Kotarot The Emery/Weiner School Fall 2012

IN THE nEWSPage 4

FACULTY SPOTLIGHTPage 5

JAGUAR PRIDEPage 12

KotarotA quarterly report on news and

happenings at The Emery/Weiner School

Administration

Head of SchoolStuart J. Dow

Chief Financial OfficerDave Meyer

Interim Head of Upper SchoolDr. Lue Bishop

Head of Middle SchoolJennifer White

Director of AdmissionsCaroline Sarnoff

Director of AdvancementRebecca Starr

Director of College CounselingLynn Slaughter

Director of AthleticsAngie Gubitz

EditorAnn Holdsworth

From the Head of SchoolPage 3

In the nEWSPage 4

Stay in touch with EWS and read up on this year’s JOE Dinner.

Faculty SpotlightPage 5

Upper School Science Teacher Ryan Walker flips out on a daily basis.

Jaguar PridePage 12

Read up about all of the action from this fall’s sports at EWS, including our district champions!

ON THE FRONT COVER: (Top L-R) Sophomore Amanda Atzil, senior Jessica Wolinsky, juniors David Kramer and Noah Baliff, senior Hannah Dadoun, freshman Lydia Elieff, (Bottom L-R) and seniors Matthew Minchen, Claire Gottsegen, Melanie Weinberger and David Enav starred in the fall theater production of “Rumors.”

ON THE BACK COVER: The Middle School Football Team kicked off their inaugural season by going undefeated and winning their district.

The Emery/Weiner School Mission Statement

To educate and develop students

whose intellect, moral character

and Jewish identity provide a

lifelong foundation for personal

growth, commitment to the Jewish

people and Tikkun Olam - improving

the world in which we live.

mEmery LanePage 15

Keep up with EWS alumni through mEmery Lane.

Kotarot3

equates all people’s narratives and avoids making moral distinctions. “Why can we not simply say that at this moment, Israel’s enemies are evil? That they’re wrong? Why can they not say without obfuscation, that whatever fault one finds with Israel, it is the Jewish State that for 70 years has sued for peace and the Arabs/Palestinians who have always refused?”

Rabbi David Myers couldn’t disagree more strongly. In “Response to Gordis: A Simplistic Misreading of History,” Meyers points to historical leaders from the Israeli Left and Right who have embraced universalism. He retorts: “One needn’t

and shouldn’t attack others simply because their sense of compassion and ethical propriety extends beyond the tribe. On the contrary, we should be applauding just that capacity to manifest empathy beyond one’s own without surrendering a sense of love and belonging to the Jewish people.”

Regardless of which Rabbi they find more persuasive, I want our kids to see how both Gordis and Myers write with passion and persuasion. For these two gentlemen, the issues they’re sparing over aren’t academic exercises like the “intelligent spouse” statements discussed above. To the contrary, these are existential questions that they care deeply about, and their impassioned arguments are constructed in thoughtful, factual and logical ways. This is great modeling for our students. Because what we want most for Emery/Weiner graduates is that they’re engaged — with ideas and with the world around them — and that they leave our confines with an enhanced sense of self, a profoundly developed Jewish identity and a beautifully-balanced combination of a softened-heart and sharpened mind.

Speaking from the Heart - Using the MindHere’s a great way to enliven an otherwise boring holiday party. Raise your wine glass and loudly proclaim: “Highly intelligent women tend to marry less intelligent men!” Or, if you’re a man who’s willing to risk physical harm, try: “Highly intelligent men tend to marry less intelligent women!” Almost immediately, the polite, insipid chatter will come to an end and an impassioned discussion will begin — I promise. Well, what do you think? And why?

The fact is both statements are true based on a concept in statistics called “Regression to the Mean.” But that’s not relevant for purposes of this essay. What is relevant is how most people analyze the provocative statements above.

In short, most people use what’s called “System 1” thinking. System 1 is fast, intuitive and emotional. However, what’s needed to deconstruct the statements properly is called “System 2” thinking, which is slower, more deliberate, more logical — and more difficult.

