Letter: Mandarin Should Be Added to the SMS Curriculum
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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A group of Scarsdale parents, advocating for the inclusion of Mandarin instruction in the Middle School, wrote this letter and submitted it to Scarsdale10583 for publication. The letter comments on the results of a recent series of surveys on world language instruction and the Scarsdale School Administration's decisions based on those results. See details of the survey here. The names of the authors of the letter are shown at the end of the piece:
The Mandarin for Middle School Initiative Team (MMSIT) wants to thank the Scarsdale School Administration for running a total of four World Language Surveys in October. Two of them, the K-5th grade parents and the fifth grade parents' surveys, were to gauge community interest in foreign language expansion in the Middle School. The other two surveys, one for parents of K-11th and one for 6-11th grade students, were to solicit feedback on current foreign language offerings. We are grateful for the administration's time and efforts.
As Assistant Superintendent Ms. Lynne Shain stated at Monday's Board of Education meeting, the administration's objectives were to determine what the Scarsdale community thought about expanding foreign language offerings in the Middle School beyond the existing two Romance languages and to identify in which additional language the community was most interested.
The administration met its objectives, because the community answered. Out of those parents who responded to the K-5 parents' survey, an overwhelming 69% stated that it was important or very important to add languages to the existing Middle School curriculum. In the other surveys, those who wanted the language program expanded were also the majority.
56% of the parents in the K-5 survey chose Mandarin as the number 1 choice to be added to the Middle School curriculum, with much smaller percentages choosing other languages such as Arabic, Cantonese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, or Urdu. When parents were asked what language their child would take in the 6th grade, in both the K-5 survey and the fifth grade parent survey, Spanish and Mandarin ranked as the top two choices, with French as the third.
Given these district-administered survey results, it is very disappointing that the school administration is recommending that "based on the low response rates to the surveys, the majority of the parents and students are satisfied with the current world language offerings at the middle school and high school." The administration is recommending that the middle school program not be expanded to include Mandarin.
We were pleased that a number of school board members asked good probing questions of the administration. Answers are certainly needed. We offer an alternative interpretation of the survey results and urge the Board of Education and current administration to reconsider their recommendation.
There are two significant problems with the administration's analysis. First, the survey response reasoning is tantamount to saying that because voter turnout is low in most US elections, that the electorate is satisfied with those elected officials. There are many reasons that people do not vote: disaffection, apathy, exhaustion from work, etc. Equally, there are many reasons why Scarsdale parents did not answer the survey. They may not have received it. Maybe it is in their spam folder. It is possible that they are inundated with emails or overwhelmed with work. Perhaps multiple means of communications should have been used to insure that parents knew about the survey. Yet, is it anyone's right or responsibility to ascribe thoughts and views to those who did not respond to the survey? The school administration did not prove that those who did not respond to the survey are satisfied with the Scarsdale language program as it exists presently.
Secondly, it is not accurate to say that the response rate to the administration's language survey was low. The administration did not provide a benchmark against which it determined what 'low response' means. In fact, the language survey response was far higher than voter turnout for the Scarsdale school budget. For the 2012-2013 budget, only 725 Scarsdalians turned out to vote; that is only 6.2% of the over 11,700 eligible Scarsdale voters. For the 2014-2015 budget, turnout was 8 ½%. Even in the very heated 2013-2014 budget vote when 3,222 voters turned up to vote, they represented only 27½% of the eligible voters.
Even with that lower voter turnout, the voice and will of the people pertaining to the budget are accepted. Why then, when the middle school language surveys received far higher turnouts of 39% for the K-5 parents and 54% for fifth grade parents is the voice of the Scarsdale community disregarded? President Obama and the White House have declared learning Mandarin a national priority, yet the Scarsdale administration is recommending that it is not a priority in Scarsdale.
