursday May 7 and Saturday May 9 the team lost both games, the first at home to White Plains, the second away to a very tough Somers team and now stand at 7-9.
Thursday May 7th was the final regular season home game for the team as well as the senior game, showcasing the talents of the Class of 2015. The team will be graduating six seniors this season, Amanda Shuster, Ali Farfel, Catherine Fitzgerald, and captains Kate Greenberg, Bridget Horwood and Sarah Mehlman. The team has been relying on regular contributions from all these seniors, in all parts of the field. Amanda Shuster and captain Kate Greenberg are regulars on the defensive end for the team, putting in long shifts protecting the goal. Ali Farfel, Catherine Fitzgerald and Bridget Horwood have been regular contributors on the offensive end, accounting for 22 goals and 17 assists on the season. Commanding the midfield has been captain Sarah Mehlman, leading the team with a notable 53 goals this season, and totaling 159 goals over her four year Varsity career.
The Thursday game against White Plains was hotly contested, ending 12-10 in White Plains favor, after Scarsdale took a slight 7-4 lead at the half. Throughout the game, Scarsdale played very tight defense, face guarding their opponents and denying them the amount of space necessary to legally take a shot, called the "shooting space" in Lacrosse rules. The game was also one of possession, with both teams able to control the ball for lengthy periods of time, leaving few opportunities for ground ball battles to change possession. The few ground balls that did arise were mostly won by Scarsdale who collectively won a total of 26 ground balls over the course of the game. Sarah Mehlman led the team with 3 goals in the game, scoring from 6 shots on goal. Junior Eliza Brosgol led the team with 5 points, two from goals and 3 from her team leading 3 assists on the game. Other notable performances came from Senior Bridget Horwood with two goals and an assist, and Junior Michaela Nicholas, with two goals. Freshman Lily Steckel and sophomore Jillian Mehlman had a goal and an assist respectively to round out the Scarsdale score line. The loss came in large part because of unforced errors, dropped balls and missed shots towards the end of the game, combined with intelligent play from White Plains to kill off the final few minutes with possession.
Saturday's loss came at the hands of Somers, who are 10-2-1 on the season, tying Horace Greely. The first half of the game was very streaky, starting with Somers scoring twice and leading 2-0. Scarsdale then scored four in a row, taking a 4-2 lead. Somers came back and scored 7 straight goals, to regain the lead 9-4, before Scarsdale scored again to bring the game to 9-5. For the duration of the game, mainly the second half, the teams traded goals, not starting any kind of significant run as seen in the first half. The game ultimately ended 18-12 in Somers favor. Michaela Nicholas led Scarsdale with four goals in the losing effort, followed by fellow Junior Eliza Brosgol, who had three. Sisters Sarah and Jillian Mehlman combined for 3 goals and 4 assists. Erin Nicholas, Michaela's sophomore sister also had a good game scoring twice on five shots. At many points in the game, Somers seemed to have the better of Scarsdale, who seemed to be forcing shots and trying to score quickly. However, Scarsdale was able to settle down and pass the ball around their offensive end as they have done so well this whole season, and to Somers dismay, Scarsdale was never truly out of the game until the final whistle blew.
The Scarsdale Girls Varsity team starts their playoff run as the #8 seed this Thursday May 14 with a home game against #9 seed Fox Lane at the Scarsdale turf at 4:30 pm.
Credit Card Numbers Hacked at DeCicco's in Ardsley
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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DeCicco's management does not know how many customers credit card numbers were hacked after the cards were used to pay for purchases at the store in mid-April. A news report says that between April 15 and 17 hackers gained access to the card numbers via the credit card processor. Customers contacted the store after they saw fraudulent transactions on their cards. Since that time DeCiccos has beefed up their security and is cooperating with police to determine who was affected. So far, no one shopping at the Scarsdale store has had a similar experience. Here is a message from the DeCicco's Facebook page.
Dear Customers, Employees, and Friends,
During the past week, several of you have relayed to us that you experienced fraudulent activity on your credit cards. Security is paramount to us, and although we NEVER store any credit card data, we launched a vigorous investigation as soon as we were first notified. We have been working around the clock ever since.
We are very sorry to inform you that we now believe we were the victim of a cyber attack at our Ardsley location. We have been working continuously with multiple outside security experts. The threat has been identified and fixed, and we have implemented every suggestion, solution, and upgrade that has been suggested. Over several days, it appears that some, but not all, credit card numbers were compromised; it does not appear that names, addresses, expiration dates, pins, and other personal information was compromised. We are working with credit card companies to attempt to contact affected customers directly (or have them contact affected customers on our behalf). We have also shared all information with the Ardsley Police Department and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We are urging all customers and employees to be vigilant in monitoring their card activity, and to notify your card provider immediately if you suspect anything suspicious. We have always been proactive in trying to ensure the safety and security of our shoppers by implementing the newest technology, most advanced encryption, and latest security devices. Unfortunately, in this day and age, people and companies both big and small are being targeted by cyber criminals. Thank you for patronage, cooperation, and understanding.
If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Thomas, [email protected] or 914-738-1377, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM. If we can be of service in any other way, please let us know.
