Scarsdale Middle School’s Music Star Scores Honorable Mention in Statewide Contest
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Scarsdale middle school student Sam Rosner hears music everywhere. Car horns, cell phones and even symphonies wake him from his dreams wake at night. What Sam has is a gift. And when he puts his talent to work, as he often does, it's a gift that gives back.
“I can hear a dog bark and tell you what note it is,” explains the Scarsdale 8th-grader nonchalantly, as if having perfect pitch- which he has- is something just a bit extra than normal. Sam’s sporting a blue t-shirt and jeans on a freezing Tuesday afternoon when I caught up with him after school. He also has a soft cast on his wrist thanks to a basketball injury. “The best part about this award is that professionals really look and critique my work. I love the feedback. It was actually sort of a surprise that I got that far in the competition. I sort of just entered to see what it was like,” explains Sam about the award.
Sam’s healthy sense of self, one that is well beyond his years, perhaps comes from his confidence in his natural ability and a big support system.
As Sam’s mother, Carol recalls, she first noticed his musical ability when he was a toddler. A day after a Passover Seder, 2-year-old Sam was able to sing all the songs from the service in Hebrew, and on pitch. At first she thought he had an amazing memory but soon she started to see that the talent and passion was the music. As a young child Sam showed a love of music, conducting symphonies using his favorite musical toys.
As Carol tells it, the real breakthrough came when Sam was in the second grade. That year, Dace Aperans, who is now a music teacher at Quaker Ridge, was filling in at Heathcote where Sam attended school. She noticed something in Sam’s singing voice and told his parents that he should try out for the Met.
A bit overwhelmed by the prospect of having her 7-year-old son jump right into the deep end and try out for the New York Metropolitan Opera, Carol Rosner had him try out for some local theater instead. Sam loved it. He loved singing and he thrived on stage. So, when he was 8 he tried out for the Met. His first performance was the following season, a solo no less, at age 9.
For over three years Sam sung at the Metropolitan Opera. He had solos in War and Peace, The Magic Flute, and the full-length German version, Die Zauberflöte. He also sang the role of the shepherd in Tosca and other solos at a number of Met Opera fundraisers. At the Metropolitan Opera, Samuel performed in Carmen, La Gioconda, La Damnation de Faust, Pagliacci, Hansel and Gretel, and Macbeth. Sam was also a featured singer at Madison Square Garden, and one of a small group of soloists at a Mets game at CitiField.
“It was exhilarating and exhausting,” says Carol of Sam’s time at the Met. “We wouldn’t get home some nights until after midnight and Sam would go to school the next day.” But seeing her son excel in this type of environment was exciting too.
When Sam was 13, he had his Bobby Brady moment and his voice changed. He could no longer sing like he used to and couldn’t complete his last season at the Met. I asked his mother if this change crushed Sam. She said that as a parent she was worried about him as well, but according to her, Sam was upset for a grand total of about one day. He then picked himself up and moved on.
Sam got very involved in singing groups. The cantor at his temple suggested that he join the international HaZamir choir which lead to performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Sam also sang the American and Israeli National Anthems at the Friends of the Israel Defense Force gala. Last summer he performed in Colorado at the Crested Butte Music Festival in the adult chorus of Carmen. He is currently studying voice with a member of the faculty at Julliard.
A great voice and perfect pitch is lucky, but it’s more than that with Sam. The music is always with him. If he isn’t singing, or playing piano (which he’s mostly self-taught) he’s writing it down. He says he gets up in the middle of the night because he needs to write music. He says he’s obsessed with music. He listens to a lot of classical music, but his interests range from rock to Jewish music. He started composing at 8 but this is his first award in composing.
Dace Aperans, who first recommended Sam to audition for the Met, is a composer in her own right. She has become a family friend and brought the NYSSMA contest to Sam’s attention.
With the support and sponsorship of the Middle School’s music department chair, Dr. Constance Shelengian, Sam composed an atonal Toccata he wrote for the piano. He has composed two orchestral works, and most recently, a liturgical, choral piece.
You’d probably expect with all these accolades, that Sam would be a bit of what they call in the music world, a ‘divo.’ Sam is the furthest thing from it. Friendly, outgoing and kind with lots of friends, Dr. Shelengian says that he supports the other kids in chorus to sing and try new things with their voices and doesn’t hog the spotlight.
“It’s a big boost for our program to have Sam. He has expanded our range and he’s really their rock and their leader. “
Sam also uses his talent to help others. Carol says her son loves doing charitable things as it relates to music, be it the FDIF work he’s been involved in or even singing in nursing homes.
I asked Sam about musicians he admires and he replied, “There are a lot of artists I love to listen to, but I want to be my own person when it comes to music.”
