Quarterly Update - February 2017
Scarsdale High School

Principal's Message


Dear Members of the SHS Community:

I am pleased to present the second quarterly update of the 2017-18 school year.  Our work on the wellness initiative has produced some changes this year.

As announced in a message right before the December break, our breaks for this school year will be free of assignments and homework, and there will be no major assignments due or tests given on the first two days back from breaks.  At a recent school government meeting, the feedback from students on the December break was largely positive, with one student saying this past break was the first time he was able to really unplug from school mode since entering the high school.  We look forward to a similar experience for the upcoming February break.

The Wellness Committee has also asked teachers to have students complete a snippet of homework during class to allow students to see how long assignments take them without typical distractions and to allow teachers to see the amount of time students need to complete these assignments.  We hope that the information from what we are calling a homework calibration will assist us as we aim to reduce the average nightly homework load for students.

Finally, w e thank the PTA for their support of the wellness initiative in providing snacks in the library during the testing week at the end of the second quarter. In addition, we will be opening the school library from 4-7 p.m. during testing week at the end of the third quarter to give students the opportunity to work together in a familiar environment.  

Our sustained and collaborative effort on this important initiative will continue to effect positive changes for our students.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Bonamo
Principal


 
Art

I n addition to our current student exhibition in the Positive Space Gallery, students have been active artistically outside the classroom. For the fourth consecutive year, photography and video students created projections to accompany a chorus performance. This year's piece was created by Jordan Aresu (senior) and Eashan Panjwani (junior), who masterfully edited Jordan's dazzling light paintings to synchronize with the beautiful tones of "Frostiana," composed by Randall Thompson, conducted by John Cuk, and sung by The Vocal Ensemble.


The Osilias Gallery StArt: Exhibition of Regional High School Art at Concordia College opened on January 6, 2017. We have three student participants:  
  • Mollie Kerr, Painiting
  • Darian Darakandah, Sculpture
  • Karina Schepis, Photography  
Five students out of approximately 60 received awards. Darian is one of the winners. We are proud of all our exhibiting student artists.



Students in Architecture I are designing "Room 18" at Edgewood School. A group of teachers at Edgewood received a grant from the Center for Innovation to re-imagine what teaching and learning spaces might look like. Using a classroom that is empty this year, the group proposed creating a "sandbox" where classroom space and curriculum could be redesigned. Architecture I students are using the Design Thinking process to create proposals of what that space might look like and how it might be used. Students are working in groups, doing research, creating prototypes, receiving feedback from Edgewood via Google Hangouts and will be presenting their final designs on January 26th in the Little Theater to teachers, administrators and students from Edgewood.
Counseling

The Counseling Department has had a busy few months.  Freshmen continued to meet with their Deans in Freshman Seminar or Civic Education groups. Sophomores will soon begin their own seminar experience, while juniors just completed "Junior Seminar," a program that centers on the college process. For seniors, their personal journeys continue and the Deans spent considerable time supporting students as they are about to embark on their final semester of high school.  And though this year is only at its midpoint, the coming months will bring students and Deans together as we prepare to plan a course of study for the 2017-2018 school year.  

The Counseling Department also hosted several programs designed for parents.  Many parents of juniors attended our annual "College information Night," as well as "Conversations with the Deans." This popular program was also held for Sophomore parents this past month, while International Parents met to learn about the college process at a local home.   A "Gap Year" fair was held in early January, highlighting several opportunities for students who wish to embark on a different experience prior to entering college, while our annual "College Night for Students with Learning Differences" highlighted the benefits of support programs.  And of course, the Deans continued to meet with students across all grade levels in supporting their academic and social experiences.  We're all looking forward to an exciting second half of the year!



English

In the English Department, the second quarter is a time of immersion.  While in the first quarter, English teachers often have students read a variety of short works to introduce the themes of the year, the second quarter, in contrast, finds students immersed in longer texts.  

