Community Debates Two Versions of 2024-25 School Calendar
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
- Category: The Goods
In Version 1, school opens the day after Labor Day and there is a two-week holiday break.Earlier this month, the Scarsdale School District released its proposed drafts for the 2024-25 school calendar. For many in our community, a peek at the drafts can give insight into when school might start, when the breaks will fall, and when school might let out for summer, which makes planning for things like vacations and camps all the easier. But while this glimpse of the future can be helpful, each year the proposed calendars also garner a lot of feedback from parents who are both happy about the drafts and from those who have concerns.
This year there are two proposed calendars. While both drafts include the newly added holidays of Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Eid al-Fitr, the first version offers two full weeks of vacation for the holiday break in December while the second version has a shortened holiday break and adds the two extra days off to the end of the Labor day weekend.
According to online chatter, the first version can prove to be difficult for some dual-working parents of elementary aged students. As one mom Andrea Hirshberg said, “The two week December break is incredibly challenging for families with young children- it was a very long time to be out of school, and it’s not feasible for parents who work to always take two full weeks off (especially when there are two additional weeklong breaks in the subsequent 4 months) creating significant childcare/coverage issues. Not every family in Scarsdale is able to travel abroad for two full weeks, for various reasons.”
Along with many others, one commenter agrees with Ms. Hirshberg, and had this to say about the long holiday break we had this year, “Two weeks off was so disruptive. Kids were out of sorts going back to school, parents were off routine and exhausted.”
Still, the majority of those chiming in seem to favor the first version which provides a full two weeks break over the winter holidays giving international families a chance to travel home, families with college aged kids a real opportunity to spend time together, and older students the mental break they need to truly recharge.
In Version 2, school starts on September 5, and there are eight days off for the winter holidays.
Though sympathetic with working parents, Monika Desai shared, “I was not initially a fan of the two weeks off during Christmas as we are dual full-time working household w kids in elementary. Now that we had it, I loved it. We felt much more refreshed coming into the new year, can only imagine how important that is for middle and high school where academics can be stressful and rough. Plus, those families tend to have kids split in high school and in college and it allows all of them to be off together. I will appreciate that when I’m in that position.
This year, we traveled for the second week and did a hodge-podge of child care coverage for the post Christmas week while working, changing hours for our afterschool care, etc. I’ve noticed it tends to be a lighter workload in the medical/corporate world too since many people are away. It wasn’t easy but we did it. I can imagine if not traveling while working for either week with young kids would be rough.
I would rather start Sept 3 after Labor Day and have two weeks off during winter again.”
Esthela Lecouna, another parent in favor of a longer holiday break added, “ Two weeks break is great for international families, especially the ones who celebrate Christmas with our loved ones. It's also important for every student who needs a mental break for school. They work pretty hard during fall so they deserve time to rest, other activities, different routines and to recharge energy.”
Apsara Sriram shared, “Version one makes more sense. Most people are ready to start immediately after Labor Day. I don’t see a point of two extra days [For the Labor Day Weekend] when high school students start sports and other activities earlier. Makes more sense to get the two week break in Dec/ Jan.”
As they do every January, the Scarsdale Board of Education will carefully consider the drafts put forth by the District and in February, a revised draft will be presented at a Board of Education meeting with the final calendar being approved by the end of that month. During their deliberations, the BOE will not only take into account all of the various factors that are considered when the District thoughtfully develops the drafts (such as laws and regulations that apply to all public schools in the state, the legal holidays that must be observed, and agreements that exist between the Board of Education and the seven unions that represent employees in the district) but they will also allow consider feedback from our parent and student bodies. To learn more about how the school calendar is developed please see here.
Honor Our Hometown Heroes
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- Category: The Goods
Adelia BandsmaScarsdale High School senior Adelia Bandsma came to the Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting on January 9, 2023 to discuss her Girl Scouts Gold Award project called “Hometown Heroes”.
She explained, “‘Hometown Heroes’ are military tribute banners honoring veterans with a connection to their hometown. Hometown Heroes is a project that started in Pennsylvania and has spread nationwide. I am bringing this project to Scarsdale to celebrate and honor our hometown heroes.”
Adelia thinks that by displaying these military banners, Scarsdale residents will learn “that there are people who live here who have risked or even sacrificed their lives for our country, our security, and our freedom.”
