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1. STI - 6511 - ELA Summer Institute

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 5/29/2025 to 9/15/2025

Ensuring that all students develop high levels of literacy requires teachers to make a concerted, coordinated effort to improve students' proficiency as readers, writers, and critical and creative thinkers. As the Scarsdale District continues to review and improve reading instruction and assessment, teachers will benefit from engaging with researchers in the field and discussing the teaching of reading and writing with their colleagues. We are offering the opportunity to attend Summer Institute experiences with well-known literacy experts in the field. This institute is perfect for educators who want to stay at the forefront of research and practice. Over four days, you'll engage with thought leaders and other experienced educators exploring the boundaries of literacy education.

Through this course, participants will combine information from researchers at literacy organizations with discussions with colleagues to tailor best practices to the needs of their students. The participants will attend the Summer Seminar, where they will have the opportunity to choose from literacy-based workshops in reading and writing while deepening their understanding of the teaching of reading and writing.

2. STI - 5000 - ST@C Workshop Series - 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/1/2025

ST@C workshops explore aspects of innovation in education. In each ST@C workshop, teachers gain an overview of specific technological and pedagogical tools for the classroom while establishing a professional network for more in-depth study. Scarsdale teachers can choose stand-alone ST@C workshops to use toward STI credits. One STI credit is granted when a teacher has documented 12 hours of contact time in ST@C workshops and submits to the STI office an explanation of how new ideas from ST@C impacted teaching and learning in their classroom. Teachers must register for each individual ST@C workshop online and can offer to run a ST@C course by contacting the STI office. Teachers should only register for this course credit AFTER they have completed 12 hours of ST@C courses.

3. STI - 6000 - ST@C Workshop Series - 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/1/2025

4. STI - 7000 - ST@C Workshop Series - 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/1/2025

5. STI - 6495- A Mosaic Destination Adventure

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 7/21/2025 to 7/24/2025

Join us on an unforgettable summer adventure focused on the wonders of nature!

The process of mosaic making, with its deliberate and meditative nature, offers a unique way to connect with different environments and cultures. By focusing on nature, animals, and flowers specific to various parts of the world, participants will develop their artistic skills and gain a deeper appreciation for biodiversity and ecosystems.

You will travel through rain forests, safaris, and mountains while focusing on the unique animals and flowers in those environments. Your destinations will align with your theme of discovering fascinating wildlife and plant life in their natural habitats, We will visit places such as Costa Rica, Kenya, Peru, Tan5. Ecuador, Borneo, South Africa. This will be both educational and inspirational.

There will be a material fee of $35 per participant.

6. STI - 6436 - Broadway Teachers One Day Intensives - Day 2 - July 21, 2025

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/21/2025

The Broadway Teachers Workshop is designed to inspire both classroom teachers and directors of middle school, high school, and college theater with new teaching methods, enhanced production skills, and an exchange of ideas with peers and professional Broadway artists. In addition to the 3-day workshops, teachers have the option of selecting a specific workshop in theater production in either tech, music direction, choreography, or directing. As a culminating assignment, teachers will prepare a unit or in-depth lesson that will incorporate elements of the workshop into classroom or school-wide performances.

Specific Dates for One Day Intensives:
One Day Directing: July 14, 2025
One Day Tech: July 14, 2025
One Day Choreography: July 14, 2025
One Day Directing: July 21, 2025
One Day Music Direction: July 21, 2025
One Day Directing: July 28, 2025

Teachers should register directly with Broadway Teachers Workshop. The One Day Intensives tuition is $275 as an add-on to the full BTW experience. $325 if taken independently.

7. STI - 6433 - Broadway Teachers Workshop Session D July 22-24, 2025

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/22/2025 to 7/24/2025

The Broadway Teachers Workshop is designed to inspire both classroom teachers and directors of middle school, high school and college theater with new teaching methods, enhanced production skills and an exchange of ideas with peers and professional Broadway artists. Teachers will be introduced to four professional performances by attending pre-workshops with teaching artists who will lead them through the production process, from first script reading through finale. Historical references and broader social messages conveyed by each production will be examined. Teachers will also participate in master classes with Broadway performers, creative teams, and production staff, with peer sessions throughout. These networking opportunities will enable teachers to share professional resources with their students in a variety of contexts. Teachers will also have the option of selecting a specific workshop in theater production in either tech, music direction, choreography or directing. As a culminating assignment, teachers will prepare a unit or in-depth lesson that will incorporate elements of the workshop into classroom or school-wide performances.

Teachers should register directly with Broadway Teachers Workshop and pay the $849 fee which includes tickets to the performances.

8. STI - 6434 - Broadway Teachers Workshop Session E July 25-27, 2025

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 7/25/2025 to 7/27/2025

9. ST@C - Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) "FinCamp"

Program: ST@C

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 8/5/2025

Join us for a full-day, interactive "FinCamp'' in NYC. FinCamps are a FREE full day of in-person professional development where you have the opportunity to dive into NGPF's curriculum and resources, collaborate with other educators, and get reinvigorated for the classroom.

August 5, 2025
8:30AM - 3:00PM
Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) "FinCamp." Register yourself for this event but first sign up for a teacher account on the NGPF site.

What to expect:
Deep-dive into NGPF's curriculum
How to customize lessons and instruction to meet unique learning needs
Collaborate with other educators to share ideas and form an empowered network
Elevate your confidence teaching finance based content

Attendees will receive:
Professional development hours and NGPF Academy credit
Ready-to-use resources
Free meals and snacks during the event

We look forward to seeing you there!

10. STI - 6526 - Financial Literacy for Educators: September 2025 Cohort 57

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 8/14/2025 to 9/25/2025

This course seeks to build content knowledge and share [free] resources that can help support the mission of integrating personal finance education into the Scarsdale experience. Teachers will acquire financial literacy skills for themselves and their students through courses on the Next Gen Personal Finance platform (NGPF.org).

This course includes:
(1) 2 STI Zoom sessions:
STI Zoom #1: Thursday, August 14th at 7pm
STI Zoom #2: Thursday, September 25th at 7pm

(2) This cohort offers On-Demand courses only. Online coursework will take place between August 25th - September 23rd, but we will meet as a group prior to the start of the work. Choose one course to take this cohort:
-Consumer Skills
-Credit
-Banking & Budgeting

To get started, you will need to:
1. Register for a teacher account on NGPF.org using your school email address.
2. Enroll in a course for Cohort #57 on the NGPF site. You can find the courses by selecting Teacher PD & Community, then Certification Courses.

Please let us know if you have any questions to help you get started. We look forward to having you join us!

11. STI - 6528 - The Mentor Program 2025-26 (Elementary Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

Over the past thirty-eight years, the Mentor Program has become an integral part of the Scarsdale School District program. This seminar provides systematic support for teachers new to Scarsdale and recognizes and rewards the experience and skill that Mentor teachers bring to new teachers. The program is a rich opportunity for the professional development of expert teachers who are now trained to work with colleagues. This year the Mentors and new teachers will continue to refine and develop the program. This seminar assists the Mentor teacher in defining his/her role and its relationship to the new teacher. Mentor teachers will meet together to identify needs, discuss problems, and seek solutions. Course topics include roles and responsibilities of mentoring, teacher collaboration, and effective communication. Mentor teachers participate in creating this unique program designed specifically to meet the needs of the Scarsdale staff. MENTORS MENTORING NEW TEACHERS MUST ATTEND ALL FOUNDATION SESSIONS WITH THEIR MENTEES.

12. STI - 6529 - The Mentor Program 2025-26 (Secondary MS/HS Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

13. STI - 6530 - Mentor Support Seminar 2025-26 (Summer - Elementary Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

This course prepares participants to serve as mentors. Topics include how to provide guidance and support, be an empathetic listener, conduct observations and offer feedback, and manage weekly meetings. Mentors provide a community for one another to discuss issues and develop solutions. By offering this summer schedule we hope to provide greater flexibility for mentors who find meeting after the school day challenging. These dates also include 3 meetings that mentors attend with their mentees as part of Foundations.

14. STI - 6531 - Mentor Support Seminar 2025-26 (Summer - Secondary MS/HS Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

15. STI - 6532 - Mentor Support Seminar 2025-26 (Yearlong Version - Elementary Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

This course prepares participants to serve as mentors. Topics include how to provide guidance and support, be an empathetic listener, conduct observations and offer feedback and manage weekly meetings. Mentors provide a community for one another to discuss issues and develop solutions. These dates also include 3 meetings that mentors attend with their mentees as part of Foundations.

16. STI - 6533 - Mentor Support Seminar 2025-26 (Yearlong Version - Secondary MS/HS Mentors)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Mentors

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 4/29/2026

17. STI - 6521 - Nuts and Bolts of Classroom Environments and Libraries

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 8/25/2025 to 8/26/2025

One of the most important pathways to helping our students grow into lifelong readers is to ensure that students have books they can read with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension and that they have books that challenge them yet are within reach. Creating a classroom environment and library to support students when they are developing their reading identity behaviors, and habits of mind, will maximize engagement, independence, and reading development.

In this intensive 12-hour course, participants will delve into the fundamentals of establishing and maintaining a classroom library that both aligns with curriculum goals and nurtures a diverse range of reading identities. Throughout the sessions, educators will gain insights from the pedagogy and groundbreaking research of leading literacy experts such as Pat and Jim Cunningham, Freddy Hiebert, David Pearson, and Nell Duke. These insights will inform the hands-on workshops where participants learn to evaluate student reading needs, curate a varied collection of texts, and strategically organize books to maximize student engagement and access. The course will also cover the integration of decodable and leveled books, techniques for incorporating high-interest and culturally affirming texts, and the establishment of effective reading routines. Collaborative activities will guide participants in creating sample library layouts, devising book rotation schedules, and designing interactive reading activities that promote student independence and enjoyment. Additionally, teachers will collaborate to create actionable classroom projects like personalized reading challenges or student-led book reviews, equipped with new strategies to enhance their literacy instruction and seamlessly integrate these practices into their existing curricula.

