Five Fifth Grade Quaker Ridge Classes Move Up
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On the warm, sunny morning of June 14, the five classes of Quaker Ridge 5th grade had their moving-up ceremony. It was held outside on the blacktop and field so as to not be space-limited. The fifth graders walked out of the school to a clap-out – with students from the younger grades lining the hallways and the outside pathway, cheering the fifth graders on. The students sang two songs from their fifth grade concert, “Banaha” and “I Can See Clearly Now,” led by music teacher, Andrew Brown.
Principal, Felix Gil gave his message of appreciation to the QRS Class of 2024. Members of the fifth grade student council took turns giving thanks to their teachers and then presented a class gift. Each of the fifth grade teachers then presented certificates to their respective classes: Mrs. Burns; Mrs. Gega and Mrs. Geraghty; Mrs. Kenney and Ms. Smith; Mr. Liebowitz and Mrs. Meade; and Ms. Marty. It was a celebratory experience for all.
Congratulations to the QRS Class of 2024! Now onto Scarsdale Middle School!
The class made a gift of a framed and signed photo of the graduating class for the school hallway.
STA Signs 4-Year Contract, Sharon Hill to Retire, Board Announces Leadership Plan for Next Year
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From welcoming new employees to updates on the auditorium project, the Board of Education left no stone unturned as they wrapped up the 2023-24 school year in a lengthy meeting on Monday 6/10.
The meeting, which began with a special ceremony recognizing the district’s retirees was packed with information, including new contracts signed. Here are some of the highlights:
New Contracts
New employment agreements were signed for everyone from the Superintendent and administration to the teachers and civil servants. All salary negotiations are collective bargaining agreements conducted in executive session so the public is not in on the discussions. Meghan Troy, in the job of Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources for her first year, presumably led the negotiations and she appears to have navigated the process with finesse.
At the final Board of Education meeting of the 2023-24 school year, she announced the highlights of these contracts which can be viewed in Board Docs here.
Below are some of the salient points:
The Scarsdale Teachers Association signed a four year agreement that calls for salary increases of 1.75% per year for the next four years. School nurses and occupational therapists will receive 2.5% salary increases per year for the next four years. Under the new contract, the number of half days for parent teacher conferences has been reduced to two half days for elementary schools and calls for additional conferences to be conducted after school from 3:15 – 5:15 on one afternoon in the fall and another in the spring. This change was presumably made in response to parents’ complaints about the difficulty of half day programming for working parents
The Scarsdale Principals signed a similar 4-year agreement for 1.75% salary increases over the next four years. One year agreements were made with the Superintendent and the district administrators and you can view them here:
In other news, Greenacres Principal Sharon Hill will retire in January 2025 and will be eligible for post-retirement health insurance from January – June 2025 provided that she will be available for up to 80 hours to assist with the transition of a new principal.
Updates from Dr. Patrick
As it was the last meeting of the school year, Dr. Drew Patrick took time to express his gratitude for all the District’s essential partners including each of the BOE members, the entire administrative team, all faculty and staff members, the PTA and PTC, parents and caregivers and expressed that he sincerely appreciates everything they do. Dr. Patrick also congratulated Scarsdale’s students for their hard work and accomplishments this year, but gave special recognition to the 5th, 8th and 12th graders reflecting on these milestone achievements.
Dr. Patrick went on to discuss ParentSquare, the District’s new notification system. He made reference to an email sent out to all parents in the district which states:
“Our emergency notifications will be sent from ParentSquare. In the fall, we will use ParentSquare to share both emergency and non-emergency communications from the District. We will send instructions in September to help you use the ParentSquare app to view District communications, manage your notification preferences, and set up your preferred default language for District communications.”
New Hires
After honoring several retirees earlier in the meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Meghan Troy, had the pleasure of announcing quite a number of new hires for the 2024-25 school year. Perhaps one of the more significant announcements was the appointment of Cindy Parrot as the new Athletic Director. As was announced last week, because the athletic department has grown tremendously over the last several years, the District worked to reorganize this department and is having Ray Papallardi focus solely on PE and Health with Cindy Parrott joining the department as the Athletics Director. Troy described Parrot by saying:
“For over twenty years, Cindy has worked at SMS as a math teacher, math department chair, and Teacher in Charge of CHOICE. In addition, she has been the modified volleyball coach for over a decade in Scarsdale. Prior to Scarsdale, Cindy coached volleyball and softball at Westport High School. Cindy is a skilled leader with a high level of organization and communication. These are just a few of the many skills that will help Cindy lead the athletic program. Cindy holds an M.S. in Education, Administration and Supervision from Fordham University, an MS in Education, Secondary Education from the University of Bridgeport and Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, from Pace University.”
