| Save the Date |
ALL ROADS LEAD TO SARt
Parent Evening
Sat. Night
Dec. 19th
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SAR 41st Anniversary
Dinner |
Join us as we celebrate SAR's 41st Anniversary Dinner.
January 30, 2010
7:45 pm @ SAR High School Place your ad online at www.saracademy.org/dinner
Support the SAR Scholarship Fund
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| Important Dates |
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Wed, Dec 9
HS Faculty Meetings; Early Dismissal 3:30PM
Fri, Dec. 11
First Night of Chanukah
Thur-Fri, Dec. 17-18
Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Motzei Shabbat, Dec. 19
Social Evening for Parents
Thur-Fri,
Dec. 24-Jan 1
Winter Break
No Sessions |
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17 Kislev 5770 * Dec 4 Candlelighting Fri 4:11PM
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Vayishlach
Havdalah 5:14PM |
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Dear Parents and Students,
The fourth annual David Cooper Memorial Girls Basketball Tournament began this week. We are pleased to welcome students and staff from Montreal, Boca Raton, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia. We wish the entire group an enjoyable and inspirational shabbaton together. We are so grateful to Tali Cohen, Jenny Horowitz and the Cooper family for making this event a reality.
Please remember that tefillat arvit on December 4th is the official time that we begin inserting "v'ten tal u'matar" in the amida. We will actually begin doing so this year, then, at Ma'ariv on Motzaei Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom to all,
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| Programs that Enrich Classroom Learning |
AP Psychology Students Work with SAR Academy Students
 Students from the AP psychology class, as well as the psychology elective class, spent an afternoon at the Academy working with Class 1X. They worked in small groups of two and three to experience some of what they have been studying in class. Both psychology classes have studied Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory and were able to see for themselves the different cognitive stages of the students. Psychology students conducted conservation exercises with the 1st graders which included playing with play dough and measuring different liquid amounts in different shaped flasks. The hands-on experience of working with the children gave them the opportunity to see Piaget's theory of cognitive development come to life. It was rewarding to watch the children interact and bond with our High School students. The groups also had the opportunity to connect while sharing crackers; they talked about recess, discussed friends and favorite subjects with them. Students also reminisced about their own elementary school experiences; some even visited their old classrooms and teachers.
We thank the first graders and their teachers, Morah Jo and Morah Agnes for letting us have such fun in first grade. Thank you to Dr. Adina Shrage, the psychologist for grades one and two and Dr. Russell Hoffman and Dr. Michelle Humi, our high school psychologists, for coordinating this special project. Our students were wonderful role models for the children, showing them kindness and warmth while coaching them in the projects and giving them positive reinforcement and feedback. It was amazing! Click here to view pictures of their time together. | |
| ONLY AT SAR |
Teachers Learn Too
 At SAR High School, it is not just the students who are constantly engaged in learning and growth. Our faculty is comprised of professionals who consistently take advantage of opportunities to reflect upon their practice and the craft of teaching. Faculty members are obviously excited and committed to help their students learn. While it is clear that they are experts in their respective disciplines, we are so proud that teachers here are also dedicated to the development of a learning community that supports their continued growth. By encouraging collaboration among faculty and professional development opportunities, we continue to ensure the highest quality instruction for our students.
Although we have only been in school for three months now, many teachers have taken advantage of classes and seminars outside of SAR. Ultimately, they bring valuable and insightful information back to their colleagues and to their students. Attached you will find just a few examples of the creative and dynamic professional development opportunities that the staff has taken advantage of at this point in the year.
As you will see in the link below, there is no shortage of learning happening amongst our illustrious staff. Of course, the entire faculty is also highly engaged in our work towards accreditation through the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). In committee, every staff member is looking at all aspects of our academic program, our facilities and our school climate and culture. This three-dimensional review serves as an excellent tool for self-reflection. As we continue our self-study, we constantly come across and highlight our areas of great strength and success, as well as the areas where we hope to develop and grow. Although the work is rigorous and challenging, there is no better way to model for our students what we mean when we say that SAR High School is truly a community of learners.
Click here to read about some of our faculty's professional development experiences.
The Senior Shabbaton
The senior shabbaton was a smashing success. The senior grade along with eight brave faculty members slept in the building. The theme of the shabbaton was "Life Beyond the Walls of SAR" and we discussed challenges that students will face upon graduating as well as focusing on taking full advantage of everything that senior year has to offer. The seniors talked thoughtfully and introspectively about how they've developed and grown over their high school years. The mood became pretty nostalgic with everyone beginning sentences with , "Remember when we were in ninth grade and...." One of the many highlights of the shabbaton was on Friday night at the Tisch, when Daniel Hazan and David Abadie taught Sephardic pizmonim to their Ashkenazic brethren. Students and staff stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, talking and hanging out. The feeling of the weekend was really one of pride, camaraderie, and respect. Many teachers who participated commented on how beautiful the shabbaton was and how impressed they were with the seniors' expressive and reflective conversations. It really was a unique shabbaton experience. After shabbat we made our own pizza then went bowling. We cautioned the seniors on Saturday night not to peak too early- we still have a few months left until graduation! The seniors have done a great job so far leading the school and we're confident that they will do so for the rest of the school year.
