Scarsdale High School PTA

 John Klemme, High School Principal

jklemme@scarsdaleschools.k12.ny.us  

Dear Parents of Juniors,

I am writing to let you know that I have sent the letter below to all juniors.  As you may know, a number of parents have expressed a concern that I share about the issues surrounding a Manhattan prom site.  While our prom itself has been without incident for several years now, apparently the "post-prom" scene has been less than ideal.  As I indicate in my letter to junior students, the school wants to do everything possible to discourage behaviors that can compromise student safety.  In pursuit of that goal, I have asked the Junior Class Prom Committee to present only Westchester prom sites for the spring of 2010.

I appreciate your support of our efforts to keep important school events like the prom safe for all students.

Sincerely,

John Klemme



Dear Juniors,

Your Prom Committee will soon present the choices for the 2010 Prom.  I am writing to advise you that I have asked the Committee and your class advisors to present only Westchester venues for your consideration.

In addition to the potential benefits of lowering costs and providing flexibility about dates for the prom, a Westchester site responds to the concerns that many parents have expressed about continuing with a Manhattan venue.  While student behavior before and during the prom has been exemplary for the past few years, the "post-prom" scene in Manhattan has featured opportunities for student behavior that have been problematic.  When all is said and done, the school needs to be confident that we have done everything possible to discourage such situations that can compromise student safety.  I know that this may come as a disappointment to many of you, but I am confident that Westchester will offer fine opportunities for a fun and successful prom experience.  Like you, I look forward to this important event during your senior year.  

Sincerely,

John Klemme

Dear Parents,

With summer-like weather upon us, we would appreciate your assistance in monitoring the clothing that students wear to school.  We have a dress code which helps to assure that students are exercising modesty in their spring apparel.  Please review the code below and take note of the clothing your children are wearing to school.

Many thanks,

John Klemme
Principal


Dress Code-Scarsdale High School
Students are expected to dress modestly.  Clothing that is revealing or distracting is unacceptable.  In particular, students should be aware of the following requirements:

Women:  No tops with spaghetti straps or halter tops with bare backs;

     No bare midriffs;

     No "form-fitting" shorts;

     No shirts that are especially revealing;

     No visible undergarments.


Men :  No visible underwear, especially boxer shorts

      No cut-off or "muscle" shirts.


Men and Women:  Footwear must be worn at all times (Health Department requirement)

      No clothing or jewelry with sexual or alcohol themes

A Matter of Principal-John Klemme

As you know, the Scarsdale School District has established the preparation of young people for an interdependent work as one its essential objectives.  The connections between our country and the rest of the world have, of course, become increasingly complex over the last twenty years.  In his seminal work, The World is Flat, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman argues that this dynamic among nations demands shifts in how we educate our children for the world that they will not only inherit but which is already upon us. 

There are many ways to pursue this objective.  The study of different political and economic structures in the world is a substantive aspect of our curriculum. The literary, religious, and artistic contributions to the human experience are a focus of study in our English, social studies, and art curricula.  And certainly one of the most powerful lessons of global connection can be found in the opportunity for international travel. We are fortunate in Scarsdale to have a parent population and a faculty that can support the kind of learning that comes from study abroad.

Over the winter break, for example, nearly a hundred music students in orchestra and chorus journeyed to Argentina for a tour.  There they performed in the Catedral Metropolitana, the Parroquia Nuestra Seniorita de Guadalupe, and at the Buenos Aires City Music Conservatory.  When not rehearsing or performing, the group explored Buenos Aires with the assistance of expert tour guides, visiting the famed Teatro Colon, the Plaza de Mayo, the Museo Evita, and colorful neighborhoods where they learned the tango, dined on empanadas, and observed the weekly March of the Disappeared.  In addition, the orchestra performed a piece composed especially for them by Argentine maestro Gabriel Senanes. As I viewed the recording of the tour made available to all students, I was impressed by the scope of the experience our students enjoyed over their six days in Buenos Aires.

