The Flame: Issue 7

Issue 7 Final

Warriors' Week in Review

Dear Parents,

Even though it has been a short week at MDYHS - due to Presidents' Day and Ta'anit Esther - we have had so many exciting programs and events!  It is a pleasure to share a glimpse of some of them with you.

As we approach Purim, our students in all four grades carried the true spirit of the holiday by giving fully of themselves to others.  Under the direction of Ms. Elyse Nadjar, our Director of Hessed Activities, the entire school participated in our wonderful HessedDay Missions.  After hearing divrei Torah from our esteemed Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Harold Sutton, the students traveled to different community locations to help others: AtOhel, students baked hamantaschen with the residents, and decorated a Huppah for one of the residents who is getting married soon; at the Haym Solomon Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, students visited with seniors - who took such joy at sharing their life experiences with our boys and girls; at Masbia, students prepared food packages; and at SBH, students worked in the food pantry.  Some parents joined in these missions, and they clearly took pride in the great work of the warm MDYHS family - doing hessed with a full heart.  Please see the attached photos from this beautiful program.

And continuing in the theme of hessed, MDYHS is proud to send a delegation of 23 students to join Team SBH in the Disney Half Marathon this weekend in Orlando, FL.  The students have been training for months, and have been soliciting sponsorships to help the needy.  Mr. Charles Anteby, Director of Development at SBH, has been coordinating the activities for our students at the Marathon, and we are confident that the experience will be a very special one for our delegation.  Good luck in the run - we knowyou are all winners!

On Tuesday evening, 60 of our students participated in the opening sessions of the MDYHS SAT Workshops.  Led by expert SAT coach Mrs. Sarah Haleva, the sessions focused on Critical Reading - Vocabulary, and on Writing - Subject-Verb Agreement and Prepositions.  The students listened carefully, participated actively, and thoroughly absorbed the tips and strategies that were presented.  (Please see the attached photos from these informative sessions).  Mrs. Haleva has developed an online "dropbox"where she continues to add extremely valuable resources and materials to help the students succeed beyond their expectations on the SAT.  One of the students who went last week told me that he learned more from Mrs. Haleva in 30 minutes than he did from private SAT tutors over the past few months.  The next sessions are schedule for this coming Tuesday evening, when students will work on Math - Basic Strategies and Averages, and on Critical Reading - Reading Comprehension of Short Passages.

This week, students in Mrs. Rachel Harari's 11th grade English classes created e-portfolios for their study of Macbeth.  Each of the students created his or her own blog - as if he or she was one of the the actual characters in Macbeth.  They decorated the blog page as the character would decorate it, and they delved into the character's thoughts - all based upon the elements that they had learned in class - characterization, descriptive language, and plot development.  Please go to the following links to see examples of the students' great work: <http://contentcatton.weebly.com>, <http://nicolesitt.weebly.com/macbeth.html>, <http://adelesutton.weebly.com/lady-macbeth.html>  - you must check out the blogs that Michelle Catton, Nicole Sitt, andAdele Sutton designed - they are absolutely fantastic!

On Wednesday, our talented Math Team, under the leadership of Math Department Chairperson Mr. Alan Rader, competed in the American Mathematics Competition, a national contest.  Twenty-five students from across the grades participated in the exam - we are confident that they will bring home the glory to MDYHS!  This, in addition to the club's participation in the six-session contest sponsored by the NY Mathematics League which runs from October through March.  Our scholars and mathematicians our growing wonderfully at MDYHS!

...And speaking of the growth of our scholars, the list of college admissions and merit-based scholarships for MDYHS seniors keeps expanding daily.  I am proud to announce the following additions to that list:

Nancy Anteby - School of Visual Arts
Eli Azrak - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Long Island University, College of Staten Island
Matthew Cohen - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College
Albert Dweck - Baruch College, Queens College, College of Staten Island
Elliot Elo - Pace University, with the Incentive Scholarship of $11,000 per year for four years, for a total of $44,000
Helen Esses - LIM College
Jennifer Jamal - School of Visual Arts

And Sarah Kabariti was one of only 90 students from among thousands to be invited to be interviewed for a place in the prestigious BA-MD program at Brooklyn College.  This program takes an elite cohort of students through college directly into medical school.  We wish Sarah the best of success as she begins her pathway to becoming a physician!