The latter is what we work to instill in Emery/Weiner students — to challenge assumptions, challenge conventional wisdom, ask hard questions, avoid “easy” explanations — and eschew emotionally-driven arguments in favor of carefully-reasoned ones. This is especially important on issues that are emotional — such as Israel.

To be clear, we certainly want our kids to be passionate, not only about their education, but about issues such as social justice; and we certainly want them to feel connected to the Jewish State — which is why we take them every year to Poland and Israel. But when they’re confronted with virulent anti-Israel (dare I say anti-Semitic) allegations on college campuses — and I assure you, they will be — we want our graduates to be able to provide “System 2” responses based on history and reason.

By way of further example, in my Zionism class this semester, I asked students to read two “competing” articles, both prompted by the most recent violence in Gaza. In “When Balance Becomes Betrayal,” Rabbi Danny Gordis laments that “Progressive Jews” wrongly espouse a philosophy of universalism that essentially

Stuart J. Dow Head of School

The latter is what we work to instill in Emery/Weiner graduates — to challenge assumptions, challenge conventional wisdom, ask hard questions, avoid ‘easy’ explanations — and eshew emotionally-driven arguments in favor of carefully-reasoned ones.

4

Although Morris and her running mates are not in contention for the $1 million prize split between the top female and male marathoners for participating in the World Marathon Majors, just completing the race is enough for her.

“The interesting part for me is that at 20 miles, I’m always unsure of what’s going to happen at that point,” Morris said. “That’s where the race actually begins. I guess that’s part of the excitement — you never know if you’re going to hit the wall or if you’re going to hold your goal pace. At that point, you have to be so mentally tough and just block out the pain. When you cross the finish line, no matter how bad the race was, you always feel like a million bucks, and that is what is addicting!”

Morris has previously run 10 marathons, including two others from the World Marathon Majors, Chicago and Boston, but will participate next in the Houston Marathon in January.

PA Gift Ups the Technology Ante with 12 New SMART Boards

Utilizing funds raised throughout the year, the EWS Parents Association (PA) finished off furnishing each classroom in the Upper School with interactive white boards, known as SMART Boards. At a cost of $2,100 each, the PA purchased 12 units that were installed over the summer and ready to use for this school year.

“The goal of the Parents Association is to support the school in providing our students with the best possible educational experience,” said Donna Cohen, PA copresident from 2011-12. “In pursuit of that goal, the PA not only works actively with EWS in numerous capacities throughout the year, but also works to raise money for the school. At the end of each year, members of the PA executive board consult with EWS administrators, faculty and staff to get input regarding the most strategic use of the funds raised.

“Among the suggestions this past year, it was clear that the purchase of enough SMART Boards to equip every classroom with one would be of tremendous benefit to the students and faculty. Fortunately, the PA had raised sufficient money to purchase the boards, which should enhance the students’ learning experience for many years to come.”

In the nEWSNot Running on Empty: Teacher Finds Excitement, Fulfillment from Marathons

While most of us are seeking out the refuge of blessed air conditioning during the dog days of summer, Middle School Science Teacher Julie Morris is doing the unimaginable: she’s going for a good, long run. An active runner for 15 years, Morris is a member of a local running club that has made a pact to run in several marathons spanning the globe. In October, Morris crossed a significant marathon off her list by traveling overseas to participate in the BMW Berlin Marathon in Germany.

“I was nervous about taking the time off during the school year, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run this marathon with my friends in Berlin,” Morris said. “It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

For the fall marathon, Morris trained throughout the summer with her running club, Bay Area Running Club (BARC). Morris has been a member of BARC for five years and currently serves as the Vice President.

“I think the runs that require the most self-discipline are the long runs in the summer heat — it is so tempting to skip those, but they are the meat and potatoes of training for a marathon,” Morris said. “It definitely helps having training partners who provide support and accountability.”

Providing that motivation for Morris is a small group of BARC members who live close to her and who have banded together to run the grand prix of marathons, called the World Marathon Majors. This grand prix includes marathons in Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin and New York City.

Middle School Science Teacher Julie Morris hangs out with a jogging buddy before running the BMW Berlin Marathon in October.

