Celebrate Edgemont at the Annual Spring Fête
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It's the beginning of spring and that means it's time for the annual PTA/PTSA fundraiser in Edgemont, traditionally called the Spring Fête. For those of you wondering what the term fête means ... I looked it up and it is defined as a day of festive celebration or entertainment and that is what this year's Spring Fête's theme is all about: Celebrate Edgemont!
The event will occur on Saturday April 9th at the Sunningdale Country Club in Edgemont. It is the biggest fundraising event of the year for the school's PTA/PTSA and helps fund numerous programs at all three schools such as the Young Writers Workshop, the Colonial, Science and Health Fairs, Student Governments, International Day and PISA (Parents in Support of the Arts), as well as publications such as the Blue Book, the Student Directory, and the PTA Backpack News. The PTA and PTSA have also funded smart boards, document cameras, printers and other technology items for the classrooms at all three schools. These generous gifts help maintain the quality of an Edgemont education and are always acknowledged at each BOE meeting with great appreciation.
For the past two years, the Spring Fête had a Casino night theme and was held at Elmwood Country Club but this year the theme is "Celebrate Edgemont" and it returns to its previous location in Edgemont. The event will feature a dinner with a dj, dancing and even karaoke for those brave enough to give it a try. In the past, the event has featured a live band made up of Edgemont parents. They proved to be very popular and went on to play at other events. This fundraising event is customarily attended by over 300 parents, teachers and administrators and a good time is had by all.
The actual event this Saturday was preceded by an online auction ( www.springfete.com ) where everyone could bid on a large assortment of prizes such as restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, and spa services. Parents could even make a bid for their child to be "Principal for a Day" at the elementary schools or to "Spend a Day" with the Pizza Man or Veterinarian. At the Fête, there will be a silent auction as well as a live auction for large prizes such as luxury vacations and spectacular ethnic group dinners, as well as a stunning pair of pearl and diamond earrings. All the wonderful prizes were donated to the event thanks to the hard work of the dedicated PTA/PTSA volunteers who worked countless hours planning the event for the past few months.
The Edgemont elementary school PTA and high school PTSA hope to have a banner year and raise more funds than ever before. Tickets to the Spring Fête are still available and may be purchased at the Sunningdale Country Club on Saturday night, starting at 7 pm. Come out and celebrate Edgemont.
Caroline Tzelios is a "stay at home" mom of three kids who never stays at home. She has spent the past twelve years volunteering in the Edgemont Schools and recently completed her two year term as PTSA co-president of Edgemont High School and is the current co-chair of Edgemont's PISA Theater Committee.
Edgemont Gets Grease Fever
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Grease was the word in Edgemont High School this past weekend and it seemed everyone in town wanted to see this popular musical. Over 75 students participated in the school's production with students from all four grades involved in the cast, pit and crew. The selection of Grease proved to be a great one as over 1,000 people showed up to see it at Edgemont High School this weekend. While recent Edgemont shows (The Pajama Game in 2010 and Guys and Dolls in 2009) also did well, Grease was by far the most successful of recent years.
The show was directed by the high school's Vocal Music teacher, Kelley Morse. She worked long hours with the students to produce a truly amazing show. Seniors Elizabeth Han, Justin Arnold, Julie Robine, and David Newman, who played the lead roles of Sandy, Danny, Rizzo and Kenickie, all gave outstanding performances at the four shows, as did the rest of cast and ensemble. The energy level and enthusiasm from everyone on stage provided for a fast-paced show that was full of great singing, impressive dancing, and many funny moments. The applause at the end of each show was thundering and went on for quite some time with many audience members giving a standing ovation to the students who had worked so hard since auditions occurred in December to bring Grease to life on the Edgemont stage.
The pit orchestra directed by John Catoliato, the school's Instrumental Music teacher, was excellent. Edgemont traditionally uses students
The popular show ran for four performances from March 24th through the 27th and tickets went faster than "Greased Lightening." The performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were sold out and despite a mass email by the high school on Friday morning to parents letting them know that Friday's show was sold out and there were limited tickets left for Saturday and Sunday, many families without reserved seats showed up hoping to be seated. Although everyone was accommodated on Friday and Saturday, several families were turned away at Sunday's matinee performance. Edgemont could have easily sold out a fifth performance of Grease. It seemed everyone in Edgemont wanted to see Grease and rightly so!
