SMS Retirees Lauded at School Board Meeting

Twenty-one faculty members will be retiring from the Scarsdale School District as of July 1, 2013, and the district began honoring those retirees at the March 18 Board of Education meeting. Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Joan Weber, SMS principal Michael McDermott and PTA president Pam Fuehrer paid tribute to each of the retirees.

Maureen Ball
First to be acknowledged was Maureen Ball. Ms. Ball, a Home and Career Skills Teacher, came to Scarsdale from Dobbs Ferry in 2000. She has her BS in Home Economics Education from SUNY Oneonta and her MS in Educational Technology from Long Island University. As a member of the Related Arts department, said Weber, Ball added many new dimensions to the consumer science program, including the study of child development, food preparation, and sewing and quilting projects. Weber went on to say that Ms. Ball made consumer sciences more relevant for the Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow.

According to Principal McDermott, Ms. Ball had a "particular passion for fabric arts" resulting in her assignment to the sewing studio. Students in her after school sewing club fabricated quilts for babies in shelters, the donation of which on Human Rights Day was always an emotional event. In addition, a colorful quilt commemorating the 50th anniversary of SMS is displayed in the school's great hall "a project that she initiated, supervised, and stitched, and so we will always have that beautiful, visual memory of what she inspired," said McDermott.

Fuehrer read statements collected from parents of Ball's students, who said, "She taught life skills that will help students earn money and save money," and "she helped students think on a deeper personal level." "We are grateful for your investment in our children's future," said a third.

Dawn Rivellini
Also retiring is SMS Home and Career Skills Teacher Dawn Rivellini. Rivellini has been a part of the Consumer Science department at SMS for 26 years, having received her BS in Home Economics at Misericordia College and her MS in Special Education at the College of New Rochelle. Weber thanked her for teaching children to make healthy choices and wise consumer decisions, and read from Rivellini's letter of retirement, in which she said that she will "look back and recognize I was fortunate to work in such an amazing school district." McDermott thanked her for filling the corridors with great aromas, and for introducing events for students, including SMS' own Iron Chef and Cupcake Wars competitions. Rivellini also worked on the SMS garden – "I jokingly dubbed her the Martha Stewart of the middle school," McDermott reminisced, "wielding a shovel in a blue blazer and pearls."

Fuehrer mentioned Rivellini's money management and career exploration units, that gave students the chance to feel the freedom of identifying their likes and dislikes. She also spoke of Ra class unit where students wrote consumer letters of complaint. "Students love the chance to complain as an adult would," said Fuehrer.

John Voss
John Voss joined the SMS faculty in 1985 as an experience teacher of music. A cellist, Voss got both his BA and MA from the Manhattan School of Music. He conducted, played, and led many of the SMS ensembles. In his letter of retirement, Voss said that he "deeply appreciated the privilege of working with terrific students and talented colleagues."

McDermott called Voss "the glue of the department." He was the music department's unofficial historian who was never at a loss for words. According to McDermott, Voss humbly credits his success to the elementary strings instructors. Fuehrer spoke of how Voss was always happy to take the extra time with parents and students, and how he worked hard to convey appreciation of music as "therapy for the soul."

Beverly Laurie
Beverly Laurie's retirement caps a 42-year career in the field of speech. She came to Scarsdale in 1996 with a BS in Speech from the University of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and an MA in speech pathology and audiology from Temple University. McDermott said, "As a speech and language teacher, Laurie evaluated and provided service, and her calm and gentle approach helped put students at ease." He went on to say, " Her expertise makes her an excellent resource to all teachers, especially the special education teachers. We will miss her kindness, her flexibility, her sense of humor, her expertise, and her lovely British accent."

Dan Conley
Dan Conley was already a seasoned counselor and administrator when he joined the staff of SMS at Fountain House Counselor in 2001. He brought versatility and talent to his role. Weber quoted Conley's letter of retirement, saying, "As House Counselor, I have worked with families at their most vulnerable, and the trust I am given humbles and inspires me."

Conley is a talented musician and a published songwriter, who uses these skills to connect with students and parents alike. A presenter at SMS Human Rights Day, he teaches students to toss away put downs, and even wrote a song, "Lay Them Down," that sang of words as weapons of war and encourage students to "lay them down."

McDermott called Conley the "consummate counselor, whose insights and communication skills have always impressed me...he understands early adolescents." Fuhrer said, "He uses humor to bring forth the paramount precept that Fountain House students are united in support of each other; treating each other with kindness and compassion are critical. Parents know they can count on him to protect our children and bring out the best in them."

Tracy Jaffe is a graduate of Brown University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. A past president of Heathcote's PTA and Scarsdale PT Council, Tracy has 3 children in the Scarsdale school system, and currently sits on the boards of Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Services and the League of Women Voters.