Middle School Students Toast Biographers at Book Party
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Eighth graders in Ms. Serafin's English class at the Scarsdale Middle School celebrated biographies last week at a book party where they toasted the authors and shared what they learned about their chosen subjects. The event was highlighted by a visit from one of the authors, Dorit Whiteman, who escaped Hitler's takeover of her native Vienna at age 11 and eventually wrote Lonek's Journey. Middle School student Adriana Nicolaievsky, also an emigree, read Whiteman's book about a Jewish boy who escaped Nazi-occupied Poland and a Siberian slave labor camp to find freedom and his family in Palestine.
Adriana toasted Dorit who then shared her story with the class, describing a comfortable life in Vienna before Hitler's ascent, the family's narrow escape to London and her experience as a boarder with a poor family in an unheated cottage in northern England. Whiteman's family eventually moved to the United States where she earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from NYU.
Fellow student Christine Hu hosted her party at Delmonico's for the famed scientist Nikola Tesla and designed an invitation to her book party 
that actually lit up!
Sam Goldstein moved the party to a beach on the island of Oahu to toast the author of Soul Surfer, Bethany Hilton who lost her arm after an attack by a tiger shark while she was surfing when she was only 14 years old.
The book party, called "The Life of the Party," was the result of a collaboration with Middle School English teacher Trish Serafin and Librarian Liz Waltzman. To prepare, each student read a biography, designed an invitation, and hosted a "book party" at a suitable location.
For those of us in the audience, it was great fun to listen to the students discuss their books and raise our glasses of Sprite to toast their success.
Scarsdale Kids On the Air
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Scarsdale kids aren't shy and now a few are making the news. Catch Lucie Fink a 2010 graduate of Scarsdale High School and a junior at Johns Hopkins on the Today Show with Matt Lauer on January 24 talking about teen's online relationships and setting ground rules for spring break.
Also, three Scarsdale High School sophomores were recently interviewed for Good Morning America by Lindsey Davis. Paige Phiipps Rachel Berglass and Rebecca Rosenbaum were on the morning show to discuss Snapchat – a new app that lets you take a picture, send it to a friend and then see it vanish after it is viewed. See what they say about the perils of this new app here ... do these compromising photos actually disappear?
Scarsdale Boys Triumph in New Castle
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This Scarsdale RJS basketball team sponsored by Robert Jacobson Sports, won the Annual New Castle Youth Basketball Association MLK Day tournament, Division B, seventh grade on Monday January 21. In the finals, RJS beat Mahopac by 2 points (40-38). Jacob Brief (MVP had the winning basket)
Pictured from left to right are: Noah Glantz, Andrew Nussbaum, Matthew Myron, Jacob Miller, Jacob Fischer, Noah Bleustein, Joshua Ludwig, Nicky Nathanson, Jack Solodar, and Jacob Brief with their coach, Melvin Calhoun. Jack Solodar, Matt Myron and Jacob Brief were also named to the Tournament team. Jacob Brief was MVP.
Coach Melvin Calhoun is a former Westchester All Star Basketball player and a Port Chester resident.
Lew's Views
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I was channel surfing the other night and spotted Scarsdale's Lew Leone on the screen. Temporarily confused, I looked again and realized I was not watching Channel 77 and this was not a Board of Education meeting! I usually see Lew, who is a member of the Scarsdale Board of Education, sitting around the large table at Scarsdale High School, but here he was presenting "Lew's View" on Fox 5 where he is the Vice President and General Manager.
And what were Lew's views? Last night he was comparing the State of the State addresses of Governor Christie and Governor Cuomo. He called Governor Cuomo's 78-minute speech "mind-numbing" and then went on to compare the approach of the two on gun control, saying,
Andrew Cuomo was actually ranting and raving. New York already has some of the most strict gun control laws in the country but Andrew wants to do more. "We must stop the madness, my friends," he said. "And in one word it's just enough -- it's been enough." He used some flawed logic by linking the Second Amendment to hunting but he wins on this topic because gun control didn't come up in Christie's speech. The New Jersey governor says gun control is not a priority for him. That's because he has national aspirations and gun control doesn't go over well with Republicans.
Interested in learning more about Lew's Views, I looked up a few more of his statements on the Fox website where he often speaks about the same issues that face the Scarsdale School Board.
Here are just a few of the comments I found:
Mandate Relief: (From the January 14 statement)
Cuomo laid out plans for full-day preschool in high needs districts. The self-described chief lobbyist for students left out any mention of mandate relief for the many districts choking on state-required payments and he was also mum on the fact that New York City does still not have a teacher evaluation plan.
Teacher Evaluations (From April 18, 2012)
It has been interesting to hear teachers unions and administrators complaining about the new system to rate job performance on a 100-point scale as part of the federal Race to the Top program. Most of the opposition to the rating system relates to how it is not fair to the teachers because there is no perfect system to evaluate teacher performance and effectiveness. In New York City, the United Federation of Teachers has filed suit to fight the release of teacher ratings to the public.
