We learn in the third perek of Kohelet that there is a "time for everything." "LaKol zeman v'eit le'chal chefetz tachat hashamayim....... Eit livkot v'eit lischok; eit sefod v'eit rekod." "There is a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to eulogize and a time to dance."

During these last two weeks, we have experienced a full range of emotions. Joy, excitement, and pride... when our Basketball Sonics won the 11th Championship in its history....when our Torah Bowl team won its 2nd Championship title in a row....when our Mock Trial team advanced in the competition but subsequently ended its run....when our Model Congress team won several awards...when each grade participated in meaningful chesed projects involving Maot Chitim (9th), working with the developmentally disabled (10th), producing a Haggada and special kiruv program for JEP children (11th) and creating a unique kiruv program at a school for immigrant children (12th).

These last days we connected with the plight of our beloved graduate and friend Aviva Aryeh a"h. We davened, we said Tehilim, we learned Torah and performed chesed in her zechut and hoped with all of our hearts that she would have a refuah shleima. Her classmates as well as girls who never met her were dedicated in performing mitzvot on her behalf. We shared a sense of hope and then deep disappointment and grief that her short life was over.

Aviva Rachel bat Immanuel, a'h, you will continue to be our hero and role model. Your midot, your goodness, your spirituality, your chayn, your love of Torah, your desire for personal growth, your deep concern for others and your angelic voice will continue to be a source of inspiration for those who knew you at SKA and those who learned so much about you during this difficult week.

During these difficult times, we look to Hashem for guidance and strength for the Aryeh family and our entire community. "Essa einai el he-harim, mai-ayin yavo ezri"

May the message of Pesach bring us joy and strength and the ultimate geulah. "B'Nissan nigalu uva'Nissan atidin le'hegael........

May Shabbat Hagadol bring much needed nechama! Chag Kasher V'sameach!

It was an amazing sight; 12 girls were sitting on a stage and reciting specific details about Sefer Shemot with Rashi. With Hashem’s help and through countless hours of dedicated study, our SKA girls managed to answer the maximum amount of questions. We won the Torah Bowl High School League Championship!!!!! Nt only did SKA exhibit a high level of excellence, we had the best spirit as well. Many girls, from all grades and ages came to support the Team. Cries of “SKA ALL THE WAY!” helped our team achieve what it did. Yeshar Koach to the Torah Bowl Team, and to its magnificent coach-Mrs. Menchel!

SKA Wins Eleventh Title in a Row! SKA's seniors came out strong wanting to win their last game and a championship. SKA led 35-10 at the half but Magen David Yeshiva came out strong in the second half and started chipping away but it wasn’t enough. MDY's Linda Nissim scored 14 in the second half (17 for the game) and Molly Beyda 8. There was no one superstar for SKA. Seven seniors, seven underclassmen were all superstars. Captain PG Lisa Ogorek was pressured by MDY’s full court press but never let it get to her and she had 13 assists along with her 14 points. Jaclyn Ramras was powerful down low and drew numerous fouls which got her to the line with the game tight and converted on 8 of 12, finishing with 14 points. Her rebounds were generally converted into fast breaks. Captain Rachel Genuth was a formidable opponent for MDY, her tenacious defense and quick hands producing many steals and she finished with 9. Naomi Kramer was a presence in the middle pulling down 15 rebounds which anchored SKA on the defensive end, leading to second chance baskets on the offensive end. She finished with 3 but her defense and rebounds were key to the win. Captain Deena Klein walked away with the the MVP award- Deena has been a key player all season - leading the team on every fast break with her many steals. Deena doubled as a point guard when needed. She has a deadly 3-point shot and was high scorer for the season with 151 points. Off the bench, seniors Gabrielle Graber and Danielle Todfeld come out strong. Gabrielle's long arms make it very difficult for anyone to shoot over and her 5-foot jumper from the side is a killer shot. Her speed is what kept SKA going. Her fresh legs gave the team a push off the bench and her man to man defense stopped anyone in her way.

These seven seniors will be sorely missed. Their talent is unreal and when you watch them play together they are a pleasure to watch, They are unselfish and all trust each other on the court. The bench, the core of next year’s squad, combined for 12 points. Special Hakarat hatov to Coach Esther Oppenheimer.

The 9th grade had the opportunity to be involved in the mitzvah of feeding poor for Pesach when they spent time packing, decorating and delivering boxes of food to the Russian community in Kew Gardens, Queens. A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Sam Gross for donating countless cartons of food and supplies that will enable these families to eat properly over Pesach. The girls set up an assembly line and proceeded to pack all the items – gefilte fish, matzah, grape juice and much more – into 50 cartons, ensuring that each family receives the necessary amounts. With music in the background and the mitzvah of maos chittim permeating the room, the girls painted the boxes in an array of colors and shapes, ensuring that they would look as exciting as what they contained inside.

On Tuesday, they personally delivered the cartons to the Russian recipients. They prepared afikomen bags to decorate with them and were excited to see their happy, grateful faces in reaction to the beautiful boxes. In reward for their hard work the girls enjoyed lunch at Shimon's Pizza and ice cream at Max and Minnas on the way home. A good time was had by all and a sense of accomplishment was felt by the entire 9th grade!

After much preparation by the Chesed Heads led by Daniella Hirsch and Rebecca Weinstein, the Spring 2006 Blood Drive was a huge success. The steady stream of students, faculty and parents enabled us to collect 49 pints of blood for Long Island Blood Services. Much thanks goes to all those who donated, as well as the many girls who helped throughout the day.