Honor and recognition need not wait for college.  This week we announced the MDYHS Honors for the fall semester - 37 students earned the distinction of being named to thePrincipal's List (having greater than a 94.5 overall average, with exemplary middot and attendance); 58 students earned the distinction of being named to the Honor Roll(having earned an overall average between 89.5 and 94.4, with exemplary middot and attendance); and 13 students earned the distinction of being named to the Certificate of Meritorious Improvement (at least a 5 point improvement in this semester's average over that of the previous semester, with exemplary middot and attendance).  The lists of all awardees will be posted in the Atrium on Monday.  Mabrouk on your wonderful achievement!

On Wednesday as well, the students of Dr. Chagit Hadar's Hebrew classes presented their creative and artistic projects on famous Jews in history.  Each student conducted research on two famous Jewish figures - their biographies, achievements, and their Jewish pride.  In addition, every student researched the statistics and contributions of Jewish people in various career pathways.  The results of this research were presented in beautiful displays in the Atrium, and were judged in a competition - the winners wereCelia Cohen, Aliza Elias, and Lorry Louzeh (first place), and Mary Chalouh, Sarah Louzia, and Rochelle Shriqui (second place).  Congratulations to all!  (Please see the attached photos from this creative presentation).

Finally, as Purim is upon us, we celebrated joyously today at MDYHS.  Students and faculty dressed in colorful costumes (I even untucked my shirt for the dancing!) - followed by spirited rikkudim, and a kumsitz led by Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld (for the boys) and by Mrs. Esther Tokayer (for the girls).  The boys and girls then participated in Purim Torah Contests led by Rabbi Joey Haber, and in Costume Contests led by Rabbi Avraham Kaminetsky (for the boys) and by Ms. Audrey Nasarand Ms. Sally Mishanieh (for the girls).  The contests were followed by special video presentations prepared by the talented actors, directors, and producers among the student body.  And the spirit of the day was topped off by the sweet and beautiful harmonies of our Boys Choir, led by Rabbi Nir Shalom (for the boys), and our Girls Choir, led by Ms. Shaindel Antelis (for the girls).  (Ms. Antelis, who works with our girls on a weekly basis, is a rising Jewish music star - check out her latest music video - for women only please - at <http://vimeo.com/23889043>).  The warmth, Torah, joy, and spirit of Purim filled the entire building as the students smiled, danced, ate, and rejoiced!  (Please see the attached photos from today's wonderful activities).  And for all the news at MDYHS, please see the latest issue of our student newspaper The Flame, which was distributed today.

As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, Purim Same'ah, and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker

Scholarship Opportunities

To Seniors and Parents:
Please read the scholarship opportunity below and consider applying. You have to get in it to win it!
Good shabbos,

Please help us spread the word about this valuable scholarship program!   The second annual VISINE® STUDENTS WITH VISION™ Scholarship Program is offering one-time $5,000 scholarships to students who have demonstrated a clear vision or goal for their future. High school seniors and current college students with a minimum GPA of 2.8 may submit an online application now through March 1, 2013*.   VISINE® STUDENTS WITH VISION™ Scholarship Program recipients are selected based on academic achievement, school and community involvement, financial need and demonstrated vision or goal.   For additional program information and to apply for this scholarship, please visitaim.applyists.net/Vision.   *Or until 22,000 applications have been started, whichever is sooner

1321 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 800 | Nashville, TN 37217

Debbie Solomon
Director of College Guidance
Magen David Yeshivah Celia Esses High School
Phone: 718-331-4002 x3913
Email: dsolomon@mdyhs.net

SAT Workshop

I am pleased to announce the opening of the MDYHS SAT Workshop Program for students of 10th and 11th grades.  As we have discussed at the various college evening programs, the SAT is approximately 50% of what the college admissions officers consider when they review students applications.  Success on the SAT is critical!  We are providing this workshop free of charge for students - there are 16 sessions, each of which focuses on a specific area designed to ensure improvement in SAT scores, both in verbal and math areas.  Students may choose to come to any or all of the sessions - based upon what you would like to focus on.  (Please see the attachment for a complete schedule with a brief description of each session topic).  All sessions will be taught by Mrs. Sara Haleva, a professional SAT coach with an outstanding record of proven success - sessions will be held at the MDY elementary school.  Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!  Together, we can help our students in their pathways toward success.

