Volume 30 Issue 2 by The Lion's Tale

the

lion’s tale

The cost of sports • • page 16 • •

charles e. smith jewish day school • 11710 hunters lane, rockville, maryland friday, october 26, 2012 • vol. 30 issue 2

‘SEEMS FAKE’

‘CLOSED-MINDED’

‘A BRIGHTER FUTURE’ ‘LESSER OF TWO POISONS’ ‘I TRUST MY MOM’S OPINION’

OBAMA VS. ROMNEY ELECTION 2012 see page 07

• the lion’s tale • mane stories the

lion’s tale editors elana schrager

editor-in-chief •

shira becker, samantha wiener

managing •

abby birnbaum, aaron boxerman & stu krantz

the mane stories 02

Opinion

Chadashot

News

In-Depth

Features

Entertainment

Sports

copy •

jacob dorn, ass’t: jeremy kaplan web •

jonathan reem design •

r’ay fodor, annie schtevie graphic •

miriam israel, ass’t: rebecca panitch photo •

jon galitzer

business •

david kulp

social media •

dore feith, jesse zweben news •

matthew foldi, haley lerner

chadashot •

alison kraner, yael krifcher features •

Hidden Gems making an impact with poetry

How Jewish education has changed over the years

t L

Student opinions about the presidential election

eitan snyder

entertainment •

steven reichel, ass’t: dina rabinovitz in depth •

ari charnoff, jeremy etelson & alexander flum sports •

senior reporters cole aronson • reuben cohen gefen kabik • matthew halpern david solkowitz

reporters robbie belson • isaac dubrowsky maddie dworkin • rachel evans kobi fodor • malka himelhoch emma hofman • evan kravitz matt litman • adina pollak brian schonfeld • alec schrager nina simpkins • shira ungar joseph vogel • danny waksman hannah wexler • allie wiener

photographers ari fontheim • symon ginsburg max greenberg • sam hofman hannah josovitz • jessica kamjou evan satinsky

staff adviser claire burke

adviser emerita susan zuckerman

The impact of different class sizes on learning

New teachers form bonds in their own Kehillah

Getting to know the arts teachers

The price of playing sports photo illustrations by Elana Schrager and David Kulp

The Lion’s Tale Editorial and Ethics Policy As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news. Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed. The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or disruptiveness. Submissions may be emailed to lionstale@cesjds.org, mailed to The Lion’s Tale at 11710 Hunter’s Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, or brought to room 328. The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisement. The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason. The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

For more tales from the lion’s den visit:

lion’s tale .org the

opinion • the lion’s tale •

Considering

guest column

Nearing the end of the second period of the day, we have grown accustomed to hearing Mrs. Moline’s voice through the loudspeaker — and announcement that many of us have already committed to memory. “When the bell rings, all students are to go directly to Kehillah. You should take your books with you. You can stop at your locker after Kehillah, before the third block.” Soon after, we shuffle through the hallways and head to our assigned Kehillah classrooms. Kehillah is a new program that allows for an additional 12 minute break in the day on Mondays and Thursdays.

Every time Kehillah meets, students gather in the same mixed-grade groups. The main purpose of the program is to instill a sense of community and build bridges between students, fulfilling the school’s mission to “create a caring, moral community based upon the concepts of B’tzelem Elokim and Derekh Eretz in which members respect each other’s uniqueness and preciousness and are responsible for each other and the community,” as stated in the Student Handbook. The Lion’s Tale staff has been, for the most part, happy with this program. It provides a necessary break in

our hectic days and encourages us to engage with others we may not have not otherwise. Kehillah allows school-wide announcements to be carried out in a much more personal and effective way. It promotes inter-grade socializing and eliminates short, chaotic assemblies that detract from our class time. (We especially enjoy Kehillah meetings when we are provided with snacks.) One of the few aspects about which we are not as enthusiastic is the short time alloted for the bi-weekly meetings. Tweleve minutes is not nearly enough time to accomplish purposeful projects. The short meetings only allow for a

quick run-through of announcements and a brief recap of each of our weekends. If we are going to come close to carrying out or planning any community projects, we will need more time. Overall, we support this program and can already see a stronger community within the school. We give Kehillah a resounding Lion’s Tale Editorial Board stamp of approval.

Enhancing the community, one poem at a time To many students, club period is a time to get extra work done and hang out with friends, but it is also a time to get involved in meaningful and worthwhile activities and learn how to take leadership roles. There are many smaller, lesser-known by tamar eisen and elana handelman clubs at our school that students have not been guest columnists exposed to, one of which is Hidden Gems. Hidden Gems is a literary magazine that publishes the artwork and writing of homeless individuals in the DC area. On weekends and days off of school, club members travel to various homeless shelters and run workshops to collect art and literature. Back at school, the club organizes the work and uses InDe-

sign to create spreads that are eventually made into a magazine. The club is a great opportunity to learn about homelessness and have meaningful experiences with your friends. We wanted to share one personal experience that we had at a shelter visit for the club. Last year, we went to Interfaith Works Shelter in Rockville, sat with the women of the shelter and listened to them, helping them as they wrote down their stories. One woman in particular continuously expressed her deep appreciation for the work we were doing as we helped her write her poem. Unfortunately, her poem did not make into the most recent issue of the magazine. We felt horrible about this mistake, because the individuals we work with through Hidden Gems are more than just additions to the magazine — they are people we get to know and make connections with. Because of this, we wanted to use this space to share this woman’s poem with you, because her voice is just as important as everyone who made it into the magazine.