Many of the tenth-grade classes studied To Kill a Mockingbird during the second quarter.  After reading the novel, students in George Olivier's class put into practice Atticus Finch's classic recommendation: "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."  To gain an experiential understanding of this philosophy, each student interviewed an adult from the community, someone the student did not know well. Then the student wrote a biography of that person, focused on considering life from this stranger's point of view.  In this way, and in many other encounters with literature in English classes, students sharpen their capacity for empathy.

Students in Sue Silver's ninth-grade class read Homer's Odyssey.  Next they will dramatize shadow-puppet performances of key scenes from the story, based on scripts the students wrote themselves.  Meanwhile, seniors in Ms. Silver's Advanced Topics English course have just finished teaching poems to the class that required a close look at narrative voice.  In analyzing dramatic monologues in poetry, students investigate the way subtle moments in language use can reveal hidden intentions.  

In Stephen Mounkhall's eleventh-grade class, students have been investigating the degree to which nineteenth century upper- and middle-class white American women were "free" by combining analysis of short stories by Kate Chopin, speeches by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and paintings by Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent.

Library

In addition to whole group instruction, we are now promoting individual and small group research assistance.  We have adopted this approach from top colleges and universities that provide personal librarians to their students.  Students have already sought out our help on topics ranging from Secret Societies in American History to The Aksum Empire to Chicago Style citations and footnotes.
The supervised quiet study room is now available on Tuesdays during second period in addition to Mondays and Wednesdays during seventh period.  Providing a period during the day seems to be even more popular and beneficial, and we will be looking to provide additional times throughout the week.
We are now featuring a Look into the Past on our homepage in celebration of our 100 year anniversary. When you click on the images, you can find information on SHS from 1916-17 as well as two girls' schools then in operation right here in Scarsdale.  Keep an eye on this as we highlight different topics.  We have also added a link for the Maroon directly from the homepage to promote readership.
For three days, during midterm week, the PTA provided snacks and drinks for students which they were able to take from a table set up in the library.  The students were excited and grateful for the pick-me-up.



Mathematics

Students in AT Statistics classes conducted simulations to understand how polls are created.  As shown in the photos, they took samples of colored bear toys and calculated proportions of red bears.  These proportions were made into a post-it histogram to illustrate the central limit theorem, the fundamental theorem behind the statistics of polling.

Students in Math 454 Calculus classes have been investigating product packaging, determining dimensions to optimize volume and minimize materials and waste.  They are learning the importance of identifying cost savings and impact on the environment.   This topic illustrates an important application of the first derivative.

In December, the Scarsdale High School Math team hosted students from Edgemont, Woodlands High School and Rye for a Westchester Interscholastic Math League meet.  In January, the Scarsdale team went to Edgemont.   We are neck-and-neck with Edgemont for first place in this county-wide league!  Earlier this year, math team officers held problem-solving sessions for members.  We also continue participate in a state league, a national league and a math madness competition.



Westchester Interscholastic Math League Meet
Math Team problem-solving session



The 454i Math Applications students have been discussing the shortcomings and contributions of the Egyptian, Roman and Babylonian numeration systems.

Through our study of these different numeration systems, students come to a better understanding of the current system and its efficiency.  In addition to getting a history lesson we are now discussing how to communicate with extraterrestrials in binary code.  We will wrap up the unit discussing other bases as well.

Performing Arts 


The concerts that occurred in the middle of this second quarter were all well attended and successful. Two of the groups also presented abridged versions of their evening performances to the school in student assemblies. There was much demonstrated respect for their peers' talent and collaborations that were taking place on the stage.
Theatrically, the musical was superb as we chartered new territory by having the pit orchestra on an elevated platform on stage which saw them as the prom band in Grease , and integrated with the action occurring beneath them. This highly sophisticated placement required the construction of a stable scaffold, created lighting and sound hurdles, as well as communication logistics for the actors as the musical director was now behind them as they performed. All involved rose to the challenges for sure!


