Welcome Letter
July 2007
Hello!
Summer has only just begun and I’m guessing that your minds are not on the beginning of the school year right now. As PTA president for the 2007/2008 school year I’d like to welcome you to the PTA website. I encourage you to visit our website at shspta.org regularly.
Schools open on Wednesday September 5th with a half day of classes. There is an orientation for 9th graders and new students on September 4th and an A School orientation on September 6th. Take a look at the calendar to see what else is scheduled in September.
In planning ahead, mark your calendars for Parent-Teacher Conferences which will be held on Wednesday, October 10th (L-Z) and Thursday, October 18th (A-K). Please save both evenings because we rely on more than 200 volunteers for each conference night.
The PTA website will allow you to join the PTA and sign up for high school emails right now! Get ahead of your paperwork! And don’t forget that there are many ways to get involved in PTA activities.
Here is a quick update on the end of school year news.
SATP
In June, two committees were formed to help evaluate the Scarsdale Advanced Topics Plan (SATP). The College Information Task Force will be charged with reviewing materials that will be used to inform colleges about the SATP. The Validation Committee will review college acceptance and admissions information, survey information, and visiting professors’ observations.
Each committee will consist of the High School Principal, the Director of Counseling, a dean, three teachers, four parents and myself.
The parents serving on each committee are:
College Information Task Force: Laurie Salis, Andy Simon, Julie Quigley, and Susan Hart
Validation Committee: Richard Bachman, Catherine Souther, Jim Haubner, and Penny Bauersfeld
COMPACT COMMITTEE
Each year the District Compact Committee awards approximately $1,000 to each school to further the work of the Compact Committee. This year the money will be contributed to the program sponsored by the East- West Center of the Asia Pacific Education Program. Eight students from SHS benefited from the program this year and traveled to Cambodia as participants.
That’s all for now. Have a great summer. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at esgruber@earthlink.net . I look forward to seeing you in the fall.
Liz Gruber
Hello!
Summer has only just begun and I’m guessing that your minds are not on the beginning of the school year right now. As PTA president for the 2007/2008 school year I’d like to welcome you to the PTA website. I encourage you to visit our website at shspta.org regularly.
Schools open on Wednesday September 5th with a half day of classes. There is an orientation for 9th graders and new students on September 4th and an A School orientation on September 6th. Take a look at the calendar to see what else is scheduled in September.
In planning ahead, mark your calendars for Parent-Teacher Conferences which will be held on Wednesday, October 10th (L-Z) and Thursday, October 18th (A-K). Please save both evenings because we rely on more than 200 volunteers for each conference night.
The PTA website will allow you to join the PTA and sign up for high school emails right now! Get ahead of your paperwork! And don’t forget that there are many ways to get involved in PTA activities.
Here is a quick update on the end of school year news.
SATP
In June, two committees were formed to help evaluate the Scarsdale Advanced Topics Plan (SATP). The College Information Task Force will be charged with reviewing materials that will be used to inform colleges about the SATP. The Validation Committee will review college acceptance and admissions information, survey information, and visiting professors’ observations.
Each committee will consist of the High School Principal, the Director of Counseling, a dean, three teachers, four parents and myself.
The parents serving on each committee are:
College Information Task Force: Laurie Salis, Andy Simon, Julie Quigley, and Susan Hart
Validation Committee: Richard Bachman, Catherine Souther, Jim Haubner, and Penny Bauersfeld
COMPACT COMMITTEE
Each year the District Compact Committee awards approximately $1,000 to each school to further the work of the Compact Committee. This year the money will be contributed to the program sponsored by the East- West Center of the Asia Pacific Education Program. Eight students from SHS benefited from the program this year and traveled to Cambodia as participants.
That’s all for now. Have a great summer. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me at esgruber@earthlink.net . I look forward to seeing you in the fall.