18. STI - 6523 - The Mentor Support Seminar: Edgemont 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Edgemont Mentors

Dates: 8/26/2025 to 6/4/2026

Over the past twenty-two years, the Mentor Program has become an integral part of the Edgemont School District. This seminar provides systematic support for teachers new to Edgemont and recognizes and rewards the knowledge and skill that experienced Mentor teachers bring to new teachers. The program is a rich opportunity for the professional development of expert teachers who are now trained to work with their new colleagues. This year the Mentors and new teachers will continue to refine and develop the program. This seminar assists the Mentor teacher in defining his/her role and its relationship to the new teacher. Mentor teachers will meet together to identify needs, discuss problems, and seek solutions. Course topics include roles and responsibilities of mentoring, teacher collaboration, and effective communication. Mentor teachers participate in creating this unique program designed specifically to meet the needs of the Edgemont staff.

There will be an additional 8 hours of asynchronous work to be completed outside of the scheduled meeting times.

19. STI - 6538 - Articulating Leadership Across Departments 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SMS Department Chairs

Dates: 9/4/2025 to 6/11/2026

Middle School department chairs serve on the Principal's Cabinet and are relied on for a wide variety of responsibilities. We are the leaders of curriculum in our departments as well as being responsible for hiring and supervising the staff in our departments. It is imperative that we have time to collaborate as we try to work with the administration. This year will be a little different as we will have an interim principal and assistant principal so that may bring some unique challenges. Maintaining consistency in our practices ensures that the middle school functions as well as it does.

The department chair serves as an advocate for one's own department while at the same time supporting the wider mission of the school. As a result, healthy and open discussion about school issues must occur regularly. Scarsdale's commitment to educational excellence and evolving state regulations require department chairs to work collaboratively to examine current practices and continue to adapt to changes. The Middle School department chairs, in the role of teacher evaluators, will function as a study group to review various duties including staff observation and evaluation, and progress with school goals. Participants will work across departments to ensure consistent approaches are being utilized. Through this course, the chairs plan to work collaboratively to follow or modify current practices as well as to prepare for upcoming initiatives.

Participants will attend all meetings. The course minutes will provide detail of what was discussed and accomplished.

20. STI - 6525 - Studying Skillful Teacher HOMECOMING for SST Alumni

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Scarsdale Teachers

Dates: 9/5/2025 to 9/6/2025

The Studying Skillful Teaching program builds teachers' capacity - the knowledge and skills as well as the courage and conviction - to promote students' motivation, learning, and increased achievement. It is based on the belief that teaching is a process of decision-making; and that skillful teachers never stop learning through experimentation, data analysis, study, and collegial sharing about what works best for their students. This course will focus on the art of teaching -- continuously expanding one's repertoire and skillfully matching which tool or strategy best fits a given situation.

The Studying Skillful Teacher HOMECOMING course will feature:
--A review of the Skillful Teacher Course
--Sharing of classroom practices that reflect Skillful Teaching
--Time devoted to individual and small group work to plan the year as Skillful Teachers
--Planning to support Skillful Teachers throughout the school year.

This course is only open to teachers who have taken the introductory Skillful Teacher course.

21. STI - 6554 - Edgemont's New Teacher Institute (ENTI)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Edgemont

Dates: 9/16/2025 to 3/24/2026

The ETA Mentee STI Program is thoughtfully designed to support first-year teachers as they begin their professional journey within the Edgemont School District. This course introduces new educators to Edgemont's mission, core beliefs, and the collaborative culture that defines our schools. Throughout six sessions, participants will engage in professional learning experiences focused on district goals, instructional best practices, and community building. Each session will provide practical tools, strategies, and dedicated time for reflection and discussion to ensure that our newest teachers feel welcomed, supported, and prepared for success.

Course Objectives:

-Build a foundational understanding of Edgemont's core beliefs and strategic goals.
-Provide a supportive network through collegial dialogue.
-Develop professional skills aligned with district initiatives and classroom expectations.
-Foster a reflective practice that promotes personal and professional growth.

22. STI - 6562 - Reading Units of Study: Unboxing and Preparing to Teach the New Reading Units of Study - Grades 3-5

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Teachers Grades 3-5

Dates: 9/16/2025 to 5/21/2026

Teachers in grades 3-5 will engage in an in-depth unboxing of the new reading units. Through collaborative study and planning, participants will explore the structure, pacing, and instructional goals of each unit, with a focus on how to implement toolkit strategies that support comprehension, independence, and student engagement. Teachers will analyze anchor texts, practice key teaching moves, and examine how the curriculum fosters student agency and a strong reading identity. Sessions will include opportunities for modeling, peer feedback, and classroom planning, allowing teachers to connect curriculum to student needs in real-time. With a balance of hands-on learning and reflective discussion, this course will serve as both a launchpad and a sustained support system as teachers implement the units across the year.

As a culminating project, participants will submit documentation that demonstrates how they implemented reading units of study toolkit strategies across the school year. This may include photos, student work samples, lesson plans, and a written reflection on the impact of these tools on student learning and engagement. Teachers are expected to complete assigned readings, implement unit components between sessions, and participate in collaborative planning and discussion. The final project will serve both as evidence of learning and as a shared resource to support continued growth and implementation across the district.

23. STI - 6537 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow: High School (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale HS new Teacher

Dates: 9/17/2025 to 5/20/2026

Model lesson plans, constructive feedback on instruction, and tips on school culture and classroom management are all critical in helping new teachers be successful. In Scarsdale, a school-based mentor assists new hires with adapting to school culture and common practices in the first year. In addition, Scarsdale teachers benefit from curricular guidance from department chairs and colleagues. As a teacher grows as an experienced professional in the Scarsdale schools, this Foundations course scaffolds teacher professional development and mentorship in their first years so they can take maximum advantage of the professional resources available to them throughout their careers. Throughout the school year, classroom teachers, mentors, department chairs and administrators will engage each other in an examination of instructional methods, content, curriculum, and student learning and understanding to improve classroom teaching and learning. In the fall, new teachers will receive an overview of the Charlotte Danielson model of teacher evaluation and discuss expectations in the areas of special education, technology, grading, and communication to name a few. The mentor component of the course includes five after-school seminars with mentors and mentees and as well as confidential weekly meetings with the assigned mentor teacher. Curricular guidance is individualized through meetings with colleagues and department chairs.

24. STI - 6558 - Elementary ELA Collegial Research Group

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary teachers K-5

Dates: 9/17/2025 to 5/13/2026

In this course, K-5 teachers will explore how the Pedagogy of Play (PoP) can enrich and expand ELA instruction by weaving together play, inquiry, and literacy development. Each session will combine professional readings, classroom examples, reflective protocols, and collaborative planning time to help teachers design playful and purposeful learning experiences aligned with the ELA curriculum. Core principles of PoP-such as agency, wonder, and belonging-will serve as lenses for reimagining reading, writing, and word study across grade levels.

Throughout the course, participants will document their thinking and implementation using a shared Google Site. Each teacher will maintain an individual page to post reflections, photos, student work samples, and descriptions of how they've brought PoP to life in their classrooms. Teachers will also engage with one another by reading and responding to their colleagues' pages, creating a dynamic space for peer learning and support. Participants will leave with actionable strategies, deeper insight into playful learning, and a shared digital record of their collective inquiry and growth.

25. STI - 6536 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow: Middle School (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Middle School New Teachers

Dates: 9/22/2025 to 5/20/2026

26. STI - 6563 - Workshop for Senior Options Steering Committee 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SHS

Dates: 9/22/2025 to 5/18/2026

Every year Scarsdale High School's Senior Options Steering Committee supervises, organizes, reviews, and revises the Senior Options Program. Teaching staff on the Senior Options Steering Committee must reevaluate program policies, forms, and logistics. The case load of mentors and students changes annually; therefore, the Steering Committee must develop new strategies, train new mentors, and supervise new students. Each member on this committee acts as a Case Manager to the mentors of seniors to oversee their caseload and make sure the requirements of the program are being met.

From September to February, participants meet monthly to review the previous year's program evaluations, to assess the outcomes, to make revisions, and to recommend policy changes, where called for, as directed by committee reflection. From March through June, participants meet at least twice monthly to introduce the revised program to mentors and students. Steering Committee members also work independently with individual mentors and students on project choices and proposal writing. Spring meetings involve individual caseloads and subcommittee work. Committee members must also read and approve caseload proposals by the end of the third quarter. During the Senior Options experience, meetings focus on problems specific mentors and students may have in preparation for presentations, on critiquing the ongoing work of the program, and on presenting ideas for reevaluation.

Attend meetings and become a Case Manager with assigned mentors and students. Fulfill the requirements of being a Case Manager.

27. STI - 6561 - Project-Based Learning: Inquiry & Innovation

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/25/2025 to 5/28/2026

This course empowers elementary educators to design and implement authentic, engaging, and cross-curricular learning experiences through Project-Based Learning (PBL). Participants will explore how inquiry-driven instruction fosters deeper understanding, student agency, and meaningful connections across subject areas. By engaging in collaborative planning and reflective practice teachers will learn how to guide students in developing critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving skills . Emphasis will be placed on designing integrated units that align with standards while encouraging innovation, curiosity, and collaboration in the classroom.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Understand the core principles of Project-Based Learning and its benefits for elementary students.
Design interdisciplinary PBL lesson/units grounded in inquiry and student agency.
Facilitate learning environments that support exploration, voice, and authentic assessment.
Use PBL to connect among selected disciplines - literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts in meaningful ways.

This course is ideal for elementary educators seeking to bring energy, relevance, and innovation to their classrooms through student-centered, integrated learning experiences.

This 3-credit course will be structured so that participants can engage with the large group through 6 in-person class session, and in smaller project groups for 6 asynchronous sessions.

Signing up with grade-level team members from your building is encouraged!

28. STI - 6567 - Knitting as Mindfulness Practice and More

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 9/25/2025 to 11/6/2025

Wait List

When you knit, you take repetitive action, creating a flow that can become very calming. Studies have shown that knitting can help create relaxation, lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce cortisol. The mental processing involved can help enhance cognitive skills, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and help stave off cognitive decline. Joining a group of knitters helps maintain social connections, reducing loneliness and improving health and longevity. All of these benefits, and you also gain the ability to make something useful and fun!

