SHS Student Wins St. Vincent's Youth Award
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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Rishi ShadaksharappaIf anyone needs a reminder that the Scarsdale School District is full of wonderfully caring, considerate, creative, and hard working students they need to look no further than Rishi Shadaksharappa.
Rishi, a junior at Scarsdale High School, was recently celebrated for his dedication to community service when he was honored, along with twenty two other Westchester students, with the St. Vincent Hospital Youth Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.
According to their website, “Each year, the Auxiliary presents awards to high school students whose volunteer service exemplifies St. Vincent's core values of respect, integrity, compassion and excellence…and whose service best exemplifies the mission of St. Vincent's – respect and compassion for ourselves and others, excellence in service, the dignity of human life and commitment to the community.”
In addition to the Youth Award, during the award ceremony at St. Vincent Hospital in Harrison, Rishi was awarded a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the office of Congressman Jamal Bowman.
In order to be considered for this prestigious award, all SHS students needed to submit an essay explaining the ways in which they use their acts of service to make the world a better place. To learn more about Rishi’s dedication to our community and why he was selected from a multitude of SHS applicants, you can read his essay here:
“In July of 2022, coming out of the pandemic, I felt disconnected from my grandparents who live abroad. I realized that a lot of other senior citizens must feel the same way being isolated from their loved ones, especially during the holidays. I also noticed grocery stores were throwing away expiring flowers as new inventory came in weekly. For me, these flowers, being in very good condition, could (and should !) be used to brighten smiles around our local community. Creating a sustainable solution to this issue while also catering towards the senior community seemed possible.
For those reasons, I founded Bouquet Buddy, a non-profit, local community service that donates flowers to hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, and any place where people need a little bit of happiness, free of cost, around Westchester County. Partnering with grocery stores and local florists who provide me with expiring flowers that would otherwise go to waste, I repurpose them into arrangements and distribute them.
Rishi with Manuel Homem and SVP of St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester, Bernadette Kingham -Bez
So far, Bouquet Buddy, has delivered about 3,000 bouquets to local facilities such as GiGi’s Playhouse, the Hospice of Westchester, Scarsdale Senior Center, Eastchester Senior Center, Bristal Assisted Living, Garth Road Senior Center, Burke Rehabilitation Center, the Kensington, and Atria of Rye Brook. Every week, on Thursday evenings, we collect in the range of 30-75 buckets of flowers from different locations. After school on Fridays and Saturdays, I hand-deliver individual bouquets to the facilities.
I often connect with seniors during these visits. They genuinely appreciate the donations and look forward to seeing “the flower boy” each week. It’s really a win-win situation because this project was created looking to connect with the senior community, and Bouquet Buddy has done just that. My mom helps drive me to every location and I have gotten closer to my family during this process. Overall, this organization has taught me valuable skills. It has taught me patience, respectful communication with elders, disciplined work ethic and time management. Having delivered thousands of bouquets over the past 20 months has taken countless hours, I hope to find a way to keep the Bouquet Buddy going in some form long after I graduate from SHS. If you are interested in learning more about my organization (with photos), please take a look at my instagram account @bouquet.buddy.
In addition, since my freshman year of high school, I have also volunteered at the local firehouse to train in fire and emergency services as part of the Scarsdale Fire Explorers Program. I work directly with the well-trained firefighters who mentor me throughout the process. During these sessions, we learn through physical training/drills and about the protocols pertaining to emergency situations. I have come to admire and appreciate the volunteer spirit among the Scarsdale community and have trained to do my part one day.”
Congratulations Rishi Shadaksharappa on your well-deserved recognition.
Oscar Nominations From Your Scarsdale Neighbors: What Are You Watching?
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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It’s that time of year again! Glamorous movie stars are dressing in their finest duds to walk the red carpet, while us regular folk are donning our comfiest sweatpants and fighting for the best seat on the sofa. That’s right, the 96th Academy Awards show is this Sunday March 10th, where stars like Bradly Cooper and Robert Downey Jr. will be vying for an Oscar.