Liz Gruber
School Budget Information
March 2007
Dear Parents,
The Scarsdale Union Free School District Preliminary Proposed Budget 2007-08 for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2007 is now available for the public to review. Copies are available in the Scarsdale Public Library, the Board of Education offices, the main office at SHS and online at www.scarsdaleschools.org.
The Budget vote is on Tuesday, May 15, 7 AM to 9 PM at SMS.
Following are some highlights of the budget that pertain to SHS and the page numbers from the Budget where you can find details:
o Proposed addition of 2.8 enrollment-related teaching positions in foreign language, social studies, and special education. (page 6)
o Proposed addition of a new sport, Crew and a crew coach and also an assistant coach for boy's varsity football. (page 45)
o Proposed funds for the development of the Advanced Topics Program. (page 37)
o A proposal of $50,000 to bring in a committee of college professors who will work with high school teachers to develop, validate, and assess High School curricular offerings. (page 37)
o Proposed Plant Improvements include (pages 29-30)
o Renovation of boys bathroom near nurse's office
o Installation of emergency shut-off utilities
o Watercourse refurbishment-share of Village grant
o Auditorium equipment upgrade
The District has received a NY State EXCEL grant, “Expanding our Children's Education and Learning” to be used to fund projects that address …infrastructure …energy conservation and physical capacity issues. The EXCEL grant will be used to re-build the high school connecting corridor between the main building and the gyms and to add an elevator to the fourth floor Music Tower so that it is handicapped accessible. (page 31).
Other information:
Property Tax Levy (page 10)
2.05% tax decrease for the Mamaroneck Strip residents
4.41% tax increase for Scarsdale residents
Enrollment (page 4)
Projected growth from current 1,434 pupils to 1,447 pupils
The Board invites your comments on the proposed budget and looks forward to a productive community discussion on its merits and goals. Comments are welcomed at BOE meetings on March 19, March 29 and at the Budget Forum on April 11. All meetings begin at 8 PM in Rm 170-172 at SHS. All meetings will be broadcast on Channel 77. You may write to the BOE at 2 Brewster Road, or e-mail at boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org.
Alice Herman, SHS PTA President
Dear Parents,
The Scarsdale Union Free School District Preliminary Proposed Budget 2007-08 for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2007 is now available for the public to review. Copies are available in the Scarsdale Public Library, the Board of Education offices, the main office at SHS and online at www.scarsdaleschools.org.
The Budget vote is on Tuesday, May 15, 7 AM to 9 PM at SMS.
Following are some highlights of the budget that pertain to SHS and the page numbers from the Budget where you can find details:
o Proposed addition of 2.8 enrollment-related teaching positions in foreign language, social studies, and special education. (page 6)
o Proposed addition of a new sport, Crew and a crew coach and also an assistant coach for boy's varsity football. (page 45)
o Proposed funds for the development of the Advanced Topics Program. (page 37)
o A proposal of $50,000 to bring in a committee of college professors who will work with high school teachers to develop, validate, and assess High School curricular offerings. (page 37)
o Proposed Plant Improvements include (pages 29-30)
o Renovation of boys bathroom near nurse's office
o Installation of emergency shut-off utilities
o Watercourse refurbishment-share of Village grant
o Auditorium equipment upgrade
The District has received a NY State EXCEL grant, “Expanding our Children's Education and Learning” to be used to fund projects that address …infrastructure …energy conservation and physical capacity issues. The EXCEL grant will be used to re-build the high school connecting corridor between the main building and the gyms and to add an elevator to the fourth floor Music Tower so that it is handicapped accessible. (page 31).
Other information:
Property Tax Levy (page 10)
2.05% tax decrease for the Mamaroneck Strip residents
4.41% tax increase for Scarsdale residents
Enrollment (page 4)
Projected growth from current 1,434 pupils to 1,447 pupils
The Board invites your comments on the proposed budget and looks forward to a productive community discussion on its merits and goals. Comments are welcomed at BOE meetings on March 19, March 29 and at the Budget Forum on April 11. All meetings begin at 8 PM in Rm 170-172 at SHS. All meetings will be broadcast on Channel 77. You may write to the BOE at 2 Brewster Road, or e-mail at boardofed@scarsdaleschools.org.