Meanwhile, in southern France, our students lived for two weeks with their French counterparts from last fall's exchange. In addition to spending time with students at our sister school, Lyçee Duby, Scarsdale kids took excursions to Arles, Le Pont du Gard, Nimes, Aix-en-Provence, and Avignon.  A journey to La Cote d'Azur featured visits to Eze, Saint-Paul de Vence, Nice, and Cannes.  Throughout the experience, our students lived la vie française, enjoying a crepes and costume party at school, dining with host families, spending weekend time in family activities, and using public transportation to reach an outdoor market in Aix.  Department Chair and exchange coordinator Sylvie Corten shared with me that facility with the French language grew tremendously during the exchange, a function, of course, of daily life in another culture using another language.

Finally, our art students joined a group from Hunter High School under the leadership of Department Chair Eve Eisenstadt and art teacher Nadine Gordon for a tour of Italy.  These students visited the treasures of the Uffizi, the Academia, and Santa Croce in Florence, journeyed to Pisa and Siena, and studied the trove of art works at the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel.  According to Dr. Eisenstadt, the group always asked for more wherever they found themselves on any given day and returned home more knowledgeable about the breadth and significance of Renaissance art as a result of this "field trip" abroad.

Scarsdale teenagers tend to be a well-traveled bunch on the whole, but the educational emphasis in these three trips represents our commitment to provide students not only with a first-rate education at home but a deeper understanding of other places and people that the classroom cannot provide.  I thank the parents and teachers who made these extraordinary experiences possible and look forward to supporting similar adventures in the future.

Dear Parents, 

Last Monday, November 17th, Assistant Principal Kelley Hamm, English Department Chairperson Chris Renino, and I presented a status report on the Advanced Topics Program to the Board of Education.  This report provided an overview and analysis of the data we have collected over the past few months about AT as well as the implementation process in place for three new disciplines this year:  English, Science, and Music Theory. 

You may view the presentation on cable by consulting the guide for Channel 77.  We will also soon post a copy of the written report on the school district website:  www. scarsdaleschools.org

Regards, 
 
John Klemme
 

A Matter of Principal

John Klemme

Dear Parents,

Parent leaders recently suggested that I remind the parent community about the appropriate procedures to follow in discussing concerns with faculty members. As the first marking period of the school year draws to a close and a new one is about to begin, I thought it would be timely to remind you of those procedures.  While the initial instinct might be to go "right to the top," the fact is that it's ultimately more efficient and satisfactory to resolve concerns at the level at which they occur. We all would like students to learn to be their own advocates, so first talking to your child about how to approach a teacher about improving performance in the future can be an important learning experience for the long-term.

If a student is not comfortable with addressing such concerns personally, however, parents should feel free to contact the teacher. Our professional staff is experienced in the process of student assessment and can offer important advice about ways to improve student performance. I counsel all our teachers to speak to others with courtesy and tact, and I offer the same advice to parents.  On rare occasions, I have had to remind parents that anger or other emotional responses are actually significant impediments to resolving a problem successfully. Instead, I invite individuals who call in the heat of the moment to contact me later when they are better able to discuss a situation.

If, after a reasonable conversation with a teacher, you still have concerns, the next step is to contact the department chairperson.  Each department has a department head who serves as a liaison between classroom teachers and parents.  Explain the issue clearly, allow time for the department chair to get back to you, and understand that by definition there are different perspectives on any issue.  Listen carefully to the explanation that the department chairperson offers.

If you still have concerns, you should feel free to contact my office.  Please understand that I will also need some lead time to gather the appropriate information from the teacher and/or department head, but you can expect that I will get back to you within a reasonable period of time.  Much of my work is devoted to effective problem-solving, and my objective is always to leave parents and students feeling that their concerns have been fairly heard.

Our mutual goal in any concern over grades or other educational matters is to reinforce those conditions that can best support student achievement.  The school prides itself on being a flexible institution while at the same time remaining committed to the core principles of integrity and fairness.  I hope that you will make use of these protocols that can successfully address issues of mutual concern.

Parenting for Prevention Bulletin from the Westchester agency Student Assistance

October 2008

Dear Parents of Seniors,

With the new school year fully underway, I am writing you as we look ahead to events for seniors in the spring.  Several issues have been brought to my attention over the past few weeks that I believe you should know about, and I hope that you will join me and many other parents in considering their significance for our prospective graduates.

