Activities aplenty keep students busy

It is hard to believe that two full months have passed and that the school year is well underway. Students have become fully accustomed to their new schedules and are occupied with assignments, exams, and extracurricular activities. Within the last few weeks, various programs have taken place at HAFTR High School, including holiday festivities, visits by guest speakers, and assemblies.

Over the Succot holiday, the sophomore girls visited the homes of their respected teachers and enjoyed delicious food, while also learning about the holiday. This visit gave the girls a unique chance to get to know their teachers.

In honor of National Red Ribbon Week, a well-known alcohol, drug, and violence prevention campaign, Teresa Corrigan, bureau chief of Street Narcotics and Gangs at the Nassau Country District Attorney’s office, visited our high school. After introducing her program entitled “Not My Child” to the parents of sophomores and juniors, Corrigan addressed the entire student body the following day. Through her PowerPoint presentation, she effectively raised an awareness of the extreme consequences of substance abuse.

Students also participated in “HAFTR Spirit Day” during which both students and faculty dressed up in school colors of red, black, and white. Many came to school dressed in the uniforms of HAFTR’s sports teams. Students decorated the school with colorful signs and posters and enjoyed sushi and cake. The day was a fun way to express support for our school and exhibit our “HAFTR spirit!”

For many seniors, the past month has been an extremely busy one. Seniors who wish to attend school in Israel next year have been meeting with administrators in the Israel Guidance Office, as well as with representatives from the wide array of Israeli yeshivas and seminaries. As seniors are in the midst of their college application process, many have become permanent fixtures in HAFTR’s College Guidance Office. Some have already submitted their applications as “early decision” candidates and eagerly await a response.

Representatives from many different colleges including New York University, Columbia University, Barnard College, Baruch College, and University of Maryland have visited HAFTR during the past few weeks, giving students an idea of what they could expect when attending their respective universities.

While much of the focus at this time is being given to seniors, our junior class will be attending a college planning workshop, concerning the application process and the criteria required to be admitted to the school they wish to attend.

Finally, faculty members and upperclassmen at HAFTR went to great lengths to make the high school’s “Open House” a great success on Nov. 13. Incoming freshmen had the opportunity to visit the school and become more informed about the wonderful academic curriculum as well as the many clubs, teams, and programs HAFTR offers to all of its students. As the eighth-graders and their parents explored the building, they were welcomed by our enthusiastic teachers and students in order to gain a better understanding of the comprehensive offerings they can anticipate at the high school.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, students can look forward to a long and relaxing weekend, while also being thankful for the many opportunities they are given both at home as well as in school.