Choices

Democracy is in the air! At WYHS, as in the country at large, important choices are being made.

To insure that our students are informed about the national presidential election, WYHS has chosen to hold a special assembly for the entire school on Monday afternoon. Interested upperclassmen will present the views of President Obama and Governor Romney on a variety of key topics, from the Economy to Energy to Iran. Students, you are the citizens of tomorrow, and (as I constantly remind mine, to their dismay) it's vital that you understand the challenges America faces in order to fix previous generations' mistakes!

The United States of America is not the only entity selecting a president.  Freshmen posters magically appeared on the walls at WYHS this week, signaling an exciting exercise in democracy which will culminate in the election of freshman class officers by the time this newsletter goes out.

Our seniors are facing a unique set of choices. Having prepped and tested and received guidance last year (in certain respects, since freshman year!) this year they have the important task of choosing a college. Representatives of numerous institutions of higher learning have descended upon WYHS to hold info sessions.  Yeshiva University admissions personnel spent a fantastic full day here in mid-October, interviewing a large majority of our seniors. [see article below] Meanwhile, Mrs. Kanner and Rabbi Horowitz, assisted by Mrs. Stein and Rabbi Grajower, have been busy guiding seniors as they go about choosing a yeshiva or seminary to attend in Israel next year. These are challenging, once-in-a-lifetime decisions! 

But every day, students make choices regarding academic achievement.  As I continue to field requests for changes in level, I try hard to impress this upon students: your ability to "move up," or even to succeed where you have been placed, is to a large extent a product of choice - specifically, how hard you choose to work. Everyone needs to understand that ultimately, diligence is the key to good grades at WYHS! 

Finally, we are all confronted daily with choices about personal behavior. Students: will you be viewed by your teachers and peers as contributing to or detracting from the school, and the world at large, through your davening, your manners, your kindness, your academic accomplishments, and your participation in worthwhile activities? It's your choice!

Yes, this is the season to select our next President. But there are many other important choices to be made. May we all choose well!

Shabbat Shalom,