Shavuot Appeal 2009
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It's that time of
the year again, when SAR asks the community to give generously
to
assist SAR
families in need of scholarship funds. Volunteers will be calling to solicit your help in this essential
work.
Please take the call and give generously.
Thank you to the many of you who have already donated to our Shavuot Appeal. See our DONOR SCROLL and the dedications written by our contributors.
Hudi
Askowitz
Louis
Benjamin
SAR
Shavuot Appeal Co-Chairs |
| Important Dates |
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Sunday, May 31st
Salute to Israel Parade
Click here for the bus sign up form Thurs, May 21st & Fri, May 22ndDybbuk, SAR Theater Presentation Thurs, May 22ndYom Yerushalim Thurs, May 28thEarly Dismissal Shavuot 12:40 Mon, June 1stEvening of Music and Art
Tues, June 2 thru Thurs, June 4th
Senior Trip
Mon, June 15th
Graduation
Mon, June 22nd through Tues, June 23rd
Junior Trip
Year-At-A-Glance Calendar forHS 09-10
Finals Schedule
Click here
Schedule for Review Sessions
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| What's For Lunch? |
High School
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| 27 Iyar 5769* May 21 09 Candlelighting Fri 7:54PM |
Parshat Bamidbar
Havdalah 8:57PM |
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Dear Parents and Students,
This week, SAR High School hosted "Breaking
the Silence" an evening dedicated to opening the dialogue between parents,
students and teachers on the issues of alcohol and substance use and abuse in
our community. I was inspired by the participation of our parents and of the
facilitators who volunteered their time to make this evening a meaningful one.
There was much discussion and debate. I found it to be an important step towards
our developing shared vocabulary and practice in dealing with this important
issue. I look forward to continuing this important work with the administration,
faculty, students, and parents. A special thank you to Daphne Eidman, Darona
Bernstein and Marjorie Jacobs and, in particular, to Dr. Russell Hoffman for
their energy and wisdom in making this program a success.
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Tully Harcsztark |
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| Programs that Enrich Classroom Learning |
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Students Visit Diabetes Research and Training Center at AECOM as part of the SAR Research Program
On Tuesday, May 5th, eleven 9th grade biology students and one senior investigating diabetes for his senior exploration project, were accompanied by Ms. Brandriss to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to hear a presentation by Dr. Jeff Pessin, Director of the Diabetes Research and Training Center. Following his presentation the students were given a tour of his laboratory. This opportunity was made available to all 9th grade students as an introduction to the SAR Science Research program in which they will have the opportunity to participate next year. Visits to research labs are offered to 10th and 11th grade students throughout the academic year.
Dr. Pessin gave a most interesting talk that built upon so many of the concepts the students had recently studied in their physiology unit. The students were full of questions that Dr. Pessin addressed as he spoke to them and showed his power point presentation:
Why is blindness sometimes associated with untreated diabetes? What is the cause of high blood pressure, plaque buildup, and heart disease that often occur in diabetes? What is pregnancy induced diabetes and how is it treated? Dr. Pessin discussed with the students the genetic and environmental components of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and he explained that pancreas transplants have not been effective in Type 1 diabetes since it is an autoimmune reaction that continues to attack transplanted cells. The students were interested to hear that diet alone would effectively treat 60% of patients with Type 2 Diabetes, which has risen greatly with increases in obesity in the population.
A highlight of our visit was the tour Dr. Pessin gave the students of his labs. They loved witnessing in action so much of the equipment that they had learned about over the course of the year: the shakers, the ultracentrifuge, the electrophoresis equipment, the nitrogen tanks, and more. Seeing the direct application of the biology they had studied to medicine in the laboratory and the hospital, and seeing and hearing about the cutting edge research being done by a leader in his field, was priceless.
We are most grateful to Dr. Gil Atzmon for setting up these laboratory visits for us and making this opportunity possible for our students.
Tobie Brandriss
Bob Goodman
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| Only at SAR |
MATH MUSINGS
All contest results are in. Our SAR HS students scored very nicely in the myriad of state and national competitions this year.
Earning a perfect score on nearly all the Freshman Math Team contests, Allison Shay emerged as team high scorer. The top 5 were rounded out with Zev Kaplowitz, Michael Harris, Dori Mintz and Ben Shenwick.