Sincerely,
The DeCicco Family
Scarsdale Boys Tennis Team; Undefeated in their League
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- Written by Geoffrey Fitzgerald
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Scarsdale High School's Boys Varsity Tennis program is having another fine season this spring. Led by captains Sam Gray and Jonny Dorf, the team has gone 9-1 losing only to Horace Mann. Along with Dorf and Gray, seven other seniors help to make up the team, including Victor Avram, Richard Bennett, Jacob Eisenstein, John Kaspers, Christian Landgrebe, Ben Lefkowitz, and Zack Schulman, most of whom have been playing for the Varsity program for 3 or 4 years. The team is rounded out with three juniors, Evan Josephs, Harrison Peltz, and Zachary Steinberg, as well as three underclassmen, Rafael Schott, a sophomore, and Luke Smith and Suhas Vennan, the only freshmen. The collective age of the team has helped to fuel its success, helping the younger players get better, and teaching them how to get better through their strong work ethic.
According to Coach Jennifer Roane, the team is very strong on all parts of the court, with talented singles players who are rarely beaten, and deep doubles teams who constantly compete for chances to play. The team's enormous depth has allowed her to rotate doubles and singles players, maintaining high levels of play even with injuries to exceptional players. Scarsdale has had success against rival schools Mamaroneck and Byram Hills, and has not lost to either in the games they have played.
On Monday May 4th the team suffered their only loss against Horace Mann, a perennially difficult opponent. Scarsdale fielded three singles and four doubles pairings, ultimately losing 5-2. Luke Smith, freshman, played first singles, captain Sam Gray played second singles, and senior John Kaspers played third. Smith does not usually play first singles, filling in for the injured Jonny Dorf, and was commended by his injured captain on his victory, saying that he has "provided a nice boost for the team at singles." The other individual victory in the 5-2 defeat came at third doubles, with juniors Evan Josephs and Harrison Peltz claiming the victory. Jacob Eisenstein and Chris Landgrebe at first doubles, as well as Richard Bennett and Zack Schulman at second doubles came away with tough losses, despite their hard work and competitive play.
After the loss Monday to Horace Mann, the team bounced back nicely Tuesday and Wednesday, beating Rye and Suffern 7-0 to claim their eighth and ninth victories respectively. Despite the recent loss to Horace Mann, the team is looking to end the season undefeated in league and conference play. All focus has shifted to the last match of the season, a home match (Today) Thursday May 7 against rival Mamaroneck. Dorf has expressed confidence in the team stating "Our entire team looks forward to taking on the challenge. Hopefully we can end the season with a victory against a very competitive team."
Team members are looking forward to competing on an individual basis, in the Conference Tournament, May 12-16. The team is hoping to have many singles and doubles players at the tournament, and each will try to replicate the season's success. With no post-season team tournament this year, the Conference Tournament may be these senior's last chances to play Scarsdale Tennis, and they will undoubtedly succeed and leave their legacy on the program.
Board Recognizes Robyn Lane and Judith Shemtob
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale School Board accepted the retirements of Quaker Ridge Principal Robyn Lane and third grade teacher Judith Shemtob at their meeting on Monday night April 20th. Praise from Joan Weber, colleagues and parents was abundant for both.
Teacher Judith Shemtob taught at Quaker Ridge for 28 years, coming to Scarsdale after teaching in Massachusetts. Weber said that Shemtob "enabled students to reach their potential," and enriched her classroom with author visits, studies of other cultures, incubating ducklings and tending a garden. She said the Shemtob looks forward to travelling, writing, 5:30 am gym classes and "not rushing through the NY Times."
PTA President Leah Dembitzer said that Shemtob helped students who were struggling and was interested in what parents had to say. She said that parents felt like they were on a team with Shemtob and thanked her for touching the lives of her students.
Principal Robyn Lane called Shemtob a class act who makes others feel appreciated. She said that Shemtob " 
sets high standards for herself and inspires others." Her emails and phone calls to parents "reflect care for each student" and she offers "ideas for partnerships with home." Lane said that Shemtob has taught over 1000 students but still enjoys seeing "the light go on". She said, "Your legacy is firmly routed in what you have taught others."
Weber then turned to Principal Robyn Lane who came to Scarsdale in August 2005 in the midst of a major renovation at the school. She previously worked in Bedford as a teacher and a principal for 15 years. Weber said that Lane managed challenging demands at a time when the role of the principal grew more complex. She was "steadfast in her beliefs, contributed to new curricular efforts, and took a measured view of testing." Weber continued saying, "Grace, charm and empathy have been her hallmarks in the face of personal loss." She quoted Dr. McGill who said, "Robin you bring joy, life and delight to your work, students and school. Keep on growing and continue doing great things."
PTA President Leah Dembitzer paid tribute to a "cherished principal," saying "You are deeply embedded in our hearts." She said "You set the tone for the building that is welcoming, bright and soothing. I speak for the entire parent body when I say we could not have been luckier than to have you."
Heathcote Principal Maria Styles called it a "bittersweet evening," saying she was honored to speak but sorry that Lane was leaving so soon. She said that Lane "handled the ups and downs with a calm elegance." Her "door was always open with a full dish of candy." She read each students report card and personally placed children in classes each year, always with care and concern."
Fox Meadow Principal Duncan Wilson called Lane a "mentor who taught him to listen attentively to teachers and children."
Stylese said that Lane will now have time to play with her grandchildren, be available for her children and take care of her parents. Styles called Lane a "dutiful daughter, loyal friend and colleague" who "leaves Quaker Ridge a better place."
Weber noted that all retirees will be honored at a retirement recognition ceremony on June 2.