Come and connect to centuries of handcrafting tradition by learning how to knit with visiting instructor, Laura Paul. Laura is a Scarsdale local, an expert knitter with 45 years of experience, and 20 years of experience teaching knitting to people ages 7-70+.

In this course, you will learn how to knit from the very start (no experience required!). You'll learn what yarn to use, what needles to use, how the tools work, and the very basics of knitting-casting on, knitting, purling, and casting off. In order to teach these skills, each member of the course will create a teddy bear over the six sessions, which can function as the project along with a reflection on the creative and learning process.

All materials for the course project will be provided, with a materials fee of $40 to be paid to the STI with your tuition payment.

29. STI - 6575 - From Virtual Classrooms to Digital Centers

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-8

Dates: 9/26/2025 to 9/27/2025

Teachers will have the opportunity to create virtual classrooms using Google Sites, which can house digital centers for a variety of content areas. These "classrooms" will offer diverse learning opportunities, including enrichment, practice, exploration, and any other skill or inquiry the teacher chooses. Once created, these sites will also provide teachers with instructional flexibility, as these engaging virtual classrooms can be utilized by students during the school day and as an extension for learning support at home.

30. STI - 6588 - K-12 Integrated Unit Design - Edgemont

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 9/26/2025 to 11/22/2025

This course is a work session in which teachers will create new integrated units or upgrade current units of study to fit the 21st Century classroom. The goal is to facilitate changes in the way both content and skills are being delivered to enable students to become autonomous learners. It will also allow for teacher work time where they can evaluate ways in which they can increase their own productivity by using technology for communication and collaboration. Teachers will evaluate current technology use in their classroom and explore how to incorporate technology effectively into their teaching to promote student learning and increase engagement.

Participants will take current units of study or create new units where they will integrate different district technology. We will use our feedback protocol to create multiple iterations of their project using instructional feedback from the group.

Course Requirements:
Participants will take current units of study or create new units with usable work samples/instructional materials. They will also create a lesson or unit plan write up.

31. STI - 6556 - School Nurse Study Group 2025-26

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Nurses

Dates: 9/29/2025 to 4/20/2026

Teachers, parents, and students often look to district nurses as resources for advice on health issues that arise in the news or in the schools. Medical information is constantly being updated, and the school nurses require adequate time and opportunity to meet with colleagues to discuss the latest findings in their field. Study group participation provides the nurses a venue to read, listen, and share information that will enhance health office practices.

Participants will choose books, articles, podcasts and documentaries on topics that are relevant to school health office concerns. Through reading, viewing, participating in discussions, and sharing daily-based practice information, school nurses will become better-informed advocates for their students and families.

Participants will create and share a document reflecting on the course content and its impact on their role as a school nurse.

32. STI - 6564 - Building Community at Greenacres Through Picture Books (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/29/2025 to 6/15/2026

At Greenacres we seek to further build community through the reading and study of common picture books. Each month classes at all grade levels will read and explore a picture book with a theme or topic such as friendship, perseverance, family or courage. Each class will study this picture book and expand their understanding through projects, reflections, illustrations, author studies or close reading of the author's craft. Books can also be used in the many buddy classes further deepening the relationships between older and younger students. Picture books are one of the few things that can be shared from kindergarten to fifth grade. Through this study of a common book as a school, shared understanding and experiences will be developed. There will be a "Book of the Month" bulletin board that displays the title. Classes can add their reflections to the board to further build community.

To begin each session, teachers will share and reflect on how they used the previous month's book with their students. They will show student work and discuss how this book further deepened their student's understanding of the theme highlighted in this book. Then participants will closely study the book chosen for the upcoming month. Teachers will discuss ways they can enhance the reading of the book with their classes through activities and projects with their class. They will collaborate with grade-level colleagues to plan and implement their ideas. Teachers will share test practices around the teaching of reading.

Teachers will produce lessons around the reading of this picture book of the month. They will further their craft as they work collaboratively to plan these lessons and activities. They will reflect on the work they do with their students after they implement these lessons.

33. ST@C - NCTE Initial Prep & Plan

Program: ST@C

Dates: 9/30/2025

We will come together to discuss our initial presentation plan for NCTE on Pedagogy of Play

34. STI - 6534 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Elementary Level (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary new teachers

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 5/20/2026

Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Elementary Level Model lesson plans, constructive feedback on instruction, and tips on school culture and classroom management are all critical in helping new teachers be successful. In Scarsdale, a school-based mentor assists new hires with adapting to school culture and common practices in the first year. In addition, Scarsdale teachers benefit from individualized curricular guidance from K-5 district coordinators in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. As teachers gain more experience in the Scarsdale schools, this Foundations course scaffolds their professional development and mentorship in their first years so they can take maximum advantage of the professional resources available to them throughout their careers. Throughout the school year, classroom teachers, mentors, and helping teachers will engage each other in an examination of instructional methods, content, curriculum, and student learning and understanding to improve classroom teaching and learning. New teachers will receive support for their Math, Science, Reading and Writing curricula from the district coordinators through regular consultations in and out of the classroom and half day professional development workshops. The mentor component of the course includes four after-school seminars with mentors and mentees that address district-wide best practices as well as confidential weekly meetings with the assigned mentor teacher. They will also attend the ST@C Portfolio sessions.

35. STI - 6535 - Foundations of a Scarsdale Education for Tomorrow Special Education Elementary Level (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Scarsdale Elementary new teachers in Special Ed

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 5/20/2026

Model lesson plans, constructive feedback on instruction, and tips on school culture and classroom management are all critical in helping new teachers be successful. In Scarsdale, a school-based mentor assists teachers new to Scarsdale with adapting to school culture and common practices in the first year. In addition, Scarsdale teachers benefit from individualized curricular guidance from K-5 district coordinators in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. As a teacher grows from novice to experienced professional in the Scarsdale schools, this Foundations course scaffolds teacher professional development and mentorship in their first years so they can take maximum advantage of the professional resources available to them throughout their careers. For Special Education teachers, many of the professional learning opportunities are built into the structures already in place. Team meetings along with workshops and coaching cycles with consultants are incorporated throughout the year. Additionally, while it is important to grow your expertise regarding curriculum knowledge and delivery of instruction, being a SPED teacher adds an additional layer. The preparation and participation in the IEP process, progress monitoring goals and implementation of differentiated instruction adds to the work you do daily with your students. Support will be provided in these areas to ensure success. Throughout the school year, classroom teachers, mentors, and coordinators. will engage each other in an examination of instructional methods, content, curriculum, student learning and understanding to improve classroom teaching and learning. New teachers will receive support for their Special Education, Math, Science, Reading and Writing curricula from the district coordinators through regular consultations. The mentor component of the course includes after-school seminars with mentors and mentees that address district-wide best practices as well as confidential weekly meetings with the assigned mentor teacher.

36. STI - 6539 - Teacher as Reader: Fox Meadow 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

Book clubs encourage critical thinking and deeper engagement with literature. In this course, teachers will spend time reading together, sharing insights and reactions to texts. Connections will be made through their discussions while reading a selection of diverse books. These texts serve both as mirrors and windows of different human emotions, experiences, and cultures. They offer a powerful opportunity to build community, increase empathy, and understand bias and prejudice. Participants will enhance their own reading skills and learn techniques for leading discussion groups with students.

Participants will read assigned books and come prepared to discuss aspects of literary form such as character development, theme, plot, and more. They will gain insight into their point of view by listening to their colleagues' responses to each book.

During the course sessions,10 books will be read and discussed. Participants will answer questions about each book and reflect about their feelings.

37. STI - 6540 - Teacher as Reader: Edgewood 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

The journey of a life long reader is a search to gain insight and understanding by reading, talking, and reflecting. By transforming reading into a community event through discussion groups, teachers learn differing perspectives on the same work and gain knowledge of literature, genre, and technique. The commitment to read widely and deeply is an important endeavor for teachers as they model the love of reading and the skills of reading and understanding for their students.

Participants will read assigned books and come prepared to discuss aspects of literary form such as character development, theme, plot, and more. They will gain insight into point of view by listening to their colleagues' responses to each book. Participants will enhance their own reading skills and learn techniques for leading discussion groups with students.

Teachers will answer literal and inferential questions on a Padlet. Teachers are expected to read all required books, attend class as well as participate in the deep discussions.

38. STI - 6541 - Teacher as Reader: Greenacres 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Greenacres K-5

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

The Teacher as Reader STI course is a building-based book club that meets once a month and is only open to Greenacres teachers. We discuss books that we have read, delving deeply and meaningfully into texts. Reading common books and discussing themes, characters and personal connections builds community and enriches the reading conversations we have with our students. When we as educators place ourselves in the position of learners, we can greater empathize with the young readers in our class and challenge them in respectful and appropriate manners. Teachers share discussion questions prior to each club meeting, and these questions provide a foundation on which discussions are built.

At the start of the course, teachers will participate in the selection of the books we will read for the year. Discussion norms are established surrounding participation, attendance, and general engagement. Participants will read one book per month, generate discussion questions, and participate in extensive conversations surrounding the books. Participants will reflect on their personal growth as a reader throughout the course.

Throughout the year, teachers will read ten books. The culminating assignment is a paper synthesizing their reflections about the books they have read. Teachers may pick discussion questions about which to write more extensively or select a common theme that exists in some of the books.

39. STI - 6542 - Teacher as Reader: Heathcote 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

The journey of a lifelong reader is a search to gain insight and understanding by reading, talking, and reflecting. By transforming reading into a community event through discussion groups, teachers learn differing perspectives on the same work and gain knowledge of literature, genre, and technique. The commitment to read widely and deeply is an important endeavor for teachers as they model the love of reading and the skills of reading and understanding for their students.

Participants will read assigned books and come prepared to discuss aspects of literary form such as character development, theme, plot, and more. They will gain insight into point of view by listening to their colleagues' responses to each book. Participants will enhance their own reading skills and learn techniques for leading discussion groups with students. For the first session, participants should bring a book read over the summer to share with the group.

Teachers will write a reflection on each of the books we have read over the course of the year.

