News

Seely Place Library Renovation

In the 2020-2021 school year, the Edgemont School Foundation granted a library renovation to the Seely Place School. During the height of the pandemic the students were not able to use the library, but it is now open and students are checking out books during their Library time. Please see the transformation from unpacking boxes to creating a cozy reading corner.

The District Needs Our Support Now More Then Ever

As you may have heard, the New York State budget cuts as a result of the pandemic will impact our schools. Superintendent Kniewel and the School Board have worked tirelessly to respond to these cuts by revising Edgemont’s school budget, which the community will vote on by mail. The details of how to vote and the ballots have been mailed to you directly from the District by USPS. You will receive self-addressed stamped envelopes to allow for you to easily send back your completed ballots by June 9th. We cannot emphasize how important it is to cast your vote for this budget during these unprecedented times to ensure our District maintains its current standard of excellence.

Our school budget was already stretched thin before the pandemic, and with the future holding so many unknowns, the schools will need our support now more than ever. The Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) was established in 1993 to assist in times just like these, when the teachers and administrators need to fund areas that are not covered by taxes or other community organizations. We anticipate this year will create needs unlike ever before, and we are committed to maintaining the success of Edgemont schools. If you are in the position to contribute to help us in our effort, please click ‘donate’ above.

We are very grateful for any assistance you can provide during these challenging times. We will make it through this by supporting one another and will come out of it stronger together. Stay healthy and safe.

Warmly,

Nancy Gordon
Chair, Edgemont School Foundation

Will you support the ESF Library & Classroom Projects?

Since our founding in 1993, The Edgemont School Foundation (ESF) has consistently supported the efforts of our teachers and administrators to enhance the educational experiences for Edgemont students. ESF helps fund district needs that are not covered by taxes or by other community organizations. For the 2019-2020 school year, we partnered with the District to identify two projects, and for the first time, we are enabling community members to direct donations to their preferred projects.

First, ESF committed a $164,000 grant to modernize the libraries at Seely Place and Greenville elementary schools. When completed, the renovations will enhance the learning experience of all Edgemont elementary students. The Greenville library was completed in September 2019 and the Seely library is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2020.

Second, ESF committed to renovate classrooms at the Jr/Sr High School to be more consistent with a 21st century approach to education and with the District’s strategic goal areas. These new flexible and collaborative learning spaces will be similar in style to the innovative ESF-sponsored E-Lab. The classrooms will provide hands on opportunities for learning to support our students’ academic, social and emotional development. We are pleased to share that last year’s 7th grade students submitted the design ideas for the classrooms as part of an authentic learning project sponsored by the math department.

In addition to these projects, you can also donate to our general fund. These monies are used to fund new district priorities as well as support ESF’s 15-year commitment to underwrite a portion of the 2014 District Bond. Donations to our general fund provide the most flexibility for ESF to act nimbly as new grant opportunities arise.

To help support our mission of enhancing the educational experience in Edgemont, ESF relies on funding from our community. We hope that all those committed to the continued success of Edgemont schools and our students will join us during this year’s annual campaign. Please help us exceed our $150,000 goal. To make a gift please click the button below.

We look forward to another successful school year with our Edgemont community.

Thank You to our 2018-19 Donors!

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Edgemont School Foundation (ESF), I offer sincere gratitude to our donors for making our 2018-2019 fundraising campaign a success. We are proud to report that over $135,000 was raised making this past year our most successful in ESF’s history. This milestone was only achievable through the support of our generous donors.

Edgemont is a special place. Thanks to you, we continue to enhance the excellence of the Edgemont education that we all cherish. Each gift ESF receives has direct impact in our schools and the educational opportunities for our students.

During the 2018-2019 grant cycle, ESF committed to modernizing the Greenville and Seely Place elementary school libraries. The work to create new learning spaces for our young community members is already underway and has received positive feedback. We continue to work with the administration at the Jr/Sr High School to develop more flexible and collaborative learning spaces in the format of the innovative ESF sponsored E-Lab. I look forward to sharing more information with the community on this initiative as it unfolds.

With the support of the Edgemont community, ESF is able to sustain its mission well into the future. On behalf of ESF and the Edgemont School District, thank you for making an impact in the lives of both Edgemont teachers and students.

With appreciation,

Nancy Gordon
Chair

ESF In The News: Greenville School library renovation complete, Seely Place to follow

https://www.scarsdalenews.com/schools/edgemont/greenville-school-library-renovation-complete-seely-place-to-follow/article_f1fd96b4-db08-11e9-a996-6b8fdfad7cd4.html

Greenville Elementary School opened its doors to students on Sept. 4 to a nearly complete renovated library, which included new paint, carpet and movable seating and bookshelves. The renovation was funded from a $164,000 grant from the Edgemont School Foundation, which will also cover a library renovation at Seely Place Elementary School set to begin next summer.