... Take a look at any union contract and you will see that we, the taxpayers, have bent over backwards to reward teachers with high pay, tenure, terrific benefits, summer vacation, huge pensions, and favorable work rules. In return we deserve and demand accountability.
So what if the ratings aren't perfect? It's time for the unions to step up, stop protecting the adults, accept that our system is failing and embrace reform to help put us on the right track.
Teaching is noble and valuable profession but it is not for everyone. Given the current state of the economy and our education crisis we have to ensure that we are able to reward the best teachers, develop the promising ones and help the worst ones find a new job.
Teacher Tenure: September 2010
Tenure is an antiquated process whose time has come to an end. Tenure was established when few protections were afforded to teachers. Now there are many employment laws and regulations that protect teachers and tenure is an added level of security that is no longer necessary. Most people agree that no one should be guaranteed a job for life.
It is my view that tenure reform will happen sooner than later and I believe the tenure process should be completely abolished. The teachers unions are going to fight tooth and nail to oppose tenure reform but they will do so with public perception turning against them.
Since it appears that the Scarsdale Board of Education holds their more controversial discussions in executive session, it's interesting to know what at least one of our School Board members really thinks.
It's The New Year, So Why Am I Feeling Blue?
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The end of 2012 was emotionally complicated in ways many of us did not anticipate. As we looked forward to a joyful holiday season, unexpected, tragic events unfolded. We experienced the wrath of Mother Nature with Hurricane Sandy and the overwhelming shock of the shootings in Newtown, CT. We've learned some lessons about the fragility of life and how people cope in very difficult situations. We celebrated the holidays and welcomed the New Year, but some of us may be left with lingering feelings of sadness and vulnerability.
Although the New Year holds the promise of rejuvenation and fresh starts, it's not unusual to feel trepidation, anxiety and concern about the future.
Even without the recent tragedies in our area, this time of year can leave people with shifts in their mood and energy level. Research demonstrates that cold weather and decreased sunlight contributes to these symptoms. Some people may feel moody or blue and just "not like themselves." Some may feel irritable, anxious or lacking in motivation. There can be an increase in appetite, particularly for foods with carbohydrates, and needing to sleep more than usual. For most people, these shifts in mood and behavior wax and wane and do not significantly affect daily functioning. For others, these symptoms become severe enough to interfere with daily activities and social interactions and may be indicative of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Women are more likely to be affected by SAD than men. People with SAD show a typical pattern of significant symptoms during the winter months and improvement during the spring and summer months. Light therapy is particularly useful to alleviate symptoms of SAD, however it may be combined with other treatments such as psychotherapy and/or medication.
Most people do not qualify for a diagnosis of SAD; they simply experience "winter time blues." Although these feelings can be bothersome, there are some concrete behaviors which can help combat the "blues." Here are some simple tips that will help you feel better:
1. Make a cognitive shift in your thinking. See the glass as half full rather than half empty. Use positive self-statements and avoid self-criticism. We all make mistakes, cut yourself a break! With practice, you'll see that when you think differently, you'll feel and behave differently.
2. Exercise and move your body! Exercise has physical and psychological benefits. It releases the brain's "feel good" chemicals known as endorphins. Endorphins boost mood, relieve tension, and increase strength and energy.
3. Spend time outdoors, even if it's cozier indoors. Small amounts of sunlight and a change in scenery can lighten your mood. Even a short walk is beneficial. Try to embrace winter (even if you want to flee to Florida), enjoy small things, like the smell of evergreen trees, the freshness of the air and the excitement of winter time activities.
4. Give yourself some TLC. Get a massage, take a relaxing bath, use the scented candle you received as a holiday gift, or listen to your favorite music. Now is the time to treat yourself to something special.
5. Stay connected with family and friends and make it a point to schedule social activities. Simply thinking about doing something fun can enhance your mood. Keeping in touch with people in your life, even if you don't feel up to it, is important and can prevent feelings of isolation.
6. Try something new and challenging; it's time for a fresh start. Make a short list of a few things you'd like to change and set some realistic goals. You may consider taking a class that is very different from your usual choice. If your physician approves, why not try rock climbing?
The take home message is simple: It's OK to experience mood or behavior changes at this time of year, but don't let them overwhelm you. Try some simple behavioral changes and you may find yourself welcoming in the New Year with increased optimism and joy!
This article was contributed by psychologists Dr. Michelle Sanders and Dr. Karen Bergsman from Scarsdale who direct a private practice known as, "Dr. Moms New York". They can be reached directly at 914-509-5439, via email at DrMomsNY@gmail.com or at their website http://www.DrMomsNY.com or follow them on Facebook.
