Tatiana Wainer, Grade 7, was honored as a Miami Heat/Miami Herald Student of the Month on February 22. Selected among hundreds of South Florida students, she was recognized at center court before the Miami Heat/Indiana Pacers game at the AmericanAirlines Arena. During the pre-game shoot around, she and her fellow students of the month were congratulated by Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, former Miami Heat coach Ron Rothstein and Miami Heat center Amar’e Stoudemire. 

A special talent, Tatiana started playing varsity basketball this year…and is only in Grade 7. Tatiana was recognized for her sportsmanship on the court and her commitment to academics in the classroom. This reflection of Scheck Hillel core values is why the school nominated Tatiana as a Student of the Month.

“I have had the honor of coaching Tatiana since fourth grade in both volleyball and basketball,” reflected Cindy Lyon, Scheck Hillel’s Director of Athletics. “Tati is very talented and passionate. Her dedication to Scheck Hillel athletics is amazing.  I am so proud of her many accomplishments.” 

Watch the video of Tatiana’s special recognition here: Tatiana Wainer: Miami Heat/Herald Student of the Month

Galit Benalloun, Grade 10, earned special recognition for her piece, “Ahava”, in the RAVSAK Artists’ Beit Midrash: a RAVSAK Staff Pick in the Sculpture and Mixed Media (9-12) category. 

More than 800 students at 35 day schools around the world used their creativity and passion for text study to create original works - in the forms of photography, sculpture, mixed media, and drawing and painting - for RAVSAK’s annual Artists’ Beit Midrash. The Artists’ Beit Midrash provides elementary, middle, and high school students the ability to delve into Jewish sources and create art that draws inspiration from their studies. It speaks beautifully to Scheck Hillel’s Jordan Alexander Ressler Arts Program.

“Galit is a highly creative, self-motivated student,” said Advanced Placement art teacher Edith Shlesinger. “The art piece that she produced was her own creation. From beginning to end she worked tirelessly. Her inspiration shows throughout the piece. I'm extremely proud of Galit as her art teacher and commend her on winning the contest. A prize well-deserved!”

This year’s theme, Ahava (Love), was based on the 2015 curriculum produced by the Global Day of Jewish Learning. With the guidance of Scheck Hillel’s Advanced Placement art teacher Edith Shlesinger, students studied Jewish narratives and texts about love, and explored questions about love at first sight, love and favoritism, and loving Hashem. Through their art making process, students creatively interpreted the texts in new ways and wrote artist statements that allowed them to explore the meaning of love in their lives.  

Galit’s winning artwork is published on the RAVSAK website. 

“Love is considered beautiful once you have it,” Benalloun said, referring to her winning work. “Love is not easy to maintain if it's not real. Love is like a tree; all the effort put into nourishing it will show off. If the love is real, it will flourish, like a tree with lush roses. Love is like a sunset; all the beautiful fresh colors of the early morning bring joy and excitement. Love is natural and fresh, like a tree with lush roses and a colorful sunset.”

Mazal tov to Tatiana and Galit!! Scheck Hillel is so proud of you!

Congratulations to Nikki Gutierrez and Angela Williams, Ben Lipson Upper School science teachers, who were asked to present recent Scheck Hillel classroom projects to local educators at last week’s Dade County Science Teachers’ Association’s  K-12 STEM Conference: Spotlight on Science. The theme was STEM Project Ideas to Complement Science Content, and Scheck Hillel was the ideal model for local teaches.

Mrs. Williams presented the solar ovens and roller coasters that her Grade 8 students recently developed in their physical science class; she also led a scientific (and delish) ice cream demo that she conducts in class. Mrs. Gutierrez shared the cardboard car project she created for her Grade 6 integrated science students, along with variations to teach science faculty how they can adapt it to different age groups.

Written by Roberta Meisels, Kindergarten Teacher

"Honk your horn...beep... hustle, hustle, hurry!

Hot Rod's hot rod's sure in a hurry!"

With that refrain, Kindergarten concluded the first part of our literacy program, Meet the Superkids. Many of the children have begun to hit the gas while reading. Now that we can blend sounds, we are racing toward encoding and decoding words and even writing complete sentences! 

There may be some bumps in the road ahead, but Kindergarten is determined to get to the finish line...becoming independent readers. The Annual Hot Rod Car Race is our final project as we prepare for the next series of Superkids...Superkids Club. Click here to see the full gallery. 

In celebration of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss's birthday, Scheck Hillel's Early Childhood Education department explored the magic of reading through the National Education Association’s Read Across America. This is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading. A video of the week was produced by PKT’s Morah Lili Moryoussef.

The week kicked off with Cat in the Hat welcoming children in carpool and administrators reading Dr. Seuss books in the classrooms - many dressed as Dr. Seuss characters. ECE incorporated all areas of learning. For example… 

Math was taught through a Yertle the Turtle sizing activity sorting Montessori cubes smallest to largest, through another activity where students created their own size books and also through a One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish number matching game with different colored fish.  Reading The Foot Book , students measured their own footprints with unifix cubes. Literacy was covered with a What Pet Should I Get? letter recognition fishing game, and all grades emphasized rhyming and expansion of vocabulary.  Physical development was the focus of PE class and a Hop on Pop exercise hopping on rhyming letters. Social/Emotional lessons were shared when a couple classes brought in a fish and a lizard to teach care and responsibility, and they were reinforced through a beautiful celebration of community in a campus-wide Shabbat Dr. Seuss parade that showcased each classroom and their choice of Dr. Seuss book, cheered on by Grades 1-2. Music was infused throughout the classrooms and enriched the week.

Reading is important at school AND at home. As Morah Orly Dromi wrote to ECE parents earlier this week, young children experience multiple benefits when their family members read to them regularly. These include boosts in literacy development, social-emotional gains and increased likelihood of overall school success. Research indicates that children who are read to during infancy and preschool years develop better language skills. The magic of parental storytelling not only improves listening, but also broadens children’s interests and opens new worlds of discovery. Read at home, and we’ll keep reading here at school!

Even more than encouraging the pursuit of science, a science fair like the one hosted by Grades 3-5 this week develops students' research, writing, discussion and presentation skills. Students started this project in January and two months later, they showcased their research and findings. 

Parents, children, faculty and staff all came away learning something new after touring the fair. Projects covered a wide range of research including the development of a digital halagram, nail polish chemistry and paper towel endurance. Top winners from each grade follow. Mazal tov to all!

Musicians were inducted into Scheck Hillel’s Tri-M Music Honor Society Wednesday evening. This international music honor society for Grades 6-12 recognizes students for their academic and musical achievements, rewards them for their accomplishments and service activities, and inspires other students to excel at music and leadership.

Throughout the year, Tri-M members perform throughout the community, lead programming at school on campus and collaborate throughout their talents, skills and love for music and the arts.Tri-M is an opportunity offered to students through Scheck Hillel’s Jordan Alexander Ressler Arts Program. Mazal tov to 2016 inductees: 

Ariel Almkies – Cello

Daniela Jalfon - Flute

Sydney Lugo - Cello

Ariel Ohev-Zion - Violin

Madison Rosenblatt - Violin

Danielle Waijman- Trumpet

Isaac Zafrani - Percussions

Five students were selected to represent Scheck Hillel in the prestigious Young Ambassador for the Hebrew Language Program March 10. Mazal tov to junior Ali Wolf and sophomores Nathalie Fuhrman, Roy Glazer, Idan Polikar and Jonathan Woldenberg!

These students distinguished themselves with “outstanding achievements in Hebrew language.” Invitations were made based upon high achievement in Hebrew language, leadership and initiative. The event hosts acknowledged the students’ above-average performance as a direct result of efforts and strong focus.

The entire day was conducted in Hebrew and included a session with Deputy Consul General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico Revital Malka, as well as activities with four fellow South Florida Jewish high schools. 

Hosted by the Israeli American Council, Ha’Bait Ha’Israeli and the Hebrew Language Council, the program is designed to reinforce the value of Hebrew study and the use of the language as a tool of communication among teenagers from different schools and backgrounds. Another goal is to form a group of knowledgeable young people who support Israel and advocate for a strong connection with Israel and its language. 

