LION February 2015 Shevat/Adar 5775
Curriculum New Courses
College New SAT & College Acceptances
Juda and Maria Diener Lower School
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Community Alumni Profile
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Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School Ben Lipson Upper School
LION’S SHARE Welcome to the inaugural edition of Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college counseling and our community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.
Curriculum
New Courses Strengthen Path to Higher Learning
New courses have been added to Scheck Hillel’s academic program. Three examples of what to expect in August 2015 follow, and enrolled students will be able to select them as early as this spring.
World History Honors
World History Honors will prepare Grade 8 students for Grade 9’s Advanced Placement World History. According to Yehudis Benhamou, Humanities and Capstone Department Chair, “AP World History is massive. It spans thousands of years of human history and demands not only factual retention, but also application of the skills of synthesis and document analysis.” This course will also cover the rigorous Florida standards for humanities and English. What will they learn? Ancient civilizations, world religions and philosophies, classical eras, empire building, colonization, revolutions, industrialization and World Wars
AP Computer Science
Students with a growing appetite for coding, algorithms and program design have AP Computer Science in store for the fall. Opher Yunger, Upper School’s Design and Technology Chair/ Director of Academic Technology, says the class is not about the tools students are using, as computing devices are evolving constantly. Rather, it’s about the transferable skills they will need to succeed in college and career. One exciting aspect of the course: “…Students will be able to practice math in a hands-on way, which will engage those who may have typically found it to be very challenging.” Scheck Hillel is a step ahead in terms of laying the foundation for AP Computer Science; Grade 6-8 students already are learning coding and are immersed in “design thinking” through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme.
What will they learn? Java programming language, object-oriented program design, implementation and analysis, data structures, algorithms, responsibility in computing
Biomedical Engineering (STEM)
The students in Scheck Hillel’s current Introduction to Engineering Honors STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) class will graduate to Biomedical Engineering. Arthur Maiman, Science Department Chair, reflects on the value of STEM’s rigor. “Our students have worked hard and have learned the value of the struggle. They know to take their time. When it works, the reward is even greater.” Biomedical Engineering will concentrate on the biotechnology field. Scheck Hillel has partnered with the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) to pilot this cutting-edge program. Students who show aptitude in math and science or in project-based learning are invited to apply for the Introduction to Engineering course offered in Grade 8. What will they learn? Biology, anatomy and physiology concepts applied to medicine research, testing and application of engineering solutions to human problems, exposure to college and career applications of biomedical engineering
STEM students and 3D printer in action...
College
The SAT, Redesigned
The College Board has announced that a new SAT, its preeminent college admissions assessment, is in the works. The first class to take the exam will be the Class of 2017: current sophomores. The changes were spurred by the need to make the exam more relevant to the skills and content required for college and career readiness. According to Vanessa Donaher, Head of Ben Lipson Upper School/Director of College Counseling, one of the skills is the ability to study primary sources of information, using evidence-based strategies, such as the ability to synthesize and utilize evidence found in a wide range of sources. At Scheck Hillel, students are challenged to practice these skills across the curriculum, including Judaic Studies, which offer ideal opportunities to analyze primary texts, interpret evidence, build arguments and convey information effectively.
Class of 2015 College Acceptances – Mazal Tov!
*As of January 30, 2015
Albright College Babson College Boston University Brandeis University Carnegie Mellon University Columbia College Chicago Creighton University Curry College Drexel University Duquesne University Emory University Fairleigh Dickinson Florida Atlantic University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University Florida State University Hofstra University Indiana University Loyola University Chicago Northeastern University Nova Southeastern University Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Rollins College St. Louis University Seton Hall University Suffolk University The George Washington University Tulane University
Community
University of Alabama University of Arizona University of Central Florida University of Colorado, Boulder University of Hartford University of Maryland University of Massachusetts - Amherst University of Miami University of Missouri University of New Hampshire University of South Florida University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Xavier University
William Scheinman ’10: Innovation Junkie “An incredible fascination with the extremely old and the extremely new...” This is how William Scheinman describes his passions, which include archaeology, learning new languages and cultures, and his current work: investment banking in the tech world since graduating from Princeton University last year. William graduated from high school in 2010, but Scheck Hillel hasn’t left him. He values—and still tries to replicate—the school’s intimate peer group and the close relationships with “kind-hearted teachers who showed me the way.” William tells us that these influential teachers had a genuine interest in promoting intellectual growth, and he is grateful for the independence he was given to explore his interests. At Princeton, he pursued the study of diplomacy and continued to refine his competencies and identity.
William’s advice to Scheck Hillel students: Don’t set artificial limits on what you can or will do. Open yourself up to taking diverse classes. Increase your knowledge base and the number of people you interact with. The last book he read: Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy by William Janeway
Today, William lives in Boston, where he works at Shea & Co., a technology-focused investment bank. He also consults for early-stage companies, providing them strategic advice as they prepare for acquisition. Outside of his work, his favorite activities include running along the Charles River and getting together with friends in Boston and Cambridge. “I’m always in contact with the Jewish community,” William added. “Scheck Hillel fostered this.” Share with us! Please email your comments, questions and ideas for future editions of Lion’s Share to news@eHillel.org.