Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Student Council (STUCO) organizes programs and fundraisers for the Upper School Community. This school year began with an introductory program for HBHA student-families. Co-Vice Presidents of Family Programming, senior Jacob Margolies and sophomore Elana Goldenberg, planned the program. During the program, each family member introduced themselves to the groups. They played a get-to-know-you game involving candies, discussed what the HBHA family program would involve throughout the year and decorated a sign for their group.

“Elana and I began thinking about programs a few weeks before the end of summer and thought it would be nice to open with an icebreaker so kindergartners and new students could learn about their families,” said Margolies. “I think the program went well and I definitely learned a lot about both my new and returning family members.”

In honor of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, STUCO is also planning a program for the entire school. Co-Vice Presidents of Family Programming, sophomore Elana Goldenberg and senior Jacob Margolies are working hard on their second program of the year. This program will involve making Hanukkah/Thanksgiving cards for senior citizens living at Village Shalom, reading a Hanukkah story and playing dreidel.

“Since both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving are right around the corner, Jacob [Margolies] and I wanted to incorporate both holidays by having families read a Hanukkah story and then make ‘Thanksgivukkah’ cards for the residents of Village Shalom,” explained Goldenberg.

Although family programs are an important part of Student Council, they are not the only things that STUCO has planned to kick off the school year. Co-Treasurers senior Alex Sher and sophomore Aleck Bratt have been selling bagels every Friday morning, and they headed a “Hot Dog in the Hut,” on Tuesday, Sept. 24.  Upper School STUCO grilled hot dogs to sell to students as a way to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot. Students enjoyed eating outside in the Sukkah for lunch.

Wednesday, Nov. 6th was STUCO’s first Pizza Lunch of the year. HBHA students had the opportunity to order these freshly made pizzas and enjoy them during lunch. Secretary of STUCO, junior Moriah Abrams, could not wait for the pizza lunch. “I was so excited for the pizza,” said Abrams. “It’s always fun to prepare it with STUCO and it’s delicious.” Bratt and Sher, along with the rest of STUCO, are planning other lunches. They will sell doughnuts for on Nov. 26 and are organizing a latke lunch on Dec. 3.

Sophomore Adena Goldberg and senior Sam Sosland have a new role on STUCO, Co-Vice Presidents of Holidays/Purim Carnival. Sosland and Goldberg will be in charge of getting the entire school excited about Jewish holidays and coming up with ways to celebrate them with programming.

“Our job is mainly to plan programming for all the different holidays at school, for Sukkot we [decided to] decorate the high school hallways with paper chains and posters to get students in the holiday spirit! It’s a lot of fun,” explained Sosland.

Goldberg and Sosland will also be in charge of the Purim Carnival next semester.

Goldberg is very excited about the new role. “Since it is a new position, we have a lot of flexibility with what we will be doing throughout the school year,” said Goldberg. “We will have fun stuff planned for all of the holidays, and are so excited to work on the Purim Carnival. We hope to make it even more fun for the lower school students.”

STUCO has also been busy coming up with ways to get HBHA excited for the fall and winter sports season. Co-Vice Presidents of Spirit senior Jacob Pellegrino and sophomore Lainie Kaseff have been working on pep rallies and spirit wear to encourage HBHA pride.

Kaseff is very enthusiastic about this year’s STUCO. “I love being on STUCO, and I’m excited for everyone to see the new designs for spirit wear. Jacob [Pellegrino] and I are trying to come up with new and fun ideas for not only shirts but different spirit items as well,” said Kaseff.

Pellegrino and Kaseff also planned a pep rally on Oct. 12 to get students excited for boys soccer, girls tennis and cross country. After a successful pep rally in honor of the soccer, cross country and tennis season, STUCO is currently planning a second one to get the HBHA community excited for the upcoming basketball season. Pellegrino and Kaseff hope  to show a video and have activities to get the students pumped up for the season. They are planning a senior versus faculty dodgeball game for first semester, too.

STUCO President Kara Kahn and Co-Vice Presidents of Spirit, Jacob Pellegrino  and Lainie Kaseff Show off their Spirited Smiles during the Fall Pep Rally.

“The next pep rally is going to be great,” said Pellegrino. “I can’t give away all of the details, but it will be one of the best moments of the year in honor of Rams basketball.”

Kaseff and Pellegrino have also been busy designing spirit wear that will be for sale at the end of the semester. In addition to this, they planned the high school mixer. In the past, student council has planned a casual outing for high schoolers, but this year they planned a dance instead. The mixer celebrated Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and was held on Nov. 23 in the Social Hall at the Kansas City Jewish Community Center.

This is the first time HBHA STUCO has  planned a dance in the fall since 2009. “I am really excited to have a themed fall dance,” said senior Shayna Towle. “HBHA dances are always really fun and unique. We haven’t had one in the fall since I was in ninth grade. As a senior, I am ready to go all out with my toga and leaf crown.”

Behind all of the programs and fundraisers, there are many new faces on Student Council. Seven of the twelve members of the 2013-2014 STUCO are serving their first terms, including Pellegrino, who is ready for his first term on STUCO.

“I am really excited to be a member of STUCO for the upcoming year,” said Pellegrino. “I know I was one of the newer students that made it on [STUCO], but I think that I will bring plenty of good ideas to the table. Also, I have a ton of HBHA pride so I think that Spirit VP is the role for me.”

In addition to the new members, STUCO has a new teacher advisor. Zohar Flacks, Jewish Studies teacher at HBHA, has taken over the role as STUCO advisor.

Flacks is very optimistic about this year’s Student Council. “I’m really excited about STUCO,” said Flacks. “It looks like we’re going to have a really great year of programming and we have a lot of really cool ideas. I’m looking forward to STUCO bringing a lot of spirit to upper school in particular but also the entire school.”