List of 73 news stories.

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  Gann Academy Senior Accepted to West Point

  Gann Academy was honored to have United States Army Major William Cole address the student body this week. Major Cole, in his capacity as the Massachusetts Admissions Representative for the United States Military Academy, came to welcome Gann senior and Student Council President Jacob Foster as a cadet in West Point's class of 2023.
  
  
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  United Nations Speechwriter Addresses Students

  Gann Academy was honored to have Sarah Cohen, Class of 2011, return to campus on Monday, April 15, to speak with students about her role as the Director of Speechwriting for the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations.
  
  
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  Gann Teacher Appears on History Channel Documentary

  How many high school students can say that their history teacher is one of the world's leading authorities on an infamous ancient king?
  
  Dr. Adam Marshak's history students can.
  
  During the past month, hundreds of thousands tuned into a new four-part History Channel documentary chronicling the early years of Christianity in which Dr. Marshak shared his knowledge and expertise with viewers. Dr. Marshak, who received his doctorate in Roman History from Yale, is one of the leading authorities on King Herod. The documentary, Jesus: His Life, featured Dr. Marshak as an expert to talk about Herod's rule during the waning BCE years.
  
  
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  Innovation Center Update

  We're just a month away from the groundbreaking of Gann Academy's new Innovation Center. Construction kicks off in May and will wrap-up in August before the start of school. Like everything at Gann, a lot of intentionality was placed on the design of the new facilities. 
  
  Teaching at Gann is more project-based than ever, with more long-term and in-depth projects. The new Innovation Center will let students move more fluidly from small group work to class presentations, from research to prototypes, and from questions to answers. "Our goal is to make learning more visible," says Sarah DuBeau-Farley, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning, Science Department Chair, and a project leader for the Innovation Center. The new open spaces, and the use of glass partitions instead of standard walls, will allow students to observe their peers using the tools and facilities; encouraging the sharing of ideas and facilitating innovation.
  
  
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  March Madness: Mock Trial Advances to Final Four

  It was a Friday morning and the whole school was gathered for Hakhel, Gann's weekly student-run assembly. Talya Lerner '19 had just been called for an announcement. "After going undefeated in our division," Talya starts, then pauses for dramatic effect, "we made it all the way to the final four!" The whole student body let out a cheer.
  
  
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  New Courses Offered Next Year

  It’s time to register for next year’s courses at Gann and the choices are abundant: more than 125 courses in the humanities, math, sciences, languages and Jewish studies, not to mention the arts and electives that range from poetry to thermodynamics.
   
  "We continually refine our curriculum to ensure that our course offerings reflect the interests of students and the skills and knowledge they'll need to succeed in college and beyond," says Jacob Pinnolis, Director of Teaching and Learning. "Last year, we introduced expanded math and physics offerings for ninth graders and more high-level Judaics choices. This year, we've focused on furthering our advanced studies options."
  
  
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  Traveling Fellowship Awarded: Gann Teacher Heading to Japan

  Gann nurtures its teachers as deliberately and thoughtfully as it does its students because passionate teachers make for engaged students. One of the unique programs Gann offers faculty is the Carol Ruth Jacobs Traveling Fellowship. For the past seven years, with the generous donor support, the Fellowship has enabled one Gann teacher to travel each year to pursue new experiences which will enhance their teaching. This month, the newest recipient was announced, Media Arts teacher Maya Wainhaus. Wainhaus will travel on one of the program’s furthest trips thus far: she’ll head to Japan to experience, document, and study modern street photography.
  
  
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• Gann Academy's Red Curtain Drama Club Presents SEUSSICAL

  March 7th @ 7pm
  March 9th @ 8:30pm
  March 10th @ 2pm
  
  Tickets available at https://gann.brownpapertickets.com
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  Telling Your Story, Building A Community

  "I had to forge my own path and not let myself be defined by stereotypes and expectations."
  —Speaker during this year’s Sh’ma Kolenu program
  
  Throughout the year, Gann students come together as a community to hear personal, emotional, and inspiring stories from their peers. Sh'ma Kolenu, which means "hear our voice," is one of these programs and helps to foster empathy for Gann's LGBTQ community.
  
  
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  The Battle of Lexington

  The Battle of Lexington, a historic moment in New England history, was fought this month by students at Gann. But, instead of soldiers on a field, the battle consisted of specially-crafted robots completing complex missions. And, just as in battles past, Gann Robotics walked away with many accolades.
  
