Hillel Participates in Fairchild Challenge Students in Middle and Upper School will participate this year in the Fairchild Challenge, an environmental education outreach program of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Tym Bonilla, Upper School Principal, said its a standards-based program that works into the curriculum. Students complete the project, and then the best are submitted into the competition at Fairchild. The 16 topscoring middle and high schools are awarded $250 to $1,000 for their environmental programs. “The program is competitive and allows students to showcase their talents,” Bonilla said. Through the Challenge, students research and critically evaluate environmental topics, become more actively engaged citizens, and come to appreciate more fully the beauty and value of nature. By blending content areas to create activities, projects, and “authentic experiences” that use the environment as an integrating context for learning, the Challenge promotes science literacy, civic engagement, creative expression, and lifelong learning in students and, by extension, in their respective circles of influence.
Three Plays to take the Stage
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The Jordan Alexander Ressler Performing Arts Department will stage three shows this year, allowing students from all divisions to showcase their talents. The program will begin with the Middle and Upper School comedy Beau Jest November 4-5, followed by the musical comedy Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda on March 11. Lower School will perform the Disney musical The Jungle Book May 12-16. Corey Feinsilver, Performing Arts Chair, encourages all students to try out for roles, even if they never have acted before. “I am excited about students who perform for the first time. They build confidence and develop as individuals,” she said.
Football Season Kicks Off for Lower, Middle and Upper School The varsity football team kicked-off its second year, middle school students are playing flag football, and for the first time, students in Grades 4-5 are part of a co-ed Lower School flag football league. The Lower School team has 22 players, coached by Jimmy Robertson and Tim Allen, and competes in the Jewish Independent League, said Athletic Director Cindy Lyon. Upper School started its season beating Westwood Christian and David Posnack Hebrew Day School. The next game will be against Princeton Academy on October 28 at the FIU north stadium. “The team has been working hard, and has totally committed itself to a successful season,” said Lyon. Middle school flag football, coached by Tim Allen, is continuing to play in the IAL league, but have also added games in the Jewish Independent League. At press time, the team ranked first in the North District League.
Guidance, New Tools Simplify College Application Process The process has started. Hillel seniors “Every year we have more acceptances to are writing essays, filling out applications top tier schools,” Wolf said. Last year nearly 90 and gathering recommendations to prepare percent of Hillel seniors were accepted to their for college entrance. Each year at Hillel, first-choice school and earned more than $1 million in merit-based scholarships. the process gets a little easier, as there are The college guidance office welcomed Dana more tools to help on the often stressful journey. Ponsky to its staff this summer. As the former “This year, students have another Director of Orientation at Barry University and advantage,” said Dr. Allan Wolf, Director Assistant Director of Orientation at University of College Counseling. The Common Dr. Allan Wolf, Director of of Miami, Ponsky has an insight into preparing Application, which reaches more than 350 College Counseling, and Dana students for college. Ponsky, Assistant Director of “After the application process, students colleges, has teamed with Naviance, a Web- College Counseling should also be educated about what to expect based college career planning resource. “It makes the whole process electronic, including teacher when they get to college. We are doing that at Hillel,” said Ponsky, who worked with college freshmen to register and prepare them recommendations and transcripts,” Wolf said. Students and parents are trained at school seminars to for their first year. “At the universities, I saw many students who use Naviance, which allows students to research any college were not prepared,” she said. for information and application requirements and track Ponsky graduated from University of Maryland and has a Hillel acceptances and applications submitted over the last masters in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State five years. University in Ohio. KOL HILLEL 7