Other new hires and new roles include:
Marci Rothman will be taking on the role of Middle School Assistant Principal. She has been serving as the interim Assistant Principal at SMS for the past year. For over twenty years, Marci has been a social studies teacher, social studies department chair and modified coach. She holds an M.S. in Leadership from LIU-CW Post (School of Education), an M.S. in Education from Dowling University, and a B.A. in Sociology from Dickinson College.
Laura Burns will be joining the Heathcote School as an ICT teacher. She is currently teaching at Bronxville Elementary School. Laura holds an M.Ed. in Childhood Special and General Education from Bank Street College, an M.A. in History of Art and the Art Market from Christie’s Education, and a B.A. in Art History from the College of the Holy Cross.
Neil Epstein will continue in his role at Scarsdale Middle School as a social studies teacher. During his time, Neil has established strong connections with his colleagues over the past year and has fully immersed himself in the Scarsdale school community. He holds an M.Ed. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Queens College and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Delaware.
Kathleen Grieve joins the district as a special education teacher at Scarsdale Middle School. She currently teaches at Eastchester High School, but looks forward to engaging with our middle school students in their formative years. Kathleen holds an M.A. in Educational Technology, an M.A. in Special Education, and a B.A. in Secondary Education from Pace University.
Emilia Hogg will be join the Physics Department at SHS. She is currently teaching Physics at DreamYard Preparatory School, Bronx, NY. Ms. Hogg brings a warmth and energy that will support our Scarsdale students during their learning of physics. Emilia holds an M.A. in Science Education: Steam Teaching and Learning from Adelphi University, and a B.A. in Physics from Binghamton University.
Claire Hollocou will serve as a technology teacher at Fox Meadow. Ms. Hollocou is currently teaching at Bronxville Elementary School. She brings a wealth of experience and ideas to the position and is a lifelong learner. Claire holds an M.S. in General and Special Education from Hunter College and a B.S. in Cognitive and Brain Science from Tufts University.
The math department welcomes Daniela Maddaloni as a math teacher at Scarsdale High School. Ms. Maddaloni is currently teaching at Archbishop Stepinac High School. Daniela holds an M.A. in Pure Mathematics from CUNY Lehman College, an M.A. in Secondary Education, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Quinnipiac University.
Jared Torres will be joining the middle school as a technology teacher. He is currently a computer science teacher at Fox Lane High School.. Jared holds an M.A. in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
Former Scarsdale grad, Lilly Savastano, will join the high school as a math leave replacement. She is currently teaching at Ossining High School. Ms. Savastano earned an MA in Mathematics Education from Teachers College Columbia and a BA from Iona College.
Aimee Baez will be joining Fox Meadow as a school psychologist. She is currently serving as a leave replacement at Scarsdale Middle School. She holds a PhD in Psychology from St. John’s University, a M.S. in General and Special Education from Bank Street College, and a B.A. in Psychology from Bard College.
Emily Preston will be a choral teacher at Scarsdale Middle School. Ms. Preston is currently teaching at Boynton Middle School, Ithaca NY. She holds an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Ithaca College, an M.M. in Music Education from Queens College, and a B.M. from Oberlin College Conservatory.
Edgewood teacher, Kim O’Connor, will be taking on a new role as the Reading Teacher at the Edgewood School. Kim has worked in the District for 7 years and is excited to take on the position vacated by Sarah Tucker.
Madolyn Accola will bea choral teacher at the Heathcote School. Madolyn holds an M.A. in Music Education from Hunter College and a B.M. in Music Education from Steinhardt School of Education. She is currently teaching at Friends Seminary, Lower School, New York, NY.
Brandon Shea will continue as a leave replacement science teacher at SMS. He has made strong connections with his colleagues and students and looks forward to the continuation of his role. He is the science teacher on the Cooper 7 team.