Todah rabah to Ofra Mor, Scheck Hillel’s Hebrew Department Chair, Hebrew teacher/Shaliach Shai Ovadia and our B'not Sherut Hadas Goldberger and Shachaf Kats for planning this day for Scheck Hillel. And mazal tov to Ivrit morot Hedy Segal and Orit Obercyger, current Hebrew teachers of the participants. 

Congratulations to Scheck Hillel’s High School Geography Team A, who finished in an impressive third place at the annual Independent Schools of South Florida Geography Bee March 17. The annual bee is held at the Women's Club of Coral Gables and includes a variety of teams from South Florida private schools. Student teams competed in an academic-bowl style, working as a team to answer questions about geography, history, demography and cultural anthropology.  We are so proud of the team's hard work in preparation for this event.  Mazal tov to the teams:

Team 1

Jacobo Fux (Grade 12)
Abraham Milhem (Grade 12)
Eitan Newfield (Grade 12)
Ariel Taieb (Grade 10)
Ernesto Yogev (Grade 10)

Team 2

Daniel Abadi (Grade 11)
Claudio Bentata (Grade 11)
Alex Klimberg (Grade 11)
Jonathan Lanes (Grade 10)
Alex Fraynd (Grade 11)

Thank you to faculty advisors Ali Baltodano and Andrew Butler. 

The high school students then produced their own light bulbs building a super-battery (the photo’s white PVC tube covered in black electrical tape spirals) completely from scratch using hardware store tools, glass bottles, copper wires with alligator clips, toilet paper rolls, disposable aluminum pans and mechanical pencil lead.

The mechanical pencil lead represented the filament (resistor), so when the current transferred from the wires (conductor) to the filament (resistor), the electrons tried to force their way through to complete the circuit. Ultimately, the mechanical pencil lead heated and gave off bright, glowing light!

This was a great demonstration because it engaged all of the students as they developed a deeper understanding of not only how a circuit works, but of the different roles of conductors and resistors within.  Scheck Hillel offers Physics at Advanced Placement (AP), Honors and College Preparation (CP) levels as part of a comprehensive science and STEM curriculum. Special thanks to physics instructor Julia Ahadie for designing and facilitating such an enlightening lesson!

Scheck Hillel’s varsity girls’ tennis team will take on Ransom Everglades Tuesday, April 5, at 3:00 PM, at Crandon Park (7300 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne 33149). This is the sixth consecutive year for our Lions to advance to this Regional tennis competition. Congrats to the team!

Orli Algranatti (Grade 8)
Gabriella Bonwitt (Grade 7)
Alexa Cohen (Grade 9)
Raquel Dimitri (Grade 9)
Sarah Dreyfuss (Grade12)
Leah Savir (Grade 11)
Nicole Toledano (Grade 10)
Sarah Waxman (Grade 11)
Coach Ildiko Csordas

Thanks for cheering on all of our girls this Tuesday. Go Lions!

Scheck Hillel Community School is honored to announce the 2016-17 Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassadors: outstanding students who exemplify leadership and achieve in academics, extracurricular activities or service learning. They represent the school’s values, striving to reach their maximum potential as lifelong learners, and stand tall among our next generation of committed, knowledgeable leaders. The Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassador Program is Scheck Hillel’s first merit-based scholarship of its kind.

While Scheck Hillel is blessed and proud to have so many talented, accomplished students, the number of Ambassadors for each year is limited. Only 10 of the record nearly 80 students who participated in the rigorous application process were named Ambassadors. The application required students to write an essay, produce a video and formulate a resume. Finalists advanced to the second phase and also completed a panel interview. 

In recognition of their achievement and with great appreciation for the Gilinski family, mazal tov to this eighth generation of Ambassadors! Visit eHillel.org to learn more about the Gilinski Hillel Ambassador Program. 

Mazal Tov to Our Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassadors!
(2016-17 Grade Levels)  

Mazal Tov to Our Finalists!