A Poem A poem a day, sends the blues away, streaming the light that shines so bright his protecting feathers covers us day and night. The dreamy vision before your eyes. The endless ideas and possibilities that surprise.

• the lion’s tale • chadashot

Building a stronger community Students bond across grades in new Kehillah program

by alec schrager and allie wiener reporters

Every Monday and Thursday, students, teachers and administrators take a 12-minute break from their busy days to join their assigned Kehillah groups. Kehillah, Hebrew for “community,” is a new program built into this year’s schedule. The program’s primary goal, according to Director of Jewish Life Miriam Stein, is to bring the school closer together by making students meet students from different grades, or even classmates from their own grades, to whom they may not ordinarily talk. Stein also wants the program to focus on helping the freshmen build connections with the higher grades. “We wanted to build community, maybe break down some cliques or some grade barriers,” Stein said. “We [also] wanted ninth-graders to feel

photo by Matthew Foldi

Math teacher John Watkins-Chow’s Kehillah group discusses the day’s announcements while taking a short break from their busy schedules. Kehillah, a new edition to the JDS schedule this year, has allowed students to meet their classmates and make new friends.

comfortable with upperclassman.” Sophomore Jack Goldberg does not think Kehillah accomplishes its stated goals. “I do not think it is successful,” Goldberg said. “It doesn’t really promote any community.” He believes that Kehillah should be more focused on student interaction instead of a lesson planned by a teacher. Junior Robert Ost disagrees. He believes that Kehillah succeeds in promoting community and bringing the school community closer. However, he criticized the program’s length. “Kehillah is sort of beneficial, because generally it helps students meet other kids,” Ost said. “There’s not much you can do in 12 minutes twice a week.” Besides building community, Kehillah was created to make morning announcements more personal. Stein feels that last year, people were not listening to the announcements. “The announcements over the loudspeaker in the morning were not so effective,” Stein said. “People had questions and wanted to discuss things so we decided that with a smaller venue we can discuss upcoming events [like] sports wins and losses.” During Kehillah, high school students and middle school students are separated. Sophomore Danielle Galitzer believes that this separation defeats the purpose of Kehillah. “If they wanted to unify the school they should put middle schoolers and high schoolers together,” Galitzer said. According the Stein, the split was instituted for logistical reasons. “We thought a lot about splitting up the middle school and high school [students] and we felt that middle school students and high school students deal with very different things,” Stein said. “Something that a seventh-grader is dealing with is very different than something that a [senior] may be dealing with.” Despite some flaws, sophomore Sarah Hirsch still believes that Kehillah brings a new, positive element to the school. “It is something fresh to keep the school year interesting and introduces people to friends they might have not spoken to otherwise,” Hirsch said.

chadashot • the lion’s tale •

Jewish education over the years Changes among curriculum, structure, materials, teaching style by adina pollak reporter

1966

2012

on Judaism is what makes the Jewish education departments so strong. However, the departments face some difficulties. “You have some people coming to JDS who barely know how to read Hebrew, and you have some people who are very fluent in Hebrew, but not fluent in Jewish religious practice, so it’s very hard to make a good program,” Stein said. “I think some people would say that JDS has a long way to go, but I think we’re doing a good job.” Hebrew Department Chair Yaffa Dagony, who has has taught at JDS for 21 years, believes technology has helped teachers do their jobs more effectively. “People used to go the library to open books,” Dagony said. “Now kids can go to the internet and find information in different places. You don’t need the teachers to do it. The big tool is that teachers today tend to be facilitators and not lecturers.” Coxe agreed that with technology, the teacher’s role has changed as students

2012

The Jewish education departments at CESJDS have changed over the years by offering more course selection, focusing on the latest ideas in Judaism and taking advantage of technology. Jewish History teacher Sara Coxe said a major change occurred about a decade ago when the department switched from offering full-year courses to semester ones. “[The department] wanted to add choice for students so that students could choose distribution courses,” Coxe said. “When you have yearlong courses there is no flexibility, so [we] changed it to semesters.” Principal Michael Kay believes that offering more courses has had the additional benefit of helping students find a more personal connection to their Judaism. “In that sense we have to constantly be tweaking what we’re offering, not simply to say we have to keep you happy, but to say there are a variety of moments of Judaic expression in the world,” Kay said. “Part of our responsibility is to expose you to that variety and to help you find the one with which you most connect.”

The departments are always reviewing course offerings, Director of Jewish Life Miriam Stein said. “Every semester we evaluate our courses and we say, ‘Are we teaching what we need to be teaching?’” Stein said. Deciding how to structure courses is especially challenging at JDS. “As a pluralistic school, we do not have a set definition of ‘This is what Judaism is’ and ‘This is what Jewish identity is, and you better connect with it, or else,’” Kay said. “It’s ‘We’re working with you as an individual student or an individual family to find ways to connect with your own Judaism and your own Jewish community.’” Instead, JDS tries to teach students about the diversity of Jewish ideas, Kay said. Current teachers are accepting of different points of view in Judaism, he said. “We have a number of teachers who represent different perspectives who believe strongly in what they believe, have their own individual identities and are proud of that, and yet also celebrate the fact that other people have different identities,” Kay said. Stein agreed that offering these different perspectives

become more independent in finding information. “We’ve always been trying to make it more interactive and student-centered so students have to discover things, so we’re not just standing at the front of the classroom lecturing,” Coxe said. Kay believes that the Jewish education departments

must continue to evolve by offering students more choice in their education. “People are accustomed to a world of customizability and individualization, and if we don’t continue to pursue that path we will be left behind,” Kay said.