Nadia Kemp will continue as a leave replacement school psychologist at Scarsdale High School. Dr. Kemp will be assigned to Scarsdale High School and is replacing Peter Faustino who will be out on a one year leave. During her time in Scarsdale, Dr. Kemp has embraced her new role and expanded to it as a softball coach.
Daniel Kaye will be joining Scarsdale as a high school math teacher. He is currently teaching at Honeoye Falls-Lima School. Daniel holds a B.S. in Adolescence Education from SUNY Cortland.
Auditorium Project
Assistant Superintendent for Business, Andrew Lennon introduced Ken Schupner from BBS Architects who gave an update on the SHS auditorium project. Though the District had hoped to accept bids on April 25th of 2024, they have not yet received permit approval from the state. Schupper reported that the SED (who grants the permits) has been incredibly backed up. However, Schuper is hopeful that the district will have the permit soon and will still be able to begin work this summer. If work isn’t able to begin this summer, the team will introduce a contingency plan such as working in the evening hours and over school breaks.
Chartwell
Lennon also announced that the Food Service Committee and the administration has made the recommendation to extend the Contract with Chartwells (our food service providers) citing the “quality program that we have seen them put forward.”
Cenergistic
Representatives from Cenergistic, the company the district has partnered with in order to reduce our energy use and costs, were on hand to discuss what we were able to accomplish this first year of working together. See the presentation here.
Though the district was able to accomplish a decrease in energy use, some of the savings initiatives they hoped to have originally obtained during the first year, weren't fully reached. Lennon referred to some of the challenges (such as the age of the buildings and some of scarsdale’s infrastructure) as reasons they were not able to obtain all of the savings. In light of the first year performance, Cynesrgistics has offered a contract reduction for year two.
Annual Gift Giving Report
During the discussion about the Annual Gift Report, board members discussed the idea of trying to make sure that gift giving by the PTAs is equitable amongst all of our schools, and especially across the five elementary schools. Amber Yusef thanked all the donors for their contributions but also expressed concern about some of the large gifts received over the past few years. Going forward, she wants the board to consider ensuring parity across the elementary schools.
Colleen Brown agreed with Amber and added her concern about the lack of equity at each of the schools noting a stark difference in donation amounts. She would like all of the elementary schools to have the same amount of opportunities to create learning opportunities despite what their PTAs can donate.
Ron Schulhof acknowledged that each of our schools are different and perhaps more information from each school about their needs for gifts or their plans to save up for bigger projects might be helpful.
Susie Hahn agreed with all and added, “Each school is distinct, they are their own organization, they have their own priorities, they have their own specific layouts and buildings and grounds challenges. Having said that, it is a board's responsibility to ensure some comfort that there is equity in terms of gifting.”
First recognizing a need for thoughtfulness around gift giving, Dr. Patrick also reminded the board that there is a policy for gift giving in place and perhaps the policy needs clarification or updating. He also assured the board that the cabinet gives a great deal of careful consideration to the gifts they recommend to the board. The Gift Giving Policy can be found here.
Later in the meeting the board accepted the proposals for two gifts. The first was a gift of $19,580.40 for the 2023-24 school year to support the purchase of (8) round cafeteria tables for a lunch space at Fox Meadow. This gift was donated to the school by the Fox Meadow PTA.
The second gift proposal to be approved was a gift of $500.00 to the Middle School to purchase materials to construct a weather-proof whiteboard display in the Middle School Outdoor Classroom. This gift was donated by the Middle School PTA Executive Committee.
For a look at all of the gifts from the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.
Public Hearing for the Safety and Emergency Plan
Following a 30 day public comment period where members of the community were invited to give their feedback regarding the Safety and Emergency Plan, the BOE began the evening by holding a Public Hearing about the plan. Eric Raushchenbach explained that the Safety and Emergency plan, which is created and mandated by state requirements, only saw two new items added this year, an annex for elopement and safety procedures in case of an earthquake. Raushchenbach made clear that the plan being discussed and voted on described protocols at the District level and that each building also has their own specific safety and emergency plan. During “Action Items”, later in the meeting, the plan was approved by the Board.
