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| The Agnon Agenda | The School's Out Issue
June 2012 | |
IT'S THE JUNE AGENDA -- THE "SCHOOL'S OUT" ISSUE
In this issue of the Agnon Agenda, you can discover: Who was honored as parent and grandparent volunteers of the year; what our 8th graders really think of Israel; math teacher Steve Karl's favorite food; which Agnon alum had an OpEd piece published in the New York Times recently; which member of the staff ran in the Cleveland Marathon (and which student cheered her on).
All this awaits you and more -- read on.
IN THIS ISSUE:
KEEP IN TOUCH:
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 A STRONG START TO A GREAT FINISH
From start to finish, Agnon provides a comprehensive curriculum that prepares our graduates to succeed at the best high schools, colleges and beyond.
Congratulations to our Class of 2012 who will attend:
● Beachwood High School ● Chagrin Falls High School ● Hawken School ● Laurel School
● Mayfield High School ● Orange High School ● Shaker Heights High School ● Solon High School
● Twinsburg High School ● University School
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AGNON ACCOLADES
Mazal tov to Agnon 8th grader Mitchell Maly who participated in the "Power of the Pen" State Finals -- the highest competition level offered by this interscholastic tournament for young writers in 7th and 8th grades. Of the 3500 eighth graders who competed, Mitchell placed in the top 1.5%!
Mazal tov to Agnon alumni Allison Scharfstein (Class of 2004), graduating from Yale University this year, for publishing the Op-Ed piece "King's Forgotten Manifesto" in The New York Times, May 16.
Mazal tov to Agnon alumni Simon Sugerman (Class of 2008) who headed to the State Track Meet as a pole vaulter. To earn this spot, he pole-vaulted 13 feet and placed 4th at the Regional Track Meet. Simon attends Orange High School and is a four-year track letterman.
Mazal tov to Agnon 1st grade teacher Johannah Cross, who recently taught an advanced course at John Carroll University on educational reading methods. The course focused on designing reading instructions for diverse learners.
Mazal tov to Agnon 3rd grade teacher Halle Dubin, on recently earning her M.A. in Educational Administration from Ursuline College.
Mazal tov to Agnon Gan Shoresh / Preschool teacher Val Jones, on recently earning her teaching licensure for preschool-3rd grade from Notre Dame College.
 Mazal tov to Agnon 5th grade teacher Dina Rock who attended a conference in Washington, D.C. in May to launch a website that addresses teacher evaluation reform efforts. Dina also attended a Gates Foundation Teachers Voice Convening event in Washington, D.C.
Mazal tov to Agnon Gan Alonim / PreK teacher Kim Farkas, who ran in the Cleveland Marathon and was cheered on by Agnon Gan Alonim / PreK student Amira Horowitz.
 
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FACULTY FOCUS: STEVE KARL
Steve Karl has been with The Agnon School for four years and teaches 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade math. Enthusiastic about education, he believes in instilling and cultivating both a confidence as well as a passion for learning within each Agnon student he encounters.
Previously a 5th grade teacher at Apex Academy Elementary School in Cleveland, Steve holds a Masters degree in Education from Baldwin-Wallace College and a B.A. in Psychology from Cleveland State University.
Originally from Kettering, Ohio, Steve and his wife, Kim, live in Beachwood with their two daughters, Hannah and Sophie, and their cat, Onyx. In his free time, Steve enjoys being with his family, listening to music, golfing and gardening.
- Favorite Food: A perfectly cooked steak
- Favorite Book: Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher
- Favorite Film: Star Wars
- Favorite TV Show: Friday Night Lights
- Favorite Music: The Beatles
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 AGNON CELEBRATES SHAVUOT To mark the holiday Shavuot and the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, Kindergarten - 4th grade students gathered at a special assembly to sing, dance and donate fruits and vegetables to families in need.
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| AGNON STUDENTS HELP GRANDMOTHER GO GREEN
Agnon 4th grader Ryan Rosenfeld and his brother, 2nd grader Josh, help their grandmother Sandra Lieber go green by depositing newspapers in a recycling bin at The Agnon School.
