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E2K Team Wins 2nd Place in International Science Competition

For the third consecutive year, Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy has earned a top prize in an international competition for gifted math and science students.

WFHA's sixth- and seventh-grade E2K team captured second place in a challenging science contest, in which the students competed against peers from as far away as India. For more than two hours the team answered questions, designed and performed experiments as they explored the science behind viruses and bacteria.

E2K is an enrichment program developed in Israel that encourages advanced students to use logic, analysis, creativity and teamwork to approach math and science. Several times a year, the Gruss Foundation, which administers the E2K program in the United States, runs international contests. The teams compete in real-time, using the Internet and Smart Boards.

"I am so proud of WFHA's involvement in the E2K program," said Head of School Nora Anderson. "Our students' participation has allowed them to grow academically and has promoted their ability to work cooperatively as a team and to challenge their minds. The program has fostered not only a commitment and sense of pride among our E2K students, but excitement for math and science throughout the entire campus."

"The students studied for weeks preparing for this contest, using high school- and college-level materials," said Rhonda Ginsberg, who heads E2K at WFHA. "I am very, very proud of my students. They were able to process their knowledge, explain what they had learned, analyze the information and determine solutions."

"We tried to learn everything we could about bacteria reproduction and what makes up bacteria," said seventh-grader Eliana Worenklein. "We also learned a lot about viruses, how people get sick and how bacteria impacts the food industry."

Despite feeling prepared to compete in the contest, the group didn't think they were in a leading position, said seventh-grader Shara Safer.

"The competition was so hard and we were really surprised when we took second place," said Shara, adding that the team cheered loudly when they were told of the results.

WFHA's E2K students will compete in two additional international competitions this school year.