  
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  Winter Arts Festival

  This year's Winter Arts Festival brought in hundreds of community members to sample the work of Gann's artists. The evening began with performances by Gann's choir, a cappella group, jazz band, chamber ensemble, dance company, improv team, and the Grateful Dead Club rock band. Over a festive dinner, attendees took in hundreds of pieces of artwork, including darkroom photographs, 3D sculpture, film, drawings, paintings, and pottery, and were also invited to participate in interactive, student-led booths, including watercolor paint night and origami.
  
  
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  Boys Basketball Defeats Rival Maimonides

  Congratulations to all the athletes who competed in Saturday night’s exciting varsity basketball games against Maimonides. In front of a packed arena at Brandeis’s Gosman Center, the teams split the games, with Maimo winning the girls' game and Gann’s boys pulling out an amazing overtime win.
  
  
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  Gann History Students Featured on Chronicle

  WCVB's Chronicle highlighted the work of Gann 11th grade history students for their work to bring 'dignity to the dead'.
  
  Watch the full episode of Chronicle on WCVB's website.
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  Changing the World: A History of Disability in the United States

  Gann hosted a reception at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, where our 11th grade history students have created a ground-breaking museum exhibit.  Hundreds of visitors have toured the exhibit, which documents the often-hidden history of disability in America.  Senior Sarah Levin describes the exhibit: “The history of disability was to hide it. The approach was ‘don’t talk about it’.  We’re breaking new ground here, which is difficult and challenging, but also is what we hope will be really amazing.”
  
  As in many Gann history classes, the students didn’t merely chronicle events and dates, but rather they became historians themselves.  They combed through archives across the U.S., interviewed disability rights activists and government leaders, and even perused cemeteries housing the unmarked graves of Americans with disabilities.   As teacher Alex Green explains, “what the students are doing is developing the skills of professional historians and applying those skills to real world problems.  As a result, they’re sparking a national conversation that can help change perceptions about disability.”
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  Diversity and Student Leadership

  One of Gann's key values is an appreciation of diversity in all forms. In celebration of this value, last week, four Gann students and three faculty and staff members attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in Nashville, Tennessee. Sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools, the conference is the leading multiracial and multicultural gathering of independent high school student leaders in America, attracting more than 1,600 students.
  
  
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  Gann Leads on Affordability Among Independent Schools

  Gann’s leadership in affordability planning was recently recognized at the Association of Independent Schools of New England Business Officers Retreat in Wellesley Massachusetts.  Gail Schulman, Gann Academy Chief Operating Officer, and Emilie Goncalves, Director of Admissions, led a popular session on “Thinking In New Ways About Affordability Programs”. 

   

  Said Schulman, “Gann has been thinking about issues of affordability for years now.  For families who’ve been paying tuition since kindergarten, four more years can feel like an enormous burden.  And for families coming from public schools, tuition can feel like a shock to the system.” 

   

  She explained, “In recent years, we’ve introduced special affordability programs for both categories of families, to make a Gann education accessible to all.   We’re especially proud of the work we’ve done on affordability for middle-tier families—those who might not qualify for traditional programs and yet who still benefit from a bit of discounting.  Those are the families that other schools haven’t yet figured out how to serve, and they’re looking at Gann’s work for ideas.”
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  Constitutional Scholar Visits Gann's Supreme Court Class

  Constitutional scholar and law professor at Fordham Law School Jed Shugerman visited Gann Academy's Supreme Court class this week to discuss Marbury v Madison, the 1803 Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States.
  
  "The Supreme Court class at Gann is unique in that we don't just read and analyze influential court cases, but we debate and re-try them," said Yoni Kadden, teacher and Gann History Department Chair. "This course is taught in the same style as one you'd find in law school. And, having such an influential constitutional lawyer like Jed Shugerman join the class adds an extra level to the debates." 
  
  
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  New Composting Initiative Launched

  Gann recently rolled out a new composting initiative to further promote sustainability on campus and to reduce our ecological footprint. The composting project is spearheaded by Biology Teacher Emily Hart, Jewish Life Fellow Noah Weinberg, and Director of Food Services Steve Smith.
   
