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SKAppenings |
Parshat Vayechi
12 Tevet 5768
December 21, 2007 |
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Midterms Schedule Coming Soon
ATTENTION
ALUMNAE
Please keep us informed of important
happenings in your personal and professional lives. It will be our pleasure
to post your news in our next SKAPPENINGS! Please email us at
hspirn@skahalb.org
CLASS of 1998: Stay tuned for information on your grade's 10 Year
Reunion
Class of 2007: Your Israel Reunion will take place on Monday
evening, January 21st at 8:00PM at Michlalah.
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A Message from Mrs. Spirn
In Parshat Vayechi, Yaacov Aveinu gives individual berachot to each of his
children before his petira. A study of the various berachot
reflects Yaacov's deep insights into his sons' special qualities and their
unique strengths and challenges. The berachot also reflect his
understanding of their individuality and their unique characteristics and
attributes. Yaacov Avinu understood who his children were and what they had
to offer the future of the Jewish people.
Here it is Erev Shabbos and Erev Production weekend. I have been here
every night this week with over 150 of our students and our very talented
Director, Mrs. Terry Wagner. Although exhausted, we had an amazing
week as we watched our Production reach a level of readiness. I am awed by
our students' energy, their creativity and their special talents.
It has been inspiring to watch our students glow on the stage as they deftly
display the unique talents Hashem has bestowed upon them. Singing,
dancing, acting, signing and participating in our band......painting,
lighting, sound, curtains, props......tickets, raffles, refreshments,
ushering......Baybill production.....What an amazing array of talent and
effort! What an incredible display of individuality!
How our girls are realizing their potential in non-academic areas too!
We are anticipating close to 1,000 people here this weekend at 3
presentations of MiDor L'Dor. We trust that all of you will
enjoy the show and will recognize the unique contributions of our student
body. May we be blessed to celebrate their expression of talent and
individuality as we see our daughters use their special gifts L'Shem
U'letiferet.
Girls, may you be blessed to
recognize your special gifts and may you always be zocheh to develop them in
ways that bring you and others satisfaction and fulfillment. Rest up over
Shabbos! I know you need to replenish yourselves.
Shabbat
Shalom! See you all at Production! |
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Nescafe and Chanukah Auction Raise Enough Money to Sponsor a Wedding for Simchat
Tzion
Chanukah at
SKA is a time like no other! For eight days, the building pulsates with chesed
and other fun activities. One very special activity this year was a first
- a NesCafe store run by the G.O.
SKA
sponsored the cookies, muffins, coffee and pies and students
and faculty lined up to purchase the goodies. The "store" was a major
success and the profits went to Simchat Tzion, an
organization in Israel that raises money to make weddings for orphans. Added to
this money, was the money raised at the SKA annual Chanukah Privilege Auction.
There was furious bidding as the students tried to obtain the "goods, services
and privileges" while at the same time giving tzedaka. The
result was that the whole school was able to raise enough money to sponsor one
wedding and have loads of fun at the same time!!
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Freshmen Hot Skates Chanukah Trip
On Chanukah, SKA brought the ninth graders to Hot Skates.
Some students brought their own blades, others rented roller
skates and for those who did not want to roller blade, there were plenty of
games to play in the arcade. The music was fabulous and brought an upbeat
flavor to the morning. While it was "fun" to fall down and " funny" to see
others fall, it was really special to
watch that when ever someone fell there was always a friend near by to help.
It was a great opportunity for the ninth graders to become united and enjoy
some Chanukah fun. Special thanks to Mrs. Segal and Mrs Leibtag our
wonderful Grade Level Advisors, and to the Parent Council for subsidizing
this event.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES |
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Sophomore Have a Blast Scavenging Through Boro Park
The tenth grade celebrated Chanukah with a fun and exciting
Scavenger Hunt in Boro Park, Brooklyn. The girls divided up into groups of 7
or 8 and each group was given a list of 10 items, all relating to Chanukah. The
object of the game was to collect all of the items on the list, spending the
LEAST amount of money possible. The girls headed off to the stores of Boro Park,
trying to amass the items on their lists in the most creative way. After an
hour, the girls met at Amnon's Pizza where they ate and presented their
"finds." It was a great way to celebrate and enjoy Chanukah! Special thanks to
Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Smulevitz who organized this fun morning.
