Growing, improving, saying goodbye

As the 2017-2018 school year approaches its final days, the students of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School are reveling in their last trips, activities, and exams before the start of the summer break.

Part of saying goodbye to the school year means celebrating our seniors’ fabulous accomplishments. Their graduation was held on June 7, with Erica Hilsenrath leading the class as valedictorian and Daniel Friedman as salutatorian. HAFTR High also had the privilege of awarding Miriam Kopyto, Rafael Levin, Amanda Schorr, and Kyle Seidel with the title of Distinguished Scholars, as well as presenting Aliza Gettenberg, Benjamin Gottesman, Jake Greenberg, Ethan Jesselson, and Shoshana Wallach with the title of Outstanding Scholars. The senior class was also given the opportunity to celebrate as they went to Virginia Beach for a three-day senior trip packed with enough fun activities to last a lifetime.

Just as the seniors had an opportunity to reflect and celebrate, the rest of the underclassmen were given their own time to shine. A “Celebration of Excellence” took place to honor those hard-working students who merited their spot in the National Honor Society. The event was led by last year’s Honor Society President and Vice President, Erica Hilsenrath and Kyle Seidel, respectively. The incoming President, Eitan Maron, and Vice President, Amanda Vaysman, also played a role in the evening’s events. Ten hard-working juniors were given the opportunity to light candles and the Student of the Year, Abigail Goldberg, gave an inspirational speech.

As in recent years, HAFTR High School had many students enter this year’s Long Island Science Congress and the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education Innovation Day. The CIJE conference, which welcomed more than 3,000 students from many different schools, was on May 6. Three HAFTR sophomores, David Lederer, Jordan Appel, and Aidan Schechter, won first place for innovation by creating a prototype for a device that can detect a water leak very early on and even alert the homeowner that something is wrong.

The Long Island Science Congress, another prestigious conference where students can present their scientific innovations, invited hundreds of students from schools across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Two HAFTR freshmen won the highest recognition award for their outstanding research in biology: Nava Schein studied the effect of surfactants on the herbicidal activity of Glyphosate, and Jordana Mastour researched the effect of low-level microwave radiation on plants. Sophomores Jadyn Harari, Jennifer Rabinowitz and Emily Silverstein were awarded for their research assessing national energy savings using grey water for household purposes.

Throughout the school year, HAFTR High School students have grown and excelled both academically and socially. Students have been bettering themselves and those around them through the past 10 months. Saying goodbye to this year means excitedly anticipating the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, and we cannot wait to see what next year will have in store for our students. Have a great summer!