Additionally, in the interest of transparency, it is important for the Scarsdale public to know why parents with foreign language experience were not included in the survey committee. Scarsdalians have the right to know the foreign language experience and expertise of the committee convened. Do any of them speak foreign languages fluently, particularly a non-Romance one? We find it very unusual that professionals who would speak a foreign language would not understand the importance of having native instructors and to have different levels of foreign languages taught based on the students' language expertise. Currently, for languages in the elementary and middle schools, students of every type of fluency level are thrown together, doing a disservice to all of them.
We are also concerned that the administration is emphasizing that some parents already pay for private Mandarin classes. Is the administration implying that if many parents pay for an activity, it does not need to be part of the curriculum? Parents pay for Mandarin privately because their tax dollars are not being used to fund Mandarin in elementary or middle school. Also, the current instruction in the High School is not meeting their needs.
Claire He, a Scarsdale resident and the deputy principal of the Huaxia Greater New York Sunday Chinese School, commented that while her school would not want to lose students in the future once the district offers Mandarin in more grades, she is supporting the Mandarin initiative as a Scarsdale resident because it is the right thing to do for the community, and it will benefit many students without Asian heritage to get exposure to the language and the culture.
Scarsdale parents often pay privately for sports, art and music lessons. Does that mean that those classes should not be part of the Scarsdale curriculum? As a community, we accept all of those courses in the curriculum, irrespective of our personal priorities, because we want to provide the next generation with a well-rounded curriculum. With the very limited Romance language program that exists in the elementary and middle schools, we are not fulfilling our role as a community to prepare our children to be competitive internationally in the future.
The administration also cited the significant dropout rate of Mandarin students in high school as evidence against the value of Mandarin instruction. On the contrary, we see this as strong support that Mandarin classes need to start earlier. High school students are under pressure to have a good GPA in preparation for college admission. It is very challenging to start a new language during those years. The ideal time to start would be as early as possible. During middle school years, children have the luxury to explore new interests and try new things. Once they have a foundation in middle school, they will no doubt do much better in high school.
The community has spoken loudly and clearly that it wants Mandarin added to the Middle School language program. Mandarin is an important part of a world-class education. Scarsdale, with its tradition of forward thinking and commitment to education, must continue its education excellence by including Mandarin in the Middle School curriculum. We hope the Board and the Administration will come back to the table to reassess the issue and reach a better conclusion.
Leo Cha, Eric Cheng, Rocco D'Agostino, Claire He, Thomas Kendall, Brice Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Mayra Kirkendall-Rodríguez, Laura Liu, Yadong Liu, Zhendi Shi, Joanne
Big Events Coming To Scarsdale Library
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Mark your calendar for two major events hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. On December 3, the community is invited to preview the architectural plans for a major renovation and expansion of the library. Support the library by purchasing your tickets today. In addition, the sixth annual spelling bee will be held on February 5, 2016. Sign up by December 31, 2015 to be part of this fun event!
Books, Bites & Blueprints at Scarsdale Library on December 3
A celebration called Books, Bites & Blueprints will be held at the Scarsdale Library on December 3rd at 7:30 pm.
All Village residents are invited to kick off the holiday season with food, drink and music. The architectural plans for the new 21st Century version of the Library will also be revealed for the first time in public.
Tickets, at $50 each, may be purchased at www.scarsdalelibrary.org. The evening is being hosted by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library. Event sponsors include Houlihan Lawrence, Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty, and Platinum Drive Realty.
BE[E] THE WORD!
Don't miss the opportunity to gear up now for the sixth annual Friends of the Scarsdale Library Adult and Teen Spelling Bee to be held on February 5, 2016 at 7:30pm in the High School auditorium.
Complete with raffle prizes, trivia contests, silent auction and refreshments, in addition to the suspense and entertainment of the spell-off itself, the evening is lively and buzzes with anticipation. Library Director, Elizabeth Bermel, comments, "I think the Spelling Bee is the perfect event for Scarsdale. It celebrates the written word and is fun and competitive at the same time. I look forward to it every year."
Josie Blatt, Scarsdale High School junior, joined as a sophomore and plans to enter again: "It was really fun participating... I watch the national Spelling Bee every year, and I know I'm never going to be as good as those kids, so it's fun to have a chance to participate in a less competitive environment. I like that there's a teen round, and I really like that the winner of the teen round gets to move on and compete against the adults and have a chance to prove that kids can be just as good at spelling as adults. I'm looking forward to competing again this year!"