Alice Herman, SHS PTA President
February 2007
Board of Education News
I hope you all read the January 31 letter from Florie Wachtenheim, President, Board of Education, about the AP/AT discussion. The letter is also posted on the District website. On February 12, the Board endorsed a resolution that allows for consideration of a locally developed course of study. The Board continues to assure public involvement through the forums outlined in the letter. The Board is committed to consider all issues open-mindedly, thoroughly, and deliberately.
PT Council Announcement
The proposed slate of officers for 2007-2008 follows:
President: Julie Baker
Vice President: Roseanne Underweiser
Secretary: Pam Fuehrer
Treasurer: Marcy Vinder
Election of officers or nominations from the floor will take place at the spring PT Council community meeting on April 12th at 9 AM at SMS.
Our thanks to the above individuals for agreeing to accept these positions and to the PT Council Nominating Committee: Ellen Brodsky, Chair, Marian Absgarten, Teacher Representative, Julie Baker, Arlene Hartman, Debra Lagapa, Gail Leone, Maria Pick and Naomi Talish for putting together this wonderful slate.
Thank you to PTA Committee members…
Vicki Liu for hosting the SHS Guidance Department who led the International Parents College Information Coffee, and Jessica Gilbert and Shuling Smith, Multicultural Committee co-chairs, who planned the event.
Kaoru Ota and the Japanese parents whose help is so appreciated in the Library.
Sarah Wolf Hallac, our webmaster extraordinaire, for keeping our communications system running smoothly.
Ann Cowen and Maria Dabney for contributing their time and great ideas to the Senior Options program and Stephanie Shabman for providing coffee & cookies for the Senior Options Parent Orientation.
Joanne Wallenstein Fishman and Anne Lyons, Program co-chairs, for organizing our joint SMS/SHS PTA program scheduled for Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30 PM, SMS Band room entitled “Are we Failing our Boys? Raising Consciousness about Boys.”
Julie Quigley and the Nominating Committee for working on the slate of SHS PTA officers for next year.
Linda Schapiro and Julie Quigley who will go down in history as editors of the last “paper” PTA Handbook. The Handbook is being replaced by the SHS Student Handbook, Calendar and Planner which is given to every student on the first day of school and is available in the main office throughout the year. Soon, the Student Handbook will be available on line at www.scarsdaleschools.k12.ny.us/hs. The Student Handbook contains the Academic and School Activity Calendar, department, faculty and staff contact list, school policies, Guidance and Counseling Services, the Scarsdale Code of Conduct, the Standards for Extracurricular and Interscholastic Athletic Participation, Alternative School information, and general information on how the High School works.
Debbie Miller reminds us that Student Directories are on sale in the main office for $5.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition I sincerely apologize.
Calendar Notes
Friday, February 16. Winter recess begins at 2 PM
Monday, February 26. School reopens
Wednesday, March 14. Joint SMS/SHS PTA Program:
“Are we Failing our Boys? Raising Consciousness about Boys”
7:30 PM, SMS Band Room
Friday, March 16. ½ day. School closes at noon
Friday, March 30. Spring recess begins at 2 PM
Tuesday, April 10. School reopens
Thursday, April 12. PT Council community meeting. 9 AM, SMS. “Raising Resilient Children and Adolescents” Speaker: Dr. Robert Brooks, Faculty Member, Harvard Medical School
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com
I hope you all read the January 31 letter from Florie Wachtenheim, President, Board of Education, about the AP/AT discussion. The letter is also posted on the District website. On February 12, the Board endorsed a resolution that allows for consideration of a locally developed course of study. The Board continues to assure public involvement through the forums outlined in the letter. The Board is committed to consider all issues open-mindedly, thoroughly, and deliberately.