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Zucker

Warriors' Week in Review

Dear Parents,
It has been a truly amazing week at MDYHS!  It is a pleasure for me to share a glimpse of some of the wonderful programs and events of the past few days with you.

On Wednesday, the eleventh grade was treated to their Career Breakfast, Part 2, under the organization and guidance of Mr. Daniel Zide, Career Counselor at MDYHS, and Mrs. Debbie Solomon, Director of the Department of College Guidance & Career Counseling.  Students enjoyed a "power breakfast" with professionals representing the following career paths: Accounting, Asset Management, Design, Finance, Media Production, Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Psychiatry, Real Estate, and Speech Pathology.  Each student was able to hear presentations from three different career professionals on what the career entails, what education and training are necessary for success in the career path, and tips and strategies on how to advance.  The career professionals included 3 MDYHS alumni, who spoke about their transition from high school to college to career.  In addition, students learned of specific summer internship opportunities that are available in different career fields.  (Please see the attached photos from this great program).  Look out world - the MDYHS professionals are on their way!

The roots of success in career advancement begin with excellent high school and college education and achievement, and that includes proper guidance and training for the college entrance exam - the SAT.  Toward that end, I am so pleased to announce the MDYHS SAT Workshop, led by Mrs. Sara Haleva, a professional SAT coach with an outstanding record of success.  This program, which begins on February 19th and will be held at the MDY elementary school one evening per week, is free of charge to MDYHS students.  It consists of 16 sessions - students can participate in any or all of the sessions as they see fit.  The session topics include Critical Reading, Test Taking Tips & Strategies, Essay Writing, Geometry Review, Functions & Patterns, Grammar, Direct and Inverse Variation, Simultaneous Equations, and Quadratics, along with numerous practice exam exercises.  Please feel free to be in touch with the school office for the full calendar of dates and topics.  We are confident of the students' success as they continue to dedicate themselves passionately to their work.

And speaking of the students' success, I am proud to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to the following seniors on their recent college admissions and merit scholarships:

Marie Betesh - John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Jacqueline Beyda - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College
Elliot Cohen - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island
Jackie Kassin - Baruch College
Mickey Kishk - Pace University, with an Honors Scholarship of $15,000 per year for 4 years, for a total of $60,000
Michael Mamiye - Brooklyn College
Sylvi Matalon - Baruch College, Brooklyn College, Queens College, City College of New York, College of Staten Island
Marc Saadia - Baruch College, Queens College, College of Staten Island
David Setton - Baruch College
Barry Sitt - Baruch College, College of Staten Island
Abraham Tobias - Baruch College, City College of New York, College of Staten Island

So far - with a great many of the college admissions decisions and awards not even announced yet - MDYHS seniors have earned an amazing $372,000 in merit based scholarships.  We are so proud of your fantastic accomplishments!

Success in college admissions is achieved only by excellent education and diligent work.  A great example of both excellence and diligence is to be found in the following EdTech project, designed by our own math teacher Mrs. Matya Mizrahi, and guided by our talented EdTech Director, Rabbi Michael Bitton - <http://mrsmizrahi.weebly.com/index.html>.  In this "flipped classroom" format, students view a brief video lesson -designed and produced by Mrs. Mizrahi - as their homework.  The lesson is clear, concise, and even entertaining.  Students then complete a worksheet and questionnaire online about what parts of the lesson they may not fully understand, and the questionnaire is forwarded to the teacher, so that when the class meets the next day, students have a foundational knowledge in the area to be taught, and the teacher already knows in advance what areas will require greater focus and clearer explanation.  The students have commented repeatedly on what a joy it is to learn this way!  Try one of these video lessons to experience what the MDYHS students do - you'll be learning and loving it!