This week SKA had the amazing opportunity of participating in Yeshiva League Model Congress. There they performed amazingly as acting congressional committees, such as Foreign Affairs and a Crisis Committee. They ended up doing an outstanding job, taking home quite a few awards, with Emily Levine, Shevi Zinberg, Mijal Bitton taking home trophies. Congratulations to all the participants and special thanks to Miss Kobre, team advisor.

"Healthy Choices" was the theme of this year's Health Fair given on Tuesday, March 28th. Coordinated by Mrs. Rochel Block, our students were given an action-packed morning. After davening and a healthy breakfast, the students heard from Mrs. Rachel Pill, social worker and SKA parent, as the kickoff speaker. Do you enjoy kickboxing, pilates, yoga, or jump roping? These were just some of the physical activities our students chose from as part of their morning. They continued with choices such as street smarts- given by police officers from the 4th precinct, healthy smiles, learning to eat right, mind-body connection, and healthy cooking. The program closed with Mrs. Raizy Tauber, who wrapped up the morning. All in all, it was an informative and healthy way to start the day in a meaningful way.

On Thursday, April 6th, thirteen freshmen participated in a joint program between SKA and HALB Lev Chana Preschool. In honor of Pesach, the girls went into the five nursery classes and taught and reviewed the Ten Makot. They didn’t just teach the Makot, they had real life objects to make the Makot become more alive – For example, a plastic frog for the 2nd Makah – Frogs!!! The girls used their teaching, collaboration and acting skills to make this program the success that it was. Not only did the preschoolers get their very own Makot kit to take home they also had a chance to see and learn from the ‘older girls.’ We look forward to more programs between the two ends of the HALB family. Special thanks to Mrs. Sara Leah Haber and to Mrs. Debbie Rubel for coordinating the program.

Over the past two weeks, the freshman class took a break from their regular schedule and participated in a two-part stress management seminar, facilitated by Ms. Aliza Schulman, LCSW from Jewish Board of Child and Family Services and coordinated by our school social worker, Ms. Ilana Keehn, LCSW. The students immediately welcomed this topic and were eager to gain insight through interactive discussions about causes and symptoms of stress as well as prevention through coping and management. Students described an array of stressful areas under the categories of social, home and school pressures, and enjoyed having a sense of humor about many common details they shared within these categories. Two surveys helped students measure stress factors in their individual lives so that they could become more aware of how to combat stress in their particular situation.

During the second portion of the seminar, the students listened to a relaxation tape and this was used as a springboard to evaluate varied relaxation methods which can be effective for different individuals. Preventing stress by, for instance, maintaining a network of friends, eating correctly and taking daily breaks (including Shabbos) were identified as ways to deter stress from building. Taking up hobbies, music and exercise were suggested as ways of managing stress. The importance of regularly assessing and maintaining a healthy “balance” between work, play, social supports and self nurturing was presented as an invaluable life skill.

During the sessions the students were enthusiastic, communicative, and benefitted from having the opportunity to learn and share with one other on this important topic. Students found it especially helpful to receive some immediate feedback from Ms. Schulman about their specific questions and to realize that others often shared similar concerns. We look forward to completing the program for all the freshmen on Thursday, April 27 and we thank Ms. Schulman for her warmth, professionalism, and expertise in this area.

Last Thursday, Mrs. Haber led the 4th TZEMACH program for the 9th and 10th grades. This program addressed a very important topic that taught the students about appreciating the developmentally disabled population. The girls watched a touching movie that helped change their views in a more positive way. Workshops, run by the teachers, taught practical tips for communicating more successfully and comfortably with the developmentally disabled. It was a wonderful session that could be applied to their everyday lives. For the Sophomores, this program served as perfect preparation for their pre- Pesach Otzar visit.

When we heard that our Otzar friends would be returning to SKA, we were ecstatic and it only added to the excitement that we each got to choose which workshop we wanted to plan, prepare and run for the Otzar members. Two groups chose to run relay races ranging from “sweep the chametz” to “build the pyramid.” One group wrote a Pesach skit and made costumes and props to go along with it and another assembled “makkot kits” with which to teach about the ten plagues. One group prepared an oversized haggadah for the Otzar members to color in and take home and another designed a Pesach-themed gameshow.

The much anticipated visit finally arrived this week and what fun it was! We greeted our friends and took them to the classrooms that had been transformed into our six activity centers. Every ten minutes the Otzar members switched rooms and in that way had a chance to experience each of the Pesach workshops. When we were done we joined together in the auditorium for a delicious lunch of pizza, salad and donuts followed by singing, dancing and some real bonding. The Otzar advisors could not stop thanking us but really, it was us who should be thanking them for a truly enjoyable and inspirational morning!

The senior class did a wonderful chesed this Tuesday by going to Gymnasia, a school for Russian immigrants to learn more about Judaism. The Senior class made “Makot Bags” for the kids. They used scissors, tape, glue, stickers, and paper to create a symbolic representation of each of the ten makot to bring home to their families. The kids were grateful for a fun crafts project to do, and the teachers were grateful for cheering them up. Thank you to Mrs. Yudin and Mrs. Kraft for coordinating this kiruv program.

Last Tuesday night, the 11th grade girls hosted the children from JEP (Jewish Educational Program) to share with them the pesach experience. Various rooms were set up by the girls, detailing, through fun games and prizes, the story of yitziat mitzraim, as well as the Pesach seder and its customs. The JEP boys and girls were able to get involved and learn about Pesach, while simultaneously having a great time. They were treated to tasty ice cream, followed by a raffle, with tickets they won from answering Pesach trivia questions. Special thanks to our grade level advisors Mrs. Belizon and Miss Fragin.