What a blast we had at last night's Purim Chagiga! What could be better when you've got great entertainment (Shloime Dachs and company), great food (Dougie's favorites), great company (SKA student body and faculty dressed in their absolute finest garb) and great shtick (provided by the G.O., Limudei Kodesh faculty members, the Administration, 11th graders and Mrs. Isseroff) The ruach was incredible and the dancing was awesome.

The costumes were wild and zany and were really the culmination of two weeks of outrageous style, as each grade did their best to make "the" Purim fashion statement of the season. What a scene! We encountered cheerleaders, Miss Congeniality, hippies, Peter Pan and other Disney characters, a baker, little girls, old women, a frog, Rabbi Rothman in wedding gear, adorable children of our faculty, and an oversized baby crawling around the floor with a pacifier! (I personally thought the baby was pretty funny and brave; the experience must have been hard on her knees!) Special thanks to the G.O. Board and G.O. Advisor Miss Blisko for planning a fantastic Chagiga that will be remembered by many for years to come!

We are excited that each grade will have the opportunity to get together this evening, following the Megila reading, and feel true Simchat Purim! Mini-Chagigot will be held for the Freshmen at the home of Grade Level Advisor Mrs. Leibtag, for the Sophomores at the home of Chanita Engelberg, and for the Juniors at the home of Rabbi Rothman. The Seniors will begin their evening at the home of Lauren Genachowski and then will be bringing their special ruach to other classmate's homes. Hakarat Hatov to all of our hostesses!

Kudos to all of our art students whose magnificent work was displayed at our first Art Show. Hakarat HaTov to Mrs. Libin and Mrs. Wald.We are proud that twenty of our musical students will be participating in a High School Choir Competition sponsored by the One Israel Fund this Sunday. Mazal Tov to our Science Olympiad team who performed superbly this past Sunday and won a number of awards. Mazal Tov to our Mock Trial Team who made it to the Quarter Finals and ended their competitive run with grace and aplomb. Mazal Tov to our College Bowl Team who recently completed its season; special commendation to the JV Team who ended with a 6-4 record. Mazal Tov to 11th grader Gittel Klein who qualified with her outstanding performance in the local Chemistry Olympiad. Mazel Tov to Emily Levine, Sheva Odzer, and Michelle Zomber, students in our Science Research Class, on their winning Honorable Mention.

Here's to an exciting and simchadik Purim! May you all experience a freilichin Purim with your classmates and families and may we feel special meaning as we recite "Layehudim Haysa Orah V'Simcha v'Sasson V' Yakar.

Chag Purim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

On Wednesday, March 16th, history was set at SKA. The now "first annual" Art Exhibit was a resounding success. Almost two hundred pieces of art were on display in the "SKA Gallery", formally the SKA Auditorium.

The variety of artwork was astounding. From pencils and pastels to oils and drawings, paintings and experimental pieces were displayed. Parents, grandparents, students, siblings and friends all enjoyed the classical evening which included dessert and soft music to add to the ambiance. The evenings' events were organized by Mrs Libin, Coordinator of the Art Department and Director of the Art Academy and Mrs. Wald, our 9th grade Art teacher, who have inspired their students to tremendous creativity and growth. Many students even expressed interest in getting started on their work for next year's show!

On Monday March 21st, the 11th and 12th grade had the fortune to hear a shiur from Rabbi Menachem Nissel, noted educator and author. Rabbi Nissel inspired the girls to spend their life time constantly working to reach their potential. The girls inspired by the shiur and we have included a link below to a summary of the shiur.

Gila Manolson, author of The Magic Touch, Outside/Inside and Head to Heart, came to speak to the students last week at SKA. She inspired the girls in many ways, spurring numerous conversations and discussions, even once she had gone. She spoke of the importance of abstaining from touch, and the crucial role it plays in relationships.

Mrs. Manolson infused her speech with a sense of lightness using jokes and anecdotes as comic relief. She somehow tied Negiyah in with chicken, cashiers, and other mundane objects.

After she had spoken, the library was inundated with requests for Mrs. Manolson's books from girls wanting to learn more about the areas of Negiyah and Tzniut, which she specializes in as well. She influenced many with her words of wisdom and inspired us all to search within ourselves.

On March 20th, SKA hosted 10 schools for the 2005 Science Olympiad. Students participated in diverse activities for various subjects of science such as Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics. Competition was tough; however, SKA came prepared. Gittel Klein came out on top with her bridge building. In her competition, she had to build the lightest bridge that would hold the most weight. Her bridge weighed a miraculous 10.6 grams and held 15 times its weight. Once again, Gittel Klein helped SKA win a first place medal in an event called Keep the Heat. In Keep the Heat, the teams constructed insulated structures prior to the tournament. The device was made to retain the heat of 100 milliliters of water in a standard 250 milliliter beaker. The device had to fit into a 30 centimeter cube. Even though SKA did not win first place, every student enjoyed the competition very much. The students were able to meet people from other schools while being competitive at the same time.

Come celebrate and experience Simchat Purim with your classmates Thursday night!

Grade 9 - Mrs. Leibtag's home: 752 Empire Ave (Far Rockaway)

Grade 10 - Chanita Engelberg's home: 75 Woodmere Blvd. South (Woodsburgh)

Grade 11 - Rabbi Rothman's home: 316 Daub Ave (Hewlett)

Grade 12 - Lauren Genachowski's home: 597 Green Place (Woodmere)



Special thanks to our host families!!

A Frelichin Purim to all