The Spelling Bee, organized by Friends of the Scarsdale Library, will continue to support high level library programming that has brought StoryCorps CEO, Robin Sparkman, New York Times writers, Frank Bruni and Ron Lieber, as well as the Pollan Family table, to our community.
Forming a team or becoming a sponsor are important ways to get involved. But there are many ways for people of all ages to participate. Terri Simon, past Spelling Bee winner and President of the Board of the Scarsdale library, is looking forward to her new role as a judge: "What a terrific community event this is! The Spelling Bee is a fun evening for all ages and a lovely way for families to show their support for our wonderful Library. Whether you form a team to spell with some friends or join in the trivia contests or enjoy just watching the cheerful competition, you will be sure to enjoy the Bee."
Teams and sponsors are needed. Don't let too much time fly by before becoming involved! The deadline for teams to sign up is December 31, 2015 and the entry fee is $150 per team. Each team may consist of up to three members, high-school age or above. Throughout the Spelling Bee, team members collaborate to spell their words. Each team will write its answer on a dry erase board until the final round, when the top teams will spell their words orally.
Sponsor and Spelling Bee team application forms are available at the Library or online at www.scarsdalelibrary.org/friends. For more information, contact Spelling Bee Chairs Renu Lalwani at 917-584-8834 (renublalwani@gmail.com) or Carolyn Mehta at 914-584-5903 (carolynmehta@gmail.com).
Residents Call for Sidewalks Around Seely Place School
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- Written by: Stacie M. Waldman
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Although Edgemont has the dintinction of being one of the top school districts in the country, it also faces some trials and tribulations. Edgemont is small and homes are typically within a couple of miles of school, so most kids are not offered bus service. Therefore, parents either drive kids to and from school or they walk or bike. These modes of transportation all have their issues in Edgemont. Transportation at Seely Place is more problematic than at the Greenville School, so this pieces focuses on Seely Place.
Some parents who drive to school are unhappy because parking is extremely limited, circling around the school for pick up is nearly impossible, and the church behind Seely Place charges $200 per year per car to park in their lot for the ten minutes it takes pick up the kids. Parents have to get to school exceedingly early to avoid this. "Parking at Seely for pick up is stressful," said a Seely mom. "You have to get there at least 45 min early in order to even get a spot and for kindergarten parents this is necessary as we have to pick up the kids in the classrooms." Street parking is extremely limited and is enforced regularly by the police. "So any of the surrounding streets are off limits," she said. "Makes for a pretty annoying situation every single school day."
"This year there is much more congestion because of the charge at the church," said a Cotswold mom of two. "The church totally deserves the payment because the cost of snow removal and resurfacing is significant, plus they are dealing with the inconvenience of more cars in their parking lot that have NOTHING to do with their business. For me, the issue is that I would have to pay to register and get stickers for multiple cars. I have different people picking up the kids so I would have to shell out $400 to register all the cars that pick up my kids!" Another mom said, "Parking at the church was extremely convenient and free up until last year when they started charging $200 for the year which I think is way too high for a spot most of use for only about 15 minutes a day. They say the money is going to go towards road shoveling and repaving, but we will see. The pathway between the church and school is not maintained in the winter, so you just have to strap on your boots and hope for the best!"
Other parents are upset with the Seely Place situation 
because they recognize the difficulties with driving and wish to walk to school, but their ability to walk safely with their children is hampered by the lack of sidewalks in the area. One mom told me that she knows a lot of people who would walk to school if it was safer. "I know I would," she said. "Perhaps building adequate sidewalks would be enough of a fix for the lack of parking lots." She went on to describe the dangers of walking to Seely Place Elementary. "I cannot believe that it is not already a law that there be sidewalks to an elementary school," she exclaimed. "The road is VERY narrow and when it snows, the road gets progressively more narrow making it extremely dangerous for walkers."