And while on the subject of exciting classes, Mrs. Frieda Cattan's Jewish history class was treated to a very special guest lecture by a student of Dr. Lawrence Shiffman, a world renowned professor whose expertise is the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Our young 9th grade scholars have been learning about the Second Commonwealth Jewish communities.  Through a PowerPoint presentation, the girls went on a journey from the first century BCE through the discovery of the scrolls in the Qumran area in 1947.  Seeing multi-media educational presentations from guest lecturers helps bring the lessons of history alive to our students.

These experiences are not limited to the MDYHS classrooms alone.  Today, our Forensic Science teacher, Ms. Laura Pritchard, took a group of juniors and seniors to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  Ms. Pritchard prepared a scenario for the students to "solve" using the techniques that they learned during their visit to the college.  Our sleuths and investigators were given a special tour of the Instrumental Lab and the Toxicology Lab, where they learned how to use stereo-microscopes, an ultraviolet spectrophotometer, and gas chromatography.  With these tools, they analyzed the prepared "evidence" - petroleum products used to start fires, bullets, casings, and fingerprints.  (Please see the attached photos from this exciting trip).  CSI Brooklyn - look out - the MDYHS detectives are here!

Two days earlier, not too far far from John Jay College, a delegation of MDYHS students from all four grades visited theUnited Nations on a special trip led by Ms. Audrey Nasar and Ms. Sally Mishanieh.  The program was designed by our own juniors Hannah Cohen and Yoni Hadar as part of their Stand With Us student leadership training program.  The group visited the Security Council and the General Assembly, where they learned about the intricacies of the various programs run by the UN.  (Please see the attached photos from this informative visit).

Our students go out not only to absorb lessons from others, but also to demonstrate and lead by example.  On Wednesday, our Mock Trial Team, led by superstar attorney Ms. Gina Abadi, faced the team of the Brooklyn Secondary School of Law in the courtrooms of Cadman Plaza.  Our legal experts were the plaintiffs in a civil case centered around the issue of false advertising.  "Attorneys" Nissim Hazkour, Chaim Salameh, and Jamie Yatcha, along with "Witnesses" Frieda Kassab, Sally Shrem, and Marilyn Terzi, carried the day as the judge decided the case in favor of our legal team.  The firm of Hazkour, Salameh, & Yatcha, Esq. goes on to its next case in two weeks, as we advance in the competition.

The various programs - academic and extra-curricular - at MDYHS have attracted the attention of other educational organizations.  I am so proud to announce that in recognition of excellence in education, the Ronald & Ethel Gruen Endowed Fund for the Advancement of Secondary Jewish Education has bestowed a grant of $20,000 to MDYHS for the purpose of supporting scholarship programs at the school.  A very proud Associate Principal Mrs. Sabrina Maleh and Assistant Principal Mrs. Esther Tokayer accepted the award on behalf of the school at the recentNorth American Jewish Day School Conference in Washington, DC.

Finally, in other areas of team competition, our Chess Club, under the expert direction of Mr. Daniel Kamelhar, hosted a regional Chess Tournament at MDYHS, with five schools participating.  Chess grandmasters Albert Antar, Leo Esses, Joseph Kassin, Ralph Shamah, and Ely Tarzy were victorious in their games.  (Please see the attached photo from this great tournament).  And the Warriors teams continue toward the championships - the Boys Varsity Basketball team, under the leadership of coach Ikey Dweck defeated the team of MTA by a score of 69-38; Jeffrey Pardo and Morris Dweck were the high scorers with 20 points and 18 point respectively.  Our team is #1 in the league, and as a result, we have been invited to compete in the prestigious 22nd Annual Red Sarachek High School Basketball Tournament in March at Yeshiva University!  Our Junior Varsity Boys Hockey team, under the leadership of coach Eddie Elbaz, won against the team of Solomon Schechter High School by a score of 4-2, with Ezra Azizo scoring 2 goals.  Our sports season is reaching its pinnacle as 3 of our teams are headed to the playoffs - Boys Varsity Basketball, Boys Varsity Hockey, and Girls Volleyball.  The Warriors are unbeatable!

As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, an enjoyable Presidents' Day weekend, and for a great week ahead!

Week in Review

Dear Parents,

What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS - with a host of exciting programs and activities!  It is an honor to share a glimpse of some of them with you.

