Nora Murphy was the spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of New York’s schools for 24 years, retiring in 2005 with plans to do some research and writing.

That writing is now in print. The newly published “Youth Guide to St. Patrick’s Cathedral” with illustrations by Francis Keller and Francois Ruyer is the first guide to a Roman Catholic cathedral designed for young people and published in this country. A similar guide to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is available through the same publisher, Editions du Signe.

Nora, who lives in Bronxville, said she always loved the Cathedral, beginning from her girlhood, when “a visit to Manhattan meant a visit to St. Patrick’s.” The book explains the history, the architecture and the heritage of what is probably the most recognized cathedral in the country.

Copies are available at The Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Gift Shop on East 56th Streen in Manhattan and at Womrath Bookshop in Bronxville.

Nora’s next project: a history of the cathedral for young readers.

Ron Smalls, Greenburgh Central 7 school district’s newly appointed superintendent, will take some time out next week to meet with residents.

Smalls, who will take over district schools immediately after the winter recess, will introduce himself to parents and answer questions at a community forum on Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. in the Woodlands High School cafeteria. Interim superintendent Sidney Freund, members of the Board of Education and other district staff are expected to attend the meeting.

Hey Rockland parents—got snow day plans? Whether you’re at home watching DVDs, playing with the kids in the snow or shoveling your hearts out, I want to hear about it. Give me a call at 845-578-2420 and stay warm!

Students at Somers High School last week met with Vancouver-based Global Youth Fund founder Charles Tsai to discuss which project the school’s new Global Youth Fund chapter would support this year.

It was an historic meeting, since Somers is the first U.S. or Canadian high school to create its own GYF chapter. Club president Maggie Klimentova said the local club is designed to expand its member’s understanding of and participation in world events and try to make a positive difference.

There were three projects the two dozen students who attended the all-day workshop debated: City of Joy, which would provide refuge, treatment and hope to girls and women who are targets of sexual violence and death in the Congo; Building Peace — Central Asia Institute, which provides children in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan with basic primary education; and One laptop per child, which gives children in developing countries laptop computers.

After members debated the different projects with an eye to what funding they could raise and how, the group settled on Building Peace — Central Asia Institute.

Look for upcoming fund-raisers geared toward helping support the project. And ask either Klimentova or member Alexandra Zaleski about the project. The group hopes to raise $750 with bake sales, a car wash, direct solicitations and Pennies for Peace.

Torn between that apple magnet and the heart-my-teacher coffee mug?

Here’s a creative alternative being pitched by the national PTA.

One of the biggest complaints of teachers and school administrators is that not enough parents are involved in school affairs. This is particularly true in urban areas where single parents don’t have the time to visit schools as much as they’d like or both parents work a lot of hours just to make ends meet and can’t squeeze in school events.

Well, Mount Vernon is providing a little incentive to parents through its “Passport To Success” program, offering them gift certificates and other rewards for attending parent teacher meetings and school events. Read on to learn how the program works. Read more of this entry »

Pearl River’s school board has hired Kevin McCahill of Monroe, N.Y., as the new assistant principal for Pearl River High School. McCahill replaces Brian Alm, who resigned to accept the principal’s job at Haldane High School in Cold Spring.

And for those who missed the initial release, Jason Friedman, the retired superintendent of East Ramapo schools, has been named interim superintendent for Ardsley schools after current superintendent Richard Maurer — the former Pearl River superintendent — retires in June.

The case against four educators from the former Bridge Program at Mahopac Falls Elementary school will continue Dec. 18. Nothing new to report from the court appearance this week.

ARMONK — After serving as principal of Byram Hills High School for the past 11 years, William Donohue has accepted a new district position effective at the end of the school year.

The Board of Education this week announced its unanimous decision to name Donohue as the assistant superintendent for human resources and leadership development, effective July 1.

I’m writing a story at this very moment, but for now, here’s the official press release.

What does it mean to be “ethically prepared” to join America’s workforce?

Do you have to be willing to:

A. lie.

B. cheat.

C. slug somebody.

It seems a frighteningly large number of American teenagers would answer “all of the above. ”

A new survey by Junior Achievement Worldwide and Deloitte & Touche found that while 71 percent of the teens polled said they felt “fully prepared to make ethical decisions when they enter the workforce”, nearly 2 in 5 teens also said that it was “sometimes necessary to cheat, plagiarize, lie or even behave violently [emphasis added] in order to succeed.”

Not surprisingly, experts say that the emergence of these mini-Machiavellis does not bode well for society’s future workforce.

“The high percentages of teenagers who freely admit that unethical behavior can be justified is alarming,â€? David Miller, Ph.D., executive director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Assistant Professor (Adjunct) of Business Ethics, said in a recent news release. “It suggests an attitude of ethical relativism and rationalization of whatever actions serve one’s immediate needs and purposes.

“This way of thinking will inevitably lead to unethical if not illegal actions that will damage individual lives and ruin corporate reputations,â€? he said.

A state audit of Manhattanville College’s records and procedures used in administering the Tuition Assistance Program for the 2003-04 through 2005-06 academic years found that the college was overpaid $27,263.

It is now recommended that Manhattanville repay that amount to the Higher Education Services Corporation, which administers the TAP grants, because school officials incorrectly certified 13 students as eligible for the awards.

TAP is an entitlement program designed to provide tuition aid to eligible full-time students.

Reasons for the disallowances include students not meeting full-time requirements, students not being in good academic standing and TAP awards not being fully credited to students’ accounts, according to the state report.

Click here to view the state comptroller’s report.

We chat online, shop online, date online … so why not praise kids online too?

Tappan mom Susan Camus has recently launched PraiseAChild.com, a Web site “designed to give a child the valuable gift of self-esteem” through praise posted online from parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, etc. Each post costs just under a dollar.

This, of course, begs an obvious question: When is someone starting up PraiseAnEducationReporter.com? Anyone? Mom?

More and more colleges and high school students are going online to find each other, Diana Costello reports in a story today.

For college administrators and the college students who help them reach out to prospective applicants, blogs have emerged as a tool of the trade—take a peak at Pace University’s student blogosphere on this site.

Also, you’ll find the full text of “The Game Has Changed: College Admissions Outpace Corporations in Embracing Social Media” (the report Diana cites in her story) here.

Here are some last minute tips from Kristen Campbell,  national director of college prep programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.

Download: