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Friday, May 28, 2010 15 Sivan, 5770
Parshat Beha'alotcha Candle Lighting at 7:49 PM
Teenage Power!
There was a great West Wing
episode (note to
students: West Wing was a television program before LCD, HD and 3D TV) where a
bunch of kids met with Toby
Ziegler about childrens' rights to vote. That
show's demographic (which included very few teenagers) no doubt found it
comical.
High school teachers, however, believe in
Teenage Power.
Many parents dread the years that their children are teenagers. High school
teachers have chosen to perpetually be surrogate parents to
teenagers because
we believe that teenagers are at a unique and pivotal moment in their
lives.
Helping a teenager unlock his or
her potential as a writer,
artist, davener, public speaker, learner, graphic designer,
mathematician or
athlete is a gratifying experience. Giving
focus to high school
students' boundless energy can change the course
of a child's life.
This year WYHS students outdid
themselves. The over
200 supporters who attended our dinner on Monday
night were wowed by the
artwork created by the AP Art Class. The 200 parents and students who
attended
the Sports Banquet on
Wednesday night witnessed the amazing sports-related
videos created by the Freshman Videography class.
The truly impressive Student
Council candidate speeches today
were a testimony to the ability of teenagers to get up in front of an
audience
of 200 of their peers and give a high stakes speech. As impressive was
an
entire student body who sat through 11 speeches today (that doesn't
include
yesterday's class
president speeches!) courteously and respectfully.
This newsletter is a testimony to
the unlimited creativity of
teenagers. Enormously-talented Editor in
Chief Joshua Stadlan ('11) and his
dedicated staff have made this the premier weekly publication of a Jewish high
school in North America. I am personally and professionally
indebted to each of
them, particularly those who stay late on Thursdays and Fridays to make sure
that this week's issue is just a little more over the top than the
last.
This is the last regular edition
of Yeshiva Highlights
for this school year. There
will be a Special Edition covering the Dinner, Graduation and Senior
Trip in
your inboxes in June.
Looking forward to seeing you at
Graduation this
coming Tuesday night,
June 2, 7:00 pm
sharp, at Olympic
Heights High
School in Boca!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Perry Tirschwell Head of School
Coming Attractions
Finals Exams June 1-8
Graduation Tues June 2
Senior Trip June 2-6
Freshman Orientation Thurs Aug 26
Returning Student BBQ Thurs Aug 26 All Student Orientation
Fri Aug 27
Good & Welfare
Mazel Tov!
Bassie
Orzechowitz ('08) is engaged to
David Silverman from Miami
Suri
Orzechowitz ('07) & Meir Weiss ('07) on their engagement
Atara and
Aryeh Rotenberg ('01) on
their marriage (5/16)
Mrs. Hedy
Segal and her husband Akiva
on the marriage of their son
This past Thursday, over forty students and faculty members
stayed after school to attend the premiere of "Can Understanding Never
Triumph," a philosophical short film written and filmed
by Ian Schiffman ('11).
He describes his
artistic piece as "a complex
short film that vitalizes the use of cinematography to convey
the
difference between man and beast. The first half compares the characters
to
animals with such devices as alliteration, imagery, and animation. The
second
half depicts philosophy as the sole aspect that differentiates Man from
animal."
Dr. Robert Dolgow, father of Evan ('13), starred
alongside many of the students in the film and remarked that "the
blending of en soir versus pour soir with the theme of Clockwork Orange was brilliant. I was honored to play the 'serpent' professor."
Mazal
tov to budding director Ian and to all of the actors in the film.
News Brief
Rock the Vote... With These Student Council Election Themed Word Searches!
Click on the image above to enlarge the word search
With an unprecedented amount of posters, food, stickers, speeches, and campaign promises, thirty-six students ran for coveted positions on student council this past week. Yasher coach to all of the candidates on their rigorous campaigning and demonstration of leadership, and mazal tov to the winners.