Our Heritage Trip delegation of 26 students, led by Ms. Elyse Nadjar and Rabbi David Elnadav, traveled to Poland on Mosaei Shabbat.  The group is in the midst of a most poignant and meaningful experience - one that will be memorable for a lifetime - as they see and feel the tragedy of the Holocaust reflected in the small villages and horrific concentration camps of Eastern Europe.  The memories that stand out as the students travel, bond together, and feel the unity of K'lal Yisrael: taking a bus ride through the streets of Warsaw, seeing the remnants of the Warsaw Ghetto wall that still stand...seeing the train station from which Jews were taken to Treblinka...visiting the death camp of Majdanek and seeing the crowded bunks where inmates slept...the gas chambers...cages full of the shoes of victims...seeing a lone pile of ashes...visiting Yeshivat Hakhmei Lublin...hearing the life story of a Holocaust survivor from the survivor's own lips...visiting the shul of Zamosc, founded by Sephardic Jews...singing HaTikvah in the middle of a concentration camp...hearing from Paulina - a righteous gentile who risked her life to save Jewish children...seeing the famous Schindler factory from "Schindler's List"...Auschwitz...traveling from the depths and tragedy of Poland to the heights and joy of Israel, where our students will be for Shabbat.  Students have written their thoughts during this trip - how they have come to appreciate the many gifts of everyday life, how they see that nothing should ever be taken for granted - and how they feel so tightly connected to the entire Jewish people.  Please see the attached photos from this most meaningful trip.

At the same time, our Spain & Portugal delegation of 10 students, led by Ms. Audrey Nasar and Ms. Sally Mishanieh, traveled to Portugal on Sunday.  They began their exciting tour of the roots of majestic Sephardic history and culture by a visit to the Shaare Tikvah shul in Lisbon, where they were honored by a visit from the chief rabbi who spoke of the community's vibrancy and history.  Our group then walked through Alfama - the old city of Lisbon and into the Jewish Quarter, where they ended their tour by praying minhah in a 15th century synagogue.  The next day was spent visiting Belmonte, where a large group of forcibly converted Jews have secretly maintained Jewish customs for over 500 years.  From there, it was not far to the medieval Jewish quarter ofCastelo De Vida and a climb to the top of a giant fortress.  On Tuesday, the MDYHS young ladies traveled to Madrid and then to Toledo, where they searched for hidden Jewish symbols in the remnants of one synagogue, and then read a perek of Tehillim from the walls of another synagogue.  Back in Madrid, the delegation had the honor of meeting with the Chief Rabbi of Spain, who was inspiring with his beautiful d'var Torah and meaningful blessing.  And yesterday, the group visited Segovia, where they saw the Roman aqueduct, the Jewish quarter, and the home of Abraham Seneor, a prominent Jew who served in the Spanish government during the Expulsion.  Students have written their thoughts during this trip as well - how they feel pride for the greatness of Sephardic heritage and history, and how we cannot face the present or the future without a deep appreciation for our past - its beauty, its struggles, and its heroes.  Please see the attached photos from this amazing trip.

Meanwhile...back on the home front, our EdTech program at MDYHS is growing by leaps and bounds.  Teachers, under the direction of our EdTech Director Rabbi Michael Bitton, are implementing "flipped classroom" formats, where students independently research various materials online, often crafted in the most creative ways by the MDYHS teacher themselvess, and then discuss and analyze their research online - followed by a stimulating integration of this research and analysis - in the classroom with the teacher.  I invite you to visit our own Mrs. Rebecca Cohen's wonderful online biology class forum at <mrscohen3.tumblr.com> to experience the amazing lessons that our students have been learning.  At the same time, I am pleased to let you know that Rabbi Bitton has taken the initiative, along with some other of his colleagues, to organize JEDCAMP - a conference for Jewish educators in the tri-state area to discuss and learn about the latest and best in online education.  MDYHS faculty are leading the way into the future!

On Tuesday, we had the privilege of being visited by the Associate Provost of Brooklyn College.  Dr. Sharona Levy met with the MDYHS administration to plan the expansion of CUNY credit courses at MDYHS for next year.  We are looking forward to offering courses in graphic design, film, business marketing, public speaking, and classics, in addition to the host of CUNY credit courses we offer at present.  This will further pave the way for success as our students go out into the world...

