for our Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle schools and a monthly volunteer club giving grandparents the opportunity to come together at school enjoying each other’s company, some snacks, and getting to work cutting, pasting, and assembling projects to assist the teachers with their work. In recent years, we have rebranded our annual fund to the “Levine Fund” with a new logo, new name, and new way of describing and thinking about giving in our school. We have shifted the culture of giving over the last three years fro m a message of “we are all obligated to give” to a message of “give to help your school” and “give be cause it means something to you. ” We are proud of the response we have received as we shifted from a “grade race” competition mindset of giving to a meanin gful giving culture in our school. The development committee consists of a core group of trustees, the director of development, parent representatives, the chair of the alumni committee, the chair of the grandparent committee, and the chair of the gala committee. It advises the board on the financial goals of the annual giving campaigns including any capital or special projects. The committee meets every other month to review fundraising strategy and progress. Every year, when the budget is set, a number is established for the fundraising goal. That number is based on the results of the previous year along with other considerations (e.g., economic issues). The development department recently upgraded to a new software, which has greatly improved our ability to track donations, donor communication, and donor capacity as well as report on numbers in a clear and concise way. It is expected that every board member donates to the annual fund and all are encouraged to attend and financially support our annual gala. We expect 100 percent of all trustees to make an annual fund contribution that is meaningful to them. Trustees are also encouraged to make peer-to-peer solicitations, identify prospective donors, and host small events to cultivate relationships. Trustees serve as an inspiration to motivate all constituents to give generously. Nurturing and sustaining an ongoing, healthy and effective relationship with our constituents is vital to the preservation and growth of the school. Admissions We take an all-hands-on-deck approach to the admissions process at Levine, although our office is staffed officially by only one individual, the Director of Admissions. From the initial inquiry, to the collection of application materials, to the committee’ s review of the admissions files, and finally the acceptance and welcoming phases — nearly all faculty and administrative staff will play roles in one or more aspects of the admissions process. Since the 2017- 2018 school year, Levine’s admissions moved to a full faculty committee review process. The aim with our committee review is to consider all aspects of the applicant’s profile— school records, teacher recommendations, any professional or specialist reports, the family profile, our teacher observations during the student visit day to Levine, and the family’s understanding of our school program. All of these components
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