Audit Committee
Dimitris Batileskas from Nawrocki, Smith LLP presented to the Board a review of their initial risk assessment. In his presentation, Batileska commended the district for having a positive risk profile. After describing that his firm did an extensive analysis of 92 areas of business processes where they rated each with a low, medium, or high rating, Batileska explained that 65 out of the 92 areas were given a low risk rating and none (0) were deemed high risk. He also expressed his confidence that with their plan, areas that were rated as a moderate risk would quickly dip to low risk. What’s more, Batileska explained that comparatively, Scarsdale fares better than surrounding districts and applauds the district’s openness and willingness to work with the auditors.
Board Leadership Succession
BOE President Ron Schulhof announced that current Vice President Susie Hahn expressed interest in taking on the role of president next year and that Jim Dugan is interested in the role of vice president. Formal nominations about the 2024/2025 leadership roles will be made at the Board of Education meeting on July 2nd 2024.
End of Year Tributes
While gratitude and appreciation was expressed for the entire BOE and especially for this year’s president Ron Schulhof, there was special recognition given to Jessica Resnick-Ault as she exits the board this year. Schulhof started by commending Resnick-Ault for always keeping students at the core of her board work and for the positive impact she leaves on the Scarsdale community.
Each of the other board members also took a turn expressing their gratitude for the dedication, hard work, and thoughtfulness that Resnick-Ault brought to the board. Robert Klein conveyed that Resnick-Ault’s perspective added tremendously to the board and that he has no doubt she will go on to make Scarsdale and the world a better place.
Again, these are only a few of the highlights from a meeting chock full of information. For a deeper look at highlights and to hear details about the treasurer’s report, a board self-evaluation, and much more, you can watch the meeting in its entirety here:
Saeed and Reis Win the NYSPHSSA Section 1 Tennis Championship
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Jack Reis (left) and Sam Saeed (right) congratulate each other after having won the Section 1 championshipThe Scarsdale doubles team of Sam Saeed and Jack Reis won the NYPHSAA Section 1 Boys Tennis Championship on May 22, 2024. In the finals, the junior Saeed and sophomore Reis beat Horace Greeley’s team of Ben Singer and Adam Fink 6-3 6-2 at Harrison High School.
The Scarsdale team did not lose a set in any of the six matches they played to win the championship. They now look forward to playing in the state individual championship at the USTA National Tennis Center, Flushing, NY. The state championship starts on May 31 with finals scheduled for June 2.
Photos by Dave Taber of Shots of the Game
To see more game photos and/or download photos, please visit https://www.shotsofthegame.com/
Sam Saeed gets ready to return serve.
Sam Saeed reaches for a difficult backhand volley
Jack Reis is about to hit his serve
Jack Reis hits a running forehand
Sam Saeed (left) and Jack Reis (right) rush the net together
Jack Reis (left) and Sam Saeed (right) hold their trophies and the tournament draw where they went six rounds without losing a set
Maroon and White Lauds 2024 Student Athletes
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Moira Crouch presents Joe DeCrescenzo with a cake and a plaque.Diligent student-athletes, who frequently balance six days of practice and games with rigorous academic work loads, other extracurricular activities, time with friends and family, volunteer work, and so much more, often don’t get the credit they deserve. Many SHS athletes participate in a sport all year round and their dedication to their teams can have them missing holidays, vacations with family, and sometimes even days of school. This sort of effort and commitment deserves to be recognized and thankfully Maroon and White, the parent booster association that supports athletics, physical education, and student health at Scarsdale High School and Scarsdale Middle School, celebrates these students with a BBQ and a thoughtful award ceremony at the end of each year.
At this year’s ceremony, on Tuesday June 4th, athletes (with a special focus on seniors) were honored not just for their athletic achievements, but also for their character, sportsmanship, and perseverance. Director of Athletics, Ray Pappalardi welcomed all of the athletes and applauded them for excelling in their “academic and athletic pursuits, surviving the game changes, late buses, long practices, and other challenges that only come from participation in interscholastic athletics.”
Mr. Pappalardi also proudly explained that, “This year, every team [at SHS] has met the NYSPHSAA criteria for scholar-athlete teams. So, Scarsdale High School will be recognized as School of Distinction for 100% of our teams achieving Scholar-Athlete status.”