The EWS Parents Association utilized nearly $25,000 in end-of-year funds to finish outfitting all Upper School classrooms with SMART Boards, which are interactive white boards. The boards were installed over the summer for use in 2012-13.

Kotarot5

Faculty Spotlight

Ryan Walker

In his four years at EWS, US Science Teacher Ryan Walker has made quite an impression with the EWS community by implementing a new teaching technique that has flipped traditional learning on its head, and by recently marrying fellow EWS teacher Jennifer Bauer-Conley.

Q: First of all, you are not a native Texan. What brought you this far south?

A: I graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. I came to Texas for the opportunity at Emery after looking for a change of scenery. I met Stuart and Shlomo at a conference in Atlanta and they convinced me to come out here and interview; which just about sealed the deal!

Q: What made you want to teach science to high schoolers?

A: I absolutely adore science. The idea that mankind can comprehend so many of the principles that guide how the world works and yet be utterly clueless about what we have yet to discover is just incredibly empowering and humbling at the same time. I want to share my passion for that endeavor with my students

and show them that there is so much underlying our mundane perception of what happens around us and within us.

Q: You’ve become known on campus for a technique called “flipping the classroom.” What is this?

A: The flipped classroom technique switches the timing and location of traditional lecture and homework utilizing lecture videos. I record my lectures, post them on Edline, and the students watch and take notes on the videos at home. Then when they come to class, we have the entire period to discuss the material and do practice problems, activities and labs.

Q: Is this technique working?

A: Yes, it takes a load of pressure off of the students. It allows the majority of old homework assignments to be completed in class with the support of me and the class as a whole instead of at home alone. It frees up enormous amounts of class time for labs and activities. Also, the videos can be watched at any place the student is comfortable, and they are always available to re-watch for studying or refreshing.

Q: Since you came to Texas specifically to teach at EWS, what is your favorite thing about teaching here?

A: I love the kids. We have some very gifted and lovely people entrusted to us. It’s a huge challenge and an enormous responsibility, but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to interact with and make an impact on so many special people.

Q: Okay, now to the good stuff. You recently married another popular teacher, Jennifer Bauer-Conley. Were you smitten with her from the get-go?

A: When I met Jen, I was sure she was way out my league. I thought her intelligence, self-assuredness, creativity and passion were incredibly attractive. Plus, she was a huge asset to our trivia team! Once I discovered that we shared some musical interests, I worked up the nerve to ask her to a concert. And the rest, as they say, is history.

US Science Teacher Ryan Walker has been with EWS for four years, recently changing his teaching style to “flip” the classroom. The new technique allows more time for hands-on activities and labs, and time to answer questions in-class.

Walker and Bauer-Conley also love getting into character as they did when they dressed as the main characters from “Anchorman” for Purim. The happy couple were married on Saturday, October 27 in Georgia.

6

In the nEWS

The school year started with a magical twist at Opening Ceremonies as Head of School Stuart J. Dow focused on the dual meaning of Olam - world and hidden; many wonderful things in life are not readily apparent and one should look deeper than just at the surface. Daughter Eleanor Dow lent her dad a helping hand with one of the magic acts.

August

The Class of 2019 participated in their first official EWS event at the 6th Grade Kick-Off Overnight two days before school started. After beating the heat with a pool party, the fun continued back on campus with a sleepover.

BELOW: Families from every grade came out to ring in the new school year at the EWS Annual Picnic in August, including seventh graders Sari Raizner, Trenton Simmons and Joseph Sondock.

Sixth grader Danielle Miller was selected as an audience participant during this year’s magical Opening Ceremonies.

Fall Events at EWS

Kotarot7

Interim Head of Upper School and Academic Dean Dr. Lue Bishop looks on while ninth graders Noah Miller and Joseph Schwartzberg donated money to the charity, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger for Yom Kippur.

ABOVE: Sixth graders Lila Deutsch and Drew Ellis had fun with their classmates while participating in some team building and trust exercises during the Middle School Retreat.

LEFT: Eighth grader Michael Ran wasn’t going to let a bum arm stop him from participating in and enjoying the ropes course while on the Middle School Retreat.

