Scarsdale Songwriter Justin Cooper Makes Waves on Spotify
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Justin Cooper, a graduate of both Scarsdale High School and Northwestern University, has cut his teeth as a professional musician over the past few months. His debut song, The Good Ole Days went viral over the summer, making waves on music streaming services Spotify and SoundCloud, before expanding to a wider range of platforms. Since then, he has released Sunny Side Up, a song about different types of eggs, and Call Me Girlfriend, a track about his relationship failures, that comes to Spotify on October 16. His newest song, Morning Person, is out now on Spotify. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we spoke about the inspiration behind some of his catalogue, his interest in music production, and his love of singing.
So, just to start, how did you decide to make The Good Ole Days?
This year, I lived in a house with seven roommates, and it was just beautiful to hang out on the roof, especially when the weather got nice. So one night, a few of us are hanging out on the rooftop, and I'd just seen that episode of The Office when Andy [Bernard] says, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you've actually left them.” It was almost graduation, and I was like, “Wow, like, these are the good old days.” And that night, I went down into my room, started working on the song, and just a few days later, it was ready.
Was this the first song that you made professionally?
So it's the first song that I released onto Spotify and SoundCloud, but I'd say since March 2019, this has been my passion project. Around then, I got one of those fancy mics, I got Logic Pro on my computer, and I just started pouring through YouTube videos, learning how to actually produce, mix and master records. I'd always loved writing songs, but this was probably the first song where I was like, "Wow, the public really needs to hear this. I really love this song."
What about that song made you think that it was time to start releasing?
As soon as I graduated, I was like, "Alright, I want to start releasing stuff. I want to see what I can do in music before I sell myself to the corporate world." So I was trying to figure out my best song, and this song— I caught [my friends and roommates] all walking around the house, humming or singing it. That's when I knew, “Wow, this is catchy. People are gonna like this.”
Can you walk me through the numbers that song has done?
I could look it up, but off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure on SoundCloud, it's past 100,000 [streams], but I think it's kind of topped off around there. And on Spotify, it's been growing every day. Right now, I think it's at like 75,000 [streams].
Why do you think it's resonating with people?
So I think there are a couple of factors. I really have tried to build my brand and identity around this nostalgia vibe, especially to the ‘90s. I also think that a lot of the elements of the song and the production are just very retro. The chord progression is this blocky synth that just sounds like childhood. It sounds like a kid banging on a xylophone. And then that coupled with the message of the song being "these are the good old days This is the time that we're gonna look back and be nostalgic about." I think it resonates with people on both a production and a lyrical level, where it's just a full on nostalgia trip.
I definitely got an e-boy vibe. I don't know if you know who Chase Hudson on Tik Tok is—he doesn't make music—but I was like, "Oh, if he made music, that is what it would sound like."
What's the name? Chase Hudson?
Yeah.
[begins typing] Cool. I'm gonna look him up.
I got the sense that the song was centered around the value and the benefits of male camaraderie. Am I catching onto something there, or no?
It's definitely about that. As the origin story of the song goes, it's about a bunch of dudes in a house, hanging out on a rooftop. At the end of the day, it's definitely got that bro-y, kind of hang-out vibe. And I feel like a lot of people definitely are feeling that, and especially recent graduates are probably feeling that too.
You can teach yourself how to mix and sound produce, but you also sing on the track. That's obviously more difficult. How did you come across doing that?
I knew that I wanted to be a songwriter and a producer, but the only way to get people to write and produce for is to have some credits. So, I just started singing on my own tracks. At first, I was terrible, but I practiced a lot, and with each subsequent song, I both got better at singing and got better at mixing my own voice. At this point, when I record, I definitely know what plugins I'm going to use on my voice in order to make it sound the best it can.
And then what was the inspiration for the song Sunny Side Up?
That was the first time I ever made a song, and there was no real inspiration for that other than I was really in the weeds of song structure and arrangement. And that song, when I showed it to people, I caught them singing it to themselves just randomly, and I was like, "This is a really catchy song."
Why eggs as a subject matter?
So when I first started writing the song, I was just trying to think of the most ridiculous thing I could write about. I had just had scrambled eggs, and I remember my friend was making fun of me for putting ketchup on my eggs. So I was like, "Alright, I'm gonna write a song about putting ketchup on my eggs." And then as I progressed in writing the song, I started to realize like, "Oh, eggs have such deeper meaning to them. They're so hard on the outside, but once you crack them, it's all gooey and mushy on the inside." That’s what inspired the lyrics from the bridge that are like, "Crack the egg and then do it all again. I'm in my shell. I'm in my shell." Maybe we're all eggs on the inside.
