Dear Parents,
What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS! It is an honor to share a glimpse of some of the wonderful programs and events we have experienced.
As you know, MDYHS, with the guidance and leadership of Dr. Chagit Hadar and Ms. Elyse Nadjar, has had the privilege of hosting Gilad Shalit's army unit - P'lugat Shiryon - for the past 10 days. It was difficult to say goodbye to these brave heroes and warm, wonderful people. As I think back over the past week, a few poignant memories come to mind:
* the basketball game last Friday afternoon between the MDYHS Warriors and the IDF soldiers - the score was not important - it was sheer joy to watch the soldiers and the MDYHS students enjoying themselves and each other, laughing and bonding together. (Please see the attached photo from the game).
* the Rosh Hodesh Rikkudim, where our students warmly embraced the soldiers and brought them into the spirited dancing and singing - ending with a passionate and moving rendition of HaTikvah. (Please see the attached photos of this beautiful ruah event).
* the tear-filled farewells yesterday as we wished each other well, and we told the IDF unit that they will always have a home at MDYHS. (Please see the attached photo of the entire group).
The passion that students and teachers feel at MDYHS ultimately has its roots in the realm of education. There is much excitement in school about our Educational Technology (EdTech) developments, supervised by our own talented Rabbi Michael Bitton. Rabbi Bitton has been working with numerous teachers on creating "blended classroom" instructional models and "flipped classroom" formats - all using online resources and strategies. In fact, the AviChai Foundation has recognized the work that MDYHS has done in this area, and has awarded MDYHS a grant to explore and expand our digital learning options. Rabbi Bitton has developed a multifaceted plan that will take us quantum leaps further into the EdTech world, and I look forward to sharing these plans as we begin to actualize them over the course of the year.
And speaking of looking ahead to the future, I am pleased to announce that five of our seniors have been awarded the prestigious NY State Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Mabrouk to Gloria Safdieh ($1,500), Linda Dayan ($500), Esther Hanon ($500), Lisa Jrada ($500), and Joseph Kassin ($500). We are so proud of you for this great achievement!
All of our seniors are well on their way in the college admissions process. The 12th grade had the opportunity this week to hear a guest lecture by Mr. Larry Strickland, representing Baruch College, who spoke to the students about the Business Programs at Baruch, and about the elite Macaulay Honors College and the Scholars Program there. In addition, I had the pleasure of meeting once again with the Associate Director of the University Admissions Processing Center for CUNY on Wednesday, along with Dr. Abe Tawil and Mrs. Sabrina Maleh. These frequent visits to various college admissions offices help to guide our students toward acceptances at the colleges and universities of their choice.
There are times along the way in school when students may require some additional assistance in order to flourish and succeed. Toward that end - I am so proud to report - MDYHS has established a Peer Tutoring Center, which opened yesterday under the direction of our own Mr. Larry Tirone and Mrs. Matya Mizrahi. A large group of volunteer students who are experts in various areas of study have been trained by the faculty in the art and skill of tutoring, and are working with students who need assistance. Students for whom this is appropriate can avail themselves of the wonderful team of peer tutors during select lunch periods every week. This is such a wonderful confluence of academics and hessed, and it promises to help nurture students as they grow in their studies!
At MDYHS we believe passionately that students should have the opportunity to shine in many different spheres - in the classroom and beyond, and we believe that true education addresses the whole student. In that spirit, we launched our extensive program of clubs and activities yesterday, under the supervision of our talented Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld - with the exciting MDYHS Club Fair. Students had the chance to learn about the 49 clubs and activities that are offered at MDYHS, and to sign up for the clubs of their choice. The fair was fun and informative, as students chose between the Literary Journal and the Stock Market Club, the School Spirit Club and Model Congress, and a host of other programs. (Please see the attached document for a list of all the clubs and activities, and please see the attached photo of the students participating in Club Fair).
Our clubs are joined by our various sports teams - in giving the students many opportunities to shine. And in that light, we can all take great pride in the wonderful achievement of the Boys Varsity Basketball Team, under the great leadership of coach Ikey Dweck. As attested to on www.JewishHoopsAmerica.com, our mighty Warriors have been ranked the number one yeshivah varsity team in the entire country! The Warriors will have a chance next week, b'ezrat HaShem, to display their talent as they travel to Memphis, TN for the 2012 Cooper Yeshiva High School National Invitational, where they have the top seed in a stacked field. And in the meantime, the boys' team is advancing steadily in our own Annual Magen David Pre-Season Basketball Tournament, under the direction of our Athletic Director Mr. Jeff Bieder. The Warriors defeated the team of Ohr HaTorah by a score of 66-25, followed by a victory over the team of Rambam Mesivta by a score of 62-27, and capped off by a win over the team of Torah Academy of Bergen County by a score of 48-39. MDYHS goes to the championship game against MTA on mosa'ei Shabbat at the elementary school gym at 9:00 pm. Let's be there to cheer our mighty Warriors on to victory!
Finally, it was a pleasure to begin this year's series of classes for parents on "Understanding Ourselves Better through a Better Understanding of Tefillah" - I invite everyone to join us on Thursdays from 11:30-12:20 as we explore and analyze the depth and majesty of our daily prayers in a warm, spirited atmosphere.
As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead!
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Saul Zucker