First, I learned over the summer that "post-prom parties" were widely attended following the senior prom last June.  As you know, we instituted several safeguards six years ago--including a pre-prom reception at the High School and bus transportation to the prom--in an effort to reduce the consumption of alcohol previously associated with the event.   These modifications have been extremely successful.  Students and their parents seem to enjoy the opportunity for photographing our seniors in their finery, and students themselves seem to value the bonding experience that emerges in the buses as they journey to the prom venue.

Unfortunately, I have been advised that once the prom is over and the school has fulfilled its responsibility to deliver students to the prom safely, there are post-prom celebrations that have become opportunities for heavy alcohol consumption.  Parents (and students) have shared with me that students gather in inexpensive motel rooms to consume alcohol prior to going to allegedly non-alcohol clubs in Manhattan, and that "open" sexual activity sometimes occurs in those club settings.  Last year, I'm informed, at least two students were hospitalized because of excessive alcohol consumption following the prom.

At a recent PTA meeting, we had a very good conversation about this phenomenon, with some parents noting that senior parents sometimes reserve motel rooms for their children and even donate space for post-prom activities.  I hope you can appreciate that at some point, the school is no longer responsible for the behavior of students.  To the extent you are establishing clear expectations for how your children conduct themselves, I want to commend you for such responsible parenting.  Several suggestions were made at the PTA meeting:  mandatory bus transportation back to Scarsdale following the prom, a requirement that future proms be held in Westchester rather than New York City, and the like.

This year's senior class has already reserved Gotham Hall in the city for the 2009 prom, so if we wanted to pursue any of these options, we would be limited in our response for the coming prom.  My own thought is that if we are facing a situation where we cannot at some point release our students without worrying whether they will act responsibly, perhaps we should not continue with a prom event at all. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on how we should proceed.  Please e-mail me at jklemme@scarsdaleschools.org with your comments.  I also told the group at the last PTA meeting that I would be willing to meet with parents who are interested in discussing this matter further if a mutually convenient date can be determined.  In the meantime, I have attached a bulletin from the Westchester agency Student Assistance that details what you can do as a parent to keep your children safe.  Click Here to read the bulletin.

A second area of concern is the perennial issue of Spring Break.  Over the past few years, I have written to all parents of seniors to advise them that unchaperoned trips over spring break are not sanctioned by the school, and we strongly discourage participation in such events.  The risks of overindulgence in alcohol and other substances, physical danger, violent crime, and poor decision-making are legendary in American schools. Before you sign the check to underwrite such excursions, I ask you to think very carefully about what you may be supporting.  Many parents have made clear to their children that such trips will not occur, so the claim that "everyone is doing it" is absolutely false.

In recent years, parents have found alternate ways to provide their children with a pleasurable experience in a context of safety and responsibility.  Taking your son or daughter with a small group of friends with another parent to a vacation site, on a cruise with other parents and your children, to volunteer work locally or somewhere else in the United States, the planned Teen Center excursion to Costa Rica next spring-these can all be satisfying Spring Break experiences that are alternatives to the risky business of unchaperoned trips for teenagers.

Finally, I have heard from parents that there is a perception among some students and their parents that the Standards for Extracurricular Participation that were enacted in 2003 are not enforced.  This is patently untrue.  Each time we are advised that a member of a sports team or a club at SHS is involved in an infraction of the Standards (which outline expectations of academic integrity, respect for oneself and one's community, and abstinence from substance use) we follow up, Fairness Committees are convened, the facts about the infraction are heard, and consequences are recommended to the principal.  It is true in school as it is true everywhere that not all violations are detected, but it also accurate to note for you that the Standards do serve as a consequence for unacceptable behavior.  The school is committed to providing every student with an incentive to exercise responsibility as a member of a sports team or club activity.

The message is clear, I believe.  As parents and educators, we are charged with continuing to set parameters for our children and students, just as we set boundaries for them when they were younger.  The challenge can be more challenging when we think about setting limits for young people who are on the brink of independence, but it is no less important.  None of us wants a tragedy to befall any of our seniors.  A commitment to ensuring their safety and promoting their exercise of sound judgment may be the most important gift we can hand them as they prepare for life beyond the High School and home.

Best regards,

John Klemme
Principal
Scarsdale High School