  As part of the effort, the Servery has switched from disposable cups, plates, and utensils to compost-approved alternatives, and replaced the cafeteria trash bins with new 64-gallon compost bins. “Students now toss their food scraps and tableware directly into the compost container,” says Hart. “Each week, our partner, Black Earth Compost, comes and replaces the bins with empty ones.”
  
  This initiative is expected to keep more than 6,500 gallons of waste out of the landfill each year.
  
  
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  Gann to Build Innovation Center in Summer 2019

  The largest building project since Gann’s move to its current space, the construction of Gann’s Innovation Center reflects our focus on creative, interdisciplinary and collaborative learning in all subject areas—learning which spills out far beyond the walls of a classroom, and which supports the many ways that students learn. 
  
  It will also bring state-of-the-art engineering and lab spaces to the school to support our Computing, Design and Fabrication department and our Arts classes, as well as project-based learning in all of our disciplines.
  
  "The Innovation Center will both embody and embolden Gann’s culture of teaching and learning," said Gann Assistant Head of School Frank Tipton. "Students and faculty will now have ample space, time, and resources to pursue large-scale projects that both enrich learning and catalyze community impact."
  
  Project elements include:
  
  
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  Introducing Dr. Dalia Hochman as Gann Academy’s Next Head of School

  Dear Gann Community,
  
  The Gann Academy Board of Trustees is thrilled to announce that it has unanimously voted to hire Dr. Dalia Hochman as its next Head of School effective July 1, 2019. Dr. Hochman is a nationally known educator and innovator with deep connections to Boston, to Israel, and to the pluralistic values that animate our school. 
  
  Dr. Hochman is best known for her leadership and strategic advisory work for Summit Learning, the high-profile Silicon Valley charter network funded by The Chan Zuckerberg Education Initiative. She has been involved in projects and roles across the country, from the Wildflower Montessori Schools to the U.S. Department of Education, and has developed a unique perspective and understanding of “what works” at the most well-respected and highly-regarded schools in America. That perspective is extraordinarily aligned with the culture, approach, and aspirations of Gann’s faculty, staff, Senior Leadership Team, and the Board of Trustees. We are enthusiastic about Dr. Hochman’s ability to work with our teachers and senior leadership to further develop Gann as one of the most remarkable high schools in the Boston area.
  
  
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  Meet the Class of 2022

  We are excited to welcome the Class of 2022 to the Gann community! This incoming class is one of our largest, with 74 students coming from 24 schools, consisting of 11 public schools and 13 independent schools.
  
  "Gann draws students from all over Greater Boston and a variety of Jewish backgrounds," says Director of Admissions Emilie Goncalves. "Students who come to Gann are able to develop friendships with kids from Marblehead to Sharon, Worcester to Brookline."
  
  With summer experiences ranging from camp to sabre fencing, our students are bringing new energy and new perspectives to the Gann community.
  
  
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  Gann Class Project Featured Nationally on NPR's Here & Now

  Gann Academy's "History of Disability in America" and "Graphic Design" classes combined history, art, and activism to create a nationally-lauded museum exhibit entitled "Division, Unity, Hardship, and Progress: A Disability History of the United States" that was recently featured on NPR's Here & Now.
  
  
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  Mazel Tov to the Class of 2018!

  On June 10, 2018, we came together to celebrate the accomplishments of the Gann Academy Class of 2018. These 67 students captured our intent as educators. They are ready for the colleges and endeavors that await them; they are ready to lead and serve; and, perhaps most importantly, they leave Gann with a deep understanding of who they are as individuals and how they connect to the rest of the world and to their Jewish identity.
  
  Thank you to the families and friends that joined us in person or online to celebrate the Class of 2018 on their special day!
  
  
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  Gann Athlete Named Tennis League MVP

  Gann Academy junior Eric Kruglak has been chosen as league co-MVP by the Massachusetts Boys Independent League (MBIL) for his leadership this season in Boys’ Tennis where he plays at the one singles spot.
  
  

  “Eric possesses all the components that make an MVP,” said Gann Tennis coach John Buckley. “His technical skill is at the highest level, having one of the best serves in the league. His tactical knowledge is outstanding, understanding his opponent’s weakness and exploiting them. He has also shown great sportsmanship.”

  The Gann Boys’ Tennis team finished their season with an undefeated 10-0 conference record, and 12-0 overall. This is the team’s eighth conference championship in the past 10 years.