40. STI - 6543 - Teacher as Reader: Quaker Ridge 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

Teachers will gather once a month to discuss a novel. Teachers will decide which books to read for the year. At the monthly meeting, teachers will have a chance to share opinions and ideas about the books read. These meetings will give teachers at Quaker Ridge a chance to meet with each other from around the building that they may not work directly with and build relationships.

The journey of a lifelong reader is a search to gain insight and understanding by reading, talking, and reflecting. By transforming reading into a community event through discussion groups, teachers learn differing perspectives on the same work and gain knowledge of literature, genre, and technique. The commitment to read widely and deeply is an important endeavor for teachers as they model the love of reading and the skills of reading and understanding for their students. Participants will read assigned books and come prepared to discuss aspects of literary form such as character development, theme, plot, and more. They will gain insight into point of view by listening to their colleagues' responses to each book. Participants will enhance their own reading skills and learn techniques for leading discussion groups with students.

Teachers will read a book once a month for the school year. Books will be determined at the September meeting. Each teacher will create their own cookbook. Teachers will choose a recipe that relates to the book in some way. Teachers will write a description of the book and explain how the recipe connects.

41. STI - 6555 - Literature Across Boundaries: 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (All)

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 6/16/2026

The journey of a lifelong reader is a search to gain insight and understanding by reading, talking, and reflecting. By transforming reading into a community event through discussion groups, teachers learn differing perspectives on the same work and gain knowledge of literature, genre, and technique. The commitment to read widely and deeply is an important endeavor for teachers as they model the love of reading and the skills of close reading and understanding for their students. Participants will enhance their own reading skills and learn techniques for leading discussion groups with students.

At the first meeting, we will choose books for the year. During each meeting, we discuss the book for the month, using discussion questions and supplemental materials (videos, articles, etc.) to guide us. This course can be taken for 1 or 2 credits. If you take the course for 1 credit, you can choose 5 out of the 10 meetings to attend. For our first meeting of the year, we ask participants to come prepared to book talk a recent or summer read that you really loved and would recommend to the class!

Participants will read one book per month and produce a course reflection or course project at the end of the year.

42. STI - 6527 - Financial Literacy for Educators: October 2025 Cohort 58

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 9/30/2025 to 11/12/2025

This course seeks to build content knowledge and share [free] resources that can help support the mission of integrating personal finance education into the Scarsdale experience. Teachers will acquire financial literacy skills for themselves and their students through courses on the Next Gen Personal Finance platform (NGPF.org).

This course includes:
(1) 2 STI Zoom sessions:
STI Zoom #1: Tuesday, September 30th at 7pm
STI Zoom #2: Wednesday, November 12th at 7pm

(2) Live and On-Demand courses take place between Oct 6th - Nov 5th. The 4 classes offered during this cohort are: Advanced Investing (on-demand), Paying for College, Behavioral Economics, and Taxes.

To get started, you will need to:
1. Register for a teacher account on NGPF.org using your school email address.
2. Enroll in a course for Cohort #58 on the NGPF site. You can find the courses by selecting Teacher PD & Community, then Certification Courses.

Please let us know if you have any questions to help you get started. We look forward to having you join us!

43. STI - 6565 - Understanding the College Application Process

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/1/2025 to 11/13/2025

Ever wonder what it is like to be a senior doing college applications? What do they do, and what do they have to go through? This is a nuts-and-bolts class dealing with this issue.

This course provides participants with a practical, step-by-step overview of the college application process. We will begin with the Common Application, including instructional videos and hands-on practice completing an actual application. Participants will discuss a Common App essay while also exploring supplemental essay prompts through discussion and peer feedback. College research will be emphasized, with guided use of tools such as SCOIR, CollegeData.com, and Big Futures, as well as strategies for identifying schools with strong merit aid. Additional topics include completing the STARS (formerly the SRAR), the UC application, and navigating application portals. Participants will also learn about requesting recommendation letters, how they are used in admissions, and will engage with podcasts and videos that provide insight from admissions professionals. Key concepts such as cost of college, demonstrated interest, and what colleges look for in applicants will be discussed in depth.

By the end of the course, participants will leave with greater clarity and confidence surrounding the college application process.

44. STI - 6577 - Reading and Writing Workshops and the Saturday Reunion

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-8

Dates: 10/3/2025 to 10/4/2025

Let's get together to join a virtual conference led by leaders in the field of literacy who will share innovative teaching methods and provide professional development for educators of ELA. Through this course, teachers will gain access to cutting-edge research and strategies to enhance literacy instruction in their classrooms.

Participants will use a specialized guide to identify a theme of study that aligns with their English Language Arts goals and best practices. On Friday afternoon, educators will develop an action plan and establish a timeline of benchmarks. On Saturday, they will attend a dynamic virtual literacy conference, where educators from around the world gather to learn from experts in the field. The fast-paced day is packed with workshops covering topics such as advanced comprehension strategies, content-area literacy, writing instruction, assessment-driven teaching, student engagement, and fostering a love for reading. Throughout the weekend, teachers will reflect on and refine their instructional practices based on their chosen areas of professional development.

45. STI - 6557 - The Reggio Emilia Study Group: Explorations in Teaching and Learning Grades K-12

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 5/5/2026

The Reggio Emilia study group is a vibrant forum where educators come together to explore and discuss contemporary issues in teaching and learning. Drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of innovative educational practices developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and other creative pedagogical approaches from around the world, this group catalyzes professional growth and collaborative inquiry.

Meeting monthly, the study group delves into educational topics, including playful learning, using materials and loose parts in writing and narrative development, creative and innovative teaching strategies, and alternative assessment tools. These sessions are designed to keep participants engaged with the latest trends and to inspire the integration of new ideas into their teaching.

Members will work closely together, fostering a supportive environment where they will share experiences and insights. This collaborative spirit is further strengthened through visits to different classrooms and schools, allowing participants to observe and deepen their understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach in diverse educational settings. These visits also provide an opportunity to explore how documentation-a core element of the Reggio philosophy-can be used to guide and enhance teaching practices.

In addition to these explorations, the group will enrich its learning experiences by visiting local museums, art galleries, and other cultural institutions.

A highlight of the study group's activities is the annual visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy. This trip allows participants to immerse themselves in the Reggio Emilia approach firsthand, attend conferences, and engage with educators at the forefront of this innovative educational movement. The experience provides valuable insights that participants can bring back to their practice, further enriching the study group's collective knowledge.

This course can be taken for 1, 2, or 3 credits

46. STI - 6569 - Building and Strengthening Co-Teacher Partnerships & Curriculum in ICT Classrooms at SMS

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Grades 6-8

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 6/2/2026

Does your co-teaching partnership feel more like "one teaches while one watches"? You're not alone. Many ICT teams struggle to move beyond the traditional helper model, missing opportunities to leverage both teachers' expertise and truly serve all learners. When ICT partnerships work well, magic happens: all students access grade-level content with meaningful support and benefit from enhanced instruction, and both teachers grow professionally. But without intentional collaboration skills and shared planning strategies, even well-meaning partnerships can fall short of their potential.

This hands-on course addresses the critical need for professional development that builds both the collaborative skills necessary for effective ICT partnerships and the curriculum design competencies required to create cohesive, differentiated instruction that serves all learners. Participants will engage in collaborative planning sessions where ICT teaching pairs work together to design inclusive lesson plans, practice implementing different co-teaching models (team teaching, parallel teaching, station teaching, alternative teaching), and develop shared assessment strategies. The course directly connects to the curriculum by having teams analyze grade-level standards and create differentiated instructional materials that address diverse learning needs while maintaining academic rigor. Participants will create practical classroom resources, including co-planning templates, differentiated lesson plans, assessment rubrics, communication systems, and implementation timelines for immediate use in their ICT classrooms.

Aside from the required in-person sessions, 11 hours will be completed asynchronously, either in partnerships or individually.

47. STI - 6593 - Wellness In and Out of the Classroom (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/7/2025 to 3/10/2026

Wait List

Research shows that teacher mindfulness and mental well-being lead to increased performance, self-compassion, and resilience, as well as reduced stress and burnout. Professionals receiving mindfulness interventions also experience less emotional exhaustion and increased job satisfaction. Studies similarly demonstrate the connection between teacher well-being and student learning. For example, decreases in teacher stress and burnout lead to increases in student social-emotional intelligence, academic learning, and empathy. As a result of completing this course, teachers will identify practices and methods that positively contribute to stress reduction and emotional wellness. They will learn how to bring more mindfulness and wellness work into their own lives and the lives of their students.

Each session will begin with a short meditation or yoga practice to come together and settle in as a community. We will then delve into the benefits, history/philosophy and experience of wellness practices such as yoga, meditation, nature walks, artistic expression, mindful movement, and journaling. Teachers will explore both theory and practice. Participants will learn about a variety of applications in the classroom and how to apply mindfulness and wellness in all areas of their lives, both in and out of the classroom. Upon completion of the course, participants will present a lesson or unit that incorporates wellness practices. Teachers will reflect on the readings and practices studied in the course, noting which practices were most effective to the teacher, and how he/she can incorporate the practice into his/her life.

There is a $20 material fee for this course to be paid directly to the STI with your tuition.

48. STI - 6591 - Collegial Research Group: Music and Performing Arts

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/8/2025 to 3/25/2026

Arts education is continually shifting to meet the needs of students in a changing world. As educators, such a response involves taking stock of curriculum and pedagogy in order to meet the needs of those in our community. While our classrooms are led by individual educators, our collective concept of this work continually benefits from collaboration. In so doing, discussions of what, why, when, and how we teach become important points. What are we (and our students) doing today that help us meet our educational moment, and what comes next?

Join us for a session that brings arts educators together for fruitful dialogue. In true Scarsdale fashion, we encourage educators to share an overview of our current courses in the K-12 performing arts classrooms (curriculum) and how our students are tasked with engaging with this work through teacher practices (pedagogy). Discussion and sharing will allow us to borrow from one another, gain a more complete scope of the K-12 curriculum, and propose/envision adjustments that may carry us forward as we look to new foci of curriculum and pedagogical practices.