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| Co-Curricular Programs |
Virtual Shtetl
 The Global Round Table Club hosted a Jewish genealogy workshop on November 18th after school. We were excited to welcome Ms. Beata Schulman to lead the workshop and begin training our students in researching their own family histories. Ms. Schulman works for The Museum of the History of Polish Jews and introduced our students to the Virtual Shtetl, an online portal for research through historical archives. Last summer Ms. Schulman participated in the SAR-Rolat Legacy Mission to Poland and, as a religious young woman who grew up in Poland, brings an incredible personal story to her work as well as vast professional experience. Her presentation makes the study of our immediate past both personal and relevant as well as historic and communally vital. The Virtual Shtetl workshop will meet again on December 9th after school. Any students interested in participating should speak with Ms. Neugroschl.
What Every Teen Needs to Know About Investing
On Tuesday November 24th, the Investment Club was privileged to hear from guest speaker Kenneth Hoffman; a senior member of Merrill Lynch's Private Banking and Investment Group. He addressed the members of the club about What Every Teen Needs to Know About Investing. Mr. Hoffman has been written about in many magazines and newspapers, including "Barron's Top Advisor Rankings of New York" and Worth Magazine's "Top 250 Wealth Advisors." Mr. Hoffman explained some of the most important investing concepts such as diversification, controlled emotions, counter intuitiveness, and balancing out risk and return while investing.
Mr. Hoffman began by explaining the counter intuitiveness of investing. What may be logical does not necessarily translate into what happens in the stock market, particularly in the short run. He provided some basic guidelines for investing:
· Stocks are great for the long run, but they can be very frustrating in the short run.
· In the long run, stock prices are determined by fundamentals. In the short run they are determined by some fundamentals, but sometimes even more so by emotion.
· When managing your portfolio, diversify. Diversify by asset class, sector, industry, stock, etc.
· When others are selling because of fear, you should be buying (e.g., March 2009). When others are buying out of greed, you should be selling (e.g., March 2001).
· Investing in the stock market is much harder than you might think. Taking a long term perspective can be quite difficult, but it is generally rewarding
Mr. Hoffman stressed the importance of diversifying and balancing the risk and return of stocks. He declared, "By investing in a mix of stocks and bonds, you can optimize risk and return." Mr. Hoffman showed us a chart, which illustrates that an optimal investment could be investing in 60% stocks and 40% bonds (risk/standard deviation of 12.15% and average return of 11.70%) versus investing in 100% bonds (risk of 11.20% and average return of less than 10%). This expresses the significance of diversifying and balancing out the risk and return in terms of investing.
Many thanks to Mr. Hoffman for generously sharing his time and wisdom with the Investment Club. Thanks to William Cooper and Mr. Krausz for arranging for his visit. Mr. Hoffman educated the investment club on some of the most important and essential aspects of investing which will be used to assist us in our years to come. Now, all you readers- go invest wisely!
SAR's College Bowl
On Tuesday, November 17th, SAR's College Bowl team competed for the first time this year against the other members of the Yeshiva League's Manhattan Division. Led by the able captaining of Reuvi Pinon and Talia Saal (varsity), and Eliav Grossman and Jacob Saal (junior varsity), the students tested their wits and the fast-twitch muscle fibers of their buzzer thumbs against students from Ramaz, MTA, Heschel, Magen David, Flatbush, and Westchester. (We know--we don't know why it's called the Manhattan Division, either.) Despite a significant number of new players on both teams, the SAR forces held their own. The varsity team, Yeshiva League College Bowl defending champions, ended the day with a record of 2-2, while the JV team ended with a record of one win, one loss, and one game suspended for lack of questions (there were some unfortunate mix-ups by question-readers over the course of the day) that will be resumed at our next meet and in which SAR holds a considerable lead. We look forward to another great year for College Bowl, and are excited to host the third meet of the year in March.
SAR Girls Torah Bowl Students Thrive On Monday, November 30, SAR hosted the first of four Torah Bowl competitions of the academic year. SAR competes with students from Frisch, Ramaz, Bat Torah, and Maayanot. The competition consists of the students learning pshat and Rashi on three parshiyot of Bereishit. Students learned and committed to memory hundreds of details displaying mastery over the material. SAR won 3 of the 4 games it played. Congratulations to Hannah Saal, Yael Kaplan, Alison Shay, Talia Saal, Haviva Korenblit, Leora Apfelbaum, Adeena Chefitz, Ariella Kepecs and Sarah Sue Landau and coach, Tanakh teacher, Deborah Anstandig. |
| Post-High School: College and Israel Planning |
 Watching November fade into December marks a busy time in the College Counseling Center. Now that almost all applications are submitted or will be very soon, for seniors the excitement is palpable as the days move closer to the December 15th admissions notification date for early applications. Juniors are busily completing the Junior College Planning Questionnaire and scheduling college conferences with their parents and college advisor.
