September 2015Elul 5775-Tishrei 5776

CurriculumAP Scores Rise

CollegeMeet Dennis Eller

CommunityAlumni Reflections

CurriculumWelcome to Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college counseling and our community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.

Juda and Maria Diener Lower School | Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School | Ben Lipson Upper School

LION

Once again, Scheck Hillel Community School students have outperformed their state and national counterparts on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, continuing a three-year trend of overall score improvement. The AP program, administered by the College Board, serves outstanding students who wish to take college-level courses while still in high school.

The percentage of Scheck Hillel students who scored a 3 or higher on their AP exams rose from 79% in 2014 to 85% in 2015. Exams are taken in May and are scored on a scale of 1 to 5; success is defined as a score of 3 or higher, and many colleges award credit to students who score 4s and 5s. Nearly 55% of Hillel tests received a 4 or 5, compared to 26% in Florida and 32% nationally.

According to Craig Carpentieri, Director of High School/Curriculum & Instruction and IB MYP Coordinator, several factors contributed to the positive outcomes. “Hillel students prepare diligently not only all year, but also through the summer with reading, math and portfolio assignments that are differentiated to reflect the demanding expectations associated with

AP courses,” he said. “Credit also goes to our faculty, who are dedicated to helping students achieve to the level they desire.”

The efforts proved fruitful; in AP U.S. History, for example, 100% of students received a 3 or higher - a notable achievement considering the 2015 exam was a new version. AP U.S. History teacher Dr. Rhea Schwartzberg added Hillel parents and students should be proud of how their scores compare to the national pass rate of 73%.

The AP U.S. History exam is one of the most difficult offered by the College Board. Schwartzberg gives credit to the hard-working students at Hillel, combined with the opportunity the school provided her to train on the new exam. She added, “The learning approach in AP U.S. History not only helps our students far exceed the national pass rate for the AP exam and achieve high scores on the SAT II American History test, but also provides them with historical and thinking skills which will enable them to excel in their college studies.”

These results are a testament to the dedication of students and faculty and are a strong marker of college preparedness.

Calculus AB 100%

Calculus BC 100%

English

Language & Composition100%

European History 100%

Human Geography 90%

Physics 1 77%

Psychology 93%

Studio Art 2D 100%

US History 100%

Pride Points:% of AP students with a 3 or higher

on select AP examsAP Test Scores Surpass State, National Averages100% pass rates achieved in six academic subjects

Above: Dr. Schwartzberg teaches AP U.S. History via Skype from Israel. Below, Grade 11 students take a quiz in her class.

Left: Sabrina Slapak and the 2015-16 Calculus BC class פפפפפare ready for the challenge.

LION’S SHARE

CommunityAlumni Reflect on Freshman Experience, College Preparedness

Introducing Dennis Eller, Associate Director of College CounselingCollegeDennis Eller knows his territory. As a college counselor for more than 25 years, he has cultivated relationships with admission officers throughout the country who laud him as a gifted writer of student recommendations. He has personally visited more than 350 college and university campuses around the United States, many of them more than once. Eller has been immersed in the full scope of the college admission process. He has also been active as a presenter, panelist and speaker at multiple NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counselors) conventions.

Lion’s Share asked Eller about his priorities in the College Counseling Department, where he will work closely with Vanessa Donaher, Head of Upper School and

Director of College Counseling. “My first priority is to meet with seniors, get to know them individually and make sure they are on track,” he said. “We want to encourage more use of the Naviance platform: the online communication and tracking system that makes the college admission process more efficient. We will initiate more grade-specific communications for parents and students so they have the information they need in an even timelier manner.”

Eller looks forward to guiding Hillel students and families through the persistently competitive college admission process.

Eller brings his expertise from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was a college counselor at a private school.

He is married to Gale, a science specialist, and they have three children and three grandchildren. A warm welcome!

How was freshman year of college? Lion’s Share got in touch with alumni from the Class of ‘14 to find out. Read their thoughts on the unique tools Hillel provides, plus tips on what students can do now to prepare for the first year of college.

Janna Berenson ‘14 Alex Teichner ‘14Joseph Mitrani ‘14

“Several classes prepared me for college, specifically AP English. I learned to take out a lot of the fluff that clogs up writing, which helped me be successful in three writing courses I took my freshman year.

You come from this amazing community that has taught you so much. Your next task is to utilize all of the values that brought you to where you are today. Your morals and hard work will take you farther than you can ever imagine.”

“Hillel had always offered a more personalized learning experience through dedicated faculty… the emphasis on innovation and diligence in both Judaic and secular classes facilitated my progression to college. I was grateful to have been taught by teachers who challenged all of their students to apply creative thinking on assignments. As I look forward to earning my dual-degree at Penn, I can only express my utmost gratitude towards the education I received at Hillel.”

“One of the many useful things I took from Scheck Hillel...was to always build a strong relationship with your professor. Since Hillel is such a communal environment, it is easy to know your teacher. But when there are 200 students, it is your responsibility to ensure that your teacher knows who you are.

My advice regarding college preparation for current Hillel students is to create good study habits now. The best part of college is that you don’t have to go to class. The worst part of college is that you don’t have to go to class. It is very easy to fall behind! To underclassmen, it is never too early to start working on college essays and studying for standardized tests because you can never be over-prepared.”

Boston University, public relations major“A Jewish moral compass and strong writing skills”

University of Pennsylvania, dual degree candidate, international relations and finance “Devoted teachers and innovative approaches to teaching content”

University of Florida, construction management major “Relationship building and good study habits”

From early childhood through Grade 12, Scheck Hillel Community School educates and inspires students to become exemplary global citizens with enduring Jewish identity, values and a commitment to the State of Israel, through a college preparatory curriculum and meaningful co-curricular experiences guided by Orthodox teachings and set within a nurturing, diverse community. Scheck Hillel is the second-largest Jewish community day school in North America, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and an International Baccalaureate World School.