(2016-17 Grade Levels)

Hannah Stern (Grade 7)

Mauricio Fuhrman (Grade 8)

Joseph Guenoun (Grade 8)

Rebeca Kamhazi (Grade 8)

Myles Gilbert (Grade 9)

Stephanie Weisinger (Grade 9)

Alex Wagenberg (Grade 9)

Samuel Levy (Grade 9)

Joseph Rimon (Grade 9)

Alexa Cohen (Grade 10)

Esther Benasayag (Grade 10)

Abraham Woldenberg (Grade 10)

Hannah Fiske (Grade 11)

Jordana Zaken (Grade 12)

The vision of the Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassador Program is to honor students who show exceptional commitment to education and Scheck Hillel, encouraging the lifelong learning and leadership that Jewish continuity requires.

Written by Athena Hadjixenofontos, Upper School Science Teacher

Scheck Hillel’s Grade 9 Engineering and Grade 10 Biomedical Engineering students have been working hard all semester designing, building and testing innovative devices that improve the human experience or human health. They persevered as they iteratively improved their designs and explicitly considered the advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches toward solving each problem that developed.

Our student's efforts culminated with the presentation of their projects at the Young Engineers Conference sponsored by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) at David Posnack Jewish Day School on April 13. This experience is part of Scheck Hillel’s multi-year STEM curriculum and offerings, which begin in the Juda and Maria Diener Lower School.   

“The conference was an incredible opportunity to explore innovations made by young minds just like mine,” said Lily Schmutter (Class of 2018). “The creativity and pride of the students presenting their projects had a profound impact on me.”

Projects explored a range of creative innovations!

• Sleep apnea monitor for premature babies that sends off a vibration to the nurse when a baby has stopped breathing
• SMART shirt that detects when you are slouching and sets of a little vibration motor to let you know to correct your posture
• Magnetic wall bot that attaches to whiteboards and erases them with the push of a button
• Modified, improved backpack that doubles up as posture support
• Automatic fish feeder
• Bluetooth-enabled wristband that takes advantage of bone conductance to allow you to answer and talk on the phone using the tip of your finger
• System that automatically detects and identifies the owners of registered guns when somebody carrying them walks through a door
• Vibrating alarm pillow with both auditory and vibration alarm modes

Take a look at the projects here.

Scheck Hillel Community School continued to make history April 18 in what’s proving to be a banner 2015-16 school year when it placed first in the TechnionJewish Day School Challenge, created by RAVSAK and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The students’ mission was to build a Rube Goldberg machine in the spirit of Pesach and inspired by the intricate 2015 Technion Rube Goldberg machine. A Rube Goldberg machine is a contraption or device that is deliberately over-engineered to perform a simple task in a complicated fashion, generally including a chain reaction. 

More than 600 students from 41 Jewish day schools in Europe, North America, Australia, and Africa participated in the Challenge. Scheck Hillel students Malvina Dimitri, Zachary Lemmer, Sadie Slomovitz andHannah Stern, all Grade 6 of the Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School, were led by science teacher Dr. Athena Hadjixenofontos and technology teacher Mr. Charles Mahoney.

“The Technion Jewish Day School Challenge is an excellent representation of Scheck Hillel Community School’s mission, vision and values,” said Dr. Ezra Levy, Scheck Hillel’s Head of School. “It reinforces 21^stcentury day school education as the source of promise for a bright Jewish future, empowering our rising generation with developed skills, cultivated talents and fueled passion for science, technology, engineering and math, guided by Jewish identity and values that will endure.”

“In partnership with Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, we were able to create an amazing new opportunity for students to blend their commitments to Jewish learning with the sciences, foster a connection to post-secondary education, and prompt them to apply their knowledge of Pesach traditions in a completely innovative way,” said Dr. Marc N. Kramer, RAVSAK’s Co-Executive Director.

Students followed a rigorous rubric, which called for the machines to ultimately reveal a Seder plate. In the weeks leading up to the Challenge deadline, students tinkered away, and got insider tips from world-renowned Technion Mechanical Engineering Professor Alon Wolf and other Technion faculty. The Challenge for these student volunteers was a perfect fit within Scheck Hillel's STEM curriculum.