Fall Events at EWS

September

The 7th Grade Class reigned supreme at this year’s Middle School Retreat by winning the sponge toss game against the other grades. All three middle school classes spent three days at Lantern Creek north of Houston.

The EWS Club Fair kicked off in September and showcased the variety of clubs available. Senior Sam Robinson and juniors Rachel Stern and Brooke Lampert drum up support for their club, Dog Lovers Unite.

8

October

In the nEWS

Under the direction of new teacher Johnny Nichols, Jr., the newly formed JagChoir has performed at several events, including at the Roberts Elementary School International Festival and the 12th Annual JOE Dinner (above).

Head of School Stuart J. Dow proved to be a good sport on his birthday this year when Upper School students celebrated by throwing a pie in his face. Ever the constant companion, Herzl was on hand to help with the clean up.

RIGHT: For their Jewish Living: Holidays and Life Cycles class, students put on a mock traditional Jewish wedding. Students researched a part of the service and then performed the ritual in the Mucasey Arbor. Even the faculty helped out with Limor Oren giving away the bride!

Ninth grade students Bram Lowenstein, Greg Holste, Jared Shirley, Ryan Sable and Dylan Solomon showed remarkable cooperative behavior while on a field trip to the Houston Zoo in October.

Seniors Claire Gottsegen, Jordann Tiras and Marlee Esses took part in the photo booth at the Homecoming Dance, and embraced this year’s Masquerade theme.

Sixth grader Sam Kasser, left, and a guest help themselves to the sundae desserts after having dinner in the Sukkah for Sukkot. More than 50 people turned out for this first-year celebration, organized by Rabbi Feivel Strauss.

Kotarot9

Written by Neil Simon, the play is a farce that focuses on a dinner party that goes comically awry when a key party member disappears and another is shot. Senior Hannah Dadoun and junior Noah Baliff starred as couple Cassie and Glen Cooper in “Rumors.”

Seniors David Enav and Melanie Weinberger played couple Claire and Lenny Ganz in this year’s production of “Rumors.”

The year’s first theatrical production, “Rumors,” was a smashing success! Sophomore Amanda Atzil and freshman Lydia Elieff were integral characters to the play’s plot.

10

Members of the Helfman family came out in force to honor the legacy of patriarch Jack Helfman, including from left to right, Cameron Wolf, Steven Wolf, Sandi Wolf, Alan Helfman, Renee Helfman, Elaine Helfman, Sheri Feldman, Rori Feldman, Jason Feldman, Lacey Feldman, Ashley Wolf, Caitlin Helfman, Eric Helfman, Samantha Wolf and Blake Helfman.

A R O A D T O R E M E M BR A N C E

2012 Joy of Education Dinner Breaks Record Honoring Helfman Legacy

The 12th Annual Joy of Education (JOE) Dinner, honoring Jack Helfman z’l was truly a journey. The event was held on October 25 and was chaired by Lori and Phil Cohen, with honorary chairs, Elaine Helfman, Sheri Feldman, Renee and Alan Helfman and Sandi and Steven Wolf.

More than 600 guests filled the EWS Kosberg gym, and raised a record-breaking $590,000 — and still counting! The Helfman family was touched at the opportunity to share Jack’s legacy — and life lessons — with such a large and supportive crowd.

“What would Jack say? ‘Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen.’ He led by example... He made it happen,” Steven said in his JOE Dinner speech about his father-in-law.

“About tonight, Jack would say that he felt humbled by this honor, grateful to everyone of you who has contributed to the success of this event and hopeful that Helfman Field will provide opportunities for children to learn and grow in the spirit of good

sportsmanship and fair play,” Steven added.

Wendy, EWS Trustee, and Andy Bernstein enjoy supporting the 12th Annual Joy of Education Dinner.

Chairs Lori and Phil Cohen helped put together the memorable evening in celebration of the Helfman Legacy.

Auction chairs Elisha Selzer and Debbie Turk pose with current EWS parent Shari Spier, who won the 14-karat white gold, 5.95-ct. diamond in and out hoop earrings, donated by Deutsch & Deutsch.