  
  In addition to Eric being named a league MVP, 15 Gann athletes in seven spring sports were named league all-stars.
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  Women in STEM Explore the Simulator Program at Boston Children’s Hospital

  Throughout the school year, Gann’s Women in STEM club brings in influential women to discuss careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). From hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge military fabrics led by a female engineer to lessons on coding, this female-identifying group is both practical and engaging—and it's one of Gann’s most popular clubs. 
  
  
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  Athletics Wrap Up

  This year has been such a fantastic whirlwind. We’ve seen an incredible amount of success on the field with individual accolades including two Conference MVP’s and 30 league all-stars! Of course, individuals are nothing without their respective teams supporting and sharing in their successes. Within that vein, we hosted three Conference Championship trophies and made two NEPSAC Tournament appearances! Mazel tov to everyone’s achievements!
  
  
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  15 Gann Athletes Named League All-Stars

  Gann Academy had 15 students in seven sports recognized as league all-stars for the 2018 Spring season. "This year has been such a fantastic whirlwind,"  said Director of Athletics Brad Ballinger. "We’ve seen an incredible amount of success on the field with individual accolades."
  
  Mazel tov to these Gann athletes!
  
  
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  Fulbright Scholar Delves Into Israeli Infertility

  Alisa Feldman, Class of 2014
  
  Be fruitful and multiply. It's commanded in the Book of Genesis, it's also echoed in Israel's generous subsidizing of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for women who do not yet have two children.
  
  Thanks to a Fulbright scholarship, Gann alum Alisa Feldman '14 will be heading to Tel Aviv University in September to better understand Israelis' perceptions of infertility. “I'll be doing interviews and studying the country's policies to get a good understanding of what Israelis think about infertility,” says Alisa, who graduates from the University of Pennsylvania this month.
  
  
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  Advisory Program: Where Students are Heard, Known and Understood

  What do you hope to accomplish during your four-year Gann journey? How do you constructively engage with people whose opinions are diametrically opposed to yours? How does your identity as a Jew co-exist with your other identities? And how do you best balance a rigorous course load with an active social life?
  
  These are just a few of the questions students might wrestle with during "advisory," a critical part of the Gann experience.
  
  
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  Six Weeks in Israel

  Week one of the sophomores' myIsrael excursion is complete, and oh what a week it was!
  
  

  "Being in Israel with my grade has been one of the most challenging but also one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in as long as I can remember," said Shira Hoffer.
  
  
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  Holocaust Survivors Speak to Students

  On Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Gann Academy was honored to welcome two survivors to campus to tell their stories. Charles and Elizabeth Ohlenberg spoke to our seniors about Vienna and Charles' escape to England on the Kindertransport. Jack Trompetter spoke with grades nine through 11 about his story.
  
  
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  What Really Happens on Professional Development Days?

  Four days a year, Gann students eagerly read in their calendars that a professional development day is approaching. To most students, these days simply mean extra time off. However, for faculty and staff, these days, filled with workshops, meetings, activities, and speakers, are diligently planned and highly valued.
  
  
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  Gann Juniors and Seniors Danced the Night Away at Prom

  Gann's prom was the place to be on the evening of March 18. This year, the festivities were hosted at the Boathouse overlooking the Charles River.
  
  Revelers ate, danced and schmoozed under the sparkly strings of lights. They mugged for the photo booth camera and many declared it the "best prom ever."
  
  
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  Using Theater As A Platform For Activism

  After the Parkland shooting in 2018, Gann students staged protests and lobbied their legislators. Gann's Red Curtain Drama Club took to the theatre, acting in and directing a performance of “Natural Shocks” that was featured on WBUR’s The ARTery.
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  Solar Panel Ribbon Cutting This Week

  The Gann Academy/New Jew community is invited to the ribbon cutting of our new solar project this Friday, April 13, from 9:50 to 10:10 am.
  
  

  Gann Academy's electricity will soon be exclusively powered by renewable energy. Despite the snow, the roof of Gann's student activity center has been a hive of activity this winter with the installation of more than 800 solar panels. These will soon power 25% of Gann's energy needs, with the rest sourced from wind.
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  Gann Arts Department Presents the Spring Arts Festival

  Join Gann Academy for a night of art at the annual Spring Arts Festival on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, from 6:15-8:30pm.
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  CEO of PresenTense Israel Leads Discussion on Social Change Through Entrepreneurship

  For a decade, PresenTense Israel has promoted entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social change and has played a pioneering role in the StartUp Nation. In Israel, they launched the first social venture accelerator, the first accelerator for Arab tech entrepreneurs, and the first accelerator for Haredi women. To date, they have 40 accelerator programs, have launched 450 ventures, and helped create more than 2,000 jobs.
  
