Being involved breeds learning, fun and friendships

Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School students have become acclimated to the demands that a new academic year brings. Most students are already immersed in schoolwork and have taken their first exams and quizzes. All sports teams have begun practicing regularly, often multiple times a week, and students have made commitments to the clubs HAFTR offers. Seniors race to submit their Early Decision applications to colleges, juniors are preparing to take the SAT and ACT exams, many sophomores are engrossed in their first Advanced Placement course and freshmen continue their adjustment to high school.

HAFTR athletics are very much a part of the school pride and spirit. The varsity Hawks boys’ basketball team took part in the Magen David preseason tournament. It began Oct. 14, and stretches over five days. Participating teams include Davis Renov Stahler, the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, North Shore Hebrew Academy and Rambam Mesivta, and others in the New York area. HAFTR’s participation has spanned a number of years. The tournament is a great way for the Hawks to gel together as a team in a competitive environment before the season officially begins. The junior varsity Hawks boys’ hoops team is taking part in the North Shore preseason tournament in its inaugural year.

The club fair twas on Oct. 10, offering students the opportunity to learn about and sign up for the clubs that they found interesting. HAFTR offers more than 40 clubs, including competitive academic teams as well as ones spanning culture, recreation and student activism. Unique among clubs is the Stock Market Club, where students form teams and invest in stocks with fake money (or real money if a student so desires), entering into a competition with the winning team making the most “money.” Mock Trial team is also popular. Students simulate working as lawyers by participating in mock trials against other Long Island schools. The chesed (community service), book, environmental action, coding and broadcasting clubs are also offered. Students love being involved with the clubs because it gives them an opportunity to express their interests and develop talents in a manner outside the typical school curriculum.

This year’s freshman retreat included many different activities. On Oct. 9, freshman students went to Bounce! Trampoline Sports, an indoor trampoline recreation center. Students then traveled to an adventure park, which featured a ropes course where students could either ride a zip line or maneuver through different obstacles. Students also enjoyed a Chinese food dinner at Wing Wan, followed by a fun night of bowling to cap off the day. The trampoline center was the biggest hit of the day: “My favorite part of the trip was Bounce! because there were so many different things we could do, such as dodgeball, basketball, and jumping into the foam pit,” Megan Spivak said. The freshman retreat was a terrific experience for HAFTR’s newest students to get to know each other and have some fun.