Teachers weigh in on Jewish education Yaffa Dagony on Neta: “It was maybe too dictated, it did not give teachers enough ownership over what they did.”

Aileen Goldstein on learning styles: “The idea of simulations were pretty foreign when I was a student.”

Paul Blank on elective system: “It gives me the opportunity to teach things I want to teach.” compiled by Jeremy Kaplan

• the lion’s tale • news

Printing bills, not paper by maddie dworkin reporter

This year, the Technology Department seeks to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and expenses through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). The department has installed Papercut, a new printing software. This program limits the amount of documents a student can print through an online debit system. Each student is limited to printing up to $50 worth of pages. Each black and white page costs 10 cents to print and each colored page costs 20 cents to print. This system is meant to save money, cut back the use of paper and make students mindful of the effect that mass printing has on the printers.

Sophomore William Horwitz likes the system. “It works pretty well and I haven’t had any problems with it,” he said. “I like how it is easy to find different printers throughout the school from your own computer when that was a problem in the past because you had to use [an] IP address.” Other students consider the program an inconvenience and are confused by it. “I think it’s a hassle to have to go through so many websites to just print,” junior Naomi Solkowitz said. She thinks it would be easier if each student were able to connect straight to the printers rather than having to go through Papercut. Solkowitz echoed a common misconception. Many

students assume they are paying for the service, which is actually not the case. “The system is a debit system,” Director of Information Technology David Ritzmann said. “It is to stop people from printing multiple copies.” Ritzmann insists that nobody will have to pay to print. “That’s the thing,” he said. “If you over exceed [the limit], it’ll stop you from printing.” Ritzmann explains that because this system is in its first year, additional credits may be added to students’ accounts if they run out. In the future, Ritzmann explained, students who run out will need to find another printing option. The student could print at home or ask a friend to print

“Gimme a sec” Short lunch periods interfere with work habits by danny waksman reporter

On your mark, get set, go! This year’s schedule has turned lunch into a sprint. High school lunches — Monday through Thursday — are now 31 minutes, and 32 minutes on Friday. On average, lunches are five minutes shorter than last year. Many students use lunch to work on projects, study and work on extracurricular activities. Lunch is also a bit of time for students to relax and have a good time with friends. Eighth-grader Sara Heckelman does not approve of the shorter period. “They don’t give enough time to eat so it makes us hungry during the day and we cannot focus in class,” Heckelman said. Freshman Harris Block, on the

other hand, said that he does not mind the shorter lunches. “I didn’t even notice that it was shortened,” Block said. Math teacher John WatkinsChow says that he is happy about the lengths of his classes but feels as if lunchtime activities, such as test make-up and math labs, are getting squeezed for time. “I would prefer a slightly longer lunch and a slightly shorter passing period,” Watkins-Chow said. “I think if we trimmed a minute from each passing period we could add an extra five minutes to lunch.” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy thinks that the shorter lunch period is not a complete disadvantage. “We had to rearrange the schedule [because of Kehillah],” Landy said.

for them. Ritzmann recognized that near the end of the semester students will be printing out term papers and said the printing limit would be adjusted. Teachers are using the same program but have a different quota. The teachers have a slightly higher printing limit to accommodate the handouts that they use. Teachers are, for classes, encouraged to use copiers instead of the printers. Ritzmann says that an email was supposed to go out about Papercut at the beginning of the school year but it has not as of press time. The email will be sent out to students shortly, he said.

Predict the electoral college results and win a $10 iTunes gift card! 1) Go to www.lionstale.org 2) Click on the “Project now” button on the top right corner of the home page 3) Read the instructions 4) Submit your electoral map projection on The Lion’s Tale website by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 5. 5) Watch election coverage on Nov. 6 and check your answers! 6) Check back on Nov. 7 to see if you won!

news • the lion’s tale •

Voting age not deterrent for political involvement

Key

8.4 people = 1% of total respondents

Barack Obama (57%)

Mitt Romney (29%)

Other/Undecided (14%)

These statistics come from a school-wide poll conducted during Kehillah. 529 votes were counted.