Timberger Family Presents the Elizabeth Timberger Memorial AwardThe Elizabeth Timberger Memorial Award was the first award of the evening and was described by Amy Frank, co-president of Maroon and White, as an award that honors an outstanding senior who helps a team and/or the athletic program, not as a student-athlete, but through a role that supports a team and/or the athletic department (such as a manager, statistician, audio-visual assistant, play-by-play person, mascot, or sportswriter). This year’s recipient, manager of the Boys Varsity Basketball Team, Charlie Ferdman, is known for, “always being on time, attending all the practices and games, she was dedicated, energetic and always positive.”
Next, the Nina Mooney Award was presented to a senior female athlete who “displays commitment, enthusiasm, spirit, concern for others and a positive work ethic. The nominees reflect the highest level of dedication to their teams and sports, and the award does not have an academic requirement.” This year’s winner, Shannon Kelly, is described as being thoughtful and compassionate and exemplifies the true meaning of the Nina Mooney award. In addition to going above and beyond in support of her teammates, Shannon was named Honorable mention all-Section in Field Hockey, has set new school records in the girls 800 meter and girls 4x800, and won Nationals with some of her teammates in a Medley Relay. She was captain of the Winter and Spring Track & Field this year. She is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a conscientious, hardworking student. This year’s award winner will be continuing her track career in the Fall at The College of the Holy Cross.
Trevor Knopp received the Knopp award.The Nonie Knopp Memorial Award was then presented to a senior male athlete who displays commitment, enthusiasm, spirit, concern for others and a positive work ethic. The nominees reflect the highest level of dedication to their teams and sports, and the award does not have an academic requirement. This year’s recipient, Trevor Knopp was described by his coaches as someone who, “displays the positive attitude, dedication, devotion, enthusiasm, and spirit of Nonie Knopp. He is the kind of student-athlete coaches dream about. He works hard in practice, never takes a play off, mentors teammates, and brings out the best in others.”
One coach described this year’s winner as “one of the absolute toughest players and fiercest competitors we have had the pleasure of coaching at Scarsdale. He pushes himself and his teammates every single day. His work ethic drove him to greatness, and forced others to step up their game. He is a vocal leader and a player that leads by example. Where it’s in practice or at games, in any situation you know you can count on him in big moments throughout the season. “He sets the tone.”
Ivy Boockvar received the Peppers AwardThe Peppers Award was established as a leadership and spirit award for one female and one male senior athlete, who distinguished themselves through their dedication and hard work in games and practice, through their unselfish adherence to sportsmanship and team play, and through their active encouragement of all team members.
The recipients of this award are also required to achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.5, as measured by the most recent grades available at the time the selection is made.
This year’s female winner of the Pepper’s Award, Ivy Boockvar is not only a member of the high school’s Signifer Honor Society, but she also played three sports and volunteered her time to help mentor young girls as a coaches assistant. She was named All Section, All League twice and All Section Honorable Mention for Soccer. She was named All League and All League - Honorable Mention for Basketball and was All Section and All League twice and Player of the Year for Flag Football and is described as “being a selfless player and is respected by her teammates and brilliantly passionate.”
Max Siegel received the Peppers Award Max Siegel, the male recipient of the Pepper’s Award, had an incredible athletic career at Scarsdale High School and an impresseive academic record. “His coaches have seen him as a back up, as injured, and as a starter, and he embraces whatever role is needed for the team, whether that means filling up water during a time out, cheering from the bench, or uplifting a teammate who made a mistake. His switch from playing ice hockey forward to ice hockey goalie to meet the team’s needs and keep playing best exemplifies his dedication, flexibility, character and team mentality.” He was named All-League two years, All Section one year and Captain of Boys Ice-Hockey this year. He played football and was awarded All-League last year and All-Section first teams this year as well as Captain of the Football Team.
The girls tennis team won the state championship.Amy and her co-president Moira Crouch Bandsma, went on to congratulate teams and individuals that saw success at sectional, regional, and state championships, drawing special attention to the girl’s tennis team who won their second consecutive State Championship title. The team included: Coach Jennifer Roane, Carly Alin,Kay Cottrell, Charlene Dong, Emma Ha, Emily Hyman, Katie Kendall, Isabel Lin, Giana Marks, Natasha Pereira - Captain, Jalyn Ryu, Yelena Sahakyan - Captain, Maya Vora - Captain, Sophia Wu.
