2019-2020 Annual Report

MORE K-8 HIGHLIGHTS

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION We continue to perfect our proficiency in Differentiated Instruction (DI) - an initiative we started four years ago. DI tailors instruction to meet the individual student needs. Teachers differentiate content, process, products, and the learning environment; they also use ongoing assessment and flexible grouping to customize the learning experience for their students. THEY DO THIS BY: • Presenting ideas through auditory and visual means • Meeting with small groups to re-teach an idea or skill for struggling learners • Extending advanced learners thinking and skills • Varying the length of time a student may take to complete a task in order to provide additional support • Providing opportunities for an advanced learner to pursue a topic in greater depth • 21st century classrooms with flexible seating • Giving students options of how to express required learning (e.g., multimedia presentations, artistic representation, oral or written presentations) • Allowing students to work alone or in small groups • Helping students understand their unique learning styles • Teaching students empathy, helping them understand their peers’ needs

ELECTIVES A wider variety of academic elective choices have been offered to students including: • Chinese • Biomedical Sciences • Genius Hour Passion Project • Creative Writing & Poetry • Art • Music • Show Choir • Environmental Engineering • Makerspace • Global Studies • Robotics • Israel Around the World • Coding

THANK YOU TO ANDREA & LOREN WEINSTEIN AND THEIR FAMILY FOR THE ANNUAL WALDMAN TEACHER EXCELLENCE AWARD CONTRIBUTION. In honor of its 40th anniversary year and the outstanding job by Levine Academy faculty with its quick pivot to virtual learning in the spring due to COVID-19, the 2020 Waldman Teacher Excellence Award was presented to the entire Levine Academy faculty. The funds were used to stock the teacher break rooms with new appliances and goodies for the teachers to enjoy. My family is extremely grateful that the spirit and intent of awarding Levine Academy teachers has continued to bring to the forefront the tremendous effort they make every day thus enabling each student to be his or her best." -Andrea Weinstein

DALLAS MORNING NEWS “EXPRESS YOURSELF” POETRY CONTEST WINNERS Jenna Files Morgan Hacker Omer Ron Natalie Rubin

POETRY AWARD Ella Sadka

SOCIAL STUDIES AWARD Stella Bruce

MS GEOGRAPHY BEE 1ST PLACE | Talia Fisher 2ND PLACE | Henry Orlowski

STUDENT CONGRESS

Gabi Appel Noah Brown Claire Cohen

Sydney Goldstein Ben Goldstein Jonathan Grossfeld

Avner O’Sullivan Dani Reiman Natalie Rubin Ella Sadka

Natalie Emmett Abigail Goldberg Zach Goldminz

Zach Ingham Sara Lipszyc Mila Neumark Brenna Norton

Abigail Singer Olivia Wayne

STAT INNOVATION AWARD STAT, an organization that recognizes the best and brightest science initiatives in Texas while also offering solutions to the resource challenges besetting science instruction in our state, announced their 2019-2020 Innovation Award Winners. A $5,000 GRANT WAS AWARDED TO MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER HELENE BERKE AND HER STUDENTS FOR THEIR INVENTION IDEA: THE ELECTRIC STANDING WHEELCHAIR Brian Aft, a paraplegic veteran, shared innovations that make his life easier with our middle school students. Brian noted how he missed playing golf, but was recently given a chance to play using a $23,000 wheelchair. Inspired by what they heard, the students had the idea to build an efficient and inexpensive vertical wheelchair so Brian can play golf whenever he wants.

LANGUAGE ARTS / READINGCURRICULUM The Center for the Collaborative Classroom Reading Curriculum (CCC) is now used in all K-4 classes Extensive training has been provided to teachers by the CCC New spelling & vocabulary curriculum in lower school

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