The Servant of Two Masters, by the playwright Goldoni will be the straight play to be performed in March. It is a superbly appropriate work as it presents the theme of how perspectives change from one generation to the next.
In February, three of our ensembles will embark on their biennial international tours. The Wind Ensemble is headed to Australia, the Chorus to Italy, and the Orchestra to Germany.  All three will include associations and performances with local peers, and the opportunity to work with master educators in those locales. These destinations are also rich in history and music creating an extraordinary educational experience. Performing in halls and visiting homesteads of the likes of Beethoven and Mendelssohn are not common for young musicians.  We wish them all a safe and memorable tour.

Physical Education

Our 9 th and 10 th grade students focused on instruction in basketball and volleyball.  The basketball unit provided an opportunity for participation in a sports-based learning experience where students worked to improve a variety of skills including dribbling, passing, shooting, and strategy on both offense and defense.  While working on those skills, students were also increasing their levels of endurance, improving balance and coordination, and developing concentration and cooperation.  Our volleyball unit helped students worked to improve the many skills involved in this fast-paced game, including the forearm pass, setting, spiking, serving, and game play.  Students strengthened their arms, shoulders, and legs through a variety of skill-specific activities, and then applied their improved skills in a game setting with opportunities for strategy discussion and cooperative team play.

While our underclassmen were in a team setting, our upper classmen were learning through two individually-based activities: bowling and yoga.  In our bowling unit, our 11 th and 12 th grade students practiced techniques to improve their personal level of performance by focusing on the proper approach and various game tactics.  Students then put their math skills to work as they learned how the scoring system works in a bowling game and calculated their own scores in a ten-frame game.  During our yoga unit, students focused on increasing their overall flexibility and core strength through a variety of purposeful poses, while realizing that yoga is an effective stress management tool.

The results of the 2016 RaiderRun are in! Mr. Alex Greenberg's classes earned the title of "Top Performing Class" after earning the highest average score per student.

Science

The Environmental Science classes at Scarsdale High School went on a field trip to the Taconic Outdoor Education Center in early January.  This event supported our commitment to place-based education, which promotes learning that is rooted in what is in the local community and environment, either on campus, the neighborhood, or local venues, which then serves as the foundation for understanding and participating appropriately in regional and global environmental and ecological issues.
 
While there, the educators conducted programs with the students on top of the food chain predators, which included several live raptors (hawks, owls, and vultures), as well as camera trap pictures of recent visits by coyotes and bobcats.  Discussion ensued as to the importance of these keystone species and the role they play.  The classes also participated in night walks which included a "sensory" nocturnal walk, an activity which involves the five senses and allows the students partake in nocturnal animal adaptations.  


The students were engaged in Project Adventure programs where they were versed in outdoor skills including acquiring the  basic needs for survival in the wild, as well as team building activities whose aim was to strengthen problem solving, communication and cooperation skills.  The program ended with the students joining in a town hall meeting, assuming various roles of a community, discussing whether or not to allow coyotes back into the town of Cold Spring.


Social Studies

This past month the social studies department recognized the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Organized by Carlos Bedoya and Jonathan Pai, a video montage was screened and Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches were read aloud in the student commons during the lunch period on the Friday prior to the King national holiday.

In Fallon Plunkett's 9th grade World History class studied the Buddhist practice of mandala construction and destruction. To explore the Buddhist concept of impermanence of life students were asked to designed, constructed then destroyed mandalas made of sand.  The time-lapse video (link below) shows the creation and destruction of the mandalas.


Andrew Morgan's 11th grade US History students individually researched various Antebellum Era reformers whose areas of interest included religion, abolition, women's suffrage, temperance, and mental health care. Students then assumed the role of their reformer to engage in a spirited round-table discussion of the most pressing issues facing America prior to the Civil War.  

In Maggie Favretti's 12th grade class City 2.0: Redesigning Urban Life in Real Time , students are working on a project that centers on how climate change is impacting urban life and investigates how planners and designers and regular citizens can imagine cities that are more equitable and resilient.

In Kendra Claussen's and Stephen Mounkhall's American Studies class students have just completed an interdisciplinary project on the nature of life for 19th century American women.  Using texts by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gillman, students explored the historical question "To what extent were middle and upper class American women during the second half of the nineteenth century (1840-1900) free?"