  PresenTense CEO Rachel Shaul, along with three alumni of the accelerator programs, visited Gann Academy for a panel discussion on entrepreneurship, coexistence, Israeli innovation, and helping underserved communities within Israel. The visit was part of the PresenTense Boston and New York Road Show being sponsored by the Israeli consulate.
  
  
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  Students Organize Walkout Urging Adults to Take Action on Gun Violence

  In response to last month's school shooting in Parkland, Florida, students at Gann Academy have organized and are telling the world that they have had #Enough of gun violence—in the words of Ilana Jacobs '19, "stop talking and start doing stuff about it."
  
  
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  Introducing Dr. Jerry Katz as Interim Head of School

  Dear Gann Community,
   
  We are pleased to announce that the Gann Academy Board of Trustees has completed the process of identifying and appointing an extraordinarily qualified and experienced interim Head of School. The Board of Trustees has named Dr. Jerry Katz as Interim Head of School for the 2018-2019 school year.
  
  
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  Fiddler on the Roof

  Gann Academy's Red Curtain Drama Club Presents:

  Fiddler on the Roof

   

  Thursday, March 8 at 7pm

  Saturday, March 10 at 8:30pm

  Sunday, March 11 at 2pm
  
  
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  Design Challenge: How to Make a Home

  Join 5th through 8th graders from across Greater Boston who are excited by building, design, and art on Sunday, April 29th from 2:30pm-4:30pm at Gann Academy. Students will dive into two of three tracks:
  
  
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  Gann Teacher Recognized for Contributions to Greater Boston’s Jewish Community

  Congratulations to Gann history teacher Dr. Jonathan Golden, who was recognized last week as a 2018 Chai in the Hub honoree. Dr. Golden was one of 10 recipients to receive this honor given by Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) for his work to better the Greater Boston Jewish community. 
  
  Dr. Golden teaches AP History and is Gann's Israel Curriculum Coordinator. Additionally, he serves on the board of both AJC New England and Camp Yavneh, and oversees Gann's Israel Adult Education Initiative in partnership with CJP.
  
  Watch the video to learn more about Dr. Golden and the other Chai in the Hub honorees.
  
  
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  Winter Arts Festival Highlights Students' Work

  The arts came to life last month at the annual Gann Academy Winter Arts Festival. Hundreds of attendees took in performances by the school's music and dance ensembles, participated in student-led gallery tours, and – new this year – participated in hands-on workshops led by both students and faculty.

   
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  Robotics: Communicating Complex Ideas

  Last Sunday, Gann's three robotics teams took to the stage and made a major impact at the Robotics State Qualifier match in Andover. While the final results are not yet in, Gann has already secured two spots at the State Championship in March, and one Gann team even took home the Think Award for excellence in the engineering design process.
  
  "It's amazing to watch a robot go from idea, to design, to reality," said Nathan Lesser, captain of Gann’s RABBI robotics team. "When you take it to competition, it feels so good to know that barely four months ago your robot was only a dream."
  
  
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  Gann Teacher Receives Grant to Promote Research and Leadership

  Gann's Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Jonah Hassenfeld has been named one of three grant recipient for the the Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education's Research on the Practice of Jewish Education grant. The grant will support Dr. Hassenfeld's research into the outcomes of teacher-led research initiatives at Gann Academy. The project is in partnership with the The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University.
  
  
  
  
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  Exploring Diversity

  In December, a delegation from Gann joined more than 6,000 independent school students and educators at the 30th annual People of Color Conference and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference hosted in Anaheim, California. The conference, run by the National Association of Independent Schools, focused on improving the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate at schools across the country.
  
  "The conference was an outstanding experience," said sophomore Naomi Ravel, "You meet people and learn everything about them—from their name to how they were raised. The most meaningful part of the whole trip was knowing you're loved by everyone around you even if you [just met them]." Ravel described the content: "We learned about awareness, social justice, and human rights, and how to stand up for ourselves." Senior Alyssa Block said learning about others backgrounds and life experiences was "powerful and moving".
  