The sidewalk battle has been going on for decades. In fact, it dates back to the 1970s. However, the community has recently come together again to demand sidewalks and the voices in favor of sidewalks seem stronger than ever. "The new Police Chief has been working through the proper channels to accomplish some change and we in Edgemont are very hopeful that the change will come soon and before any type of accident occurs," said the Cotswold mom. Seely Place residents have tended to be opposed to sidewalks because they will encroach on their space.
I asked Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner to weigh in on the issue. He is fervently in favor of building sidewalks around Seely Place and Greenville. "The town of Greenburgh is working hard to make our town more pedestrian friendly," he said. "This year 1.6 miles of new sidewalks have or will shortly be built around town. I have met with the leadership of the Cotswold and Edgemont civic associations and told them that I would recommend that funding for sidewalks be included in the 2016 capital budget. I believe that the sidewalk could be built in 2016 or in the spring of 2017, depending on when the capital budget is approved." Several community meetings are in the works. Feiner has been in touch with congressmen to secure additional funding through the Federal Department of Transportation's TIGER program. Just this week, he received notice that the funds will be made available to help local governments build sidewalks near schools. The town will apply for grants that will hopefully be awarded as a supplement to the capital budget. "As a next step," he added, "the town board will hopefully approve an engineering study to work out the details of the sidewalk plan."
I asked Feiner about the parking related issues at Seely and he said he hasn't received many complaints about parking. Most of the parents to whom I mentioned this seemed very surprised, although they had not contacted Mr. Feiner themselves. I asked Feiner if the town would ever consider paying the church so Seely Place parents could use its parking lot. "I don't think the town would pay the church for parking. All the complaints I have received from residents pertain to the safety of children walking to school. That's why I am supportive of the effort to construct sidewalks. The cost will be expensive: almost $300,000 but I think it's worth it."
This will cover the cost of a sidewalk from Ardsley Road to the entrance of the school. The cost including a sidewalk from Central Ave to Seely Place will add another $200,000.00 (See attached survey).
The Costwold and Edgemont Associations sent out the following message late last week about the next meeting. All are welcome to attend.
A community meeting will be held Monday, November 9 at 7:00 in the Seely Place School Library. The topic is the sidewalk the town is proposing on the west side of Seely Place from Ardsley Road to the entrance of the school. The sidewalk would be constructed on the town's right-of-way. Attending the meeting will be Supervisor Paul Feiner, Chief of Police Chris McNerney and Commissioner of Public Works Victor Carosi. Reflecting our long-standing support of sidewalks, the Edgemont and Cotswold Associations are sponsoring the meeting.
The Old Edgemont and Cotswold neighborhoods were developed without a comprehensive plan for sidewalks. As a result, there is great concern for the safety of children and their families as they walk to and from school without sidewalks.
Feiner, McNerney and Carosi, have pledged to add sidewalks to areas around schools throughout the town. Several possible areas for sidewalks in Edgemont were identified. The town asked for proposals from engineering firms and selected The RBA Group. RBA monitored pedestrian and vehicular traffic at the end of the last school year, conducted a survey among residents, and recommended several sidewalks be constructed. The town has chosen Seely Place as the first site for a new sidewalk.
See a sidewalk feasibility study here:
Please post your comments below.
Election Day Information for November 3rd
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Here are the locations of the polls in Scarsdale:
Election Districts Location
1, 2 & 19 Greenacres School
3 & 4 Fox Meadow School
5, 11 & 12 Scarsdale Library
6 & 7 Village Hall
8, 9 & 10 Edgewood School
13, 14 & 18 Heathcote School
15 & 16 Quaker Ridge School
17 Crossway Fire House
For registered voters who will be out of Westchester County on Election Day, an absentee ballot can still be obtained by applying for an absentee ballot in person at the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, N.Y. 10601.
The deadlines for absentee ballot applications and voting are as follows:
Monday, November 2, 2015 - last day to apply in person for a ballot
Monday, November 2, 2015 - last day to postmark a ballot if returning by mail. Must be received no later than November 10, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2013 - last day to deliver a ballot in person to the Westchester County Board of Elections.
