Getting acquainted, picking clubs and winning at hoops

Even though the holiday roller coaster ride is over at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School, we don’t rest. Last week was full of activities. The eighth-graders came for a visit, clubs were launched, and the first game of the season took place.
Not to mention all of the tests that everyone had in math, science, social studies, Hebrew and Spanish. It has been reported that some students are going without food, sleep, and the worst yet — television — for days on end.
Eleventh-graders ate breakfast with next year’s incoming freshmen from HAFTR Middle School. Students socialized with the eighth-graders and took the opportunity to get acquainted. There was a huge buffet set up in the gymnasium with Dunkin’ Donuts and bagels. Afterwards, an entertainer orchestrated an enormous game of Coke and Pepsi (Joelle Vilinsky and Michal Engel won). Everyone had a blast! Later in the week, two sophomores went to the middle school to talk about their experiences at HAFTR High School and to invite the eighth-graders to the upcoming open house on Sunday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Every Wednesday at the end of the day, there is an hour set aside for clubs. To kick-start the program, there was a club fair. Students had the opportunity visit with the clubs, learn about them and sign up for the ones that interested them the most.
The new clubs this year include: anime, basketball intramurals for boys, chesed (kind deeds), computer programming, food critics, girls’ choir, Israel Start-Up, pathways-leadership program, read and feed book club, recycling, Yeshiva University bekiut, and yoga for girls. Returning clubs are: audio-visual, art, baking, boys and girls Torah bowl, college bowl, debate, drama, funky photo shop, Inklings, Israel advocacy, math, Mitzvah Mutts, mock trial, model congress, YUNMUN (Yeshiva University National Model United Nations), music, science institute/engineering, Spanish newspaper, stock market, Tattler—school newspaper, and yearbook.

Hoops tipped off
The boys’ varsity basketball team had their first game on Oct. 13 against Rambam High School for Boys. An exciting game that went into double overtime. The fans were on their feet screaming and cheering for their respective school team. HAFTR won 55 to 51! Coach Joey Hoenig said: “We are the defending Yeshiva League champions. HAFTR has three of its starters returning — shooting guard Sammy Mandel, power forward Max Rosner, and center Abie Perlow. All three have been elected captains of this year’s HAFTR Hawks. While we lost some key players, I believe the Hawks will be in the mix to win it all again and defend our title.”
All in all, this week wasn’t half bad except that I, and everyone else, have a bunch of TV shows to catch up on.