Participants will be encouraged to adapt these conversations to meaningful learning that can be brought into the classroom. Examples of such a project will be:
*Creating a new lesson/unit
*Revamping the focus of a course
*Writing about new realizations/philosophy of our classrooms
*Creating a scope and sequence for one or more courses
*Practicing a new pedagogy with a colleague

49. STI - 6595 - Teacher as Reader: Edgemont 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Edgemont Teachers K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/8/2025 to 5/6/2026

In Teacher as Reader, we gather once a month to discuss a book (either a novel or a work of creative nonfiction) and explore how it affected us personally and as educators. We also discuss craft and points of view and how they work in the text. Reading can be a profound way to deepen our empathy and understanding of others' experiences and it can also help us reflect on our own lives. Our discussions expand our understanding of the texts, and help us to build community as a staff. The books are selected to prompt interesting discussion and to expose us to a variety of perspectives. The experience of reading and discussing has also fed into the curriculum, with some books making their way into the English curriculum.

In this course, we will read and discuss books. The discussions can serve as a model for how to have open-ended, inquiry-based discussions with students. We also have opportunities to write reflections about the books, and to learn about what inspired the writing of the books.

The final project will invite participants to connect their reading with their work as an educator in some way. Participants can respond creatively, in a written reflection, lesson plan, or a visual art project with a reflection.

50. STI - 6571 - Reflective Practice Seminar 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 5/7/2026

When teams of teacher practitioners meet and reflect together on the core issues of effective teaching and learning, they can promote positive change in the classroom and in the school culture. The goal is to build a community of learners among colleagues through an examination of shared activities common to all subject areas and grade levels.

In this yearlong course, participants will look collaboratively at concrete examples of teacher and student work examining and applying various protocols for reviewing student work. Teachers will observe in each other's classrooms and are encouraged to participate in activities designed to understanding the culture of a school. The group meets twice a month; members will develop a set of reflections on their work with students and colleagues. Members also will complete a set of peer observations as the year progresses.

Participation in all class sessions and completion of coursework fulfills requirements for Professional Performance Review (Option A) for the 2024-2025 academic year. Documentary films will be used to examine teaching strategies in a variety of scenarios.

51. STI - 6574 - Keeping Current with Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: 3-12

Dates: 10/9/2025 to 6/11/2026

Research shows that the two most important instructional design factors influencing reading motivation and comprehension are access to books and personal choice of what to read. This course is critical for students because it will support their teachers in reading and coming to know a wealth of fresh, new middle-grade (readers aged 8-12) and young adult (readers aged 12-18) literature. The course will support teachers in bringing these titles into their classrooms and their instruction.

This course is designed for educators (teachers, librarians, coordinators, administrators) to study current trends and titles in middle-grade (readers aged 8-12) and young-adult (readers aged 12-18) literature.

Not only will participants read MG & YA books of their choosing, but they will also study research related to trends in format and genre. An emphasis will be placed on classroom application in the form of book recommendations and readers' advisory. Another aim of the course is to support educators in conversations about books that may be perceived as controversial.

6 hours of this course will be asynchronous work where the participants will:
-Read at least one book per month and produce a book evaluation
-Read at least one professional article per month and respond to a discussion thread
-Film at least two student-facing book talks
-Complete a case study of at least one reader

52. STI - 6585 - Inquiry into Generative AI at the High School

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: HS Grades 9-12

Dates: 10/10/2025 to 5/13/2026

During this course, participants will continue to learn about how AI works and the ways it is being used in education and across different subject areas for workflows, study enhancement, engagement, and assessment. Participants will also learn to question the information received from AI tools to check for reliability, accuracy, and bias. Participants will also be confronted by at least two differing points of view on the degree to which AI has a place in schools, as the two course leaders have differing views on whether it is appropriate. The course format will consist of monthly meetings and individual exploration between sessions to observe and gain insight into how teachers and students interact with AI at other levels in our district and/or in other districts, to see what we think is appropriate for SHS. There will also be a break in the winter to engage in a K-12 experience to help with understanding throughout the district. Time will also be allocated to reflect and think together about the use of AI in the classroom, so we can make recommendations for our colleagues at the high school.

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will complete 12 hours of monthly asynchronous work.

53. STI - 6597- Responsive Classroom at Heathcote (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 Heathcote Faculty who have taken Introductory Responsive Classroom

Dates: 10/14/2025 to 5/12/2026

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. Heathcote teachers have participated in Responsive Classroom courses through the STI. This year-long course will allow teachers to work together, to refine their knowledge and support each other as they implement their new skill base in their classrooms.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Heathcote classrooms and Heathcote School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom community: new books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas and Energizers, along with previous resources First 6 Weeks of School and The Power of Our Words.

Teachers will implement Responsive Classroom in their classes and will demonstrate their learning and use of the approach and the impact on their classroom community in the form of a written reflection, photos, student work, lesson plans, and notes, etc.

Aside from the in-person meeting dates, the group will spend 12 additional hours working on developing our school-wide agreements, both with and without students, at lunch and after school. Group members will engage in creating posters of the agreements that are displayed in the school building, and will develop logical consequence scenarios that tie into the agreements.

54. STI - 6616 - Responsive Classroom at Quaker Ridge

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 Quaker Ridge

Dates: 10/14/2025 to 5/11/2026

55. STI - 6596 - Multiculturalism Through Film: An Ang Lee Retrospective

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 10/14/2025 to 11/6/2025

Wait List

The course explores the work of Ang Lee, one of the world's most accomplished and versatile movie talents. Each session will feature a full-length movie as the starting point for discussing his major themes and their range across times and cultures, from traditional and contemporary China to India, England, and the United States. The films will be viewed at home and then discussed during class.

Session 1: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Session 2: Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Session 3: The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Session 4: To Be Announced

The first session will be in-person, and the remainder will be via Zoom.

56. STI - 6579 - SMS AI Inquiry Group- Critical Thinking and Classroom Practice

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SMS Grades 6-8

Dates: 10/15/2025 to 6/10/2026

As Artificial Intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into educational spaces, middle school educators must explore the pedagogical, ethical, and policy implications of using AI in the classroom. This inquiry-based professional development experience offers teachers the opportunity to collaborate, experiment, and reflect on how AI tools can sustain and elevate students' critical thinking skills while thoughtfully shaping classroom policy.

This course provides a unique balance of live discussion, peer collaboration, real-world experimentation, and asynchronous inquiry. Educators will engage in cycles of practice, reflection, and policy discussion to build a flexible framework for AI integration at the middle school level.

This course is designed for individuals who have either participated in the SMS Inquiry groups previously OR who have already begun using AI in their practice. This is not an introductory course.

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will be required to complete 7 hours of online discussion and 3.5 hours of project development.

57. STI - 6572 - Teacher as Reader: Poetry in the Curriculum

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/15/2025 to 3/11/2026

Students often fear poetry and, if we're honest, so do teachers. But poets don't write poems to make their readers suffer, and good poetry is never didactic or self-important (no matter what your insufferable English teacher made you believe). Poetry should be enjoyed, and there's no better way to enjoy it than with a group of peers.

This course is a low-pressure way to expand your knowledge of poetry, whether you're a poetry pro or you haven't read a poem since high school. We'll start each session by independently reading a few poems, then I'll give a brief overview of a poetry concept or skill, and finally we'll spend the bulk of our time discussing the day's poems. Through those discussions, we'll learn various ways to approach poetry and share connections between the poems and our content areas.

We'll work with two prevailing assumptions:
1. Poems don't have just a single idea to teach us. There are many ways draw meaning from poems, and many ways to enjoy them.
2: Poetry is not just for English class. Educators of all content areas can find ways to integrate poetry -- and related thinking skills -- into our work with students.

58. STI - 6566 -Responsive Classroom at Fox Meadow (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Fox Meadow K-5

Dates: 10/16/2025 to 5/28/2026

Fox Meadow faculty has engaged in work for the last 3 years to learn and practice the Responsive Classroom approach. Many teachers are practicing Responsive Classroom regularly in their classrooms. Building on the momentum of last year's study group, teachers will join together once again to continue their practice. We will use our time together to share ideas, create resources, and debrief inter-classroom visitations; all to make us and our students stronger!

Teachers will have time to reflect on their experiences in the classroom with like-minded thinkers. They will develop projects/plans for their classrooms, such as outlines for morning meetings, lessons that involve academic choice, and plans for behavioral concerns. Teachers will visit each other's classrooms so that they can be a part of times such as morning meetings or closing circles, providing feedback to each other in areas like planning and language choice.

Teachers will become stronger in the RC approach. They will be expected to reflect on their experiences, provide written feedback for colleagues, and visit colleagues' classrooms to engage in lesson study.

In addition to the in-person meeting dates, teachers will be asked to complete 6 hours of asynchronous work, which will include reading outside of class time and reflecting on their work with colleagues.

59. STI - 6568- Executive Functioning Advanced

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 10/16/2025 to 1/22/2026

Many students who forget assignments, are disorganized, can't complete long-term projects, have trouble focusing, and experience difficulty with change, often have weak executive functioning skills. These students need to be taught explicit skills to become successful in school and in life after school. This course will take the EF skills that have been taught and integrate them into their teaching and classroom management.

The executive functioning skills targeted in my curriculum include: planning, organization, time management, task initiation, working memory, metacognition, self-control, sustained attention, flexibility, and perseverance. You will work throughout the year to build an effective EF curriculum. I will give you an in-depth lesson plan to follow with all the resources you need each week. You will be amazed at how easy it is to follow the lessons and how much fun your children will have. You will see your students using these skills all year long and improving their learning. You may also see some improvements in your own EF skills. Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build Executive Functioning within their Greenacres classrooms. Each session I will introduce the upcoming lesson and will have a presentation from lower and upper elementary teachers demonstrating how they implemented and integrated EF skills in their classroom.

At the beginning of each session, we review the previous skill and exchange feedback. Then, I introduce the next skill with an in-depth lesson plan and links to many resources. Finally, I will give you the hands-on activity to be used the following week. All the resources are digital. The teachers must commit 30-40 minutes a week to teaching Executive Functioning.

Final Project will be examples of student work in EF or the teacher's lesson plans in EF for the year.