PT Council Announcement
The proposed slate of officers for 2007-2008 follows:
President: Julie Baker
Vice President: Roseanne Underweiser
Secretary: Pam Fuehrer
Treasurer: Marcy Vinder
Election of officers or nominations from the floor will take place at the spring PT Council community meeting on April 12th at 9 AM at SMS.
Our thanks to the above individuals for agreeing to accept these positions and to the PT Council Nominating Committee: Ellen Brodsky, Chair, Marian Absgarten, Teacher Representative, Julie Baker, Arlene Hartman, Debra Lagapa, Gail Leone, Maria Pick and Naomi Talish for putting together this wonderful slate.
Thank you to PTA Committee members…
Vicki Liu for hosting the SHS Guidance Department who led the International Parents College Information Coffee, and Jessica Gilbert and Shuling Smith, Multicultural Committee co-chairs, who planned the event.
Kaoru Ota and the Japanese parents whose help is so appreciated in the Library.
Sarah Wolf Hallac, our webmaster extraordinaire, for keeping our communications system running smoothly.
Ann Cowen and Maria Dabney for contributing their time and great ideas to the Senior Options program and Stephanie Shabman for providing coffee & cookies for the Senior Options Parent Orientation.
Joanne Wallenstein Fishman and Anne Lyons, Program co-chairs, for organizing our joint SMS/SHS PTA program scheduled for Wednesday, March 14 at 7:30 PM, SMS Band room entitled “Are we Failing our Boys? Raising Consciousness about Boys.”
Julie Quigley and the Nominating Committee for working on the slate of SHS PTA officers for next year.
Linda Schapiro and Julie Quigley who will go down in history as editors of the last “paper” PTA Handbook. The Handbook is being replaced by the SHS Student Handbook, Calendar and Planner which is given to every student on the first day of school and is available in the main office throughout the year. Soon, the Student Handbook will be available on line at www.scarsdaleschools.k12.ny.us/hs. The Student Handbook contains the Academic and School Activity Calendar, department, faculty and staff contact list, school policies, Guidance and Counseling Services, the Scarsdale Code of Conduct, the Standards for Extracurricular and Interscholastic Athletic Participation, Alternative School information, and general information on how the High School works.
Debbie Miller reminds us that Student Directories are on sale in the main office for $5.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition I sincerely apologize.
Calendar Notes
Friday, February 16. Winter recess begins at 2 PM
Monday, February 26. School reopens
Wednesday, March 14. Joint SMS/SHS PTA Program:
“Are we Failing our Boys? Raising Consciousness about Boys”
7:30 PM, SMS Band Room
Friday, March 16. ½ day. School closes at noon
Friday, March 30. Spring recess begins at 2 PM
Tuesday, April 10. School reopens
Thursday, April 12. PT Council community meeting. 9 AM, SMS. “Raising Resilient Children and Adolescents” Speaker: Dr. Robert Brooks, Faculty Member, Harvard Medical School
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com
October 2006
From the PTA President
The school year is off to a great start. I am so grateful to the following parents for making PTA sponsored activities effective and successful—and fun!
Thank you to Diane Levy and Sharon Strassberg for organizing the College and Career Center and coordinating the volunteers’ schedules. Each of your well-trained volunteers has made the college representatives visiting our school feel welcomed. The volunteers have eased the anxiety of students’ first try at using the college and career Family Connection powered by Naviance. The volunteer efforts to recycle last year’s view books and course catalogues keep us current on information and environmentally “green.”
Thank you to Liz and Ken Whitney for hosting our annual Multicultural/International Families Welcome Coffee. With some help from Dean Leifer-Sarullo, Director of the Guidance Department, 35 parents from lots of different countries and states shared a lovely morning of both common and unfamiliar experiences. Most importantly, we got to meet each other. Thank you to Jessica Gilbert, committee chair, for coordinating the event.
