The Friday Five - August 28, 2026

We are just days away from the start of the 2026-27 school year! We were delighted to welcome students at this week's orientations, and our faculty gathered to set the stage for the year! As the year unfolds, please stay connected with us! Here are some of the ways:

While exciting, the opening of school can also be stressful on the roads as the volume of traffic increases, and new student drivers enjoy the benefit of driving to school. Please take extra caution and observe all traffic signs, signals, and directions from traffic safety personnel (crossing guards, police, school staff). Remember:

We have to request extra care from the parents of SMS students as the traffic pattern changes Mr. Coughlin shared in his letter become familiar. Expect significant delays during the first week back due to the Village infrastructure work on Catherine Rd (more info below)!

The Scarsdale Public Schools are committed to ensuring all students feel safe, included, welcome, and accepted, experiencing a sense of belonging and academic success. As we return to school, we want to remind all families of some important policies, procedures, and resources that support this commitment. Please visit the links below to learn more. 

The Village of Scarsdale is performing critical infrastructure work on Catherine Road, a key access point to our campus. As a result, vehicle access to SMS via Kelwynne Road will only be available from Heathcote Road for the foreseeable future. This will result in increased congestion and longer lines during arrival and dismissal.

If your SMS student is transportation-eligible, please strongly consider using the bus to help reduce traffic congestion as this work progresses. Please refer to Mr. Coughlin's message to parents for further details!

With the school year starting and fall athletic competitions set to begin, Scarsdale Action for Youth is again promoting the Wait to Gate campaign, a simple community movement to keep high school athletics alcohol free. The goal is not to judge adult choices, but to create a clear and consistent environment around our students. The Scarsdale School District and Scarsdale Action for Youth (SAY) would like to remind parents that alcohol should not be distributed or consumed during sporting events at our schools. Let’s keep the focus on our children and their efforts on the field!