graphic by Jonathan Reem, art provided by Jonathan Silverman

by dore feith and jesse zweben news editors

Cats vs. dogs. Chocolate vs. vanilla. Hamburgers vs. hot dogs. Every four years, though, another debate takes center stage. With every election come candidates’ attempts to attract young voters to the polls. This year there is only a handful of eligible CESJDS studentvoters, but nonetheless, many choose to take part in the political conversation. In a Lion’s Tale poll of 529 students, 57 percent said they would vote for President Barack Obama, 29 percent said they would support Republican candidate Mitt Romney, and 14 percent were either undecided or chose another candidate. In a separate poll given online, 97 students responded about issues in this year’s general

election. A majority of students said that they cared most about the economy, with the Iranian threat and social issues rounding out the three most cared-about topics. Several JDS students are active in presidential and local campaigns. Sophomore Moses Lisker volunteers for all Republican campaigns in Loudoun County, Va. He knocks on doors, makes thousands of phone calls and takes part in “Super Saturdays,” events at which famous Republicans, such as former House speaker Newt Gingrich, speak to campaign workers. During one of these Super Saturdays, Lisker got the chance to ask Gingrich about Romney’s campaign. “[I asked] how the Romney campaign can outreach to

people who are more hostile to the Republican Party and are less likely to watch Fox News, and what could Mitt Romney do to access [Latinos],” Lisker said. Junior Noah Mayerson campaigns for Obama in Fairfax County, Va. He has supported Obama since 2007 when the then-Senator spoke to supporters in Iowa. “It was an electrifying speech, and so I began to tune in to the process,” Mayerson wrote in an email. Mayerson highlighted Obama’s “ideas about the future” and Romney’s “retrograde policies” as reasons for his support of the president, while Lisker emphasized that Obama’s policies are taking the country “towards a far-left approach” and recommended watching Dinesh D’souza’s

“Obama 2016: Obama’s America” to “see what a second Obama term would look like.” Most interested students do not work on campaigns but still have political opinions. In the online survey, junior Jeffrey Blackman described Romney as “incompetent” and “pompous.” Senior Ethan Walfish, on the other hand, praised Romney’s business background, arguing Romney “has the knowledge and the understanding of how to turn around the economy, and get more jobs.” “Unfortunately, no candidate provides better support for social and environmental issues than Obama,” senior Avichai OzurBass wrote in the same survey. “He has used environmental issues as political bargaining chips, and only throws his

support behind social issues such as gay marriage when particularly expedient, but the alternative would be Mr. Romney, who has promised to actively oppose causes I care about.” Junior Daniel Thorne found Obama’s signature health care plan appealing. Thorne likes the idea of being able to remain on his parents’ health care plan until age 26, as it allows young people “to get on our feet before having to fully assume all of our responsibilities.” JDS students are breaking the stereotypes that youths do not care about nor want a say in America’s political process. They are campaigning, mock-presidential debating and spending lunch hours discussing Obama and Romney’s policies.

• the lion’s tale • in–depth

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When most students enter their classrooms for the a first time, they are greeted by a comfortably-sized room and a reasonably-sized class. However, every year, a number of students find themselves crammed into a classroom for a large class or spread out in a near-empty room for a small one. While there are many factors which contribute to class sizes, the main influence is scheduling. “It’s the nature of the way the schedule works,” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy said. “Every student has a customized schedule. No two students follow exactly the same [schedule], and that can create an imbalance in class size.” According to Landy, “singletons” — classes that are offered during only one period — are major contributors to the slightly unbalanced class range. Math teacher Howard Weinstein teaches two Algebra II Advanced (ADV) classes for sophomores, one of which contained 23 students at the beginning of the year and the second of which contained only nine. Most of the students in his bigger class take “singletons” at the same time that the smaller class is offered, and were therefore unable to switch classes without dropping a course entirely. The inability to move into a large class affected students who wished to switch levels. Anyone who wanted to switch into Weinstein’s 23-person class was unable to do so, and instead needed to rearrange his or her entire schedule in order to take Algebra II ADV. “That is why we have created a strict [add/drop] deadline this year,” Landy said. Students had the opportunity to change their class level until Oct. 11. CESJDS plans for the new school year in advance, and therefore cannot always adapt when actual grade sizes differ from the anticipated size. “Sometime around November, the Board of Directors begins work on the next year’s budget,” Landy said. “At that time, the administration approximates the number of students who will be in each grade the following school year. Once there is an estimate of students, a decision is made as to how many sections there will ssist

be for each department for each grade. Based on that information, the administration determines how many teachers they will need in each department.” Students tend to dislike larger classes because they believe that they do not have as many opportunities to speak. “It’s tough to participate in a bigger class,” junior Marty Lempert said. However, sophomore SJ Hyman thinks that while discussions are difficult, participation is not the issue. “I don’t think it’s hard to participate because the teacher makes an effort to call on different people, but … discussion-wise, it’s much harder, and so you don’t get to go as deep sometimes as you otherwise would have been able to,” Hyman said. English teacher Melissa Fisanich, who taught a 19-person English class last year, found that each class’ size was advantageous during class discussions. “[The class] moved more quickly to get to the level of mastery of literature, more quickly than the smaller classes,” Fisanich said. “Ideas are generated more easily [and] the class has more energy.” Despite this advantage, students have found that there are certain times during the year when a larger class becomes more difficult. “For essays, you don’t get the amount of time you really need to have with the teacher,” Hyman said. “I know times when, for the last essay, I went to my teacher a bunch of times in different situations, most of them outside of class, and I wasn’t able to get the help that I really thought I needed.” Teachers have attempted to find solutions to these problems. English Department Chair Thomas Worden has changed the way in which he conducts conferences to fit the size of the class. “I have found that meeting with two students at once in writing conferences not only expedites the process, but also, very often, affords students the experience of receiving a consensus as to what might be done to improve their writing,” Worden said. Labs pose an issue for larger science classes, where lab space is limited. Science teacher Kimberly Agzigian receives assistance from more advanced students during labs in bigger classes. “With larger classes I usually have my top students act as lab assistants,” she said. “I teach multiple levels within the class, so I have CP, Honors and Scholars [students] and a lot of the Scholars students do internships over the summer, so they become de facto lab assistants.”

