No New Math Program Is Approved In Edgemont
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Seely Place School Principal Edward Kennedy sent an interesting missive to parents on September 23. He was writing to correct an article that appeared in the local newspaper, where it was reported that the Edgemont Board of Education had approved a new K-5 math program for the district’s elementary schools. The article ran on page 10 of the September 17 issue of the Scarsdale Inquirer and the headline said, “BOE approves new K-5 math program.”
However, according to Kennedy’s letter, no new math program was proposed or approved at the September 14th meeting of the Edgemont Board of Education. At the meeting, Kennedy had presented a supplementary math program that was developed during the summer months. When the Board reconvenes in October it will consider the adoption of the supplementary program in December 2010 or January 2011.
In addition, the article said that the “McDougal Littell Math Course 2” program was under consideration. According to Kennedy, McDougall Littell Math Course 2 is a textbook that was approved by the Board last spring, and is currently in use in the sixth grade.
School and STEP News
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP) held a reception and meeting to greet the new STEP student, Keith Martinez from South Dakota on Wednesday September 15. Martinez will be staying with Brandon and Mara Steiner and their children Nicole and Crosby. A football player, Martinez has already joined the Scarsdale team where he plays fullback and linebacker. His favorite school subjects are math and science and he is already finding SHS to be very “academic.” In the photos here he is pictured with his host family and with members of the STEP Club; (from the right) 
Will Hunnerson, Remi Landau, Claudia Taselaar, Caroline Rodman, Ben Rosenbaum and host Nicole Steiner.
In other district news, the Board of Education met with the leadership of the PTA’s and PT Council on Monday night September 13th. Board President Jill Spieler lead the meeting and updated the team on Board priorities and asked the PTA to provide feedback during the year on issues of importance to parents.
At the regular Board of Education meeting that night, the following was discussed:
- During the summer, the board passed a resolution to refinance Scarsdale School bonds, a move which will save the district $100,000 a year
- Superintendent McGill gave a report on school maintenance done during the summer and then discussed the effect of the Race to the Top on Scarsdale Schools. You can read more on the Race to the Top here:
- Joan Weber provided interesting enrollment statistics. Enrollment grew over the summer and there are now 2,172 elementary school students in the district, in comparison to a budgeted number of 2,135 students. Last year there were 107elementary school classes and there are now 109.
- Total enrollment in the Scarsdale Schools has grown from a projection of 4,706 students to 4,769 and enrollment is still in flux. However, since there are eight fewer faculty members than in 2009-2010, class sizes at the secondary level are expected to increase.
- The Board approved the hiring of the equivalent of 13.3 new teachers to fill in for retiring members of the staff and those on leave.
- The Board approved $75,000 for the Scarsdale Teen Center to be made in two payments of $37,500 each.
- The Board approved the course curriculum for the Scarsdale Teacher’s Institute
- The Board approved a bid for an outside Food Service Management Company to manage the district cafeterias. The Board has guaranteed the company .175 cents per meal or a minimum of $135,000. The Cafeteria is self-supporting and food offerings will not change.
- The Board approved a gift of $3,478.20 from the Greenacres PTA to the Greenacres School to purchase twelve tables for the school’s courtyard.
Back to School for the Adults Too
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September 13 marks the Fall 2010 opening of The Scarsdale Adult School including exercise classes, music instruction, lectures and more. If you want to learn a new language, you don’t have to travel far…. the Adult School offers beginning classes in German, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Italian, and French; conversational and intermediate classes in Spanish, French and Italian, as well as ESL.
For readers, the Book Talk with Harriet Sobol, has a newly added evening session. There’s also a Defensive Driving Course, offering point reduction and a certificate to be presented to your insurance company for a three-year discount.
What else?
- Talking Pictures: A Film Discussion Group
- A current events discussion group facilitated by Mitch Broder former editor, humor columnist and writing coach at The Journal News
- A wide variety of 11 different arts and crafts classes
- Games such as Canasta, Play and Learn Bridge; Competitive Bidding Bridge, and Beginning Bridge
- The Best of Baking with Seth Greenberg
To register or learn more about all the exciting Scarsdale Adult School offerings, visit www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org. Catalogs are available at Village Hall and the Scarsdale Public Library. Questions, call 723-2325.