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Juniors Bake for Hachnasat Kallah
As Chanukah was coming to a
close, half of the eleventh grade headed to Mrs. Spirn's house
or Mrs. Storch's house to bake for Hachnasat Kallah.
The girls baked rice krispie treats, cakes, chocolate cream pies and
cookies, which were then sold at the Parent Teacher Conferences
for Simchat Tzion.
The result of the eleventh graders' great culinary skills
was that they were able to raise a substantial amount for this tzedaka.
Thank you to Miss Chambre and Mrs. Gross for this wonderful day and to Mrs.
Spirn and Mrs. Storch for opening up their kitchens to the SKA bakers!
As half of the eleventh grade went to bake, the other half went to
pack clothing at a home in Woodmere. The girls packed different types of
clothing for all age groups which will be distributed in two
cities in Israel. Usually 30 boxes are packed, but this year, with the help of
the SKA girls, over 65 boxes of clothes were prepared
for people in Eretz Israel. The girls really enjoyed working with each
other to help others.We thank Miss Chambre and Mrs. Gross for giving them this
wonderful opportunity.
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Sophomores and SKA Class of '05 Mark the Shloshim of Mrs. Shari Siman-Tov a"h
Tenth graders
and alumnae, classmates of Rochel Chaya ( tenth grader)
and Ariella Siman-Tov( SKA 05) ,
gathered in the SKA auditorium on Monday, December 17, 2007, to mark the
conclusion of shloshim of the petirah of Mrs. Shari Siman-Tov a"h.
Words of
inspiration and chizuk were presented by Mrs. Spirn who introduced the
program and noted that above all else Mrs. Siman-Tov was a dedicated mother to
her children even during the years of her illness. Yael Haar (SKA '05)
continued by highlighting some of Mrs. Siman-Tov's extraordinary characteristics
that Yael would encounter whenever she came to visit. Her poignant words infused
with humor touched on Mrs. Siman-Tov's unique nature.
Students were
presented with specially prepared booklets " Lilmod al M'nat La'asot" in
which five midot were highlighted through stories and
articles. The students broke into groups to learn one of
these midotand were asked
to make a " kabbalah" , individually or as a group,
taking upon
themselves the responsibility of working on that midah
in concrete ways.
The
culmination of the program was tefillat mincha which was
dedicated l'iluy nishmat Sarah Mazal Tov bat Moshe. What a beautiful and
meaningful program it was for such a special woman!
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SKA Students Celebrate Chanukah
Around the World
Michal Schulman- Laitzan in Israel
Two years ago, Michal Schulman joined Lev Leytzan, an
organization that trains teenagers to be medical clowns. During
the year, the teens go to different hospitals and nursing homes in
New York to bring some simcha into the lives of the patients.
The highlight of the year
is the Chanukah trip to Israel. This year Lev Leytzan took 10 teenagers,
including Michal, who traveled for 8 days and clowned throughout the country.
They visited Hadassah and Shaarey Tzedek
hospitals in Yerushlayim and the Migdal Ohr orphanage. Chayeinu
and Chai Lifeline in Israel
joined forces with the program and took "the clowns" to the homes of patients
and their families so that there could be some fun and
cheer in homes that usually have none. In addition to the clowning, the teens
also brought gifts, donated by Robbie Schonfeld , the creator of
The Ossie Schonfeld Memorial Toy Fund for all the children that we visited.
"This was an unbelievable experience that I will never forget," said Michal. " I
was privileged to experience Chanukah in a way that I would have never dreamed
possible."
Miriam Rosen-
Chanukah in the White House
On the 7th night of Chanukah, Miriam Rosen accompanied her father to
the White House to celebrate Chanukah with the President of the United
States and the First Lady. Upon arriving, they were escorted into a big
dining room with a giant buffet of entirely kosher food. The room,
which was filled with Jewish leaders from all over the country ,
even had a washing station set up to accommodate the guests. After eating and
mingling, Miriam and her father took their places on a short line to meet and
have their pictures taken with the President and his wife. When
they reached the front of the line, the guard announced "Mr. Phil Rosen and his
daughter Miriam."
"The President greeted me and asked me to stand next to him," said Miriam. "For
the first time in my life, I was speechless. It was unbelievable to actually be
standing next to the President of my country. For that picture, my smile was
bigger than it had ever been before. The President said to me, 'Miriam, you are
a very lucky girl to have come here today with your father,' and indeed I was.
It was an amazing experience that I will never forget."