What did you want the eggs to represent?
I don't think that I really had an intentional metaphor with that. I was just trying to play around with them.
Oh, okay, because it just sounded like you kind of wanted it to mean something.
I want the audience to be able to extract their own meaning from it. And whether or not my intention was a specific meaning or not, I think is irrelevant. All that matters is what the audience perceives.
Your song Call Me Girlfriend—somewhere you said it was based on you making the same mistakes in relationships. Can you walk me through the thinking behind that?
Over the last couple years, I've gone through several different relationships that fell into the same patterns. At first everything was great, and slowly as the relationship would unfold, I started to get very attached. Eventually, it would just become very paralyzing. So this song was kind of my catharsis, to basically say to myself, "I think that I can break that cycle.”
And do you think that was your fault, their fault, or both?
Oh, it's 100% my fault. I think it's just something that I need to learn to work on.
Do you have any new music coming out soon?
I do have a few other songs, and I'm trying to figure out right now how I want to go about releasing them. I could see myself doing an EP, or just continuing with this string of singles. I kind of like releasing singles, because I feel like each song gets to be super special and has its own time in the spotlight. So I definitely want to think a little bit more about my release strategy. But for sure, I will at least have a song coming out every month for a while.
Can you tell me what the upcoming one is about?
Another song that I'm planning on releasing soon to Spotify etc. is called Turning Blue, which is about the mundanity of the quarantine. Every day feels like I'm waking up, not really doing anything, and not making any progress in any way. That's just making me miss the pre-quarantine days. I feel like none of us really knew how good we had it in February, when we could just go out and do whatever we want.
I know you want to be a songwriter, but do you want to keep singing?
Yeah, I didn't realize how much I loved singing until I started doing it every day. And now it's kind of like working out—I need to do my warm-ups in the shower, and I need to practice my repertoire every night, or else the day is just not complete.
Want to Get Involved In The Election? Here Is What You Can Do
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Myra Saul, the new chair of the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee, has many friends and acquaintances asking her that question these days. "This year's election, especially the presidential race, has drawn a lot of interest from many people in Scarsdale. Depending on your interests and the amount of time you have to volunteer, there is always a way to connect voters to the campaign safely, despite the pandemic." Of course, the pandemic has curtailed canvassing--- going door to door to talk with voters.
According to Saul, the primary way that the Biden campaign is now connecting with voters in swing states is through texting and phone banking. The Biden campaign is also asking volunteers to ask their own networks--family and friends--to support the candidate through its own "Vote Joe" app. These opportunities can be accessed through newyorkforbiden2020.com. Closer to home, volunteers may want to connect through Westchester for Biden's Facebook page.
The lawyers in the community and those who are interested in voting rights may find volunteering to help voters directly through work on a voter helpline compatible with their skills. Those opportunities are accessible through the New York Democratic Lawyers Council--nydlc.org-- and Fair Fight-- fairfight2020.org.
Of course, some people are text and phone shy. No problem. Letter and postcard campaigns are offered through Vote Forward--votefwd.org-or Postcards to Voters--postcardstovoters.org. Vote Forward contacts hard to reach and infrequent voters. Postcards to Voters reaches down ballot voters.
There are many senate, house and state races that complement work on the Biden campaign. Two are Swing Left--swingleft.org-- and Sister District, sisterdistrict.com. State legislative races are vitally important, because this is a reapportionment year.
Finally, don't forget to make your own plan to vote. First, make sure you are registered by going to voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. The last day to register to vote is this Friday, October 9th. Vote by mail, vote early or vote on election day, November 3rd. Voting early (October 24 through November 1) may be the best bet for those who want the confidence of voting on the machine and yet want to avoid crowds. Information about early voting in Westchester can be found at voteearlyny.org.
Make Your Plan to Vote: Here Are Your Options
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Make your plans to vote in the general election on November 3rd. This year, registered voters have three ways in which they can vote: 1) by absentee ballot; 2) in person during early voting; and 3) in person on election day.
