The Friday Five - October 30, 2026

The first Education Report of the year was shared at the October 26, 2026, Board of Education Meeting. Focusing on Resilient Learners in the Age of AI, the report included three parts. After a brief introduction, Dr. McIntosh reviewed assessment results from the 2025-26 school year. SHS Principal Ken Bonamo, English Chair Karine Schaefer, and Social Studies Chair Jennifer Maxwell presented—Teaching Writing in the Age of AI​— and discussed adaptations underway to the approach to research and writing in the humanities. William Yang, K-12 Director of Digital Learning & Literacy presented on Scarsdale Digital Competencies in Grades K-8. A full video of the report can be viewed here (starting at 1:25:13).

The Scarsdale Public Schools is excited to be partnering with Common Circles to create The Common Circles Experience: Scarsdale. Our official Call for Participation closes today at 5 PM. There are three ways to participate, and members of our community can register interest in one or more aspects of the exhibit. While not every interested party will be able to be included in the final physical exhibit, there will be opportunities to include interested community members through digital components of the exhibit.

If you would like more information about the exhibit, please read this message from May, and/or visit commoncircles.org.

Scarsdale High School's Student Government welcomes the community to the Annual Community Dinner on Monday, November 2nd, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM. Tickets are $25 each ($20 if purchased in cash though student government reps) and all proceeds will be donated to Feeding Westchester. Student Government will be providing food from Pizzarelli's, Gianonni's and Jade Spoon. Additionally, desserts will be generously donated by the PTA. Bring the whole family as entertainment including, arts and crafts, music and athletics, will be provided by various student groups. Purchase tickets here or through school government reps.

Fish Hut, a non-profit founded by Scarsdale HS students, is partnering with Cornell University to conduct a research study, the Youth Fishing, Outdoor Access, and Mental Health Survey, which looks at how fishing and time outdoors relate to youth stress, mood, loneliness, and well-being. Your family’s answers will help show what supports young anglers. Parents/guardians and youth ages 6–18 can take the survey. Survey responses go directly to the Cornell research team through a secure survey platform. Fish Hut does not have access to participant data. Click here to take the survey.

“Halloweekend,” or the weekend closest to Halloween (October 31st), has unfortunately become synonymous with alcohol and drug use by many Scarsdale teens. The Scarsdale Action for Youth (SAY), along with its community partners, encourages you to help keep our teens and young adults safe this Halloween. 

 

Kids as young as 12 years old use Halloweekend as a reason to experiment with alcohol, while older teens use it as an occasion to binge drink. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 94% of underage drinking meets the criteria for binge drinking. While younger teens usually obtain alcohol from their homes, older teens often obtain large amounts of alcohol using Fake IDs. Scarsdale Action for Youth encourages parents and caregivers to start the conversation at home now. SAY's Don't Be Scared Be Prepared campaign provides key tips for parents on how to Beware, Prepare, and Take Care.