“Designs for both libraries are similar and include carpeting, fresh paint, shelving, soft seating, tables and chairs,” said Jen Ratner, the Edgemont School Foundation Grants Committee chair. “The Seely library renovation will occur in summer 2020, due to the asbestos [abatement] required as a precursor to the renovation.”

Continue reading on ScarsdaleNews.com.

ESF Commits $164K to Upgrade Libraries at Seely & Greenville Elementary Schools

Dear Edgemont Families, Alumni, Community and Friends,

We know the school year is winding down and everyone is thinking of their summer plans and summer camps, but the ESF has some exciting news to share that will touch every child in Greenville and Seely.

This spring, the Edgemont Schools Foundation has made a significant grant commitment to Principal Jennifer Allen (Greenville Elementary) and Principle Eve Feuerstein (Seely Place Elementary) to support an initiative to update / renovate one of the core pillars of a great education and what should be the center for student learning — the Library.

ESF can only make these contributions through the enduring support of our entire community – parents, guardians, alumni, friends, teachers, administrators, and residents. We urge you, to uphold ESF’s goal to Ensure and Enhance the Value of an Edgemont Education, to continue your support via a contribution.

 

 

 

Below are details on the project and recognition of the meaningful contribution from Marla’s Fund in support of literacy.

Goals/Benefits Of This Project:

  • Expand the ways our Libraries are used, including: classes, author visits, special events, faculty meetings, department and grade level meetings, professional development, community meetings, evening information or parent meetings, summer teacher and staff curricular work and larger-sized after-school clubs.
  • Support activities that involve a class, a grade level or multiple grade levels. Our principals are already reimagining the expanded use of the space during school hours in a variety of ways – for example, the Cultural Arts Committee sponsors work with our students led by poets, playwrights, scientists, artists, musicians, environmental educators and actors.
  • Facilitate and expand special individual and multi-grade events, like Colonial Fair, the Third Grade Immigration Project and Ancestor’s Luncheon, the Health Fair, the Building-wide Hour of Code, the Wax Museum, and Writers’ Celebrations.
  • Open the rooms up for use as makerspaces, helping the schools innovate through additional instructional activities, including whole-grade STEAM, creative hands-on projects, and enhancing the use of current and future technology resources (e.g. the Promethean Board).
  • Minimize the need for the schools to cancel physical education classes due to activities and events that require larger meetings space.

Timeline:

ESF has approved the grant. But there’s still time to be a part of this school changing project! Both schools will receive renovations in the next two years 2019-2020. Work on Greenville will commence in the summer of 2019, while Seely Place will kick off in the summer of 2020.

Marla’s Fund:

We are thrilled to be working with Marla’s Fund and Marla Payson Weizner’s family to complete this project. Literacy and access to books and various learning spaces were incredibly important to Marla and something she worked toward daily during her time as a first grade teacher at Greenville. She was an instrumental educator in our school district and her legacy continues. Marla believed in every child’s right to books at their reading level. Through the library projects in both Seely and Greenville, we believe we will keep Marla’s legacy and mission alive for generations to come.

Edgemont School Foundation:

Since its founding in 1993, ESF has supported the efforts of our teachers and administrators to enhance the educational experiences for Edgemont students. While school taxes fund our district’s primary operational costs, they do not pay for all of our schools’ educational initiatives. This is where ESF steps in: We help fund school needs that are not covered by taxes or by other community organizations. In addition to this and other recent grants to support literacy development programs at the Seely Place and Greenville elementary schools, we also provided funding to renovate a classroom and create the E-Lab in the Jr./Sr. High School, which provides students with an innovative and collaborative learning environment.

To help us continue our mission, we need the support from our community. We hope that all those committed to the continued success of Edgemont, our schools, and our students will join us by supporting ESF with a generous donation.

 

 

Your Gift Can Help Us Achieve Our $130,000 Goal

Dear Edgemont Families, Alumni, Community and Friends,

For over 25 years, the Edgemont School Foundation has supported the efforts of our school district to enhance the educational experiences for our students. Although school taxes fund our district’s primary operational expenditures, they do not pay for all of our schools’ educational needs. This is where ESF fills the gap. We help fund school initiatives that are not covered by taxes or by other organizations.

During the last few years, our grants have primarily focused on teacher enrichment and modernizing classrooms to current approaches in education. For example, the E-Lab in the Junior/Senior High School was redesigned from the 1970’s era style classroom to a project-based, collaborative, flexible and student-centered environment. ESF intends to continue funding the modernization of the district’s educational spaces, including classrooms at an estimated cost of $20,000 per classroom. The new classrooms will provide authentic opportunities for learning, and will support our students’ academic, social and emotional development. We need your help to make this a reality.

Additionally, as part of our continuing commitment to Edgemont, we are focusing on reconnecting our alumni with our community. This past November, we presented our second Edgemont School Foundation Distinguished Alumni Award to Jimmy Pitaro, the president of ESPN, Inc. and a 1987 graduate of the Junior/Senior High School. The event was an entertaining, enlightening and well-attended. To nominate future alumni, please complete the EHS Distinguished Alumni Nomination Form hosted on our website.