While there are some obvious standouts such as Barbie and Oppenheimer, we wondered if your favorite movie from 2023 is a contender for a golden statue. We reached out to friends and neighbors (both old and young) and here are the movies that topped the lists of Scarsdale residents:
The Holdovers (Comedy/Drama) Rated R, now streaming on Peacock.
American Fiction (Comedy/Drama) Rated R, for purchase on Amazon.
Zone of Interest (War/Crime) PG-13, available for purchase on Apple TV, Amazon.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (Action/War) Rated R, streaming on Amazon.
Anyone But You (Comedy/Romance) Rated R, for purchase on Amazon.
Past Lives (Romance/Drama) PG-13 available on Hulu, Showtime.
Society of the Snow (Thriller/Adventure) R available on Netflix.
Maestro (Romance/Musical) R available on Netflix.
Air (Sport/Drama) R available on Amazon.
Mission Impossible (Action/Thriller) R available on Paramount+
Pain Hustlers (Crime) R available on Netflix.
Fair Play (Thriller/Mystery) R available on Netflix.
Salt Burn (Comedy/Mystery…is Cringe a category??!!) R available on Netflix.
May December (Romance/Thriller) R available on Netflix.
Leave the World Behind (Thriller/Drama) R available on Netflix.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Crime/Western) R available on Apple TV.
Boys in the Boat (Sport/Drama) PG-13 available for purchase on Apple TV.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Action/Comedy) PG available on Netflix.
Creed lll (Sport/Action) PG-13 available on MGM+.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Action/Adventure) PG-13 streaming on Disney+.
Theater Camp (Comedy/Drama) PG-13 available on Hulu.
Asteroid City (Romance/Comedy) PG-13 available on Amazon.
Next Goal Wins (Sport/Comedy) PG-13 available on Hulu, Disney+.
Nyad (Sport/Thriller) PG-13 available on Netflix.
Dumb Money (Comedy/Drama) R available on Netflix.
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret PG-13 available on Hulu.
And yes, Barbie and Oppenheimer aren’t just Academy favorites, they also top the lists of many of the folks who chimed in here in the ‘Dale. And though a lot of these movies might not be Academy Award Nominees, they rank right up there with the many well-loved films that came out in 2023. Did one of your favorite flicks from last year not make our list? Leave your “must-watch” suggestions in the comments!
Scarsdale Ice Hockey Team Wins Division 1 Quarterfinal in Brewster
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- Written by Dave Taber
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Lev Mizukovski (15) of Scarsdale fights with Ryan Dean (27) of BYSNS for control of the puck in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21On Tuesday Feb. 20, Scarsdale beat BYSNS (a combined team from Brewster, Yorktown, Somers, and North Salem) 5-3 in the Division 1 quarterfinals of the 2023-24 Section 1 Ice Hockey playoffs at the Brewster Ice Arena in Brewster NY. Scarsdales's next game will be on Thursday Feb. 22 against top-seeded Suffern who beat Mamaroneck in the their quarterfinal game.
Photos by Dave Taber of Shots of the Game. To see more game photos, please visit https://www.shotsofthegame.com
Harry Wolf (23) of Scarsdale fires in the puck toward the net against BYSNS in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Scarsdale's Harry Wolf (23) takes a penalty shot against BYSNS in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Ryan Camhi of Scarsdale faces off against Matteo Guastadisegni (23) of BYSNS in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Scarsdale's Ryan Camhi battles for the puck with BYSNS goalie Dylan Weber (45) in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Ryan Camhi (15) of Scarsdale celebrates a goal by Lev Mizukovski (15) in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Daniel Zhu (5) of Scarsdale skates toward the net in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Lev Mizukovski (15) of Scarsdale scores on Dylan Weber (45) of BYSNS in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Scarsdale goalie Max Siegel (23) nabs a shot in the 3rd period in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Scarsdale goalie Max Siegel (23) makes a great save against Lucas Salvatore (6) of BYSNS in Scarsdale's quarterfinal playoff win against BYSNS on 2/20/21
Vine Cutters Attack Invasive Vines
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Vine cutters had a very productive day at the Weinberg Nature Center on Sunday February 25 and plan to continue their work in Scarsdale public spaces each Sunday from 1-3pm until the end of April.