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AGNON GRAD COLLABORATES WITH AGNON PARENT ON SENIOR PROJECT
By Rachel Shaw, Agnon Class of 2008
For my high school senior project, I spent three weeks shadowing Naomi Shiffman at General Electric. I sat in on meetings, and she explained to me the daily routine of her job. However, she also set up meetings for me with engineers and managers who do a variety of things at GE. I toured plants, crammed GE terminology into my head and discovered that learning about light bulbs was surprisingly interesting. It was exciting for me to see what Naomi did day-to-day because it gave me an opportunity to understand what engineering students do after leaving college. I appreciated the opportunity to meet so many smart, engaging people, all of whom were genuinely dedicated to and excited about their work.
Rachel Shaw will attend the University of Pennsylvania after spending a year in Israel.
Naomi Shiffman works at General Electric and is the mother of two Agnon graduates: Vonya (Class of 2012) and Nate (Class of 2008). |
| AGNON FUND CONTRIBUTIONS
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| AGNON ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS AT ANNUAL MEETING
Volunteers and Staff Honored; Alumni College Scholarship Awarded 
The Agnon School's 27th Annual Meeting was called to order by Agnon Board President Orry Jacobs and included a celebration of the school's growth and accomplishments. Ida Haber, Susan Hurwitz, Steve Lander, Joshua Mayers, Robin McCann, Bradley Ortman and Elisabeth Sapell were elected to serve three-year terms on the Board of Trustees. Michael Haas and Idelle Wolf were named Presidential appointees serving one-year terms.
 Agnon's "Gloria Abrams Parent Volunteer of the Year" award was presented to Lisa Mayers (mother of Nina in Kindergarten and Ellie in 2nd grade) and Alison Tannenbaum (mother of Noah in 2nd grade). Both recipients have volunteered behind the scenes for the past three years, helping to grow Agnon's Spring Benefit Auction in addition to volunteering for other school activities. 
Agnon's "Grandparent Volunteer of the Year" award went to Ileen Tepper (Agnon grandmother of Ian Goldfeder in Kindergarten and Ryan Goldfeder in 2nd grade) who, as a retired educator, visited Agnon's 1st grade students twice a week to help them with language decoding and comprehension. Her skills and experience helped to enrich and support the 1st grade environment.
Head of School Jerry Isaak-Shapiro recognized the following faculty milestones:
● Barbara Weiss, Art Teacher - 35 years
● Sally Pollock, Early Childhood Teacher - 15 years
● Dina Rock, 5th Grade General Studies Teacher - 15 years
● Judy Fitzmaurice, Physical Education Teacher - 10 years
● Etti Berkman, Maayan Judaics Teacher - 10 years  Rebecca Levin (Agnon 2011) was awarded the Alumni College Scholarship award. She will be attending the University of Michigan as a freshman in the fall after having studied abroad in Israel for a year. In her winning essay, Rebecca wrote, "The ability to bridge connections between seemingly opposite subjects pushes me to search for deeper meanings. My teachers always encouraged me to ask questions, and I consequently felt confident seeking answers."
Drs. Suzanne and Jonathan Scharfstein and Jonathan's parents, Bernard and Barbara Scharfstein, established The Agnon School Alumni College Scholarship and Staff Education Endowment Fund. The endowment provides a $1,000 merit-based college scholarship annually as well as up to $1,000 each year for staff conference travel. Active at Agnon for many years, Suzanne and Jonathan are the parents of three Agnon alumni.
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TOP FIVE 8th GRADE ISRAEL CLASS TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Yom HaAtzmaut in Jerusalem is unlike any other experience on the Jewish calendar; Agnon 8th graders danced and sang with thousands of others in the midrechov (downtown Jerusalem).
- Climbing the 2,000 year-old fortress of Masada early enough to catch the sun rising over the Dead Sea was a spiritual and an aesthetic highlight - it was beautiful and meaningful at the same time.
- Students met Israeli peers from Sde Eliahu, outside of Beit Shean - and found out how much they have in common, as teenagers and as Jews.
- Eilat was amazing! Snorkeling and riding a banana boat - who knew that the desert was so beautiful?
- Kibbutz Keturah was a fantastic window onto a completely different way of life.