On behalf of the Emery/Weiner School and the Helfman, Feldman and Wolf families, we want to thank everyone who made a donation and attended the

dinner and added to the tremendous success!

Kotarot11

Members of the Helfman family came out in force to honor the legacy of patriarch Jack Helfman, including from left to right, Cameron Wolf, Steven Wolf, Sandi Wolf, Alan Helfman, Renee Helfman, Elaine Helfman, Sheri Feldman, Rori Feldman, Jason Feldman, Lacey Feldman, Ashley Wolf, Caitlin Helfman, Eric Helfman, Samantha Wolf and Blake Helfman.

One of this year’s live auction items included a Cavalier King Charles puppy, expertly escorted by junior Alyssa Cohen, daughter of this year’s Dinner Chairs Lori and Phil Cohen.

A R O A D T O R E M E M BR A N C E

Lynn Goetz, her daughter Hannah Goetz and Lynn’s mother, Lee Levit, enjoy dinner from Tony’s at this year’s JOE Dinner.

Sandi Wolf, Alan Helfman and Sheri Feldman with their mother Elaine Helfman.

EWS senior Caitlin Helfman with her mother Renee Helfman. Caitlin performed a solo with the JagChoir during the JOE Dinner program.

(L-R) Barbara Lewis, Stephen Breslaur, Terry Woskow, Fred Levine and Guillermo Guefen at the JOE Dinner.

On behalf of the Emery/Weiner School and the Helfman, Feldman and Wolf families, we want to thank everyone who made a donation and attended the

dinner and added to the tremendous success!

12

“The JV team started the season with a three-game win streak, highlighted by a 43-13 road victory over the Brazos Valley Christian Home Educators Association,” Adams said. “Collectively, this group has improved each and every game. The offense has averaged 34 points, and the defense has been stout throughout the season.

“It’s always fun to see the underclassmen grow as football players,” Adams added.

Adams will look forward to adding those skilled players to next year’s varsity squad as they look to replace eight graduating seniors from this year’s championship-winning team. The Varsity Football Team finished the season by winning their fourth straight 6-man football championship at the Iron Man Tournament in Austin on November 10.

“Jacob Silver has been an impact player all season,” Adams said. “After leading the team in interceptions in 2011, he added wide receiver to his list of duties this year and leads the team in touchdowns scored.

“Sam Robinson has been a force from his defensive line position by constantly putting pressure on the opposing team’s backfield. The trio of running backs — Alex Niefield, Sean Kantor and Zach Lerner — have been explosive on offense all season and have matured greatly in leading the offensive attack.”

This year’s team faced their stiffest competition to date by playing tougher competitors than ever before.

“We definitely raised the bar in terms of competition we faced this season,” Adams said. “All our defeats came against highly ranked teams that will either win their respective districts or place a close second. Playing good teams makes you better, and with the lack of experience our team had coming into this season, we know we will certainly be ready to take on the better competition in 2013.

Jaguar PrideNew MS Football Team, Varsity Team Win District, State Championships

There were many changes afoot in this year’s football program at EWS, including the addition of a Middle School Football Team.

“We have a lot of young men at Emery who eat, sleep and breathe football,” said Athletic Director Angela Gubitz. “A group of them came to us last year with the request of wanting a team. We have been so successful at the high school level in football and we have phenomenal coaches who wanted it, too. So, we got creative with our budget, field space and scheduling, and we made it happen.”

Those dedicated young men certainly made it happen by finishing the season undefeated at 8-0 and winning the district championship, despite facing some potentially season-changing injuries.

“It was great beating Tomball Christian for the second time this season after losing two key players to injuries,” said Lane Wakefield, middle school football coach. “Grant Schneider was hurt on the opening kick-off with a nasty leg fracture. Losing him, and having already lost Jordan Loev earlier in the same week to a broken wrist, forced the rest of the team to come through.

“The guys fought through adversity to be successful by arguably playing our toughest football yet,” Wakefield said. “Watching your friend break their leg could have been deflating for all of the guys, but they rallied around it and took it upon themselves to take care of business.”

