Quaker Ridge Principal to Retire, Mathcounts Team to the States and SMS Teacher Connon Wins Award

Quaker Ridge Elementary School Principal Robyn Lane has announced plans to retire in June. Lane has been at the school for eleven years, coming to Scarsdale after serving as the principal of West Patent Elementary School in Bedford. Before taking the job of principal, she taught fourth and fifth grade at West Patent there for 13 years. She came into teaching after working in Human Resources at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ.

In a letter to parents Lane said, "With a full heart and mixed emotions, I write to tell you that I have decided that the time has come for me to retire from Quaker Ridge. I reluctantly use the word "retire", as it implies the exact opposite of what I mean. This is not a time for me to end my most treasured career; it is a time for me to explore the paths I believe are in front of me – my own new beginnings." She continued with, "This was a difficult decision to make. You, your children, my faculty and staff are deeply embedded in my heart. As I leave, I will pack my precious memories of QR so they may help me remember all of you and the lessons I have learned."

Here's what former PTA President Angela Manson shared about Lane: "Robyn relates positively to the innocence and wonder of young children as they explore new learning experiences. We worked together closely with faculty, administration and PTA leadership to complete the new wing and courtyard at Quaker Ridge along with a building dedication in 2008. She has brought a lot to our community and our neighborhood families will miss her."

Quaker Ridge mom Anne Daniel added the following: "I will always appreciate the time Mrs. Lane took to meet with me whenever I had concerns about my children. Mrs Lane has always offered grade level coffees for the parents. It's a nice informal way to ask questions that are relevant to your child. I don't believe any other principal offers this. It has come full circle for my family. My daughter entered QRS with Mrs. Lane and my son is graduating with Mrs. Lane. I wish her much luck in her future endeavors. She will be missed at Quaker Ridge."

SMS Mathcounts Off to the State Competition:

For the fifth year in a row, (and six out of the last seven) our MATHCOUNTS team finished first in the regional competition. Eric Wei (Butler 7) finished first in the competition and Jonathan Lin (Butler 8) finished second. Zachary Wang (Popham 7), Max Zhao (Fountain 8) and Deyuan Li (Cooper 7) finished in the top 12. It is now off to the State competition where the team will defend the State title it won last year for the first time. The team is coached by Steve Weiss, Popham 8 math teacher, and Heidi Kaplan, Popham 7 math teacher.

SMS Teacher Kathy Connon wins 9/11 Tribute Center Award

Kathy Connon, Popham 8 English teacher, was one of eight teachers nationally to receive the 9/11 Tribute Center award, given "to teachers who have created exemplary projects that guide students to understand the historical and humanitarian impact of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993." As the program description reads: "Inspired by her visit to the 9/11 Tribute Center and the ESPN film reporting the story of The Man in the Red Bandanna (Welles Remy Crowther), Ms. Connon went above and beyond to integrate her own project ideas with those of the Welles Remy Crowther Trust and Foundation's Curriculum. The students researched, then wrote either a paper based on oral history, poetry, or an essay on the themes of forgiveness, trust, and resilience."