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Parent Teacher Conferences
The first
SKA Parent Teacher Conferences of the year took place on
Wednesday
night, December 12, 2007.
Parents once again signed up for the six minute meetings by
using the automated system which allowed
them to have compact schedules and meet with teachers
in a timely manner. There were no long lines and the evening ran smoothly.
Parents were also able to request a phone appointment when a personal
appointment was not possible.
The evening
focused on communication between parents and teachers to better help our girls
grow and reach their potential. At the same time, some fun was added to the
evening, with a bake sale of delicious cakes and cookies made
by the Juniors, proceeds going to Simchat
Tzion. There was also a split the pot raffle- and
the winner was Mrs. Rochelle Gold. Special thanks to Mrs. Storch-
who organized the Bake Sale and Raffle.
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Chana Rosa's Art Show
On December 9, 2007, 11th
grader Chana Rosa Petrokovsky's art works
were put on display at the Art Center in Great Neck along with the works
of another girl, Lily Hoyda. Chana Rosa's works continue to be displayed
until January 2nd. The event took three years to plan.
"I knew that many of the pieces exhibited would be from the work I did
when I was very young, " said Chana Rosa. "Thank G-d, the exhibit turned out
amazing. The pictures were displayed beautifully and I was able to explain my
paintings to the many people who arrived. I was also able to sell many
paintings. It was very successful event and encourages me to this day to
continue drawing."
We are proud that Chana Rosa is a member of our Art Academy and know that she
will continue to produce fine works of art.
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12th Grade Advanced Fitness Shabbaton
This past Shabbos, the 12th Grade Advanced Fitness Class,
Ayelet Brecher, Ayelet Chovev, Sara Aleeza Kessler, Yael Leiderman, Shifra
Nelson, Daniella Newman, Jamie Rothman, Shira Wadler, and Henna Warman,
went to Mrs. Block's house for Shabbos. At the Shabbos meals,
only healthy food was served. All the girls cooked the side dishes, while
Mrs. Block provided the main dishes. After
Shabbos, the girls asked for each other's recipes because all the food was
so delicious and healthy too!
Thank you to Mrs. Block for so much fun and a healthy Shabbos. P.S Your
children are soooo cute!!
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Early Decision Acceptances
Mazal
Tov to Rebecca Eichenbaum and Rachel Rosen on their acceptances to Barnard
College and to Debra Friedman on her acceptance to Brandeis University. We are
so proud of you and your achievements!
We are now completing the Israel school interviews and college applications are
being sent out. We wish everyone much hatzlacha as they seek the best schools
for their continued learning!!
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TLN: Torah Learning Network
at Stern College
On Thursday night, December 20, 2007, TLN, Torah
Learning Night , was held at Stern College, where over
three hundred students joined to learn together.
We were proud to have an SKA delegation accompanied by
Ms. Borg. Students learned b'chavrusa
with the madrichot and there was a
delicious Dougies dinner for everyone to enjoy.
Our own Mrs. Yudin gave a wonderful shiur on
hakarat hatov that inspired everyone.
Although people could have been doing other things with
their night, it was beautiful to see so many students
learning Torah together. It was truly
inspirational night that was enjoyed by all.
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Production!!
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SKA Community Wide Lecture Series for Women
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Lilmod Ule'Lamed for Mothers and Alumnae!
Our Lilmod Ule'lamed Program
for HALB mothers and alumnae will continue at SKA on Tuesday, December 25th,
at 12:00 PM, with Rabbi Rothman's series on "The Obligation of Women in
Mitzvot - What Are The Rules?"
This shiur is being sponsored by
the Brach family in loving memory of Shmuel ben Yechezkel Shraga, a"h.
If you would like to reserve a date(s) to sponsor this year's Lilmod
Ule'lamed, please feel free to contact Mrs. Spirn at hspirn@skahalb.org or
at 374-7195, ext. 155.
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SKA Freshmen Father-Daughter Breakfast and Fun!
WHEN: Tuesday morning,
December 25th, 9:15-11:15 am
Come join us for
two hours of quality time with your daughter and
friends. Come spend time at SKA and feel the achdut of
your daughter's class and our school's special ruach.
Grandfathers and uncles are welcome replacements for
those fathers who are unable to attend.
The
breakfast is being sponsored by the Brach, Goldstein,
and Zehnwirth families.
We look forward to an
exciting morning of father-daughter bonding.
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