  
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  Cleaning Water and the Flint Fiasco

  Cleanliness and schoolwork don't always go together, but in the 10^th grade chemistry lab, students worked to clean 500 milliliters of filthy water. Students syringed out the oil floating on top. Then they filtered the liquid with sand and charcoal, and used a process called flocculation which caused the suspended pollutant particles to clump together and sink to the bottom.
  
  "The lab showed me how much time and effort goes into making water clean," said sophomore Halle Sisenwine. "I am lucky to live in a place where I can take for granted that my water is safe to drink."
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  Environmental Activism

  Jacob Hershman, Class Of 2016

  
  If Jacob Hershman has his way, the University of Pennsylvania will divest its endowment from the fossil fuel industry and play a larger role in fighting climate change.
   
  Jacob '16 is a leader in the college’s Fossil Free Penn (FFP) student group, which has waged a multi-year campaign to convince the University to stop new investments in the fossil fuel industry, remove holdings in the top 200 coal, oil, and natural gas companies, and reinvest a portion of the extricated funds into clean energy. 
   
  “I constantly think about the environment and climate change,” said Jacob, who is majoring in English with a minor in environmental studies. “It’s unfortunate that my generation has to think about these things, but it’s the world we’re growing up in.”
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  Gann Switching to 100% Renewable Electricity

  Gann Academy's electricity will soon be exclusively powered by renewable energy. Thanks to three recent Gann graduates and a school administrator who took their environmental concerns seriously, the school will soon be joining a very exclusive club: the 5% of U.S. schools powered by renewable energy.
  
  Weather permitting, solar panels will be installed on the roof of the student activities center once the city issues Gann a permit. The panels will provide the school with 25% of its energy. The other 75% will be sourced from wind farms.
  
  "We are really happy to leave our mark on our community in a way that has such a tangible impact," said Nate Orbach, who, along with classmates from Student Council and the Environment Club, drove the sustainable energy agenda last year. "What makes Gann unique is how it empowers students to follow their passions and enact real change," explained Nate.
  
  
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  Goodbye Disposable Bottles

  Think of the class of 2017 next time you take a drink or fill up at the school's new water fountain and bottle filling station.

   
  "The filling station represents our grade's unique passion for the environment and activism: we saw things that could be improved, and we acted on them," said last year’s Student Council President Stav Bejerano, who is spending the year in India as part of a service-based gap year sponsored by Princeton University, which he will attend next fall. "By making bottle refilling simple, and a more visible priority, this class gift will encourage community members to switch from using disposable water bottles to reusable ones."
  
  
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  Exploring Art and Identity Through Sculpture

  Junior Laura Bogorad never noticed how big her eyes are, nor had she studied the contours of her face before Landa Ruen's sculpture and 3D design class.
  
  Now, thanks to weeks of sketching and translating the line drawings into a 3D wire sculpture, she knows her features like never before. "The work goes beyond just visual representation," says Laura. "As part of the project, we were asked to think about how we are seen by ourselves and others."
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  High-Tech Chanukah: Singing 3D Printer

  Junior Zach Sherman has found an interesting use for one of Gann's 3D printers, and, surprisingly, it doesn't involve printing. What does it involve? Chanukah music!
  
  
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  Stanford University Recognizes Gann History Chair With Teacher Tribute Award

  This fall, Stanford University recognized Yoni Kadden, Gann Academy's History Chair, for his exceptional teaching and contributions to his students.

  Kadden was nominated by Gann alum and Stanford freshman Benjamin Simon for the Teacher Tribute Award. In the nomination, Benjamin wrote that Kadden’s “passion for history is surpassed only by the care and warmth with which he teaches and the scrupulous attention he gives to his students.”
  
  
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  "Hanukkah goes high-tech at Gann Academy," reports the Globe.

  Gann was recently profiled for the exciting, and innovative, ways students are celebrating Chanukah this year.
  
  

  Excerpt from December 10th edition of The Boston Globe:
  Hanukkah goes high-tech at Gann Academy, the Jewish high school in Waltham. “I’ve inherited a whole lot of kids who are gung-ho on making things happen,” including making “a 3-D printer do things it wasn’t meant to do,” said Seth Battis, chairman of the newly created Computing Design & Fabrication Department.
  
  
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  Broadway’s Hamilton Meets Harvard Business School in Gann History Class

  What happens when a Gann student obsessed with a certain Broadway musical shares her passion with her AP American history teacher who has recently learned an innovative teaching technique from a top business school?
  