As coach of both the Junior Varsity and Varsity Football teams, Adrian Adams looks forward to adding many of Wakefield’s eighth graders to his roster.

“The rising eighth grade class looks very promising, and I definitely look for them to continue the success of our JV program next year,” Adams said.

The JV Football Team finished the season with a 5-2 record, and with more wins than any other JV Football Team in EWS history.

The inaugural Middle School Football Team finished their season undefeated, winning first place in their district.

Freshman Harrison Rosenthal cuts back to avoid a tackle during a junior varsity football game against High Island.

Senior Charlie Midlo avoids a tackle during a varsity game against Bryan Allen Academy. Despite being new to the team, Midlo worked hard every day and did whatever needed to be done, said Adrian Adams, the varsity football coach.

Kotarot13

she said. “She has wonderful hands at the net setting and will surely be an asset to the eighth grade team next season.”

With two strong teams just in the seventh grade alone, Boudreaux is excited for what the future holds for the EWS Volleyball Program.

“If you work hard and play harder, you will see results,” she said. “This year’s girls proved that each time they were on the court, and have set a great example of what a team is supposed to look like.”

The Eighth Grade Volleyball Team upped the ante this year by coming away with wins against some very tough competition.

“Our girls competed against some of the top public and private schools in Houston at the Bellaire High School Middle School Tournament, finishing first in pool play by beating out powerhouse schools Lanier, Pershing and Second Baptist. The girls were one of only four teams to compete in the Gold Medal Bracket, losing to the eventual tournament winner.”

The team was led throughout the tournament — and the season — by All-Tournament player Shelby Glover.

“Shelby was our setter and team captain, and she never left the floor the entire season,” Gubitz said. “She handled herself with great character, integrity and was a great motivator to the team. She always believed they could achieve and surpass every goal we had for the team and she helped them to believe that as well.”

With such a large amount of interest from the seventh grade class already, Gubitz is excited about carrying that success into next year’s team.

The excitement continued with the Junior Varsity Volleyball Team under head coach Cami Montgomery. The girls finished the season 9-10, but they dug deep for

“We will return several starters, and will have players from the JV squad and hopefully some rising freshmen I’ve been eying on the Middle School Football Team for next year’s team,” Adams said. “Without a doubt, the winning tradition of Emery football will continue.”

Volleyball Teams Set Records with District Championship, Participation

Football wasn’t the only sport to gain additional teams this year. Volleyball was definitely the most popular fall sport by fielding a Varsity, Junior Varsity, Eighth Grade and two Seventh Grade Volleyball Teams.

Inundated with interest from seventh grade girls, the Athletics Department decided to field two seventh grade teams, the Seventh Grade Blue Team and the Seventh Grade White Team. Jeff Peters, the coach for the White Team, taught the fundamentals and the basics to a group of girls who were new to the game.

“Every single person learned so much about the sport and themselves that it was amazing to see the complete difference in them from the start of the season to the end,” Peters said. “The athletes who stepped onto the floor for their last match were unrecognizable from the girls who showed up for preseason conditioning.”

The girls learned a lot of skills that were new to them, and they worked hard and pushed through a tough season, Peters said. The White Team finished the season strong by winning their last game at home, making a declarative push for making the Eighth Grade Volleyball Team.

Joining the White Team at try-outs next year will be the Seventh Grade Blue Volleyball Team. Coached by Angi Boudreaux, the Blue Team finished the season 11-3 with seasoned home and away wins against St. Mark’s, proving their toughness on the court.

Several players stepped up and helped lead the team to a winning record, including Dana Ran for digging balls and making great passes from the back row, Hailey Caress for her leadership on the court and for leading the team in scores through her serve, and Jillian Greenberg for her phenomenal serve, Boudreaux said.

“Jillian has a spin serve that will make any team hustle to the ball,”

The 8th Grade Volleyball Team finished the season with a winning record of 12-10.

The Middle School fielded three volleyball teams this year, including the Seventh Grade White Team, pictured above.

(L-R): Seventh Grade Blue Volleyball Team members Dana Ran, Natalie Goldberg, Julia Roberts and Jillian Greenberg prepare for a serve.