"I am delighted to see the Technion’s role in inspiring all of the participants to do such great work,” said Prof. Yoram Halevi, Dean of the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. “You have inspired us, as well, and we hope to see you grow and succeed in your science paths.”  

“Our students thoroughly enjoyed putting together their Rube Goldberg machine, simultaneously building the machine itself, connecting with their teammates, and enriching their understanding of Pesach,” Dr. Levysaid. 

“The Technion is thrilled to have launched this new initiative together with RAVSAK,” said Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie. “In an ever-changing world we need to find new and relevant ways to connect younger generations of the Jewish people with Israel. What better way to do so than a thought-provoking, fun competition that has a strong STEM education focus? Congratulations to all who participated. I hope to see you all at the Technion – as students – in a few years,” he concluded. 

On April 20, Jacqueline Gorin, Grade 5, Rotem Miara, Grade 8, and Shana Cohen, Grade 11, of Scheck Hillel Community School, were honored at the Independent Schools of South Florida (ISSF) Star Awards Ceremony, which annually recognizes outstanding students.

ISSF describes Star Award recipients as those who set an example for others to follow, whether in the home, school or community. The students excel in areas like: academics, community service, citizenship, fine art, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance, and attitude.

ISSF serves as an information network, bringing important speakers and programs to its member schools. ISSF provides continuing education and certification programs for educators through its annual seminars and continuing education courses. Mazal tov!

“May our promise to never forget guide us to a bright Jewish future.”
 -Dr. Ezra Levy, Head of School 

Scheck Hillel students commemorated Yom HaShoah in multiple cities Thursday, while campus welcomed a VIP Knesset delegation from Israel.

May 12, 2016

Contact: Ilana Lipson-Cohen
305.481.3075

Scheck Hillel Community School’s Salutatorian Named National Merit® Scholar
8 Scheck Hillel Seniors Receive National Recognition 

North Miami Beach, Fla. – Scheck Hillel Community School’s 2016 salutatorian Ariel Gelrud has been named a 2016 National Merit Scholar, standing out from more than 1.5 million high school students across the nation. As a winner, Gelrud has earned a $2,500 scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Gelrud will attend the University of Pennsylvania this fall. 

Valedictorian Steven Bursztyn, who also will graduate to the University of Pennsylvania, and Ilana Woldenberg, who will attend Barnard College-Columbia University, have been named Finalists; Jaqueline Alman (Tulane University) is a Semi-Finalist. National Commended Scholars include Sivanne Mendelson (University of Miami), Abraham Milhem (University of Pennsylvania) and Tamar Mizrahi (Florida International University). National Hispanic Scholars include Jacqueline Alman, Steven Bursztyn, Ariel Gelrud, Abraham Milhem, Ilana Woldenberg and Joseph Wolf (University of Michigan).

“We congratulate Ariel, his peers recognized today and their families,” said Dr. Ezra Levy, Scheck Hillel’s Head of School. “To be named a National Merit Scholar is an incredible achievement, especially when we consider the rigor and competition in our nation’s schools. These students’ stellar academic records paired with their values, character and leadership are a source of pride for our school and community.”

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

This year’s competition for National Merit Scholarships began in October 2014 when over 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools took the Preliminary sat/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (psat/nmsqt®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. Only these 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

From the Semifinalist group, 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2016 program, about 7,500 Finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of about $33 million in college scholarships. 

NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 440 independent corporate and college sponsors that share nmsc’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.

About Scheck Hillel Community School

From early childhood through Grade 12, Scheck Hillel Community School educates and inspires students to become exemplary global citizens with enduring Jewish identity, values and a commitment to the State of Israel, through a college preparatory curriculum and meaningful co-curricular experiences, guided by Orthodox teachings and set within a nurturing, diverse community. Scheck Hillel is the second-largest Jewish community day school in North America, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and an International Baccalaureate® (IB) World School. For information, please visit eHillel.org or eHillel.org/NationalMerit.