  

  The class re-enacts a famous debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, using a case study method made famous by Harvard Business School. And it’s one of the most exciting, enlightening classes many students have ever experienced.
  
  
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  Robotics Scrimmage Hosted at Gann Academy

  This year, Gann has three robotics teams with more than 25 students. To prepare the teams for competition, Gann hosted a preseason scrimmage in November that mimicked the challenges the students will face in the coming months. 
  
  
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  Successful Fall Season for Gann Sports

  The boys’ varsity soccer team put an exclamation mark on an undefeated season in November by winning their season’s final match 2-0 against Boston Trinity Academy. In the process, they became the Massachusetts Bay Independent League (MBIL) champions.
  
  “It was a fantastic season,” said senior Jason Bryer, the team’s co-captain. “I am proud of how close a group our team was and how hard we fought. We controlled most of our games and fought to come back when down.” Bryer was one of 10 Gann fall athletes named league all-stars. Bryer and teammate Noam Borensztajn, also a senior, were designated conference all-stars by the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) as well.The team advanced to the NEPSAC post-season playoffs— a huge honor—, and hosted an exciting playoff game at Gann. Ultimately, the Heifers were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the MacDuffie School, but the memories of this championship season will live on.
  
  
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  The Voices of Veterans and Our Gann Connections

  Senior Eliana Bazer was 12 when her father, a rabbi and colonel in the Massachusetts National Guard, was deployed to Afghanistan. Although he wasn’t in a combat role, she worried about his safety.  Her father, in turn, was careful about what he shared during those seven months. “I didn’t find out until he returned that one time, the vehicle he was traveling in was shot at,” said Eliana.
  
  
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  Army Researcher Provides Hands-On Chemical Engineering Seminar

  Women in STEM is one of Gann's most active school groups with more than a third of Gann's women participating each year. “Most people don’t yet know what they want to be in life," says junior Maya Rubin. "Women in STEM offers a chance for us to meet interesting female role models.”
  
  Earlier this month, Dr. Natalie Pomerantz, a research chemical engineer at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) spoke to the group about her work and provided a hands-on demonstration involving fire, water and chemically-treated fabrics.
  
  
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  Gann Students and Israeli Peers Share a Week of Fun and Introspection

  Gann Academy recently hosted 33 Israeli 11th graders, their principal, and two teachers during the mifgash, the annual encounter between students from Gann and Ironi Hey High School in Haifa.

  
  But this year there was a twist that made the visit even more meaningful: the teenagers already knew each other, thanks to last spring’s Israel trip—myIsrael— which, for the first time, sent 10th, not 11th graders, abroad. And more Gann students than ever participated.
  
  
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  All School Retreat Engages Students’ Grit, Wits and Hearts

  For many, the highlight of the recent All School Retreat was Grit ‘N Wit, a campus-wide obstacle course that tested both brains and brawn. “It was awesome,” enthused senior Noah Savitz. “The team-building was amazing and it provided a great start to the year.”

   

  Welcoming new students, bonding as a community and beginning the school year with a bang are a few of the hoped for outcomes of the annual two-day event. Dean of Students Cindy Jacobs said that although some students were initially disappointed the retreat was on-campus for the first time, most agreed with Savitz that it was a great success. 
  
  
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  Robots Make Physics Come Alive

  Ninth-grade students are gaining an out-of-this-world experience in Steven Cavendar-Wood’s Physics class. Meet Sphero, a ball-like robot bringing to life concepts like motion, force and velocity that students will use to explore a faux extraterrestrial terrain.
   
  The 14 Spheros — think Star Wars’ BB-8, but smaller — are the centerpiece of Cavendar-Wood’s mechanics unit. “We wanted to ramp up the physics curriculum and make it more engaging and accessible to all sorts of learners,” says Cavendar-Wood.  “The students are excited about the robots, and, by extension, they’re getting excited about physics—delving in at a whole new level.”
  
  
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  Ariana Abadian-Heifetz: Empowering Girls Through Knowledge

  ^{Ariana Abadian-Heifetz, Class of 2008}
  Gann alum Ariana Abadian-Heifetz '08 was working in rural India when she discovered how little knowledge young women had of their bodies – particularly when it came to menstruation. When she set out to find resources that spoke to the specific needs of rural communities and were engaging for young children, she came up empty-handed.