All New York registered voters fearful of contracting Covid-19 may apply for and vote by absentee ballot using “temporary illness” as the reason for their absentee ballot request. The Westchester County Board of Elections website details the variety of ways you can apply for an absentee ballot, including through a newly-established online portal. The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is October 27, but voters are encouraged to apply NOW. Completed absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 3 and received by the Board of Elections by November 10. Please note that mailed absentee ballots without a postmark must be received by Wednesday, November 4, 2020, to be counted. Those not comfortable with the delivery of mail service but wishing to avoid the possibility of long lines at the polls may return their completed absentee ballots to drop boxes which will be stationed at the Board of Elections, early voting polling locations, and election day polling locations.
Early voting will take place between October 24 and November 1. This year, Westchester voters can vote at any early polling site in the county. Be sure to check early voting locations and times listed below and on the Board of Elections website. Westchester voters may also place absentee ballots in drop boxes at any early voting polling locations.
Election day is November 3, and you can vote only at your assigned polling location.
Social distancing and other precautionary measures will be enforced to ensure safety when voting. You may also place your absentee ballot in the drop box at your election day polling location.
As election day nears, the Governor may need to pass additional measures related to the November general election. The League is continuing to monitor potential new voting legislation. Updates can be found at www.lwvs.org/voter-information/. You may also visit the NYS League of Women Voters website at My.lwv.org/new-york-state.
If you have any questions regarding voting, contact the Scarsdale League of Women Voters, voter service at: [email protected]. The League knows that the ever-changing rules can be confusing and is happy to answer any questions.
Important Dates
Now: Residents should check their voter registration status.
October 9: Last day for your voter registration to be postmarked. The voter registration form is available on the Westchester County Board of Elections website.
October 9: Last day to register to vote in-person at the Westchester County Board of Elections’ Office. (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601).
October 24: Early Voting Period begins. Voters may vote in-person at any of the 17 Early Voting polling locations.
October 27: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot at the Westchester County Board of Elections. Westchester voters who wish to apply for an absentee ballot may do so online using a newly-established portal or by email, fax, regular mail, or telephone call.
November 1: Last day of Early Voting.
November 2: Last day to apply in-person for an absentee ballot.
November 3: (Date of General Election); last day for your absentee ballot to be postmarked.
Absentee ballots must be received by November 10. Absentee ballots without a postmark must be received by November 4.
November 3: Last day to deliver an absentee ballot in-person to the Board of Elections.
Early Voting 2020: Schedules and Locations
Westchester County registered voters are eligible to cast an early voting ballot. Registered voters will be able to cast their ballot at ANY of the 17 designated early voting locations listed below.
Westchester County’s Election Inspectors will now use Electronic Poll Books and Ballot-on-Demand systems to facilitate early voting. There will be nine days of Early Voting before each election.
Voters casting absentee ballots can choose to return their absentee ballots to drop boxes set up at these early voting polling locations.
Westchester County Early Voting Times for the November General Election
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 from noon until 8p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 from noon until 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Westchester County Early Voting Polling Locations
Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Place, Eastchester, NY 10709
Dobbs Ferry Village Hall, 112 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY 10607
Veterans Memorial Building, 210 Halstead Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528
Pound Ridge Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Road, Ma.m.aroneck, NY 10543
Mt. Kisco Memorial Complex at Leonard Park, 1 Wallace Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595
Mt. Vernon City Hall, 1 Roosevelt Square, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
New Rochelle City Hall Annex – 90 Beaufort Place, 90 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801
Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562
Peekskill Nutrition Center – Neighborhood Center, 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566
Somers Town House, 335 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589
Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601
Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710
Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701
Yorktown Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Important Voter Information for the Village Election On September 15 and the General Election - Early Voting Dates and Locations Announced
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(Updated September 2, 2020) Make your plans to vote in person or by mail in ballot in the Village election on September 15 and in the general election on November 3rd. Here is what you need to know from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale.
The Scarsdale Village Election, originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2020, has been postponed by New York State Governor Cuomo's Executive Order 202.44 to Tuesday, September 15, 2020. All election districts may vote in-person at the Scarsdale Congregational Church, 1 Heathcote Road from 6:00 AM to 9 PM.
There are six candidates running for three open Village Board seats. If you would like to watch the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Candidate Forum for Village Trustee featuring all six candidates, click the link: LWVS Candidate Forum for Village Trustee.
Note: The Village is holding all absentee ballots submitted before the March Village Election was postponed. They are valid and will be counted.
Important Dates for the Scarsdale Village Election
Friday, September 4: Last day to register with Westchester County Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in the Village Election. Click here to register to vote.