I don’t think that’ll be a problem for Sam.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
Programming for Special Needs Kids at the Scarsdale Library
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The Scarsdale Public Library and C.H.I.L.D. have teamed up to provide special needs children and their families inclusive programming in a welcoming atmosphere at the library. This series of events is geared to kids who need some extra support but want to enjoy all the wonderful programs the library has to offer in a group setting. The Library will host movies, “Wag Your Tale” readings, yoga and an upcoming music event later this spring.
“There is such a need in our community for a place where special needs families can go and feel welcomed in spite of any differences their children may have. These kids need to belong and feel included. This series builds an opportunity for these families and allows the kids to be themselves,” explains Marian Green, Chair of C.H.I.L.D.
Here’s a list of upcoming events:
- The Smurfs, Saturday January 28th at 2pm
- Wag Your Tale, Too! On February 4th at 3pm
- Yoga on February 5th at 12:30pm
Siblings and friends are welcome. These events are where special needs kids can just be kids.
C.H.I.L.D. (Children Having Individual Learning Differences) is a committee of Scarsdale’s PT council and offers a network of resources, information and support for families in the community.
Any questions or for more information, including setting up interviews about this series please contact Jennifer Geller, Community Outreach and Public Relations Assistant at the Library. Jen.geller@gmail.com or 917-715-2878.
Students Use Online Tools to Hit the Books
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- Written by Adrienne Fishman
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For 21st century high school students, studying for school often involves more time staring at a computer screen than reading textbooks. At an informal chat with Scarsdale High School students and the Board of Education on Monday night January 9, students shared some of the latest web tools, resources and sites they now use to master their academic material. Fascinated by how much has changed in just the past few years, we wanted to share some of the latest developments in teens’ study habits with you.
For one, when assigned a group project, busy students no longer need to find time for a face-to-face group meeting. Instead, they create a facebook group page for the project and convene a time to meet online.
Through facebook , iChat, ooVoo or Skype , students can video chat with up to three other people at a time. All participants can see and hear one another, making it seem like everyone is together without actually having to go anywhere.
Google Docs are another great way to work with groups without having to meet up in person. Once a working document is posted on Google Docs, multiple people can edit the document simultaneously and each member of the group can see everyone else’s edits.
Another tool some students are using is Dropbox , which is a new way to save files in a secure environment. In the event your computer is lost, broken or stolen, if you use Dropbox, you’ll still have access to your documents. You can install Dropbox on your computer or download it as an app on your iPhone for free. Once installed, any file that you save to Dropbox will save to all of your devices. All the files you need are taken everywhere with you.
VoiceThread allows students to create presentations utilizing voice, text, audio files or video. They can then share a VoiceThread with their peers who can record themselves as well. This is a great alternative to a PowerPoint presentation and serves to animate student’s work.
Quizlet is an online tool to make flashcards and quizzes. As it can be overwhelming to learn large numbers of vocabulary words, whether in English or a foreign language, this site allows students to design their own flashcards and also provides Quizlet-created flashcards for the user to study. The site creates tests for students who can master information by taking customized tests online. Students can share their quizlets with others and they often post links to their quizlets on facebooks to share with classmates.
And turnitin.com has revolutionized the way students present their work to their teachers. Once an assignment is completed, students can now post their paper on turnitin.com rather than print out and provide a hard copy to their teacher. Teachers can assign deadlines for the assignments and if work is not completed by the indicated time and date it will not be accepted on the site. In addition to tracking submission dates and times, turnitin.com provides another important service. The site checks the work against all sources on the internet and looks for unoriginal work and proper citations. Each paper is scanned and given a score that indicates how much of the material has been appropriated from other sources. While the availability of the internet as a tool is astounding, it makes plagiarism a whole lot easier. With the click of a button, students can now find an entire essay on the book they have to read for class and turnitin guarantees that students write original material.
Better yet, most of these dynamic learning tools are free.
So if you look into your son or daughter’s room at night and find them chatting online, don’t assume it’s all fun. They may actually be hard at work.
If you use additional internet study resources, please share them in the comments section below:
No Name-Calling Week in Edgemont and SFCS Announces the Girl's Center
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In honor of National “No Name-Calling Week," Edgemont Junior Senior High School students are being encouraged by school psychologist Dr. Mitch Shapiro to wear the following colors and refrain from bullying during the week of January 23 through January 27.
- Monday: Wear Red and STOP the name-calling, harassment, rumor spreading, negativity, etc…
- Tuesday: Wear Orange and Be BOLD and come to the aid of a student being mistreated
- Wednesday: Wear Yellow and SLOW DOWN and think about the potential impact of words before you speak.
