By Danielle Wolkowicz('09)

What is the best way to spend the last Shabbat of 2006? At the Wo- Mad Shabbaton! This past Shabbat, the girls at WYHS were given an extraordinary opportunity to spend an incredible Shabbat together in the school?s first ever Wo-Mad Shabbaton in Boca.

Teachers welcomed students into their homes for Friday night dinner, and while the food was delicious, the highlight of the night was definitely the kumzitzes. Each grade had their own special kumzitz, and the girls came together, sharing words of Torah and singing late into the night. Devora Lieberman (?09) remarked that ?there was so much ruach at the kumzitz, and it was nice to be with all the girls in my class.?

On Shabbat morning, the girls davened in the Teen Minyan at BRS and heard a powerful drasha from Rabbi Goldberg, Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue. After lunch and a few hours of rest time, the girls returned to shul and heard an inspiring shiur from Mrs. Kanner who encouraged the girls to ?be their own person and not be influenced by others.? After seudat shlishit all the girls came together for a spirited kumzitz which continued well after Shabbat ended.

Every girl returned from the Shabbaton truly moved and inspired by the sense of unity and energy that permeated the Shabbaton. We are all certainly better prepared to start the new year off right.

By Mr. Adam Dobrick, Director of College Preparation

This week, a presentation was given to sophomore parents entitled ?What We Can Do Now to Prepare for College.? Parents heard important information that will not only help students prepare for college, but also help create success in all aspects of life.

High school students must maximize their potential in three critical areas - academics, extracurricular activities, and testing. Concentrating on these areas will maximize a student?s chance of acceptance to a college of his or her choice.

Academically, all students must take the most challenging curriculum in which they can be successful. This is perhaps the most critical component of a student?s high school career. College admissions officers want to see that students can take on challenges and be successful.

Extracurricular activities give students a chance to demonstrate success outside of the classroom. Through participation and filling leadership roles in a wide variety of activities, students show that they can work with others to achieve goals as they actively strive to make a difference in the world around them.

Each year, WYHS prepares its students to achieve the highest scores in standardized tests. Success on tests such as the SAT, ACT, and AP Exams is a central part of the WYHS curriculum and will greatly influence acceptance to top colleges. PSATS are given to all students in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades. The diagnostic PLAN exam is given to sophomores to prepare them for the ACT. Students are given further guidance in junior year with a comprehensive test prep course.

By Shira Borzak ('07)

The girls varsity basketball team continues to show strong effort and fantastic results. Led by captains Leah Bensimon (?07) and Alyssa Muckley (?07) and Coach Charlie Rotsztajn, the Storm is only getting better game by game.

Tuesday?s game was a decisive one for the Storm as they played their way to victory over Morningside Academy with the final score of 50-40. Tamar Koenigsberg (?08) played strong with her slick dribbling skills and firm control of the court, and rookie Daniella Litwin (?10) proved herself on the court with some impressive shots.

Thursday?s game against Boca Christian was a learning experience for the team. Even though the game resulted in a loss, the Storm kept on hustling and fought hard the entire game. Bassie Orzechowitz (?08) continues to stun the crowds with her gravity-defying shots.

By LeeLee Borzak ('10)

When the last bell rang on Wednesday afternoon, the freshmen class stepped out of WYHS and into Japan! For their first ever night out, the class of 2010 was treated to a night of music, sumo wrestling, and of course sushi. ?It was the first time our whole class came together so it was very exciting,? said David Rand (?10).

The freshmen had a blast ?sumo wrestling? each other. After donning two huge inflatable sumo suits, which makes the wearer the size of a 600 lb. sumo wrestler, students faced off and tried to push the other out of the ring. ?Everyone was involved, even if they weren?t the ones in the sumo suits. Everyone had fun cheering on their friends,? says Shira Wolkowicz (?10).

Another activity was the ?Gladiator Joust.? While the goal of the game was to try to stay on the podium for as long as possible, all the fun was falling off. ?Not only was it fun to battle in, but it was just as fun to watch everyone else,? says Lizzy Markovitch (?10).

Boca Raton?s very own sushi master, Rabbi Reuven Boshnack, taught all the students the art of making sushi, and students got to customize their own hand-made roll. Lior Goldstein (?10) commented ?it was more fun making our own sushi because, besides for trying something new, we got to put exactly what we like in the roll.?

The freshmen returned home filled with good food and great memories of their Japanese night out.

By Alexa Bryn (?08)

On Thursday, December 28, WYHS bid farewell and happy retirement to Dr. Steven Cohen, a founding member of the WYHS faculty, teacher and college guidance counselor. During his time at WYHS, Dr. Cohen implemented many significant changes in the college guidance department. Below, Dr. Cohen talks about his time at WYHS, the way it has impacted him and his plans for the future.

What has been the college guidance department?s most significant accomplishment this year?

85% of the seniors have been accepted to college as of January 1st. Many of the students finished their college applications very close to the beginning of the school year. Planning early has really paid off.