What's Best for Greenacres?
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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This is an opinion piece written by Scarsdale10583 site founder and Greenacres resident Joanne Wallenstein.
The Greenacres School, while quaint and charming, was old when my oldest son began kindergarten in 1991 and it hasn't been improved since. I remember being puzzled by the fact that it had no cafeteria and learned that Greenacres was built at a time when children went home for lunch. Home for lunch? I was working in the city at the time and couldn't believe that the school had not caught on to the fact that many mothers weren't spending their mornings preparing lunch and ferrying their children back and forth to school twice a day.
The fact that the school lacks a driveway and a parking lot has caused years of drama when parents, and yes babysitters, attempted to deliver and retrieve the children. There are safety issues and frustration when drivers don't follow the rules. Then there's Huntington Avenue that runs between the school and the playground. This separation necessitates crossing guards, careful supervision and frequent traffic stops.
The school was crowded as well. As more homes were built in Greenacres, more children registered for school. My daughter's grade included the district's special needs class, requiring an additional classroom. Fifth graders were jammed into small classrooms on the upper floor that lacked air conditioning and were sometimes sweltering in June and September.
During Michael McGill's last year as Superintendent, concerned parents called him to attend a meeting at the school to address classes that had swelled to more than 24 students. In addition to the surge in enrollment, parents were very upset about the facilities and urged the district to address the needs of the soon-to-be 100 year-old school.
When the district planned the latest round of capitol improvements, Greenacres was left out of the $18.1 mm project. Why? Because it was determined that the school required more than modest renovation. Engineers found that the school has inadequate ventilation, chronic water issues, mold in the basement and mechanical systems beyond their useful life spans. The roof needs to be replaced and the classrooms are not large enough to meet New York State standards. Therefore, the administration recommended that Greenacres wait for a few years until another round of financing could be secured.
In the first half of 2015, in response to pleas from parents, the Board asked architects KG&D to make a preliminary survey of the Greenacres School and the site, and come up with some schematics on how the problems might be addressed. When the results were unveiled, some were unhappy with one of the options which was to tear down the existing school and build a new one on the field across the street.
Seeking to take this option off the table, even before
it could be properly vetted, opponents organized, gathered signatures and printed signs to "Save the Field" that are now displayed on many Greenacres lawns.
Arguments for preserving the school remind me of the fight to save "The Shop Around the Corner" in the movie "You've Got Mail." Advocates for "saving the school" contend that School Board members have an agenda and have already decided to do away the building. When the building committee was formed, opponents attacked the methodology for assigning members. The latest struggle involves two seats on the building committee that were designated for representatives from the Greenacres Neighborhood Association. Angry residents demanded that the neighborhood association select representatives that were against the demolition of the school. However, the neighborhood association chose Bob Steves, a former Mayor of Scarsdale and former President of the Board of Education, as well as Lynne Clarke, a long-term resident and respected realtor to assume the two seats on the board.
Neither Steves nor Clarke have taken a position on the issue. They see it as their role to listen, convey the concerns of Greenacres residents and work with the committee to determine what would be the best solution for the entire community. Advocates to "Save the Field" now say that they are not being adequately represented and have gone as far as to call for the dissolution of the neighborhood association.
While those that wish to preserve the school have been highly vocal, others are wondering what it might be like to have Scarsdale's first state of the art elementary school in Greenacres. Forward-thinking educators are calling for flexible and collaborative learning spaces and design labs that can't be accommodated in the current school structure. What effect might a new school have on property values now and in the not so distant future?
The district's schedule calls for the Greenacres Building Committee to start meeting in October and provide their recommendation by December 2015. Perhaps the committee will find that re-districting is required, and that a certain portion of homes that are now in Greenacres will be considered part of a different elementary school district. Or they might determine that the high water table underneath the school will continue to pose problems in the future and that the portion of Huntington Avenue in front of the school should be closed.
There are many questions to be answered. In addition to recommending a building option that will best serve Greenacres in the future, administrators will need to consider what will happen to students during the construction? Will they go to school in trailers – or be bussed to other facilities?
Public forums will be held in January and February 2016 with a district-wide bond vote in May 2017. Every Scarsdale resident will have the right to vote for or against the bond.
There's a long road ahead and from what I can see, no decisions have been made. In my view it seems premature to close off any options until further exploration and analysis are done. The district is fortunate to have highly qualified administrators, savvy residents and advice from recognized experts in the field.
Let's permit them to do their work and determine what will serve Greenacres best for the next 100 years.
Will Scarsdale Be Part of 1 Million Strong?
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez, a Fox Meadow parent who is part of a group called The Mandarin Team, that is encouraging the Scarsdale Board of Education to widen language choice in Scarsdale schools.
Last week's Chinese President Xi Jinping's official state visit to the United States generated significant media attention, because of the numerous important trade, cybersecurity, and national security issues on the agenda. What was unexpected and generated less media coverage was that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO held a meeting with the Chinese president speaking entirely in Chinese. Speaking a foreign language can be taxing to most Americans, but speaking a language that bears no resemblance at all to English, especially to the leader of the world's second largest economy is certainly an admirable feat.
As the meetings with President Xi Jinping closed, President Obama launched an ambitious national initiative, '1 Million Strong,' a plan to increase the number of Mandarin speakers in the US to 1 million by 2020. Currently only about 200,000 students in the United States study Mandarin nationwide. In comparison, there are about 350 million Chinese students currently studying English.
As I analyzed the initiative's components, I could not help but wonder, whether Scarsdale can be part of the 1 Million Initiative. This US government initiative has the objective of creating a standardized and comprehensive national Chinese curriculum, but that would be flexible enough for local school boards to adapt it. The initiative will also promote language learning technology and online investment, promote investment in teachers colleges, and establish a consortium of governors to support learning in US public schools.
President Obama stated that 'if our countries are going to do more around the world, then speaking each other's language, truly understanding each other, is a good place to start.'
Understanding foreign cultures, especially that of the largest country in the world is certainly very important for Americans. Additionally, however, there is significant demand for foreign language speakers in the US. For example, Wanted Analytics, a recruiting company, currently has 85,000 job postings nationwide in a variety sectors of the US economy such as education, finance, healthcare, the military, retail, and science. About 40% of the demand is for Spanish speakers; the second most in demand language is French, followed closely by Mandarin, and subsequently in order by demand Japanese, Portuguese, German, Russian, Korean, Arabic, and Italian.
For Americans interested in working in the State Department, National Security Agency, CIA, select groups within all military branches or the FBI, languages that are of particular interest are Bahasa Indonesian, Farsi, Mandarin, Swahili, and Urdu.
Not only is there significant demand for foreign language speakers in the US, individuals who speak foreign languages can command a higher salary than those who only speak English. Albert Saiz, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Elena Zoido, an economist at the consulting group LECG , published a study comparing wage premia for American college graduates who spoke Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese as a second language. Unsurprisingly, the laws of demand and supply reign. Because there are many more Spanish speakers in the US, speaking that language only added about 2% more to a salary than that earned in an equivalent position by a monolingual American. French commanded an average of a 3% premium, while German, Italian, Russian and Chinese were more valuable, translating into an average 4% higher.
I am very pleased that in October, the Scarsdale Board of Education will be sending out two World Language surveys to Scarsdale parents of elementary and middle school parents.
The first one will be focused on asking us what additional languages should be taught at the middle school level; presently students are limited to only taking one of two languages, French or Spanish. The second survey will ask us what languages should be added to the high school language curriculum, which presently includes, French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish. We cannot say that we have a World Language program in Scarsdale, when the emphasis is disproportionately on Romance languages and practically nothing from the other language families.
In Scarsdale we are incredibly lucky to have a high level of educated and committed parents, educators, administrators, and members of the board. I have no doubt that in the not too distant future, the next American who will speak Mandarin fluently with a high level politician, business person, or scientist in China could very well be a Scarsdalian.
Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez is a member of the Fox Meadow Multicultural committee and is in a group of Scarsdale parents, The Mandarin Team, encouraging the Board of Education to widen language choice in Scarsdale schools.
Edgemont Embarks on Waste Reduction and Recycling Program
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With training and oversight from the Greenburgh Nature Center (GNC), funding provided by a grant from Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) and support from The Moses Feldman Family Foundation, Edgemont schools have embarked upon a district-wide comprehensive waste reduction and recycling program. This program allows Edgemont students to translate their classroom learning on the environment into real-world action.
Students, staff, and administrators at Greenville Elementary School, the pilot school, have been trained by the GNC to separate their compostables, recycling and trash into new source separation stations in the cafeteria, the hallways for snack, and teacher lounge. Green Teams comprised of teachers and staff have been formed at each school to introduce and oversee the program. And the PTA and PTSA are working with the GNC and Green Teams to run waste-free events and reduce and/or improve packaging 
from outside vendors. Based on initial weight audits, Greenville has already seen over a 75% reduction in the school's waste headed for the incinerator. And the kids are truly enjoying sorting their waste and being "Recycling Rangers" during lunch periods. Seely Elementary and Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School will be rolled out over the next several months.
See photos of the program roll-out at the Greenville School with Greenville Principal Jennifer Allen explaining the program in the cafeteria, and photos of the Edgemont PTA Back to School BBQ. Working with community members at the BBQ waste sorting stations, staff from the Greenburgh Nature Center (Rachel Becker with Oscar) and parent/child Green Teams helped to divert 95% of the waste to either a composting or 
ecycling facility. Sorting stations were also set up by the Seely Place School parent Green Team at the PTA Fun Run today, with similar results. And the EHS Business Club has partnered with the PTA to sell reusable containers for kids' lunches and snacks. These events have engaged the whole community in the initiative, and parents have been provided with tools to help reduce waste at the source.
Scarsdale Youth Sports Showcase at the Annual Jamboree
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The Scarsdale Parks and Recreation Department hosted their 2nd annual Youth Sports Kickoff Party on Saturday, September 10 at the Crossway Field complex. Various Scarsdale independent youth sports organizations sponsored mini-clinics, games, demos and competitions. The Jamboree – designed to educate and showcase the large variety of youth sports options available to the community – featured the following organizations: Neighborhood Athletic Associations, Maroon & White, Scarsdale Swim Team, Youth Cheerleading, Youth Wrestling, US Sports Institution, South East Consortium, Scarsdale Youth Lacrosse, Scarsdale Youth Softball, Scarsdale Youth Soccer Club, Scarsdale Little League, UK Elite, Sportime Tennis, Scarsdale Youth Basketball.
Scarsdale Little League Board members hosted a dunk tank booth - where kids had the chance to dunk their favorite coaches. Additionally, skills-based competitions were held on the Crossway Fields for base running and batting (the always popular home run derby). Fall baseball started this weekend and will continue through November.
Text and photos by Michael Heffner
JCCMW To Host Two Programs to Help High School Students Prepare for College
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Did you know that the recent shifts in college admissions testing will benefit some students and challenge others? There has been a dramatic shift in college standardized testing and now for the first time, the ACT is dominating the landscape. In response, the College Board, which produces the SATs, is overhauling its SAT and moving its focus from aptitude to achievement. Now you can make informed decisions with the help from insiders in college prep testing and learn about the major changes in the works. The JCC of Mid-Westchester is bringing together experts in this field to help you understand these shifts and discuss optimal strategies to minimize stress and get students ready for the new admissions tests. A Conversation with Jed Applerouth and Cheryl Einhorn will be held on Monday, September 21, 2015 7:30-9:00pm at the JCC. Tickets are $10 – General Admission.
A second program explores what really happens behind the closed doors of a college admissions office? This is your chance to get an exclusive look into the college testing and admissions process with insiders who make the decisions. On Thursday, October 8, 2015, from 7:30-9:00pm at the JCC, the deans and directors of six top colleges and universities will open those doors and dispel the myths about what it takes to get into college. The eighth-annual FREE community-wide event – "Inside the Admissions Office" – is sponsored by the JCC of Mid-Westchester and Woolf College Consulting. Students and parents will learn how decisions are made from the deans and directors of: Case Western University, College of Charleston, Emory University, Franklin & Marshall College, University of Chicago, and the University of Virginia.
Moderated by Mamaroneck-based college admissions consultant Betsy F. Woolf of Woolf College Consulting, students and parents will learn:
• How colleges are considering standardized testing in a year in which a new SAT is unveiled;
• The process behind the decision-making and how colleges evaluate students;
• Whether applying early is a good idea;
• What colleges look for in the personal essay;
• Whether an interview boosts an application;
• How admissions committees treat applications from students with special issues, such as learning differences.
This program is FREE and open to all in the community but reservations are required. Please note that the program has been filled to capacity in the past and there is limited seating.
Register for both programs by clicking here or calling 914-472-3300.
Betsy F. Woolf is a certified educational planner (CEP) who has been assisting parents and students in the college search and application process for more than ten years. She is also an award-winning editor specializing in higher education and secondary school, and has been featured in The New York Times.
Jed Applerouth is a teacher and an educational innovator. A nationally certified counselor with a PhD in Educational Psychology, Jed has researched student cognition, memory, motivation, and learning strategies to enhance the pedagogical strategies of Applerouth Tutoring Services.
Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is a journalist, media consultant and adjunct professor at Columbia University.
For more information about the JCC of Mid-Westchester visit www.jccmw.org. The JCC of Mid-Westchester is located at 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale.