And speaking of going out into the world, the MDYHS Model UN delegation, led by our own Rabbi Avner Bitton, represented the country of New Zealand, as they interacted with students from 48 other Yeshivah High Schools from across the country over 3 days in Stamford, CT.  Eddy Antar, Maurice Elbaz, and Albert Hamowy served on the committees for Nuclear Disarmament, Environmental Issues, and on the High Commission for Refugees.  Our students came prepared, having done thorough research, and they drew high praises from the Model UN organizational faculty.  Look out world of politics - MDYHS students are coming to help!  (Please see the attached photos from the wonderful event).

This week we heard the great news of additional college admissions for our wonderful seniors.  Mabrouk to the following students for their achievements:

Amin Adjmi - Pace University
Jason Balassiano - City Tech College
Leon Betesh - Baruch College
Marlene Braha - NYU; and NYIT, with a merit scholarship of $15,000 per year for four years, for a total of $60,000
Judah Djmal - CSI
Esther Hanon - CSI
Lisa Jrada - CSI
Rachel Naftali - Baruch College
Frieda Sabbagh - FIT
Frieda Shayek - LIM College

Further, an amazing 17 MDYHS students - due to their outstanding record and accomplishments - have been specially solicited by the administration of Baruch College to submit their requests for the Dean's Scholars Program (4 year full tuition scholarship, a MacBook computer, priority housing, priority registration, and a $1,300 grant to study abroad)!  These invitations to request the scholarship are selective, and they reflect the high regard that the Baruch Scholars program has for MDYHS students.  What a great testament to the accomplishment of our students!

Together with the development of the mind, the nurturing of the heart is so important in forming our next generation of leaders.  Yesterday, our students had the fantastic experience of hearing a special concert by Yaakov Shwekey.  In conjunction with the Cornman family's inspiration and dedication - in memory of Ezra Cornman, a"h - we heard the soul stirring and powerful songs of Yaakov Shwekey, as we were moved to sing and dance, and absorb the lessons of "Let it Go" and "Cry No More."  The feelings of excitement and inspiration to live our lives on a higher plane were palpable throughout the entire concert!  (Please see the attached photos from this great program).

Finally, I am so proud of the various teams of MDYHS who continue to bring glory and honor to our school.  Our Boys Torah Bowl team, under the direction of Rabbi Jack Savdie, defeated the team of RAMAZ - with high scores by Joseph Kassin, Jack Nasar, and Davide Savdie.  Our College Bowl team, under the direction of Mrs. Shuli Sharvit, and accompanied by Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld, were victorious over the team of MTA by a score of 17-13.  And our Girls Basketball Team, under the leadership of coach Barbara Franco, defeated the team of Shulamith High School by a score of 34-14, with Marilyn Tobiasscoring an amazing 27 points.  The mighty Warriors are unstoppable!  Look for all the news and events at MDYHS in the latest issue of our school newspaper The Flame, which comes out this week.

As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, a Hodesh Tov, and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker

The Flame: Issue 6

The Flame: Issue 6 by

Week of 2/11

Monday:

Special Rosh Chodesh Adar Breakfast
Spain Trip Returns
Test Make up Day

Tuesday:

Heritage Trip Returns
Math Team Club Period F

Wednesday:

Junior Career Breakfast
9:55 am-11:00 am
Israel Club trip to the UN (12 pm-4 pm)
Hosting Chess Club (12 pm)
10th Grade Dean Lunch with Ms. Esther Mueller (12:45 pm)
Art Appreciation Trip to the Brooklyn Museum (2;15pm-5pm)
Mock Trial
10th grade parent Night at 7:30 pm

Thursday
Ms. Yen’s Class trip to the Met (11am-2:30 pm)
Ms. Pritchard’s trip to John Jay (8;30 am-2:30 pm)

Club Schedule: Week of 2/3

Sunday February 3: 

Mock Trial Preparation Meeting

Model UN

 

Monday,

Model UN

Tuesday: 

Model UN

Girls Torah Bowl at MDY

Chess Club: 4:45 and 5:30 (after your last class ends)