Feature Story
The Do's and Dont's of the Freshman Shabbaton
By Aaron Zimmerman ('13) GUEST WRITER
This year's annual Freshman Shabbaton was
a truly
unforgettable experience. The Shabbaton was incredible
from the very
start as it began with wake-boarding and kayaking, which while physically
exerting was very fun. Next, the students
arrived at
the Ocean Sky Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale and welcomed in a Shabbat
that proved overwhelmingly impactful on the entire grade.
The Shabbaton was filled with vehement
singing, meaningful divrei Torah, and
many entertaining programs. The freshmen were not only spiritually
elevated; they
also managed to strengthen friendships and form new ones. The Shabbaton was
a weekend that no freshman will ever forget.
Sports HQ
The Night of STORM WYHS Annual Sports Banquet
On Wednesday night,
WYHS celebrated the students' athletic excellence with the annual Sports
Banquet. Each Storm team's accomplishments were highlighted through
innovative video compilations filled with pictures and videos
documenting the respective seasons. Individual
achievements were celebrated with MVP (Most Valuable Player) Awards, MIP
(Most Improved Player) Awards, and Leadership Awards to the most
deserving players on each Storm
squad. The evening's keynote speaker was Dmitriy Salita, a professional
Jewish boxer. Dmitriy spoke about how he has not allowed his exemplary
career to negatively influence his Judaism and how he has masterfully
combined both the life of an observant Jew and of a professional
athlete. For instance, he refuses to
fight on Shabbat and Yom Tov and always
wears his kippah and tzitzit. An embodiment of WYHS values, Dmitriy
truly inspired the audience of teachers, students, coaches, and
families.
A video of Dmitriy's
speech and each Storm teams' video can be viewed below by clicking on the images.
Multimedia
WYHS 5770 IN PICTURES
Featurette
Game
We've Got Talent, Yes We Do AP Art & Photography Classes at WYHS
In Photography & Videography class
this year, taught by Director of Technology Mrs. Claudia
Cohen, nine
freshmen learned all about the art of photography and the complex
technologies behind
videography. In the beginning of the year, we learned all about the many
different elements essential for a good picture, such as aperture, ISO,
shutter speed,
and white balance. The class was not only in the computer lab--we
frequently got a true hands-on experience and went to the park to take
photographs, practicing the skills they have learned. In the second half
of the
year, we used Final Cut Pro and learned the intricate process of video
creation. Our hard work paid off when the class presented their videos
at the Sports
Banquet and their pictures were displayed at the Journal Dinner.
In Focus
Gettin' the Big Bucks in the Name of Torah WYHS Senior Wins First Place in YU's Nation-Wide Amud Program
Lior Goldstein, a senior at WYHS, was
recently
named the winner of a Yeshiva University sponsored Beit
Midrash competition, the
Bronka Weintraub Bekiut Amud Program. Out of hundreds of students in schools nationwide
participating in the program to learn Masechet Ta'anit, Lior scored the highest on a series of tests about the gemara. WYHS is honored to have helped
Lior attain this great achievement through the seniors' Beit Midrash class, taught by Rabbi Ben Sugerman. Matthew Wolkowicz and Andrew Wald
questioned
Lior about the specifics about the contest. MW/AW: What exactly is this competition? LG: Five times a year, Yeshiva University gives
tests to
Jewish day schools across the country on gemara. This year, the program focused
on Gemara Ta'anit. After learning the
material in Beit Midrash class, everyone takes the test, and the highest average test score after all
five
tests wins the contest. MW/AW: What is the reward for winning the
competition? What
do you plan on doing with your reward? LG: The prize is $1500 in cash supplied by Yeshiva
University to make students excited about gemara study. I am looking forward to hopefully spend the money next year
in Israel. MW/AW: How much time do you put in for these tests?
How do
you prepare for them? LG: For each test I memorize a daf
of gemara and study
around three or four hours. This may seem like a lot, but the hours that
I put
in were well worth it and certainly paid off.
MW/AW: What is your advice for students who are
thinking
about competing in the program in the future? LG: The most important thing is to be serious about
the program
and study hard. Not only did will the program greatly improve you gemara skills, but you can also win
great prizes for participating in it. I would highly recommend students
consider joining this competition and taking the Beit Midrash class.
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News Brief