Special Education

This quarter the Special Education Department in conjunction with the Counseling Department hosted our annual College Information Night for Students with Learning Differences.  Our own professional staff and the Director of Special Services for Saint Thomas Aquinas College spoke and answered questions about the skills needed for college readiness, the changes in disability law when students leave high school and the types of services available in college. Also on the panel was an LRC parent who offered an authentic snapshot of navigating the college process while ensuring the schools have the appropriate supports in place.  The evening was well attended and provided a wealth of information to help alleviate some of the anxiety that the college process can have, not only on students, but also on parents!
LRC teachers have attended various workshops to keep up to date on the latest trends and learn different strategies to help support our students.  The workshops focused on Executive Functions and Reading Challenges as well as Mindfulness and Positive Psychology.  Additionally, members of our department went on a Tri-State visit to another school district in the area where the focus was on the co-teaching model.  Throughout the visit, the team was able to learn about different co-teaching practices and it provided a good opportunity to reflect on best practices for our school.

The LRC continues to offer after-school support from Tuesday through Friday.  During this time teachers and students can work test preparation, study skills, homework help and any other areas in need of support.  No sign ups are necessary; students can just show up!

Student Government

In December, School Government held its annual election for new officers. The new officers transitioned into their positions at the House Meeting in January. The outgoing government leaves having made a number of impacts on wellness, the school constitution, issues surrounding gender and sexual dignity and a number of other goals.

In January, School Government hosted a Winter Pep Rally. In conjunction with the Maroon and White Organization, the whole student body gathered in the gym to celebrate the school's winter athletes. Entertainment, and some talent, was provided by a number of faculty members who participated in a faculty basketball game. (photos and more at shsmaroon.org)

The outgoing officers put the finishing touches on the School Government Constitution. At the December House Meeting they presented their changes which include organization of elections, procedures surrounding new clubs and new roles for some officers that could increase community outreach.

Beyond that, School Government has enjoyed and is looking forward to a variety of Class Government events throughout the school calendar. Seniors hosted an event in December to "Escape the Room" and in January over 40 freshmen went bowling at Bowl Mor in White Plains. Looking ahead, School Government has started gearing up for the carnival on April 21st and 22nd which represents one of the biggest fundraisers for charity in the school district. Additionally, working in tandem with the Wellness Committee, the new government hopes to initiate a new Stress Relief Week during testing days.

World Languages
  Students in Spanish 322 making piñatas in Spanish 322 with Sra Bray and Mrs. Colleary:




In advance of the theater trip at Repertorio Español in November, Spanish AT Language students studied the classic tragedy La casa de Bernarda Alba by García Lorca as part of a unit of study on the Spanish Civil War. In Spanish AT Literature students have been reading and acting out the play Bodas de Sangre by Federico Garcia Lorca. In the picture Laura Clapp and Nivedita Ravi are performing a special composition to accompany Lorca's enigmatic poetry.
 


AT Spanish - Repertorio Español
AT Spanish -  Bodas de Sangre

French AT students are working on a year-long Franco-American Social Entrepreneurship project with Lycée Paul Cézanne , in France. This project aims to facilitate student-led inquiry regarding global issues by making connections across content areas and across the Atlantic. Social Entrepreneurship is meant to develop students' grit, drive, passion, ambition, and design thinking, to break out rules, to be innovative and eliminate prerequisites as much as possible.  The idea is to fuse a mindset and a skills set, applying real life situations to have a positive impact to "change the world."  The emphasis is on the learner as "doer" and "creator," using authentic language and integrating technology.  Giving students Choice and Voice, teachers felt, would give them not only authenticity and relevance, but also self-motivation and ownership of their own learning.  

French 353 students role-played Maupassant after their reading and analysis - watch the video!

In November, Mandarin 323 class traveled to Chinatown in Manhattan to explore an interesting exhibition on food and taste in the Museum of Chinese in America. Students were also very excited to apply their language skills into authentic restaurant and supermarket settings.