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Quarterly Update - June 2017
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Principal's Message
Dear SHS Community Members:
I am pleased to present the final quarterly report of the 2016-17 school year. The close of another school year provides a time for both reflection and looking ahead.
This spring we celebrated the careers of our staff members who are retiring:
Robert Arrigo, Hannah Beals, Steven Boyar, Louise Ciffone, Ernest Collabolletta, Charles Davis, Joanne DiNardo, Ann Marie Donohue, Nicholas Fortugno, Michael Gibbs, Gwendolyn Johnson, Susan Lasalle, Elise Levine, Anita Occhiuto, Howard Rodstein, and Rashid Silvera.
Partly as a result of those retirements, we had a very busy hiring season. I will introduce in writing staff who are new to the school when we open in September. Each selection process involved multiple rounds of interviews and broad representation to ensure the best possible outcome, requiring an investment of time from many volunteers. I extend my thanks to all the faculty members, students, and parents who served on the various selection committees.
I want to take a moment to thank our students, parents, and staff members for their work throughout the year, in teaching and learning and also in all manner of committee work and community service. These activities reflect the spirit of collaboration that defines our shared enterprise. Our sincerest appreciation is extended to all those who went the extra mile and contributed to our school community.
The school building will be abuzz this summer with construction, as well as with many teachers working on program improvement projects. We look forward to the opening of the new Fitness Center, Design Lab, and Learning Commons in the fall. Teacher teams will be continuing our work on student wellness, developing the next phase of our STEAM curriculum, looking at how students read in the digital age, planning for Global Citizenship Day, creating rubrics for performance assessments, and creating interdisciplinary connections, to name but a few of the projects our teachers have planned. The fruits of their labor will ultimately benefit our students through enriched experiences both in and out of the classroom.
Below you will find the new schedule for the 2017-18 school year. Please keep it in mind as you plan for the upcoming year, noting especially the new start time of 8:00 and the alternating end times of 2:55 and 3:05 throughout the week. The Schedule Committee, comprised of teachers, administrators, and parents, will be collecting and analyzing feedback from students, parents, and teachers to determine the success of the implementation of this new schedule and whether any revisions are necessary.
Please accept my best wishes for an enjoyable summer and congratulations to all our graduates!
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo
Principal
The new schedule for Scarsdale High School will add two (2) minutes each to periods 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7; period 5 will have three (3) additional minutes. The first bell each morning will be at 7:55 a.m., with first period starting at 8:00 a.m. Homeroom sessions will take place on Tuesday and Thursday between periods 2 and 3.
New High School Schedule
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Day
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First Bell
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First Period Begins
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Seventh Period Ends
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Monday
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7:55 a.m.
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8:00 a.m.
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2:55 p.m.
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Tuesday
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7:55 a.m.
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8:00 a.m.
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3:05 p.m.
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Wednesday
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7:55 a.m.
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8:00 a.m.
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2:55 p.m.
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Thursday
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7:55 a.m.
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8:00 a.m.
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3:05 p.m.
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Friday
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7:55 a.m.
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8:00 a.m.
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2:55 p.m.
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Scarsdale High School Class Schedule
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Period
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New Schedule
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
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New Schedule
Tuesday/Thursday
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1
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8:00 - 8:51
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8:00 - 8:51
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2
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8:56 - 9:47
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8:56 - 9:47
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Homeroom
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X
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9:52 - 9:57
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3
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9:52 - 10:43
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10:02 - 10:53
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4
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10:48 - 11:39
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10: 58 - 11:49
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(5) First Lunch
(5) Class for First Lunch
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11:43 - 12:09
12:13 -
1: 04
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11:53 - 12:19
12:23 -
1:14
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(5) Class for Second Lunch
(5) Second Lunch
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11:43 - 12:34
12:38 - 1:04
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11: 53 - 12:44
12:48 - 1:14
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6
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1:08 -
1:59
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1:18
- 2:09
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7
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2:04 - 2:55
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2:14 - 3:05
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Art
Architecture I - all three sections - had different design challenges this spring with district teachers as clients. One section designed the new LRC at Edgewood, in the current main office space with the LRC teachers, Julie Abbe and Bevin Pagel, as clients. One section redesigned Marilyn Blackley's fourth grade classroom at Edgewood, working with Mrs. Blackley and the fourth graders as clients. And one section redesigned Cara Forray's Middle School health classroom for different "types" of learners with Mrs. Forray and her health students as clients. Architecture II designed and built three "self soothing" chairs for Edgewood's Room 18, which was a CFI grant that used a vacant room at Edgewood as a sandbox space to reimagine teaching and learning spaces. Last semester, Architecture I proposed these chairs and a "Chromebook bar" as part of their design proposal for Room 18. This semester's Architecture II class is physically building both the bar and the chairs, which will be installed at Edgewood on the last day of high school classes, June 12th. All four classes used the Design Thinking process to work through the constraints and needs of their clients.
The art department exhibited work in the Commons in conjunction with the music department concerts as part of the Spring Arts Festival. The poster for the festival was designed by a graphic arts student. Every grade was represented in the show as well as subject area. There were sculptures, ceramics, painting, drawing, graphics, photographs, etc. The show highlighted the variety of art experience open to our students.
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Counseling
In the Counseling Department, the past few weeks have seen both the culmination and beginning of our work with students. Seniors had their last formal meeting with the Deans during Senior Transition Day, featuring a panel of Scarsdale alumni, an hour of well wishes and heartfelt sentiments with their respective Dean, and and a luncheon sponsored by the PTA. Our last "official" role with the seniors will be the distribution of diplomas following graduation, a time that is always filled with mixed emotions as we wish our graduates well in the coming years.
On the other end of the high school journey, we welcomed the incoming ninth graders by joining them in the middle school for an orientation, and met with their parents during an evening program designed to familiarize them with the high school. Both freshmen and senior programs remind us of the excitement of students as they enter SHS, and how much we cherish those relationships in the ensuing years.
The Deans also continued our work with students across all grade levels. We collaborated with our freshmen English and Social Studies team for an afternoon of fun that spanned an array of activities during the annual Shakespeare Festival, while parents of juniors took part in an informative College Panel presentation with admissions representatives from a variety of institutions. As another school year comes to end, we hope that students can look back and relish in what they've accomplished, and we wish all a restful and productive summer!
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English
In English classes, the fourth quarter is a time of synthesis, as students reflect on what they have learned about the human experience from the literature they read throughout the year. In Kathleen McGreal's 9th-grade classes, for example, students wrote personal essays exploring how the themes of the year play out in their own lives. In Sue Silver's American Studies class, the class applied what they had learned about the tensions in American history by analyzing classic pieces of American cinema from the 1980s. Meanwhile, Pamela Kroll's 11th-graders participated in a Socratic seminar in which they connected the themes of The Great Gatsby to the diverse works of American literature the students had read over the course of the year.
At the end of the year, our 9th-graders enthusiastically brought A Midsummer Night's Dream to life on stage during SHS's annual Shakespeare Festival. The day-long celebration began with a breakfast for freshman sponsored by the 9th-grade government, followed by an exuberant performance of Shakespeare's play (by turns comical and touching), and concluded with classes meeting in their English/Social Studies/Guidance teams for team-building activities.
In a similar spirit of culmination, the 12th-grade AT classes marked the end of the year with a final celebration of their studies in our annual Poetry Festival. Students from our Advanced Topics English classes gathered in the library to listen to over fifty student presenters read aloud their favorite poems. The Festival is a moving way for students to mark the end of four years of rich literary exploration at SHS.
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Library
Research papers and projects have abounded in the library as the year draws to a close. These have included a multitude of topics such as literature, The Cold War, trade in Renaissance Europe and vitamins & minerals. In addition to using our vast online resources, students have also been making great use of our extensive print collection. Along with gaining content knowledge, such skills as note taking and citing are equally important. In an effort to provide students and teachers with the best tools possible to hone these skills, we will be subscribing to an online research platform called NoodleTools starting next fall. While no official summer list is issued, we hope students will be reading. If you or your child(ren) are looking for recommendations, please see our Book Lists link on the library homepage.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of our parent volunteers without whose help the library would not run as smoothly. We would like to extend a special thank you to Shelley Cohen for being our volunteer coordinator for the past three years.
