2019-2020 Annual Report

DEAR LEVINE COMMUNITY, Because of your generosity, Ann & Nate Levine Academy continues to thrive and evolve. Our aim, always, is to grow and strengthen our school’s mission: providing a superior Jewish day school educational experience; encouraging enrollment growth; making the school a first choice within the broader community; and giving our graduates the foundation to flourish and lead in the best schools throughout high school and beyond. Our focus during the 2019-2020 school year was todeliver on four key pillars outlined in the Strategic Plan: INCLUSIVITY – to broaden the reach of Levine across a wider spectrum of normative Judaism, while enhancing the sense of feeling “at home” in our school for all of our families. EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM – to increase the attractiveness of the early childhood program and to align the programwith the 21st century learning programs in the lower and middle school. ACADEMIC INNOVATION – to elevate Levine’s competitive position with respect to other private, selective schools in Dallas. FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school and provide the resources to permit continued innovation of the curriculum and overall Levine experience. These pillars were the result of interviews conducted to include a broad spectrum of constituents in the community: current parents, parents of students that exited the school, parents that did not consider the school, community rabbis, school faculty, administration and the board of directors. In each of these areas we made great strides: we bolstered our STEM and global education throughout the K-8 curriculum. In support of inclusivity, we completed plans to expand curricular options in our Judaic Studies program in the Middle School. We are solidifying curricular goals between Early Childhood, Kindergarten and First Grade. Additionally, we are growing our professional development for teachers and investing significantly in innovative curricular areas, such as coding, robotics and engineering through our new Makerspace laboratory. As Spring approached, we were forced to deal with unprecedented times and a unique teaching environment. The COVID-19 pandemic infiltrated our community, our schools and our everyday lives. Levine had to quickly pivot and embrace this new challenge and deliver to our families the continuity in education and connectivity that makes us special. We are so very fortunate that our teachers excelled, our students evolved and, although it was not our first choice, we ended the 2020 school year with parking lot graduations, banquets and send-offs. We are grateful that we have your continued support as, without our donors, we would not have been able to support our students and faculty as effectively as we did in such a short time. We rely on you—your commitment to investing in our students, keeping our school on its continuum of excellence, and bolstering our importance in the community. We know that the road ahead will have unique challenges. Our commitment to you, our students and community is steadfast, and with your ongoing support in our annual fundraising efforts we will continue to offer a premier educational experience that is a beacon for our community. Sincerely,

TOM ELIEFF Head of School

SANDY HAYMANN MARKS

President, Board of Trustees

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