Hometown Heroes is both a national and a local program. Similar banners have been posted in Eastchester, New Rochelle, and Ardsley.
Any military veteran who was either born in Scarsdale or currently lives in Scarsdale will be eligible to have their own banner. The banners will go up for Memorial Day 2024 and will be seen in downtown Scarsdale, along the Memorial Day parade route. Families will pay for their own veterans banners or organization, neighbors, or local businesses can act as sponsors and cover the cost of the banners.The price for each banner will be $150.
Adelia will reach out to the community to take orders for the banners. Orders can be placed by filling out a google document and uploading a photo. A mailed check will also be needed. The deadline for this google document is March 15th and the delivery is expected during the first week of May. The Scarsdale Village road crew will install the banners in time for the Memorial Day Parade.
Overall Adelia thinks that these “military tribute banners will bring awareness of veterans in our midsts. A hero could live right next door and you might not even know it. I want people in Scarsdale to feel part of something larger than just our town.”
New Village Justice Appointed in Scarsdale
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Michael V. Curti has been appointed Scarsdale Village JusticeScarsdale Village Justice Cynthia Dunne has resigned. Mayor Justin Arest announced the news at the December 12 meeting of the Scarsdale Village Board. With court scheduled to be in session the following day, the Mayor announced that the current Associate Justice, Michael V. Curti would step up and fill the role until the election in March.
Curti has served as Associate Justice for the Village since April 2022. His prior public service includes tenures as Corporation Counsel of the City of Yonkers, Westchester County assistant district attorney and principal law secretary in New York State Supreme Court. He lives in Scarsdale with his wife (an SHS alum) and two children.
Here are the remarks he made at Village Hall on Tuesday night:
I would like to thank the Mayor and the Board of Trustees for considering my appointment as Village Justice this evening. It is a privilege to serve in this incredible position of trust and responsibility alongside my colleagues at the Court, the clerks, court officers, attorneys, and stenographers who make our Village Court hands down the best in New York State.
Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., we will have Court in this room. Along with the gratitude I am feeling this evening is a sense of sadness that the journey will continue without Judge Dunne on the bench. But what will carry forth and continue is her legacy of achieving and maintaining excellence in giving the people of this exceptional community the level of service in the pursuit of justice that they both expect and deserve.
The two years I have been on the Court have been among the most professionally and personally rewarding moments of my life. Judge Dunne always treated me as a peer and I can say without reservation that we worked collaboratively to achieve the best results possible: fairly and impartially, efficiently and effectively.
Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone who has seen her commitment to family, volunteerism in our community in the League and Rotary, and service to our country as an Assistant United States Attorney.
I pledge to you that I will do my best to continue the work of this superb public servant. Thank you.
Vote for the SBNC on Wednesday Night January 17 at SHS
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
(Updated January 16, 2024) An additional election date (due to the extremely inclement weather during the evening of the original Jan. 9 election date) for the 2024 School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) election will take place on Wednesday January 16, from 5 – 9 PM in the Scarsdale High School Brewster Road entranceway. Any resident of the School District who is (i) 18 years of age or older, and (ii) a resident of the School District for 30 days prior to the election may vote in the SBNC Election.
If you have any questions please contact the SBNC Administrative Committee Election Chair at SBNCElection@gmail.com or see https://scarsdalesbnc.com/.
Please vote and be a part of the process to ensure that great candidates represent us on the Scarsdale Board of Education! Thank you!
Listed below are the candidates from each neighborhood along with their biographies
EDGEWOOD (3 candidates running for 3 positions)
SHIVI S. BANSAL: 175 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 5 years
Occupation: Finance
Education: IIT Kanpur, India (BS), University of Illinois (PhD)
Child/Children’s ages: 5, 3
Civic Activities: Board of Trustees, Kids’ B.A.S.E. & The Little School; Technology Advisory Committee Village of Scarsdale
OWEN ELLIOTT: 177 Madison Road Length of Residency: 5 years
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, freelance corporate video and photography work, Previously: Media Producer & Director
Education: University of Newcastle (BS, Communications)
Child/Children’s ages: 13, 11, 3
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Congregational Church, Volunteer; Edgewood Girl Scout troop, Volunteer; Edgewood Elementary School, Class Parent; Nutcote Trust Board, Deputy Chair; Neutral Bay Public School (Australia), Volunteer
MIMI ROBINSON: 171 Nelson Road Length of Residency: 1 year, 3 months
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously: HR/Pharmaceutical Industry
Education: University of Texas (BS, Communications), NYU, (MS, HR Management)
Child/Children’s ages: 12, 10
Civic Activities: SMS—Compact Committee, Pizza, Compost, Library Volunteer, Edgewood—Yearbook, Fifth Grade Events, Lunar New Year Co-Chair, Edgewood Fair, Multicultural Tasting, Book Fair Volunteer, Grassroots Grocery-Volunteer
FOX MEADOW (1 candidate running for 1 position)
ADAM HELLEGERS: 18 Lockwood Road Length of Residence: 11.5 years
Occupation: Attorney/Real Estate Development/Affordable Housing
Education: University of Pennsylvania (BA), Northwestern University (JD)
Child/Children’s ages: 17, 13
Civic Activities: Board of Directors (Building and Development Committee Chair, former Chair), Osborne Association; Westchester Board, Habitat for Humanity; Board of Advisors, NYU Furman Center for Real Estate; Secretary/Executive Committee, Westchester Reform Temple
GREENACRES (3 candidates running for 3 positions)
AMADALLY HOSSEINBUKUS: 26 Elm Road Length of Residence: 15 years
Occupation: Management consultant
Education: Durham University, (BS, Computer Science)
Child/Children’s ages: 18, 17
Civic Activities: Girl Scouts, Troop Co-Leader, Scarsdale Youth Soccer Parent coach, Lower East Side (NYC) Mentor
LISA PURCELL: 25 Montrose Road Length of Residence: 6 years
Occupation: Stay-at-home parent, Previously: Attorney
Education: Dartmouth College (BA), Columbia Law School (JD)
Child/Children’s ages: Twins, 5
Civic Activities: Class Parent (GA), Board Member, Greenacres Neighborhood Association, Coach-Scarsdale Little League
KRISTEN ZAKIERSKI: 81 Greenacres Avenue Length of Residence: 4 years
Occupation: Education consultant
Education: Vanderbilt University (BS), Pace University (MST)
Child/Children’s ages: 5, 2, 5 mo.
Civic Activities: Scarsdale Forum (hospitality/special events), Greenacres Neighborhood Association (President), Hitchcock PTA (President) Hitchcock School Board
HEATHCOTE 2 candidates running for 4 positions)
KEN MEYERSON: 5 Hanover Road Length of Residence: 13.5 years
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate
Education: Boston University, BSBA
Child/Children’s ages: 16, 13
Civic Activities: All Stars Project, National Board member and co-chair, NY Board, Member, Real Estate Board of NY, Boy Scouts of America, Honoree, Heathcote coach, Basketball & Baseball
SAUM SHETTY: 2 Burgess Road Length of Residence: 2 years
Occupation: Digital Marketer
Education: BA, Mass Media
Child/Children’s ages: 11, 7, 5
Civic Activities: Heathcote Multicultural Chair, SMS DEI Chair
QUAKER RIDGE (2 candidates running for 3 positions)
Alissa Baum: 2 Sylvan Lane Length of Residence: 17 years
Occupation: Stay at home parent, Previously: Attorney
Education: BA, JD, University of Texas-Austn
Child/Children’s ages: 16
Civic Activities: SHS Compact Committee (elected 23-25), SHS PTA Parent/Teacher Conference committee, LWV-Scarsdale, president (2023), JCY-Westchester Community Partners, reading buddy, SMS, Class Parent, QR, member PTA Legislative Advocacy Committee, volunteer, learning to look
Kamala Vittal: 27 Stratton Road Length of Residence: 10 years
Occupation: Real Estate Agent, Previously: Administrator (Montessori School, NJ), Optometrist/Researcher (Hospital, India)
Education: Elite School of Optometry, India (BS)
Child/Children’s ages: 21, 17
Civic Activities: SHS New Families Committee (Chair, 22-24), SHS Wellness Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS DEI Committee (Co-Chair, 23-24), SHS LIbrary Volunteers (Co-chair), SHS College & Career Center Volunteer, SHS P/T Conferences Volunteer, SHS & SMS Audit Committees, SMS & QR Multicultural Events
About the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC)
The School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) is a committee of residents elected from across the Village for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on the Scarsdale Board of Education. Members are elected from each of the five elementary school districts to serve a term of three years on the Nominating Committee and two additional years on the Administrative Committee.