- Thursday: Wear Green and Go out and COMPLIMENT as many people as you can.
- Friday: Wear Blue and Be KIND and invite someone to do something this weekend.
No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities. No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled "The Misfits" by popular author, James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression. Motivated by the inequities they see around them, the "Gang of Five" (as they are known) creates a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. In the end, the No-Name Party wins the support of the school's principal for their cause and their idea for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.
The No Name-Calling Week Coalition was created by GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) and Simon & Schuster Children's publishing, and includes over 40 national partner organizations who organize No Name-Calling Week in schools across the nation. The project seeks to focus national attention on the problem of name-calling in schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities.
The Girl's Center
The most precious gift we can give girls is the liberty not only to listen to the greater voice of themselves but to act on it. This is the simplest kind of freedom and the most sacred sort of empowerment. Rachel Simmons, The Curse of The Good Girl
Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service is proud to announce the launch of the Girl's Center, a unique and exciting series of ten creative workshops for girls, ages 11-14 focusing on self-esteem and leadership skills. The program is designed to help girls feel good about themselves through the pursuit of authentic, profound and creative expressions.
Held at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, 37 Drake Road, the series will begin on Thursday, March 1, 2012 and run for ten consecutive Thursdays from 3:30-5 p.m. (excluding April 5th, spring break). Enrollment is limited to 20 girls in 6-8th grades.
The workshops will be lead by Laurie Albanese, Tina Henderson and Emily Vallario. Albanese is an author who wrote Blue Suburbia and Miracles of Prato and works as a high school English and creative writing teacher. Tina Henderson is a long-time educator, college admissions officer, middle school girls' teacher, administrator and private tutor and is a graduate of The Harvard Graduate School of Education. Emily Vallario, LCSW, is a youth outreach worker and staff member of SFCS.
For more information and to register, call SFCS at (914) 723-3281. This program is made possible by a private foundation grant and the generosity of a supporter of SFCS.
Maccabi Games Tryouts, Lacrosse Camp and Waterpark Trip
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This summer, the JCC Maccabi Games will take place in Houston, TX, Memphis, TN and Rockland County, NY. The JCC of Mid-Westchester will send a delegation of athletes to each set of games. A general information meeting will take place at 7:30 pm on Thursday, January 5th at the JCC, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale.Tryouts for Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Baseball will begin January 9th and end February 29th. All tryouts take place at the JCC of Mid-Westchester, 8:00-9:15 pm.. The schedule can be found here.
Athletes interested in Boys Hockey, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse and Girls Softball should attend an information/sign up meeting on February 1 at 7:00pm at the JCC. Athletes and artists interested in Tennis, Swimming, Track, Golf, Table Tennis, Bowling, Dance, ArtsFest should attend an information/sign up meeting on February 8 at 7:00pm at the JCC.
The JCC Maccabi Games have been offering a life-and personality-shaping experience to Jewish teenagers since 1982. At this Olympic-style sporting event for Jewish teens 13-16 years old, each athlete has the chance to participate in one of several team or individual sports in events spanning the week-long experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime. The Games are the largest Jewish teen event in the world – each summer over 6,000 Jewish teens participate and over 100,000 teens have benefited from the JCC Maccabi Games since they were introduced. The JCC Maccabi Games however serve a larger purpose than athletic competition. The Games also promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish. Off the field, the teens participate in the Opening Ceremonies, evening social activities including amusement parks, zoos, host family night, parties and dances, all designed to encourage interaction among the athletes and artists who come from around the US and the world. A unique "Day of Caring and Sharing", independent from their competition, gives teens the chance to do a hands-on project that may serve those in need in the host community and/or teach the participants something about Jewish and/or Israeli culture.
For more information about the JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest, please contact Steven Weisbrot, Delegation Head, 914-472-3300, x362, weisbrots@jccmw.org, or visit www.jccmw.org.
The Recreation Department is currently accepting registrations for both Girls and Boys Travel Lacrosse programs for 3rd-6th Graders. The Lacrosse season will run from April until early June. Some prior lacrosse experience is recommended, but not required. Please register by the January 31st deadline. Registrations may be completed online here or in person at the Recreation Department located in Village Hall.
Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark Trip: The first Recreation Department Middle School Waterpark trip of the season will be to Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark on Sunday, January 29th for any interested 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th graders. Informational flyers are available on www.scarsdale.com under Parks and Recreation; Program Registration Forms or in the Village Hall at the Recreation Department. You may also register online here. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Recreation Department at 722-1160. Please register by Sunday, January 22nd. Registrations received after the deadline will be subject to a waiting list.