S P A G E Z I S S S A CL

in–depth • the lion’s tale •

photo illustration by Elana Schrager and Jonathan Reem

Some teachers have found that the ideal size limit differs significantly between Enriched College Prep (ECP) and Advanced classes. “It’s really important [to the] ECP students [that] ECP classes [be kept] ... small so that we can do the one-to-one and skill building that’s necessary,” Worden said. Others believe that both ECP and Advanced students need smaller classes because of the different attention students require. “It’s difficult in higher-level classes because of the complexity of people’s ideas,” Fisanich said. “It’s bad for a big class of students who are not strong English students because you know they each need such different individual attention and [you have] such a wide range of abilities.” Hyman believes that larger classes have a negative impact on struggling students. “A teacher can’t really tell … the kids who aren’t doing well because if just a couple kids don’t speak up in a large class it’s not really noticeable,” she said. Although there are some large classes, there are also many smaller ones. Smaller classes might be more appealing to students, but there are still pros and cons. Fisanich, who also taught an eight student English class last year, found that she had to make a greater effort to move the discussion along. “I had to really work to pull [and] I had to really come up with other methods and really work to get that class to generate the level of activity in their conversations that the other classes had,” Fisanich said. Many students who favor smaller classes believe that they are more student-fo-

cused. “You get more one-on-one time with your teachers,” seventh-grader Dalia Handelman said. Senior Debi Smith agrees. She is taking an Arabic class by herself, and enjoys the rare and unfamiliar environment. “In a very large class I don’t think you can benefit in any way because you lose that sense of individuality and that individual attention from the teacher,” Smith said. “But when it’s completely one-on-one, yes, it does completely tailor to your needs.” While those classes might be the more popular choice, they are not always advantageous to introverted students. “That environment can be challenging particularly for those students who do not feel comfortable being called on to participate to the degree that they are in this setting as they always need to be on,” Worden said. However, a smaller class can also provide the chance for a typically introverted student to participate. “It was amazing,” Fisanich said. “Two people in my [eight student] class were really quiet and in fact it was really nice because one person had really rarely in her life raised her hand and volunteered in class and the first time she ever did that was in that really small class.” Ultimately, however, it comes down to the effort that teachers and students are willing to give. “You only get as much as you put into the class,” Smith said.

• the lion’s tale • features

New opportunities?

“I’m looking forward to getting more involved in more extracurriculars, like JSA and Hidden Gems.” -sophomore Hannah Jacobs

I am … looking forward to trying out some things that were not available to me in middle school like debate and journalism.” -freshman Josh Paretzky

“I want to be more involved in the community and in student council.” -freshman Shira Gould

“ [My goal is] to push myself [in basketball] and to work on my stamina.” -sophomore Lauren Spiegelman

“I hope to be able to have a balance between both because junior year’s going to be a really hard year academically. I want to do well but at the same time I don’t completely want to cut out my social life.” -junior Alyssa Rothfeld

“This year I want to try to stay organized with all my school work.” -freshman Bronya Lechtman

Social Life

How about clubs?

“My goal this year is to be chosen to compete at the 2012 National Ice Skating championships.” -sophomore Gabriela Morrell-Zucker

“My goal this is year is to be a team leader on the basketball team.” -freshman Ariela Diamond

Yes

Into sports?

Want to try something outside of school?

In school

Quest

Everyone has a goal. Explore others’. Discover yours.

for

Extracurriculars

Success Academics

But isn’t there more?

“My goal is to boost my GPA as high as possible and to do well on my SAT.” -junior Robert Ost “My goals are to set standards for myself and complete them.” -sophomore Drew Hein

compiled by Maddie Dworkin, Hannah Wexler and Allie Wiener

“[A successful school year is] getting all my work done, not procrastinating, being a good student and in class being academically honest. All those things makes a successful school year.” -sophomore Rebecca Cohen

Find me Something fun!

Yes

Standardized tests?

More personal achievement?

“My goal is to reconnect with all my friends and try to branch out.” -junior Ilan Goldstein

“I want to go to my first house fire and run a working code [save someone in cardiac arrest].” -junior Jacob Borenstein

No way

How about grades?

Try this Not right either?

No How about something different?

Is it college?

Still no?

