2011 Blue Ribbon School
International Baccalaureate® IB World School
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The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School The Juda and Maria Diener Elementary School
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Volume 4 Issue 1 October/November 2011 Tishrei-Cheshvan 5772
The Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School The Henrietta Scheck Middle School
Blue Ribbon
Hillel Proudly Celebrates Achievement
Hillel is wearing its blue proudly. To celebrate becoming the nation’s only Jewish - and South Florida’s only private 2011 Blue Ribbon School, October 17 was declared Blue Ribbon Day at Hillel. Blue Ribbon is an award for academic excellence granted to select schools across the country by the U.S. Department of Education. On Blue Ribbon Day, students, faculty and staff celebrated in blue, from shoelaces up to uniform shirts, from spirit wear to sweet treats. The biggest sign of blue spirit was the wrapping of campus along NE 25th Avenue, showcasing Hillel’s pride for the achievements of students and faculty.
“Students now have led Hillel to becoming a school community that is nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and internationally recognized as an International Baccalaureate World School,” said Head of Upper School Nick Hinrichen, who traveled to Washington DC this month to receive the award. Blue Ribbon honors schools whose students are at the highest performance level on nationally normed tests. “This national recognition of academic excellence pronounces what locals and graduates have known for some time: that our beloved school is one of the finest, a true model for others to follow,” said Rabbi Pinchos Hecht, Head of School.
GILINSKI HILLEL AMBASSASORS Prepping for College and Beyond
Before family, friends and the Hillel community, six students were proudly recognized as 2011 Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassadors this month. The Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassador Program is the first merit-based scholarship of its kind in Hillel history, made possible by the generosity of the Gilinski family. The Ambassadors are outstanding students who exemplify leadership and achieve in academics, extracurricular activities or service learning. They received grants toward Hillel tuition for the 2011-2012 school year. Mazel tov to Jessica Rosner, Grade 8, Brandon Berman, Grade 11, Ariel Sadon, Grade 11, Yonathan Bonan, Grade 12, Jacob Teichner, Grade 12, and Myles Wolfe, Grade 12. For more visit ehillel.org.
Students graduating from Hillel will now have an even greater advantage when applying to college and stepping into today’s global society. They will have grown from one of the most innovative educational programs: Hillel’s Capstone Years. On their resume will be college credits from Florida International University (FIU) earned in junior and senior years, as well as a senior year research-based program. “The program makes our students very desirable candidates for college,” said Gary Weisserman, Hillel’s Chief Academics Officer and Director of Capstone Years. “It’s really exciting and it’s what we want for our students.” Hillel’s partnership with FIU invites seniors to take up to three college-level classes at no charge. Grade 11 students enjoyed a tour of FIU’s north campus in October. “Historically, students only focus on completing the necessary curriculum during the last two years of high school,” said Rabbi Pinchos Hecht, Head of School. “We aspire to change that through Hillel’s Capstone Years, which will enrich the student experience with early college courses, travel-based learning, thesis research and the exploration of Jewish identity.” Story continued on Page 2
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