We are happy to report that our fundraising efforts to this year’s annual appeal have been quite successful. Thanks to the generosity of our community we are 68% towards our annual fund goal so far. We would like to thank our current donors whose names appear below for already contributing to this year’s fundraising effort. We are very grateful for their generosity, and we hope that everyone will pitch in to help us exceed our ambitious goal of raising at least $130,000 before June 30th. With sincere thanks for your continuing support,

To make a gift please click the button below.


With sincere thanks for your support,   

Adam Friedman    

Nancy Gordon
Co-Chairs, Edgemont School Foundation

Support the 2018-19 Annual Campaign and Help Us Achieve Our $130,000 Goal

Dear Edgemont Families, Alumni, Community and Friends,

Would you like to help “ensure and enhance the value of an Edgemont education” for all of our students? That is exactly what you do when you support the Edgemont School Foundation (ESF).

Since its founding in 1993, ESF has supported the efforts of our teachers and administrators to enhance the educational experiences for Edgemont students. While school taxes fund our district’s primary operational costs, they do not pay for all of our schools’ educational initiatives. This is where ESF steps in; we help fund school needs that are not covered by taxes or by other community organizations. Just recently, we provided a grant to support literacy development programs at the Seely Place and Greenville elementary schools. We also provided funding to renovate a classroom and create the E-Lab in the Jr./Sr. High School, which provides students with an innovative and collaborative learning environment.

In coordination with the District’s Focus Forward strategic plan, and building on the success of the E-Lab, ESF is committed to funding the redesign of our school’s classrooms to be more in line with a 21st century approach to education. Our combined vision is to have classrooms be more project-based, collaborative, flexible and student-centered. These new spaces will provide authentic opportunities for learning and will support our students’ academic, social and emotional development.

To help us continue our mission of enhancing the educational experience in Edgemont each year, we need the support from our community. We hope that all those committed to the continued success of Edgemont, our schools and our students will join us by supporting ESF during this year’s annual campaign and help us exceed our $130,000 goal. To make a gift please click the button below.

With sincere thanks for your support,

Adam Friedman

Nancy Gordon
Co-Chairs, Edgemont School Foundation

P.S. Thank you again to our 2017-18 Annual Campaign donors.

Thank You to our 2017-18 Donors!

Dear Edgemont Families, Alumni and Friends,

Generations of students have passed through the doors of the Edgemont schools in preparation for college and their adult lives. Top-notch schools like Edgemont have a long-lasting positive impact on both students as well as the community at large. Preparing Edgemont students for the best possible future is a top priority.

The goal of the Edgemont School Foundation (“ESF”) is to support the efforts of our teachers and administrators to enhance the educational experiences for the students of Edgemont. ESF is a vital conduit between our community and the school district, deploying private funds to their best use. Through the generosity of community members like you, we are able to help deliver to all Edgemont students the “Edgemont Education” we all cherish.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of ESF, we wish to offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who helped make 2017-18 one of our most successful fundraising years ever. With the assistance of those below, we substantially exceeded our goal for the July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 fiscal year by raising over $124,000.

In the last year, ESF grants supported our schools in significant ways. Most recently, with your generous support, ESF funded the E-Lab. Located in the E-Building, this new space provides our students with a cutting-edge learning environment that is focused on teaching 21st century skills and on collaborative problem solving and peer tutoring. Engagement through authentic learning and teacher development are at the heart of the Focus Forward/Strategic Goals set by the District and we are proud that the E-Lab has now become a vital component of this.

We could not do what we do without the support of the community, and we greatly appreciate it. On behalf of ESF and our entire school district, thank you. You make a difference!

With gratitude,

  

Adam Friedman

Nancy Gordon

Edgemont School Foundation Co-Chairs

 

 

 

 

ESF to present Distinguished Alumni Award to Jimmy Pitaro ’87

Jimmy Pitaro, President of ESPN

(EHS Class of 1987)

The Edgemont School Foundation is excited that Jimmy Pitaro, the President of ESPN, Inc. will be honored as our second recipient of the Edgemont School Foundation Distinguished Alumni Award for his outstanding professional achievement and community service.

The evening will feature a lively and enlightening discussion with Mr. Pitaro, which will be moderated by Scarlet Fu (EHS Class of 1990), an anchor for Bloomberg Television.

Award presented by Coach Jim San Marco (EHS Class of 1963)

Date and Time: Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 7:30PM

Location: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium, 200 White Oak Lane, Scarsdale, NY

Admission to the event is free but limited seats are still available. Please RSVP by 11/7.

Please RSVP using the form below:

To nominate someone to receive a future Distinguished Alumni Award, please visit www.edgemontschoolfoundation.org/about-distinguished-alumni-award/

*NEW* event raffle added. Attendees can enter to win lunch with Jimmy at the ESPN HQ or a spot as an extra on “This is SportCenter”. All proceeds support ESF.