Tuesday, September 8: Last day for the Village Clerk to receive applications for absentee ballots to be mailed to qualified voters. Click here for a Village Election absentee ballot application:
Please Note: All New York State voters can now apply to vote by absentee ballot using the temporary illness clause if there is a risk of contracting a disease such as Covid-19. On August 20, Governor Cuomo signed legislation expanding absentee voting in New York State:
Monday, September 14: Last day for the Village Clerk to receive in-person applications for an absentee ballot from applicant or applicant's agent.
Tuesday, September 15: (Date of Village Election); Last day for the Village Clerk to receive absentee ballots in-person or by mail.
Note: You must be a registered voter at your current address in the Village of Scarsdale to vote in the Village Election. If you have any questions about your voter registration status, please call the Westchester County Board of Elections at (914) 995-5700 or click here to check your voter status.
Click here for the Scarsdale Village Election website.
General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Early Voting: October 24- November 1, 2020
Important Dates
October 9: Last day for your voter registration to be postmarked. Click here for a voter registration form:.
October 9: Last day to register to vote in-person at the Westchester County Board of Elections’ Office. (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601). Click here for the Westchester County Board of Elections' website: https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com
October 24: Early Voting Period begins. Early Voting Polling locations and times to vote have been released by the Board of Elections: https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/early-voting-2020. Voters may vote in-person at any Early Voting location in Westchester County.
October 27: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot.
All New York state voters can apply online for an absentee ballot using this portal:
Westchester voters who wish to apply for an absentee ballot by email, fax, or regular mail can get information here:
November 1: Last day of Early Voting.
November 2: Last day to apply in-person for an absentee ballot.
November 3: (Date of General Election); last day for your absentee ballot to be postmarked. Absentee ballots must be received by November 10.
November 3: Last day to deliver an absentee ballot in-person to the Board of Elections.
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale Voter Service Chairs recommend that:
Residents check their voter registration status.
If you are eligible to vote and are not registered, please register with the Westchester County Board of Elections.
If you plan to vote by absentee ballot in the General Election, all New York State voters can now apply to vote by absentee ballot using the temporary illness clause, if there is a risk of contracting a disease [such as Covid-19].
NYS has also announced early in-person voting for the general election. Here's what you need to know:
Early Voting 2020: Schedules, Locations, FAQs
Westchester County registered voters are eligible to cast an early voting ballot. Registered voters will be able to cast their ballot at ANY of the 17 designated early voting locations listed below.
Westchester County’s Election Inspectors will now use Electronic Poll Books and Ballot-on-Demand systems to facilitate early voting. There will be nine days of Early Voting before each election.
General Election, Nov. 3, 2020
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct.. 25, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct.. 26, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct.. 27, 2020 from noon until 8p.m.
Wednesday, Oct.. 28, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct.. 29, 2020 from noon until 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct.. 30, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct.. 31, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020 from noon until 5 p.m.
Westchester County Early Voting Centers
Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Place, Eastchester, NY 10709
Dobbs Ferry Village Hall, 112 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY 10607
Veterans Memorial Building, 210 Halstead Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528
Pound Ridge Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Road, Ma.m.aroneck, NY 10543
Mt. Kisco Memorial Complex at Leonard Park, 1 Wallace Drive, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595
Mt. Vernon City Hall, 1 Roosevelt Square, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550
New Rochelle City Hall Annex – 90 Beaufort Place, 90 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801
Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562
Peekskill Nutrition Center – Neighborhood Center, 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566
Somers Town House, 335 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589
Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601
Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710
Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers, NY 10701
Yorktown Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Frequently Asked Question for 2020 General Election
For the 2020 November General Election, you can vote in person before Election Day.
What is Early Voting?
Westchester County registered voters can vote in-person before Election Day at ANY of the seventeen (17) Early Voting Centers.
Who can vote early?
All Westchester County registered voters can vote early.
When can I vote early?
Early voting period will be from Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. The complete schedule is listed above.
Where can I vote early?
You can vote at ANY of the designated early voting sites throughout the County. These early voting centers are listed above.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Elementary and Middle School Teachers Weigh in on District Restart Plans
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Photo Credit: The NotebookAt a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday August 11, the community heard from four members of the Scarsdale Teachers Association. They primarily discussed plans for hybrid learning at the high school. This week, we have the comments below from teachers represenatives for the elementary schools and middle school. Here is what they have to say about the Restart Plan:
Michelle Mangiamele, 2nd Grade Teacher at Edgewood Elementary School
My name is Michelle Mangiamele. This September starts my 15th year at the Scarsdale school district. I am currently a second grade teacher at Edgewood School and an STA officer. I write about the past, present and future of the perception, hope and goals of the elementary teacher.