60. STI - 6581- Tenure Portfolio for Edgemont Teachers (Fall 2025)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/17/2025 to 10/18/2025

This course is personally tailored to support all teachers as they begin OR continue to build their portfolios. Participants will reflect on their teaching practices and learn ways to organize their artifacts using Google Slides, Docs, or Sites. Through collaboration and reflection, participants will develop several ideas for artifacts and implement strategies to organize and present their teaching journey in a meaningful and effective way. By the end of this course, participants will have a solid understanding of Edgemont's teaching standards and a portfolio-in-progress.

Participants will have plenty of work time to organize artifacts and build their portfolios. This course is helpful for any teacher, no matter how much or little they may have worked on their portfolio. We will review the Edgemont teaching standards to gain a deeper understanding of each strand, brainstorm ideas, and inspire each other by sharing our teaching practices. We will look at exemplar portfolios as well as strategies for organizing and presenting information. Come join and get your portfolio started or finished!

Teachers will share the part of their portfolio that they worked on during the course.

61. STI - 6586 - Building Community through Music: Choral Music 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/21/2025 to 6/9/2026

The purpose of this course is to show teachers how choral music fosters collaboration, listening skills, and provides a community bonding experience that promotes wellness and inclusion. Teachers from all buildings and levels will learn about choral arrangement and music education from district music teachers as they assume the role as performers in an ensemble. Teachers will gain a greater appreciation for music so they can more easily integrate the arts into their own teaching practice as they build connections across the district for future work across disciplines and grade levels.

Music teachers will lead monthly rehearsals as teachers learn repertoire over the course of the semester, with a final product of a public performance. In this course, participants will learn the fundamentals of vocal technique, program selection, and performance practice in addition to experiencing singing music across a variety of genres, styles, and decades.

There will be a $5 material fee collected for the music scores and practice tracks.

62. STI - 6589 - Exploring Innovative Educational Models

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/21/2025 to 12/9/2025

The Scarsdale School District has a long history of researching and implementing innovative educational models. The Alternative School, the CHOICE program, CivEd, and Senior Options are all examples of innovative practices that turned theory into practice in the areas of moral development and experiential education. Scarsdale continues to innovate through initiatives in project-based learning, competency-based education, and flexible learning spaces. This course will enable educators to further research new examples of dynamic, student-centered learning environments that enhance engagement, well-being, and academic success.

This course will research various alternative educational strategies, course designs, and schools within a school and serve as an incubator for new ideas in Scarsdale Schools. These ideas will be shared and explored within the group and potentially inspire new practices for the classroom, school, and even district consideration. In this professional discussion group, each individual or team will present a novel educational idea that will then be discussed using the tuning protocol.

In addition to the scheduled meeting dates, participants will be expected to complete 2 hours of asynchronous work.

63. STI - 6584 - AI Inquiry into Generative AI - Elementary Level

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: Grades K-5

Dates: 10/22/2025 to 6/10/2026

During this course, participants will learn how Generative AI works and the ways it is being used in education and across different subject areas for workflows, study enhancement, engagement, and assessment. Participants will also learn to question the data received from Generative AI tools for reliability, accuracy, and bias. The course format consists of six meetings as well as individual exploration time between each session to gain insight into and experience with how teachers and students are interacting with Generative AI at the elementary, middle school, high school level and beyond. This Elementary Generative AI Inquiry Group STI is one of three courses running simultaneously at the district this year, the others being run at the MS and HS. The courses will culminate in the spring with participants from all levels getting together for a mega inquiry session. Please join us!

In addition to the in-person meetings, participants will also need to complete 10 hours of asynchronous work.

64. STI - 6592 - Culinary Creativity: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving in the Kitchen and Beyond

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/22/2025 to 11/13/2025

Wait List

The importance of creativity can't be overstated. The culinary application of creativity is a space where novices can sometimes feel overwhelmed, so beyond the obvious benefit of teachers specifically learning to cook more creatively, this course can have the psychological benefit of helping to approach creativity and the cultivation of creative pursuits with a more confident and relaxed approach, thereby making them more effective. This course will help teachers in the classroom by opening their understanding of creative problem-solving, outside-the-box solutions, thinking, and preparation.

With a heavy emphasis on flavor profiles and quality ingredient selection, this 4-class series will be a hands-on parsing of the culinary creative process. The instructor will provide knowledge about ingredients, flavors, dish composition, readings, instruction, hands-on participation, and support that will help with both the mechanics and the self-judgmental component that can come along with creative pursuits. While it will take a strict culinary format, techniques and preparation that are crucial in the kitchen will be presented in a way that can be extrapolated upon as to how they can translate into any creative space, with an emphasis on how to support oneself and thereby students in creative endeavors.

Ideal participants should have some previous home cooking experience and a basic knowledge of food and cooking. There will also be tutorials along the way. Classes will include general assessment of skill, lecture, literature recommendation and readings, handouts, in-person shopping, a chef demo, student collaboration and food preparation, food tastings, journaling, and a final wrap-up discussion.

This course will be taught by chef and health coach Jason Olensky. Jason has been cooking professionally for 25 years and is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach.

Students will be responsible for the cost of their own groceries according to their selections.

65. STI - 6587- Exploring Cultural Diversity Through Literature 2025-2026

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: All

Dates: 10/23/2025 to 5/7/2026

Teachers in a global community must understand the diverse customs and traditions of their students and colleagues. What better way is there to relate to others than through reading the stories that embed cultural perspective into the lives of real people? Literature selected from across the globe can foster a deep understanding of the racial, ethnic, and cultural groups within the school community, the nation, and the world. Through the reading of selected works of literature and group discussion, participants will learn about the daily lives and perspectives that exist within different ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural groups. Teachers will develop classroom activities that promote empathy, interest, and respect for the global community based upon the readings. The first book for 2025-2026 will be Dream Count Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Teachers will read and discuss books that explore diversity. These books will give teachers more opportunities to develop a curriculum around this theme. Some of these books, or excerpts, can be used to stimulate class discussion in any subject area.

The group will choose which books to read and discuss. At the end of the course, teachers write a reflection or lesson based on what they read.

66. ST@C - Thrive, Don't just Survive - Be Intentional About Your Self-Care Action Plan

Program: ST@C

Audience: Educators

Dates: 10/29/2025

This ST@C is session 1 of the full course STI 6594: Reflect, Reframe, and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

In today's fast-paced and demanding educational environment, resilience is not just a skill-it's a necessity. This workshop picks up from the summer sessions and focuses on practical self-care strategies that help educators maintain energy and manage stress, while enjoying their passion for teaching. We will explore the role of meditation and mindfulness in our self-care plan. Participants will identify techniques for a customized self-care plan that they will create, implement, and follow throughout the year.

The fee of $25 is waived for Scarsdale and Edgemont faculty and staff.

67. STI - 6590 - Differentiating Instruction and Tier 1 Intervention Using Games

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5

Dates: 10/29/2025 to 2/25/2026

Multi-Tiered System of Support(MTSS) is a framework for intervention that helps teachers identify students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional strengths and challenges. Within this framework, teachers provide targeted support for struggling students. The use of games and hands-on activities is an effective strategy for targeting specific skills that struggling students need to master. Games provide the repetition and review often needed to learn in an enjoyable and fun way. Children are active learners; games engage them in learning and can be used as an intervention within the MTSS framework.

This course offers teachers specific targeted skills that can be used in a Tier 1 intervention. Teachers will also examine their curricular areas in their grades to develop numerous and varied games to target particular learning problems. Participants should bring reference materials for the concept and skills they would like to individualize in their intervention.

Teachers will:
1. Share personal strategies, games, and activities to differentiate instruction.
2. Complete 10-15 new games or hands-on activities for the classroom that can be used as a Tier 1 intervention following the MTSS Framework.

There is a $25 materials fee that should be paid directly to the STI with your tuition

68. STI - 6594 - Reflect, Reframe and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 10/29/2025 to 2/11/2026

Educators will develop strategies to reframe daily challenges and interactions they face in their profession. They will learn strategies to calm the mind and manage emotions so they are less reactive and more responsive. Although these techniques and tools are universal, they will be presented in the school community context to help teachers connect and practice using them in their classrooms. Teachers will use various techniques like meditation, mindfulness, interactive discussions, role play, journaling, reflection, and Q and A to explore the following topics:

Session 1: Thrive, Don't Just Survive - Be Intentional About Your Self-Care Action Plan
Session 2: Thoughts Matter
Session 3: Mind Over Moment
Session 4: The Stories We Tell- Belonging and Community
Session 5: Response-Ability: Rewiring Your Brain for Conscious Teaching
Session 6: Beyond Instruction: Shaping Humanity in the Age of AI

Each session will also be listed as a ST@C opportunity for those who cannot attend all 6 sessions.

69. ST@C - Thoughts Matter

Program: ST@C

Audience: Educators

Dates: 11/5/2025

This ST@C is session 2 of the full course STI 6594: Reflect, Reframe, and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

Mind over Matter - How Thinking Patterns Transform Teaching. Our thoughts shape how we show up everyday - in life and in the classroom. This workshop explores the power of thought and its impact on our personal well-being, professional presence, and classroom dynamics. Together, we will examine the "quality” of our thoughts and vibrations that shape how we execute our various roles in life. We'll also consider the role of meditation and mindfulness in cultivating healthier patterns of thinking. Finally, we'll translate these insights into practical strategies we can use to strengthen resilience and foster a more positive learning environment.

The fee of $25 is waived for Scarsdale and Edgemont faculty and staff.

70. STI - 6613 - Financial Literacy for Educators: November 2025 Cohort 59

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 11/5/2025 to 12/17/2025

This course seeks to build content knowledge and share [free] resources that can help support the mission of integrating personal finance education into the Scarsdale experience. Teachers will acquire financial literacy skills for themselves and their students through courses on the Next Gen Personal Finance platform (NGPF.org).

This course includes:
(1) 2 STI Zoom sessions:
STI Zoom #1: Wednesday, November 5th at 7pm
STI Zoom #2: Wednesday, December 10th at 7pm

(2) Live and On-Demand courses take place between November 17th - December 2nd. The 3 classes offered during this cohort are: Career, Credit, or Investing.