“My goals are to get into all of the schools that I want to get into.” -senior Ari Fontheim

“ [My goal is] to get all As in my classes, ... staying organized and studying.” -freshman Hadas Elazar- Middleman

features • the lion’s tale •

The building blocks of learning Methods and benefits of making school basics fun by emma hofman and nina simpkins reporters

School conjures up images of lectures, chalkboards and test. However, many CESJDS teachers attempt to find new ways to make their subjects interesting and even fun. JDS faculty members work to discover what students enjoy and adjust their teaching styles accordingly. JTTP department chair Etan Weiss is always improving his teaching skills. “My basic philosophy on education is that you have to be student-centered,” Weiss said. “You have to think about the individual needs of each student in your class, and the needs of the particular cohort.” Sophomore Tessa Silverman tries to find deeper meaning in her teachers’ attempts to engage the class in new ways. “I think people should be interested in school because, besides all the material in school that you

won’t need for your everyday life, there are also a lot of broader lessons that you learn, not necessarily in the classroom,” Silverman said. “You learn to work with people and you learn about yourself and what kind of worker you are and how you learn best.” Student feedback is a vital part of enhancing students’ everyday school experiences. Some students find that an effective class depends on the teacher. Freshman Emma Enig sees the teacher as a major part of capturing the attention of the class and making the content interesting. “I think that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to engage us and make sure we’re listening and taking in whatever we’re learning,” Enig said. Enig is not the only student who relies on the teacher to create an stimulating class. Senior Aron Cannon believes that encouragement from teachers to participate improves the class dynamic. “When teachers encourage active participation, it keeps the class

attentive, and when you want to listen it is more fun,” Cannon said. While Enig and Cannon believe that a teacher has most of the responsibility in the classroom, Junior Andrew Siegal believes that the responsibility should fall on the student. “I think you have to make yourself become more interested by self-motivation,” Siegal said. “I don’t think it is anyone else’s job to make you more interested.” Weiss disagrees with Siegal’s outlook. He always sees room for improvement in the classroom. “Even if you’re an amazing teacher that all the kids love — that’s impossible anyway — or that everyone learns from — that’s impossible anyway — there has to be ways to be better,” Weiss said. “You can always get better.” Seventh grader Sophie Handloff thinks that when teachers use different styles of teaching, the variety helps each student find an interesting and helpful way to learn. “I like when teachers some-

times give you an option,” Handloff said. “ So you can do a movie or a poster or they give you choices, which is sometimes really nice because maybe you’re not so great at technology and then you can do a poster instead, or maybe you don’t like to do art so much so you can do a movie.” Junior Sydney Greene finds that group work alleviates some of the stress that comes with major projects, and that projects in general makes her workload less intimidating. “Projects help me to think outside of the box and not just be strictly ‘school smart,’” Greene said.

Talking teacher tactics Experiences with alternative learning Molly Silverberg, sophomore “[In ‘Around the World’], you ... haveteacher test you, so if you answer the question right then you get to move around the circle, and the winner is the person who gets around the classroom ... you get really into it and competitive and things stay in your head better.”

Samantha Gruhin, junior “We would play a music recognition game, so you would have to guess a song ... and then if you got it right then he would ask you a science question, and if you got it right then your team would get a point ... It was just a fun way of learning, no pressure.”

Eitan Armon, junior “[My teacher] would ask us an application question or just a fact question, and if we got it right then we would get a sticker. And when we earned 25 stickers we got a lollipop. It really helped me learn because I really wanted those stickers.” art by R’ay Fodor

• the lion’s tale • features

Brand new, but not alone by alison kraner and yael krifcher features editors

Jewish History teacher Aaron Bregman, science teacher Raymond Hodges and JTTP teacher David Greenspoon brainstorm ways to help their colleagues with challenges they are facing as new teachers.

“I got a student to take notes today!” declares Noam Sienna, a new Jewish Text Thought and Practice teacher. The room erupts in applause and congratulttions. Within CESJDS, a new community is thriving, a kehillah unique to this school: a community of teachers. At a school where no one stops moving, 12 minutes of downtime can feel like forever. So, as the new teachers at JDS were not assigned Kehillah groups, they decided to take matters into their own hands. “[The new teachers] decided to take some time to get to know each other better, and seized on that opportunity,” English teacher Kate Armstrong said. This group of 12 new teachers began their own Kehillah sessions, complete with crafts and snacks. These meetings provide a forum for the new teachers to compare thoughts on their first year at

JDS. “We get together and we talk about, as first year teachers, what problems, issues, negative things we’re experiencing,” Jewish History teacher Aaron Bregman said. But, according to Armstrong, the meetings are also social gatherings. “It’s 12 minutes we get to blow off steam and laugh, and for me it’s made me feel like I have a readymade community of people who are in the same position I [am], who are new to JDS and still learning the ropes,” Armstrong said. The Kehillah allows the new teachers to maintain friendships that might disappear without this break from their busy school days. “It gives us a community that we would otherwise lose,” math teacher Andrew Goldman said. “I guarantee that without it, I wouldn’t see [the other new teachers.] ... I think it’s a cohort, so we can stay together.” Friendships like this, it seems, are built to last. The teachers continue their social interactions even after having

JTTP teacher Noam Sienna accepts feedback as he sketches a design for the new teachers’ Kehillah t-shirts.

left school at the end of the day. “A lot of teachers will hang out together and do work together — like, go to a coffee shop and grade together,” veteran math teacher Victoria Ball said. The teachers of the new kehillah listen as math teacher Andrew Goldman However, as with reviews the agenda for the day, which includes establishing a team name and designating the next teacher in charge of bringing snacks. any community, it is challenging to bring everyone together. ing and enjoyable atmosphere. friendly and supportive the rest “It’s easier for people with“[The new Kehillah is] of the teachers are, how willing