Our regular Math Team's total score just missed the listings of highest scoring teams in this statewide competition. Senior Jed Silver was high scorer, followed by junior Debby Greenstein. The rest of the top 5 were seniors Adena Wayne, Gabe Falk and Etan Zapinsky. Not far behind were sophomores Matan Bocarsly and Jacob Saal.
For the first time in 3 years, our highest AMC scorer, Jed Silver, was invited to participate in the prestigious AIME - American Invitational Mathematics Examination. Other members of our AMC high scoring team are juniors Byron Weiss and Aaron Weinrib as well as senior Etan Zapinsky. Alex Henslovitz was our top scorer in the lower division.
The Math Mag crew is steadfastly working to produce another award winning edition. But, we will not be able to do it without your help. WE NEED AD$. Our prices are extremely low, beginning at $30 to a top of only $120 for a full page. Please sponsor our Math Mag by sending in your ad immediately. Click here for the ad form.
Congratulations to Daniel Cohen for Winning a First Place Award in the New York City Science and Engineering Fair!
Last month we congratulated 11th grader, Daniel Cohen, for being selected from over 500 students to enter the Finals Round of the 2009 New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) sponsored by the NYC Board of Education and the City University of New York.
We are so happy to announce that on March 25 he competed in the finals round at the American Museum of Natural History and was selected winner of a First Place Award. Daniel is the only student from a Jewish high school to win a first place award in the 2009 NYCSEF.
Daniel's research project involved measuring chemotaxis in C. elegans, a roundworm used extensively in biological research. Daniel's work involved the nerve cells that sense bacterial chemical products. He did research this past summer in the lab of Dr. Cori Bargmann at Rockefeller University.
Daniel's award was presented at a special ceremony held in The Gerald Lynch Theatre at John Jay College on April 28th.
Tobie Brandriss and Bob Goodman
SAR Science
SAR Students Meet Deputy Mayor for Human Services, Linda Gibbs  SAR High School students traveled to New York's City Hall on Tuesday, May 19th to meet with the Deputy Mayor for Human and Health Services, Linda Gibbs. Students representing three politically active clubs, SARPAC (SAR High School's Political Action Committee), GAAC (The Global Action and Awareness Committee), and Israel Activism, had the opportunity to learn about the work Ms. Gibbs and her department does. Her Chief of Staff, Kristin Misner, spoke about the innovative measures, such as redefining the criteria for being considered impoverished and offering financial incentives to the poor to change their life habits, which the Deputy Mayor is taking to fight poverty. Students then had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the political process in New York City and the most effective way to lobby a governmental institution. The students who attended the meeting are truly grateful to Ms. Gibbs and Ms. Misner for taking their time to meet with the students even though they have been preoccupied with organizing the City's response to the swine flu outbreak. |
| Post-High School College and Israel Planning |
College Corner 
This past Wednesday, May 13th, was one of the more exciting evenings on the SAR High School calendar. The annual junior college night, "Inside the College Admissions Process", brought admissions representatives from approximately 25 institutions of higher education to the SAR campus. The event was planned for the entire junior class and their parents.
Each of the admissions visitors was charged with delivering a two-minute overview of his/her individual college to open the evening. Then the representatives split into six workshops groups with three to five colleges in each room. They were called, "A Wealth of Opportunities at State Universities," "Liberal Arts Colleges-An Intimate Community of Learners," "Expanding Horizons: A Focus on Options at Private Universities," "Finding Your Niche: An Array of Opportunities in Diverse Schools," "Uptown, Downtown-Cruising College Choices in Manhattan," and "Opportunities Across the Boroughs and on The Island." Each family member in attendance had the opportunity to participate in two of these workshops. Finally, the admissions personnel stood behind individual tables in a college fair set-up, allowing for the students and parents to have individual face time with each of the colleges represented at SAR.
SAR was fortunate to host some of the more renowned leaders in the undergraduate admissions world, including Executive Directors and Associate Directors of various institutions. Some of the notable figures included Richard Alvarez (University Director of Admissions for the City University of New York), Marcia Landesman (Associate Director of Admissions for Yale University), Joanna May (Senior Associate Director of Admissions for Columbia University), Susan Cohen (Associate Director of Admissions for Cooper Union), Joanna Broda (Executive Director of Admissions for Pace University), John Birney (Associate Director of Admissions for Johns Hopkins University), Steven Toplan (Director of Admissions for Touro College), Vincent Angrisani (Executive Director of Admissions from Queens College), and Emily Dolan (Associate Director of Admissions for Barnard College). A number of colleges sent us the leaders of their Hillel programs, including Cornell University, Dickinson College, and Binghamton University.