To get started, you will need to:
1. Register for a teacher account on NGPF.org using your school email address.
2. Enroll in a course for Cohort #59 on the NGPF site. You can find the courses by selecting Teacher PD & Community, then Certification Courses.

Please let us know if you have any questions to help you get started. We look forward to having you join us!

71. STI - 6617 - Responsive Classroom at Edgewood

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 11/6/2025 to 6/11/2026

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. This year-long course will allow teachers to work together, to refine their knowledge and support each other as they implement their new skill base in their classrooms.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Edgewood classrooms and Edgewood School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social-emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom community: new books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas and Energizers, along with previous resources First 6 Weeks of School and The Power of Our Words.

Teachers will implement Responsive Classroom in their classes and will demonstrate their learning and use of the approach and the impact on their classroom community in the form of a written reflection, photos, student work, lesson plans, and notes, etc.

Aside from the in-person meeting dates, the group will spend 12 additional hours working on developing our school-wide agreements, both with and without students, at lunch and after school. Group members will engage in creating posters of the agreements that are displayed in the school building, and will develop logical consequence scenarios that tie into the agreements.

72. STI - 6622 - Global Networking: An Introduction to Peru (2025-2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 11/12/2025 to 1/9/2026

Lost cities and ancient legends sweep across the mountains like mist across jagged peaks. Join us for an exploration of one of the most interesting places on Earth! Imagine what it was like for Hiram Bingham to come across a lost city hidden in the peaks of the Andes! The fog and vines cleared during his expedition to reveal an architectural marvel clinging to steep mountain peaks. Why was Machu Picchu abandoned? Who built it? How did they build it? What was the Inca society like during that era? What was their history? What were their customs? This course will help prepare us for an adventure exploring Machu Picchu and Cusco. We will hear indigenous voices speaking to us across the centuries through generations of traditional art. We will learn to better understand what happened when cultures mixed, clashed, collided, coexisted, and mingled. We gain a deep appreciation for how people in a different part of the world think and live. We will learn about an enriching vibrant culture.

Participants will collaborate during six-afternoon sessions that deepen their understanding of Peru's rich and varied history and culture. In addition to discussing history and politics, they will explore music, dance, food, and cultural traditions together. Several of the sessions will be hybrid/virtual experiences and will emphasize the following themes: History, Music, Food, Art, and Current Affairs / Politics. During the last in-person session, participants will begin projects that offer an opportunity to dig deeper into a topic of interest related to Peru.

73. ST@C - Global Citizens Know Global Stories

Program: ST@C

Audience: K-5

Dates: 11/13/2025

This K-5 workshop is about examining news resources and connecting students with stories from around the world. Exposing students to current events helps them practice asking questions, develop inquiry skills, and gives them an appreciation for what it means to be a global citizen. We will look at resources such as DOGO News, News for Kids, Smithsonian Magazine, and Retro Report and how AI tools can adapt reading levels to make online articles accessible to all elementary-aged students. This session takes place in the Edgewood Tech Studio.

74. STI - 6580 - Media Literacy and the Tools of Mass Persuasion

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 11/13/2025 to 4/16/2026

This course seeks to develop our understanding of Media Literacy and how technology resources, including AI, can be used to help students of all ages become literate, digital communicators and citizens, while raising their awareness of bias, persuasion, and misinformation in their online life. Participants will study techniques for encoding and decoding messages using different media formats such as video, audio, graphics, and text. They will create original content using tools such as, but not limited to Google's Workspace apps, WeVideo, Adobe Express, and Canva. In the end, they will be better informed to help young learners understand how media messengers are influencing the way they see themselves and their world.

Two additional meeting dates will be determined once the course starts on November 13th.

75. STI - 6621 - Responsive Classroom at Greenacres

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-5 Greenacres

Dates: 11/14/2025 to 6/11/2026

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It consists of a set of research and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

Teachers will work together to develop and implement strategies to build a sense of community within Greenacres classrooms and Greenacres School, encompassing a feeling that each person belongs to the group, brings strengths and weaknesses, and has something unique and special to contribute. This is essential to students' social-emotional growth and development, self-esteem, ability to make and sustain friendships, and acceptance of self and others. Teachers will collectively explore resources to build classroom communities: books such as 80 Morning Meeting Ideas, Energizers, First 6 Weeks of School, and The Power of Our Words.

In addition to the in-person meeting dates, teachers will be asked to complete 11 hours of asynchronous work, which will include reading outside of class time and reflecting on their work with colleagues.

76. STI - 6573 - Teachers Writing Workshop

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 11/18/2025 to 2/10/2026

The purpose of this course is to continue developing a professional writing community in our district. Writing and sharing are key elements to a reflective teaching practice. Course participants will craft original writing (stories; memoir; essays; poems) in a writing workshop where they will reflect, share, and engage in creative writing exercises designed to help the writer develop her/his voice and stamina. This experience will put participants in the learner's chair and offer insights on how to tease out possibilities from someone with abundant creative potential -- like each one of us.

Students in the class will have some time at the start of each class to listen to songs; to look at visual art; and to read some writing in a supportive community, as they begin to brainstorm possible writing ideas. About 45 minutes of each class will be spent writing. Each week, some of the students will share. By the final week, the expectation is that everyone will have gotten to share a piece under construction. The final meeting asks people to bring in one more polished work and to share that with each other, which can become their project.

77. STI - 6608 - Mosaic Meaningful Memories with Picassiette

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 11/21/2025 to 11/22/2025

Wait List

Join us for a creative and reflective weekend exploring the art of Picassiette mosaic-a unique technique that transforms everyday broken plates, glass, and found objects into meaningful works of art.
In this hands-on course, you'll have the chance to incorporate a personal item into your mosaic-perhaps a shell from a favorite vacation, a cherished dish from your grandmother, or another object with special significance. Through guided instruction and artistic exploration, you'll learn how to use the Picassiette method to tell a story, honor a memory, or simply create something beautiful from fragments of the past.

Teachers will leave not only with new skills and fresh inspiration, but also with a lasting mosaic that carries personal meaning, perfect for the classroom or home. In addition, each participant will research a Picassiette mosaic and share their insights with the group, enriching the collective learning experience.

There is a $30 materials fee for this course, which should be paid directly to the STI with your tuition.

78. STI - 6609 - Organize Your Google Drive (Fall 2025)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 11/21/2025 to 11/22/2025

Over the past several years, this year more than ever, Google has become the main source of sharing and organizing resources for teachers. As more information and resources are shared or created digitally, it is essential for teachers to develop a streamlined way to organize and find these resources. Having the ability to quickly find what you need, will not only save time, but will enable teachers to be more efficient in planning and executing lessons/units. Work smarter, not harder.

Does finding a doc or folder in your drive cause you anxiety? This course is designed to help teachers learn quick and easy tips to organize everything in your drive or on your desktop. Participants will learn how to create new folders, shortcuts, share with colleagues and more. As part of the course project, teachers will take a screen shot of their google drive before and after the course. Teachers can also describe how they chose to organize their google drive in a typed reflection. This may include what folder they chose to create and how they plan to continue to use their google drive to help plan and share resources with colleagues. As outside work, teachers will continue to organize their drive and find resources to fill existing/new folders.

79. STI - 6611 - New York City as a Resource: How Titans of the Industry Impacted the Grand Central Neighborhood

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 12/5/2025 to 12/6/2025

This course examines the impact of a political decision-making process that transforms the Grand Central neighborhood with consequences for the city in the nation. Teachers will research primary source documents as they track the monumental shifts that occurred over the last century in transportation, technology, sociology, science, art, architecture, and economics in the Grand Central area and beyond.

Through multimedia resources including documentary film, photographs, books, primary source documents, internet resources, a guided walking tour, and discussion, participants will examine the Grand Central neighborhood as a study in change over the last century. Instruction will model the case-study approach to facilitate integration of an event into enriching and meaningful lessons for students in technology, science, math, art, architecture, sociology, and economics. Highlighted in the walking tour will be Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler and Daily News buildings, the East 42nd Street area, and tours of Rockefeller Center and the NY Public Library. The course will focus on attributes of the Beaux Arts, Art Deco, and Neo-Gothic architectural styles as they are featured in these buildings. The historical time frame in which each style was in vogue in America will also be emphasized.

There is a $20.00 fee for the Rockefeller Center Tour.

80. ST@C - Mind Over Moment

Program: ST@C

Audience: Educators

Dates: 12/10/2025

This ST@C is session 3 of the full course STI 6594: Reflect, Reframe, and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

Transform your stress response and transform your teaching. This workshop explores practical strategies for managing emotions by recognizing triggers, interrupting overthinking loops, and reframing negative thought patterns to restore clarity and balance. Participants will learn how mindfulness, meditation, and intentional reset techniques can minimize escalation and promote conflict resolution. By applying these tools, educators not only strengthen their own well-being but also model emotional regulation for students-reducing conflict, improving focus, and creating a healthier classroom culture.

The fee of $25 is waived for Scarsdale and Edgemont faculty and staff.

81. STI - 6606 - Financial Literacy for Educators: Investing (Fall 2025)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 & Support Staff

Dates: 12/12/2025 to 12/13/2025

Teachers are preyed upon by financial salespeople who portray themselves as district-approved advisors. They often reach out by email and offer help in signing you up for a 403(b) plan. Unfortunately, these relationships often come at a high price; including hidden fees and lower returns. Learning about a 403(b) plan is not part of the formal teacher education and it is easy to be confused by fee schedules, long vendor lists and investment choices. This class will teach you the value of investing in a 403(b) plan and how to take control of your retirement investments, without all of the fees. You will leave the course with a low fee 403(b) and/or 457(b) plan and an understanding of how your money is invested, as well as how to manage retirement investments moving forward.

Part of your project should include a way to share some of this information with students.

82. STI - 6619 - Building STEAM Skills: Pyrography and Cutting Boards

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 12/12/2025 to 12/13/2025

In this hands-on course, participants will learn how to fully utilize the pyrography pen while becoming familiar with essential woodworking tools such as the orbital sander, planer, drum sander, and router. Participants begin by preparing their boards- routing and hand-sanding each piece to create a smooth surface ready for burning. They will then practice various wood-burning techniques before designing and executing their final piece.