As we anticipate working very closely with our juniors for the remainder of the year, the Class of 2012 is waiting in the wings. On Wednesday, December 9th we have scheduled an interactive introduction to the college admissions process. We welcome Susan Cohen, Associate Director of Admissions from The Cooper Union to provide insight into the academic programs, co-curricular engagement and overall involvement in the community that colleges value in reviewing applications. Sophomores and their parents are encouraged to attend the program which we will enhance with the College Admissions Game and information on our programs and opportunities for sophomores.
Now is a great time to begin planning for the summer as well. For those of you seeking an adventure outside of the traditional routes, we will have a Summer Opportunities update ready to distribute in January. Research on college websites and with major Jewish organizations often yield interesting options as well as conversations with upper classmen who have traveled to Hungary, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Israel in many forms ranging from volunteering and outdoor exploration to studying and/or touring with Israelis. Some students have even traveled to various countries in Africa volunteering; all are experiencing the cultures and challenges of others around the world.
We look forward to sharing in your adventures both this year and throughout the summer as your family prepares for a great experience now and the opportunities that lie ahead beyond high school.
College Counseling Team |
| Chessed and Tzedakah Programs |
Senior Chesed Day a Success
Friday, November 20th was Senior Chesed Day, the first of four grade-wide service days. These four grade-wide service days engage students at sites that relate to six chesed initiatives: The Arts, Children's Services, Homelessness & Hunger, Hospitals & Health, Parks & Nature, and Senior Centers & Nursing Homes. Prior to Senior Chesed Day, all students selected projects based on their interests and then had the opportunity to work and learn with peers and teachers outside their advisories. Service activities included tree planting and removing invasive vegetation, visiting and distributing gifts to homebound seniors, decorating planters at a home for children with developmental disabilities, participating in a Shabbat party for senior citizens and packing food for the needy.
In addition, particular volunteer activities required extensive student and advisor preparation. Advisees in Molly Pollak's advisory partnered with StoryCorps to interview and record the stories of low-income seniors. And, students from David Steere's AP Government class presented government platform presentations for senior citizens attending a lunch program. Topics included Healthcare, National Security, Economy Regulation, and Environmental Energy Policy.
Thank you to Ora Meier for coordinating the Senior Chesed Day and to all the seniors for their enthusiasm and support. Special thanks to faculty leaders: Marty Berlin, Reena Ribalt, Danielle Goldstein, Simon Fleischer, Jeremy Spierer, Molly Pollak, David Steere, David Friedman, Avi Kilimnick, Michael Courtney, and Rav Gordin.
Childrens' Village  Ms. Mann's advisory, Shira Berger, Adam Bernstein, Daniela Ceasar, Jason Cogan, Alex Henslovitz, Eitan Itzkowitz, Zach Schwartzbaum and Nina Steinberg, skimmed through the chessed opportunities available to SAR students this year and noticed the listing of Rose Cottage, at Childrens' Village. The thought of working with children who come from at-risk environments and building relationships with these kids through numerous visits seemed like an interesting prospect. Our advisory went to Childrens' Village for a brief training. Finally, with much anticipation, we made our first visit on November 16th and began to work on a "Story Quilt" with the children there. While many students were nervous at first, once some of the children at Children's Village began to open up, we began to see just some of the good which we were doing with these children, just through being there and working with them. We are looking forward to our future visit on December 7th! |
| SAR Athletics |
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Sports Update
On November 22nd the JV Hockey Team lost to TABC 4-0. Then on November 30th they upset Frisch 1-0. Etan Grossinger had the only goal for The Sting, their record is now 3-0.
The Varsity Hockey Team lost to TABC 3-1. The loan goal was scored by Andrew Hoenig. Their record stands at 4-2.
On November 23rd the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team lost a close match to Maayanot. Amanda Herman served well for The Sting, their record is now 2-1.
On November 21st , SAR defeated MTA in Boys JV Basketball 47-37. Jonny Nulman lead The Sting in scoring with 18 and Adam Schreiber chipped in to score 11. Then on November 23rd they defeated Horace Mann in an exhibition game 75-69. With the victory, SAR has opened its season winning all seven games (5 within their division). SAR was lead by Jonny Nulman's 24 points. Off the bench, Elie Lerea contributed 15 points and had 10 rebounds. Adam Schreiber also had 12 points for the Sting and Ben Shenwick scored 14 in his highest output of the season. Zach Dicker led the team with assist and steals.
On November 30th, the Girls Varsity Basketball Team beat the Ramaz Rams by 22. They are still undefeated with a 4-0 record.
Also on November 30th, the Boys Varsity Basketball team lost a tough game to TABC by one point. AJ Varon played well for SAR. Their record now stands at 1-3. | |
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