The ballot will include a vote on a referendum to give the Board of Legislators (BOL) and the public more time to review the County budgets before they are voted on. The referendum would change the date that the County Executive is required to submit the Capital Budget to the BOL from November 15th to October 15th each year. The deadline to submit the annual Operating Budget would be moved up from November 15th to November 10th. County Legislator Ben Boykin supports the referendum.
To look up a polling location by residence, or to find additional information on the General Election and voting, residents may visit the Westchester County Board of Election website at www.westchestergov.com/citizenparticipation_boe.htm, or call (914) 995-5700. Residents may also call the Scarsdale Town Clerk's office at (914) 722-1175 for further details.
Public Safety Announcements: Drive for My Sister's Place, Fire Safety and Hydrant Markers
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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The Scarsdale Police Department and the Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association are sponsoring a drive for My Sister's Place, a non-profit agency in Westchester County that advocates and provides shelter for victims of domestic violence. They are asking residents to forgo the purchase of items that are used to cause mischief on Halloween, such as eggs, shaving cream, "silly string", books of matches, cigarette lighters, toothpaste, hair spray and toilet paper and put the money towards items needed by My Sister's Place, including:
1. Diapers - My Sister's Place is in constant, dire need and the supply has been impossibly low. All sizes will be accepted but the larger sizes (4,5,6) are most in demand.
2. Baby wipes
3. New twin size sheet sets
Donated goods can be dropped off in the lobby Scarsdale Police Headquarters at Tompkins and Fenimore Roads, at any time of day or night from October 20, 2015 through November 20, 2015. The PBA will assure that the items are delivered to the shelter and will also contribute to the cause. Clients of the shelter have been grateful for support from the Scarsdale Community in the past and look forward to another successful drive this year.
Fire Department Reminds You to Change Your Batter When you Reset Your Clock
As the time change approaches on Sunday, November 1, the Scarsdale Fire Department wants to remind you to make another change that could save your life: Changing the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. An average of 75 percent of child fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke detectors. Non-working smoke detectors rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke detectors is worn or missing batteries.
Changing smoke detector batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke detectors nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke detectors every 10 years.
To save lives and prevent needless injuries in Scarsdale, the Scarsdale Fire Department has joined forces with Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs for the 27th year of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® campaign. The program urges all Americans to adopt a simple, lifesaving habit: changing smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries when changing clocks back to standard time each fall, this year on November 1.
"The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most families are sleeping," says Fire Chief Thomas Cain. "Smoke detector maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke detector can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely."
In addition, Chief Cain recommends residents use the "extra" hour they save from the time change to test smoke detectors by pushing the test button, planning two ways out of their home, and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.
For more information about fire safety, contact Fire Inspector Albert Mignone with the Scarsdale Fire Department at 914-722-1215 x 3.
Fire Hydrant Markers
On November 7, 2015 the Scarsdale Fire Department will begin installing red markers on every fire hydrant in the Village, to assist the Department in locating the hydrants during heavy winter snow accumulations. Installation of these highly-visible three-foot tall metal rods will be performed by career and volunteer firefighters working together to ensure that each of the nearly one thousand fire hydrants in the Village is properly marked. The flag markers will be removed by the Water Department in the spring during their annual hydrant maintenance program, to be re-installed again prior to the next winter.
These markers are being installed to enhance public safety. Fire hydrants serve an extremely critical role in the rapid and successful extinguishment of fire, and accumulated, drifting or plowed snow often results in difficulty locating hydrants, especially at night and/or during inclement weather. Precious time can be lost searching for a hydrant buried by snow, and the intent of these tall flag markers is to assist firefighters in locating the hydrant quickly.
Residents with fire hydrants on or near their property can assist the Fire Department by shoveling snow away from the hydrant. Clearing the snow away from your fire hydrant is a quick and easy way to assist the Fire Department toward helping you and your neighbors. Your assistance is appreciated!
Questions: Please contact the Scarsdale Fire Department at 722-1215.