Boys Soccer TeamThe boys soccer team was also celebrated for their State Championship win. Their team included:
Head Coach Marcos Monteagudo, Assistant Coach Andrew Nagel, Assistant Coach Carlos Vasquez, Assistant Coach Peter Squiteirri, Jose Alava Marino, Nicholas Bates, Daniel Cisneros Lacruz, Federico Dager, Matan Davies, Alexander Duval - Captain, Lorenzo Galeano, Zachary Grossberg, Marc Hajjar, Chase Halpern, Ishaan Joshi, Lucas Kantor - Captain, Leo Khang, Fabian Kulle, Justin Laing, Janghee Lee, Logan Lim, Brian Lourenco-ReisHenry McAllister - Captain, William McAllister, Miles Newman, William Nicholl, Zachary Ruback - Captain, Santiago Rudloff, Shaay Shaleh, Yosuke Sato, Lev Stahl, Caden Zemachson, Zephyr Connolly - Manager, Thomas Kronenberg - Manager
The girls golf team also saw success at the sectional and state level with Junior Emma Lee snagging second place at the 2024 NYSPHSAA Girls Golf Championship and the Scarsdale Team topping the high school leaderboard!
Girls’ Golf Roster:
Head Coach Barney Foltman, Evelyn Black, Sophia Black, Liya Chu, Maya Dhiman, Chloe Ji, Allison Kahn, Carolyn Lee, Elle Lee, Emma Lee, Sophia Peyser, Anjali Shoetz, Rory Winston, Zoe Winston.
Kevin Jiang was recognized for his swimming success and winning the Section Championship in the 50 Freestyle race and the NYSPHSAA & Federation Champion in the 100 Freestyle.
Indoor Track & Field teams and individuals were congratulated for their wins at sectionals. Section Champions include:
Leia Patel 600m
Zoe Dichter 1000m
Lily Streicher 3000m
4x200 (Maria Roberts, Leia Patel, Eva Gibney, & Ari Sobel)
4x400 (Alice Nicassio, Shannon Kelly, Morgan Greco, & Zoe Dichter)
4x800 (Rachel Rakower, Cami Culang, Lexie Kiley, & Sydney Geringer)
And at the New Balance National Indoor Track & Field Championships, Shannon Kelly (800), Leia, Patel (400), Maria Roberts (200), & Ari Sobel (200) were named National Champions in the Sprint Medley Relay!
Thomas Iasiello was honored for his success in wrestling as he was named Sectional Champion!
The Boys’ Golf team was celebrated for their Section One Championship win. And it seems this win comes on the heels of success in 2017, '18, '19 (not held '20), '21, '23, and '24! Their team included: Justin, Reece, Leo, Cole, Thomas and Sajiv
Sam Saeed and Jack Reis
In Boys’ Tennis, the Doubles Team, Sam Saeed and Jack Reis made it to the final round at the State Championship!
Track Sectional ChampionsTrack & Field Individual Sectional Champions included:
1600 M - Rishi Shadaksharappa
4x800M - Tyler Hogan, Brandon Cascade, Jack Sherman, & Charlie Rich
800 M - Shannon Kelly
2K Steeplechase - Rachel Rakower
4x400 M - Ari Sobel, Leia Patel, Zoe Dichter, & Shannon Kelly
After recognizing these special accomplishments at the sectional, regional, and state level, Mr. Pappalardi took time to salute the 22 seniors who are going on to compete in a sport at the highly selective, collegiate level. These athletes include:
1. Adelia Bandsma - Lacrosse - Smith College
2. Zephyr Connolly - Basketball - Geneseo
3. Veeran Dhaliwal - Crew - Cornell University
4. Samantha Fenigstein - Softball - Union College
5. Nina Franco - Lacrosse - Fairfield University
6. Mili Fukada - Track & Field - Soka University of America
7. Jacob Goldstein - Lacrosse - Hamilton College
8. Matthew Hill - Wrestling - New York University
9. Kevin Jiang - Swimming - University of Pennsylvania
10. Sabrina Katz - Lacrosse - Wesleyan University
11. Shannon Kelly - Track & Field -The College of the Holy Cross
12. Trevor Knopp - Lacrosse - Ithaca College
13. Bryan Manheimer - Swimming - New York University
14. Skylar Matusz - Lacrosse - Gettysburg College
15. Parker Mauro - Field Hockey - Wesleyan College
16. Joseph Sharpe III - Volleyball - Queens University of Charlotte
17. Elahe Sherrell - Soccer - University of St. Andrews
18. Maxine Silverman - Lacrosse - Lehigh University
19. Ariella Sobell - Track & Field - Kenyon College
20. Daruis Toosi - Track & Field - Bates College
21. Alina Zhang - Fencing - Yale University
22. Ian Zhou - Crew - Colby College
Iron Athlete Award RecipientsMoving on to announce the last awards, Pappalardi first described that the Iron Athlete Award is given in recognition of interscholastic athletic participation in grades nine through twelve, for every season at Scarsdale High School, totaling twelve consecutive seasons. Athletes honored for this accomplishment included:
Sidonie DeHarveng, Emilia Gomez, Shannon Kelly, and William (Oscar Langford).
