Speech Contest 2008

Friedel Students Compete in District Speech

By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

 

On May 5, Friedel students Eva Phillips, daughter of Dr. Eric and Julie Phillips, and Elissa Wiener, daughter of Richard and Audrey Wiener, had the honor of representing their school at the annual district speech competition. Denise Bennett, who teaches fifth and sixth grade, prepared her students well for the event, which was held at Aldrich Elementary.  “Students from Aldrich, Wegner Middle School, St. Vincent DePaul, and Friedel competed,” Bennett said.  “The topic was “An American Landmark”.  Elissa spoke about The Empire State Building, and Eva Phillips spoke about Chimney Rock.  They were both excellent representatives of Friedel; they’re very gifted public speakers!”

Elissa, who attends fifth grade at Friedel, will go on to the state competition.  There will be students from the Omaha area as well as from Columbus and Madison, Nebraska.

The winner of this state competition will have his/her speech videotaped and sent to the national competition. “Friedel has had one state winner in the past – Jacob Katzman,” Bennett remembered, “I wish I remembered the exact year, but it was before 1995.  We were still located in the old building!”  Principal Cookie Katskee is looking forward to the next round: “Our students do a fantastic job with their speeches, and they are getting better every year. It’s very inspiring to watch them develop their skills in front of an audience.” The State competition will be held on May 19 at Brownell-Talbot.

 

Speech Contest 2007

An Inspiring Evening at Friedel

By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

 

 

On Thursday April 12, Friedel Jewish Academy played host to the District IV speech contest, sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America. It was a first for Friedel; elementary- and middle school students from 7 different schools participated in the event.  General Studies teacher Denise Bennett acted as the MC, introduced the judges, and made sure everything ran smoothly.

“Denise deserves all the credit”, according to Principal Cookie Katskee.  “She made sure we were well equipped to host this contest, and worked tirelessly with our own students here at Friedel.”  The students learned some very useful skills in the process, such as researching their topic, thinking clearly, and presenting their findings in public.  The hard work on the part of Ms. Bennett and the students was evident in their speeches; 5th graders Michael Popkov and Eva Phillips represented Friedel very well.  The topic for the speeches was “Great American Leaders”. Michael wrote and delivered an inspiring speech about Magic Johnson, because “He was a leader in sports, and he is a leader in life.”  He addressed both Johnson’s career in Basketball and his remarkable journey after he was diagnosed with HIV. Michael is the son of Yuliya Popkov.

Eva Phillips wowed the crowd with her speech about Suffragette and Abolitionist Susan B. Anthony.  According to Eva, Anthony inspired her “when she worked to give women the right to vote, and the right to dream”.  Eva, who is the daughter of Eric and Julie Phillips, said she wanted to find a woman to research, and received help from her grandmother.  Eva’s mother, who is also Friedel’s art teacher, was impressed because: “It gave my daughter the chance to take a multi-generational approach, which is a great fringe benefit when learning new skills.”

All in all, 14 different students participated in the contest. One of the judges, UNO student Ellie Schunk, explained that these speech tournaments present the students with priceless opportunities: “I love hearing them speak. It is often the first chance for them to get comfortable in front of a crowd, and seeing the passion in young people is a wonderful experience.”  A sentiment surely shared by all listeners, and the students themselves, as they showed this passion in spades.

Both Eva and Michael did their school proud, and it will be interesting to see how they develop their skills in the future.  Perhaps, some day, Michael will be addressing the crowds on a daily basis, and his scary first speech will only be a faint memory. When Eva runs for President in 2037, she can tell the reporters that she got her feet wet at Friedel Jewish Academy.

 

Summer at Friedel

Summer’s On at Friedel

By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

 

 

It is oftentimes the most hectic schedule that provides the most fun; something that was proven once again by Friedel Jewish Academy. During the last week school was in session, students watched the sixth grade graduate, while putting on a show at the JCC auditorium.  Guests were given a warm welcome by Jewish Federation President Norm Sheldon, as well as Bonnie Bloch and Lloyd Roitstein of the Friedel Board of Directors.  Principal Cookie Katskee took some extra time to thank the Friedel PTO members Nancy Kutler, Julie Potash, Linda Potash and Julie Stein.  They have worked tirelessly this past school year to raise money and show appreciation to the teachers for all their hard work.

            After several musical numbers by the students, Friedel Librarian Joyce Stranglen was called to the stage.  Teacher Barb Sather informed the audience that Joyce’s son suffered a house fire that left the family unhurt, but destroyed all belongings. In the spirit of Tikkun Olam, and with a little help from their teachers, Friedel students created a quilt for the family.  Barb said: “They lost their home, but not their family. We wanted to wrap them in love. The children made all the squares, our secretary Mary Jane Tweedy embroidered the centerpiece, and Artist-in-residence Janie York help us put it together. The theme of the quilt is ‘home is where the heart is’ because what is important, i.e., their family, is still there.” Barb Sather presented the quilt to Joyce to pass on to her son’s family.

            Rabbi Jonathan Gross introduced the main part of the evening by paying tribute to Friedel’s graduates. Tal Margalit, Cleo Rogers and Samantha Wiener walked the stage and received their certificates, as well as a sung message from their teachers. It is tradition at Friedel for the teachers to sing a personalized song to the graduating class.

Cookie Katskee sent the sixth graders on their way by quoting Henry Winkler: “ There is greatness within each of you. Use your greatness to change the world”.  Katskee also acknowledged the Friedel staff when she said: “ If you want to be great, you have to be taught by greatness.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I offer you the greatest”! The evening was concluded by a video presentation offering high lights from the past school year, and refreshments for all the guests.

            Besides being treated to song and dance, visitors also enjoyed an art display featuring Friedel students’ work.  Art Teacher Julie Philips and her students had some special help this year from Artist-in-residence Janie Lynn York, She has visited the school several times over the past year to teach the students new skills that include drawing, story telling, and machine quilting. York has worked individually with students, as each of them created artwork that expressed their plans for improving the world.  The students designed their own storyboard that was transferred onto fabric and subsequently quilted in the shape of a tree. York assisted the students with each step, as they learned how to create their own stories and use the machine quilter. York explained, “in the case of this project, the students discussed Tu B’Shevat and certain scriptures surrounding the project. Creating trees and writing stories gave them a more personal understanding of Judaism.”

Art teacher Julie Phillips explained how art helps her students form their Jewish identity: “Everything they do can be done through a Jewish lens. They study Jewish artists, and it gives them a sense of pride because they can identify themselves with them.  It is very good for their self-esteem.  However, you don’t have to study a Jewish artist in order to see art in a Jewish perspective. The students were inspired by Henry Moore and Christo, among others, to create their own Garden of Eden for the art show. They continually express their creativity in a Jewish manner.” Janie’s residency was sponsored by the Nebraska Arts Council and by Friend of Friedel Dr. Eric Phillips, and organized by Principal Cookie Katskee and Julie Phillips.

After a two-day break for Shavuot, Friedel students enjoyed their last day of school on Friday May 25^th.  When they return for more at the end of August, a brand new class of Kindergartners will appear, illustrating that with every end comes a new beginning.