Scarsdale Schools Start Smoothly

SCARSDALE, N.Y.  –  Sixth graders enjoyed the freedom of roaming the halls without supervision at the middle school and students at one local elementary relished playing on a newly refurbished playground Thursday as Scarsdale school officials reported a “smooth” opening of the 2011-2012 school year.

“Precautions we took a few years ago helped ensure the rains didn’t affect our opening,"  said Principal Gerry Young of Greenacres Elementary School.

Scarsdale Middle School Principal Michael McDermott also had an easy start to the year.

“We have an efficient structure in place, and despite the terrible rain, everything went well," he said.

“In short, we plugged it in, we turned it on, and it ran.”

Meanwhile, incoming sixth graders reported their transition to middle school was going well.

“I thought it was easy,” said Camila Grisanti, who is in the Cooper House. “Our visit in May helped get to know the school, and I like changing classes.”

Her classmate Robert Rolfe said that even though he had to backtrack between one of his classes, the unsupervised transitions between classrooms “makes me feel like I’m more on my own.”

“Each day is getting better, but it was hard getting around at first,” Rolfe said.

At Greenacres, fifth graders streaming out to enjoy their first sun-filled recess on the new equipment grilled the principal about lack of markings for the kickball field. Young quickly assured them it would soon be there.

At the middle school, teachers helped sixth graders get acquainted with the school and each other via scavenger hunts and activities in which personal information was exchanged between classmates. Eighth graders, meanwhile, dove right into their coursework, actively discussing the chapter they had already finished reading in one class.

“It’s as expected,” McDermott observed. “We take our responsibility of making them the next generation of leaders very seriously.”

How did your child do during the first week of school? Comment below.

 

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