Joe De Crescenzo, who is retiring this year, was recognized for his service and contributions.And in a special Iron Athlete award presentation, Joe De Crescenzo, who is retiring at the end of this school year was recognized for his “service and tireless efforts providing countless student-athletes with opportunities to participate in interscholastic athletics. Your commitment to our students, coaches, and staff has built a strong foundation for our programs and your legacy will continue to serve all involved for years to come.”
After a brief speech, De Crescenzo went on to present the The Scarsdale High School Scholar Athlete Honor Society Award and explained that it was started in the name of Grant Geiger in 1969 and is presented to top senior athletes who exemplifies:
● Dedication to their sport
● Competitive spirit
● Performance on and off the field of play
● Performance in the classroom, GPA of 3.5 or higher
● Positive attitude
● Citizenship
● Sportsmanship
Jack Greco Jr and Abby Feuerstein won the Scholar Athlete Honor Society awards.
The winners of this year’s awards were Jack Greco Jr and Abby Feuerstein.
Ray Pappalardi In detailing the Scarsdale Raider Award, the last award of the evening, Pappalardi said, “A Scarsdale Raider will possess the attitude, work ethic, resilience, and leadership qualities to change the outcome of a game, culture of their team, or quality of a season by their presence. A Scarsdale Raider is a student‐athlete that any coach would desire on their team and whose positive contribution to the greater athletic program can be felt through their own athletic contributions as well as the contributions of others whom they have influenced. I need to add that this award was created eight years ago to acknowledge the contributions of those student-athletes who, typically, do not have the stats or receive traditional recognition such as All-League, All-Section or even MVP. Instead, this award recognizes all-heart, all-hustle, all-effort, and always there when you need them.” This year’s recipients of the Raider Award were William Oscar Langford and Emilia Gomez.
The Boys Golf team included: Justin Liu, Reece Schneider, Leo Chu, Cole Gerson, Thomas Kronenberg and Sajiv Mehta.
In their inaugural year, the Girl’s Flag Football team had a lot to be proud of! The team not only won sectional and regional championships, but they were also NYSPHSAA Division 1 finalists. The Flag Football team included: Coach Newkirk, Mindy Genovese, Talia Arovas, Gianna Asen, Ivy Bookvar, Leah Brown, Sophia Cortes Nieto, Avery Dickstein, Naomi Fischer, Drew Frank, Emilia Gomez, Zachary Grossberg, Danielle Horn, Kate Kattan, Addison Lazarus, Reese Newman, Chloe Paquin, Katerina Rvacheva, Yuri Sato, Brady Silberfein, Sekana Slivjanovski, Lilly Tessler, Stella Van Arsdale.
Girls Flag Football Team Proceeds to the Finals
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Ivy Boockvar (10) leaps to evade two would-be tacklers from MahopacScarsdale and Mahopac High battled in the semifinals of the Section 1 Division 1 Girls Flag Football playoffs at Scarsdale High School on May 15, 2024. Mahopac jumped out to an early lead but the top-seeded Raiders eventually got rolling and came away with the win 31-18.
The two-time section champs continued their winning streak and will continue to the finals on May 18, 2024.