We were also very privileged to host admissions leaders from Brandeis University, Franklin & Marshall College, George Washington University, IDC Herzliya, Muhlenberg College, New York University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Skidmore College, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Yeshiva University (both Stern College and Yeshiva College).
The event was deemed a success by the admissions members, the SAR students, and the parents. The juniors are well aware that their college applications will be submitted in a few months(!) and the evening program opened their eyes to a host of schools that otherwise may not have been on their radar. The program came to fruition because of the support of the administration and the diligence of the Junior College Planning Committee, most notably due to the hard work of Event Chair Susan Fader and her Event Committee - Karen Futter, Hannah Rothstein, and Debbie Smerling.
The College Counseling Team,
Marjorie Jacobs, Michael Courtney, and Lisa Grundman
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| Co-Curricular News |
SARPAC Heads to AIPAC National Policy Conference 
Two weeks ago,
Akiva Futter, Zev Hait, Avital Mannis, Zack Schwarzbaum and I traveled to our
nation's capital, to represent SAR at the AIPAC National Policy Conference, The
conference, which consisted of approximately 6,500 people gathered in the Washington Convention Center. From Sunday morning
until Tuesday afternoon the SAR delegation joined with delegates from around
the country to hear speeches from AIPAC Board Members, Congressmen, our
Vice-President, Binyamin Netanyahu (via satellite) and Shimon Peres.
Their reflections highlighted important information on the current political
realities and reiterated the mutual respect, admiration and interdependency of Israel and the United States as democracies. As
Vice-President Biden explained:
"The bond between Israel and the United States was forged by a
shared interest in peace and security; by shared values that respect all faiths
and peoples; by deep ties among our citizens; and by a common commitment to
democracy."
In between the
speeches and plenary sessions, high school delegates met and lobbied with many
of the government representatives presents, joining with delegates from all
over the country to promote our common goals. It was impressive to see
the wide spectrum of schools, groups and faiths represented at the conference.
There were large groups of African-American pro-Israel student activists as
well as a very active Pro-Israel group from Brigham Young
University. Of
course, it was most wonderful to meet fellow high school students from other
Jewish day schools. My three roommates came from Beth Tefiloh in Baltimore and it was
great to compare notes with them.
Being an active
member of SARPAC and interning at AIPAC's Northeastern Regional Dinner, we were
familiar with AIPAC and the important role it plays in the relationship between
Israel and the United States.
Attending this conference gave us the confidence to believe that through
political action we too can strengthen this relationship. We would like to
encourage everyone to make their best effort to attend next year's conference.
The comfort and pride one feels there is like no other.
David Lilienfeld |
| Chessed and Tzedakah Programs |
The Midnight Run Club Strikes Again
This past Mother's Day, sixteen students woke up early to serve breakfast and to distribute clothing and toiletries to 50 NYC homeless in Chelsea, NY. Men and women lined up at the intersection of 28th Street and 9th Avenue and had the opportunity to choose from an array of hot french toast and syrup, cookies, cereals, fruit, juice, and coffee. They were also eager to pick particular bars of soap, creams, and other essential items. Students treated everyone fairly and with respect and also enjoyed sharing small talk and some laughs. The interaction was an enjoyable venue for students to learn about and engage with a population we too often ignore. Mother's Day wishes were heartily extended to both SAR mothers and homeless families alike.
Thanks to Ms. Meier (and husband) for organizing and leading the trip.
Special thanks to Five Star Caterers for donating the food.
NYC Blood Center is Full of Praise for SAR
With 61 units of blood collected and 70 donors registered, on April 30th SAR collected the largest number of pints in its history. From 8:45am to 3:00pm the gym was booming with students, faculty, and parents eager to donate to the New York City Blood Center. Blood Center staff only had praise for the students, commenting on their exemplary behavior and support for one another. The Blood Center's Account Manager was amazed at the overwhelming desire of students to sign-up for the drive. The collected pints of blood have been distributed to sick patients in hospitals throughout the area.