14

their victories, Montgomery said.

“When we played Lutheran North, we came back from a 14-22 deficit to win the game 26-24,” she said. “They didn’t give up in that game, or at all throughout the season.

“Morgan Levy was our best defensive player,” Cami said. “Morgan hustled to make sure no ball hit the ground without her going for it. Hannah has the most incredible spirit; if it weren’t for her enthusiasm, the girls might not have made it through the majority of our games.”

Montgomery is excited to work with the rising eighth graders, and to see which of her girls will excel on next year’s Varsity Volleyball Team.

This year’s Varsity Volleyball Team set has set the bar high for next year’s squad with a record-setting season en route to a District Championship, and competing in the state championship play-offs.

“There were so many high points to this incredible season,” said Lauren Cowan, the head coach for varsity volleyball. “Beating Pope John in our final district game solidified our number two seed entering the district tournament. During that tournament, we came back from a 0-2 deficit to win the number one seed entering the state tournament, becoming the District 4A Champions for the first time ever in school history!”

Spearheading this record-breaking season was junior Sarah Friedman, who leads the team in kills, attack percentage, digs and blocks.

“Sarah understands her role and plays it to the best of her ability at all times,” Cowan said. “She knows what to do; when the team needs something she is always there.”

Joining Friedman again next season is junior Belle Bressler,

who leads the team in aces and serve

Jaguar Pridepercentages, and who continues to grow into a more confident player with each and every game, Cowan said.

“The team will miss seniors Elle Wermuth and Cara Sheena next year,” Cowan said. “Elle is such a great leader. She has taken the leadership role head on and has led her team all the way through this season, and the girls have followed her.

“Cara led the team in assists percentages and assists per game and has pushed herself to the limits and back again this entire season, and that has rubbed off on everyone,” Cowan added.

Next season looks really promising with the return of some key players, and with the rising class of 2017.

“I like the talent that this eighth grade class has shown throughout their season and I can’t wait to see how they’ll contribute next year,” Cowan said. “I’m really excited to teach these athletes and to bring them to the next level. I also believe we have a couple of potential college players coming up!”

Young Cross Country Team Competes at District, State

“The team’s performance at the Houston Christian meet was a turning point in our season,” said David Berthold, the cross country coach. “The conditions were very tough for the runners with it being a cold and very wet day. But, the entire team came, braved the mud and all of the team members saw a marked improvement in their personal best times.”

Throughout the season, at least one runner finished in the top 25 of every race, despite several new athletes, Berthold added.

“Sophomore Mara Kushner and eighth grader Joseph Fields had never run competitively before this season, and yet both ended up ranked high in our district,” Berthold said. “At the district meet, Joseph came in fifth overall, and Mara placed 15th. They worked hard all season and demonstrated strong improvement at each and every race.”

Kushner and fellow sophomore Sarah Stein also qualified and competed in the TAPPS 4A State Meet in October.

Fielding a young team, Coach David Berthold hopes to build off this year’s momentum with young runners who competed at district and state meets.

The Varsity Volleyball Team captured the school’s first-ever district championship, and made a run for the state championship.

Junior Jill Rosenkrantz prepares to bump the ball during a junior varsity volleyball game.

Kotarot15

In honor of Devorah & Rafael Arbisser’s 65th Wedding

AnniversarySteven L. Fenberg

In honor of Allen BeckerSabria & Kevin Lewis

In honor of Ryan BrownMarie & Sam Proler

In honor of Audrey Farb’s 90th Birthday

Frieda & Melvin Dow

DonationsGifts In Honor Of

July 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Gifts In Memory OfJuly 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

In memory of Janice BernsteinEllen & Michael Kleinman

In memory of Shari EpsteinSusan Donaldson

Heidi & David Gerger*

All gifts in honor of and in memory of loved ones benefit

ongoing fundraising efforts of The Emery/Weiner School.

* These donations were allocated to the Kosberg

Scholarship Fund. Donations to the Kosberg Scholarship

Fund are matched, and will provide support for

scholarships for EWS students who demonstrate

financial need.