Vine cutting is best done in the winter and early spring (November - April) when the leaves are down. Once the leaves have sprung, they hide the vines making them difficult to cut. If you are worried about bad weather, we are too, so we do not cut vines while it is raining or snowing.
Adults (over 18) are welcome to join. Each week they will attack a different Scarsdale location. This activity is rewarding and may save many trees from being killed by vines. Anyone interested can email Elaine Weir ([email protected]) and she will add you to the vine cutting email list. Training will be done to learn how to identify invasive vines and how to cut them. Cutting vines is not only useful in Scarsdale parks but this activity can also benefit your own backyard.
Come join the vine cutters for one or more of their 2 hour sessions each Sunday.
Megan Simon to Receive Rising Star Award from Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service
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Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service (SFCS) today announced it has selected Megan Simon to receive its annual Rising Star Award in recognition of her volunteer leadership and contributions to many Scarsdale organizations. The annual Rising Star Award recognizes leaders in the Scarsdale Community who have demonstrated dedicated, impactful and active community service.
The Award will be presented to Simon at the SFCS 2024 annual benefit gala Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Scarsdale Golf Club. Tickets to honor Megan Simon can be purchased at SFCSGALA.org.
"This award recognizes that Megan has become one of Scarsdale’s most active and valued community leaders in the last 10 years. Her demonstrated leadership, dedication and energy have earned her the respect and acknowledgement of the Scarsdale community and of the organizations she serves," said James Genova, LCSW, executive director, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service.
"Megan’s involvement is driven by her desire to enhance our schools and community organizations. She enjoys working with people and, as a leader, cultivates a collaborative team environment in all her volunteer roles.”
Scarsdale Native Returns to Serve the Community
Megan Simon (neé Wolters) grew up in Scarsdale, attending Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale Middle School, and Scarsdale High School. She moved back to Scarsdale in 2014, with her husband Chris Simon to raise their two children: Patrick Simon (age 14) and Devon Simon (age 12). Attracted by the excellent schools and her own experience growing up, Megan was eager to get involved in supporting community organizations.
Megan began by joining several Parent Teachers Association (PTA) committees at Greenacres School and at The Hitchcock School, rising within just a few years to become Greenacres PTA President and the
PTO President at The Hitchcock School. Throughout Megan’s time as Greenacres PTA President, she worked with Parent Teacher Council (PTC) leadership, the District Cabinet and Board of Education towards a successful $68M dollar bond referendum. The majority of those funds were used for the renovation of Greenacres in addition to addressing health and safety issues at all seven Scarsdale schools. Her demonstrated leadership, dedication and relationships within the school district then led her to be named PTC President in 2021-2022. As PTC President during part of the COVID pandemic, Megan served on the District Restart Committee as well as on the Scarsdale Middle School Restart Committee; these committees helped plan and facilitate a smooth transition for both students and staff back to in-person classes.
In addition to her leadership of the PTA and PTC, Megan was named co-president of the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation (SSEF) in 2021, a role she continues to this day. During her tenure, Megan has overseen SSEF’s donations of all the upgraded cameras and microphones used by teachers to enhance remote learning during the COVID pandemic. Most recently, Megan has been involved with SSEF’s grants to Scarsdale Middle School for the library renovation and to Scarsdale High School for flexible furniture, which can be moved and reconfigured in classrooms to create different learning environments that best meet teachers’ needs.
In 2023 when her son entered high school, Megan joined the board of Maroon & White, the athletic teams support organization. Megan currently serves on the journal committee, which is Maroon & White’s largest fundraiser.
In addition to the Scarsdale School system, Megan has been on the board of Scarsdale Golf Club for the last five years, serving as the head of admissions, secretary, vice president and, now, president. She will continue working on this Board for the next two years.
Prior to her return to Scarsdale, Megan worked in advertising sales and marketing for CBS and A&E Networks. She is a graduate of Bucknell University.
