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Thoughts from ...
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 Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, Dean of Students
In 1964, Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted a now-famous experiment in the South San Francisco School District. They identified 20% of the students in the school as "intellectual bloomers" and communicated to teachers which of the students were more gifted than the others. At the end of the school year, the teachers reported that these "intellectual bloomers" were more eager to learn than their peers and, as a group, they experienced a jump in IQ and impressive academic achievement. What was amazing, however, is that these students were no more intellectually gifted than their peers; rather, the researchers had simply selected them at random from the student population. Rosenthal had predicted, correctly, that because the teachers expected the "gifted" students to perform better, they unconsciously interacted with the students in ways that maximized their growth and success.
Our expectations of others has an incredible impact on how they behave and how they perform. Holocaust survivor, psychologist, and author Viktor Frankl, in an address to students in 1972, quoted Goethe as saying, "If we take man as he is, we make him worse, but if we take man as he should be, we make him capable of becoming what he can be."
At HHNE, our belief in our students--who they are and who they can be--is not just an important idea that we keep in mind. It's a crucial component to our educational philosophy and our philosophy of life. When parents send their children to our school each day, they know that we will educate, love, support, and believe in each and every one of our students. We will see the skills, talents, and gifts that are visible, and we will believe that even more lies beneath the surface.
Rav Klonimus Kalman Shapiro, the beloved Rabbi of the Warsaw ghetto, notes that the Hebrew for education is "Chinuch." This word, he says, does not mean indoctrination, and it does not simply refer to the giving over of information. Rather, "chinuch" is the process by which the hidden and latent talents and gifts of an individual are brought to the surface. I'm honored to work with a staff that sees students' gifts and works diligently to bring out the best in each and every student.
References: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect) Leaders Have Great Expectations, by Jim Clemmer (http://www.jimclemmer.com/leaders-have-great-expectations.php) YouTube: Viktor Frankl, Search for Meaning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD1512_XJEw) Chovat HaTalmidim, by Rabbi Klonimus Kalman Shapiro Related Link: Contact Us With Feedback
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Dinner, Drama and Drums!
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Dinner, Drama, and Drums in December Delights!
By Stacey Trencher
It was an evening of fun, talent, and positive energy at HHNE on December 6 when over 100 people attended the Dinner, Drama, and Drums event. The program highlighted two of the school's clubs, both of which performed. The first group to demonstrate their skills was the African Drumming group under the leadership of Aaron Greenberg. Aaron has been teaching groups for several years in the Hartford area for several years and is about to travel to Guinea to apprentice with a master drummer, Mangue Sylla. The students performed well, and the crowd enjoyed the unique drumming beats. Second to perform, the improv comedy group presented a range of skits and games. The school brought in Sea Tea Improv, a group based out of Hartford, to teach our students the basics of improvisational comedy and prepare our group for the evening's performance. Vladimir John Perez and Dan Russell were our wonderful facilitators. HHNE would once again like to thank Vladimir, Dan, and Aaron for their efforts in making our clubs successful. We look forward to our performances in the Spring: Ladies' Night on March 5 at which Girls' Choir and Hip Hop Dance will perform; and our production of Anon(ymous) on June 4 at Hartford Stage. Hope to see you there!
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Guess Who Came by This Month?
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HHNE welcomed 21 potential students into its halls this month, introducing the young minds to the types of classes, clubs, and facilities available to them should they matriculate. Guided by current students, this group of lucky eighth graders were treated to an inside look at a day in the life of an HHNE student.
HHNE was also host to approx. 25 alumni this month! We are always happy to see familiar faces so, if any alumni are in town, please do not hesitate to drop by and say hello.
For more information about becoming an HHNE student, please contact our main office at (860) 231-0317.
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Go Eagles!
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Come out and support the Eagles!
Boys Basketball:
Wednesday, Feb. 1 - GAME @ CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN - 6:30
Monday, Feb. 13 - GAME VS MacDUFFIE - 6:15
Thursday, Feb. 16 - GAME VS HARTFORD CHRISTIAN - 6:15
Girls Basketball:
Monday, Jan. 30 - GAME VS CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN - 6:15
Tuesday, Feb. 7 - GAME @ MacDUFFIE - 6:30
Thursday, Feb. 9 - GAME VS N. STONINGTON - 6:15
Thursday, Feb. 16 - GAME @ CENTRAL CHRISTIAN - 6:30
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Our Newsletter
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This is our first newsletter this year, highlighting just a few of the many wonderful things that are happening at HHNE. We are in the process of developing an e-newsletter that will be published regularly and welcome your feedback, including title suggestions. If you have any feedback, please email Jessica Negrón at negron@hhne.org.
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Upcoming Events
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Jan 27-29: School Shabbaton
Jan 30: Third Quarter Begins
Feb 20-24: Vacation Week
March 5: Ladies Night at 6pm
May 8: HHNE Annual Dinner details to follow
Visit the calendar on our website for more information on upcoming events.
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