 The following essays by three Agnon 8th grade students further describe their Israel class trip. THE EILAT I NEVER KNEW 
By Barak Spector
Though I was born in Israel and have visited many times, my anticipation for this particular trip with my Agnon classmates was high. After experiencing this extraordinary land with all of them, I was especially looking forward to visiting Eilat because I heard we would have fun there.
After arriving, however, I knew that Eilat was more than simply a place full of fun activities. For me, this part of our trip became a time to collect my thoughts and connect with the beauty of the land. I achieved a new understanding about the importance of Israel to me as well as the Jewish people.
First, we took an early morning hike up an immense hill where we viewed Eilat, Jordan and Egypt all at once. Later, before snorkeling, we learned about the various species of fish in the Eilat region. Once we began snorkeling, everyone was amazed to experience such beautiful and clear water. We even observed an octopus squirting ink! When our snorkeling session ended, we were so impressed that we decided to do it again.
I now think of Eilat differently. There is so much richness to the land and the desert that surrounds it. I found this area to be filled with a variety of captivating cultures, sceneries and sights.
I'm thankful that Agnon gave me the opportunity to experience Israel and especially Eilat in a way that I had never experienced either before. I truly feel that Israel is my second home, and this trip solidified my decision to return there for a gap year before entering college.
THE CONNECTION By Danielle Zborovsky Visiting Israel with my 8th grade family was one of the greatest experiences of my life. For six days of the trip, we stayed in Jerusalem -- one of the holiest cities in Israel. While there, we went to the Shuk, the Kotel, the Old City, the City of David and many other amazing places. What's more, we got to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut in Israel. Everyone was so happy and spirited. Outside our hotel, a multitude of people were rejoicing, while a band was playing. And, even though we didn't know all of the songs, we danced with Israeli flags and celebrated with the crowds. Hundreds of people danced together, whether they knew each other or not. But more importantly, everyone felt like one big family, all celebrating one thing as Jews -- Israel's independence. On our last Shabbat in Israel, we visited the Kotel. This was an experience like no other. After praying, the girls in my grade formed a circle and started singing with our arms around each other. Then, additional women began to join in, singing the same songs we were singing. Everyone felt connected to each another, even though we didn't necessarily know the person standing next to us. And, I was happy knowing that all the Jews in Israel were celebrating Shabbat together as one. This country not only changed me, it made me a better Jew and a better person, and I would return to Israel in a heartbeat. It is my second home. | 
MASADA AT SUNRISE By Aaron Dobres The journey started at 4:10 in the morning, inside a Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert. After a considerable amount of rousing, we walked to the bus that would drive us to Masada, the place where nearly 2000 years ago, 962 Jews made one last unsuccessful stand against the Romans. Within the hour, we had climbed up Masada and were doing a pre-sunrise shacharit service on the peak of the mountain. At around 6:00 a.m., the moment we were waiting for arrived; a bird's eye-view of the sun appearing over the Dead Sea. If any of us had wanted to sleep beforehand, we were wide awake now. The experience, enhanced by "Here Comes the Sun" playing on our tour guide's iPod, was unusual for someone who had never been to Israel and is generally asleep when the sun rises. Our time at Masada, though, was far from over. We hiked along the peak, sitting in the small fortresses where Jews who wanted to remain in their homeland found that to be an impossible task. We learned that over time, Masada became more than a hiding spot. It became a home and a stronghold, the last piece of Israel the Jewish people could hold onto for a long time. We discussed possible strategies the Jews could have used against the charging Roman soldiers, and came to the conclusion that a victory was out of hand. Finally, we descended down the Snake Path, ending our journey. Masada stood out as one of the many high points of our two weeks in Israel. |
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COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS OR FEEDBACK?
Please e-mail Kathy Peskin, Director of Marketing, at The Agnon School.
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Under the direction of Agnon middle school teacher Susan Beamish, Agnon 8th graders tested their physics knowledge and problem solving skills by building Rube Goldberg machines -- deliberately over-engineered devices that perform easy tasks in a complex way. These machines are named after American cartoonist and inventor, Rube Goldberg, who designed chain-reaction machines that carried energy from beginning to end to complete a simple job. Students created contraptions that popped a balloon, cut paper and even turned on an iPod. 