Congratulations to everyone involved with Grease.
Pictured at top: Justin Arnold as Danny Zuko
Caroline Tzelios is a "stay at home" mom of three kids who never stays at home. She has spent the past twelve years volunteering in the Edgemont Schools and recently completed her two year term as PTSA co-president of Edgemont High School and is the current co-chair of Edgemont's PISA Theater Committee.
Don't Wait To Be A Hero
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Scarsdale resident and volunteer fire fighter, Mark Bezos, is the development director of Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City. He joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.
In Scarsdale Bezos serves as a volunteer firefighter and at a recent TED Conference he told the story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero.
Bezos, who lives here with his wife Lisa and four children, agreed to share this inspirational video with you. Click here to view this memorable moment.
Free Tickets Available For the Jacob Burns Film Center Jewish Film Festival
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The Jacob Burns Film Center is offering Scarsdale10583 readers a limited number of FREE tickets to some upcoming events. On Monday night March 28 at 7: 45 pm, a documentary about Grace Paley will be shown and the event will include a Q and A with the filmaker Lilly Rivlin.
In addition, the Jacob Burns Film Center will present their tenth annual Westchester Jewish Film Festival from March 24- April 14. On the program are 30 films representing 17 countries and 15 speaker events. Special Events include interviews with directors, panel discussions, live musical performances, receptions and a photography exhibit in our upstairs gallery.
In considering the eclectic and rich array of film selections culled from over 150 entries from around the world, several themes stand out, including films about legendary Jewish artists and writers, ’Jewish Noir’ thrillers, music documentaries, and extraordinary films highlighting Jewish stories from Latin America, dramas from France and the evolving life and culture in Israel - along with many special guests attending these events.
Some of the films focusing on iconic Jewish artists, writers and musicians are:
Norman Mailer: The American - A brash and surprisingly candid look at the notorious author’s provocative personal life and career, with filmmaker Joseph Mantegna in attendance for a Q&A at the March 30th screening,
Vidal Sassoon: The Movie - A box-office and critical hit about the life of this legendary arbiter of style, featuring with a fantasia of iconic, evocative images from the 60s and 70s, with local filmmaker Craig Teper interviewed by Janet Maslin at the March 28th screening,
Stalin Thought of You: A fascinating documentary about the soviet political cartoonist Boris Efimov in a stunning, intimate history of the Soviet Union, with a Reel Talk by JBFC’s Brian Ackerman at the April 10th screening,
Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams - An intimate look at the acclaimed and controversial Israeli author and peace activist, and a profound meditation about Israel’s struggle for identity.
Mahler on the Couch (opening night at New York Jewish Film Festival) - A riveting, witty and compelling adventure that unveils the life of the tormented and brilliant composer Gustav Mahler and his notoriously passionate wife Alma - with a sublime Mahler soundtrack!
Among the ‘Jewish Noir’ films are a group of riveting, suspenseful dramas from around the world:
Little Rose: From Poland, a sexy, knock-out suspense thriller set in Communist Poland in 1968.
Eichmann’s End: Love, Betrayal, Death: The thrilling tale of the Nazi mastermind hiding in post-WWII Argentina, and the Mossad’s attempt to track him down and capture and him.
Five Brothers: A contemporary drama from France that follows a family of very different Jewish brothers who become entangled with the Mob and face the struggles of family ties, honor and revenge.
Naomi: A compelling and surprising drama set in Haifa about infidelity and the price of desire.
The Army of Crime: Set in WWII Nazi-0ccupied France, a gripping thriller about a fierce underground battle led by an Armenian poet and a gang of young freedom fighters.
In addition, the festival will include a group of exhilarating new music documentaries. For a full list of films, visit http://www.burnsfilmcenter.
As a special free giveaway to Scarsdale10583 readers, JBFC is offering 10 pairs of FREE tickets to non-speaker event screenings! To enter, please send an email to [email protected] with “Scarsdale10583 Giveaway” in the subject line by March 29th. In the email please include your name, the film you would like to attend (non-speaker event screenings only), and the date and time of the screening. Winners will be selected at random and will be notified via email by March 30th. (Note: Only winners will be notified and all tickets are subject to availability.)