In honor of Martha Freedman’s Birthday

Barbie & Jeff Horowitz*

In honor of Anne & Don GraubartMarie & Sam Proler

In honor of Brian KarpasMarie & Sam Proler

In honor of Melanie LopezDaisy & Charles Shinbrot

Laura & Thomas RahlfsJanie & Billy Rippner

Susan Rosenbaum & Eric Schoen

In memory of Hilda Carliner GoldmanJanet Friedman

In memory of Gerald GershonDr. and Mrs. David Erani

In memory of Edith & Albert GinsbergDr. Lawrence Ginsberg

In memory of Bob MeinzerBarbara & Barry Lewis

In memory of Jack TurkNaomi & Eyal Enav

Rozelle & Herman Schultz

Josh Brener, IWJJ ’99, wrapped his first major movie role as Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s boss in “The Internship.” Josh has previously appeared in TV shows “Glory Daze” and “The Big Bang Theory,” but this is his first movie role.

Jon Bass, IWJJ ’01, was cast in the national tour of “Book of Mormon,” a religious satire musical written by the creators of “South Park.”

Emily William Taylor ‘05, graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in May 2012.

Ilana Diamond ’06 also got to spend time with the EWS Class of 2012 during their senior

trip to Israel. Ilana recently completed her second year of service in the Israeli Army and is an account manager for DavidShield, an insurance company.

Lauren Levine ’09 has been busy since graduating from EWS. Lauren is a junior at Indiana State University and is double majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology. In pursuit of that degree, Lauren has done internships with the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service and the Houston Police Department. Upon graduating in May 2013, Lauren plans to pursue a career with a federal criminal justice agency.

Lindsey Scheinthal ’10 is a junior at Boston University and spent the summer interning at Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations firm in

Houston. She worked on projects for the City of Houston, for Pink Berry, a yogurt company, and for the Mayor’s office. Lindsey described her internship as a life-changing opportunity that will shape her future. She is now studying advertising with a minor in photojournalism.

Mauria Atzil ‘11 is in Israel trying to raise her medical profile in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) so she can be a combat soldier in Magav. Currently, Mauria is with the Lotar Unit and deals with counter-terrorism efforts. All IDF units train with the Lotar Unit, as well as armies from other countries. Mauria took some time off from her military duties to visit with the EWS Class of 2012 during their senior trip in May.

Sam Strum ‘12, a Plan II Honors student at the University of Texas at Austin, spent the summer in Beijing learning Mandarin and getting a feel for the Chinese culture, indulging in Chinese food and exploring the area. As part of his trip, he is only allowed to speak Mandarin. Sam is continuing his learning this fall by interning in Beijing.

mEmery Lane

9825 Stella LinkHouston, TX 77025

(832) 204-5900(832) 204-5910 (Fax)

emeryweiner.org

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDHOUSTON TX

PERMIT NO 13043

David BellWendy BernsteinLauren BlachmanEric Blumrosen, Vice PresidentMark Brookner, Immediate Past PresidentAndy Bursten, Vice PresidentAdele CroftCarol EmeryCaroline EssesVikki EvansClive FieldsTom Fish, EWS Foundation Board ChairMartha FreedmanKim GloverDavid GoldsteinDon GraubartJoe Kaplan*Rick KaplanKenneth KatzJoe KornfeldBobby LapinStan LevyBarry LewisEric LombardiGlenn LowensteinDavid MorrisDavid NeubergerBrad Rauch, PresidentElisha SelzerJulie SilvermanJordana Slawin, Vice PresidentAlana Spiwak, SecretaryGary SteinDan Steiner, TreasurerRoger SternMark WeycerJoe Williams, Presidential AppointeeBonnie WinogradInna Wizig

The Emery/Weiner 2012-13 Board of Trustees

Important Dates to Remember

December24-31 Winter Break: School Closed

January1-4 Winter Break: School Closed

7 Classes Resume

11 New Student Application Deadline

12-13 Senior-Directed Play

13 ISEE Testing at EWS

20-25 US Winter Trips

27 ISEE Testing at EWS