The Administrative Committee would like to encourage all Scarsdale residents to support the SBNC by voting in local elections, considering a candidacy, and making a contribution. The SBNC Administrative Committee runs the annual SBNC elections financed entirely by community support. Any contribution is greatly appreciated.
Contributions may be made via PayPal online at https://scarsdalesbnc.org/please-donate/ Checks may be made payable to the “SBNC Administrative Committee” and mailed to
P.O. BOX 172H
SCARSDALE, NY 10583
2024 SBNC Continuing Members (Nominating Committee)
Terms End 2024
• Edgewood – Anne McCourt Bates, Christine Weston, Meng Zhang
• Fox Meadow – Claudia Green, Jennifer Zola
• Greenacres – N/A
• Heathcote – Kimberly Miller Champlin
• Quaker Ridge – Lisa Gans
Terms End 2025
• Edgewood – N/A
• Fox Meadow – Kevin Chen, David Kirshenbaum, Susan Lee
• Greenacres – Arthur Rublin, Molly (Yue) Tu, Jocelyn Zoland
• Heathcote – Jacob Adlerstein
• Quaker Ridge – June (Xun) Deng, Jennifer Simon Tabak
2023/2024 SBNC Administrative Committee Members
Zach Altschuler (FM), Treasurer, Sarah E. Bell (TVCC), Resolution Chair, Lauren Hammer Breslow (HE), Lara Chassin (SNAP); Susi Coplan (QR) Election; David Fenigstein, Webmaster (GA), Jennifer Goldfarb (HE), Beth Goldoff (SNAP), Stephanie Israel (QR Swapna Kanekar (FM); Cecelia Anon Kowalski (EW), Jon Lemle, Resolution Chair (FM), Alan Meizlik (EW), Valerie Phillips (EW), Nominating Chair, Deborah Skolnik (GA) Election, Purnima Srivastava (QR), Stacey Strauss (QR), (Claire) Yin Yan (HE), Cindy Yau (GA)
For additional information, please contact Deborah Skolnik, at SBNCElection@gmail.com
Young Scarsdale Couple Killed in Tragic Accident on Thanksgiving
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Category: The Goods
Flags are flying at half-staff at Scarsdale’s elementary schools this week for a local family who was in a tragic car accident in Bristol, CT on Thanksgiving night, November 23, 2023.
Toby and Brooke Cohen of Mamaroneck Road were driving with their three children when their car ran off the road into the woods around 7:18 pm. The parents, Toby and Brooke Cohen, were killed at the scene and their three children, Cooper, Jake and Addison were critically injured.
A funeral was held for the couple in Livingston, NJ on Tuesday November 28, 2023.
Brooke Cohen, age 37, worked for the Brooklyn District Attorney for ten years. DA Eric Gonzalez said, “Throughout her time in Brooklyn, Brooke demonstrated unwavering dedication, relentless advocacy and a steadfast commitment to combatting gender-based violence. From her early days as an assistant to her role as a supervisor in the criminal court she fought for justice with positivity, resilience, and a contagious smile that inspired those around her.”
Her husband Toby Cohen, age 41, worked for the Red Apple Group.
The family purchased the house on Mamaroneck Road in July 2023 and their two older children attended Heathcote Elementary School. They were members of Westchester Reform Temple.
Here is the police report from the Bristol Police Department:
"On the above date and time, Bristol Police, Fire and EMS responded to the Bristol/Farmington town line for a serious crash that occurred on Stevens Street in Bristol. Upon arrival, a vehicle was located off of the roadway along the northern side of the road.
The initial investigation showed that a westbound vehicle was traveling on Morea Road in Farmington, had crossed into Bristol on Stevens Street, east of Cherry Hill Drive and had left the roadway to the right, striking a roadway sign and vegetation/trees. The vehicle continued through the woods until coming to a stop.
Two adults were pronounced dead at scene and three children were transported to area hospitals. The Bristol Police Department worked with several out of state agencies to identify all occupants of the vehicle and to notify next of kin. All involved occupants were not Connecticut residents and were visiting from out of state for Thanksgiving."