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Math
This quarter, Math 431 students worked on a Winplot project. They finished a unit on conic sections and how to transform the graphs. They used Winplot to create a recognizable image that incorporated the use of at least one of each of the following: linear function, parabolic function, circle, ellipse and hyperbola. The activity required them use their understanding of domain of functions, writing equations and transforming the graph of a conic section to create a cohesive design. Students came up with some incredibly complex and creative designs, including cartoon characters like Mickey and Minnie, Minions and monsters.
On June 14th, the math department participated in an Escape the Room activity, hosted by "Game Master" Greg Leong. Groups worked collaboratively to solve a series of puzzles and unlock combination locks to gain their freedom. It was a fun team-building activity for the department, and teachers debriefed afterwards about how they can incorporate more interactive puzzles or challenges like this into their classroom.
Juniors in AT Statistics completed a final project where they used a large database on adolescent health to develop and analyze a research question. They used the statistical software program, R, and a graduate student from Harvard guided them using Google Hangouts to video-conference.
The Scarsdale High School Math Team won first place in the Westchester Interscholastic Math League. Three of the six students who won first place in the individual rankings are from SHS. Thirteen Scarsdale students qualified to participate in the New York State Math League Competition. The Westchester A team, where seven of the fifteen students are from Scarsdale, won third place in the competition Attached is a photo of the team. The team also won the
Most Improved Team award.
Ms. Castellano's Math 422 students participated in a volume workshop where they explored the relationships between the volumes of different three dimensional solids. Students used tennis balls to derive the formula for the volume of a sphere, created their own experiments to determine the volume of a cone, and created solids of varying dimensions using nets to compare the effect on volume.
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 Performing Arts
The Performing Arts department thanks the administration, faculty, staff, parents, community, and mostly the students for an outstanding 2016-2017. The successes are many, the accolades numerous, and greatly appreciated. This tremendous shared support is superbly rewarding to us. The Spring Arts Festival was successful and well received with four superb evening performances, all of which included recognition of our graduating musicians and actors. This May event included a large display of artwork that encompassed The Commons area. There was a steady volume of traffic through the exhibition during the day and evenings in awe of the talent and skill displayed. This partnership of the arts is a collaborative celebration that is one example of their appreciation within the culture of Scarsdale High School.
In addition to our formal evening events, there remain performances at ceremonies and events throughout the community and Village in the spirit of non sibi. These include the Tri-M Honors Society Graduation recital, performances at the in-school Memorial Day Celebration, and the Memorial Day Parade.
For the ninth consecutive year, the Scarsdale Public Schools have been named Among Americas Best Communities for Music Education. It is a direct result of the compassion, passion and dedication the entire K-12 performing arts staff provides to the children of the district. Additionally, his national recognition can only occur with the tremendous support throughout the district and community in so many ways, overt and subtle. It is with humility that we acknowledge this validation of our collective efforts.
The department wishes everyone a safe and restful summer.
Earl Groner conducts the High School Wind Ensemble in The Regents March.
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Physical Education & Science
Over the years, the Physical Education and Science departments have considered connecting content and applications based on human physiology. The soon to be completed Fitness Center will provide new opportunities for students to apply their study of human systems to personal health and wellness. This new learning space will offer students the opportunity to dive deeper into the mind-body connection in a hands-on setting, illustrating exercise's ability to prepare our brain for peak performance. The physiological effects of exercise help to beat stress, lift mood, fight memory loss, sharpen intellect, and improve overall body function.
Science Teacher, Rika Konishi, partnered with Physical Education Department Chair, Nicole Roemer, to pilot an innovative lesson that connected mindfulness and stress management to the structure and function of the human nervous system. In the first part of the lesson, Ms. Konishi reviewed the basic nerve cell, and then developed the cellular transport system that creates the potential for the conduction of signals. After a brief review of the human nervous system, the types of stress, and the role of different types of exercise, the group participated in a yoga session. Ms. Roemer met the class in the gym, and led them in an introductory yoga experience with an emphasis on focused breathing and stretching techniques. Our current wellness initiative was a focus in this lesson. The class was given the opportunity to connect the detail of neuron structure and function, with the use of yoga to support the parasympathetic system. Students were encouraged to recognize the sources of stress in their life, and then to consider ways to practice mindfulness and manage stress. In addition, during her lesson Ms. Konishi explained the benefits of incorporating aerobic exercise as well, and the importance of a balanced approach to health and fitness. We look forward to the opening of the new Fitness Center to continue this partnership between the Science and Physical Education Departments.