Thank you to Ms. Meier for organizing the drive. Special thanks to Marty Berlin for taking pictures and for allowing the blood drive to take place in the gym.
Flag Football a Success!
SAR's first Flag Football Tournament for Tzedakah took place at SAR Academy on Sunday, and was a huge success! Run entirely by high school students, the initiative raised an impressive sum of money for Shalva, an organization that provides programs and services for disabled children in Israel.
The weather held out until the second half of the championship game, which was played in a refreshing downpour and dominated by SAR. Other competing schools were Ramaz, Hanc, Frisch and Maayanot.
Alli Kahn, Talya Lerner and Jackie Cohen did a fantastic job in planning and executing the tournament. Other SAR students to be commended for their participation and admirable football skills are: Zoe Heisler, Aliza Kahn, Emily Cooper, Shira Lerner, Franni Bernstein, Sarah Casper, Tara Roisman, Aviva Friedman, Tali Feldman, Michael Kahn, Michael Samuels, David Roisman, and Elisha Friedman (boys refereed).
Special thanks to Tali Cohen from the Academy for serving as SAR's team coach. We look forward to next year's tournament!
SAR Students Praised for Work on Behalf of Aleh
We are proud of the work Ariel Leff ('09) and Natalie Weinberg ('09) have been doing on behalf of Aleh. Read the letter below and check out the link to the story about Ariel and Natalie on Aleh's website.
Aleh provides 650 severely disabled children in Israel with high-level medical and rehabilitative care in four residential facilities. Aleh is their home and their family - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Dear Rabbi Kroll,
As you know, two SAR High School students, Ariel Leff and Natalie Weinberg, have been holding various fundraisers throughout the year, to help raise Tzedakah and awareness for Aleh.
Please follow this link http://www.aleh.org/eng/news.asp?AID=323 to see the story we've posted on our website about their chessed project.
Please forward this email to other staff members of SAR so everyone could have Nachas from the girls.
With much thanks and appreciation,
Dov Hirth ~ Aleh
Senior Citizen's Israel Celebration Sponsored by the BJCC
Four SAR HS students, Mordy Hoffman ('10), Avital Mintz-Morgenthau
('09), Sarah Noble ('09), and Lara Porter ('09) volunteered on Wednesday evening to help serve food and interact with Senior Citizens at the Bronx House at a celebration of The State of Israel's 61st year.
The students began the evening by setting up, plating food, singing HaTikvah for the group and serving as waiters throughout the evening. Both the senior citizens and the students enjoyed the celebration. |
| Sports Corner |
Athletic Update
The Boys' Varsity Soccer Team finished their season with a perfect 8-0 record, capturing the division title.
The Girls' Varsity Soccer Team won their division without losing a game.
The Girls' JV Soccer finished in a tie for first place, having only one lose.
The Girls' Hockey Team is now 6-0 with one more game to play.
The Boys' Volleyball Team won 3 matches and made it to the playoffs.
The Girls' Softball Team is still undefeated with a 6-0 record and has 2 games remaining.
The Boys' Baseball Team presently has a 3-1 record with 6 games left due to many rainouts.
The Boys' JV Softball Team came in first place in their division with a 6-0 record.
The Boys' Varsity Softball team presently has a record of 4-0 with four games remaining.
The Girls' Tennis Team has a 2-2 record and the Boys' Tennis Team has a 3-2 record.
Congratulations to all the teams and GOOD LUCK in the playoffs!
Physical Education Update
30 Sec lay-up: Students are timed 30 seconds to see how many lay-ups in basketball they can make. The tops scores by grade are as follows:
9th Grade: (Girls) Tamara Sastow- 16, Adina Safdeye - 16
(Boys) Eliezer Lerea - 20, Ben Shenwick - 20
10th Grade: (Girls) Suzane Schrag - 20, Sophia Altholz - 18
(Boys) Ephram Botwinick - 20, Zach Breslaw - 20
11th Grade: (Girls) Shira Lerner - 19 Sarah Sue Landau - 19
(Boys) Cory Dicker - 20 Bezalel Flamholz - 20, AJ Varon - 20, Alex Broome - 20
12th Grade: (Girls) Devora Berger - 15, Gilli Safdeye - 14
(Boys) Tzachi Haberman - 20
***9th Grader Jon Nulman lead the school with 22 baskets***
Congratulations to all and keep up the good work!
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