The 9th Graders of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls had a great time “painting the night” on Motza’ei Shabbos, February 8. Led by Art Academy teacher Mrs. Meredith Pyle, the Freshmen honed their artistic abilities while painting a butterfly canvas. Bonding over delicious ice cream and snacks, the girls appreciated the opportunity to mingle in a relaxed atmosphere in the school auditorium with their grade-level advisors, Mrs. Sheila Leibtag, Mrs. Rikki Ash, and Mrs. Tzippy Calm, and madrichot Chaya Bodek, Rocheli Lowy, Shira Strauss, and Bina Weiss.

Bnos Malka Academy students showcased their talents at their annual Education Fair. Middle school students demonstrated their creativity with detailed tri-boards displaying their research on states, countries, and scientific experiments.

The Yeshiva of Central Queens Torah Bowl team, after a season of preparation by their excellent coaches and a season of hard work and successful competitions, is heading to the playoffs. Early in the season, the students learned the parshiyos of Sh’mini and Acharei Mos and their respective Rashis. In Sh’mini, they learned about the deaths of Aharon’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, and about the kosher and non-kosher animals and how to tell which are kosher. In Acharei Mos, team-members discussed various korbanos, their laws, and how and when to offer up a sacrifice. After winning their first and second competition, Gabriella Badalov, a team-member, said, “When we won, I felt very proud and accomplished. I realized that if you try hard, you will succeed.”

On Monday and Tuesday, February 10 and 11, the Yeshiva of Central Queens Junior High School sixth-grade girls prepared and hosted a Tu BiSh’vat Shuk. A shuk is an outdoor market in Israel. The girls decorated the multi-purpose room at the Yeshiva to make it look like a shuk in Israel. There were different kinds of foods, such as pickles, olives, candy, dried fruits, baked goods, and vegetables for the different brachos. The younger grades had passports and were able to purchase the items with the printed shekels they were given from the “bank.”

The week of February 4 was designated as “PAUSE – Pausing and Understanding Speech’s Effect – Week” at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls, giving the students an opportunity to examine the importance of proper verbal expression and the effects of negative speech.