Scarsdale Resident Linda Simon to Head Morgan Library Department of Drawings and Prints
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Scarsdale resident Linda Wolk-Simon has been appointed as Charles W. Engelhard Curator and Head of the Morgan Library and Museum’s renowned Department of Drawings and Prints. The Morgan houses one of the world’s finest collections of old master drawings, as well as a growing collection of nineteenth-century and modern works on paper.
Ms. Wolk-Simon was most recently Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she has held a number of positions over more than two decades. A specialist in Italian Renaissance art, she will assume her duties at the Morgan in May. Her appointment concludes a broad, international search.
“I am delighted that Linda Wolk-Simon will join the Morgan’s team of outstanding curators,” remarked Museum Director, William M. Griswold. “Linda has laid out a compelling vision for the future of one of the most important of the Morgan’s collections. She is noted in the field for the vitality of her exhibitions and the excellence of her scholarship. This is an exciting time in the department, as the collections continue to grow, particularly in the area of modern and contemporary drawings, and as we seek to expand our exhibition program and educational offerings.”
The Department of Drawings and Prints is the largest of the Morgan’s curatorial departments, and its approximately 25,000 works span the fourteenth century to the present. The department is especially strong in drawings from the Italian, French, Dutch, and British schools, and the list of important artists represented is vast, ranging from Michelangelo and Raphael to Dürer, Rubens, Fragonard, David, Watteau, Gainsborough, Constable, and Turner, to name only some of the highlights. The department also has the largest and finest collection of Rembrandt etchings in America. In recent years, with support from Trustee Eugene V. Thaw and under the energetic leadership of Isabelle Dervaux, Acquavella Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings, the Morgan has systematically expanded its collection and programs to encompass the twentieth and even twenty-first centuries.
“It is a supreme honor to be appointed to head the Department of Drawings and Prints and to follow in the 
tracks of so many distinguished predecessors,” said Ms. Wolk-Simon. “The Morgan houses one of the preeminent collections in the world, and the depth, breadth, and quality of the holdings are truly extraordinary. I look forward to working with Bill Griswold and my new colleagues as we set out to create a template for the future and to craft the next chapter of the department’s long and impressive history.”
Upon Ms. Wolk-Simon’s arrival, she will launch a long-range program of major international loan shows of old master drawings, beginning with the first-ever monographic presentation of the drawings of the seventeenth-century Italian artist and satirical poet Salvator Rosa. Focused exhibitions highlighting individual masterpieces or small groups of distinguished works in the Morgan’s collection and supplemented by a few key loans; a rotating installation of selected works from the Morgan’s extensive and varied holdings of drawings and prints; and thematic exhibitions bringing together works from a number of different curatorial divisions will also be part of the department’s program.
Ms. Wolk-Simon received her Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan. In 1986 she joined the staff of The Metropolitan Museum, where she was a curator in the Robert Lehman Collection, coordinator of the museum’s World War II-era Provenance Research Project, and a curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints specializing in Italian drawings. She also served for many years as reviews editor for the scholarly journal Master Drawings, which has its headquarters at the Morgan.
At the Metropolitan Museum she organized or co-curated numerous well-received exhibitions, including most recently Art and Love in Renaissance Italy; Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece; and An Italian Journey, Correggio to Tiepolo: Italian Drawings in the Tobey Collection. A noted expert on the art of Raphael and his followers, she has contributed essays, articles, and reviews to numerous publications; lectured extensively in the United States and abroad; and was the recipient of a Fulbright Grant, and of a Kress Fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, at the National Gallery of Art. Her publication Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece was named most outstanding essay devoted to a single work of art by the Association of Art Museum Curators.
Simon, a mother of two has lived in Scarsdale for almost nineteen years and commented, “I love living in Scarsdale because it’s such a warm and friendly community with so much to offer—great schools; sports and activities for kids; wonderful services such as the library and the pool; friendly, accomplished people; interesting and fun events going on all the time such as lectures at the library or at local synagogues; concerts of outstanding quality performed by the New Choral Society at Hitchcock Church in my own backyard and, in the summer, at Chase Park by Westchester Band, plus it is a great commuter town. I was able to both pursue a career in the city and have lots of time at home with my kids without feeling like the commute consumed hours and hours of my day.”
She would like to encourage you to visit the Morgan Library and Museum at 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street sometime soon. The building began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan and is now a museum, library, musical venue, architectural landmark and historic site. In 2006 the building was expanded by architect Renzo Piano and in 2010 the original McKim building was restored. See what they have to offer at www.themorgan.org .