Talia Arovas (14) takes the handoff on a sweep and gains 10+ yardsThough the Raiders usually make a strong start, it wasn’t the case in the semi-final game on Wednesday May 15, 2024. Mahopac got the ball first and despite forcing them to third downs, the away team went up first with a touchdown, but a failed extra point. This early dominance by Mahopac continued on their first drive defensively. On the first play, they forced the Raiders to throw an interception and had great field position. As a result, they scored another touchdown but failed to get the extra point again. The score at this point was 12-0 and Mahopac was in control, but the Raiders had other plans.
Naomi Fischer (5) breaks free and goes all the way for a touchdown
The offense was slowly moving up the field where they got around the mid-field right before the momentum of the game shifted. Boockvar threw a screen pass to #5 Naomi Fischer who ran 40 yards to the endzone. They failed to get the extra point making the score 12-6. Back on defense, the Raiders started off strong with some key tackles by #2 Asen, but it wasn’t enough to stop Mahopac from getting another touchdown. However, for the third time Scarsdale contained the extra point making the score 18-6.
Talia Arovas (14) and Brady Silberfein (11), help Naomi Fischer (5) celebrate her touchdown
The next drive for the Raiders was by far their most interesting when Boockvar became a receiver and #4 Lilly Tessler became quarterback. Tessler was able to find Boockvar for a 20 yard pass and a pass interference was called on the defense. After this, Boockvar returned to quarterback and Tessler to receiver. The drive ended with Boockvar finding Asen for a 10 yard touchdown pass, but failing the extra point. The score was 18-12 and the Raiders were coming back.
The rest of the first half consisted of strong defense from both sides as Scarsdale’s Asen, #7 Yuri Sato and #19 Leah Brown tackled almost every play the Mahopac offense ran. The clock wound down and it was halftime. Despite mistakes early on, the Raiders looked like the better team and the second half would prove that.
The Raiders offense started with the ball and got off to a hot start. The team decided to continue their dual strategy where Boockvar would pass to Tessler and vice-versa. Boockvar had two long scrambles that resulted in the team getting to the goal line. To finish the drive, she connected with Asen for a short touchdown pass, but they weren’t able to take the lead due to failing the extra point again. The score was all tied up 18-18 and the cushion Mahopac had was gone.
Emilia Gomez (6) and Yuri Sato (7) make a valiant effort to grab the flag from a Mahopac runner
Mahopac was moving quickly down the field and it looked like they were going to score, but the defense was able to contain every run play at goal line. As a result, it was a turnover on downs and the defense held Mahopac from a touchdown by only a few yards. The offense finally had a chance to take the lead. Due to a few screen passes to Asen, the offense was able to get into the red zone. Boockvar scrambled for ten yards to get the touchdown and finally succeeded in the extra point, due to #11 Brady Silberfein making the score 18-25.
Lilly Tessler (4) evades getting her flagged pulled and makes a jump pass
The defense continued to hold the line where they forced a turnover on downs and it was clear that the game was almost guaranteed to go the Raiders. The Raiders were able to capitalize when Boockvar had a 20 yard touchdown pass to #12 Sekana Slivjanovski, making the score 18-31.
Gianna Asen (2) is all smiles after scoring a touchdown
Brady Silberfein (11) fights for additional yards
The game ended with #18 Reese Newman intercepting the Mahopac quarterback in a good representation of defensive dominance. Time ran out and with a final score of 18-31, Scarsdale is going to the Section 1 Finals for the third consecutive time.
Scarsdale next plays New Rochelle in the finals on Saturday, May 18 at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak.
(Update) The Raiders proceeded to the section final against New Rochelle at Lakeland High School where they again triumphed 21-8. The Raiders utilized Boockvar and Tessler at quarterback and when one of them wasn’t throwing, they were catching. Scarsdale was up 21-2 for much of the second half. When New Rochelle finally put a touchdown up late in the second half, it was too little too late. The Raiders now move on to the regional finals where they will play at Hendrick Hudson High School against Brewster High School. Game time is at 5 pm on May 23. If Scarsdale wins regionals, they will go on to the state finals and play in Cortland.
Photos by Dave Taber of Shots of the Game
To see more game photos and/or download photos, please click here.
Emilia Gomez (6) and Leah Brown (19) fight to get the flag of a tough Mahopac runner
Chloe Paquin (9) gains additional yards after making a reception
Ivy Boockvar (10) leaps and makes a great catch