Left to Right: Dafna Tsukron, Kelly Grosskurth, Bill Schatz, Kate Armstrong, Nancy Wassner, Andrew Goldman, Noam Sienna, Aaron Bregman, Raymond Hodges, Rachel Bergstein, David Greenspoon Not pictured: Cliff Starkey

out families to hang out, by necessity, which is disappointing,” Ball said. “So, for me, I would say that I don’t know my colleagues with families as well, I don’t get to see them outside of school.” Despite these obstacles, the small JDS community allows teachers to form close relationships outside of their teaching roles. “[The] teacher community is very supportive of each other, so [not] just in the way we teach, but in our lives outside of school, we love to laugh, we joke a lot,” Armstrong said. The new teacher Kehillah exemplifies this accommodat-

something we did off the cuff, without any planning, which was supported and celebrated by other teachers and the administration,” Armstrong added. “That kind of leadership … that makes for a fantastic, fun place to be.” An environment in which teachers are comfortable working together is also beneficial to the students’ experience. “There’s more collaboration [here at JDS], more effort of the teachers to work together and communicate [about] students that we each have in our classes,” science teacher Raymond Hodges said. “I think it makes a better learning environment for the students, that the different disciplines aren’t so separate.” Ball added that the close friendships that the teachers form contributes to their collaborative efforts to educate their students. “You can go to your colleagues for help if you’re closer and know them better,” Ball said. “That makes for a more collaborative workplace.” This cooperative atmosphere has made new teachers feel immediately welcomed into the school. “I’ve been amazed by how

the teachers are to introduce themselves and ask if you need help,” Armstrong said. “The teaching community here really sucks you right in and makes you feel a part of things, and I really love that about JDS.”

English teacher Kate Armstrong proposes potential group activities, such as outdoor an Kehillah session and splatter painting. photos by Yael Krifcher

Check out www.lionstale.org for updates on different Kehillot

entertainment • the lion’s tale •

David Solomon

“I never imagined that I would get a position where I would get to work with all different types of art forms in one job. It really is a dream come true.”

Started at CESJDS in 2002 as an English teacher Formerly English Department chair and Academic Dean Currently Director of Arts Education Teaches acting, directs the high school and middle school musicals and organizes Arts Chai-Lights Presents research on teaching creativity at regional and national conferences

Benjamin Tellie

“I was really interested in applying my technique and skill and teaching it inside the classroom. It was really stimulating and invigorating.”

Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Temple University Earned a Master’s of Art in Art Education from Columbia University Works featured in exhibitions at New York City’s Benrimon Contemporary and Macy Gallery, and Rockville’s VisArts Gallery Started teaching at CESJDS in 2010 Currently teaches Art & Design and Graphic Design Won first prize in the 2012 Annual Maryland Art Education Members exhibit Lion’s Tale file photos

• the lion’s tale • sports

n so tel er em yE by J

Surviving tryouts is not the only step towards competing for a CESJDS sports team. Sometimes, the tolls go beyond the physical and mental and become financial. At JDS, athletes must pay for much of their equipment. According to Athletic Director Michael Riley, the school will purchase

reporter

str ati

by evan kravitz

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CESJDS athletes voice their opinion on the cost of their sports

student-athletic apparel that it will retain, such as uniforms. The athletes are responsible for purchasing the rest of their equipment. Students have mixed feelings about the policy. “It is an honor to be chosen to compete,” sophomore wrestler Daniel Zuckerman said. “You should be glad you have a reason to go buy the equipment.” Other students believe that paying for private school should exempt them from paying for the equipment. “I think that [JDS athletes] have much talent, therefore, we shouldn’t need to pay for anything, especially with all the tuition money that we already pay,” said junior Adir Hakakian, who played junior varsity basketball last year. “I think shoes and jerseys should already be provided to [us].” Still, many students agree with the school’s policy on athletic apparel. “I think that what you use for personal use should be paid [for] by you,” said sophomore Danielle Galitzer, a member of the girls junior varsity soccer team. Galitzer added that athletes should purchase their own equipment because it could have other

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PRICE BEYOND THE PROGRAM

uses, besides for the team. This policy has little effect on the athletes of track and field and cross country teams. Runners only need to provide running shoes, shirts, shorts and socks, much of which most athletes already own. For many sports, the school provides some items free of charge, and athletes are expected to pay for the rest of the equipment. For example, the baseball team has jerseys, helmets and balls provided but the athletes are expected to pay for their own bats, cleats, pants and gloves. “I use the equipment for my out-of-school team as well, and I have gotten significant use out of all of the equipment which I have purchased and thus feel justified in doing so,” said senior Michael Paretzky, who played varsity baseball last year and payed over $300 for his equipment that year. “The school should by no means pay for any of my personal gear.” In a recently-conducted survey of over 60 student-athletes, students spent on average about $115 on equipment for a sports team. Some students thought that this amount of money could affect some students’ desire to participate on a sports team. “People want to play sports because they love the sport, but if you put on an extra cost of $115, some people might not want to play the sport, and some people just can’t afford that,” said senior Ethan Walfish, who plays varsity soccer and basketball. Despite some complaints about the school’s policy towards paying for sports equipment, 85 percent of the athletes surveyed still felt obligated to pay for their apparel. “I feel obligated paying for equipment because I am willing to spend money to perform at my fullest potential ... with the equipment that enables me to [do so],” eighth-grader Joel Vardon said.