Driver Education
Fall Driver Education for high school students are now available in the Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings and Irvington School Districts.
Classes begin October 2, 2010 and run through January 2011. For more information or to fill out an application and to register for a class, visit the Inter-Village Continuing Education website, www.intervillage.org <http://www.intervillage.org>
Inter-Village Continuing Education
500 Farm Road
Ardsley, NY 10502
Phone: 914-693-6300 x 2224 or 914-674-2025
Fax: 914-674-1258
Website: www.intervillage.org
What's New At School
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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We spoke to Scarsdale School’s Director of Public Information Vicki Presser and Assistant Superintendant Linda Purvis to discuss what students will find when they return to school next week.
The biggest change is that Scarsdale is now moving to a full-day kindergarten, which will be begin on Monday October 4. Instead of a combination of half days and call back days all Scarsdale kindergartners will attend full days of school. Though some objected to the new program, others welcomed the change. We asked one mother of a new kindergarten student what she thought and she said, “I'm all for it. It's only two extra afternoons a week, and timing pick-ups with my older daughter will be much easier than it would have been with the old schedule. My kindergartener is very excited about every aspect of going to Greenacres, especially going full-time, just like the big kids.”
The other big news in instruction is the extension of the elementary Spanish program into sixth grade at the Middle School. Before the rollout of the elementary Spanish program in 2005-06, world language instruction began in seventh grade, with a choice of French or Spanish. Now, Scarsdale students will have a choice of French or Spanish beginning in sixth grade, and world language instruction will be a continuum from first grade through high school.
Though we have no new facilities this year, Scarsdale has been focusing on refurbishing and maintaining our buildings and grounds. This summer, school roofs were repaired, paving was done, the floor of the high school kitchen was replaced and repairs were made to the water main at Fox Meadow School. The parking lot on the Post Road side of Scarsdale High School has been repaved and reconfigured as well. Though the budget for capitol improvements has been cut substantially, the School Board has supplied funds for the upkeep of our schools, and parents and students should find them to be in good shape for the start of the school year.
Hoff-Barthelson Music Programs for Young Children Open House
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Hoff-Barthelson Music School invites parents of children from newborn to five years to attend an Open House for its Preschool Music Programs – Music Classes for Young Children - on Wednesday, September 8, 10 am – Noon at the Music School, 25 School Lane, Scarsdale. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with Hoff-Barthelson’s extraordinary early childhood faculty, parents of current youngsters, and parents of students who have moved on from the Preschool Programs to music lessons and classes at the School.
The Journey of Musical Growth begins at an early age at Hoff-Barthelson Music School, a premier community music school that has been one of Westchester’s most cherished cultural resources since 1944. The faculty strives to instill a life-long love of music in their young students. HBMS preschools acquire a diversity of skills through music: the ability to focus and concentrate, to listen and observe keenly, and to become interested in watching and taking turns with their peers. Nurturing teachers develop their skills in music-making and help children to learn to love and appreciate music.
The HBMS Music Classes for Young Children are designed to introduce young children to the elements of music in preparation for more formal study. Classes range from parent(or caregiver)/child classes for infants, toddlers, two and three year olds to Getting to Know You: Exploring the Instruments for kindergarteners and recorder and Suzuki lessons and classes for 5-6 year olds.
HBMS also offers Spanish for Preschools taught through the most universal language of all, music, and a Mandarin Chinese Music and Movement Class. Three-year-olds can attend Parent/Child classes; Four’s attend a Drop-Off class.
The Hoff-Barthelson Preschool for three and four year olds provides a safe, nurturing environment which promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. Experienced teachers meet each child's developmental needs and build toward readiness for kindergarten. Children are involved through play in a full curriculum, with a special emphasis on music and art, which introduces numbers and language arts, science and nature, and dramatic play, cooking, sand and water play, and outdoor play. The children attend twice weekly music and movement classes.
For more information about the Open House and/or Preschool Programs: Jocelyn Kenner, 914-723-1169 and [email protected]
