Edgemont residents learned of two significant departures from the Edgemont Junior-Senior High School via an email from the school on Wednesday September 14. At the September 13th meeting, the Board of Education accepted the resignation due to retirement of Dr. Barry Friedman, Principal of Edgemont Junior-Senior High School, effective August 31, 2012. Dr. Friedman began working in Edgemont in 1979 as a school psychologist at Greenville School. Four years ago he became principal of Edgemont Junior-Senior High School, where he is credited with making “profound contributions to the educational and social-emotional environment of the school.”
Members of the Board of Education accepted Dr. Friedman’s resignation with regret and with great appreciation for 33 years of service to the children of Edgemont; and wished him and his wife, Fran, a healthy, happy retirement, full of good times with family and friends. The Board also acknowledged Dr. Friedman’s timely announcement, enabling Superintendent Nancy Taddiken and the Board to engage in effective succession planning.
At the same meeting the Board also accepted the resignation of Christine Monseliu, Assistant Principal at Edgemont Junior-Senior High School, effective December 31, 2011. Ms. Monseliu will be relocating to Florida with her husband and children. She began working in Edgemont in October of 2005 after servivng as Director of Guidance and College Placement in Hastings, and as a school counselor in Chappaqua and Great Neck before becoming a full-time administrator. Members of the Board of Education acknowledged Ms. Monseliu’s skilled leadership during several periods of administrative transition at the Junior-Senior High School. During her tenure “she has established meaningful and supportive relationships with many Edgemont students.” Board members wished Ms. Monseliu well in her new role as a full-time mother to her twin daughters.
At the Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Board of Education meeting Superintendent Taddiken will present her proposal for the succession of leadership at the Junior-Senior High School.
These resignations leave both Scarsdale High School and Edgemont Junior-Senior High School in the search for new leadership.
Although it was a rainy first day of school for the junior and senior high school on Wednesday September 7, spirits were sunny as Principal Friedman stood outside to welcome everyone back to EHS. On Thursday, the rain stopped just in time to greet the elementary school students back to Greenville and Seely Place and on Friday students enjoyed the annual PTA "back to school" barbecue.
On Saturday, September 17th, all members of the Edgemont community are invited to the "Relay for Tay." The idea behind this event is to bring the community, both young and old, together to celebrate the life of Edgemont student Taylor Matthews and to raise funds for a good cause. As Taylor hoped, Edgemont continues to try to fulfill her dream that "one day, no child will have to face cancer." The event will run from 9 am to 12 noon on the EHS track. There is a minimum $10 registration fee with the goal of adults walking eight laps (two miles) around the track, or two laps for youngsters. Food, drinks, t-shirts designed specifically for this event ($15), and Tay-bandz/kids curing cancer apparel will be sold by the track. All funds raised will go directly to tay-bandz/kids curing cancer, the pediatric cancer foundation that Taylor founded. tay-bandz/kids curing cancer is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding research for pediatric cancer. If you are unable to attend but would like to donate, you may send a check made out to tay-bandz to: Tay-bandz, Inc., P.O. Box 1342, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
Yoga Station, a brand new yoga studio has opened in downtown Hartsdale, just to the left of the Hartsdale Train Station, at 221 East Hartsdale Avenue on the second floor. Yoga Station offers drop-in classes for adults and series of classes for children in an open, inclusive environment where the yoga is serious but they don’t take themselves too seriously.
The Edgemont School year got its unofficial start on Sunday, September 4th when the senior class showed up dressed in white to paint the roads in the Edgemont High School parking lot. This long-standing tradition is a rite of passage for the senior class. Students enjoy painting their own clothes just as much as they enjoy painting the roads in the parking lot. The senior parking lot area by the school gyms was spray painted with colorful graffiti, most proudly portraying the class's graduating year: 2012. Before and after group shots were taken of the senior class for later use in their yearbook. Afterwards, completely covered in paint, kids went out for lunch together. It was a great way for the senior class to kick off their last year in Edgemont.
Deck Day" is the final step in theses student’s transition to the junior high from the elementary schools. Seventh graders are shown to their lockers and escorted through their class schedule by 8th grade tour guides to reduce anxiety on opening day. The 90-minute orientation sessions ends with ice cream for all.
Now September can mean “back-to-school” for adults too. Empty Nest Events is bringing outstanding university professors to our area to offer grown-ups the fascinating lectures they deliver to the younger set at first class universities. Empty Nest has partnered with Doral Arrowwood in Rye Brook to present a series of educational events on music, art and film that you can enjoy close to home at a very reasonable cost.
