2009-2010 HACD Annual Report - Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of ...

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Table of ContentsMessage from the Head of School 3Dear Friends,2009-2010 was Bet Shraga’s forty-seventh year,and it was again a year in which the school left itsdistinctive imprint on its students and the widercommunity. Despite the economic upheaval, wemoved forward during the year with our mission toencourage intellectual curiosity and critical thinkingand we continued to teach and celebrate the beautyof Torah, Hebrew and the land of Israel. I am pleasedto share with you some highlights:Our athletic department launched three new afterschool team sports - cross country, volleyball andtrack and field.Our Mathcounts team placed 7 th in the regionalcompetition. (The six schools above us are all atleast twelve times our size).We introduced new publications including ourinaugural Annual Report and Bet Shraga Shelanu,our Alumni newsletter and we upgraded theShabbaton, our weekly publication.For the 4 th year in a row, our eighth graders traveledto Israel as an educationally and emotionallyunparalleled culminating experience. It was a tripthat our students will continue to relive and that willlive within them for many years to come.I hope you’ll enjoy discovering the accomplishmentsof our students, faculty and the entire Bet ShragaHebrew Academy community as you read this annualreport. On behalf of our entire Bet Shraga family,I thank everyone who has helped to support ourmission. Your commitment has enabled Bet Shragato thrive and to continue to offer “Academic ExcellenceRooted in Tradition.”Sincerely,3Message from the Head of School,Rabbi Rami StrosbergDespite the challenging economy, our ShomrayTorah Fall Campaign was our most successfulin recent history, doubling our number ofcontributors and raising over $162,000.Rabbi Rami StrosbergHead of School4561012Message from the Presidentof the Board, Marta KoblenzOur MissionAchievementsThe Shomray Torah Annual FundDonor ListingAt our Heritage Awards Dinner we honoredoutstanding and devoted individuals who havehelped build and strengthen Bet Shraga, includingformer principal Dvorah Heckelman, our currentArt teacher Amy Rosenstrauch and long standingsupporters Dr. Gavin and Karen Setzen.In June 2010, we graduated our eighth graders intoarea public and private high schools. Ournewest alumni are exceptional young adults who,like their predecessors, are destined to be leadersand contributing members of their academic andJewish communities and excel in their ongoing studies.
4Message from the President of the BoardOn behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased topresent you with our first annual report.Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital Districtcontinues to carry forward the educational visionand mission of our founding principal, Shraga Arian.“Bet” Shraga is a “house” of learning, in its broadestsense, and a “home” to our children, families, facultyand administration. Our role as a board, first andforemost, is to safeguard this incredibleenvironment and its mission.Our Mission 5In a nurturing and respectful school community that values the uniqueness of eachchild and the diversity of Jewish practice,Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy:Creates an outstanding integrative curriculum in General and Judaic studies,encouraging intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and love of learningCelebrates the richness of Jewish tradition, Torah and IsraelInspires ethical growth rooted in the values of justice, kindness and tikkun olam,the principle that we must each do our part to make the world a better placeThe challenges we faced this past year in thispursuit were not unlike those faced by other smallschools in small Jewish communities across thecountry: changing community demographics amidsttumultuous economic times. We would like toshare with you how we have navigated thesechallenges and the accomplishments we haverealized.Much of our work has focused on two areas crucialfor our continued growth and development:fundraising and recruitment. It became clear thatour ultimate goal, moving to a more energyefficient and right-sized building would only berealized though strategic emphasis on these areas.Utilizing a reenergized, constituency based approachto fundraising, within an updated and improvedfinancial infrastructure, we were able to more thandouble our donor base and increase our gifts byover 70,000 dollars. This has led to greater day today financial stability and has launched us on ourway to doubling the Shomray Torah Annual Fund,our goal over the next two to three years.Our partnership with the Jewish Federation ofNortheastern New York matured as wecollaborated on efforts that strengthened ourcommunity. Not only did we receive a generousallocation of monies again this year, but we alsogreatly benefited from the Federation’s expertiseas we sought to professionalize our fundraisingefforts, institutionalize our endowment programs,and work towards hiring a developmentprofessional.To address our second major board goal ofrecruitment, we established a working relationshipwith an admissions consultant from PEJE (Partnershipfor Excellence in Jewish Education). We developed arecruitment team led by our Director of Admissionsand consisting of parents, representative of the diversefabric of our community. We also look forward to theresults of ongoing demographic studies which will giveus a better appreciation of the shifting makeup of ourcommunity.Looking to next year, we will continue our efforts toopen doors of awareness, welcoming families of ourCapital District Jewish community and supportingaccess to a Jewish education. As we work to furtherbroaden our base of community support, we willcelebrate Bet Shraga for what is has become, acommunity school, one diverse in its Jewish life, andan essential institution within our community.We are truly grateful for our donor support andremain dedicated to honoring this commitment tous and the children of our community. As always,we welcome your thoughts and guidance.Sincerely,Marta KoblenzPresidentDuring the 2009-2010 school year, Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy remained aplace of incredible intellectual, Judaic and ethical growth. From the school’sclassrooms to its performance stage, from local volunteer sites to holy sites inIsrael, Bet Shraga students learned in traditional and innovative ways, honoredtheir Jewish heritage and gave back to their community.
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