Thank you to the parents who helped with the Volunteer Service Fair: Liz Blagg, Jamie Harris, Cathy Lee, and Christina Sun. We should be proud of our children for volunteering their time and talents. That’s a reflection of good parenting, so be proud of yourself, too.
Thank you to Esther Dodo and Ana Christina Sani for hosting the Families New to the District Coffee. The coffee was a great way to welcome our new families to their first SHS PTA meeting.
Thank you to David Lee for coordinating the joint PTA/PT Council Sports Swap on behalf of the high school. The profits from this event help to support after school clubs, the community calendar, the health hair, Young Writers’ Conference, C.H.I.L.D., and cultural arts in our schools.
There have been a few co-chair additions to committees since the August mailing of the SHS Calendar, which lists the PTA Board and Committees. They are: Lydia Hassan, Senior Festivities, Pre-Prom Party; Nancy Michaels, A-School committee; Shuling Smith, Multicultural/International Families committee. Thank you for your contributions to the PTA.
Thank you to Principal John Klemme, the faculty, and the administrative staff. The first month of school has been a pleasure.
Thank you to Sarah Wolf Hallac for maintaining and up-dating our SHSPTA.ORG website and e-mail communications list.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition, I sincerely apologize.
To every SHS family, best wishes for a successful school year.
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com
The school year is off to a great start. I am so grateful to the following parents for making PTA sponsored activities effective and successful—and fun!
Thank you to Diane Levy and Sharon Strassberg for organizing the College and Career Center and coordinating the volunteers’ schedules. Each of your well-trained volunteers has made the college representatives visiting our school feel welcomed. The volunteers have eased the anxiety of students’ first try at using the college and career Family Connection powered by Naviance. The volunteer efforts to recycle last year’s view books and course catalogues keep us current on information and environmentally “green.”
Thank you to Liz and Ken Whitney for hosting our annual Multicultural/International Families Welcome Coffee. With some help from Dean Leifer-Sarullo, Director of the Guidance Department, 35 parents from lots of different countries and states shared a lovely morning of both common and unfamiliar experiences. Most importantly, we got to meet each other. Thank you to Jessica Gilbert, committee chair, for coordinating the event.
Thank you to the parents who helped with the Volunteer Service Fair: Liz Blagg, Jamie Harris, Cathy Lee, and Christina Sun. We should be proud of our children for volunteering their time and talents. That’s a reflection of good parenting, so be proud of yourself, too.
Thank you to Esther Dodo and Ana Christina Sani for hosting the Families New to the District Coffee. The coffee was a great way to welcome our new families to their first SHS PTA meeting.
Thank you to David Lee for coordinating the joint PTA/PT Council Sports Swap on behalf of the high school. The profits from this event help to support after school clubs, the community calendar, the health hair, Young Writers’ Conference, C.H.I.L.D., and cultural arts in our schools.
There have been a few co-chair additions to committees since the August mailing of the SHS Calendar, which lists the PTA Board and Committees. They are: Lydia Hassan, Senior Festivities, Pre-Prom Party; Nancy Michaels, A-School committee; Shuling Smith, Multicultural/International Families committee. Thank you for your contributions to the PTA.
Thank you to Principal John Klemme, the faculty, and the administrative staff. The first month of school has been a pleasure.
Thank you to Sarah Wolf Hallac for maintaining and up-dating our SHSPTA.ORG website and e-mail communications list.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition, I sincerely apologize.
To every SHS family, best wishes for a successful school year.
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com
August 2006
From the PTA President
I would like to extend a warm and grateful thank you to the dedicated group of parent volunteers who worked throughout the summer to make your child’s experience at SHS more rewarding.
Sarah Wolf Hallac and Karen Fisch are our communications pros. They have worked cheerfully and creatively in their effort to get the PTA message to you most effectively.
Sandi Schwartz has made time in her schedule to recruit and process PTA memberships, deposit your checks, and direct volunteers to the appropriate committee chairs.
Linda Schapiro and Julie Quigley collected information and did a lot of editing and cutting & pasting to provide you with the PTA Handbook and Calendar, which will be a great SHS resource for you.
Debbie Miller and Leslie Berkovitz give, give, give of their time. Debbie to the Scholarship Fund (including home delivery of note cards), the Student Directory, and to the Summer Activities Fair. Leslie to the Summer Activities Fair, A-School Activities, and anything else she has been asked to do.
Liz Gruber and Nancy Michaels did not “rest on their laurels” from the super successful Parent-Teacher Conference nights in October 2005, but volunteered to do another wonderful job of organizing the evenings this year. The registration program designed and implemented by Marina Chen Huang and her son, Matt, has eased the anxiety level of the evenings and increased the quality of the two minutes parent-teacher conference.
Lori Kleppe manages to make phone calls at 7 AM before her “real job” begins and return emails after the last inning of one of her sons baseball games. We are all better informed parents because of Lori’s work on the August Community Mailing.
Thank you to all of the former PTA committee chairs. Your notes, records, reports, and the information you have archived on disk have been a tremendous help to this year’s volunteers.
Thank you to Ann Cowen, former SHS PTA President, for being so generous with her time and sage advice during my transition period.
Thank you to Terry Singer, Stacey Brodsky and Susan Groner for answering all of my questions, phone calls and emails.
Thanks to Principal John Klemme and his hard-working and accommodating administrative staff for their warm welcomes and encouragement.
I extend a special thank you to every parent who said yes when I called to ask for help.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition I sincerely apologize.
To every SHS family, best wishes for a successful school year.
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com
I would like to extend a warm and grateful thank you to the dedicated group of parent volunteers who worked throughout the summer to make your child’s experience at SHS more rewarding.
Sarah Wolf Hallac and Karen Fisch are our communications pros. They have worked cheerfully and creatively in their effort to get the PTA message to you most effectively.
Sandi Schwartz has made time in her schedule to recruit and process PTA memberships, deposit your checks, and direct volunteers to the appropriate committee chairs.
Linda Schapiro and Julie Quigley collected information and did a lot of editing and cutting & pasting to provide you with the PTA Handbook and Calendar, which will be a great SHS resource for you.
Debbie Miller and Leslie Berkovitz give, give, give of their time. Debbie to the Scholarship Fund (including home delivery of note cards), the Student Directory, and to the Summer Activities Fair. Leslie to the Summer Activities Fair, A-School Activities, and anything else she has been asked to do.
Liz Gruber and Nancy Michaels did not “rest on their laurels” from the super successful Parent-Teacher Conference nights in October 2005, but volunteered to do another wonderful job of organizing the evenings this year. The registration program designed and implemented by Marina Chen Huang and her son, Matt, has eased the anxiety level of the evenings and increased the quality of the two minutes parent-teacher conference.
Lori Kleppe manages to make phone calls at 7 AM before her “real job” begins and return emails after the last inning of one of her sons baseball games. We are all better informed parents because of Lori’s work on the August Community Mailing.
Thank you to all of the former PTA committee chairs. Your notes, records, reports, and the information you have archived on disk have been a tremendous help to this year’s volunteers.
Thank you to Ann Cowen, former SHS PTA President, for being so generous with her time and sage advice during my transition period.
Thank you to Terry Singer, Stacey Brodsky and Susan Groner for answering all of my questions, phone calls and emails.
Thanks to Principal John Klemme and his hard-working and accommodating administrative staff for their warm welcomes and encouragement.
I extend a special thank you to every parent who said yes when I called to ask for help.
If I have inadvertently left someone’s name off of this list that deserves recognition I sincerely apologize.
To every SHS family, best wishes for a successful school year.
Alice Herman
ahherman@msn.com