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Social Studies
In Jonathan Pai's Sexual Politics course, students completed a gender and LGBQ project where they investigated laws concerning LGBQ people in other nations. The project was focused on a comparative study of LGBQ rights in the US and other parts of the world.
In the City 2.0 12th grade classes, the classroom was transformed into a "makerspace" for the purposes of the final project. The City 2.0 project was devoted to redesigning some aspect of New York City infrastructure for greater justice, sustainability, and resilience.
In Fallon Plunkett's AT Psychology class students completed their original final research studies this past quarter. The titles of some of these student-designed research projects were "The impact of student stress on performance on school assessments," "The power of suggestion and authority," and "Clothes and Conformity in Scarsdale High School."
 In Heather Water's American Studies class, students debated over the balance between civil liberties and national security: From Schenck to Korematsu to the Patriot Act.
In Nicola Minchillo's philosophy class, The Waking Mind students produced ethics board games as part of their cumulative assessment for a quarter long unit on ethics. Some of the games titles are "Out of KANTrol" and "Pyramid to Enlightenment." In each of these board games, students were asked to design a game that presented players with ethical challenges and how they could be resolved using various philosophical perspectives.
9th grade World History students concluded the academic year with the World Trade final assessment where students were assigned a major city or commodity that comprised the nature of global trade around the year 1750 CE. Students were then asked to address the question, "To what extent was the world a global community in the 1750s?"
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Special Education
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard"
- AA Milne, Winnie the Pooh
This quarter we bid farewell to our seniors at our annual LRC Senior Luncheon as they headed off to Senior Options. After nearly four years of watching them mature and develop into young men and women, it was truly a celebration of their hard work and dedication to their high school experience. We are fortunate to work with the same students during their years at SHS which makes saying goodbye just a little bit harder. However, this is what they have been working towards and they are ready to move on to the next phase of their journey.
While the seniors were off working at their various internships, the rest of the students were busy preparing for finals and Regents and getting ready to close out the year. Teachers continued to bring students to the elementary schools for the Learning Differences programs, always a highlight of the year for both students in the high school as well as the elementary schools.
We wrapped up the first year of our Scarsdale Support Program. All those involved worked hard and by all accounts, it was a successful year for our students.
Finally, we celebrated two retirements in our department - Ms. Anita Occhiuto and Ms. Susan LaSalle. They will be missed by students and colleagues alike, but we wish them the best as they, like the seniors graduating, enter the next phase of their journey.
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World Languages
Spanish 344 students studied in detail the highly ritualized yet controversial phenomenon of bullfighting, a spectacle deeply rooted in Spanish culture and history, and viewed the documentary "The Matador" (2008). Bullfighting aficionado, Sr. Weldon shared his first-hand experience as an "aficionado práctico", or amateur bullfighter in Spain and Mexico. He continued the discussion by offering the students a presentation on the life of the "toro bravo", or fighting bull, and a demonstration of passes with the cape and the muleta (red cloth). The students completed the unit by writing a persuasive essay arguing whether or not the tradition should be allowed to continue in both Europe and Latin America.
Honors Mandarin 334, 344 and AT 355 classes participated in "2017 Rock that movie" competition hosted by New York University in April. We are delighted to share that all of the movies submitted by SHS Mandarin students have brought back prizes. Special congratulations to Zongbo Zhang, Derek Chi, Mao Takashima, Wen Qi See and Teckhua Chiang, whose video won the Bronze prize among all the levels. Congrats to all!
This quarter, students in French 344 studied African literature and the historical and cultural contexts in which it was produced through a variety of poems and short stories. As a culminating project, students worked in small reading groups on excerpts of a longer work of their choice, including both fiction and nonfiction, from a variety of French-speaking African countries. These small groups met to discuss their readings, each member coming prepared with a different role: a discussion leader, a researcher, a vocabulary expert, and an artist and grammar expert. Students prepared a final presentation for their classmates in which they provided an overview of what they had read, explained cultural and historical insights they had come to through this reading, as well as what they had noticed regarding the influence of the French colonial presence or heritage in that country.
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