Art Appreciation Mandatory Information Meetings (During your lunch)

Wednesday: 

Boys Torah Bowl at MTA

Iphone APP Club 4:45 New Computer Room

Technology Club: 4:45 in the Library

Boys Choir: (12:20  Midrash)

Backgammon Club Final Sign Up

Girls Choir: (TBA)

Thursday:

College Bowl (at Young Israel of Scarsdale)

Boys Hazanut (12:20 Midrash)

Beginner Keyboard: During Lunches in the Midrash (Please RSVP to Me)

Band Club: 5:30-6:30

Sunday February 10:

Debate Club Meet

Mock Trial Preparation for Plaintiffs

Test Make Up Day Schedule

Monday, February 11th

Wednesday, February 20th

Thursday, February 28th

Wednesday, March 6th

Wednesday, March 13th

Tuesday, March 19th

Monday, April 8th

Wednesday, April 17th

Thursday, April 25th

Tuesday, April 30th

Monday, May 6th

Tuesday, May 21st

Wednesday, May 29th

Thursday, June 6th

Special Summer Opportunity!!!

To Sophomores and Juniors:
NYU is offering a pre-college 5-day  summer program (NYU College Access Leadership Institute) to provide current information about the college process, from July 14-July 19th. The curriculum will include workshops and small group sessions on college admissions, college entrance test preparation (SAT and ACT), essay and resume writing, interviewing and financial aid literacy.  Program graduates will be certified College Access Ambassadors and will be required to act as mentors and advisors in our high school by conducting a college application workshop.
Students admitted to this program will be awarded a scholarship that will cover all program costs.

I urge interested students to apply for this special, free opportunity!
see the attached flyer for more information.

Debbie Solomon
Director of College Guidance
Magen David Yeshivah Celia Esses High School

Warriors' Week in Review

Dear Parents,

What an amazing week it has been at MDYHS!  It is a pleasure for me to share a glimpse of some of the wonderful programs and events of the past few days with you.

MDYHS is excited to unveil our brand new state-of-the-art Computer Lab, housed within a glass encased room in the middle of our Library / Media Center.  With a generous gift from Mr. Steve Russo, proud parent of Lynda, and founder, president, and CEO of F.A.B. Starpoint, we have designed a beautiful lab housing 26 wireless iMac computers, featuring an array of software programs that will enable our students to work on such sophisticated projects as graphic design, engineering, video production and editing, and advanced journalism layouts.  The excitement on the part of students and teachers is palpable as they have already begun to use this latest addition to the comprehensive EdTech program at MDYHS.  (Please see the attached photo of our beautiful, new Computer Lab).

Yesterday, we were honored with hosting a delegation of 50 eleventh and twelfth grade students, 3 principals, and 3 teachers from China (Anhui, Tongling, and Tunxi Schools), during their first visit to the USA.  Arranged and coordinated by our own Dr. Abe Tawil (instructor of the MDYHS college credit Small Business Management course),Mrs. Sabrina Maleh (Associate Principal), and Ms. Yen (instructor of the MDYHS course in Mandarin Chinese), the trip provided our own students with the great opportunity of interacting with students of another culture.  All the students - the MDYHS and the Chinese students - were divided into small groups to discuss different aspects of their cultures and school lives.  I was so proud to watch as the MDYHS Mandarin students made a presentation and conversed with our guests for quite a while - entirely in Chinese!  The student groups then were tasked with composing "recipes for success" in career paths, and the collaborative efforts were wonderful to observe.  These "recipes for success" served as a perfect segue for the next part of the program - a seminar by Mr. Ricky Cohen, CEO of Conway, after which he presented a copy of his book Risk to Succeed to each participant in the program.  The event was topped off by a delicious luncheon, where MDYHS and Chinese students gave each other their contact information, with plans to collaborate later in the term on an educational project.  (Please see the attached photos from this inspirational event).