The Past: Eleanor Roosevelt once said “We learn from living.” We have all learned something from the past five months. Remote learning was challenging for EVERYONE. Teachers were learning how to teach in a way in which they never had before. Parents were learning how to help their children academically. Children were learning how to be students at home. Everyone was anxious. Everyone was learning. Everyone was struggling. We were in a pandemic and we still are.
As we continue to live in this pandemic, we need to remember that we must learn from our past. There was a great deal of rhetoric, and unfortunately, in some cases unfair criticism regarding remote learning during the Spring. We should be looking closely at our current plan to evaluate whether it meets the Scarsdale vision statement. The statement that was agreed upon by the entire community, consisting of administrators, faculty and families. The statement was as follows, and I quote- “The Scarsdale Schools Restart efforts commit to providing an educational environment that is physically and emotionally safe; to establishing and nurturing connections within the full school community; and to fostering meaningful learning opportunities for each student regardless of the structure of schooling which takes place in the future.”
The Present Time: The best efforts of all the stakeholders, working endless hours, resulted in the AB plan. Benefits of this plan included but were not limited to the following:
Everyday contact with teachers would happen through a morning meeting that would include the entire class whether it was in person or zoom.
Twice weekly in person instruction with four uninterrupted hours would give teachers more opportunity to create nurturing connections as well as foster meaningful learning opportunities.
On days spent out of the classroom, children would have opportunities for independent studies, both synchronous and asynchronous, preparing them should the district need to suddenly pivot to remote learning.
When this plan was presented to the community at large, the vocal outcry resulted in the hasty adoption of the AM/PM model prompting the following conclusions:
Allowing two cohorts into the building on the same day poses a greater risk of a viral transmission to both students and teachers. The AM/PM model results in less actual instructional time for students. The AM/PM model does not prepare students for the remote learning experts believe to be inevitable.
Many questioned the Wednesday planning day for teachers in the AB model. This day was so that teachers could concentrate on a variety of eLearning opportunities for students. Its purpose was also to help teachers and students stay aligned with those who would solely be engaged in remote learning. Teachers need the time to plan collaboratively in order to provide meaningful learning experiences either synchronous or asynchronous, and support students for the transitions into and out of distance learning. The opportunity for a few summer planning days is NOT enough to sustain a year of lessons. Teachers do not feel prepared for another year of remote learning. Teachers need the opportunity to collaborate and plan, so they can improve remote learning experiences that students receive.
The pandemic remains unchecked in so many parts of the country that we can predict that we will all be back to remote learning at some point, and we need this time to prepare. In the AM/PM model teachers have 30 minutes of planning time and 60 minutes for lunch. It looks good on paper but teachers must leave their classrooms, possibly the building, during that time so that proper cleaning can take place in order for cohort B to come to school safely. How will this work logistically? Where will teachers prepare lessons and do their work? Where will teachers eat their lunch? The A/B model provided more instruction for students and more common planning time for teachers.
As we look into The Future: Our goal as educators is to provide our students with the best possible education. Moving forward, our hope is that the community continues to recognize us as professionals who possess the expertise and knowledge of how best to support our students’ academic needs. As we begin to prepare for the inevitable, we also hope that the community will strive to remember that remote teaching during a PANDEMIC is a unique situation, filled with its own specific set of challenges for parents and teachers alike. We need to remember THIS IS A PANDEMIC. Yes teachers are filming lessons, teaching lessons over zoom, providing independent practice, but we also need the help from our families to support the child’s educational needs. No elementary school student can teach him or herself. We must remember that no matter what any teacher does from any screen, elementary students need physical human contact to check in for understanding and possibly review a lesson. The elementary teachers of Scarsdale want to work and have a partnership with our families so that the child receives the best education possible. We all know that it takes a village, so let’s begin planning how to work together.
Will Maldarelli, Eighth Grade Teacher at Scarsdale Middle School
My name is Will Maldarelli. I have taught 8th grade social studies at the middle school since 2014 and have worked in the building in other roles and departments since 2007. On behalf of the teachers at Scarsdale Middle School, I have written the following.
In a typical year at this time in August, when I am thinking about my classroom and the start of a new school year, I excitedly plan for the group work, simulations, and collaborative lessons with colleagues that enhance the curriculum for my students. I drive to the Middle School and begin to set up and imagine a room full of students mingling and connecting, both socially and academically. I set up the pods of desks that at times define the space in Fountain 177, and I feel that sense of (at times, admittedly nervous) anticipation for the year that is to come.
When the school year starts and we hit the ground running, my students and I immediately begin establishing the relationships that I value so much and that allow for thoughtful, meaningful, honest work to take place. I drop-in on students (individually and when they are working together) at their desks, providing feedback for them as they work. I welcome casual lunch drop-ins for conversations about my class or life in general. I enjoy before and after school extra help sessions during which I am able to engage with my students in smaller groups and on an individual basis, again, getting to know them more deeply on academic and personal levels.
The developmentally appropriate moments between students that I often encounter in the hallway, the passing micro-interactions and small-talk amongst us that build rapport and comfort, the encouraging smile or a high five...these moments paint a modest glimpse into the middle school experience. And all of us want nothing more than to return to it. Having said all of that, we find ourselves in the midst of an immensely atypical August in what has been a most challenging year in the lives of many people. The anticipation that we teachers usually feel in August has the added stress of genuine concern and fear. I want to make it clear that in a hybrid model, though students will be physically present in school for some time during the week, state guidelines prevent my classroom (and anyone’s classroom for that matter) from even faintly resembling what it was back in February or in the descriptions I detailed earlier.
The unfortunate reality is that anything short of a return to five full days a week following the distribution of a vaccine or treatment inherently means less can be accomplished in our classes. These realities not only sadden me, they fill me with anxiety as I struggle to reimagine all that I know.
Working and speaking with middle school teachers regarding reopening over the past weeks, I can assert that most do not feel comfortable with the way school will look in the fall. That is a hard thing for me to say as their representative but also as a fellow teacher who will have to live in that reality. Unfortunately, this truth also applies to our students and the community - this will not be school as ANY of us know it, and that is a profoundly distressing thing to say. Middle School teachers are concerned - about their ability to teach as effectively as they have done in the past, about their health, about the health of their families, about the health of their students, and about the health of the families of their students.
We see ourselves as part of this community. We understand the needs of middle school students and methods of best practice. We understand concerns about curriculum coverage and depth and breadth of content. We understand the desire for a return to the physical building, both from a professional and deeply personal level. We understand that this community deserves the best education that we can provide and are used to providing.
And so I feel it necessary to say, if SMS opens in a hybrid model, that no one can or should expect a “return to normalcy” in September, as much as we all (and I mean ALL), want there to be. We have used our imagination. We have put in the deep, thoughtful work necessary to iterate and reiterate how Scarsdale Middle School will look in the fall. Despite all of this, we still cannot make it feel normal. This is a function of life during a pandemic.
The hybrid model may seem to solve the challenges that are facing us, particularly when it comes to in-person contact between teachers and students; however, in order to maintain social distancing and other procedures necessary to protect students, teachers, and families at home, no model will allow us to overcome the pervasive problems the pandemic presents to schools. Students will not be able to interact or socialize with each other as they have done in the past.
As teachers, we will continue to reimagine how we will most effectively engage our students in this new reality this Fall and beyond because that is who we are as people and as professionals and because we care deeply about your children. Teachers at the middle school continue to reach out to us as STA Officers, to their department chairs, and to each other throughout the summer, searching for that magic recipe that will allow us to do what we love in the way we are accustomed to doing it. Sadly, no recipe (short of an effective treatment or a vaccine) exists that could make that desire a reality. No model, hybrid or remote, can recreate what we have dedicated our careers to building. No model provides for a return to our most recent memory of stepping foot in the building back in March.
So in a few weeks, when school “reopens” (in whatever form it takes), please know that we are working to do all that we can to not only teach your children but also to make them feel that sense of community that is at the core of the SMS experience. The Middle School may be the “middle child” but (like any child) it is our child and we want it to be all that we know it can be and has been. The unfortunate reality is that a hybrid model cannot accomplish this goal. A final, personal note: I often refer to myself as a “cautious optimist.” I continue to hope that all stakeholders do their very best in this moment as we move forward into September with understanding, humility in the face of an immense challenge, and hope as we work through this crisis and look forward to a time when we can all, together, confidently and safely return to all that a Scarsdale education has to offer.