sports • the lion’s tale •

BASKETBALL BASEBALL

SOCCER Cost range: $50-$200

Cost range: $50-$200

Cost range: $100-$300+

Average cost: ~$90

Average cost: ~$140

Athletes pay for: Cleats, shin-guards,

Athletes pay for: Basketball shoes, ath-

socks, soccer ball (optional), gloves (for

letic wear for practice, basketball (option-

goalies) and the team package (may

al) and the team package (may include

include warm-up jackets or sweatshirts

warm-up jersey, warm-up pants, sweatshirt,

among other things decided by team)

sweatpants, team bag among other things

Team pays for: Uniforms, soccer balls and

decided by team)

goals

Team pays for: Home and away uniforms,

Average cost: ~$230 Athletes pay for: Glove, bat (can be borrowed from teammates), cleats, baseball pants, batting gloves, helmet (optional), socks, bag, belt and the team package (may include a hat, jacket, practice shirt, T-shirt, practice shirt, or a sweatshirt among other things decided by team) Team pays for: Uniforms, baseballs and helmets

basketballs and court time

Bat $30-$400 Practice jersey $20-$60

Helmet $10-$50

Soccer ball $50-$150

Pants $15-$50

Shinguards and socks $50-$150

All information based on survey given to 63 student-athletes.

Cleats $40-$200

LT file photo

photo by Yosi Vogel

Cleats $50-150

LT file photo

Shoes $50-$150

Stacking them up sports • the lion’s tale •

Comparing JDS sports program to other Montgomery County public and private schools by aaron boxerman copy editor

A quick walk through the CESJDS gym reveals dozens of championship banners. This collection seems to indicate that the JDS athletic program is strong. However, many see a disparity between the JDS athletic program and those of other schools. With the various advantages and disadvantages tallied up, how does the JDS athletic program compare to other schools’ sports programs? The number of athletes at JDS is a major distinction between JDS athletics and those of public schools, according to junior Ilan Goldstein. Goldstein, who attended Rockville High School for his sophomore year, believes that JDS has less students who participate in sports. “Rockville High School wasn’t the biggest public school, but some of the other schools have many more people trying out for their teams and on their teams … Their programs are much bigger,” Goldstein said. Wrestling coach Jordan Lipp disagrees, at least for his sport. “We have as many wrestlers now as Georgetown Prep,” Lipp said. “When I started, we had about six. Now we can compete with just about any program in the state.” Lipp notes the challenges of building school athletic traditions at JDS, where the community is geographically dispersed. “We don’t have the tradition that other schools have,” Lipp said. “Another way to develop sports programs in general is to start at the youth level, and

since we are a private school … we don’t have community youth sports programs.” A major challenge facing athletes and coaches at JDS are the regulations which arise due to the school’s Jewish mission. Many of the most significant and

vs.

Charles E. Smith Varies. Some teams have cuts, some are walk-on.

Number of players that try out

Public Schools “About 200 people try out and about 160 make the team.” -Zach Lippman, 11 Churchill HS track

Fall: eight Winter: six Spring: four

Number of teams (Varsity and JV)

“[About] 20 [year round].” -Max Cetta, 11 Churchill HS football

“I think the fact that it is a team, shows that everyone is getting attention.”

Relationship with Coach

-senior Shira Winston

Never

Competition on Saturday

“The coaches pay more attention to the better runners on the team.” -Ben Halperin, 9 Wootton HS cross country “We have swim meets every Saturday.” -Maya Guthman, 11

Whitman HS swimming

Boys Varsity Soccer: 7-1-1 Girls Varsity Soccer: 6-3-1 Girls Varsity Volleyball: 2-9 Girls Varsity Tennis: 11-0 Varsity Cross Country Championships Oct. 31 as of press time on Oct. 23

photo by Hannah Becker

Varsity Records

challenging competitions in many sports, including wrestling happen on Shabbat. “The main difference at JDS is that we can’t compete on Shabbat, and in wrestling, nearly all of the important competitions are on a Friday or Saturday,” Lipp said. Lipp thinks that there might be some value in opening a discussion about Jewish values and athletics at JDS. However, he still believes that Jewish values should always be given primary importance.

“I think it’d be interesting if they were reconsidering policy down the road, taking a look at athletics and weighing the value of athletics against the value of the school’s mission in general,” Lipp said. Cross Country coach Jason Belinkie, on the other hand, thinks that JDS fulfills its goals best through its current restrictions. “We’re at a Jewish school ... which places a certain value on being Jewish and practicing their faith,” Belinke said. “If you [feel] like it’s your perogative that you need to compete every Saturday, then you probably shouldn’t be at JDS.” Divergent viewpoints aside, both see distinct advantages in working at a small private school. Belinkie sees his smaller team as an opportunity for more personalized coaching, unachievable at a larger school. “You get to personalize your training programs a lot more, based around the specific needs of the athlete,” Belinkie said. “I get to know the athletes better. When I was in high school, I know for a fact that many coaches didn’t know the names of many of the kids on the team.”

On Oct. 5, Daniel Pearl World Music Day, two new gym scoreboards were installed in honor of the late journalist. Instead of light bulbs, the new scoreboards are digital, a major technological advancement. Athletic Director Michael Riley believes that the scoreboards fit in nicely with the rest of the school. The scoreboards, along with the rest of the gymnasium, are dedicated to Daniel Pearl.