The course will culminate with participants creating their own unique, handcrafted art pieces- such as cutting boards, coasters, and more!

There is a $30 material fee for this course to be paid to the STI with the tuition.

83. STI - 6650 - Financial Literacy for Educators: January 2026 Cohort 60

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 12/16/2025 to 2/24/2026

This course seeks to build content knowledge and share [free] resources that can help support the mission of integrating personal finance education into the Scarsdale experience. Teachers will acquire financial literacy skills for themselves and their students through courses on the Next Gen Personal Finance platform (NGPF.org).

This course includes:
(1) 2 STI Zoom sessions:
STI Zoom #1: Tuesday, December 16th at 7pm
STI Zoom #2: Tuesday, February 24th at 7pm

(2) Live and On-Demand courses take place between January 5th - February 13th.
Choices for live courses: Investing or Taxes
Choices for on-demand courses: Banking and Budgeting, Careers, or Psychology of Money

To get started, you will need to:
1. Register for a teacher account on NGPF.org using your school email address.
2. Enroll in a course for Cohort #60 on the NGPF site. You can find the courses by selecting Teacher PD & Community, then Certification Courses.

Please let us know if you have any questions to help you get started. We look forward to having you join us!

84. ST@C - Mindfulness for 2026

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/5/2026

Start the year with a renewed sense of focus and calm. Set clear intentions, review priorities, and reset your toolbox with self - care strategies. Join us for interactive discussion and reflective exercises on mindfulness and stress reduction as we start 2026. Gain strategies to sustain wellness in your classroom and beyond, and leave ready to navigate the year with balance and resilience.

85. ST@C - 4th Grade FM (returning teachers) Science Unit 2

Program: ST@C

Audience: FM Faculty

Dates: 1/6/2026

As we continue refining our science curriculum to make it the very best it can be for our students (and for you!), we've made several changes to Unit 2. The goals of this ST@C session are to:

Walk through the updated lessons together so we're all on the same page
-Celebrate what's working really well
-Hear your feedback on anything that could be even better
-Answer any questions and provide support so these lessons feel seamless and joyful to teach

I truly value your perspective and on-the-ground experience with these lessons.

86. ST@C - The Stories We Tell - Belonging and Community

Program: ST@C

Audience: Educators

Dates: 1/7/2026

This ST@C is session 5 of the full course STI 6594: Reflect, Reframe, and Recharge: Navigating Daily Challenges

Spiritual wisdom traditions across cultures recognize storytelling as a sacred practice-a way of weaving meaning, connection, and purpose into the fabric of community life. When we share narratives of belonging, competence, and possibility, we strengthen the neural networks associated with social connection, self-efficacy, and optimism. As educators, we play a large role in the neural architecture of our students through the stories we choose to emphasize in our classroom and school community. We will explore this facet of belonging and community from an intuitive perspective to strengthen our classrooms.

The fee of $25 is waived for Scarsdale and Edgemont faculty and staff.

87. ST@C - Making Docs Accessible for Screen Readers

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/8/2026

Many students in SMS have the accommodation to have "Text Read" to them. But sometimes the iPad can't read these documents. This ST@C is to understand why and how to fix this issue so all students have access when they need it.

88. ST@C - Math Fluency Book Club - Session 4

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/8/2026

The fourth session of the Math Fluency Book Club - Focusing on the book, Figuring out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning by Jennifer Bay Williams & John San Giovanni

89. STI - 6646 - Textiles as Texts: Reading and Writing through Knitting

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 1/8/2026 to 2/12/2026

Wait List

In World War I, British secret agents knitted scarves with Morse code messages to send information home about German troop movements, messages, train patterns, etc. In 2018, a woman knit two lines per day, using different colors to represent how long her commuter train was delayed; the scarf was later sold on Ebay for €7,550. Knitting has been used for years to transmit information, both essential and mundane.

In this course, you will learn the basic techniques of knitting (or more advanced ones if you're up for it) and explore the different ways in which data can be embedded into knitting. You will be able to choose what you would like to make and what data you would like to encode in it (with plenty of examples, both simple and complex).

Instruction will be matched to the needs of the knitters-from learning the very basics for beginners to whatever special techniques your project may require. Your finished knitted piece can function as the project for the course, along with a reflection on the process.

There are no additional materials fees; materials will be purchased (individually or collectively) after projects are selected.

90. ST@C - Launching Learning Ally (Heathcote)

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/9/2026

Learn the fundamentals of Learning Ally, a resource of audio books for English Language Learners and students with reading deficits such as dyslexia and visual impairments. This (roughly 30 minute) session takes place in person at the Heathcote School in the Library.

91. STI - 6626 - Building STEAM Skills: Stained Glass (Winter 2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 1/9/2026 to 1/10/2026

Participants will investigate the interdisciplinary relations between art, technology, history, and math by designing their own piece of stained-glass artwork. Participants will decide on their designs, cut and shape their glass, then finally solder their pieces together to create their final product. As a result of this course, participants will have a better understanding of the history of stained glass as well as the academic and hands-on skills required to create it: measuring, cutting, grinding, and soldering.

There is a $30 materials fee that should be paid directly to the STI with your tuition payment.

92. STI - 6631 - K-12 Integrated Unit Design - Intermediate - Edgemont (Winter 2026)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 1/9/2026 to 1/31/2026

This course is a work session in which teachers will create new integrated units or upgrade current units of study to fit the 21st Century classroom. The goal is to facilitate changes in the way both content and skills are being delivered to enable students to become autonomous learners. It will also allow for teacher work time where they can evaluate ways in which they can increase their own productivity by using technology for communication and collaboration. Teachers will evaluate current technology use in their classroom and explore how to incorporate technology effectively into their teaching to promote student learning and increase engagement. Teachers should have taken K-12 Integrated Unit Design prior to taking this level.

Participants will take current units of study or create new units where they will integrate different district technology. We will use our feedback protocol to create multiple iterations of their project using instructional feedback from the group. Teachers will learn new techniques from the previous course to add higher level technology and PBL projects into their units.

Participants will take current units of study or create new units with usable work samples/instructional materials. They will also create a lesson or unit plan write up.

93. STI - 6651 - Portfolio Bootcamp

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 (all)

Dates: 1/9/2026 to 1/10/2026

This Portfolio Bootcamp for untenured teachers is designed to support educators from their first year through their tenure year in building strong, organized professional portfolios aligned to the Danielson Framework. The course clarifies expectations for each domain and component, helping teachers understand what high-quality evidence looks like and how to connect their daily practice to the rubric. Participants will learn how to select meaningful artifacts, write clear reflections that show growth over time, and document their impact on student learning.

94. ST@C - 4th Grade Science- GA Unit 2 Overview - Session 2

Program: ST@C

Audience: GA- 4th Grade Teachers

Dates: 1/12/2026

Participants of this ST@C will receive an overview of the 2nd 4th-grade science unit and learn how the Smithsonian Science lessons and the modifications made by Scarsdale teachers are designed to enhance student learning.

95. ST@C - Poetry Comics with Grant Snider

Program: ST@C

Audience: K-5

Dates: 1/13/2026

This K-5 workshop invites you to try something playful, powerful, and completely new. Join us for a one-of-a-kind hour with Grant Snider, creator of Poetry Comics-a USA Today bestseller and one of the most talked-about books in the kidlit world. I purchased his book last year and used it with my students, and every single student was deeply engaged.
When you hear the word comic, you might think back to the ones you read as a child, but Grant's poetry comics are something entirely different. They are small, illustrated meditations - haiku-like poems paired with gentle, thoughtful images about stars, fireflies, quiet moments, and how we move through the world.
In this hands-on STA@C, you can jump in as a creator or simply sit back, observe, and learn. This workshop will introduce you to Grant Snider's work, and he will guide you step by step through the process of creating your own poetry comic-no drawing experience needed. Just bring a pencil, paper, a haiku poem, and your poetic curiosity.

Grant Snider will be joining us via Zoom

96. ST@C - Untenured Teacher Portfolios - Parts 1 & 2 (2-hour session)

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/14/2026

This session will be a review of both Session 1 (focusing on Drive and artifact collection/organization) and Session 2 (building a "public” facing portfolio with Google Sites).

This 2-hour session will give teachers time to continue building their portfolios by expanding on what they've already curated, organized, and started. They'll have plenty of time to add, edit, and revise their work with technical support available throughout the session.

Teachers are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions as needed. Participation in Sessions 1 or 2 is not required to join this combined session.

97. ST@C - Nearpod

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/15/2026

We have a subscription to this powerful tool, how can you use it with your students and streamline some of your work?

98. ST@C - 4th Grade QR Science Unit 2

Program: ST@C

Audience: QR Faculty

Dates: 1/15/2026

As we continue refining our science curriculum to make it the very best it can be for our students (and for you!), we've made several changes to Unit 2. The goals of this ST@C session are to:

-Walk through the updated lessons together so we're all on the same page
-Celebrate what's working really well
-Hear your feedback on anything that could be even better
-Answer any questions and provide support so these lessons feel seamless and joyful to teach

I truly value your perspective and on-the-ground experience with these lessons.

99. ST@C - Getting Started with Learning Ally

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/15/2026

Learn the fundamentals of Learning Ally, a resource of audio books for English Language Learners and students with reading deficits such as dyslexia and visual impairments. This session takes place in person at the Greenacres Computer Lab

100. ST@C - Understanding Mahmoud v. Taylor and Its Implications for Middle School Classrooms at SMS 4th Period

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/21/2026

You are invited to an optional Lunch ST@C session focused on understanding the recent Mahmoud v. Taylor court case and its implications for Scarsdale's Middle School teachers. This session will provide background on the case and offer space to reflect together on how its outcome intersects with our work in schools, our district's values, and our commitment to inclusivity and transparency. The goal is to ensure that all teachers feel informed and supported as we continue to navigate complex and important conversations about classroom instruction and representation.

101. ST@C - Understanding Mahmoud v. Taylor and Its Implications for Middle School Classrooms at SMS 5th Period

Program: ST@C

Dates: 1/21/2026

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