Hewlett Happenings

Supporting their peers, learning from recent graduates

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November is a busy month in the halls of Hewlett High School and outside the classrooms with many extracurricular activities and other events. In the past few weeks alone, there have been some exciting events.

There was a special Youth Leadership Forum at the Woodmere Education Center, the community celebrated Alec Fischthal as his sequence of shows on the “Jeopardy Teen Tournament!” aired on television, and his fellow seniors participated in another successful Alumni Return Day.

On Nov. 18, another session of Youth Leadership Forum was held. The group meets four times a year and consists of about 50 students from all four grades, a few teachers and community members. The goal of the Youth Leadership Forum is to focus on bringing awareness to social justice issues and raise community spirit. In the second forum of the year, the three-hour time slot was devoted to the LGBTQ community and how the student body could show their support. The session included two guest speakers, including a local priest and a social worker works with members of the LGBTQ community, as well as a few student speakers. The experience was very meaningful and helpful to students, teachers and community members alike.

Four days later, students, parents, teachers and community members gathered in the Hewlett High cafeteria to watch Fischthal participate in the teen tournament finals. Fischthal came in second place in the two-day finale, falling just $1 short from the first-place winner. He was one of 15 teens chosen to participate in the competition in Washington, D.C. last April out of about 20,0000 applicants. In order to be selected to compete on the show, Fischthal had to take an online test, have an interview, take a written test and play a mock game. The community was proud to show their support for him.

On Nov. 23, Hewlett High hosted its annual Alumni Return Day. Former students from the class of 2016 were for a breakfast to meet up with friends and teachers, and share their experiences from their first few months in college. Some alumni were invited to participate in a panel, in which they spoke to the current senior class about the entire college process.

The alumni tried to ease stress among the seniors, ensuring them that although the college process is grueling and filled with anxiety, it will work out in the end. The seniors received valuable advice from their older peers.
With just a few weeks left before December break, students are eagerly continuing their successes at Hewlett High.