As the spring term began on Monday, each MDYHS student participated in a Study Skills Seminar, focusing on note-taking.  Developed by our own Ms. Audrey Nasar (Jewish History department chairperson) and Mrs. Shara Netkin (History department chairperson), students were guided for two days in tips and strategies for note-taking during a lecture and note-taking during textbook reading.  The seminar focused on use of the Cornell Note-Taking System (http://lsc.cornell.edu/LSC_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf) and included such techniques as SCROL (Survey,Connect ideas, Read, Outline, Look back) and watching for verbal, visual, or postural clues during a lecture - any of which would indicate main points (for example: voice inflections, gestures, repetitions, emphases, and summaries).  Our students are now ready to conquer the lecture halls at MDYHS, college, and beyond!

And speaking of preparing for college success, our students were introduced this week to the great Membean Vocabulary Learning System (http://membean.com/).  Under the direction of English department chairperson Mrs. Rachel Harari, our students are expanding their vocabulary by leaps and bounds with this absolutely amazing system.  Please check out the link above - you will surely get caught up in the joy and challenge of broadening your word base - I know I did!  And in a related area, MDYHS is pleased to offer to students of 10th and 11th grade a comprehensive,free weekly evening SAT Workshop program at the MDY elementary school, starting February 19th.  Students can "drop in" to whichever sessions they wish - to be trained by Mrs. Sara Haleva, a master SAT prep tutor - on specific areas covered on the exam, on test-taking strategies, and on concrete tips for success.  A detailed calendar outlining which topics will be covered during which sessions will be sent to parents within the next week.

The diligent work involved in SAT preparation and in mastery of academic coursework pays a great dividend: success in college admissions.  We are so proud to extend warm wishes of Mabrouk to the following seniors on their recent college admissions and merit-based scholarship awards:

Eli Azrak - Hofstra University, Dean's Scholarship ($11,000 per year for 4 years, for a total of $44,000)
Marie Betesh - Marymount College
Judah Djmal - Hofstra University, Presidential Scholarship ($22,000 per year for 4 years, for a total of $88,000); Rutgers University
Jeffrey Pardo - University of Massachusetts Amherst, Chancellor's Award ($8,000 per year for 4 years, for a total of $32,000)
Frieda Sabbagh - F.I.T.
Mosie Schrem - SUNY Binghamton
Ceasar Sitt - University of Indiana
Abraham Tobias - Hofstra University, Presidential Scholarship ($22,000 per year for 4 years, for a total of $88,000); University of Maryland College Park, Honors Program; and SUNY Binghamton

Congratulations on these fantastic achievements!

The formation and nurturing of a great student involves creative and artistic talents, as well as academic talents.  In that regard we were so pleased this week to take delivery of new instruments and equipment for the MDYHS Student Band.  This group, under the direction of Mr. Joey Nasar, meets weekly to rehearse and develop a repertoire of songs for performances in the near future.  The Student Band already performed at this year's Junior-Senior Seminar - to great critical acclaim, and look for them - along with a host of other different club participants - at this coming spring's MDYHS Evening of the Arts - details to follow.

Our students learn in an array of settings: in the classrooms, of course, but also across the world.  This coming week will see two important MDYHS trips - the Heritage delegation, under the leadership of Ms. Elyse Nadjar and Rabbi David Elnadav, will be traveling to Poland and Israel to study and experience the lessons of the Holocaust and of the great spirit of Zionism, and the Spain delegation, under the leadership of Ms. Audrey Nasar and Ms. Sally Mishanieh, will be traveling to Spain and Portugal to study the roots and majestic history of Sephardic Jewry.  Ms. Nasar developed a unique, creative, and comprehensive sourcebook especially for this trip, so that the students will gain the most from their experience.  In next week's letter, I hope to share details and photos from these two inspiring, amazing trips.

Finally, in the area of sports, I am pleased to announce that the Boys Varsity Hockey team, under the great leadership of coach Eddie Elbaz, won two important victories this week: over the team of HANC by a score of 5-3, with Jeffrey Tawil scoring 2 goals; and over the team of Westchester Hebrew High School by a score of 5-1, withJeffrey Dweck scoring 3 goals.  And kudos to the Girls Volleyball team, under the superb leadership of coachesMargie Mathews and Michele Cohen, on their victory over the team of SKA by a score of 2 games to 0.  The team is on the way to the top seed in the playoffs.  Go Warriors!

As always, please accept my warmest wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and for a great week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Saul Zucker