   
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  Meet the Gann Academy Class of 2021

  We are excited to welcome the incoming class to the Gann community! This year, more than 70 new students hail from 24 different towns around New England.
  
  

  “Gann draws students from all over Greater Boston,” says Director of Enrollment Management Farrah Rubenstein. “Students who come to Gann are able to develop friendships with kids from Marblehead to Sharon, Worcester to Brookline.”

   
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  New Department Brings Increased Innovation to Gann

  Gann Academy is excited to introduce our new Computing, Design and Fabrication Department.
  
  

  Gann's newest department includes an expanded computer science curriculum (with three levels of courses allowing for triple the student enrollment of previous years), courses that focus on design and engineering (with planned classes in areas such as 3D design and electrical engineering), and a new Innovation Club for students to identify relevant projects and design and build prototypes. The department will also house Gann’s award-winning robotics teams.
  
  
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  Sleeping Under the Stars: myIsrael 2017

  Sixty-six Gann sophomores have spent the last seven weeks exploring Israel through an exciting mix of academics, desert camping, socializing, sports, art, robotics, community service and much, much more. They're participating in myIsrael, Gann's unique Israel trip where students engage with the country on multiple levels.

  
  

  The Gann trekkers have met with Knesset members, a Christian journalist, a 90-something pioneer, Palestinians, settlers, representatives of the LGBT community and one of the country's top junior tennis players, to name just a few. And to experience the life of an Israeli teen in real time, Gann kids did a week-long homestay with the families of students from Ironi Hey High School, Gann's sister school in Haifa.
  
  
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  Gann Psychology Students Do Original Research

  If you’re told a certain snack food is a name brand, does that make you judge it tastier? If a maze is described as “really challenging,” will you struggle with it more than if you were told it was “super easy?”
  
  
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  Gann Women Thrive in Math and Science

  Hodaya Propp likes building robots. Zoe Weiss is a whiz at programming. Gann girls are members of the math team and the Women in STEM club, compete in mathematics competitions, take upper level science and math courses and just plain love any activity that kicks their left brain into gear. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
  
  
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  Language Study: A Window Into Culture

  In a Gann Spanish class, you won’t find students simply memorizing “mama,” “papa,” “hijo” and “hija” for a unit on the family. Sure, they’ll learn the family tree, but they’ll also discuss how familial structures differ in Spanish-speaking countries, how divorce rates in Latin America diverge from the United States’, and how same-sex relationships are viewed. Meanwhile, sophomores studying Arabic are brushing up on vocabulary they plan to use when they visit the souk (marketplace) in Israel during the myIsrael trip.
  
  
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• Shabbaton: A Time to Connect With Community and Judaism

  One highlight of Gann’s recent Shabbaton was an intimate discussion between seniors and Head of School Rabbi Marc Baker that went into the wee hours of the morning. There was also a crazy international-themed relay race, great food, a moving Havdalah service, and a fascinating talk by two activists — a Yemeni threatened by extremists and the American Jew who helped him escape.
  
  
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  Farm-to-School and Dining at Gann

  Mac and cheese is hands-down the most popular dish in Gann's dining hall. Roasted zucchini with herbs, vegetarian lo mein, and paninis also get gobbled up. Falafel sliders and orzo primavera? Not so much.
  
  Since donning the head apron at Gann in 2015, Director of Food Services Steve Smith has introduced “farm-to-school” eating in the dining hall. Farm-to-school borrows its name from the farm-to-table movement, sharing its emphasis on serving fresh food sourced directly from local farmers, exposing diners to vegetable and fruit varieties they may not ordinarily encounter. 
  
  
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  Students Make Bacterial Cells Glow Through Bioengineering

  If you walked into one of our advanced biotech classes recently, you’d be treated to a gorgeous sight: vials and plates of eerily glowing bacteria.
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  Researchers and Soul Searchers

  Around the corner from Gann (or just through the woods, if you take a short-cut) is the site of The Fernald School. Before it was closed just a few years ago, Fernald was a center for adults with developmental disabilities. However, earlier in its history, Fernald was called a “School for the Feebleminded,” and its namesake, Walter E. Fernald, was an advocate of eugenics. Recently, the City of Waltham acquired the property and is in the process of determining what to do with it. This past summer members of our faculty were introduced to the archivist who has been charged by Waltham to consider how best to preserve the memory of the place and its history. This is where the project begins.
  
  
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